à minore ad majus much more confounds the Jews for sinning not onely against their Naturall law but a-against Gods law supernaturally revealed It hath three generall parts First The very Gentiles have a law-Law-book in their hearts written by the God of Nature That is God hath given such a naturall light and life unto mens souls as enableth them to discern what is honest or dishonest right or wrong and moveth them withall to do good actions and avoid evil This in respect of the Discerning light Basil tom 1. in princ Prov. bom 18. is by Basil called Naturale judicatorium a naturall judgement The Schools call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 records of the law of Nature preserved in mans heart for the rule of his life In regard of the Livelinesse of it exciting and stirring up men to perform their duties Origen calls it Paedagogus Animae sociatus Origen lib. 2. in Epist ad Rom. A schoolmaster accompanying the soul to teach man his duty and call for performance Philosophers glance at it in their Bonus genius Secondly Conscience as it were scientia cum alio sive consensus cordis id est voluntatis cum scientia witnesseth with God and with us or against us whether we have performed this law or not and to that end it writes a second book a Record History or Chronicle of all our counsels courses thoughts words and works which S. Chrysostom in Psalm 50. bom 2. Chrysostome calls Codex in quo quotidiana peccata conscribuntur A book wherein our daily sinnes are written These books shall be opened at the last day and the dead shall be judged of those things which are written in the books according to their works Revel 20.12 Thirdly Our discursive thoughts comparing the law-Law-book which shews what we should do with our Chronicle which shews what we have done produce a third thing a conclusion either excusing and acquitting us for doing according to the law or accusing and condemning us for doing against the law And thus Conscience hath a power to comfort us against all accusations distasts and reproaches of men when we are in the right and to check us having run into erroneous opinions or unjust actions though for our profit or pleasure and with the worlds applause So have we three parts of the text the first De jure the second De facto the third De 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of judgement The works of the Law written in the Gentiles hearts concern God or our neighbour 1. Part. Concerning God the Gentiles knew 1. Deum esse 2. Qualis esset 3. Adorandum esse 1. That there was a God 2. That he had many transcendent properties 3. That he was to be worshipped This S. Paul sheweth Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and Godhead so that they the very Gentiles are without excuse As Seafaring men lighting upon an unknown Island when they finde hedge-rows houses and towns know it is inhabited by Men for these are not the works of Beasts So the meere Gentiles viewing the Heavens Sunne Moon Starres the Land and Seas Woods Rivers and all kinde of Creatures farre exceeding the wit of Man to devise them or his power to make them or any the least of them conclude presently 1. These things had a Maker farre more excellent then Man even that supreme power which we call God 2. This Maker must in reason 1. be before the things made as the cause before the effects himself cause of all things nothing cause of him therefore Eternall 2. He must also be Almighty that could make all things of nothing and sustain such a masse of creatures in such excellent manner so many 1000 yeares 3. He must be most Wise that made them all in such order variety multiplicity and distinction every one perfect in his kinde nothing defective or superfluous in any creature So wisely that without great wisdome study and observation not any one of them can be understood 4. He must be more excellent then his work having in himself all the perfection and excellencies that can possibly be found in any or in all his works laid together since from him they all proceed 5. He is also most Good and Bountifull that hath made all for mans use or benefit and given man wit and power to manage them all even creatures much stronger then himself to conquer and passe over the boisterous seas upon his devised woodden tottering bridges and to make use of all things in the world for his profit and pleasure 6. He must needs be also most Just to reward those that are like himself good and beneficiall to mankinde and to punish those that live disorderly for the continuation of the world 3. Their knowledge that this God must be worshiped they shewed by their Sacrifices See D. Ames Medulla theologiae lib. 2. cap. 5. Prayers Temples and Priests whereof we reade plentifully in Poets and Historians of all Nations Sacrifices they offered as chief rents in acknowledgement that of him they held whatsoever they possessed and as to the authour of their life safety protection preservation and all other blessings and as a kinde of thankfulnesse for benefits received and prayers for continuance and increase of their happinesse The divine scriptures mention the readinesse of the Lycaonians at Lystra Acts 14.12 13. to sacrifice oxen to Paul and Barnabas for healing a creeple born lame thinking them to be gods come from heaven in likenesse of men And testimony of the Gentiles prayers we have in Jonas his shipmen upon the stormie seas praying to their gods Jonah 1.5 6. and urging him to pray also It seems also that all Nations were taught by the light of nature in prayer to bend the knee to hold up their heads to lift up their eyes 1. Cor. 11.4 5 14 15. men to pray bare-headed women covered all with great reverence as the histories of the Syrians Chaldeans Bellar. De effect sacr lib. 2. cap. 29. saith Many ceremonies were in a sort instituted in nature and therefore common to ill heathen and all sects as To lift up the eyes or hands to heaven to bowe the knee to knock the breast when we pray to God Aegyptians and other nations declare and the Fathers observe Aug. de civ Dei Euseb de praepar Evang. Cicero de natura deor No Nation in the world but worshipped God after one fashion or other Some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had false gods some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had many gods none were meerly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without God A God they knew there was in generall though they erred in the particular and somewhere erected altars * Act. 17.23 to the unknown God and for their gods worship they ordained Temples Priests and Ceremonies not without great honour cost and magnificence witnesse the
A SERMON NECESSARIE FOR THESE TIMES Shewing the nature of Conscience with the corruptions thereof and the repairs or means to inform it with right knowledge and stirre it up to upright practise and how to get and keep a good Conscience To which is adjoyned a necessarie brief and pithy treatise of the Ceremonies of the Church of England By ANTHONY CADE Batch of Divinitie 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimonie of our Conscience that in simplicitie and godly sinceritie not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. Printed by the Printers to the Vniversitie of Cambridge And are to be sold by John Sweeting near Popes head alley in Corn-hill 1639. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD JOHN LORD BISHOP OF LINCOLN MY VERY good Lord and Patron RIght Reverend Father in God I have often with great comfort related among my friends what I observed about five yeares agone at my being at Buckden an ancient house belonging to the Bishoprick of Lincoln how bare naked and ruinous I had seen it in former times and now worthily repaired and adorned by your Lordship The cloisters fairly pargetted and beautified with comely coportments and inscriptions of wise counsels and sentences the windows enriched with costly pictures of Prophets Apostles and holy Fathers and beyond all the Chappell for Gods immediate service most beautifully furnished with new Seats Windows Altar Bibles and other sacred books costly covered clasped and embossed with silver and gilt with gold with Bason Candlesticks and other vessels all of bright shining silver and with stately Organs curiously coloured gilded and enameled no cost spared to set forth the dignity of that house dedicated to Gods worship And the whole service of God therein performed with all possible reverence and devout behaviour of your own person and all the assembly and with the organs of sweet ravishing angelicall voices and faces of young men lifting up with heavenly raptures all the hearers and beholders hearts to heaven and enforcing me to think and meditate When such things are found on earth in the Church Militant Oh what unconceivable joyes shall we finde in heaven in the Church Triumphant We have great cause to glorifie God for your Fatherhoods excellent care and cost in this and many * At Lincoln Westminster Cambridge Oxford c. Where this Bishop hath built chappels libraries c. or garnished and furnished them with excellent books and maintenance for Scholars other places where as I heare you have done the like As also now more lately for our most excellent worthy-minded Archbishops Grace who prosecuting his own and some other Bishops preparations hath now notably begun and happily gone forwards with the repairing of that most honourable ancient monument of Christendome S. Pauls Church in London to the comfort of all good hearts and glory of our nation and also to work an unity of faith and uniformity of practise in the service of God and by all possible means to winne all adversaries thereunto which would be an incomparable joy to all true Christian hearts But to return again to Buckden to my observations there and to my present purpose I did also ordinarily speak among my friends of the government of your great house with all subjection and gravity and of your hospitalitie such as S. 1. Tim. 3.2 Paul prescribes to Bishops entertaining your numerous guests with bountifull provision and feasting them with variety and plenty of all good things but with exemplary sobriety in your own person and with wise learned and religious discourse as wholesome for their souls as your meats for their bodies But this I passe over now slightly as beside my present purpose for my purpose was onely to shew how by the former sight of your house and Chappel and the manner of Gods service therein I well understood your Fatherhoods religious minde and intentions but much better by your private words to my self afterwards viz. That your desire was to have the Consciences of all people preachers and others in your Diocesse rightly informed and soundly convicted of the lawfulnesse and perswaded to the practise of the established service of God with the Rites and Ceremonies of our happily reformed Church and that your self would leade them the way and give them a fair * S. August epist 86. in fine Si consilio meo acquiescis Episcopo tuo noli resistere quod facit ipse sine ullo scrupulo sectare In using Rites and Ceremonies example This gladded my heart more then the rest So that not long after being appointed by your Lordship to preach at a Visitation at Leicester I addressed my self to improve my best service to God and his Church to our gracious Soveraigne Gods immediate deputy to your Lordship the generall spirituall Father of these parts and to our Countrey both ministers and people for the better setling of their Consciences in these and other necessary points My sermon presently upon the hearing procured me thanks from many even from the contrary-minded formerly and many desired copies or the publication as did also some of your own officers which I also promised And shortly after having made my copie ready with some additions which time would not give me leave to utter and with a brief Appendix at the end fitter for young preachers to reade at home then for people to heare from the pulpit I gave it to a friend to procure the printing but my friend unfriendly kept it in his own or his friends hands so long that till neare the end of this last yeare I could not get my copie again At last having recovered it and communicated it to some other learned judicious friends they again importuned me for the publication as a thing that undoubtedly would do much good to many unsetled souls To which now I have condescended My good Lord I beseech you and all my Readers to beare with my long preface I thought it necessary to let the world know the two occasions one of my preaching the other of the late publishing of this sermon Now such as it is I send and dedicate it to your Fatherhood whose it is by the first appointment and all the service it can do and so is the Authour thereof Your Lordships in all humble service and observance to be commanded ANTHONY CADE ROM 2.15 Which Gentiles shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts the mean while or between themselves accusing or else excusing one another SAint Paul to move all men to seek salvation by faith in Jesus Christ which he propounds chap. 1. vers 16. and prosecutes chap. 3. vers 21. shews in these first chapters that all men are in themselves inexcusable sinners The Jews sinning against the law written in their Books the Gentiles against the law written in their Hearts This sentence convicts the Gentiles but by an argument
Temple of Diana at Ephesus the Temple of Apollo at Delphos of Jupiter Amon of Isis and Osyris in Egypt with many other And great Kings and Princes were their Priests Rex idem hominum PhaebÃque sacerdos And though the vulgar had opinions of many gods yet the wiser sort acknowledged but one as the books De Mundo ascribed to Aristotle and Philo say The same God in regard of severall offices was called by severall names as for moderating the seas called Neptune for moderating the windes Aeolus c. For duties towards their Neighbours The Gentiles knew and practised the substance of the whole Second Table at least so farre as concerned outward duties Children honoured and obeyed their Parents as Sichem did Hamor Gen. 34.4 See D. Williams Church lib. 3 cap. 3. pag. 347. Gen 20.4 5. not presuming to take a wife without his consent and employment Murder every where most abhorred and grievously punished Abimelech King of Gerar would not come neare Sarah hating Adulterie when he knew she was a mans wife The Romane Lucretia prized her chastity above her life 1. Cor. 5.1 Incest unheard of among the Gentiles Wives subjection to their husbands commanded by Ahasuerus Esther 1. And compulsion to drink more then a man list forbidden by the same Gentile Monarch Wrong oppression theft defrauding any man of his right forbidden by the generall rule Reusner in Symbol Imperat lib. 1. Symb. 29. Fac quod vis pati and Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri nè feceris Do nothing to another which thou wouldest not have done to thy self Reusnerus in Symbolis cites many heathen authours which deliver that rule It was the common * Which he learnt of his mother Mammaea the scholar of that great Origen Isaacus Casaub Annot. in Julium Capitolinum word of Alexander Severus which he caused also to be proclaimed by his heraulds whensoever he punished his subjects or souldiers which had wronged any man And for all other morall and civill righteousnesse honesty justice temperance sobriety providing for the poore helping the distressed speaking the truth observing leagues contracts and promises avoiding perjury punishing vice honouring vertue and living orderly the Gentiles had many excellent laws wisely made and carefully observed The generall observation of these in all nations shewed the substance thereof to be naturall notions and principles written in their hearts and the variety of their promulgations and penalties in severall nations argued deductions and consequents drawn from those naturall notions by the force of reason These naturall laws the most wise Creatour did write in the hearts of men for these causes 1. Causes and reasons thereof That there might be a perpetuall difference betwixt men and beasts Had God given man a strong wit understanding policy and not withall a Conscience or naturall law to guide him he had been of all Creatures the most dangerous 2. To preserve humane society and keep mens actions in some tolerable limits by ordaining good laws to bridle the disorderly and protect the innocent in quiet possession of their rights and for the common good Aug. de civitate Dei lib. 4. cap. 4. Rom. 1. else saith S. Augustine Quid sunt regna nisi magna latrocinia 3. To be an ayd to man better to search out the Creatour and to serve him We may say of God as Seneca said of Nature Perditura fructum sui si solitudini ostenderet He had lost the fruit of his work had he shewed it onely to beasts which could not understand it so God had lost his glory and man his felicity 4 S. Paul addes Rom. 1.20 To make the impious and unrighteous unexcusable if they did not according to that law which their own Conscience dictated unto them This was an inestimable benefit of God Vse 1 to give every man such a worthy guide of his life for morall civill and divine duties in observing whereof he might live with much comfort credit profit and earthly happinesse And that these laws are undoubtedly just and equall written by God himself as the first Tables and so legible and in such plain characters that the unlearnedest man may reade them though he know no letters of any other book and in such a language as men of all nations and tongues may understand them and that a man hath this book for his counsellour at home with him he need not make long journeys to seek for a counsellour or tedious waiting to attend his leisure give costly fees to attain his counsell which haply may prove doubtfull and untrusty he hath this his bosome friend free faithfull patient as neare and as true to him as his own soul with whom he may conferre again and again at his leisure and pleasure till he be fully resolved what he may lawfully do or must avoid And This is yet a greater benefit Vse 2 that this law-Law-book is not a dead thing like other books containing dead letters or precepts but like the divine word of God written in the heart Hebr. 4.12 quick lively powerfull operative and piercing as Gods Lieger Ambassadour residing in our hearts to shew us our duties and call upon us to do them whereupon our Conscience is not onely called a Book Paedagogus animae sociatus Origen but a Schoolmaster also to urge us to learn and perform our duties Monet movet movendo docet docendo movet God knowing our ignorance Conscientia est speculum fraenum calcar flagellum gives us this book to instruct us knowing our headstrong inclination to evil gives us this bridle to restrain us and knowing our dulnesse to all good duties gives us this spurre to quicken us And all this is our Conscience which if we do amisse shall scourge us But As the benefit is great Vse 3 of this Light to guide us and of this Heat to quicken us as of the Sunne in the great world So is the danger great if we shut our eyes against the Notions and our hearts against the Motions of our Conscience For this is to be wilfully blinde when we may see or wilfully wicked when we do see our dutie and do it not This is plainly to rebell against God himself to thrust his Deputie out of his throne and office This is to provoke the Lord to give us up to our own hearts lusts and to have no further care over us as Rom. 1.24 26 28. And this is to draw upon us a most dangerous consequence by degrees through the custome of sinne to make our Conscience senselesse seared cauterized or to choke and kill it or in such sort to extinguish the light and life thereof that the greatest sinnes will be practised without any check or remorse to the intolerable hurt of the Church and Common-wealth the shame of our lives the damnation of our souls Ephes 4.17 The Gentiles walk in the vanity of their minde 18. Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the
life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindenesse of their heart 19. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse In regard of these benefits and dangers Vse 4 it behoveth us to have a double care First to keep our Law-book pure and perfect lest it misleade us to sinne in stead of righteousnesse Secondly to reade it and follow it diligently lest it cease to be our guide and become our accuser The first man Adam before his fall Ad bonum nil impediebat ad malum nil impellebat Magister lib. 2. dist 25. had it pure and perfect abilitie to know his dutie fully and to perform it throughly But upon his fall he lost his perfection that is the excellencie of the image of God both in Knowledge Coloss 3.10 and Righteousnesse and true Holinesse Ephes 4.24 And in this his depraved image he begat his children Gen. 5.3 In whom though the life of Conscience was left and light enough for performance of outward morall civill and some religious duties for preservation of humane societie and common life yet no sufficient light to attain to the knowledge of the mysteries of saving religion as the Trinitie of the Persons in the Unitie of the Godhead the manner of our redemption by the incarnation and passion of the second person in Trinitie the pardon of our sinnes by his merit our regeneration by his Spirit our resurrection to life eternall and other points The naturall man conceiveth or perceiveth them not he thinketh them foolishnesse they are onely spiritually discerned 1. Cor. 2.14 As the naturall Conscience was short in these things so it was much corrupted in other things The Gentiles a Rom. 1.18 held the truth in unrighteousnesse b Vers 21. became vain in their imaginations their foolish heart was darkened the c 22. professours of wisdome became fools They d 24. dishonoured their own bodies with lusts and uncleannesse In the foure last verses of the first chapter to the Romanes Saint Paul exhibites a long Catalogue of their foul overflowing sinnes which they not onely practised but took pleasure also in the practisers thereof For remedie of which evils Remedies by wise men the Philosophers and wife men of the Heathen have written many books labouring to revive renew and enforce the laws of nature with reasonable deductions therefrom Tully in his books of Offices or Duties layes this for his ground Naturam si sequamur ducem nunquam aberrabimus If we follow the guidance of Nature we shall never stray from our duties and others tell us Conscientia est liber ad quem emendandum omnes scripti sunt libri Conscience is a book for amending whereof all books are written so farre as concern mens actions These men have taken great pains herein husbanding and improving the light of naturall reason to the highest pitch to their own great honour and the worlds great good As also good Princes have And good Princes by the aid of these wise men published and established many worthy laws for their own honour and service and for the common good and happinesse of their subjects But our most gracious God Divine and supernaturall remedies by the Scriptures as he is infinitely above all in providence wisdome and goodnesse so he hath declared his farre more excellent Will and Laws to his people for his own honour and their happinesse inspiring some choice men in the Old and New Testament with divine Revelations and testifying their Mission Commission and Doctrine to be immediately from him by divine miracles as seals unpossible to be counterfeited by any wit or power of men appointing them to deliver by word to the present and by writing to the future ages his holy Laws for the manner of his service the guiding of their lives and the attaining of felicitie And these are the sacred books of the Scriptures And Ministerie And he hath added yet another provident ordinance The sacred Ministerie men separated from other affairs and consecrated to Gods publick service and the peoples edification directing their preaching to these two speciall ends The one to open the meaning of these holy Books and teach the people to understand and imprint these Laws in their Conscience The other continually to work upon their affections to excite and stirre them up often to reade them and carefully to practise them And this is the excellencie of Christian Religion above all Philosophie and humane laws or learning which could never perfect the Conscience nor purifie the heart nor stirre up the affections with such holy doctrines rules or principles nor cause such a constant and universall practise of all kindes of vertue and goodnesse nor procure such blessings temporall and eternall upon persons and nations as these holy Books and the continuall urgent preaching of them doth perform But be the remedies never so good yet if they be not employed applied and continually renewed Satan and Sinne are so busie to assail so potent to prevail and we so impotent to resist so willing to yeeld that corruptions will easily creep into our lives and Consciences As we may observe 1. Causes corrupting the Conscience By the vehemency and disorderlinesse of our corrupt affections lusts or passions whether love hatred covetousnesse ambition pride fleshly lusts or any other blinding and carrying many away into sinfull courses thinking in those passions evil to be good 2. By Custome in sinne For Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati what many do is thought lawfull for all Thus stealing of garments was lawfull with the Lacedemonians many wives at once with the Turks deadly fewd and stealing one side from another among our borderers they thought it stood well with Religion Sir Thomas More Lord Chancellour of England in king Henry the 8 his time writeth The borderers would heare masse before they went to steal and pray God so to blesse them that they might do harm and take none Amongst us of late drunkennesse pride and such like vices are thought lawfull because usuall and practised without check of Conscience These blot blurre or fill up the deep graven letters of our Law-book with dirt or bring us asleep in sinne that we cannot easily spie or reade them 3. By interlinings of false precepts or principles of false teachers as to this precept Love thy neighbour the Pharisees added And hate thine enemy which interlining Christ put out again and restored the text to his old integrity Matth. 5.43 as he did other doctrines of men Matth. 15. and 23. 4. By mistaking errour for true religion as our Saviour said to his Apostles John 16.2 They that kill you will think they do God service Saint Paul once thought that he was bound in Conscience to persecute Christians Acts 26.9 Phil 3.6 he did it of zeal Acts 13.50 and so the devout and honourable women and
Ecclesiasticall histories to shew the rites and ceremonies beside the doctrine of the ancient Primitive Church in the best and purest times You may heare with much profit and comfort all Preachers even the youngest in their freshest wits memory and strength for points of salvation taught in the holy Scriptures within their reading and compasse of studie but for rites and ceremonies trust onely the graver and well-read Divines which have searched Antiquity that our Church-rites may come as neare the purest and ancientest Church as may be without any affectation of noveltie Hitherto I have spoken of the first part of my text The Law-book of Conscience with the properties causes uses manifold depravations and necessary reparations thereof Now I proceed to the second part The Chronicle of Conscience II. PART Their Conscience also bearing witnesse AS formerly witnesse to the truth and equity of the Law-book and thereby exciting us to the work thereof so now a witnesse to God and to our hearts whether we perform the Law or not For Doctrine Conscience preserves a memoriall of all a mans actions It is not a dead but a living book annexed to the soul and as it hath in one part the rules to guide our life so it writes in another part the course of our life and is as I said before Gods Lieger Ambassadour both to put man in minde of his duty and also to observe what he doth and whether a man look on his law-Law-book or not whether he minde his duty or not Conscience sits silent and close in a corner of his heart like a Register in his office continually noting and writing the mans courses plots devices with all their materiall circumstances how they swerve or agree with the instructions set down in the law-Law-book without any partiality as Gods true and faithfull witnesse and this is Saint Chrysostomes Codex Chrysostom on Psal 50. homil 2. in quo quotidiana peccata conscribuntur A book wherein our dayly sinnes are written The Conscience is an individuall or unseparable companion of a mans soul it walks though invisibly in the same gardens with him sits at the same table lies in the same bed Many men are unmarried but none lives single they may walk speak and think without other companions but never without their Conscience that is still partaker of all their counsels that not onely heares and sees but writes down and records as in a Chronicle all things done said or thought By this Chronicle of our lives we may finde written whether we minded it or no while it was in writing undeniable records testifying whether we did this or that or whether we did it not as in sinne David willingly forgot hid and covered his grievous sinnes 2. Sam. 12.13 thinking they should never come to light but after nine moneths Nathan opened his Conscience and compelled him to confesse it So it was with Judas Matt. 27.3 4. So the Conscience of Josephs brethren was not minded by them Gen. 42.21 22. till their affliction in Egypt made them look into it and then they saw their crueltie to their brother written in large letters and convicting them of sinne So of our innocency 1. Sam. 24.11 Davids Conscience shewed him he had not conspired against Saul Samuel could boldly say 1. Sam. 12.3 Whose ex have I taken or whose asse have I taken whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe Moses could say of Korah Dathan Abiram and their companies Num. 16.15 I have not taken an asse from them neither have I hurt any of them Let no man sinne then Vse 1 in hope to be hid for lack of witnesses He may blinde the world but neither God nor his own Conscience he carries mille testes a thousand witnesses in his own bosome or one as strong as a thousand which will testifie his own secretest sinnes to his own sorrow and shame when God cites it While traitours think their practises remain covered and unknown they are somewhat hearty to denie but when their own letters or other accusers privy to their facts are produced against them into the open light 1. Sam. 25.37 then their hearts like Nabals die within them Or as a murderer having left two men for dead and being afterward apprehended for suspicion and stoutly denying all now when he sees one of them brought in alive able to see him and to speak then he cries out Alas art thou alive then I am undone so a wicked man would deny all but when God brings forth his living Conscience to accuse him then he is stricken dumbe and findes he is undone I reade of a Philosopher that hearing his creditour was dead kept the money which he had borrowed without witnesses a night or two but after some strugling with his Conscience he carried it to his Executour saying Mihi vivit qui aliis mortuus est He is alive to me though he be dead to others Oh offend not thy Conscience which alwayes watcheth thee and writes up thine own sinne and shame against thee Turpe quid ausurus te sine teste time O Ahab 1. Kings 21. how cunningly and closely contrivest and conveyest thou thy mischievous practises against a poore innocent Will not a palace a kingdome content thee where thou maist live in love in honour in wealth and pleasure but thou must have Naboths vineyard too and to get it rush headlong into such damnable courses as to counterfeit a Religious fast making a shew of Devotion a cloke to cover an odious sinne which is the height of impietie and to suborn false witnesses to accuse an innocent corrupt the Judges under colour of law to condemn him to take away his livelyhood and withall his good name and the pitie and compassion of his neighbours and beholders which is the height of Tyrannie yea worse if any thing can be worse then stoning him to death and depriving himself and his children of inheritance and life And doth not thy Conscience check thee for all this Surely Conscience had written it up but he minded it not for joy of his fine contrived excheat till coming from taking possession he met the Prophet Elias to whom he said Hast thou found me 1. Kings 21.20 O mine enemie Why his enemie Oh his Conscience now accused him of his wickednesse which had made both God and good men his enemies and now at last he found in stead of magnifying his house and establishing his posteritie what an evil covetousnesse he had coveted to his own house what a vengeance he brought upon himself and his posteritie Oh Absalom how well mightest thou flourish if the favour of a King the love of a kingdome the beauty of thy person wealth honour and pleasure with any moderation would content thee But thou art sick of the Father and ambition carries thee headlong into treasonable courses and untimely death Thou colourest thy foul practises
with him in this world but there follow a thousand in the other world that will never have end Bodily diseases may be cured or mitigated or the sense taken away by death sores may be helped by Chirurgerie povertie by friends imprisonment by libertie banishment by restoring reproach by time but all these were they the best in the world and in the highest degree cannot cure the Conscience afflicted with sinne Damocles sword hanging over his head ready to fall Balthasars hand-writing on the wall made all the musick harsh to their eares the meats unsavourie to their taste their attendants irksome and all things cumbersome to their eyes so the apprehension of present death or due deserved vengeance seizing upon their souls distastes all the pleasures that this world can afford A fearful thing when we have grievously offended the supreme Judge that we can neither pacifie him nor flie from him when he sends our own Conscience as his officer to arrest us there needs no other Apparitour to summon us no Bailiffe to fetch us no accuser to give evidence against us no nor judge to condemn us nor executioner to torment us our own Conscience will do all this alone and that in most terrible manner Thus Judas was continually dogged by his Conscience to death David said Psal 51.3 his sinne was ever before him A wofull thing he could not look off it nay it was ever before God also when he said vers 1. Blot out mine offences they stood written up before God as memorials Col. 2.14 and as hand-writings against him till blotted out Cornelius his prayers and almes ascended up before the Lord for a memoriall so do sinnes Alas Acts 10.4 that we will have our sinnes written up when we might have our prayers and good deeds written up both in our Consciences and before God also for memorials when we might have Angels sent as to Cornelius to guide direct Act. 10.3 4 5 6. Luk. 16.22 protect us and finally to carry up our souls to heaven as Lazarus we will have lying and damned spirits sent as to Ahab to deceive 1. Kings 22.21 22. destroy and bring us to hell Cain cried Gen. 4.13 My sinne is greater then can be forgiven and Whosoever shall finde me will slay me Ah wofull Innocent Abels bloud cried from earth to heaven for vengeance on the one side Gen. 4.10 13 and wicked Cains conscience cried within him for vengeance on the other side What shall the poore sinner now do Oh let us first take heed we sinne not against our Conscience Vse 1 for every sinne is a wound unto the soul and the continuance in sinne is a continuall stabbing of the Conscience Vastans conscientiam and though some feel not these wounds or grieve not at them presently through the senselesnesse or numnesse of their choked Conscience yet the often stabbing will breed such inward festring corruption and putrefaction that when the Lord toucheth it they will roar and gnash their teeth or grow unconsolable and often make away themselves as Judas did Therefore let us be carefull to keep our conscience waking tender sensible easily offended with the least touch of sinne by continuall meditation of Gods laws and of the necessity of sanctification and by consideration of our own frailties and suspicion of our own inclinations otherwise we may swallow down sinne without perceiving it and though our Conscience stirre not now to prevent sinne it may stirre hereafter to afflict us for it as in Cain Josephs brethren David Judas the evil of poysons is not felt in the going down their taste may be sweet and pleasant but their operation afterwards deadly Oh if thou knewest how that flattering and amiable face of sinne brings after it a deadly sting punishment and vengeance upon thee and thy posteritie thou wouldest hate thine evil courses as hel and damnation The providence of God is marvellous but just the just mans water of affliction he turns into wine most comfortable and cordiall the unjust mans wine he turns into water Sceleris est in scelere supplicium Wickednesse becomes a scourge unto it self but Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace But no man is perfect and upright as he ought to be Vse 2 By Gods generall restraining grace we may be kept from a As Noah Gen. 6.9 Job chap. 1.1 Zacharie and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 Saul Phil. 3.6 outward notorious grosse sinnes offensive to the world but none b 1. Joh. 1.8 Rom. 3.23 Gal. 3.22 without sinne If we finde our Conscience accuse us and hath written up in our chronicle against us not onely sinnes of infirmitie but also some grosse sinnes offensive to God and men and to our selves is there no remedie but with Judas absolute desperation and destruction God forbid Yes the Lord be praised for his great mercie there is this one remedie By sound repentance and faith in Jesus Christ to get them wiped out for the bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne but not without repentance on our part 1. Joh. 1.7 and faith taking hold of his mercie First let the Conscience be soundly wounded and truly sorrowfull for offending God let the sting of sinne be throughly felt and the wounds of sinne searched to the bottome though it be with much pain and grief for to skin over a sore before the deadly corruption be let out and cleansed is very hurtfull and so is ministring of comfort to a man not repentant Christ calls them onely that labour and are heavy laden with the burden of their sinnes Matth. 11.28 such onely he came to ease and heal Onely to the repentant faithfull the blessed promises of the Gospel belong Chrysost in Psal 50. hom 2. In codice scripta sunt peccata tua spongia peccatorum tuorum lacrymae tuae sunt grandis carum virtus The martyrs bloud-shed is precious so sinners tears Peter after 3 denials of Christ by bitter tears abstersit peccatum suum recepit pristinam dignitatem ibid. They onely may get the records of sinne cancelled or blotted out as repentant David Psal 51.1 prayed According to the Multitude of thy mercies O Lord blot out my transgressions and as S. Peter counselled Acts 3.19 Repent ye and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out out of the book of Conscience which pricks you Acts 2.37 and out of all other Gods records standing as memorials against you Thus did a Luk. 22.61 62. S. Peter when Christ looked back upon him and put him in minde of his sinne he went out and wept bitterly delevit quod deflevit he wept and wipt out his sinne Thus b Psal 6.6 and 51. David washed his bed and made it swim And the woman-sinner Luk. 7.38 thereby procured that blessed absolution Thy sinnes are forgiven thee thy faith hath saved thee go in peace vers 48 50. and
Ceremonies to be approved by the reasons and testimonies of other learned reverend and pious men it would do much good to many more I have taken the pains to adde such an Appendix Wherein I might have alledged reasons out of many other worthy Authours Archbish Whitgifts books against Mr. Cartwright Dr. Bridges Mr. Richard Hooker Dr. Covel Dr. Spark Dr. Gardiner Dr. Powell Dr. Collins Mr. Francis Mason Mr. Ambrose Fisher and others But because I write specially to such younger and poorer ministers as either are not able or willing to purchase many costly books of this subject or not at leisure to reade them I have thought best to referre such Readers if they be not satisfied with my short Abstract specially to three of the last who have read and weighed all which the former Authours have written with the replies and answers to wit our Reverend Bishop Mortons Defence printed anno 1618. Dr. Burges his answer to the replie of a namelesse Authour who laboured to confute or elude B. Mortons Defence printed anno 1631. and Mr. John Sprint his Cassander Anglicus printed anno 1618. These and I hope the least shortest or lowest prized of these will satisfie any reasonable Reader if he turn in them to the larger handling of the points by my allegations Their reasons are occasionally dispersed through their whole books but I have here collected and referred them to certain heads or chapters for the Readers better ease in finding them and judgement in weighing them often contracting their larger discourses into fewer words where they may be abbreviated and onely using their words at length where they are more necessary and urgent then shorter could be These few short chapters I hope will passe and be read where greater volumes will not And this I have done simply and plainly without respect of gaining any credit or applause of learning to my self but onely of their love and out of an earnest desire to draw them with a good Conscience willingly and cheerfully to do that which otherwise of necessitie they must do ¶ A table of the Chapters and Contents of this APPENDIX CHAP. I. OVr Ceremonies are Adjuncts not Parts of Gods proper worship and alterable Set forms of prayers are of Divine institution CHAP. II. Our book of publick prayers and Ceremonies made known to the famousest forrein Divines were approved by them all CHAP. III. Answering the objection of Significancie CHAP. IIII. Answering the objections drawn from the old Testament and of things formerly abused by the Jews and Heathens CHAP. V. Answering the objection of Ceremonies abused formerly by Papists CHAP. VI. Three particulars the Surplesse Crosse in baptisme and Kneeling at Communions cleared CHAP. VII Our Ceremonies commended for their ancient and profitable use CHAP. VIII Imposed by lawfull authoritie they may not be omitted without sinne CHAP. I. Our Ceremonies are injoyned as Adjuncts not Parts of Gods proper worship and therefore alterable Set forms of prayers are of Divine institution and alwayes used in Gods Church IT is the constant doctrine of all Divines and Churches both Ancient and Modern that God hath sufficiently comprehended and perspicuously delivered the whole substance of his own proper worship and things necessary to mans salvation in the holy Scriptures and that these things must evermore be the same in all Churches and unalterable But the circumstances and ceremonies of his publick worship as of place time ornaments gestures c. for the more reverent and devout performance thereof he hath left to the wisdome of every particular or nationall Church to make choice of so that all things be done according to that generall rule the Canon of Canons delivered by S. Paul 1. Cor. 14.40 26. Let all things be done decently orderly and to edification These things the Lord left to the libertie of every Church partly because they are not of the substance of his worship or of mens salvation but adjuncts onely and partly because one form thereof cannot fit every countrey or age but must be varied and applied to severall nations and times as shall be found most convenient Thus teacheth Saint Hierom epist 28. ad Lucinum concluding thus Vnaquaeque provincia abundet in suo sensu And thus Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine who is accounted The mouth of the Fathers epist 86 118 119. alibi passim Totum hoc genus say they liberas habet observationes And thus that old common saying Dissonantia jejunii non tollit consonantiam fidei And thus Zanchius the great reformed Schoolman tomo 8. Loco 16. De traditionibus Ecclesiasticis pag. 821 c. And thus all other late Divines as will appeare full enough in our chapters following And thus our Church professeth in our book of articles Anno 1562. Artic. 34. Every particular or nationall Church hath authoritie to ordain change and abolish ceremonies or rites of the Church ordained onely by mans authority so that all things be done to edifying And in the preface before the book of common Prayer confirmed by act of Parliament touching ceremonies we have these words We think it convenient that every countrey should use such ceremonies as they shall think fit to the setting forth of Gods honour and glory and to the reducing of the people to a most perfect and godly living without errour or superstition and that they should put away other things which they perceive to be most abused as in mens ordinances it often chanceth diversly in divers countreys And these words also These Ceremonies are retained for a discipline and order which upon just causes may be altered and changed and therefore are not to be esteemed equall with Gods law See here how vain and ignorant their doubt is that think our Ceremonies are imposed as parts of Gods proper worship And whereas some mislike that any set form of prayers should be imposed in the publick service of God I wish them to consider better that God himself not onely allowed but imposed such and his best servants used such Numb 6.23 On this wise saith the Lord shall ye blesse the children of Israel saying c. the three verses following set down the very words to be said and Num. 10.35 36. there is the set prayer which Moses must pronounce when the Ark was to go forwards All the Psalmes are prayers or praises of God in set forms and words answering the length and number of musick notes and when it was to rest And Deut. 26.3 the set form of words to be said at the offering of the first fruits and vers 5. and 13. And Psalme 92. was made properly for the Sabbath day and Psalme 22. for every morning and Psalme 102 for times of affliction This appeareth by the titles of these Psalmes The like is 2. Chron. 29.30 And we finde Rom. 1.7 1. Cor. 1.3 2. Cor. 1.2 Galat. 1.3 Ephes 1.2 Saint Paul used the same set form of words or prayers without variation And our Saviour Christ himself Matth.
26.39 42 44. prayed three severall times saying the same words and Saint Mark hath the like Mark 14.39 Beside the Lords prayer which our Saviour himself prescribed to his Apostles Luke 11.2 When ye pray say Our Father c. which prayer they used in the administration of our Lords supper as Saint Hierom witnesseth lib. 3. contra Pelagianos and Gregor lib. 7. epist. 63. And it was used generally in all Liturgies or publick prayers as is manifest by S. Augustine epist 59. by Saint Hierom and Gregory in the places above cited and Saint Ambrose lib. 5. de Sacr. cap. 4. and Saint Cyrill Catech. 5. myst If any object that prayers should be varied according to the varietie of occasions let him consider that these formerly mentioned were so so are ours in our Common prayer book There are generall prayers for generall particular for particular occasions as for rain fair weather in time of dearth famine warres plagues or sicknesse Baptismes communions marriages visitations of the sick burials of the dead c. and thanksgivings varied upon various occasions for these and the like cases In all which I cannot imagine what any godly sober-minded man can finde to stumble at And if any man think them too short let him remember that Christ condemned too much speaking like the Heathens Matth. 6.7 8. adding this reason For God knoweth our needs before we ask and long prayers are as well notes of hypocrisie as of true Christianitie Matth. 23.14 CHAP. II. Our publick prayers and Ceremonies being made known to the famousest forrein Divines were approved by them all THe Ceremonies of our Church and our book of publick prayer were made known to the most famous and best Divines of other reformed Churches then living by books thereof translated into the Latine tongue and by many letters and much conference betwixt them and our Divines and by many of them much commended by all approved to be lawfull one onely excepted Doctor Burges having searched the writings of them all concludeth that not any one can be produced except Wigandus alone that held our Ceremonies simply unlawfull Burges pag. 560 561. Even Mr. Cartwright himself our English standard-bearer to Non-conformists after his long opposition and much writing at length complaineth that he was misunderstood and wronged as if he held the unlawfulnesse whereas he held onely the inconvenience of our Ceremonies lib. 3. pag. 241. And the same man having written sharply in his first book against the Surplesse yet upon more mature consideration became more moderate in his third book and pag. 75. called it a simple inconvenience and a thing in its own nature indifferent and that it ought to be worn rather then the ministerie forsaken lib. 3. pag. 262. Hooker Eccl. polit pag. 243. And what is said by him others of the Surplesse which was most stuck at by many English is to be understood much rather of the rest of the Ceremonies and so was intended by those authours to wit that they are in their own nature indifferent and not unlawfull And this will appeare more fully in the whole discourse following Mean season heare the testimonie of Alexander Alesius a worthy Scot of great account and note he much commends our book of Common prayer and the ordering of our Church according thereunto and calleth it Praeclarissimum divinum factum and saith The vertue and piety of the English herein would rejoyce many hearts and help their endeavours to do the like and grieve the enemies of the truth for the good successe and progresse thereof and he complaineth that any contentious mindes should move any to mislike it and as if they onely were wise stirre up unnecessary questions and disputations neglecting the knowledge of necessary things And he addes That the contention of brethren about this book comes from the Devil who failing one way seeks another way to do mischief to the Church And finally he saith This book is profitable of it self and the reading thereof will do good to many and at this time it seemeth to be offered unto us from heaven Proëm before his translation of the Common prayer book in script Anglican Bucer fol. 373 375. Sprint 124 125. CHAP. III. Our Ceremonies are not to be condemned but commended for their Significancy CEremonies should be significative of morall vertues so they be not counted operative as Sacraments ordained by God of spirituall graces conferred by them as Bishop Morton well distinguisheth Defence cap. 3. sect 4. Many of the Romish Ceremonies are not onely significative but thought also to be operative as Exorcismes Holy-water Crossings Spittle Exsufflation c. to drive away the Devil and to work supernaturall effects These we condemne for none can ordain such operative Ceremonies but God onely that can give the supernaturall effects For Sacraments have a double signification Bish Mort. ibid. sect 5. one ad modum signi another ad modum sigilli and therefore are both significant and signant by conjoyning whereof they are Operative and Exhibitive by Gods ordinance and promise performing also that which they signifie and seal as Bellarmine also teacheth libro 1. de sacram in genere cap. 11. § 4. 5. definit And therefore no man or Angell can institute a Sacrament but God onely as Bellarmine confesseth De Matrimonio lib. 1. cap. 2. § Posteriore modo agreeing herein with Melancthon Calvin Chemnitius by him there alledged But our Ceremonies signifie onely morall duties giving us occasion to think and meditate of them but neither seal nor exhibite them If when I put on my ministeriall ornaments I am presently put in minde of my dutie since God by the Church hath distinguished me from my flock to be their minister that is to be their mouth unto God in offering to him their prayers confessions deprecations and thanksgivings and to be Gods Embassadour and mouth unto them to shew them his will to proclaim his gracious pardon for their sinnes upon their faith and repentance and this stirres me up to perform that great office with the greatest care wisdome faithfulnesse and reverence that I can Is there any hurt in this And if the people seeing me come in such ornaments into my place do presently consider This man though of a Acts 14.15 like infirmities with us yet is the messenger of the God of heaven and by office is more then an ordinary man b Rom. 1.1 Acts 13.2 separated from all worldly businesse to a more excellent work to be Gods c 2. Cor. 5.20 Embassadour sent unto us d Acts 26.18 to open our eyes to turn us from darknesse unto light and from the power of Satan unto God c. To him hath our Blessed Saviour committed the ministerie of reconciliation e 2. Cor. 5.18 19. to reconcile us sinfull creatures to God our glorious Creatour Him we ought to heare as f Luk. 10.16 God himself and reverence him not so much for his personall
partaker of all benefits purchased by Christ adoption grace and glory in their times so by being received into the Church militant for a time he must take upon him the crosse of Christ Matt. 10.38 Luke 9.23 or his crosse and follow Christ and that dayly of which dutie to put him in minde he is signed with the signe of the crosse upon his forehead in token that he is to become a faithfull constant and valiant souldier of Christ and as our book speaks not be ashamed to confesse the faith of Christ crucified but manfully to fight under his banner against sinne the world and the devill c. This is profitable not onely to the new-baptized but to all the assembly to put them in minde of their duties promised in their baptisme who can be content to receive benefits but are oft forgetfull of their duties 4. Necessary See our 30. canon in the end and our last chapter here though not to the essence of the sacrament of baptisme yet necessary to be added to the solemnitie of baptisme for the reason before-said Necessary also and not to be omitted without sinne because it is commanded by lawfull authority And whereas the 30 Canon saith By this lawfull ceremonie the childe is dedicated to the service of Christ It must be understood onely Declared to be dedicated saith Dr. Burges pag. 476 c. But concerning another point which Dr. Burges addeth That if the infant be in perill of death not likely to live to make profession of Christ crucified our book directs us to baptize it but not to use the crossing c. because haply some man might take his meaning to be that our book forbad the crossing in that case I desired our most learned and judicious Bishops judgement of this point among others who most fatherly and lovingly wrote me this answer with his own hand I do conceive that unlesse it be certified in this particular case that the childe was formerly admitted into Christs congregation and signed with the signe of the Crosse there is no warrant in the Liturgie to omit that signe I certifie you that all is well done and that this childe is received into the number of the children of God How is he received For though the word Receiving go before the Crossing as the 30 Canon saith yet they are conjoyned but by that form of receiving expressed in Publike baptisme We receive this childe into the congregation of Christs flock and do signe him c. The other interpretation and inference of Dr. Burges would open a gap to palliate inconformity by causing the midwives or some one else to be medling with every inconformable mans childe and so draw it to this case of Private baptisme to avoid the signing of it with the signe of the Crosse JOHN LINCOLN In the Primitive Church also Oecum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mox à baptismo initio Ecclesiae ob persecutionem laying on of hands was used presently upon the baptized to confirm and strengthen them against the persecutions of those times Concerning kneeling at the receiving of the holy Communion We finde that kneeling bowing the body or falling on their faces in most reverent sort was used by Gods people upon any signe of Gods presence or grace exhibited unto them as 2. Chron. 7.3 When the children of Israel saw how the fire came down and the glory of the Lord upon the house they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement and worshipped and praised the Lord saying For he is good and his mercy endureth for ever The like we reade Levit. 9. vers the last And there came a fire from before the Lord and consumed upon the Altar the burnt offering and the fat which when all the people saw they shouted and fell on their faces If any man think this was lawfull onely at the extraordinary or miraculous tokens of Gods presence let him consider these ordinaries Psalme 132.7 We will go into his tabernacles we will worship at his footstool The Hebrew text of this is translated verbatim by Pagnine Montanus thus Incurvabimus nos scabello pedum ejus and by Tremelius and Junius Incurvamus nos honorem exhibentes ante scabellum pedum ejus and Psal 99.5 Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at his footstool for he is holy margent Or It is holy Pagnine and Montan. Incurvate vos scabello pedum ejus Tremelius Ad scabellum pedum ejus Gods people worshipped not the footstool but God at or before his footstool as Psal 95.2 Let us come before his presence ante faciem ejus Tremel 6. Let us worship and bowe down let us kneel before the Lord our maker to wit in his Temple or before his Temple as did Ezra Ezra 10.1 When Ezra had prayed confessed wept and cast himself down before the house of God Pagnine Cùm concidisset coram domo Dei Montan. Procidens ad facies domûs Dei Tremel Prosternens se ante domum Dei. He worshipped not the house of God but the God of that house Why may not why should not we do the like at the receiving of these holy mysteries without idolatrie or any breach of the second commandment Protestants that do not hold a transubstantiation or turning of the substance of the outward elements into the substance of the very body and bloud of our Saviour need not or cannot in reason think that our kneeling at the receiving thereof is a worshipping of the creature yet because they verily beleeve and know that these are Sacraments and seals unto us ordained by Christ to signifie and represent unto us the breaking of his body and shedding of his bloud for our redemption and more to confirm and deliver unto us the assurance of our salvation purchased by him also to convey it unto us as by certain conduit-pipes by his power wisdome and mercy ordained the inestimable benefits of his death and passion in regard of this incomparable use and benefit we cannot receive them with too much humility reverence and thankfulnesse Therefore kneeling at the Communion hath been used and allowed by the most excellent Divines of reformed Churches Sprint 142 c. Calvine alloweth it in Orthodox professours Epist 292. fol. 479. Beza epist 12. pag. 100. edit Genevae 1575. Geniculatio denique saith he dum symbola accipiuntur speciem quidem habet piae ac Christianae venerationis ac proinde olim potuit cum fructu usurpari here is a confession of the antiquitie of kneeling and the pious and profitable use thereof but because after that the new doctrine of Transubstantiation was brought into the Church and thereupon the worshipping of the elements as if they were God himself he thinks it was well done to take it away but he addeth Intereatamen cùm ista per se non sit idololatrica idem de illis quod de proximè praecedentibus sentimus to wit they are tolerable and may be