much from Christs soveraigne sacrifice for it implyeth imperfection in the same As St. Paul proveth by the legall sacrifices offered so often because they were imperfect Origen writeth thus in his Treatise on Matthew veniente Principe Sacerdotum the Prince of Priests being come the Priest in figure ceased The temple made of stones is destroyed to give place to the Temple made of lively stones Effossum est altare quod erat Deorsum The altar below on Earth was broken downe because the heavenly altar had appeared What have wee then to doe with them if they be past and gone Surely nothing True Christians ever since their Lords death have left them both Priests and altars to Iewes and Gentiles But the Whore of Babylons bastardly brood doting vpon their Mothers beauty that painted Harlot the Church of Rome have laboured to restore her all her robes and jewels againe especially her looking glasse the Masse in which she may behold all her bravery For they despising the plaine simplicity and modest attire of that grave matron Christs holy spouse have turned her ofâ—icers all out of dores withall her houshold stuffe her Tables her cups her bookes her communions the very names of her Ministers and such like words vsed by the holy Ghost thâ—ough the new Tâ—stamâ—nt In stead whereof the words Priest and altar arâ— taken vp by them because without Priest no Sâ—crifice can be offered without Priâ—st and Sacrifice there is no vse of an Altar and without all thrâ—e Priâ—st Sacrifice and altar there can bâ— no Mâ—sse But the Massâ— comming in bâ—ings in with it an inundaâ—ion of Ceremonies crossâ—s and Crucifixes and Challices and Imagâ—s Copes and Candlesticks and Tapers and Basoâ—s â—nd a thousand such Trinâ—keâ—s which attend vpon the Masse All which wee have seâ—ne in this church since the Communion table was turned to an Altar Yet indeed it is no altar that 's but a nick-name it is wrongfully so called For if it be an altar there must needes bee a Sacrifice offered by a Priest to God but in the communion nothing is offered to God but prayers but praise and thanksgiving which the hearts and lips of all faithfull communicants offer to God by their Mediator Christ They lay thâ—m not on a Table they lay not their thanks they lay not their prayers vpon an alâ—ar either of wood or stone as the Aaronicall Priests laid their burnt offerings and incense We set indeed the bread and wine vpon the table besigning them to a Sacramentall vse by the consecration of Gods holy word we doe not offer them to God but God offereth them and giveth them to vs and with them his sonnâ— Christ if we be faithfull and worthy receivers To such they are indeed and in truth spiritually and Sacramentally the very body and blood of Christ then which more holy things the whole world affordeth not But if it bee an Altar as Masse-priests and our Priests vse to call it and the body and blood of Christ a Sacrifice to God offered thereon then is the Altar better and more holy then the body of Christ for it sanctifieth it Marke this if the table whether wood or stone be an altar it is better then the body of Christ and holier which to say or thinke is horrible blasphemy it is holier I say because it sanctifieth Christs body and blood if it be an altarâ— For without contâ—adiction saith the Apostle Heb. 7 7. v The lesse is blessed of the better proving thereby that Melchisedâ—ck was a better man then Abraham and we know that to blesse is to consecrate or sanctifie So saith our Saviour in the 23. of Matth. 3. v. reprooving the Phariâ—ees who taught whosoever shall sweare by the altar it is nothing but whosoever shall sweare by the gift that is the sacrifice vpon the altar he is guilty Yee fooles and blind whether is greater the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift So say I to such fond ignorant teachers who call themselves Priests and the Table an altar Yâ— blind popish Priests vnderstand yee not that by erecting an altar ye advance it above the body of Christ ye make it better then Châ—ists body by making it a sacrifice sanctified by the altarâ— And I am verily perswaded that some there are who esteeme more of it then they doe of Christs body For I have seene I have seene I say the Priest so will he needs be called take vp the body blood after consecration and holding them in his hands make a low legge to the altar â—nd before hee set them downe againe bow himselfe devoutly and woâ—ship the altar He yeelded no reverence at all to Christs body neither when he held it in his owne nor when he had delivered it into the receivers handsâ— Whâ—â— is it to preferre a stonâ— or a piece of wood before the body of Christ if this be not to bow to his altar and not to his body to make many legs to the Kings chaire and none to the King himself And this is evident by their daily practise for the altar is evâ—ry day worshipped with ducking to it though there be no Communion nor any man there Christs body is not worshipped with ducking no not at the Communion Is it not worse then Popery But the Fathers many times call it an Altar It is true for the mystery of iniquity began betime to worke by small beginnings lurking in words Sacerdotes altaria Priests and altars and rejecting them which Gods spirit had taught and the Apostles ever vsed Ministros Mensas Ministers and Tables that way might be made for Antichrist and his abominable sacrifice of the Masse Yet the Fathers worshipped not their altars Tertullianâ— saith Bellarmine was the first that mentioneth geniculation that is ducking to Altars which hee learned of his Master Montanus the first founder of crossings and duckings and many other Ceremoniall fooleries to which hee annexed the gift of the holy Ghost For Tertullian saith Chemnitius was the authour omnium fere Ceremoniarum Papisticarum in a manner of all Popish Ceremonies Whereupon arose an opinion that Montanus the herâ—tick was the holy Ghost that he claimed the name vertue and dignity of the holy Ghost which is not credible so learned a Doctour as Tertullian could beleeve But he ascribed as the Papists doe such poâ—er and holinesse to the Câ—remonies which Montanus had devised that without them none could bee partakeâ—s of the holy Ghost As if the holy Ghost were annexed to Ceremonies included in Ceremonies collated by Ceremonies Whereupon saith Bugenhagius a learned German The Church of Rome condemned Montanus for an hereticke and yet neverthelesse retained his heresies Which saith he hereby is manifest in that the books which defend his heresies are preserved but the workes of those Fathers which confuted them are lost Montanus therefore was the first Altar worshipper and they that now imitate him in ducking to Altars are little better then hereticall
Montanists But give me leave I pray you to aske this question why bow you not the knee to the font also it being Lavacrum regenerationis the laver of regeneration as honorable and a more necessary Sacrament For without Baptisme none can bee saved as some teach but many that are baptized dye before they come to the yeares of discretion and probation that they may be fit to receive the Communion yet we see none make leggs to the Font Why doe they not Christ is as much present there and as really and the Font is an Altar as well as the Table and so it was termed in the primitive Church by Prudentius who lived 1300. yeares agoe Who speaking of a combate betweene Chastity and Lust after Chastity had killed Lust Abolens Baptismate labem Catholico in Templo divini Fontis ad Aram Consecrat gladium saith he Having washed away her spots in Baptisme shee consecrates her Sword wherewith she slew her enemies to the Catholick Church and hangs it up Fontis ad Aram at the Altar of the Font Loe here the Font also is called an Altar Therefore honour ye the Font as well as the Table with one and the same worship of bowing the knee to it or else you are Hereticks affording more holinesse and more dignity to one Altar and to one Sacrament then to the other For either your worship is religious or civill if it be civill ye are absurd idiots in honouring stocks and stones more then any poore man who is the image of God for who will lowt too low to a begger as to sweep the ground with his beard if it be not very short If it be religious you are more absurd in preferring the memory of Christs body and blood before the whole Trinity Seeing you are baptised in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost and not in the Name of Christ alone The Lords Table therefore and the Font they are Altars both alike as an apple and an egg are onions both alike that is neither of them properly and truly though they have a kind of resemblance and being both alike and of equall worthinesse why are they so farre put asunder the whole length of the Church one at the head the other at the fooâ—e Why are they not set in the body of the Church or quire being the fittest place to receive the greatest assemblies and most Communicants Why is the Altar lifted up to the top of the Sanctuary or Chappell or the Font not admitted so much as to the bottome It is not suffered to stand in the wonted place behinde the quire doore why is one preferred as holier then the other being Sacraments of equall dignitie In St. Peters Church at Zurâ—cke the Lords Table and the Font or Baptistery stood both in one place as witnesseth Hospinian and so they stood here all the time of our former Bishops till the proud Altar mounting aloft shouldered the poore Font out of the quire and â—ossing it from post to pillar thrust it almost quite out of dores Doe I say almost 't is out of the Church quite for one thing is Templum another thing is Ecclesia Ecclesia is the Church where a congregation of people useth to assemble to heare the word preached which in Latine is Concio and it signifieth not onely the Sermon but caetum the multitudâ— meeting together to heare Gods word And the Preacher is called Ecclesiastes or Concionator derived from the same words Whereupon I conclude that where no congregation useth to meete to heare Sermons that place is no Church and consâ—quently the Font being set in no place of assembly it is not in the Church I confesse it is in Templo in part of this vast fabrike but there it is where the people never meet to heare Gods word preached no more then they doe in the steepâ—â— where the bells hang For this cause S. Bernard reprehended in his time Templorum immensas altitudines et immoderatas longitudines the excessive height and immoderate lengths of Temples Why so because he misliked worldly magnificence in the spirituall service of God who dwells not in Temples made with hands Also because hee would not have the Minister and people sundred nor scattered abroad in spatious roomes but joyned together as neer as might bee Who standing in the midst vulgi stante corona the people all about him round in a ring he may better be heard and they edified For all things in the Church ought to bee done to edification saith Paule which then is best when the Minister abides with the people or they draw neere to him Hee may not runne away in a Cope as farre as he can get him from the congregation But what a tricke is this which our newfangled Ceremony-mongers have taken up of late to goe in a Cope to the Altar to say two or three prayers after the Sermon why use they this ceremony not mentioned in the Communion booke or Canons Why suffer they not the Preacher to dismisse the congregation with the blessing of Gods peace as was wont to be done and our last Bishop esteemed to be best How dare â—hey put off and put on a Cope so often in one service not onely to pray but to reade the Epistle and Gospel and ten commandements at the Altar onely and no other place where the Letany and other service is read there being no such thing appointed in the Booke of Common prayer And the Canons according to the advertisements published in the seventh yeare of Queene Elizabeth commanding no Copes to be used but Surplices when all other Prayers are said at the Communion Table save onely at the administration of the holy Communion Why doe they these things contrary to law and never done in our Church before since the Masse was banished Is it because they are enamoured with Copes do they dote upon Copes Or are Psalmes and Chapters read in the body of the Church not for good Gospel nor so worthy to be coped Or is there so neere affinitie betweene Copes and Altars are they so married together that they can not be parted Or thinke they their prayers and other service more holy in such Priestly vestments in sancto sanctorum in that most holy place so devoutly duckt unto by our foolish bewitched and besotted Galathians Againe why sing they the Nicen Creed in a Cope at the Altar the booke appointing it to bee said as the Apostles Creed is said not sung Why make they the people to stand up when it is sung that ceremony of standing being forbidden by law by which you that stand marke what I say you that stand are to bee punished for obeying such unlawfull commands as I meane to prove when time shall serve Lastly why forbid they singing of Psalmes in such a tune as all the people may sing with them and praise God together before and after Sermons as by authority is allowed and
heretofore hath been practised both here and in all reformed Churches How dare they in stead of Psalmes appoint Anthems little better then prophane Ballads some of them I say so many Anthems to be sung which none of the people understand nor all the singers themselves which the Preface to the Communion booke and the Queenes Injunctions will have cut off because the people is not edified by them It is for spite they â—eare to Geneva which all papists hate or for the love of Rome which because they cannot imitate in having Latine service yet they will come as neer it as they can in having service in English so said and sung that few or none can understand the same I blame not the singers most of which mislike these prophane innouations though they be forced to follow them Their guides are in fault blinde guides members of our Church rotten members I doubt of higher degree to whom all men and women are rank puritans and schismatiks to be thrust out and expeld if they refuse to dance after their fantasticall pipe in every idle ceremony These crye with the Iewes Templum Domini Templum Domini The Church of God the service of God when indeed their whole service is little else then superstitious vanitie What is it but hypocriticall and Pharisaicall devotion Under the colour of long prayer morning and evening and Midday they devour what devoure they Not poore widowes houses but rich benifices whole townes and villages For seldome shall you see a stout ceremony-monger but the same will also be a notorious Non-resident a very Tot-Quot not content with one or two little ones but foure or five great preferments and dignities And still he aspireth and climeth higher never thinking himselfe sufficiently rewarded for his great learning and service of God in sitting at Church three times a day to heare men Pipe and chaunt and chaunt himselfe where he listeth A base imployment prohibited by Pope Gregory himselfe who speaking de cantu Ecclesiastico hath these words Prohibitum est ne quis in Ecclesia cantet nisi inferiores ordines vtpote Subdiacont Diaconi vero lectioni praedicationi incumbant It is forbidden saith the Pope that any chaunt in Churches but men of meane degree none above Subdeacons but Ministers or Deacons must apply themselves to reading and preaching for that makes most for the peoples edification to which all must be done And when we take orders of the Bishops charge is given to reade and preach Gods word not to sing any lewd Lay-man can doe that without laying on of a Bishops hands without consecration St. Paul saith I was not sent to baptise much lesse to sing in a quire but to preach And woe to me saith he if I preach not the Gospell he saith not woe to me if I observe not the canonicall houres of devotion in singing This makes me call to remembrance a strange speech little better then blasphemy uttered lately by a young man in the presence of his Lord and many learned men I had rather goe forty miles to a good service then two miles to a Sermon Os durum And what meant he by a good service his meaning was manifest where goodly Babylinish robes were worne imbroydered with images Where he might beare a delicate noise of singers with Shakebuts and Cornets and Organs and if it were possible all kinde of Musicke used at the dedication of Nabuchodonosors golden Image To such a dainty service of heavenly Harmony the singular devotion and hot zeale of this holy man would carry him over hills and dales through fire and water rather forty miles then two miles to a Sermon How thinke you was not this a profane witlesse gracelesse Antichristian saying which preferreth piping and singing before Gods ordinance of preaching Yet learned Aretius that famous Helvetian Divine sticks not to say In Papatu cantus Ecclesiastiasticus omnia pessundat adeo ut pro doâ—trina perpetua regnet Musica In the Popes Kingdome Church chaunting marrs all insomuch as in stead of the perpetuall sounding of Gods holy word in the hearts of the faithfull the sound of musicall melodie rings in their eares and raignes in their mindes they are so tickled nay raâ—ished with the delight thereof But what say you by him who accusing our fathers not long since said when they had banished Popery by taking away the Masse that they tooke away all religion and the whole service of God they called it a reformation saith he but it was indeed a dâ—formation whereby Gods service was disordered and mar'd But now the case is altered for of late yeares Religion hath beene begun prettily well to be restored againe in this Church and by the boldnesse of resolute and couragious Officers way is made for reducing of the Masse For before wee had Ministers as the Scripture calls them we had Communion tables wee had Sacraments but now wee have Priests and Sacrifices and Altars with much Altar-furniture and many Massing implements Nay what want we have not all Religion againeâ— For if Religion consist in Altar-ducking Cope-wearing Organ playing piping and singing Crossing of cushions and kissing of clouts oft starting up and squatting downe nodding of heads and whirling about till their noses stand Eastward Setting Basons on the Altar Candlâ—sticks and Câ—ucifixes burning Waxe-candles in excessive number when and where there is no use of Lights And that which is woâ—st of all guilding of Angels and garnishing of Images and setting them up aloft whereas Lactantius saith procul dubio ibi nulla est religio vbi sunt Simulacra without doubt there is no religion in that Church where Images are placed If I say Religion consists in these and such like superstitious vâ—â—ities ceremoniall â—oâ—lâ—â—iâ—s â—pish â—oyes and popish trinckets we haâ— nevâ—r moâ—e Religion then now And though our Liturgiâ— bee not in â—atine yet order is taken by confusednessâ— of voices some squâ—aking some bleating some roaâ—ing thandering with a multiâ—ude of melodiouâ— instruments â—hat the greatest part of â—hâ— sâ—rvice is no better vnderstood then if it were in Hâ—brew or Irish Nay the Sacrament it selfe is turned well neare into a theatricall stage play that when mens mindes should be occupied about hâ—â—venly meditations of Châ—istâ— biâ—ter deâ—th and pâ—ssiâ—n of their own sinnes of faith and repentance oâ— the ioyes of heaven and the â—orments of hell at that very season very unseasonably their eares are possâ—st wiâ—h pleasâ—nt tunes and their eyes fed with pompous spâ—ctacles of glisteâ—ing pictures and histrionicall gestures represenâ—ing unto us Apollo'â— solemnities in his Temple at Delos which the Poâ—t describeth in his fourth of his AEneids Austauratq choros mistique Altaria circum Cretesque Dryopesque fremunt pictique Agathyrsi Our young APOLLO repaireth the quire and sets it out gaily with strâ—nge Babylonish ornaments the hallowed Priâ—sts dance about the altar making prety spâ—rt â—nd fine pastime with â—rippings â—nd turnings and crossiâ—gs â—nd crouchings
ministers and prayeth if it be left as a thing inâ—ifferâ—nt without superstition As St. Augustine saithâ— Cum quis quaerit orare collocat membra â—icut ei occurrit wheÌ„ any man goes about to prâ—y â—e placeth his body as occasion serveth And St. Paul exhorteth every man to lift up pure hands whether towards the East or West it makes no matter Yet indeed it is more dangerous to pray toward the east because the idolatrous Heathen which worshipped the Sun rising did so And it was the custome of the Jewes to pray westward leâ—t they should be entised to worship the Orienâ—all Sunne as the Heathen did Which God himselfe in the 8 chaâ—p of Ezek. 16. v. reckoneth among the abominatioÌ„s of the idolatrous Israelites who turning their backs towards the Temâ—le worshipped the Sunne towards the East But the Iewes saith Bellarmine which served the Lord prayed towards the West Therefore Christians must turne them toward the Eâ—st A bold reason The Iewes did well in avoiding all occasion of Idolatry vnto which the vulgar sort is too prone as appeareth by the people of this place how soone learned they to bow down to the Altar worship it The Jews I say did well therfore may Christians doe ill in imitating the idolatrous Gentilâ—s in thâ—t foolish popish superstitious observatioÌ„ of turning their faces eastward when they pray And why may wee not imitate the Jewes in the tâ—ing they did wâ—ll the reason of their so doing being not ceremoniall but morall The ceremoniall law is indeed abrogated therfore we may not retaine it but the morall law is still in fâ—rce binding both Jewes and Christians to avoid Idolatâ—y But see the shamelesnesse of a doâ—ing Iesuite he is content we should imitate the Iewes in their ceremonies long since disanulled and ended in having Altaâ—s Sacrifices Priests priestly vestiments oyntments incense But he will not have us be like the Iewes in casting Idols out of our Churches and in shunning all occasions of idolâ—try by â—urning our backes on the East when we pray as they did Our good Princes and learned Bishops when they bâ—gan to reforme the Church of England were carefull that we should be like the Jewes rather in this point then the idolatrous Papists or Gentiles And therefore they ordained by Law that the Communion Table should not stand Altar-wise the two ends looking to the South and North as of purpose Altars were set in Popery that the Masse priest might stand on the West side with his face toward the East and his backe to the people But contrariwise they appointed the table to bee placed in the midst of the Church to be moveable fastned neither to wall nor floore the ends standing from East to West as I said before And they precisely injoyned the Minister to stand at the celebration of the Lords Supper on the north side of the Table to the intent they should not bee like superstitious shavelings Which makes me to wonder at the presumptuous â—oldnâ—s of him or theÌ„ which immediatly after the death of our last learned Bishop before we had another about 11. yeares â—goe tooke upon him I know not by what authority to alter the situation of the Communion table from the old manner of standing which it had kept in all Bishops times from the beginning of Qâ—een Elizabeths raign save onely when the Rebels possâ—st this churchâ— sang Masse thereinâ— The Lords table J say eleven years agoe was turned into an altar and so placed that the Minister cannot stand to do his office on the north side as the law expresly chargeth him to doe because there is no side of the table stâ—nding Northwâ—rd He J say that contrary to law durst doe this in imitation of Papists and Rebels deserves he not to bee sharply câ—nsured Why doe I say durst he doe it Non audet sâ—ygiâ—s Pluto tentare quod audeâ— Eâ—frenis Monachus The Divell in hell dare not attempt more then an vnrâ—ly Monke or Frier dare doe A Divell a Frier will adventure strangely J have heard of a Divell that preacht I have heard of a Frier that preacht in a rope but J never heard of either Divell or Fryer that preached in a Cape But why is the Communion table set in the Eâ—st end of the Church and not in the West end or middle raâ—her whereas Socrates saith in his 5 booke 21. chap. that in a Temple at Antioch the Altar was placed at the west end And Gentean Hervâ—t a popish writer describing the fashion of the Greeke Church aâ— this time saith In â—raecorum Templis vnicum est Altare idque in medio Choro The Graecians have but one Altar in a Church and that in the middle of the Quire Therefore neither the Graecians nor the people of Antioch looked eastward but rather westward when thâ—y prayed Biâ—ius also and Bawnius say that because the Manichees which did worship the Sunne prayed towards the East Lâ—o the first ordained that to discerne Catholikes from Heâ—etickt Ad Occidenâ—em converâ—i Deum colerent The Catholikâ— should worship toward the Wâ—st Afterward by the constitution of Pâ—pâ—Vigiliuâ— it was ordainâ—d that the Minister sâ—anâ—ing at the Alâ—ar â—hould pray toward the West It came thâ—â—efore â—â—om Antichrist to râ—straine Christian liberty by commanâ—ing will-wâ—â—ship the doctrine of men without any warrant out of Gods word Againe Necromancers and Sorcerers turne their faces to the Eâ—st when they act their enchanâ—ments and it liâ—â—lâ— bâ—comes Christians to follow Wiâ—ches and Coâ—jurers in their supeâ—stitious and divellish devotions by preferring Eâ—st before West It being a Ceremony of all other most fooliâ—h hereticall Papisticall Paganicall and Magicall Let us therefore in the name of God hate with the Prophet David the abomiâ—ations and superstitious vanities If we hate thâ—m not God will hate vs and abhorre our festivities with all the pomp and glory of our Church As he told the Israelites in the fifth of Amos v. 21. I hate and abhorre yoâ—r feast dayes I will not smell your solemne assemblies Take away from me the noyse of thy songs I will not heare the melody of thy instruments fâ—r ye have born the Tabernacle of Molock and Chiun your Images the starre of your God which you made to your selves Such Molocks such Chiunâ— such Images and stars some of us heere have made to themselves lift â—p your eyes you praised â—hem set up aloâ—t roâ—nd this Church Harke then what Christ saith to the Angell of the Church of Ephesus Revel. 2. Remember from whence thou art fallen and repeâ—t and doe thy first workes else I will come quickly and remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent This is done their Candlesticke is removed that pretious pearle the Gospell is taken from the Ephâ—sians and in stead thereoâ— Mahometisme raigns there So if wâ— remâ—mber not from whence we are fallen and doe the first works and worship our God sincerely abandoning Idolatrous and supersâ—itious vanities Our Candlesticke will be removed and the light of Gods truth will be taken from us Then shall we be overwhelmed againe with Anti-christian clouds of AEgyptian darknesse which God for his merciâ—s sake give us grace to avoid By repenting by amending our lives by forsaking our Idols and by hating all manner of superstitious vanities To God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost three persons in Trinity one God in unity be â—scribed all honour and glory all might and majâ—sty all power and dominion now and evermore Amen FINIS