One of Iacob and shall fear the God of Israel The latter words shew the meaning of the former The like we have in the first Epist. of S. Peter ch 3. v. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OBON 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Gentilium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Fear ye not their Fear nor be in dread thereof that is Fear not nor dread ye the gods of the Gentiles which persecute you but sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts that is Fear and worship him with your whole hearts For that this passage howsoever we are wont to expound it ought to be construed in the same sense with that of Esay 8. before alledged and the words to be rendred sutably I take it to bee apparent for this reason because they are verbatim taken from thence as he that shall compare the Greek words of S. Peter with the Septuagint in that place of Esay will be forced to confesse Besides this evident and expresse use of the word Sanctifie in the notion of religious and holy worship and fear of the Divine Majesty there is yet another expression sometimes used in holy Scripture which implieth the self-same thing that namely to worship God with that which wee call holy and divine worship is all one with to agnize his holiness or to sanctifie his Name Those speeches I mean wherein we are exhorted to worship the Lord because he is Holy As Psal. 99. 5. Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at his foot-stoole for he is holy Again in the end of the Psalm Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy hill for the Lord our God is holy The same meaning is yet more emphatically expressed by those that sing the song of victory over the Beast Apoc. 15. Great say they and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Nations Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that I beleeve is the true reading not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for thou onely art Holy therefore all the Nations shall come and worship before thee i. they shall relinquish their Idols and plurality of Gods and worship thee as God onely For this was the Doctrine both of Moses in the Old Testament and of Christ Jesus the Lamb of God in the New That one God onely that made the heaven and the earth was to be acknowledged and worshipped and with an incommunicable worship In respect whereof as I take it these Victors are there said to sing the Song of Moses the Lamb that is a gratulatory Song of the worship of one God After that his Ordinances were made manifest For otherwise the Ditty is borrowed from the 86. Psalm the 8 9 10. verses where wee reade Among the gods there is none like unto thee O Lord neither are there any works like unto thy works All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name For thou art great and dost wondrous works Thou art God alone that is Thou onely art Holy Compare Ier. 10. ver 6 7. I have one thing more to adde before I finish this part of my Discourse lest I might leave unsatisfied that which may perhaps seem to some to weaken this my explication of the sanctification of Gods Name For the word to sanctifie or be sanctified is sometimes used of God in a more generall sense then that I have hitherto specified namely as signifying any way to be glorified or to glorifie as when he saith He will bee sanctified in the destruction of his enemies or in the deliverance of his people and that before the Heathen and the like that is he would purchase him glory or be glorified thereby I answer it is true that to be sanctified is in these passages to be glorified but yet always to be glorified as God and not otherwise Namely when God by the works of his power of his mercy or justice extorts from men the confession of his great and holy Godhead he is then said to sanctifie or make himself to be sanctified amongst them that is to be glorified and honoured by their conviction and acknowledgement of his power and Godhead For although men may be also said to glorifie or purchase honour unto themselves when by their noble acts they make their abilities and worth known unto the world yet for such respect to be said to be sanctified is peculiar unto him alone whose Glory is his Holinesse i. unto God THUS we have learned how the Name or Majesty of God is to be sanctified personally or in it self which is the chiefest thing we pray for and ought so to be in our endeavour namely to worship and glorifie him incommunicably according to his most eminent unparalleld Holiness and so O Lord Hallowed be thy Name But there is another sanctification or hallowing of Gods Name yet behind which must be joyned therewith which is To sanctifie him also in the things which have his Name upon them that is are separate and dedicate to his service or in a word which are His namely by a peculiar relation For otherwise it is true The whole earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the World and those that dwell therein But there are some things his not as other things are and so as they are no longer ours such as according to the style of Scripture as I have already noted are said to be called by his Name or to have his Name called upon them These are things sacred Therefore I told you before of a twofold sanctity or Holinesse The one originall absolute and essentiall in God the other derived or relative in that which is set apart to be in a peculiar and appropriate manner His. For whatsoever belongeth unto him in this manner is divided from other things with preeminence whether they be things or persons which are so separated For in such separation we shewed the nature of sanctity in generall to consist Now as the Divine Majesty it self is separate and holy so know it is a part of that honour we owe unto his most Sacred Name that the things whereby and wherewith he is served should not be promiscuous and common but appropriate and set apart to that sacred end It is an honour which in some degree of resemblance we afford unto Kings Princes and other persons of dignity of infinite lesse eminency then God is to interdict the use of that to others which they are wont to use sometimes the whole kinde sometimes the individuall onely As we know in former times to wear purple to subscribe with the Ink called Encaustum of a purple colour and other the like which the diligent may finde were appropriate to the use of Kings and Emperours onely In the Book of the Kings we reade of the Kings Mule so appropriate to his use as to ride
ONE of â—srael Habak 1. 12. Art not thou from everlasting O LORD my God mine HOLY ONE Agreeably whereunto the Lord is said also now and then To swear by his HOLINESS that is by himself as in the Psalm before alledged v. 35. Once have I sworn by my HOLINESS that I will not lie unto David c. Amos 4. 2. The Lord God hath sworn by his HOLINESS that lo the days shall come upon you that he will take you away with â—ooks c. According to this sense I suppose also that of Amos 8. 7. is to be understood The LORD hath sworn by the Excellency of Iacob that is Jacobs most eminent and incommunicable One or by Iacobs HOLY ONE Surely I will never forget any of their works c. For indeed the Gods of the Nations were not properly and truly Holy because but partially and respectively onely Forasmuchas the Divine eminency which they were supposed to have was even in the opinion of those who worshipped them common to others with them and so not discriminated from nor exalted above all But the God of Israel was simply and absolutely such both in himself and to them ward who worshipped him as who might acknowledge no other and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by way of distinction from all other Gods called Sanctus Israelis The Holy One of Israel i. That sole absolute and onely incommunicable One or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Author of the Book of Wisdome cals him chap. 14. v. 21. that God exalted above all and divided from all without pareil there being no other such besides him There is none Holy as the Lord saith Hannah for there is none besides thee The Septuagint none Holy besides thee neither is there any ROCâ— like our God Wherefore it is to be observed that although the Scripture every where vouchsafes the Gentiles Daemons the name of Gods yet it never I think cals them Holy Ones as indeed they were not Thus you see that as Holinesse in generall imports a state of eminency and separation so this of God as I have described it disagrees not from that generall notion when I affirm it to consist in a state of peerlesse or incommunicable Majesty for that which is such includes both the one and the other But would you understand it yet better Apply it then to his attributes whereby he is known unto us and know that The Lord is Holy is as much to say He is a Majesty of peerlesse Power of peerlesse Wisdome of peerlesse Goodnesse and so of the rest Such a one is our God and such is his Holinesse Now then to Sanctifie this peerlesse Name or Majesty of his must be by doing unto him according to that which his Holinesse challengeth in respect of the double importance thereof namely To serve and glorifie him because of his eminency and to doe it with a singular separate and incommunicated worship because He is Holy Not to doe the former is Irreligion and Atheisme as not to acknowledge God to be the chief and Soveraign eminency not to observe the second is Idolatry For as the Lord our God is a singular and peerlesse Majesty distinguished from and exalted above all things and eminencies else whatsoever so must his worship be singular incommunicable and proper to him alone Otherwise saith Ioshuah to the people You cannot serve the Lord. Why For saith he He is an Holy God he is a jealous God that can endure no corrivall he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins if ye forsake the Lord and serve strange gods c. Whence in Scripture those who communicate the worship given unto him with any besides him or together with him by way of Object that is whether immediately or but mediately are deemed to deny his incomparable Sanctity and therefore said to prophane his Holy Name See Ezek. 20. 39. 43. 7 8. In a word all that whole immediate Duty and service which we owe unto God whether inward or outward contained under the name of Divine worship when either we confesse praise pray unto call upon or swear by his Name yea all the worship both of men and Angels is nothing else but to acknowledge in thought word and work this peerlesse preheminence of his power of his wisdome of his goodnesse and other attributes that is His Holinesse by ascribing and giving unto him that which we give and ascribe to none besides him that is To sanctifie his most Holy Name This is that the Holy Ghost would teach us when describing how the Seraphims worship and glorifie God â—sa 6. he brings them in crying one unto another Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory that is Sanctifying him From whence is derived that which we repeat every day in the Hymne To thee all Angels cry aloud the heavens and all the powers therein To thee Cherubim and Sâ—raphim continually doe cry Ho ly Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory And because the pattern of Gods holy worship is not to be taken from earth but from heaven the same Spirit therefore in the Apocalypse expresseth the worship of God in the new Testament with the same form of hallowing or holying his Name which the heavenly Hoste useth For so the 4. Animalia representing the Catholique Church of Christ in the four quarters of the world are said when they give glory honour and thanks to him that sitteth upon the throne and liveth for ever and ever to doe it by singing day and night this Trisagium Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come that is the summe of all that they did was but to agnize his Sanctity or Holinesse or which is all one to Sanctifie his holy Name When therefore the same 4. Animalia are afterwards brought in chanting Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power riches wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing And again Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever all is to bee understood as comprehended within this generall Doxologie as being but an exemplification thereof and therefore the Elogies or blazons mentioned therein to be taken according to the style of Holinesse in an exclusive sense of such prerogatives as are peculiar to God alone And according to this notion of sanctifying Gods name which I contend for would the Lord have his Name Sanctified Esa. 8. 13. when he saith Fear ye not their Fear that is the Idolaters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Gods for so Fear here signifies to wit the thing feared neither dread ye it But Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your Fear and let him be your Dread that is your God Again chap. 29. 23. They shall sanctifie my Name saith he even Sanctifie the holy
and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come If this be to be extended also unto those punishments and their analogy which befell them afterwards then may perhaps two things further not unâ—easonably be enquired into First for what other sins it is remembred in Scripture that God gave his people during that his first Covenant especially after they came to dwell in their own Land under the sword of an externall enemy or his worship thereby at any time to be trodden under foot besides these two Idolatry and Prophanation of that which was holy or Sacriledgâ— Examples of the first who knows not of the second see the Story of Achan Iosh. the vii of Elies sons 1 Sam. Chap. II. the punishment of the Sacriledge of the seventh or Sabbaticall year 2 Chron. XXXVI and the parallel places for by the Law every seventh year not onely the whole Land but all servants and debts were holy unto the Lord and therefore to be released Levit. 25. 2 4. Deut. 15. Exodus 21. Secondly What was that Transgression after the return from Babylon mentioned in that Prophesie of Antiochus Epiphanes Dan. 8. 12. for which it is there foretold that An host should be given him against the daily Sacrifice and that it should cast down the truth unto the ground and practise and prosper Perhaps the Story in the 2 3 4. Chap. of the second Book of Maccabees will tell us To that which is commonly alledged That such distinction and reverent regard of things Sacred as we contend for opens a way for Idolatry I answer No otherwise then the eschewing of Idolatry may also through the perversenesse of men be made a bridge to prophaneness that is by accident not from it own towardnesse but our distemper Otherwise this Discrimination or distinction if we would understand or heed the ground thereof prompts the clean contrary for we should reason thus If the things which are Gods â—o nomine in that name and because they are His are therefore to be held segregate in their use then surely God himself who is the Fountain of Holinesse ought to have a prerogative of segregation in the most eminent and absolute manner namely such an one as that the worship due unto him must not be communicated with any thing else besides him And indeed unlesse both be done Gods Name is neither fully nor rightly sanctified AND here I should now make an end but that there is one thing yet behinde of principall consequence which I have deferred hitherto because I could not elsewhere bring it in conveniently without somewhat disturbing the coherence of my discourse There is an eminent species or kinde of Sanctification which I may seem all this while to have neglected for as much as it seemeth not to be comprehended under this notion of discretion and separation wherein I place the nature of Holinesse and that is Sanctifâ—cation or Holinesse of life To which i answer That all notions of Sanctity and Sanctification in Scripture are derived from discretion and separation and that this now mentioned is likewise derived thence For it is to be reduced to the Sanctification of Persons Sacred and set apart unto God By which though in the strict and proper sense are intended onely Priests and such as minister about Holy things yet in a larger sense and as it were by way of resemblance the whole body of the People of God are a Royall Pâ—iâ—sthood and Holy Nation which the Almighty hath selected unto himself out of the rest of the world and set apart to serve him in a peculiar and different manner from the rest of men For you have heard it is a requisite of that which is Holy to be used in a peculiar and singular manner and not as things common Hence it is that the observation of that peculiar and different from of life which God hath commanded those whom he hath called and set apart from the world unto himself in Scripture carries the name of Holinesse or Sanctity especially in the New Testament that is such as becommeth those that are Holy unto God According to that Be ye Holy as I am Holy And here I might have a large discourse to shew how the Name of God is sanctified by the lives of his Children when they conform not themselves to the fashions of the world but as the Apostle speaks are crucified thereto and keep themselves unspotted from the pollutions and vanities thereof But this I leave to be supplied by your meditations according to the generall intimation given thereof ACTS 17. 4. There associated themselves to Paul and Silas of the worshipping Greeks a great multitude PAul and Silas preaching in the Jewish Synagogue at Thessalonica proving out of the Scriptures that Meâ—siah or Christ was to suffer and to rise again from the dead and that Iesus was that Christ it is said That some of them which heard beleeved and that there associated themselves to them a great multitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the worshipping Greeks Of these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is elsewhere mention in the Acts of the Apostles more then once But what they were our Commentators do not fully inform us Nor can it be understood without some delibation of Jewish Antiquity The eâ—plication whereof will give some light not to this passage onely but to the whole Story of the Primitive Conversion of the Gentiles to the Faith recorded in that Book We must know therefore that of those Gentiles which imbraced the worship of the God of Israel commonly term'd Proselytes there were two sorts One of such as were circumcised and took upon them the observation of the whole Law of Moses These were accounted as Jews to wit facti non nati bound to the like observances with them conversed with as freely as if they had been so born neither might the one eat drink or keep company with a Gentile more then the other leâ—t they became unclean They worshipped in the same Court of the Temple where the Israelites did whither others might not come They were partakers with them in all things both divine and humane In a word they differed nothing from Jews but onely that they were of Gentile race This kinde the Jewish Doctors call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselyti â—â—stitiâ— or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselyti fâ—dâ—ris namely because they took upon them the signe thereof Circumcision In the New Testament they are called simply Proselytes without addition Of which Order was Vriah the Hittite Achior in the Book of Iudith Herod the Idumaeâ—n Onkelos the Châ—ldâ—â— Paraphrast and many others both before and in our Saviours time But besides these there was a second kinde of Gentiles admitted likewise to the worship of the true God the God of Israel and the hope of the life to come which were not circumcised nor conformed themselves to the Mosaicall rites and ordinances but were onely tied to the
whence it is probable that S. Peter in the foregoing passage of Angels referred also those chains of darknesse to reserving and not to delivering that is not that the evill Angels were now already delivered to chains of darknesse but reserved for them at the day of Judgement And thus much for clearing of the words of these two parallel Texts now what hath been anciently the current opinion of this point And first for the Jews it is apparent to have been a tradition of theirs that all the space between the earth and the firmament is full of troops of Evill spirits and their Chieftains having their residence in the air which I make no doubt S. Paul had respect to when he cals Satan the Prince of the power of the air Drusius quotes two Authors one the Book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Munus novum another one of the Commentators upon Pirke Aboth who speak in this manner Debet homo scire intelligere à terra usque ad firmamentum omnia plena esse turmis praefectis infra plurimas esse Creaturas laedentes accusantes omnesque stare volare in aere neque à terra usque ad firmamentum locum esse vacuum sed omnia plena esse praepositis quorum alii ad pacem alii ad bellum alii ad bonum alii ad mulam ad vitam ad mortem incitant By praepositi I suppose he means such among the Spirits as are set as Wardens over severall charges for the managing of the affairs of mankinde subject to their powers This was the opinion of the Iews which they seem to have learned by tradition from their ancient Prophets For in the Old Testament we finde no such thing written and yet we see S. Paul seems to approve it Now for the Doctors of the Christian Church S. Hierome upon the sixth of the Ephesians tels us that their opinion was the same T is the opinion of all the Doctors saith he that Devils have their mansion and residence in the space between the heaven and the earth And that the Fathers of the first 300 or 400 years nor did nor could hold the evill Angels to have been cast into Hell upon their sin is evident by a singular Tenet of theirs For Iustn Martyr one of the most ancient hath this saying that Satan before the coming of Christ never durst blaspheme God and that saith he because till then he knew not he should be damned The same is approved by Irenaeus in his fifth Book and twentysixt Chapter Praeclarè saith he dixit Iustinus quod ante Domini adventum Satanas nunquam ausus est blasphemare Deum quippe nondum sciens suam damnationem Post adventum autem Domini ex sermonibus Christi Apostolorum ejus discens manifestè quoniam ignis aeternus ei praeparatus sit per hujusmodi homines he means those Heretiques who blasphemed the God of the Law blasphemat eum Deum qui judicium importat Eusebius 4. Hist. Cap. 17. cites the same out of both with approbation So doth Oecumenius upon the last Chap. of the first of S. Peter Epiphanius against Heresie 39. gives the same as his own assertion almost in the same words with Iustin and Irenaeus though not naming them Ante Christi adventum saith he nunquam ausus est Diabolus in Dominum suum blasphemum aliquod verbum loqui aut contra elationem cogitare expectavit enim Christi adventum put avitque se misericordiam aliquam assecuturum esse I will not enquire how true this Tenet of theirs is but onely gather this that they could not think the Devils were cast into Hell before the comming of Christ. For then how could they but have known they should be damned if the execution had already been done upon them Saint Augustine as may seem intending to reconcile these places of Peter and Iude with the rest of Scripture is alledged to affirm that the Devils suffering some hell-like torment in their aiery Mansion the Air may in that respect in an improper sense be called Hell But that the Devils were locally or actually in Hell or should be before the day of Judgement it is plain he held not and that will appear by these two passages in his Book de Civitate Dei First where he saith Daemones in hoc quidem aere habitant quia de Coeli superioris sublimitate dejecti merito irregressibilis transgressionis in hoc sibi congruo velut carcere praedamnati sunt Lib. 8. Cap. 22. The other where he expounds that of the Devils Mat. 8. Art thou come to torment us before the time that is saith he ante tempus Iudicii quo aeternâ damnatione puniendi sunt cum omnibus etiam hominibus qui eorum societate detinentur Lib. eodem Cap. 23. in fine The Divines of later times the Schoolmen and others to reconcile the supposed Contrariety in Scripture divide the matter holding some Devils to be in the Air as Saint Paul and the History of Scripture tels us some to be already in Hell as they thought Saint Peter and S. Iude affirm'd which opinion seems to be occasioned by a Quaere of Saint Hieroms upon the sixth of the Ephesians though he speaks but obscurely and defines nothing But what ground of Scripture or reason can be given why all the Devils which sinned should not be in the same condition especially Satan the worst and chief of them should not be in the worst estate but enjoy the greatest liberty It follows therefore that these places of Saint Peter and Saint Iude are to be construed according to the sense I have given of them namely that the evill Spirits which sinned being adjudged to hellish torments were cast out of Heaven into this lower Region there to be reserved as in a prison for chains of darknesse at the Day of Judgement 1 COR. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God A Man would think at first sight that this Scripture did exceedingly warrant our use of the word Minister in stead of that of Priest and leave no plea for them who had rather speak otherwise Howsoever I intend at this time to shew the contrary and even out of this text that we have very much swarved herein from the Apostles language and abuse that word to such a sense as they never intended nor is any where found in Scripture I fayour neither superstition nor superstitious men yet truth is truth and needfull to be known especially when ignorance thereof breedeth errour and uncharitablenesse My discourse therefore shall be of the use of the words Priest and Minister wherein shall appear how truly we are all Ministers in the Apostles sense and yet how abusively and improperly so called in the ordinary prevailing use of that word I will begin thus All Ecclesiasticall persons or Clergy men may be considered in a
hewed them by my Prophets and slain them by the words of my mouth I come now to the second thing I propounded namely to shew that our Saviour in the Gospel when he cited this place alledged it for and according to this and no other meaning The Euangelist relates it thus When the chief Priests and Scribes saw the wonderfull things that Jesus did and those in the Temple crying and saying Hosanna to the son of David they were sore displeased and said unto him Hearest thou what these say how they ascribe the power of salvation which is Gods peculiar to thee who art a son of man Is that solemn acclamation of Save now wherewith we are wont to glorifie God fit to be given to thee Our Saviour answers Yes for have ye not read saith he Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength Consider what that means You will wonder perhaps that a thing so plain could be taken in a differing meaning For it is commonly supposed to be alledged onely to prove that children should glorifie Christ whilest the great ones of the world despised him And there are two things which have occasioned this mistake and drawn the sense awry The first is because the Septuagint according to which the Euangelist reads this place in stead of strength translate here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praise Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained praise Secondly because those who made this acclamation are said to have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When they saw the things which Iesus did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the first I answer Our Saviour alledged not the words of the Psalm in Greek but in Hebrew where it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strength which is the constant signification thereof through the whole Bible and never Praise Nor do the Seventy themselves ever translate it otherwise save as it seems in this place But whatsoever the use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be otherwise it must be here regulated by the Hebrew verity according to which our Saviour alledged it and must signifie not simply praise but Robur praedicandum or Robur laude dignum Robur celebrandum or the like To the second that they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who made this acclamation of Hosanna to our Saviour I answer Be it so yet I am sure they were no babes and sucklings but of reasonable years How then would our Saviours quotation have in such a sense been pertinent Besides young children are not properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again the Pharisees found no fault with the speakers but with the thing spoken which they thought too much for a man and therefore our Saviour when he alledged this Scripture answered to that and intended not to Apologise for the speakers Fourthly in all reason those who cried here Hosanna in the Temple were the same company that brought him crying Hosanna all the way thither But these saith Saint Mark were of the multitude which followed him and S. Luke of the multitude of the Disciples who also tels us that the Pharisees who were offended thereat bad him rebuke his Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore here signifies either Christs Disciples or the retinue which followed him and brought him up thither as a King Take which ye will you shall not fasten upon the word any notion other then usuall I shall not need to tell you the Disciples of the Prophets are called sons of the Prophets that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that Herods Courtiers Matth. 14. are termed his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is Iohn the Baptist c. Christ cals his Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 21. 5. ZACH. 4. 10. These seven are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth IT is hard to keep a mean which as appears in many things else so in the Doctrine and speculation of Angels whereunto men were heretofore so much addicted as they pursued it not onely to vain and ungrounded Theories but even to Idolatry and superstition There were in the Apostles times who intruded into things they had not seen there were then who beguiled men with a voluntary humility in worshipping of Angels Col. 2. what after times brought forth I shall not need speak That ancient and high soaring though counterfeit Dionysius describes the Hierarchy of Angels as exactly as if he had dwelt amongst them delivering unto us nine Orders of them out of nine words found partly in the Old partly in the New Testament Seraphims Cherubims and Thrones Powers Hosts and Dominions Principalities Arch-angels and Angels and tels us the severall natures distinctions and properties of them all Whereas it cannot be shewn out of Scripture either that some of these names concurre not as Angels not to be a common name to all the rest especially to comprehend Arch-angels or that these are denominations of the natures of Angels and not of their offices and charges onely yet have these nine Orders passed for currant through so many ages of the Church But we who together with divers superstitions have justly rejected also these vain and ungrounded curiosities are faln into the other extream having buried the Doctrine of Angels in silence making little or no enquiry at all what God in his Word hath revealed concerning them which yet would make not a little for the understanding of Scripture wherein are so many passages having reference to them and therefore questionlesse something revealed concerning them I shall not therefore do amisse if I choose for my discourse at this time a particular of that kinde which Dionysius in all his speculations hath not a word of and yet seems to have strong footing in Scripture It is this The Jews have an ancient tradition that there are seven principall Angels which minister before the Throne of God and therefore called Arch-angels Some of whose names we have in Scripture as Michael Gabriel Raphael and in the second Book of Esdras mention is made of Ierechmiel the Arch-Angel This Tradition we shall finde recorded in the Book of Tobit whose antiquity is before the birth of our Saviour For there the Angel who in the shape of Azariah had accompanied his son into Media when he discovers himself speaks in this manner I am Raphael one of the seven Angels which stand and minister before the glory of the holy One. The Greek hath which present the Prayers of the Saints and go in and out before the holy One But neither Saint Hierome who translated it out of the Chaldee nor the ancient Hebrew Copie set forth by Paulus Fagius and in likelihood translated out of the same Chaldee Originall hath any such matter but reads as I first quoted And therefore it seemes to be an addition or liberty of the Greek Translator who thought their Ministery to consist in presenting the Prayers
ceasing of Prophecy that is in the time of Maccabees which will not easily be granted Besides that we reade not that Antiochus cast any fire into the Temple Now if it speak of the vastation by Nebuchadnezzar then had the Jews before that time not onely a Sanctuary for sacrifice but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coâ—…ticula Dei that is either Proseucha's or Synagogues for either will serve my purpose But now you will say what profit is there of this long discourse were it so or were it not so as I have endeavoured to prove of what use is the knowledge thereof to us yes to know it was so is usefull in a threefold respect First for the right understanding of such places of the Old Testament where a House of God and assembling before the Lord are often mentioned there where neither the Ark of the Covenant nor the Tabernacle at such time were as besides the places before alledged we reade in the tenth of the first Book of Samuel of Sauls meeting with three men going up to God to Bethel and of a place called The Hill of God whence a company of Prophets came from the high place there prophesying with a Tabret Pipe and Harp before them in neither of which places can we finde that ever the Tabernacle was and as for the Ark we are sure it was all this time at Kiriathjearim till David solemnly fetcht it thence and if at any time the Ark might as now it was not be transferred to any of them upon occasion of some generall Assembly of the Nation that so they might have opportunity to ask counsell of the Lord and offer Sacrifice yet were they not the ordinary station thereof Secondly we may learn from hence that to have appropriate places set apart for prayer and Divine duties is not a circumstance or rite proper to legall worship onely but of a more common nature For as much as though Sacrifice wherein the legall worship or worship of the old Covenant consisted were restrained to the Ark and Tabernacle and might not be exercised where they were not yet were there other places for Prayer besides that which are no more to be accounted legall places then bare and simple prayer was a legall Dutie Lastly we may gather from this Description of Proseucha's which were as Courts encompassed onely with a wall or other like enclosure and open above in what manner to conceive of the accommodation of those Altars we reade to have been erected by the Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Book of Genesis namely that the ground whereon they stood was fenced and bounded with some such enclosure and shaded with trees after the manner of Proseucha's as we may reade expresly of one of them at Beersheba That Abraham there planted a Grove and called upon the Name of the Lord the everlasting God Yea when the Tabernacle and Temple were the Altar of God stood still in an open Court and who can beleeve that the place of those Altars of the Patriarchs were not bounded and separated from common ground And from these patterns in likelihood after the Altar for Sacrifice was restrained to one onely place the use of such open places or Courts for prayer garnished with trees as I have shewed Proseucha's to have been continued still 1 TIM 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the Word and Doctrine THere are two things in these words to be explicated First what is meant here by Elders Secondly what is this double-honour due unto them For the first there is no question but the Priests or Ministers of the Gospel of Christ were contained under this name for so the New Testament useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Presbyter for the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments in the Gospel whence commeth the Saxon word Priester and our now English word Priest And the Ancient Fathers thought these onely to be here meant and never dreamed of any other But in our time those who obtrude a new Discipline and Government upon the Church altogether unknown and unheard of in the ancient will needs have two sorts of Elders or Presbyters here understood one of such as preach the Word and Doctrine whom they call Pastours another of Lay-men who were neither Priests nor Deacons but ned as assistants to them in the exercise of Ecclesiasticall Discipline in admonitions and censures of manners and in a word in the execution of the whole power of the Keys These our Church-men call Lay-Elders and the Authors of this new device Presbyterians these Presbyters or Elders they will have meant in the first words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders that rule or govern well whom therefore they call Ruling-Elders the other whom they call Pastours to be described in the latter words they who labour in the Word and Doctrine whom therefore they distinguish by the name of Teaching-Elders This is their exposition and this exposition the ground and foundation of their new Discipline but none of the Fathers which have commented upon this Place neither Chrysostome Hierome Ambrose Theodoret Primasius Oecumenius or Theophylact as they had no such so ever thought of any such Lay-Elders to be here meant but Priests only which administred the Word and Sacraments But how will you say then is this Place to be understood which may seem as they alledge to intimate two sorts of Elders some that ruled only others that laboured also in the Word and Doctrine The Divines of our Church who had cause when time was to be better versed in this question then any others have given divers expositions of these words none of which give place to any such new-found Elders as the Fautors of the Presbyterian Discipline upon the sole Authority of this one place have set up in divers forain Churches and would have brought into ours I will relate four of the chief of these expositions to which the rest are reducible The first is grounded upon the use of the participle in the Greek tongue which is often wont to note the reason or condition of a thing and accordingly to be resolved by a causall or conditionall conjunction According whereunto this Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 duplici honore digni habeantur or dignentur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be resolved thus Elders or Presbyters that rule or govern the Flock well let them be accounted worthy of double honour and that chiefly in respect and because of their labour in the Word and Doctrine And so this manner of speech will imply two duties but not two sorts or orders of Elders and that though this double honour be due unto them for both yet chiefly and more principally for the second their labour in the Word and Doctrine and this way goes S. Chrysostome and other Greek Writers A second exposition is taken from the force and signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
saith the Lord of Hosts Ibid. Oportet nos oblationem Deo facere omnibus gratos inveniri Fabricatori Deo Primitias earum quae sunt ejus Creaturarum offerentes hanc oblationem Ecclesia sola puram offert Fabricatori offerens ei cum gratiarum Actione ex Creatura ejus In the same place Offerimus autem ei non quasi indigenti sed gratias agentes Dominationi ejus sanctificantes creaturam He alludes again to that in this Chapter of Malachi Si Dominus sum ubi est timor meus O sacerdotes qui offertis super Altare meum panem pollutum My next witnesse shall be Iustin Martyr in time elder then Irenaeus He in his Dialogue with Tryphon the place defore alledged telling the Jew that the Sacrifices of Christians are Supplications and giving of Thanks Has vero solas saith he facere Christiani traditione acceperunt in commemoratione Alimoniae suae aridae juxta liquidae in that thankfull remembrance of their food both dry and liquid in qua passionis quam pertulit per se ipsum Dei filius memoria celebratur Here is a twofold commemoration witnessed to be made in the Eucharist The first as he speaks of our food dry and liquid that is of our meat and drink by agnizing God and recording him the Creator and giver thereof The second of the passion of Christ the Son of God in one and the same food And again in the same Dialogue Panem Eucharistiae in commemorationem passionis suae Christus fieri tradidit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. ut simùl gratias ageremus Deo cum ob id quod mundum cum omnibus in eo Creaturis hominis gratia condiderit tum etiam quod ab omni in qua fuimus miseria nos liberarit Principatusque ac potestates perfectâ dissolutione dissolverit per eum qui de consilio voluntate ejus factus est patibilis To which he immediately subjoins the Text and applies it to the Eucharist Thus Iustin Martyr My third witnesse is Origen in his VIII Book Contra Cels. Celsus saith he thinks it seemly we should be thankfull to Daemons and to offer them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but we think him to live most comely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that remembers who is the Creator unto whom we Christians are carefull not to be unthankfull with whose benefits we are filled and whose Creatures we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is And we have also a Symbol of our thanksgiving unto God the Bread which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where note that the Eucharisticall Bread is said to be a Symbol not onely of the Body and Blood of Christ but a Symbol of that Thanksgiving which we render to the Creator through him Again in the same Book where Celsus likewise would have mankinde thankfull unto Daemons as those to whom the charge of things here upon earth is committed and to offer unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Primitias supplicationes Origen thus takes him up Celsus Deum nesciens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persolvat Daemonibus nos mundi Creatori placere studentes or gratum facientes Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Panes cum gratiarum actione precibus pro datis oblatos comedimus Corpus sanctum quoddam per precationem factos Mark here Bread offered unto God with Prayer and Thanksgiving pro datis for that he hath given us and then by prayer made a holy Body and so eaten Thus much out of Fathers all of them within lesse then two hundred and fifty years after Christ and lesse then one hundred and fifty after the death of Saint Iohn The same appears in the forms of the ancient Liturgie as in that of Clemens where the Priest in the name of the whole Church assembled speaks thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Offerimus tibi Regi Deo secundum ejus id est Christi ordinationem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hunc panem hoc poculum gratias tibi agentes eo quòd nos he speaks of the whole Church dignos fecisti astistere in conspectu tuo fungi sacerdotio tibi Rogamusque te ut benignè aspicere digneris super haec dona proposita in conspectu tuo Tu qui nullo indiges Deus complaceas tibi in ipsis in honorem Christi tui c. Again Pro dono oblato Domino Deo oremus ut bonus Deus suscipiat illud per intercessionem Christi sui in coeleste Altare suum in odorem suavitatis Yea in the Canon of the Roman Church though the Rite be not used yet the words remain still as when the Priest long before the Consecration of the Body and Blood of Christ prays Te clementissime Pater per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum supplices rogamus ut accepta habeas benedicas haec dona haecmunera and other like passages which now they wrest to a new found oblation of the Body and Blood of Christ which the ancient Church knew not of But of all others this Rite is most strongly confirmed by that wont of the Ancient Fathers to confute the Hereticks of those first times who held the Creator of the world to be some inferiour deity and not the Father of Christ out of the Eucharist For say they unlesse the Father of Christ be the Creator of the world why is the Creature offered unto him in the Eucharist as if he were would he be agnized the Author and Lord of that he is not Here Ireneus Adversus Haeres lib. 4. cap. 34. Haereticorum Synagogae saith he non offerunt Eucharisticam oblationem quà m Dominus offerri docuit Alterum enim praeter fabricatorem dicentes Patrem ideo quae secundum nos Creaturae sunt offerentes ei cupidum alieni ostendunt eum aliena concupiscentem and a little after Quomodo autem constabit eis eum panem in quo gratiae actae sunt Corpus esse Domini sui Calicem sanguinis ejus si non ipsum Fabricatoris mundi filium dicant id est verbum ejus per quod lignum fructificat defluunt fontes terra dat primum quidem gramen post deinde spicam deinde plenum triticum in spica From the same ground Tertullian argues against Marcion contra Marc. lib. 1. cap. 24. Non putem saith he impudentiorem quam qui in aliena aqua alii Deo tinguitur ad alienum Coelum alii Deo expanditur in aliena terra alii Deo sternitur super alienum panem alii Deo gratiarum actionibus fungitur de alienis bonis ab alium Deum nomine eleâ—mosynae dilectionis operatur Origen against the same Heretick useth the same Argument Dialog Advers Marc. 3. paulo ante finem Dominus aspiciens in coelum gratias agit Ecquid non agit conditori gratias cum panem accepisset poculum benedixisset quid alterine pro Creaturis conditoris benedicit an potius
gloriosae ascensionis Offerimus praeclarae Majestati tuae de tuis donis ac datis hostiam puram sanctam hostiam immaculatam panem sanctum vita aeternae calicem salutis perpetuae note here also memores offerimus Which Ivo Carnotensis explains thus memores offerimus Majestatituae id est saith he oblatam commemoramus per haec dona visibilia hostiam puram sanotam immaculatam c. Et hanc veri sacrificii commemorationem postulat sacerdos ita Deo Patri fore acceptam sicut accepta fuerunt munera Abel c. Thus he Memores therefore in the Latin Canon is commemorantes which the Greek expresses better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the sense whereof that we may not doubt hear the explication of that great Councel of Ephesus in this manner Annunciantes Mortem unigeniti Filii Dei Iesu Christi resurrectionem ejus atque in coelum ascensionem pariter confitentes incruentum in Ecclesiis celebramus sacrificii cultum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore is Annunciantes confitentes But unto whom should we confesse but unto God To him therefore and not unto our selves is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be made which Christ commended to his Church when he said Do this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for my commemoration or in remembrance of me In the Councell of Ephesus Cyril of Alexandria was chief Actor and President and it is to be noted that the Liturgie of the Church of Alexandria usually called S. Marks hath in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the self-same words Annunciantes confitentes which I now quoted out of the Councel for an explication of the same which argues as I take it Cyrill to have been the penman of the Decrees of the Councell and the Liturgie of his Church to have then run in this form I shall need alledge no more of the Latine Liturgies there is no materiall difference amongst them So that if you know the form of one you know of all I will adde onely out of S. Ambrose an Explication following those words of the Institution Do this in remembrance of me exprest in this manner Mandans dicens ad eos Quotiescunque hoc feceritis toties commemorationem mei facietis Mortem meam praedicabitis resurrectionem meam annuntiabitis adventum sperabitis donec iterum adveniam This may suffice for Liturgies Now let us hear the Fathers speak I quoted heretofore a passage out of Iustin Martyr affirming a twofold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be made in the Eucharist The one of our food dry and liquid as he speaks that is of our meat and drink by agnizing and recording him the Lord and giver of the same The other an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same food 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the passion of the Son of God The first of these commemorations is made unto God for to whom else should we tender our thankfulnesse for the Creature Ergo The second commemoration of the Passion of the Son of God is made to him likewise My next Father is Origen Homily 13. In Lev. c. 24. where comparing the Eucharist to the Shew-bread which was every Sabbath set for a Memoriall before the Lord Ista est saith he meaning the Eucharist commemoratio sola quae propitium facit Deum hominibus Where note that both this commemoration is made unto God as that of the Shew-bread was and that the end thereof is to make him propitious to men According to that of S. Augustin l. 9. c. 13. Illa quae in coena Christus exhibet Fides accepta interponit inter peccata nostra iram Dei tanquam satisfactionem propitiationem My next witnesse is Eusebius Demonst. Evan. li. 1. cap. 10. Post omnia saith he speaking of Christ mirabilem quandam victimam sacrificiúmque eximium Patri suo operatus pro nostra omnium salute obtulit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Memoriam nobistradens loco sacrificii Deo continuè offerendam And again toward the end of that Chapter having cited this place of Malachi which I have chosen for my Text and alluding thereunto Incendimus saith he propheticum illud Thymiaâ—a sacrificamus incendimus alià s quidem memoriam magni illius sacrificii secundum mysteria ab ipso tradita celebrantes Eucharistiamque pro salute nostra religiosis hymnis precibus Deo offerentes alià s nosmetipsos totos ei consecrantes ejusque Pontifici verbo corpore animoque dicantes But above all other S. Chrysostome speaks so full and home to the point as nothing can be more to wit Hom. 17. in Epist. ad Hebraeos upon these words cap. 9. v. 26. But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Quid vero saith he nos nonne quotidie offerimus He answers Offerimus quidem sed mortem ejus commemorando ipsa una est hostia non multae Quomodo una est non multae Quoniam semel fuit oblata Illa illata fuit in sancta sanctorum hoc est illius figura ipsa illius veritas And a little after Pontifex illo noster est qui hostiam illam obtulit quae nos mundat Illam nunc quoque offerimus quae tunc fuit oblata nec consumi potest Hoc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc in commemorationem fit illius quae tunc fiebat Hoc enim facite inquit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non aliam hostiam sicut pontifex Iudaicus sed eandem semper facimus vel potius sacrificii Memoriam operamur Graecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what can be more exprest then this is Primatius is short but no lesse to the purpose Offerunt quidem saith he Sacerdotes nostri sed ad recordationem mortis ejus in 10. cap. ad Hebraeos S. Augustin cals it Memoriale sacrificium in his Book against Faustus In a word the Sacrifice of Christians is nothing but that one Sacrifice of Christ once offered upon the Crosse again and again commemorated which is elegantly exprest by those words of S. Andrew recorded in the History of his Passion written by the Presbyters of Achaia where AEgeas the proconsull requiring of him to sacrifice to Idols he is said to have answered thus Omnipotenti Deo qui unus verus est ego omni Die sacrifico non thuris fumum nec taurorum mugientium carnes nec hircorum sanguinem sed immaculatum agnum quotidiè in Altari crueis sacrifico cujus carnes postquam omnis populus credentium manducaverit ejus sanguinem biberit Agnus qui sacrificatus est integer perseverat vivus This Riddle though AEgeas the Proconsull were not able to unfold I make no question but you are And here I conclude FINIS Mat. 6. 9. Mat. 6. 9. Luke 11. 2. * By which they are wont otherwise to render the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the 70. once or twice in this place and elsewhere