ΈΙΡΗÎΟΙÎΩνΊΑ THE PEACE OF THE COMMVNION OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND OR THE CONFORMITIE of the Ceremonies of the Communion of the Church of England with the Ensamples and Doctrine of the holy Scriptures and Pri mitiue Church established by the Apo stles of Christ and the holy Martyrs and Bishops their Successors By Io GORDON Doctor of Diuinitie and Deane of Salisbury LONDON Printed by T. S. for Nathaniell Butter and are to be solde at the signe of the Pide-Bull neere S. Austins Gate 1612. AD ANGLIAM ANGLIA ter foelix donis ditata supernis Clara viris claris vbere faetasoli Foelix pacis amans dum Rex tua Sceptra gubernat Dum te verafides relligioqueregunt Gentibus externis sociata es foedere pacis Legum scita sonant armafurorque silent His verè es foelix eris at foelicior alma Sinatos poteris iungere pace tuos Rebus at humanis nil omni exparte beatum Nam Proli est discors mens animusquetuae Accipe pacis opus pacata percipe mente Pax hinc visceribus conciliandatuis Parua quidem meritis pro magnis donarependo Haec tibi quae rebus portus aura meis Angligenas iungunt coelum stirps lingua solumque His animosiungant lex pia pacis amor O quam foelices sua verè si bonanôrint Authoremque boni mente micante colant In te Rex Lex Grex feriant rata foeder a pacis Anglia sic foelix cum Grege Regetuo IO GORDONVS The Theses confirmed in this Booke by the authoritie of the holy Scriptures and the Primitiue Church established by the holy Apostles The first THESE THe white Garment was in vse in the Idolatrous Religion of the Egyptians during the time that the â—â—â—aelites were bondmen in Egypt and did worship the Egyptians Idols but God giuing the Law to Moses conuerted that Idolatrous vse of the said white Garment to his Seruice and in the first establishment of Christs Church in Ierusalem the Priests which were by the Apostles conuerted to the Faith did vse the white Garment in the seruice of Christian Religion the vse whereof did continue from the Primitiue Church to our dayes and therefore the reuerend Bishops and Martyrs of Christ who did reforme the Church of England did lawfully retaine the vse of the white Garment in the Church Seruice notwithstanding the abuse thereof in the Popish Idolatrie The second THESE THe Iewes and the Gentiles in the time of the Natiuitie of Christ were accustomed to lie about a Table set low as well in their ordinarie meales and Suppers as in their solemne feasts and Christ finding this custome in vse in the feasts of the Easter Lambe hee retained it in the Institution and celebration of the holy Communion notwithstanding that it was before his Natiuitie vsed in the solemne Feasts in the Temples of Idols Therefore seeing Christ did neyther stand sit nor kneele in this holy Action but followed the custome receiued there is no necessitie in any of these gestares but they are indifferent so that euery man should follow the receiued Custome in the Church where hee doth liue and dwell And that although this gesture of kneeling was and is yet abused in the Popish Idolatry it was lawfully retained by the godly Reformers of the Church of England The third THESE THE Apostles and Christs Church founded by them did vse to celebrate a publike feast in their Assemblies which was called Agape or the Feast of Charitie because in it the poore were relieued by the rich after which their custome was to celebrate the Lords Supper all lying on Carpets Cushens or the like as Christ did which custome continued in many places many hundred yeeres but the Catholike Church did change this custome both of lying and eating after Supper which change is allowed of by those who in our time haue brought in the gesture of sitting at table in receiuing the Communion And therefore there is no reason but they should as well allow of the change of lying into kneeling The fourth THESE ACcording to the Analogie of the Scriptures kneeling is the most conuenient gesture that is to be vsed in our Inuocations or Prayers before and in the receiuing of the holy Communion in the which Prayers the gesture of kneeling was vsed in the old Masse which was agreeable to our Communion and was not an Idolatrous Institution And therefore the Reformers of the Church of England haue done well to restore the kneeling to the originall vse againe The first THESE THe white Garment was in vse in the Idolatrous Religion of the Egyptians during the time that the Israelites were bond-men in Egypt and did worship the Egyptians Idols but God giuing the Law to Moses conuerted that Idolatrous vse of the said white Garment to his Seruice and in the first establishment of Christs Church in Ierusalem the Priests which were by the Apostles conuerted to the Faith did vse the white Garment in the seruice of Christian Religion the vse whereof did continue from the Primatiue Church to our dayes and therefore the reuerend Bishops and Martyrs of Christ who did reforme the Church of England did lawfully retaine the vse of the white Garment in the Church Seruice notwithstanding the abuse thereof in the Popish Idolatrie The illustration and confirmation of the first part of the first THESIS ACcording to the Greeke Historians the Idoll of Isis was the most ancient that the Egyptians worshipped of the which Herodot saith that all the Egiptians did worship it vnder the forme of a Cow and that they did worship aboue all beasts the Cow Diodorus Siculus in his History of Antiquitie and many other Greeke Writers testifie that Isis was the first inuenter of the sowing and reaping of Cornes The said Diodorus related that in a Colome or Pillar dedicated to this Idoll was written these words I am Isis the Queene of Egipt taught by Mercurius none shall dissolue the lawes which I haue made I am the first inuenter of cornes And Plutarch in his Booke of Isis and Osiris relates that there was an Inscription in the floore of the Temple of Isis in these words I am all that euer was that is and shall be and no mortall man hath euer detected my Garment Wee obserue by the way that the name of Isis in Hebrew is Iesch Iesch est est which signifies alwayes existant not subiect to the course of time which is the essentiall name of GOD mentioned in the third Chapter of Exodus verse 14. Eieh asher eieh I am that I am Thou shalt say vnto the children of Israel I am sent mee vnto you The which name doth come from the Verbe substantiue Haiah signifying it was and in the future time eieh which signifies I shall be as S. Iohn in his Reuelation Chap. 1. ver 4. doth interpret the selfe-same name of God saying from him that was and is and is to come so that it seemeth that the
posteritie of Mizram sonne to Cham sonne of Noah which did first inhabite Egypt did retaine the true name of God which they learned of Noah but afterward it was conuerted to a fabulous Idoll which they did call Is Is whereof the Greekes made corruptly Isis Alwayes it is certaine by the Scriptures that the Egyptians did worship Idols in the time of Moses whose Priests were the Wise-men Sorcerers and Charmers that did imitate the miracle of the conuersion of Moses Rodde into a Serpent These Priests did weare linnen Garments and therefore were called linigeri as wee read in Herodot and in the Poets yet notwithstanding God commanded his Priests to weare the white garment although it was abused before the Law in the Egyptian Idolatry Theodoretus writing to the Gentiles in the defence of Christian religion to induce them to become Christians saith that the Israelites did remaine a long time in Egypt where they were infected with the euill manners of the Egyptians were taught by them to offer Sacrifices to the Diabolicke Idols and were accustomed to dauncing and to Instruments of Musicke c. God did deliuer them and gaue them a Law by the which he commanded them to offer to him who is the true God in Sacrifice all those things which they did wickedly worship before to wit in Egypt of earthly Beasts the Goats the Bullockes and Sheepe of flying Beasts the Turtle and the Doue c. God did not institute Sacrifices as hauing neede of killed Beasts or that hee hath any pleasure in the sauour of burnt flesh but hee did so of his wisedome in consideration of the peoples weaknesse euen so did he suffer Musicall Instruments to wit in the time of the Sacrifice not that hee would please his eares with the consent of the singing of them but that he might by little and little draw away the delusions of the Idols Thus farre be the words of Theodoretus Seeing that God ordained the Ceremonies with the which the Israelites were accustomed when they did worship the Idols of Egypt to be vsed in his owne worship it followes that these customes and Ceremonies as also the materiall things that were abused to Idolatry the Surplice Musicke and Musicall Instrument may lawfully be conuerted to some vse in the true worship of God according to these examples of the Ceremoniall Law In the time of the Captiuitie of Babilon Belshazzar did make a great feast and commanded to bring him the golden and siluer vessels which his Father Nabuchadnezzer had brought from the Temple of Ierusalem and the King and his Princes his wiues his Concubines dranke in them and praised the Gods of gold and siluer and notwithstanding that these were prophaned to the Seruice of Idols yet when Cyrus did send the people of Iudah to build vp againe the Temple and the Citie of Ierusalem he restored to them the vessels of the house of the Lord. The Priests of the second Temple did vse them in the seruice of the true God although they were as is said abused in the Idolatrous Feasts to the Seruice of the false Gods of Babilon Euen so the externall Ceremonies as well of cloathing as others which are vsed in the Church of England were first instituted to be vsed in the Seruice of the true Religion but afterward was violently employed by the Popes after they became temporall Tyrants to the Seruice of the new Idoll of the Masse and now againe the Masse being abolished are restored vnto their true and ancient vse in the worship of God By these examples then of the olde Testament it is manifest that it is lawfull to conuert the clothing vesture and Ceremonies abused by the Popish Idolatrie to be vsed in the true worship of God A great number of the Priests were conuerted Acts 6. 7. all which did continue in obseruing of the Law c. Acts 17. 20. So that the Priests being made Christians did wear the linnen Ephod Iosippus who was neare to the Apostles writes of Iames the Iust the Lords Brother that it was permitted to him only to enter into the Sanctuary because he did not weare a woollen but a linnen garment The formes and Ceremonies of the Christian Church were not established in the time of the Acts of the Apostles but afterward and S. Iohn the Euangelist did ouerliue all the Apostles and S. Paul many yeeres for S. Paul and S. Peter were put to death by Nero which was An. 70. But S. Iohn did liue to the time of Traiane the Emperour who did beginne Anno. Dom. 100. and then writ his Euangell 30. yeeres after the death of the Apostles during the which time hee being the alone Apostle that did liue long and being Bishop of Ephesus hee established the forme and Ceremonies of Christian Religion hee did weare as a Priest or Bishop the white Garment of this we haue an euident testimonie written by Policratis Bishop of Ephesus and one of S. Iohns Successors who did write in an Epistle sent to Uictor Bishop of Rome that Iohn who did lie on Christs breast was a Priest and did weare a garment called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a white loose and long garment The 8. Booke of the Constitutions of the Apostles attributed vnto Clemens Bishop of Rome disciple to S. Peter containeth the formes and Ceremonies of the Churches Seruice and amongst other circumstances it is said that the Bishop ministring the holy Communion is clothed with a white garment which is called splendida vesâ—is This Booke is named in the last of the Cannons Ecclosiastike called Apostolike which no doubt are very ancient and is approued by Athanasius and many others of the learned Fathers and is the Booke in which the true ministration of the Sacraments is prescribed with the true worship of God and affords vs most euident testimonie against the Popes falsely pretended succession from Peter against the monstrous Transubstantiation and the inuocation of all creatures inferiour to the holy Trinitie whether they be men or Angels And therefore wee shall doe well to follow the authoritie of this most ancient Booke in all controuersies betwixt vs and our Aduersaries the Papists and much more in the matter of the white garment and other Ceremoniall matters These testimonies are sufficient to perswade vs that the Apostles did conâ—â—nue in the â—stablishment of the Christian Religion the vse of the white Garment in the Church Seruice notwithstanding that they knew well that it was before their time abused to the seruice and worship of Idols and false Gods of the Gentiles and her then people Clemens Alexandrinus a very learned Presbiter and Pantenus Disciple who was S. Marke the Euangelists Disciple and did liue but 50. yeeres after S. Iohn is a sufficient witnesse to testifie vnto vs that the vse of the white garment did continue in the true Church of GOD after the death of all the Apostles The words of Clemens
Alexandrinus be these The dying of clothes should be reiected to wit from the vse of the Christian seruice for they to wit that dyeth cloathes are very farre from the truth c. It is most conuenient saith hee that those who are candidi pure of minde and are not inwardly còunterfaited to no curious and precious clothing c Daniel saith Clemens doth speake euidently and purely saying the Thrones were placed and one like to be of very olde age did sit on them and his clothing was white as the Snow Iohn saith that hee did see in a vision the Lord wearing such a clothing Also hee saith hee did see the Soules that were Martyrs or witnesses of Christ vnder the Altar and that to euery one of them was giuen â—â— white garment c. And the said Clemens saith I doe approue the Philosophers of the I le of Coos who did describe Vertue and Wickednesse by two fit Images Hee made the Image of Vertue standing simply clothed with a white Garment as being the Vertue a pure thing decked with modestie And a little after he saith if any will all edge Christs long clothing of diuers colours it signified the diuen and sundry colours of wisedome and of the Scriptures which neuer withered and the eloquent speeches of the Lord which doth shine with the clearenes of the truth Thus farre the words of Clemens This testimonie which is very euident is a proofe that the vse of the white garment was continued amongst the Christians after the death of the Apostles Tertullianus who did liue an hundred yeeres after S. Iohn saith If thou change thy bond-man to freedome hee is honoured with the brightnesse of a white garment and with the honor to beare a gold Ring to haue the name of a Counseller of Law to be of a Familie and to keepe a Table and from this it commeth that they who are baptised are clothed with white clothing that they may remember that they are made free-men and of bond-men and of slaues of the Diuell they are made the free-men of Christ Eusebius hath inserted in his Historie Ecclesiasticke a Panagiricke or publicke speech made in an assembly of Bishops in the dedication of a Temple builded by Paulinus Bishop of Tirus where hee called the Bishops the Friends and Priests of God hauing an holy long Garment which was white and saith that they were all clothed with the Garment of Priestly office This was the first Temple builded 300. yeeres after Christ when Constantinus Magnus did establish the Christian Religion These testimonies serue to proue that the first three hundred yeeres after Christ which was the time of the perfection of the Primitiue Church when the Bishops and Presbiters were holy Martyrs that they did vse a white garment in exercising the Church seruice Pontius Paulinus S. Augustines Disciple saith to this purpose that the Priest doth bring from the Well of Baptisme the children coloured with white in their body in their heart and minde So that the ancient Primatiue Church called the weeke which followed Easter weeke Septima in albis the weeke in white clothing because the Baptisme was administrated in that weeke and Whitsun weeke onely vnlesse the Children were in danger of their life I hope in God that these testimonies and proofes heretofore cited shall perswade all reasonable mens consciences two poynts concerning this matter the one is that although the white Garment was abused in the seruice of the false Gods and Idols of the Gentiles both before the Law of Moses and also before and in Christ and his Apostles time yet they did not abrogate the vse of the said white Garment but conuerted it to the Seruice of the true God to be vsed in all religious Seruice of the Church and consequently the Reformers of the Church of England haue lawfully retained the vse of the white Garment notwithstanding that it is vsed to the seruice of Idols in the Popish Church The second point is that the vse of the white Garment is an Institution Apostolike and seeing that the said Booke of the Constitution of the Apostles maketh mention thereof and that Iames the Lords Brother and Iohn the Euangelist his beloued Disciple did vse the said Garment as is euident by the testimonies heretofore cited it followeth that the vse of it in our Church Seruices of England hath for the warrant thereof the authoritie of the holy Apostles of Christ so that no man which will follow the example of the Apostles should except anything against the vse of the said white Garment The second THESE THe Iewes and the Gentiles in the time of the Natiuitie of Christ were accustomed to lie about a Table set low as well in their ordinarie meales and Suppers as in their solemne feasts and Christ finding this custome in vse in the feasts of the Easter Lambe hee retained it in the Institution and celebration of the holy Communion notwithstanding that it was before his Natiuitie vsed in the solemne Feasts in the Temples of Idols Therefore seeing Christ did neyther stand sit nor kneele in this holy Action but followed the custome receiued there is no necessitie in any of these gestures but they are indifferent so that euery man should follow the receiued Custome in the Church where hee doth liue and dwell And that although this gesture of kneeling was and is yet abused in the Popish Idolatry it was lawfully retained by the godly Reformers of the Church of England The Testimonies and proofes of this doe follow THe Iewes during the time of the second Temple were Subiects and Tributaries sometime to the Persians sometime to the Grecians and the Syrians and finally were subdued by Pompey and made a Romane Prouince about sixty yeeres before Christs Incarnation being thus subdued they were gouerned by the Romish Deputies who did keepe in Ierusalem a strong Garison of Souldiours so that this was the cause why the Iewes did imitate and follow many of the Customes and Rites of the Persians Greekes and Romanes as well in the solemne feasts of the Church as in their ordinarie dinners and Suppers at home The Heathenish Romane Historiographers and Poets doe teach vs that they were accustomed in their most solemne Sacrifices to make publike Feasts in the Temples of their Idols which they did celebrate lying vpon Beds Carpets or Cushens spread vpon the floore of their Temples euen as they did in their solemne Feasts in their houses The learned doe write that these beds or cushens c. which they did lie vpon were called Puluinaria Decrum which is a kinde of beds dedicated to the Heathenish Gods in the which the Images of their false Gods did lye at great feasting times Also Lectisternia as witnesseth Liuie were beds spread in the Temples of their Idols vpon which the Priests and others that did assist to their sacrifices did lye at their publike feasts The Poet Uirgil who did write
Ierusalem and the Presbyters or Elders did enforme S. Paul that many Myriades that is a very great multitude of the Iewes had receiued the faith which were all zealous obseruers of the Law whereof wee collect that they did retaine Circumcision and the celebration of the Iewish Passeouer together with Baptisme and the holy Communion after that same kinde of gesture of accubation as Christ himselfe did which wee haue proued before in the second These To this purpose doth agree that which is written in the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 2. verse 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the faithfull assiduè operam dabant did continually trauell in the doctrine of the Apostles and in the Communion and breaking of bread and prayers And in the 46. verse of the said Chapter it is said that they continued daily in one accord in the Temple and breaking of bread from house to house and did eate their meate together with gladnesse Whereof we may easily gather that they did assist in the Temple to the Ceremonies of the Law but in their priuate houses they did daily celebrate the Communion at their ordinary feasts which they could not performe publikely by reason of the persecution of the Sinagogue So that without all doubt the gesture of their bodyes in all their publike meales was conforme to the custome of the Iewes which was accubatio a lying downe Also the Gentiles that were conuerted did celebrate the feast of Agape and after it the holy Communion obseruing the gesture of accubation as shall hereafter be sufficiently God willing proued S. Paul did reproue the Corinthians because they did not lawfully obserue the first institution of these publike feasts in communicating together the rich relieuing the poore His words are these When yee come together therefore into one place this is not to eate the Lords Supper for euery man when they should eate taketh his owne supper afore and one is hungry and another is drunke So that yee see the abuse of this feasting was that they did not follow the first institution in making their meat and drinke common to all equall but did conuert publike eating to priuate vse the rich men eating apart by themselues and the poore by themselues Therefore the Apostle commands them in the end of the Chapter that when they come to eate they tarry one for another S. Peter in his second Epistle Chap. 2. verse 13. disclaimeth against false Christians which did seeke nothing in their publike feasts but the satisfaction of their owne bellyes the word which Peter vseth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth to make a publike feast in a common societie The Apostle Iude in the 12. verse of his Epistle speaking of them that abused these feasts which were dedicated to an holy vse to their owne pleasures saith These are like spots in your feasts of Charitie when they feast with you without all feare feeding themselues these feasts are called here by the name of Agapae which signifieth a Feast of Charitie or loue Theodor. Beza doth retaine the same word in his Latine Translation Hae sunt in Agapis vestris maculae dum vobiscum conuiuantur absque vllius metu scipsos pascentes where hee doth note that Agapae erant sraterna ac ecclesiastici coetus conuiuia quae describuntur a Tertulliano in Apologetico that these were the publike feasts in their Ecclesiasticall Assemblies which are described by Tertullian in his Apologeticke which is a Booke written in defence of Christians against the Gentiles In the end of these feasts the Communion was celebrated as Christ did after Supper It is mentioned in the Actes of the Apostles Chap. 6. verse 2. that the Apostle called the multitude together and said It is not meete that wee should leaue the word of God and serue the Tables These Tables are the publike feasts mentioned in the second Chapter of the said Booke verse 46. In the which the holy Communion is called the breaking of bread Without all doubt in these publike feasts the Apostles and the saithfull did celebrate the Communion in the selfe same manner and gesture of body which Christ did institute which was as is proued in the second These the gesture of accubation The holy Martyr Ignatius second Bishop of Antiochia and Successor to S. Peter called these publick feasts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is also mentioned in Luke Chapter 5. verse 19. where it is said that Leui which is Mathew the Publicane made a great banquet to Iesus where Theod Beza noteth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie ad verbum acceptionem quod passim in eo omnes accipiantur For it commeth from the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to receiue That which S. Iude calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same is called by Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignatius his words are these It is not lawfull to baptise without the Bishop nor to offer oblations nor to bring any Sacrifices nor to celebrate the feast called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where marke by the way that in the false Popish Translation it is Mossas celebrare from the which the Papists doe pretend to proue the antiquitie of their Masse Hyeronimus Vairlenius Siluius of the Romish profession in the notes of his Translation of Ignatius Epistles Printed at Antwerpe by Plantinus who had permission to print the same from the Spanish King and is approued by those of the Inquisition saith after this manner reliquimus hic vocem Graecam quae conuiuium significat Latinè sic dictum ab accipiendo quòd omnes promiscuè acciperentur videtur autem id conuiuium idem fuisse cum eo quod Tertullianus in Apologetico suo Agapen suo seculo appellatum scribit quamuis beatus Iudas in Epistola sua cadem voce Agape vsus sit pro conuiuio eiusmodi Where it is euident that Uairlenius in the Translation of Ignatius Epistles doth follow the opinion of Theod. Beza in this matter And therefore the foresaid vulgar Translation of the said testimony is false Plinius the second President of Bithynia vnder the Emperour Traiane which was an hundred yeeres after Christ writeth to the Emperour that hee had examined sundry Christians as hee had commanded him and that hee had learned of them that they were accustomed at an appointed day to meete together before day-light and to say one after another a Song or Rhime to Christ as to God and to binde themselues by a Sacrament or holy promise not to commit any villany but especially not theft not robbery not adultery not to breake their promise that being required they should not detaine any thing that was committed to their custodie And after this their custome was to depart and afterwards to assemble together to their common Feasts which were without any harme Where wee obserue beside our purpose that the first Christinas did sing their Songs one answering to another which forme is followed