A SERMON Preach'd in the Cathedral Church at the Triennial VISITATION OF The Right Reverend Father in God SETH Lord Bishop of SARUM Chancellor of the GARTER By Samuel Fyler A. M. Rector of Stockton in the County of Willts Septemb. 13. 1680. LONDON Printed by E. T. and R. H. For Thomas Flesher at the Angel and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1682. To the Right Reverend Father in God Seth Lord Bishop of Sarum Chancellor of the Garter My Lord YOUR Command to Preach and your Incouragement to Print this Sermon have given me the Confidence thereunto to prefix your Name and more especially yours for that Respect you have to Truth Loyalty and Peace the Promoting of which is my sole Aim in casting this Mite into the Treasury of the Church I am fully satisfied it will meet with a multitude of Enemies because the Church hath many but I look on 't as a shame for that matter to concern my self after its Consecration by the Blood of so many Martyrs especially that Royal one King Charles the First who hath given us an Example not to be Paralell'd but in one only in that of our Blessed Saviour I pray God grant when his forty Years of Patience shall be expired and so long he waits to see if a People will Repent this Nation may not suffer for that Prodigious Wickedness as we have just Cause to Fear the like things that Jerusalem did for Crucifying Him But my Hope is it will not and that for this Reason because it was not the Clergy of the Church of England nor was it any thing in her Doctrine or Liturgy that brought our most Gracious and Religious King to the Block but Rebells Murderers Traytors Spirited by Achitophel's Chaplains who if they might have had Leave given 'em would by this time near hand have Prayed all Christianity out of this into another World God Almighty preserve his Sacred Majesty that now is from the Divinity and Mercy of such Men and then I doubt not but he will ever as he hath done proceed to Protect that Liturgy joyfully which directs us to Pray for him so devoutly shewing it self in that Respect as well as many others to be truly Apostolical My Lord It would be Libellous for me to Recommend these things to your Wisdom and Care because 't is to move you to that which you already eminently do I shall only therefore Pray for your Lordships Health and that God would be pleased to continue his Blessings to the Church and to this whole Nation and so give off only begging the Honour to Subscribe my self Your Lordships Most Humble And Obedient Servant Samuel Fyler MATTHEW 6. 9. After this manner therefore Pray ye MAny are the Sins of England at this day which have even shaken and seem still to threaten the Remotion of the Candlestick from us which God avert Among the rest one and that a great one that stands in need of an Elijah a St. John Baptist another Word made Flesh to reform it I think I may truly say in the general and wretched Neglect and Contempt of God's Worship and Service some in all places almost refusing to come to his House to Worship him there Atheists and they that seperate others that come doing it 't is to be fear'd for Fashion's sake only like the Jews of whom God complains by his Prophet drawing nigh with their Lips while their Hearts are far from him And I wish this were all to be said but the more 's the Pitty the Service bears the Blame Men are Schismatical and Faulty and then that they may excuse themselves they are ready to say God is not serv'd after the right and due manner What an heavy Charge this is to our spotless Mother which was once look'd upon as the Beauty and Glory of all the Churches in Christendom is easie to say but the Mischief is to wipe it off is not so easie I question whether the Spirit of Prophesie or a Voice from Heaven will do the turn such is the Prejudice men have taken against so Excellent and Holy a thing as the â—hurches Service is For the Remotion of which I wish the weight of so great a Task were laid on abler Shoulders of one that 〈◊〉 sufficient for these things but however I â—hall offer to the Châ—â—â—â—es Corban as I am able as appearing here purâ—ly in Obedience and Duty in Performance of which if I do any thing acceptably I shall hold my self very well Content as having no other Aim then to serve the interest of the Church which I pray God continue unto us with Truth and Peace In pursuance of this Design now as it is but rational that I should pitch on some Words of Christ himself he being the Churches Lawgiver as well as Saviour therefore call'd not only the High Priest but also the great Apostle of our Profession so I have accordingly done For these Words that I have read are a part of that divine Law which he delivered on the Mount Monti Sinaitico superstructo as Dr. Hamond in his Book against Dalleus about Confirmation say's built not by but upon the top of Mount Sinai whereby he would intimate that he intended not the Abolition of the Law of Moses and of solemn Services then in use but only the Reformation and Perfection of them as 't is true he did not And here I take my rise on which to build my insuing Discourse For that this is the full design of our blessed Saviour in this Sermon of his not to destroy put aside Typicals what was well set before but to reform what was amiss by reason either of the false Glosses or ungrounded Traditions and Practices of the Scribes and Pharisees that sate at that time in Moses Chair will appear in all its parts as you may see both in the precedent and also in the present Chapter In the precedent when he speaks to the Letter of the Law in this where he speaks to the main parts of God's Worship as particularly to Fasting Almsgiving and Prayer For 't is not Fasting he Condemns in any but doing it as Hypocrites for Ostentation and Shew nor is Almsgiving blamed by him but gâ—vâ—ng of Alms with sound of Trump and to be seen of men So for Prayer we are to account that his end was at no hand to tâ—ke away a publick Service or Liturgy-way used by them in those days in their Prayer-places and Synagogues no in that the Jews had a Liturgy a set known manner of Service then consisting of Tehillim and Tephillim Praises and Prayers which that they had Mr. Gregory makes appear too evidently to be denyed this he disapproves not there is nothing to that purpose to be gathered from this Prayer of his or any Circumstance therein or thereabouts 'T is true as it relates to the Pharisees so their Battologies and their making long Prayers and that openly in the corners of the Streets for a shew and in pretext of Holiness
they would have a Publick and Perpetual Service also if not why the Temple called an House of Prayer for all People by our Saviour himself and by God's Prophet before him And now does not this Justifie yea does it not commend unto us the Wisdom and Conseience of the Church we live in it does exceedingly In regard she hath taken Care that God should be so Worshipped and Served as he ought to be Publickly Solemnly Perpetually with Confessions and Prayers with Thanksgivings and Hymns as becomes the Majesty of him who dwells in the highest Heavens as to his Glory and yet condescends to dwell in earthly Houses in respect of his gracious Presence that there Sinners may seek his Face and find him Did I say justifie Surely the Church could not perform its Trust else if it did not so if it left I mean God's Worship to be performed at Random or otherwise then in the most Solemn Manner it could imaginably be If it did not propose him to be served by all People with most perfect Prayers and highest Praises that we may do God's Will on Earth as they viz. the Angels in Heaven do as far as our Imperfections will permit us that is as near as we can For she is not only to look to the Duty or the Act of Prayer but also to its Matter and Form and all its Circumstances that they be according to the Will of her Master And for that she hath done so O! that we could see our Happiness That we have such a constant publick Service That we know whither to go that we may meet our God! whither to come that we may seek his Face where to be that we may have Fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ that we may pertake of his Presence sit at Table and Eat and Drink with him even at his own House which is an House of Prayer for all People And let us not be unthankful for so great a Blessing the greatest Blessing that we can wish to our selves or that Heaven could possibly bestow upon us since our Saviour Christ and the Holy Ghost came down thence As Phinchas's Wife did by the Ark of the Testament I may give it the Title of the Glory of the Lord and if it should be taken from us as that was by the Philistin's how may we sigh out the same Words that she did at that time and say The Glory of the Lord is departed from Israel Without Stations the Jewish Proverb goes that is without Prayers the World would not consist nor would it indeed For these are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thimróth Gnashan the Incense-Clouds or Piliars of Smoak in the Book of Canticlâ—s that Christ is to be seen in the Saultie◠〈◊〉 to his Holy Cross which upholds the World with its four Parts it is true in the Spirit tho not in the Letter what the Jews assume to themselves as I have it from Buxtorâ—â— Tam nou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dus hic subsistâ—re sine Israelitis quam sine Aâ—re 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the World can no more subsist without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Pray as Jacob did for which he was calâ—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God then with â—t the Element of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the Morning and Evening Incense which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heaven from our Hâ—ly Places daily that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all we have for the keeping off of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Sword is not made drunk with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not look in at our Windows that our Land is not made an Akeldamah or a plow'd-up Field It is this that we owe our Plenty and our Peace to which through Christ is the Cause of all the Gracious Appearances of God to us You 'l find Luk. 1. That the Angel appeared to Zacharias at Incense-time v. 10. and v. 11. standing at the right Hand of the Altar of Incense a Type that of our Prayers now being offered to God at the time Accepted which is at the time of the Publick Congregation For this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gneth Râtsôn of which the Psalmist speaks the accepted Time or Time of Acceptation Therefore the Jews if they saw a Man neglecting the Times of Prayer at the Synagogues they call'd him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shôchên râng an ill Neighbour 't is render'd but it has a further Significancy for as Almighty â—od is called by Esay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shôkên Gnad one that Inhabits Eternity so did they understand by it that such a one was an Inhabitant of Wickedness that his Shekinah was Wickedness as if he dwelt in Puddles and Gutters and Sinks like that Essene Mr Godwin speaks of that being fallen accidentally into a Jakes rather then be pulled out by the Christians would keep his Sabbath there And Let them consider this who separate from the Service of the Church that refuse to be there at the acceptable Times where God is ready to hear and is night to all them that call upon him For what I have said as it justifies the Church so does it condemn them as much that disregard and decry its Constitutions and Appointments that scoff at and make light of its Prayers and Litanies that choose their own way of serving God as Micah in the Book of Judges who of his stolen Money made a graven Image and a molten Image an Ephod and a Teraphim and got a sorry Levite to serve him for ten Shekels per Annum a suit of Apparel and a little Victuals and so had a Service of his own in his own House For so do they in part at least I mean our Sectaries they will serve God their own way the manner that likes them best or not at all They will not frequent God's House his Face they will not seek there but Worship their own Teraphim preferring before the Churches Constitutions their own Imaginations and Fancies as Michah his Graven and Molten Images all the while pretending that they are wiser then their Teachers those Spiritual Guides to whom God hath committed the Care of their Souls as if God would not soonest be heard in his own House and in Forms of Prayer wisely and discreetly made after the Pattern that is here given us by Christ And here My second Point comes to hand the Modus of this Act or the Qualification of our Saviour's Injunction After this manner Pray ye What this Manner is I shall not be long in declaring it 's plain I need not The Pattern as you well know is our Lord 's own Prayer the Canon that which all our Prayers are to be ruled by So that after this manner imports as much as this comes to that our Prayers be both for Matter and Form such as that is That we may use a Form St. Luke is positive for it who says when ye Pray say thus and that the Matter be such as our Blessed Saviour directs to will be denyed I suppose by none that have their
the Chariots of Israel and the Horse men thereof Could I see once a Congregation of such Devout persons met together as the Apostles were in one place and with one Accord in the Name of Christ what a Blessed spectacle would that be How might I affirm that I had seen God there the Angels present Christ himself in the midst And how would all their Hearts like the Angel that appeared â—â— Manoah ascend to Heaven in the â—lames of such 〈◊〉 Jacob's Vision again methinks it is another 〈◊〉 Angels ascending and descending upon the Rounds of this Ladder Sure enough it is not 〈◊〉 Goodness in our Prayers but want of Devotion in our selves 〈◊〉 all Men will I hope be perswaded to 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 and learn to have a due Regard to so Holy a thing as the Churches Service is That all that hear me may I shall propound to your Consideration the Conducement hereof to the Peace of the Church and to the Peace of the Kingdom we live in our Love to which next to God's Glory and Honour ought to outweigh in the Ballance all other things whatsoever And indeed 1. Highly will it make for the Peace of the Church by putting a Bar to Heresie and Schism For he that is for the Churches Prayers cannot be an Heretick Whereas take away this Hedg and Mound once who may not Bless the People as St. Cyprian complained heavily a Montanist a Donatist a Manichee I may add a Socinian an Anti-trinitarian and what not Then that 't is a Cure of Schism who does not see for what is it else that Keeps our Wounds open but an Evil Opinion of the Churches Service a Conceit with some that 't is Popish with others that 't is not according to the Manner prescribed by Christ And let me tell you that Schism as 't is a prodigious Evil having malign Influences on the World so 't is a great Sin also of the first Magnitude St. Cyprian equals it to offering Sacrifice to Idols and well does he for the Church is the Body of Christ and what a great Sin must that be to Rend and Tear in pieces his Holy and Sacred Body to Divide and Crumble into Factions the best and purest Societies that ever were or can be but of Saints in Heaven For which a Divine of our Church hath said that it were better those little things about which our Differences are were buryed deep in Eternal Silence at the very Bottom and Centre of the Earth than that the Peace of the Church should be disturbed by them But the Mischief is Schism is like Sheol semper Petax it is always Craving never Satisfyed The best Cure of this Malady that I know is a due Obedience to our Superiours together with a general Conformity to and Uniformity in the Worship and Service of God Highly also will it make for the Peace of the Kingdom of which we are all Members it being the main Expedient to bring back that Love that Unity that Concord and that Agreement that hath been so long banished from us by this Antecedent Difference in Opinion and Judgment about matters of Worship Whilst one is for this Sect another for that one for Episcopacy another for Presbytery some for a Liturgy others for none how can we expect that the Blessing of Peace should remain in our Borders Do we not rather make way by it for the Abomination that makes Desolate to come upon us I wish my Conjecture may prove Abortive but that it will be so unless God in Mercy by healing our Breaches and making up our Divisions put a stop to it â— may Predict I think without a Spirit of Prophecy 'T is what fills the Enemies of our Church with Hope and all her Friends with Fear And do I not hear you now sighing out these Words of the Prophet Is there no Balm in Gilead are there no Physicians there whâ— thâ—â— is not the Health of the Daughter of my People recovered In my Conceit I do and I say to it that there is Balm in Gilead blessed be God for it and there are store of Physicians there But to little purpose is it unless the Voice of Christ may be heard which calls upon the Shâ—â—â—mite to return unless they that Dissent and Separate would see their Errour once and go back by the same Steps they have gon astray to the Church which they forsook without Cause For tho I may not be bold to say of her as her Spouse of the Church invisible There is no Spot in her yet this I may and will say that there is none in her so great as to justifie a Separation from her Communion O that Men would listen and give Ear But what am I I will leave the Church to speak for her self I see her methinks standing at the side of her Altar with her Service Book in her Hand weeping bitterly and taking on heavily that her Children should depart and go away from her And what does she further do why she Beseeches she Conjures them for the Love they bear if not to her self to her Head and Husband and that in the Words of her Litany By the Mystery of his Holy Incarnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nativity and Circumâ—â—sion By his Baptism Fasting and 〈◊〉 by his Agony and bloody 〈◊〉 by his Cross and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pretious Death and 〈◊〉 and by the Glorious 〈◊〉 and Ascension that they would walk according to Rule and 〈…〉 same things That Dissenters will not heard 〈…〉 should be how quickly would 〈…〉 again even so as to give 〈…〉 Ezekiel which is Jehovah Shammah the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no more only a Word or two by way of Prayer or Vote that Almighty God would take the matter into his own Hand and work upon the Hearts of all the People of this Nation that they may yet be wise and see and understand what is for their own good learning to serve him one Way and with one Mind laying aside Division and Schism and indeavouring as they have one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace God of his infinite Mercy grant it that so our Church may continue in Tranquility our Nation abide in Quietness God's Service remain in its Purity God himself be Glorifyed and our Souls saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost three Persons and one God be ascribed as is most due by Angels and Men by us and all People all Honour and Glory both now and for evermore FINIS