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A40758
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A sermon preach'd in the Cathedral Church at the triennial visitation of the right reverend ... Seth, Lord Bishop of Sarum ... by Samuel Fyler.
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Fyler, Samuel, 1638-1703.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing F2568; ESTC R24044
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25,174
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34
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to the precedent Century For in the Apostles time that they had then Liturgies known Offices consisting of Prayers and Praises in use with them is easily Discerned from St Paul's Advice to the Romans Ch. 15. 6. which is with one Mind and one Mouth to Glorifie God by which Words that a Form is meant is more than intimated from his reprehending the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14. 26. Because in their publick Assemblies they had every one a Psalm that is to say a Manner or Form of his own which hindered Edification and bred Confusion and why not from that Act. 13. 2. where we read As they Ministred unto the Lord and Fasted the Holy Ghost said Minister'd 't is rendered but the Words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they were Liturgying that is because joyned with Fasting as they were performing Divine Service which it seems was this way For it further the Liturgy of St. James and the Liturgy of St. Mark used by the Cophti still and that of St. Peter used a long time in the Church of Rome are a strong Inforcement tho of them we can produce only some Fragments and broken Pieces For had they not had Offices would it not have been known and observed by after-Ages but the succeeding times give account of the contrary that they had 'T was not 300 Years after the Apostle's Days that the Council of Nice was and then there is great mention of them as you may see in Eusebius his fourth Book of the Life of Constantine who tells us there of Orationum Syngraphe a Book of Prayers and Liturgia Mystica so he calls it a Mystical Liturgy which Constantine the Emperor was present at And what is more common then in Ecclesiastical Writers to hear of the Liturgy of St. Hierome and of St. Ambrose and so of St. Basil and St. Chrysostom the last of which hath left it upon Record that in the Primitive Church among the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit one was the gift of making Prayers for the Church to use It seems the Gift of Prayer was not look'd upon then as a Faculty of making long and familiar Harangues to God as it hath been of late Years without Sense or Reason Look we moreover on the Canons of the Councils and we shall find them for us that of Carthage and that of Melevis so early It is the 23 Canon of the third Council of Carthage Quascunque sibi preces c. Let no Man use any Prayers that he hath made unless he first consult with the Brethren i. e. Fellow-Officers of the Church who were learned and well instructed More ample is that of Melevis which says as I find in Caranza Placuit ut preces quae probaetae fuerunt in Synodo ab omnibus Celebrentur It is our Will that Prayers only that are approved by a Synod be celebrated by all nec alia omnino dicentur in Ecclesia and that no other but those that are so approved by a Synod be said in the Church lest by chance any thing either through Ignorance or Carelesness be done against the Faith Well then that thus it was in the first 4 or 5 Centuries of the Church besides the Glimpses for it in Scripture Fathers and Councils Testifie And what that it hath been so ever since have we not the Consent of the Churches of all Ages we have look we which way we will either into the East or West Which being granted can we imagine that the Church hath continued so long even till these last Days in so gross an Error or can we think it fit to throw aside the way of the Universal Church in all Ages for a few Mens Sake that have Voluble Tongues Or is not rather the Custom and Practice of the Church of all Ages in stead of a Rate and perpetual Law they are Saravia's Words speaking in reference to Episcopacy which and the Liturgy must Live and Dye together Mos totius Ecclesiae est inviolabilis quaedam lex the Custom of the whole Church is an inviolable Law and which at peradventure so it ought to be esteemed yea to be kept and held inviolably by us For tho such a Custom or Constitution of the Church in Mr. Weemes his Words may not be Jus Divinum Divinè Divinum a Law that is properly and purely Divine as having no plain positive Command for it in the Scriptures yet it is Jus Divinum humanè Divinum of like Force and in a manner equally Divine with that for which there is a positive Law supposing still it be Universal It is quodam modo Divinum as Forbâ—sius in his Ierenicum says in some manner Divine as being founded in God's positive Law which commands us to obey our Superiors as them also to see that all things be done according to Rule and with all Decency and Order And surely we have more reason to believe that the Primitive Fathers would not stray from the Apostical Practice who could not but see what was done before them and would rather dye Martyrs then part with the least Truth then that the whole Church hath all along been deceived unto this present Day On this Argument stands Infant-Baptism the Observation of the Lord's Day Episcopacy and the like and to me it is prevalent before all that can be said against it by Novelists Common Prayer spoken of in the Epistles of Ignatius has more in it than a World of Arguments produced against what I affirm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see that ye all come together in one place let there be one Common Prayer among you one Mind one Hope in Love and Faith that is spotless I go upon such Grounds as these and nothing seems to me more Plain putting all together than that the use of Liturgy is not only Ancient but also Primitive and Apostolical Now 2ly that in ours there is no Spot or Blemish for which to be rejected I come next to prove And had I need say any thing to that Matter I know 't is accused of Popery But O ye holy Martyrs how came you to be so mistaken then as to dye thus in Defence of Popery and in Defiance of it at one and the same Instant Mr. John Hullier being burnt at the Stake with the Common-Prayer-Book in his Bosom But Oh! there is somewhat of the Mass Book in it I confess it There are the Creeds and some of the Hymns and Collects that are used by them and they have a Litany too But shall we abolish our Creeds the Nicene Athanasian and Apostolical because they have them as well as we and throw away our Collects and Litany because they have also Collects and a Litany Then away with the Christian Religion upon that like Score A weak Argument and very inconsequent Do we not know that if we reform Popery in what is amiss we do but as Christ did by the Jewish Euchologue and that that is true which
Solomon says Take away the Dross from the Silver and there will come forth a Vessel for the Refiner But besides it is all Scripture or agreeable thereto shall I tell you approved by Bucer by P. Martyr and other Protestant Divines abroad yea Calvin himself not disapproving the first Founder of the Classical way making the Jewish Sanhedrim his Pattern in which he erred for that was a Civil Court Certainly that which some Men condemn it for is its prime Excellency It s Excellency lyes in this that our Reformers took away and pared off all that was truly amiss in their prayer-Prayer-Books and us'd no more but what was found in the Ancient Liturgies or very agreeable thereto thereby giving no just Ground of Scandal which otherwise could not be avoided yet must be avoided There are petty Arguments made against it by Dissenters I know which I might had I time make Reply to but I shall forbear at present referring you to the Answers of the Excellent and judicious Mr. Hooker of whom I may say as has been said by some of Durand They knock whoever shall ' gainst Hooker Warble But Fist of Glass against his Head of Marble And if any shall yet Rise up to speak against it I doubt not but there will be a Mahanâim an whole Host of God ready to March forth and Incounter them I confess for my part what I can do is but little but what I have said tho has satisfy'd me and I am the more satisfy'd because I am fully Perswaded that those Godly and Reverend Divines who Compos'd our Liturgy at the Reformation did Tread as near as they could in the steps of our Saviour Christ and his Apostles following the Clue of the purest Times and Ages and had they or could they have finger'd the Service-book that was us'd by Abbot Dinôth and the Brittish Monks before St. Augustine set his Foot here they would have blest God for so rare a Jewel and took Direction thence as soon as elsewhere The more again because I fully believe that that Speech of the Assembly of Divines in which they affirm they were Confident that the Composers of our service-Service-book the Martyrs in Queen Marys days would if then alive have Consented with them in their Directory way was very Injurious to the Ashes of those dead Saints For as they never gave any such Item in their live-Live-times so neither did the Learned'st and the best of the Banisht Clergy when they return'd from Franckford where they saw the Practice of those where Presbytery was hatcht ever Indeavour or Attempt any such thing Nor can I think that they would have brought in any manner whatsoever tho recommended by the Hand of Angels by the Sword or Rebellion or a Guisian League but rather have lookt upon it with Abhorrence and Detestatiâ—n the sad Consequences of which doings have been such that no Age ever knew the like even the Death of our most pious King the Banishment of his 〈◊〉 and all his Friends Death and Ruine to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Protestant but of the Christian Religion in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we have still Cause to Dread the hearing of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Woes in Josephus and the Angel's 〈◊〉 You will not I hope blame the heat of my but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our Church I speak and its Liturgy the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things we have which deserve not our Words only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lives If men should hold their Peace even 〈◊〉 would speak And truly Were I to speak any where before Nobles States-men and Senators like Nehâ—miah Tirshasha of the King of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hold I would mind Jerusalem in my sayings for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I would not hold my Peace Were I to speak to the Angels of the Churches or reverend Bishops I would move them in this behalf but ◠〈◊〉 them methinks betwixt Rock and Gulph and so lament them rather God strengthen their Hearts and Hands and give them Courage and Wisdom that He being their Pilot they may keep our Church like Noah's Ark still going upon the Face of the Waters Were I to speak to the Worshipful Gentry of this Nation I would take upon me to mind them how Honourable and Nâ—ble a thing it would be for them to stand by and Coumenance a Cause so good the rather because their Dwellings perhaps and Eâ—â—â—tes will not be so secure if a Change should come which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bid Were I to speak to Dissenters I would also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lay aside their Piques for they are no more but so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Glorious a Church should be brought to Ruin and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is it not great Pity O the Ahâ—lah which boasts it's 〈◊〉 own Tabernacle would come over once to Aholihab â—he 〈◊〉 of which is God's Tabernacle is in her If sâ— how 〈◊〉 should we be how glad would we But I must Confine my self to my Brethren I mean 〈◊〉 Ministers first And then 2ly To my present Aâ—diâ—ors 〈◊〉 therefore 1. Fathers and Brethren to you I crave Leave to direct my Speech Not taking on me to Rebuke any tho far be it from me I know no Reason for so doing For my part I presume only to admonish and that not without Leave ask'd What to do To read the Liturgy and to read it fully and Completely Methinks I dare not that neither I cannot suspect you don't It is too great a Fault for any honest man to be Guilty of Than an Anti-liturgical Consormist in my Opinion nothing is more Odious In adjecto 't is a Contradiction and seems to imply that when we Subseribe ex animo 't were to be render'd out of our Minds rather then With all our Hearts But let me Admonish tho it s no Accusation where there is no Fault but a Commendation 1. To be First exact in the Particular before specifi'd and not to let Preaching take up all the Time so as to Neglect or put aside any Part of this Service which is so Divine and of the two most necessary For to what end Preaching if God be not serv'd as he ought to be And to what end Taught our Duty if we do not Honour God with Praises and Prayers which are our Christian Sacrifices Let me say that 't is more to serve God one hour Faithfully then to hear as many do an hundred Lectures in Divinity If ye know these things ye know who has said Happy are ye if ye do them 2. To read the Service distinctly Gravely Reverendly as becomes the Worshippers of the true God whose Throne is in Heaven Believe it the want of this is that which makes it Despicable with the undistinguishing People For the best of things being hâ—dled up and handled slightly lose their just Esteem Then will men be ingag'd to be truly Devout when their Pastor or Priest is so before them 3. To let the People know that to hear Sermons is not the only Service to say no more that they are to Pay to Alâ—ighty God To Jews I confess and