22. he saith unto them Ye men of Israel hear these words Iesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you c. Him being delivered by the determinate counsell and fore-knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Men of Israel and such as had slain their Messias surely those were no Gentiles Likewise when at the hearing of this they were pricked in their hearts he saith unto them Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins For the Promise is made unto you and your children and to all that are afarre off even as many as the Lord shall call The Promise saith he is made unto you and your children were these then any others then Iews or Israelites of the seed of Abraham Lastly we finde that of these Parthians Medes and Elamites and of the rest named with them there were added unto the Church by this Sermon of S. Peter three thousand souls But it is certain that Cornelius the Centurion was the first Gentile that was converted unto the Faith Therefore these first Converts were no Gentiles Perhaps you will say they were Proselytes of these severall Nations and therefore called Iews I say not so neither because Proselytes are by name rehearsed among them when it is said of those Romani advenae verse the tenth that they were Iews and Proselytes Ergo the rest were Iews by race and not by Religion onely But what need I to have heaped together all these proofs when my Text alone is sufficient to evince it I come now therefore to a more particular illustration thereof according to what I have thus in generall premised And first for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I translate sojourning rather then dwelling for so I understand it that they were not proper dwellers but such as came to worship at Jerusalem from those far Countries at the Feasts of the Passeover and Pentecost and so had been continuing there some good time It is true that in the usuall Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie a durable mansion But with the Hellenists in whose Dialect the Scripture speaketh they are used indifferently for a stay of a shorter or longer time that is for to sojourn as well as to dwell as these two examples out of the Septuagint will make manifest one Gen. 27. 44. where Rebecca sayes to her younger son Iacob Son arise and flee unto Laban thy brother to Haran 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and tarry with him a few dayes untill thy brothers fury turn away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here to tarry but a few dayes Another is in the first Book of Kin. 17. 20. where Eliah cries unto the Lord saying O Lord my God hast thou also brought evill upon the widow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with whom I sojourn by slaying her son here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to sojourn onely In a word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answer to the Hebrew verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies any stay or remaining in a place Next for the persons here specified Iews out of every Nation under heaven for the right understanding thereof we are to know that before the last dispersion of the Iews by the Romans after their Temple and City were destroyed by Titus which at the time of this story was not nor many years after it there had been already two Captivities and great dispersions of that Nation besides some smaller scatterings The first was of the ten Tribes by Salmanassar King of Assyria who is said to have planted them in Hala and Habor by the river of Gozan and in the Cities of the Medes and these never I mean any considerable part of them returned to dwell again in their own Countrey of these therefore we are chiefly to understand to have been those which the story here cals Parthians Medes and Elamites Elamites that is Persians of the Province of Elymais For in those Countries which these names comprehend were the ten Tribes placed by the Assyrian and there still dwelt or thereabouts in our Saviour and his Apostles time and long after S. Hierome upon those words in the third of Ioel Et Filios Iuda Filios Ierusalem vendidistis Filits Graecorum which he understands of the Captivity by Vespasian and Titus tels us thus much Filit saith he Iuda Ierusalem nequaquam Israel decem Tribuum qui usque hodie in Medorum urbibus montibus habitant The second Captivity was by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon of the two Tribes Judah and Benjamin more then a hundred years after that of the ten Now a good part of these at seventy years end returned again under Cyrus and his successors to dwell again in their own land re-edified the Temple and City of Jerusalem re-erected their Common-wealth which continued till our Saviours time and a little after Notwithstanding all those that were Captives in Babylon returned not it may be not much more then the half of them certain it is that a great number of them stayed there still those especially which were rich and so well accommodated having no mind to stir whence in our Saviours and the Apostles times there were an innumerable company of them in those parts where they flourished with Academies and Schools and had Doctors not inferiour to those of Jerusalem it self Yea from them proceeded the Chaldee Paraphrase and that great Doctor and Patriarch of Rabbies R. Hillel Of these therefore we have reason to think were those which are here enumerated by the name of dwellers in Mesopotamia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where note by the way that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are comprehended in the number of those whom my Text saith were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which confirms my interpretation that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies sojourning and not dwelling for that they could not be said to dwell in both places These two dispersions beyond the river Euphrates how numerous they were in our Saviour and the Apostles times we may gather from those words of King Agrippa in Iosephus in that Oration he made unto the Iews before that fatall siege disswading them from rebelling against the Romans their party being too much too weak to maintain themselves against that mighty Empire Quos igitur saith he ex orbe non habitato socios in Bellum assumetis Siquidem omnes qui in orbe habitabili degunt Romani sunt Nisi fortè quis vestrum spes suas ultra Euphratem porrigat in Adiabenorum Regione Gentiles suos aestimet adjuturos Adiabenorum Regio is that of Assyria he goes on Verum nec illi propter irrationabilem causam tanto se Bello implicabunt nec si tam probroso operi assensum darent Parthus tamen sineret Mark then that they were under the dominion of the Parthians Iosephus himself testifieth as much in his Prologue to his
prayer for the house of Onesiphorus for like good service done to the Offices of Gods House The Lord saith he grant unto him that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day that is the day of Judgement which is Tempus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when every one shall receive according to his work The controversie therefore between the Romanists and us is not whether there be a reward promised unto our works we know the Scripture both of the Old and New Testament is full of testimonies that way and encourageth us to work in hope of the reward laid up for us We know that in keeping of Gods Commandements there is great reward Psa. 19. 11. And that unto him that soweth in righteousnesse shall be a sure reward Prov. 11. 18. We know our Saviour saith Mat. 5. 12. Blessed are ye when men revile and persecute you for great is your reward in heaven Also that he that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward And whosoever shall give a cup of gold water only to one of his little ones in the name of a Disciple shall not lose his reward Mat. 10. Again we read Luk. 6. 35. Love your enemies Do good and lend and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the children of the Highest we know also what S. Iohn saith 2 Ep. v. 8. Look to your selves that ye lose not those things which ye have wrought but that ye may receive a full reward But the Question is Whence this Reward commeth whether from the worth or worthinesse of the work as a debt of Justice due thereto or from Gods mercy as a recompence freely bestowed out of Gods gracious bounty and not in justice due to the worth of the work it self Which Question me thinks Nehemiah here in my Text may determine when he saith Remember me ô Lord for my good deeds according to thy great mercy And the Prophet Hosea Chap. 10. 12. when he biddeth us Sow to our selves in righteousnesse and reap in mercy And S. Paul Rom. 6. 23. where though he saith that the wages of sin is death yet when he comes to eternall life he changeth his style But saith he eternall life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gracious gift of God through Iesus Christ. For as for our works they are imperfect and whatsoever they were we owed them to him in whom we live and have our being whether there were any reward or not promised for them Neither do we hereby any whit detract from that Axiome That God rewardeth every man according to his work For still the question remaineth the very same Whether there may not be as wel merces gratiae as merces justitiae that is Whether God may not judge a man according to his works when he sits upon the Throne of Grace as well as when he sits upon his Throne of Justice And we think here that the Prophet David hath fully cleared the case in that one sentence Psa. 62. 12. With thee ô Lord is mercy for thou rewardest every one according to his work Nay more then this we deny not but in some sense this reward may be said to proceed of Justice For howsoever originally and in it self we hold it commeth from Gods free bounty and mercy who might have required the work of us without all promise of reward for as I said we are his creatures and owe our being unto him yet in regard he hath covenanted with us and tied himself by his word and promise to conferte such a reward the reward now in a sort proveth to be an Act of Justice namely of Iustitia promissi on Gods part not of merit on ours Even as in forgiving our sins which in it self all men know to be an Act of Mercy he is said to be Faithfull and Iust 1 Ioh. 1. 9. namely of the faithfull performance of his promise for promise we know once made amongst honest men is accounted a due debt But this argues no more any worthinesse of equality in the work towards the obtaining of the reward then if a promise of a Kingdome were made to one if he should take up a straw it would follow thence that the lifting up of a straw were a labour of a work worth a Kingdome howsoever he that should so promise were bound to give it Thus was Moses carefull to put the children of Israel in minde touching the Land of Canaan which was a type of our eternall habitation in heaven that it was a Land of promise and not of merit which God gave them to possesse not for their righteousnesse or for their upright heart but that he might perform the word which he sware unto their Fathers Abraham Isant and Iaacob Whereupon the Levites in this book of Nehemiah say in their prayer to God Thou madest a Covenant with Abraham to give to his seed the Land of the Canaanites and hast performed thy word because thou art just that is true and faithfull in keeping thy promise Now because the Lord hath made a like promise of the Crown of life to them that love him S. Paul sticks not in like manner to attribute this also to Gods Justice Henceforth saith he 2 Tim. 4. 8. is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day and not to me only but to all them that love his appearing Upon which S. Bernard most sweetly as he is wont Est ergo quam Paulus expectat corona Iustitiae sed justitiae Dei non suae Iustum quippe est ut reddat quod debet debet autem quod pollicitus est Lastly for the word merit It is not the name we so much scruple at as the thing wont now adays to be understood thereby otherwise we confesse the name might be admitted if taken in the large and more generall sense for any work having relation to a reward to follow it or whereby a reward is quocunque modo obtained In a word as the correlatum indifferent either to merces gratiae or justitiae For thus the Fathers used it and so might we have done still if some of us had not grown too proud and mistook it since we think it better and safer to disuse it even as Physitians are wont to prescribe their Patients recovered of some desperate disease not to use any more that meat or diet which they finde to have caused it And here give me leave to acquaint you with an Observation of a like alteration of speech and I suppose for the self-same cause happening under the old Testament namely of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 changed into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousnesse into that which findeth mercy for so the Septuagint and the new Testament with them render the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iustitia not only when it is taken for beneficience or alms as in that Tongue it is the ordinary word in which use we are wont
separation and sanctity of their Order to be distinguished and differenced from other Christians both passively in their usance from others but especially actively by a restrained conversation and peculiarnesse in their manner of life is manifest by her ancient Canons and Discipline Yea so deeply hath it been rooted in the minds of men that the Order of Church-men binds them to some differing kinde of conversation and form of life from the Laity that even those who are not willing to admit of the like discrimination due in other things have still in their opinions some relique thereof remaining in this though perhaps not altogether to be acquited of that imputation which Tertâ—llian charged upon some in his time to wit Quod quum excellimur inflamur adversus Clerum tunc unum omnes sumus tunc omnes Sacerdotes quia Sacerdotes nos Deo Patri fecit Quum ad per equationem Disciplinâ— Sacerdotalis provocamur deponimus infulas impares sumus When we vaâ—nt and are puffed up against the Clergy then we are all one then we are all Priests For he made us Priests to God and his Father But when we are called upon to equall in our lives the example of Priestly Discipline then down goe our Mitres and we are another sort of men Another sort of things sacred which I named was Sacred PLACES to wit Churches and Oratoriâ—s as the Christian name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implieth them to be that is The Lords A third Sacred Times i. dedicated and appointed for the solemne celebration of the worship of God and Divine duties such are with us for those of the Jews concern us not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Lords days with other our Christian Festivals and holy days Of the manner of the discrimination from common or sanctifying both the one and the other by actions some commanded others interdicted to be done in them the Canons and Constitutions of our Church will both inform and direct us For holy Times and holy Places are Twins Time and Place being as I may so speak pair-circumstances of action and therefore Lev. XIX 30. And again XXVI 2. they are joyned together tanquam ejusdem rationâ—s Keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary The fourth sort of Sacred things is of such as are neither Persons Times nor Places but Things in a speciall sense by way of distinction from them And this sort containeth under it many particulars which may be specified after this manner 1. Sacred Revenue of what kinde soever which in regard of the dedication thereof as it must not bee prophaned by sacrilegious alienation so ought to be sanctified by a different use and imployment from other Goods namely such a one as becommeth that which is the Lords and not mans For that Primitive Christian Antiquity so esteemed them appears by their calling them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they did their Place of Worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their Holy day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all of the Lord as it were Christening the old notion of Sacred by a new name So Can. Apâ—stol XL. Manifestae sint Episcopi res propriae si quidem res habet proprias manifesta sint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. res Dominicae Author Constitut. Apost lib. 2. c. 28. al. 24. Episcopus ne utatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominicis rebus tanquam alienis aut communibus sed moderate See also Balsamon in Can. 15. Concilii Ancyrani and the Canon it self Secondly Sacred Vtensils as the Lords Table Vessels of ministration the Books of God or Holy Scripture and the like Which that the Church even in her better times respected with an holy and discriminative usance may be learned from the Story of that calumnious crimination devised by the Arrian Faction against Athanasius as a charge of no small impiety namely that in his Visitation of the Tract of Mareotis Macarius one of his Presbyters by his command or instinct had entered into a Church of the Miletian Schismatiques and there broken the Chalice or Communion Cup thrown down the Table and burnt some of the Holy Books All which argues that in the generall opinion of Christians of that time such acts were esteemed prophane and impious otherwise they could never have hoped as they did to have blasted the reputation of the holy Bishop by such a slaunder Touching the Books of God or holy Scripture which I referred to this title especially those which are for the publique service of God in the Church I adde this further That under that name I would have comprehended the senses words and phrases appropriated to the expression of Divine and Sacred things which a Religious â—are cannot endure to hear abused with prophane and scurrilous application Thirdly under this fourth head of things Sacred I comprehend Sacred Acts such as are the Acts of Gods holy worship and administration of his Sacraments For albeit these Acts are duties of the first and personall Sanctification of Gods Name whereof the immediate object is God yet are the Acts themselves sacred things and therefore have some sanctification due to them also as other sacred things have of which although it be most true that the unfained devotion of the heart as before him who alone knoweth the hearts of the children of men be the main and principall requisite yet unlesse even in the outward performance they be for the manner and circumstances discriminated from common acts by a select accommodation befitting their holinesse their sanctification is defective and by such defect if voluntary Gods Name is prophaned even then when wee are worshipping him How much more when our carriage therein commeth short even of that wonted reverence wherewith we come before an earthly Potentate May not God here justly use the same expostulation with us that he did with those in the Prophet Malachi who presented themselves before him with such an offering as was in regard of the blemishes unworthy of and unbefitting so great a Majesty and therefore to be accounted rather an affront then an act of honour and worship Yee have saith he despised and prophaned my Name Offer it now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person yet I am a great King saith the Lord of hosts And this is the document or lesson which this place naturally and unavoydably ministreth to us That to come before the Divine Majesty with lesse reverent and regardfull deportment then we doe before earthly Kings and potentates is to despise and prophane his holy Name And not that which some would shelter under this text and lean too much upon namely That the acts of Gods externall worship ought to be wholly conform to the use of the semblable actions performed unto men and not differ from them and upon this ground charge the Christian Liturgies with absurdity in their forms of praying and praising God with responsals singing by turns and speaking many together For this
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
keeping a distance as it is said also of the Publicane in the Gospel that when he came into the Temple or Courts thereof to pray he stood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afarre off saying God be mercifull to me a sinner For ye are to know that the great or brasen Altar called the Altar of burnt-offering whereon the sacrifices were offered stood not within or under the roof of the Temple but sub dio over against the door or Porch thereof in the middle of the Priests Court For at the entrance into the Temple or House of God Solomon built a large vestibulum or Porch on each side whereof stood those two famous Pillars of brasse the one called Iachin and the other Boaz Between this Porch and the great brazen Altar which stood without it the Priests the Ministers of the Lord are here commanded to weep and say Spare thy people ô Lord and give not thine heritage to Reproach This Rite of humiliation we finde mentioned in two other places of the Book of Scripture As first in that humiliation of Ezra for the peoples marrying of strange wives Ezra 9. Chap. 10. 1. where having rent his garment and mantle he cast himself down saith the Text before the House of the Lord viz. before the door or Porch thereof weeping and confessing and said Lord I am ashamed to lift up my face to thee my God for our iniquities are encreased over our head and our trespasse is grown up unto the heavens Another mention we have thereof in 1 Mac. 7. 38. when Nicanor proudly threatned that unlesse Iudas Maccabeus and his host were delivered into his hand if ever he returned in safety he would burn up the House of God Then the Priests saith the Text entred in namely into the Courts of Gods House and stood between the Altar and the Temple weeping and praying Which passage the Greek Interpreter of that Book did not well understand when he rendred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the Altar and the Temple For Ioseph Ben Gorion hath expresly in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very words of Ioel in my Text between the Porch and the Altar A like custome whereunto and as is probable taken up in imitation thereof is that of ours To read the Letany or our Parce Domine parce populo tuo kneeling at a low desk in the body of the Church before the Chancell door as was ordered by the first Injunctions of our Reformation when Procession was taken away or at the bottome of the steps or ascent unto the Altar as is used in the Cathedrall and Collegiate Churches And this may suffice for explication of the Rite which the Prophet here describeth Now the Lesson we are to learn from hence is That the nature of a right and religious Fast consists in an humble demission and abjection of our selves before Almighty God out of the apprehension of the greatnesse of his Majesty and our unworthinesse to finde any favour at his hands whom we have so much provoked by our sins For this to have been the meaning of that Ceremony besides the naturall signification of the deportment it self appeareth by the Exordium I but now quoted of Ezra's confession when he thus cast himself down before the Porch of the House of the Lord weeping Lord I am ashamed saith he and blush to lift up my face to thee my God For our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespasse is grown up to the heavens Besides thus to humble and bring us down is the end why God sendeth his judgements of Plague Famine or the like for the aversion whereof these solemne supplications and assemblies are ordained And therefore rightly at the beginning of our publique worship of God are we admonished to be humble by some of the first words we are to utter O come let us humble our selves and fall down before the Lord with reverence and fear Hence fasting and humbling a mans self go in Scripture for equipollent terms My cloathing was sackcloth saith David Psal. 35. 13. I humbled my self with fasting So Ahab humbled himself and thereby deferred his judgement 1 King 21. 29. Hezekiah humbled himself both he and all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem 2 Chron. 32. 26. Manasseh is said likewise to have besought the Lord and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers 2 Chr. 33. No disposition fit so and apt for devotion as humility no more powerfull means to prevail with God and appease his wrath then this abjection of our selves Satis est prostrasse Leoni Let me with reverence apply it unto the Majesty of God For all Eminency is worshipped with humility reverence and submission that is as we are wont and rightly to speak by keeping a distance Therefore the soveraign or supreme Excellency of God must be adored with the lowest demission and greatest stoop the soul can make We finde by experience that that disposition of the eye which fitteth us to behold the visible Sun maketh a man blinde when he looketh down upon himself So here the apprehension of the transcendent excellency of God ten thousand times brighter then the Sun if truly admitted into our hearts will darken all our overweening conceit of any worthinesse in our selves The greater we would apprehend his power the more sensible must we be of our own weaknesse The greater we acknowledge his goodnesse the lesse goodnesse must we see in our selves The more we would apprehend his wisedome the lesse we are to be puffed up with our own knowledge As in a pair of skales the higher we would raise one skale the lower we pull down the other so the higher we raise God in our hearts the lower we must depresse our selves Hence we find the humblest natures and the most humbled condition to be the fittest for devotion I say the humblest natures are the most pliable and aptest to Religion whereas those which the world is wont to commend for brave spirits of all others buckle the worst thereto But let the world fancy what it will God seeth not as man seeth It is not the tallest Eliab but the humblest David who is the man after Gods own heart He that humbleth himself as a little childe the same is the tallest and goodliest soul for the Kingdome of God The Stars in the Firmament howsoever they here seem small to us yet are bigger then the earth so he that is despicable and small here in the eyes of men is there a great one in the eyes of God Let those therefore that think all worth resides in a lofty and brave spirit remember that the Devil was a braver fellow then any of them all and that his high and lofty spirit was the cause of his downfall and Apostasie from his Creator and so of that damnation to everlasting fire prepared for him and his Angels And as the humblest nature so the humblest or most humbled state and condition is the fittest also for
the Acts of the Apostles nor in S. Paul and S. Peters writings yet this proves not they were not used in the Apostles times no more then that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not whose case in this point is the same with the other But to confine the Apostles Age within the limits of Saint Pauls and S. Peters lines is a generall mistake For the Apostles Aage ended not till S. Iohns death Anno Christi 99. and so lasted as long within a year or thereabouts after S. Paul and S. Peters suffering as it was from our Saviours Ascension to their Deaths that is one and thirty years And this too for the most part was after the Excidium of Ierusalem in which time it is likely the Church received no little improvement in Ecclesiasticall Rites and Expressions both because it was the time of her greatest increase and because whilest the Iews Polity stood her Polity for its full establishment stood in some sort suspended This appears by S. Iohns writings which are the onely Scripture written after that time and in which we finde two Ecclesiastick terms of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Deitie of Christ and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the first day of the week neither of both seeming to have been in use in S. Paul and S. Peters time and why may we not beleeve the like happened in others and by name in these now questioned Which that I may not seem onely to guesse I think I can prove by two witnesses which then lived the one Clemens he whose name S. Paul says was written in the Book of life and the other Ignatius Clemens in his undoubted Epistle ad Corinthios a long time missing but now of late come again to light In this Epistle the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is three times used of the Christian service pag. 52. Debemus omnia saith he rite ordine facere quae Dominus nos per agere jussit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praestitutis temporibus Oblationes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obire And a little after Qui igitur praefinitis temporibus oblationes suas faciunt accepti beati sunt Domini enim mandata sequentes non aberrant The other Ignatius in his Epistle Ad Smyrnenses hath both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non licet saith he absque Episcopo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cals in a stricter sense the first part of this sacred and mysticall Service to wit the Thanksgiving wherein the Bread and the Wine as I told you were offered unto God to agnize his Dominion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cals the mysticall Commemoration of Christs Body and Blood and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the receiving and participation of the same For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are sometimes used for the whole Action and sometimes thus distinguished Of this Epistle the learned doubt not but if any one do I suppose they will grant that Theodoret had his genuine Epistles Let them hear then a passage which he in his third Dialogue cites out of the Epistles of Ignatius against some Hereticks Eucharistias oblationes non admittunt quod non confiteantur Eucharistiam esse carnem Servatoris nostri Iesu Christi quae passa est pro peccatis nostris Here you see oblationes Eucharistias exegetically join together And so I think I have proved these terms of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have been in use in the Church in the latter part of the Apostles Age. But what if one of them namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were used sooner even in S. Pauls and S. Peters time In the first Epistle of Peter 2. 5. You are saith he speaking to the Body of the Church a holy Priesthood to offer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to God by Iesus Christ. In the Epistle to the Heb. 13. 15. By him that is through Christ our Altar let us offer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sacrifice of praise to God continually Why should I not think S. Paul and S. Peter speak here of the solemn and publick Service of Christians wherein the Passion of Christ was commemorated I am sure the Fathers frequently call this sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in some ancient Liturgies immediately before the Consecration the Church gives thanks unto God for choosing them to be an holy Priesthood to offer sacrifices unto him as it were alluding to S. Peter Thus you see first or last or both the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were no strangers to the Apostles Age. I will now make but one Quaere and answer it and so conclude this point Whether these words were used seeing they were used properly or improperly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the subject we speak of I answer briefly This Christian service as we have defined it is an Oblation properly for wheresoever any thing is tendred or pretended unto God there is truly and properly an Oblation be it spirituall or visible it matters not For oblatio is the Genus And Irenaeus tels me here Non Genus oblationum reprobatum est oblationes enim illic oblationes autem hîc sacrificia in populo sacrificia in Ecclesia sed species immutata est tantùm But as for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sacrifice according to its prime signification it signifies a slaughter-offering as in the Hebrew so in Greek of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 macto As the Angel in the Acts sayes to S. Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peter kill and eat Now we in our Christian sacrifice slay no offering but commemorate him onely that was slain and offered upon the Crosse. Therefore our Service is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 improperly and metaphorically But if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be synecdochically taken for an offering in generall as it is both in the New Testament and elsewhere then the Christian sacrifice is as truely called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SECT II. NOw I come to the second particular contained in my Definition to prove that the Christian sacrifice according to the meaning of the ancient Church is an Oblation of Thanksgiving and Prayer My first Author shall be Iustin Martyr in his Dialogue with Tryphon the Jew where to the evasion of the Jews labouring to bereave the Christians of this Text by saying it was meant of the Prayers which the dispersed Jews at that time offered unto God in all places where they lived among the Gentiles which Sacrifices though they wanted the materiall Rite yet were more acceptable unto God in regard of their sincerity then those prophaned ones at Jerusalem and not that here was meant any Sacrifice which the Gentiles should offer to the God of Israel to this evasion Iustin replies Supplicationes gratiarum actiones quae à dignis peraguntur
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