in the open eye of Heaven Yet had they their Porticus and shelters to which they betooke themselves to worship dry in time of raine And thus much of the Place of our Assemblies Now of some Vtensils in it and things of affinitie in nature And first of that which in all ages of the Church has beene counted Gods booke only excepted the most reverend and honourable the Communion-table 1. It seemes to me an undecent thing and against St. PAULS rule That a Church should have in it a Communion-table not worth above 12. or 14d. at the most Since of all the tables in the Parish that only has had the honour to be call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Greg. Nazian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Morn 1. de Miss 375. as the first Councill of Nice and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Paul 1 Cor. 10.21 2 It seemes to me an undecent thing That our Communion bread which is by and by to be the body of CHRIST 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be brought into our Church and Sanctum Sanctorum in a stain'd course totterd linnen poke like adsit reverentia verbo a pudding bag or that I may not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a foule muckinger therely all prayers time till Sermon begin in the view of the Congregation to vilescere in oculis populi since the very bringing of it into the Church to that use is a taking of it out of the World a promotion of it to more reverence and a next step to consecration it selfe Also that a Church should not have so much as a homely Napkin to cover it or to take away in decent manner the fragments Since all the instruments of the Tabernacle were by Gods owne appointment so curiously covered even the candlesticks snuffers and snuffedishes from the eyes of the Sonnes of Kohath with a cloth of blew silke when they were to remove the Tabernacle Numb 4.9.15 3 It seemes to me an undecent thing That many times the coursenesse of the bread and vappidnesse and foulenesse of the the wine is such or of the bottles that the eye makes the mouth loath to touch the cup and extra sacramentum would rather drinke homely water Since when GOD carved for himselfe he chose out not onely the pure but the purest nor the fine but the finest a Exod 25.24 aurum Purissimum b Exod. 27.20 Oleum purissimum c Levit. 24.6 Suffimentum purissimum d Num. â—9 9 locum purissimum For so the vulgar translation translates the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I thinke he does not amisse in so translating it for so I am sure the sense is and the Simila out of which the e Levit. 24 5 Panes Propositionis were made to stand before the Lord was the finest of the flowre for the Sonnes f â—ornel a lap of Kohath not the lay-people made them and baked them 1. Chron. 9.32 And they boulted out of so many peckes of meale but so many pottles as Maimon reports in his Tamidin of dayly sacrifices g Ainsworth on Levit. 24 5 and this must bee no other but the finest And since God has made the fine and pure why should man serve him up to his owne Table the faces the foule and course Thus of the first Vtensil the Communion Table and some undecencies about it The next in honor is the Font. It seemes to me an undecent thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that a Church should have a cover to a Font not worth a groat not three pence scarce two pence and that many Fonts should have none at all but a clamp of rotten boards or a piece of some forlorne table That the Font should stand behinde a Piller hiding the sacred action from the Congregation Since copula cum Christo is more honourable then copula cum carne Baptisme more honorable then Marriage yet is the solemnity of marriage performed in the holyest place fullest face of the Congregation 2 It seems to me a defective thing if not undecent that the whole care of our Aqua baptismalis should be left to the Clerke without any other inspect or over him Who having perhaps but one paile in his house and wanting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Vessell to honour Rom. 9 21 as St. PAVL calls it serves the sacred Font with the same payle with which he serves his hog Oâ— perhaps snatches up water in his house homely used and halfe fouled before and powres it into a Font more foule than it Or perhaps commits the whole care of it to his young boy or girle or takes water staÌ„ding in the Font before a moneth or two moneths older than the childe Carion an 743 an 978 I dare undertake that those two unhappy Princes Const Coprâ—nymus Emperor of the East and Etheldred King of the English though the Stories prove true which are reported of them left as fit behinde them as that which we many times use I doe not desire to bring into our Church againe the Papist rite of Exorcisme Although I doe not therefore reject it because it is in their Church for it is nearer us t is in the Lutheran Church Eck. sasc 613 Hem Har. lib. 3 part 2.196 Eck sasek 615 Aret prob 197 Kem har lib. 3 part 2 196. Kem. har lib 3 part 2 196. Esk fasch 613 6.4 and nearer us then so t was in the Primitive Church in Cyprian Nazianzen Ambrose Austins time though in a better sense then theirs I doubt not I doe not think there is immundus spiritus in the water an uncleane devill to be cast out by exorcisme but I think there is many times a divelish uncleannesse which superstitious Ceremonies layd aside deserves to be more reverently avoyded Since it must by and by represent the water that came out e capsula cordis Christi and was part of our Redemption and since it must by and by be the one part of an high Sacrament even to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the laver of a new birth is St. PAVL to Titus 3.5 3 It seemes to me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the ancient and pious institution of Godfathers is so farre declined from the gravity of their originall that young boyes and girles that have neyther the face nor age of a man Nodin Exod. 518. lin 1. and that cannot respoÌ„dere pro seipsis should spoÌ„dere pro aliis Beza who worthily mislikes much in Dionysius the falsely cald Areopagite yet highly comends this in him Bez. vol. 1.325 above all that ever hee read that he would have Parents deliver their children over Praeclaro alicui divinarum rerum doctori or informatori to bring theÌ„ to the Font and there to undertake the care of their future Christianity His meaning is not that all Godfathers should be divines but his meaning is that the chiefe ayme of Parents in the choyse of
Godfathers should be to chuse able men that could and would Againe that those should be no Godfathers whose very face and presence puls downe the solemnity of the Sacrament 4 It seemes also to me an undecent thing that Godfathers should decline so farre from the primordiall usefulnesse of their office and profitablenes to Christian proficiency How much increase of Religion and good manners kept they a diligent watch over children in those three parts of their office which Dionysius Augustin and Beza Bez. vol. 2.325 Nodin Exod. 517. Aq. 3. q. 71. art 4. ad 3. agree with our Church in might they bring to the Church 1 To teach instruct in all fundamentals of Christianity both for knowledge and life 2 At every occasion to perswade incourage and exhort them 3 Where they fell short to rebuke and reprove them and in all these to have diligentem curam sollicitudinem continuam So should every childe bee under some awfull eye where ever he went Beza vol. 2.325 sin 326. init Beza commends the Geneva Church that it twice presses the Godfather both before and after Baptisme and makes him twice seriously to promise that he will use his best care and endeavour that the childe be brought up in the whole doctrine and law of both Testaments And 5 It seemes to mee an undecent thing that Godfathers undertaking this so solemnly in the face of God and his Angels and in the face of his Congregation should so flight a promise made under the eye of so great witnesses Scitote saith Aug. vos fidejussores pro ipsis apud deum extitisse Nodin Exod. 517. and surely marriage it selfe which yet bindes so strong is not undertaken with much more solemnitie of promises then this office of Godfathers And thus much of the Font and some undecencies about that And thus have I said all that I meant to trouble you with concerning the Place of our assemblies and of the vtensils of it I should now lay before your view our Assemblies together but I would faine have a fit man first to cleane the Church and to speake for them for when they come they will leave theyr tongues at home It seemes to me an undecent thing that our Clerkes should be scanted in their wages as they are The ancient orders wanted good husbandry to cōtract them Subdiaconus Acoluthus Exorcista Lector actiarius Psalmista It has beene the good husbandry of rurall Congregations to contract two offices the Clerke and Sextons into one that that one might have a sufficient maintainance After that to contract that one mans wages so that it shal not be enough for one and scanty though it be yet more scantily shall it be payd For they being in their originall an Ecclesiasticall Order constituted by Byshops as we are their meanes also was a kinde of Church maintenance As they deale with the Minister therefore in his portion no marvaile if they deale so with the Clerke in his and let him complaine if he dare Math. 10 24 For the Disciple is seldome above his Master Along with the contraction of niggardize has gone the contraction of times For their meanes being neither praediall nor personall Tithes but a bare stipend of so many pence by the yeare the greater price things beare the fewer will their purse reach too and the more must they be content to want For a penny will never be more then a penny but a penny-worth will in time grow to be worth a shilling The Clerke has still but his penny to buy that shillings worth and so have the times swept away eleven parts of 12. of his maintenance and it shall goe hard but his Parish will sweepe away a quarter of that too his penny shall be but three farthings perhaps a halfe penny Hence come they to be men of so meane parts as they are scarce Organa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so meane God wot in the rurall parts of the Church that they are not able to doe the Clerkly part of their office to answer the responsories without blasphemie An undecent thing I say it is that these should be so scanted for wages since the cleanlinesse of our Churches depends upon the reward of the worke and since the sufficiencie of the man is not bought but by the sufficiency of the wages and since every workman even the most dunghill labourer is worthy of his hyer Luc. 10.7 And now will I shew you our Assemblies and the parts in them The parts and parties are Men Women and Children Ioel. 2.16 For it seemes to me an undecent thing that any that has a reasonable soule actu primo secundo reasonable should exempt himselfe when Gods reasonable service as St. Paul calls it is a doing Rom. 12 1 And it seemes to me a more undecent thing that any that has not a reasonable soule neyther actu primo nor secundo reasonable should frequent when Gods reasonable service is a doing I must therefore crave pardon while I reckon up pax sit auribus suggesto salus dogs among the parts of our Assemblies 1 Shall I call it no more then a disorder that the Consecrated bread even then when the Priest is administring it and saying take eate should be to be taken up from under the feet and that flung downe by the disturbance of Dogs 2 That Dogs should be about the Font under his feet betweene his legs as he is administring the sacred Baptisme 3 Shall I call it but a disorder that dogs are seen in the face of the Congregation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bitchering others smelling out a seate to bepisse and in their courses doe it Non sunt haec ficta sed facta I faine them not I have noted the dayes nigro θ. Are these the omnia bene of our Churchwardens bils I say nothing of their frequent barkings brawlings and fightings the breaking off of divina officia till they have done because these are smal things When the Osliarii Tabernaculi did their office according to Gods owne Booke of Canons Deut. 23.18 a Dog might not be suffered to come into the Tabernacle no not the hire of a dog No not the hire of a dog in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kem. Harm l. 1.279 the popular place of the Temple much lesse in Sanctum Sanctorum None ought to have a place in the Church who are not capable of a place in heaven because the Church is a schoole to heaven But leave wee dogs to their proper place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Iohn saith Apoc. 22.15 Let all Dogs be without all Christians within And to their proper worke Excubare per re Domini as Livie speakes Livius 10◠lin 33. Stack tom 2.46 pag 2. Let them watch at home while their Masters worship at Church 2 It seemes to me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Minister should sit after the bels have don and the bookes laid halfe an houre 3.
quarters of an houre before he can have a company that shall beare the face of a Congregation in the meane time the Church-yard hath his severall confabulations consultations and deambulations his laughings leapings and shoutings An undecent thing I say since it is the office of Bels to make them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to call them out of Houses Streets Fields Church-yards and all places into Churches 3 It seemes to me an undecent thing That if the Minister begin at his appointed time or soone after the last toll halfe prayers nay 3 quarters should be don sermon begun before the Congregation meet Since the first part of our Liturgy is as acceptable to God as the middle and end And since hee never in any undertaking makes a good end that leaves out the beginning or middle 4 It seems to me an undecent thing that wheÌ„ halfe divine Service is lost for want of company the rest should be lost for want of auditors My meaning is the clashing of Pattens in the porches and the clamping of nailed shooes on the pavements of the Church the rusling up of those who are already kneel'd to make way for them that come late to come to their seates do so cry down for half an houre together the rest of the Liturgy that those that should be auditors are but images they have eares to heare but heare not An undecent thing I say Since divine service ought to be free froÌ„ disturbance as wel of walking as of talking Canon 18. 5 It seemes to me an undecent thing and not only deordinatuÌ„ but deordinans a cause of much disorder That in Parishes where there are that come not to Church in 6 weekes 8 weekes 18 weeks together being able persons That in Parishes where there are young ones of 12 or 14 yeares of age which never yet came in Church but once viz. on the day of their Baptisme Yet our Church-wardens should give up bils with Omnia bene An undecent thing I say since the Courts of reformation are the immediate instruments of GOD by which he keepes his Church in decency order And since Oathes there given are the strongest instruments of Courts Erasm Ling. 95. Since the greatest sinne next to blasphemy which the tongue can coÌ„mit is Perjury and the greatest perjury is perjury before a rightfull Iudge sitting in actu judicativo 6 It seems to me an undecent thing That young boyes of 14 and 16 yeares of age should sit covered while the Preacher is delivering to him Gods message Kem. Harm l. 4. part 1.138 Since potiores sunt partes docentis quam discentis sedere cooperire is the proper situs habitus docentis And since the sonne owes this to his Father and the servant to his master and the inferiors to the heads of the Congregation not to sit covered at so small a a distance 7 It seems to me an undecent thing That Parishioners should teach the Minister another method of care of soules then the Canons doe That he should leave out a lesson with the Epistle and Gospell the Letanie and Commandements that they may have Sermon enough Since the Lessons Epistles and Gospels are verbum Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a Sermon is but verbum dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the most and I would to God that those Sermons which such men so much glote after and preferre so farre before Lessons Epistles and Gospels were alway so much 8 It seemes to me an undecent thing That in a Parish of Three or 400 people there should not be found three beside the Clerke that answer Amen to our Prayers or make any responsorie to the Commandements or other parts of the Liturgy And that selfe-conceited man Kem. Harm l. 2.136 his braines stood certainly the backside forward that acquitted himselfe and his Sect of their lip-labour thus How should a man say Amen to that he understands not the plainnesse of our prayers convince him rather of Schisme and obstinacie than of ignorance Canon 8. An undecent thing I say Since the Amen of the mouth is as due as the Amen of the heart if both need both must aske if both receive both must give thankes Since in the times of the Church nearer CHRIST the whole people not onely the Clerke answered Amen to the Church prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Iustin Mart. Pag 1 â—2 Arâ—t Prâ—bl 227. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that not with whispering or mumbling but fausta acclamatione with a shouting voice a voyce of men shewing how they favoured them consented to them and desired they should prosper * Nonnius Marcellus Faustus a favendo Yea since even in the Churches trained up under the Apostles themselves All the people said Amen * Bell. tom 3 48â— How shall hee that occupies the roome of the unlearned say Amen at the giving of thanks 1 Cor. 14.16 Yea since the light of nature teaches as much for thence Epicletus had it If I were a Nightingale sayth hee I would doe as a Nightingale but being a man I will doe as a man I will not be all voyce for that 's like a bird too low nor all spirit for that 's like an Angell too high for me but spirit and voyce that 's like a Man I will keep my ranke And Constantine the Great whose memory ought ever to bee honourable in the Church would not onely say Amen to the prayers but would reade the verses of the Psalmes interchangeably with the Minister * S D. 185 sayth Euseb in vit Const 9 It seemes to me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a disorder That Parishioners should throng by Thirties and by forties to other Churches and leave their owne empty That a sicke party should send to the next Parish to bee prayed for That another on his death-bed should send for the same Minister home to him to visit him to pray with him to Preach for him In the mean time the proper Pastor to whom God and the Church hath committed the care of his soule though hee offer his service shall not be accepted though he offer to Preach there shall be no Sermon rather What is this but for the people to usurp Episcopall authority To set over themselves what pastor they please nay more then Episcopall authority Vpon every vaine fancie to chose upon every vaine flâ—sh to leave their choise In those ancient Churches where by connivence not of right the people had a hand in the choyse of their Pastor yet when they had chosen they were no more at liberty to leave them Even in St. Iohns time though Parishes were not yet divided As the 7 Angels had their severall Churches so those 7. Churches had their severall Angels Apoc. 1.20 10 It seemed to me an undecent speech his brains sure had no Pia mater that spoke it I heard sayth one a Preacher and he spake for the bowing at the name of IESVS he