of these as made him a most resolute Champion for them and was the reason that he was often heated with great Indignation against those that were so blind or obstinate to endeavour the interruption of such transcendent blessings And though some have thought his zeal too ardent yet they might consider that it was his fortune to live in such times as made the highest expressions of it not only just but necessary Of which he was so sensible that forgetting all his other diverting Studies he wholly set himself to endeavour the defence and support of a tottering Church and Grown which he laboured to that degree that his body though naturally a very strong one not being able to keep pace with his mind was often hurried into violent Fevers And at last his eyes of themselves brisk and sparkling through continual watchings and intensness lost their function and refused any longer to assist his Studies Yet could not all this abate the vigour of his mind which as tho it had lost no outward assistance or that it stood in need of none still continued its action and produced several excellent Books after their Author was neither capable of writing nor reading them Nor was any thing but death able so much as to slacken his industry for besides the discouragements I have named he had all those which an Usurped Authority under which he was forced to live and against which he could not forbear both to speak and write could threaten him with for he was thereby not only deprived of his Preferments but often put in hazard of his life But that merciful God who never faileth those that trust in him did preserve him that he might enjoy the fruits of his pains and prayers in the Restauration of that Religion and Government which he so truly loved and had so earnestly endeavoured in the publick enjoyment of which he lived three years And then having compleated the utmost of his wishes in the world God was pleased to call him to the eternal Reward of another and in so favourable a way as he might well look upon as a remarkable instance of the divine Goodness towards him For as we read in the Scriptures that God did frequently warn his Servants of their approaching deaths so he dealt with this good man For on the Saturday night before he fell sick he dreamed That he was in an extraordinary pleasant and delightful place where standing and admiring the Beauty and Glory of it he saw the late King his Master who said to him Peter I will have you buried under your Seat at Church for you are rarely seen but there or at your Study This Dream he related to his Wife next morning told her it was a significant one and charged her to let him be buried according to it On the Monday he bought an House in the Almonry Sealed the Writings and paid the Money the same day and at night told his Wife he had bought her an House to live in near the Abby that she might serve God in that Church as he had done And then renewing his Charge of burying him according to his dream went to bed very well but after his first sleep was taken with a violent Fever which deprived him of his understanding till a few hours before his death when seeing one of the Vergers of the Church in his Chamber he called him and said I know it is Church time with you and this is Ascension day I am ascending to the Church triumphant I go to my God and Saviour into joys Celestial and to Hallelujahs eternal After which and other like expressions he died the same day Anno Dom. 1663. in the 63 year of his Age. He had eleven Children four of which are still living He was buried under the Sub-Dean's Seat according to his dream and desire over against which on the North-side of the Abby stands his Monument with this Inscription composed by Dr. Earl then Dean of that Church Depositum Mortale Petri Heylyn S. Th. P. Hujus Ecclesiae Prebendarii Subdecani Viri planè memorabilis Egregiis dotibus instructissimi Ingenio acri foecundo Judicio subacto Memoria ad prodigium tenaci Cui adjunxit incredibilem in studiis patientiam Quae cessantibus oculis non cessarunt Scripsit varia plurima Que jam manibas hominum teruntur Et argumentis non vulgaribus Stylo non vulgari suffecit Constans ubiq Ecelesiae Et majestatis Regie assertor Nec florentis magis utriusque Quant afflictae Idemque perduellium Schismaticae Factionis Impugnator acerrimus Contemptor invidiae Et animo infracto Plura ejusmodi meditanti Mors indixit Silentium Vt sileatur Efficere non potest Obiit Anno Aetat 63. Posuit hoc illi Moestissima Conjux A Catalogue of such Books as were written by this Learned Doctor Spurius a Tragedy M.S. written A. D. 1616. Theomachia a Comedy M.S. 1619. Geography printed at Oxon twice A. D. 1621 and 1624. in 4. and afterwards in 1652. inlarged into a Folio under the Title of Cosmography An Essay called Augustus 1631 since inserted into his Cosmography The History of St. George Lon. 1631. reprinted 1633. The History of the Sabbath 1631 reprinted 1636. Answer to the B. of Lincolns Letter to the Vicar of Grantham 1636. twice reprinted Answer to Mr. Burtons two seditious Sermons 1637. A short Treatise concerning a Form of Prayer to be used according to what is enjoined in the 55 Canon written at the request of the Bishop of Winchester 1637. Antidotum Lincolniense or an Answer to the Bishop of Lincoln's Book entitled Holy Table Name and Thing 1637 reprinted 1638. An Uniform book of Articles fitted for Bishops Arch-Deacons in their Visitation 1640. De Jure paritatis Episcoporum or concerning the Peerage of Bishops 1740 M. S. A Reply to Dr. Hackwel concerning the Sacrifice of the Eucharist M. S. 1641. The History of Episcopacy first under the name of Theoph. Churchman afterwards in his own name reprinted 1657. The History of Liturgies written 1642. A Relation of the Lord Hoptons Victory at Bodmin A View of the proceedings in the West for a Pacification A Letter to a Gentleman in Lincolnshire about the Treaty A Relation of the proceedings of Sir John Gell. A Relation of the Queens return from Holland and the Siege of Newark The black Cross shewing that the Londoners were the cause of the Rebellion The Rebels Catechism All these printed at Oxon 1644. An Answer to the Papists groundless Clamor who Nick-name the Religion of the Church of England by the name of a Parliamentary Religion 1644. A Relation of the Death and sufferings of Will. Laud Archbishop of Canterbury 1644 The Stumbling-block of Disobedience removed written 1644. printed 1658. The Promised Seed in English Verse Theotogia Veterum or an Exposition of the Creed Fol. 1654. Survey of France with an account of the Isles of Guernsey and Jersey 1656. 4. Examen Historicum or a Discovery and
the Gift of Prayer as much kept in where the matter of the Prayer is prescribed unto us as when we are prescribed also in the form and words And secondly whereas it seems to be intended that Ministers should use no Form of Prayer before their Sermons or in any other part of worship but such as they call Conceived extemporary or unpremeditated Prayers though by the way all Conceived prayer require some premeditation Few of those Men who have conformed themselves to the Rules of the Directory have ventured on the Exercise of the Gift of Prayer most of them using certain and Set Forms of their own Composing and some not only using such Set Forms memoriter or without book as we use to say but reading them in their books or papers as they lie before them As great a stinting of the Spirit as contrary to the free Exercise of the Gift of Prayer as any publick Liturgy or Set Form of Worship can be thought to be But that which is most worth our noting is that those very Men who composed the Directory and laboured so industriously in abolishing all Set Forms of Worship by the Ordinance of the third of January should within a while after publish some Set Forms of Prayer to be used by such as were at Sea A supply of Prayer for the Ships Quo teneam nodo This is just fast and loose pretty sport for children For though it be pretended that these Set Forms are to be used only in the want of Ministers yet then it must be supposed withal that none but Ministers have the Gift of Prayer or if they have are not to be permitted the free exercise and use thereof as they see occasion which I conceive the Lay-brethren will not thank them for who think themselves as well Gifted as the Presbyters do Or if it be to be supposed it is to be supposed only in common Cases when no sense of extraordinary danger or approaching Ruine can quicken the dull spirits of Men to the free and voluntary acts of invocation to which the tempestuousness of the Sea and unavoidable fears of a sudden death give so many advantages that there cannot be a better Tutor to teach men to pray Insomuch that it grew into a proverb in the elder times Qui nescit orare discat navigare that he who knew not how to to pray should undertake some Voyage by Sea and there he would be sure to learn it Which shews that there was somewhat else which these good Men aimed at in crying down the publick Liturgie than the free exercise and use of the Gift of Prayer which few of them make use of now they have their ends in it and what that was it shall not be long before I tell you For if we look back into the busie times of Queen Elizabeths Reign we shall find there were some secret workings amongst those of the Puritan or Presbyterian party to draw all the power and Riches of the Church into their own hands And to this end the Ministers so bestirred themselves that as they had invaded the Government and Jurisdiction of the Church by setting up their Presbyters in several places so they resolved that the people should depend upon them alone as for prayer and preaching and all the other exercises of their Religion A thing which could not be effected if the Liturgy were not first abolish'd which of necessity must bring their own conceived prayers as they use to call them into estimation and make them the sole Rule and Rubrick of all publick Worship by means whereof they were sure to get that absolute Sovereignty in the peoples Consciences which in their practices and preachings they had so long aimed at But on the other side the Lay-brethren had their Ends in it also hoping that if they could destroy the Liturgy it would be no hard matter for them to ingross the Tithes unto themselves and to put their Ministers off with arbitrary Pensions as in other places Tithes being as they gave it out a Jewish imposition not to be laid upon free Subjects in the times of the Gospel never intended for the maintenance of a Preaching Ministery but of a Sacrificing Priesthood And so far they might seem to have the truth on their side that the first Tithes which were ever taken were not received with reverence to preaching to or instructing the people but with relation unto praying for them or offering up to God the daily and commanded Sacrifices in their behalf When Melchisedech took Tithes of Abraham it was not for any pains he had taken in preaching to him or instructing his little Army but for praying to God for his Blessings on them for the Text only tells us that he blessed Abraham praising God for his good success against his Enemies Gen. 14.19..20 and for performing that Office had the Tithes of all And when Tithes were paid by Gods appointment to the Priests and Levites it was not for their Teaching Preaching or Exhorting for we find not that any such Offices were either required of them or performed by them but for their service in the Temple the offering the appointed and occasional Sacrifices performed with several kinds of Prayer agreeable to the occasion and the Spiritual necessities of that people Tithes therefore being the reward and maintenance of a praying not a preaching Ministery the Liturgy being taken away and Preaching made the main if not the sole work of the Minister there could no reason be alledged why the people might not withold their Tithes or why the Tithes might not be otherwise imployed as the State thought fit This business being resumed and more hotly followed in these latter times and some proposals set on foot for depriving the Ministers of their Tithes drawing them into some Common Treasuries and out of them allotting such maintenance to the Ministers as the necessities and wants of the State could spare I publish'd a Discourse entituled The undeceiving of the people in the point of Tithes and to my Preface to that Treatise do refer the Reader both for the motives which induced me having no ends of my own in it to that Undertaking the whole Design and Method of it and finally the Reasons why I did so disguise my name that I might not appear for the Author of it At this time I shall only add that Tithes being now the only remaining Patrimony which is left the Church for the encouragement and reward of a learned Ministery should they be also taken from it and the poor Clergy forced to depend on uncertain Stipends I see not what can follow thereupon but a gross night of Ignorance and Egyptian darkness especially in those who now hold out the light to others For certainly that saying of Panormitan will be always true Ad tenuitatem Beneficiorum necessaria sequitur ignorantia sacerdotum And if ignorance once possess the Priests I hope it will not be offensive if I use that name
the curiosity of the Ministers and mistakes of the people rather than for any other weighty cause As the Statutes 5 and 6 Ed. 6. cap. 1. it was thought expedient by the King with the assent of the Lords and Commons in Parliament Assembled that the said Order of Common Service should be faithfully and godly perused explained and made fully perfect Perused and explained by whom Why questionless by those who made it or else by those if they were not the same men who were appointed by the King to draw up and compose a Form of Ordination for the Use of the Church And this Assent of theirs for it was no more was the only part that was ever acted by the Parliament in matter of this present nature save that a Statute passed in the former Parliament 3 and 4 Ed. 6. c. 12. unto this effect that such form and manner of making and consecrating Arch-Bishops Bishops Priests Deacons and other Ministers of the Church which before I spake of as by six Prelates and six other men of this Realm learned in Gods Laws by the King to be appointed and assigned shall be devised to that purpose and set forth under the great Seal shall be lawfully used and exercised and none other Where note that the King only was to nominate and appoint the men the Bishops and other learned men were to make the Book and that the Parliament in a blind obedience or at the least upon a charitable confidence in the integrity of the men so nominated did confirm that Book before any of their Members had ever seen it though afterwards indeed in the following Parliament this Book together with the Book of Common-prayer so Printed and explained obtained a more formal confirmation as to the use thereof throughout the Kingdom but in no other respect for which see the Statute 5 and 6 Ed. 6. c. 1. As for the time of Q. Elizabeth when the Common-prayer book now in use being the same almost with the last of King Edward was to be brought again into the Church from whence it was cast out in Queen Maries Reign it was committed to the care of some learned men that is to say to M. Whitehead once Chaplain to Q. Anne Bullen Dr. Parker after Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Dr. Grindal after Bishop of London Dr. Cox after Bishop of Ely Dr. Pilkington after Bishop of Durham Dr. May Dean of Saint Pauls Dr. Bill Provost of Eaton after Dean of Westminster and Sir Tho. Smith By whom being altered in some few passages which the Statute points to 1 Eliz. c. 21. it was presented to the Parliament and by the Parliament received and established without more ado or troubling any Committee of both or either Houses to consider of it for ought appears in their Records All that the Parliament did in it being to put it into the condition in which it stood before in Kings Edwards Reign partly by repealing the Repeal of King Edw. Statutes made in the first of Q. Mary c. 2. and partly by the adding of some farther penalties on such as did deprave the Book or neglect to use it or wilfully did absent themselves from their Parish-Churches And for the Alterations made in King James his time being small in the Rubrick only and for the additions of the Thanksgivings at the end of the Letany the Prayer for the Queen and the Royal Issue and the Doctrine of the Sacraments at the end of the Catechisme which were not in the Book before they were never referred unto the Parliament but were done only by Authority of the Kings Commission and stand in force by virtue only of His Proclamation which you may find before the Book the charge of buying the said Book so explained and altered being laid upon the several and respective Parishes by no other Authority than that of the eightieth Canon made in Convocation Anno 1603. The like may also be affirmed of the Forms of Prayer for the Inauguration-day of our Kings and Queens the prayer-Prayer-books for the fifth of November and the fifth of August and those which have been used in all publick Fasts All which without the help of Parliaments have been composed by the Bishops and imposed by the King Now unto this discourse of the Forms of Worship I shall subjoyn a word or two of the times of Worship that is to say the Holy-days observed in the Church of England and so observed that they do owe that observation chiefly to the Churches power For whereas it was found in the former times that the number of the Holy-days was grown so great that they became a burthen to the common people and a great hinderance to the thrift and manufactures of the Kingdom there was a Canon made in the Convocation An. 1536. For cutting off of many superstitious and superfluous Holy-days and the reducing them into the number in which they now stand save that St. George's day and Mary Magdalens day and all the Festivals of the blessed Virgin had their place amongst them according to which Canon there went out a Monitory from the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to all the Suffragans of his Province respectively to see the same observed in their several Diocesses which is still extant on Record But being the Authority of the Church was then in the wane it was thought necessary to confirm their Acts and see execution done upon it by the Kings Injunction which did accordingly come forth with this Form or preamble That the abolishing of the said Holy-days was decreed ordained and established by the Kings Highness Authority as Supream Head in Earth of the Church of England with the common consent and assent of the Prelates and Clergy of this his Realm in Convocation lawfully Assembled and Congregate Of which see Fox his Acts and Monuments fol. 1246 1247. Afterwards in the year 1541. the King perceiving with what difficulty the people were induced to leave off those Holy-days to which they had been so long accustomed published his Proclamation of the twenty-third of July for the abolishing of such Holy-days amongst other things as were prohibited before by his Injunctions both built upon the same foundation namely the resolution of the Clergy in their Convocation And so it stood until the Reign of King E. 6. at which time the Reformation of the publick Liturgie drew after it by consequence an alteration in the present business no days being to be kept or accounted Holy but those for which the Church had set apart a peculiar office and not all those neither For whereas there are several and peculiar offices for the day of the Conversion of St. Paul and the day of St. Barnabas the Apostles neither of these are kept as Holy-days nor reckoned or esteemed as such in the Act of Parliament wherein the names and number of the Holy-days is precisely specified which makes some think the Act of Parliament to have had an over-ruling power on the Common-prayer-Book but it is not so
use of a Liturgy surther than to be an help in the want or to the weakness of a Minister and thereupon it is inferred with contempt enough that if any Minister appear insufficient to discharge the duty of conceived Prayer it may be imposed on him as a punishment to use set forms and no other If these two Propositions did proceed from the same one spirit as no doubt they did the extream falshood of the last doth prove sufficiently that neither of them did proceed from the Spirit of Truth King Edward VI. the Lord Protector then being and the learned Prelates of that time were our first Reformers the two first approving and confirming the last labouring and acting in that weighty business but all contributing to the passing of an Act of Parliament for uniformity of Service and Administration of the Sacraments 2 and 3. Ed. 6. cap. 1. and in that Act it is said expresly That all Ministers in any Cathedral or Parish Church or other place within this Realm of England Wales and other the Kings Dominions shall from and after the Feast of Pentecost next coming be bounden to say and use all Mattens Evensong Celebration of the Lords Supper commonly called the Mass and Administration of each of the Sacraments and their common and open Prayer in such order and form as is mentioned in the same Book and none other or otherwise Which clause continued still in being notwithstanding the alteration of the Liturgie till K. Edward's death and was revived again in the Act of Parliament 1 Eliz. cap. 2. By which the second Liturgie was confirmed and ratified Assuredly they that are bound to officiate by a Form prescribed to use no other Form but that and to use that Form no otherwise than the Law requireth and requireth under several penalties contained in it cannot be said to be at liberty to use or not to use it as they list themselves nor can pretend in any reason nor with common sense That the first Reformers of Religion did never intend the use of a Liturgy further than to be an help in the want or to the weakness of a Minister What the Reformers did in other Countreys was no Rule to ours who in the modelling of that great work had not only an eye and respect as the forementioned Statute telleth us to the most sincere and pure Christian Religion taught by the Scripture as probably the others had but also to the usages in the Primitive Church which certainly the others had not So that the second Position which the proud Inference thence deducted being blown aside the whole weight of the cause must wholly rest upon the first which whether it be of strength enough to support the same is the main disquisition and enquiry which we have in hand For when this Proposition was first vented and the point had been somewhat ventilated betwixt the humble Remonstrant on the one part and the Smectymnians on the other I was required by those who had Authority to command me to try what I could do in drawing down the Pedegree and the descent of Liturgies from the first use and institution of them amongst the Jews till they were setled and established also amongst the Christians For since the Smectymnians had appealed to the ancient practice of the Jews and Christians affirming positively that no such Liturgies that is to say no stinted and prescribed Forms of Administration were anciently used by either of them it is most fit and just they should be tryed by the Records and practice of those elder times to which they have Appealed for their justification So that the point between us being matter of Fact I shall pursue it in the way of an Historical Narration in which the Affirmative being made good by sufficient evidence it will be very difficult if not impossible to prove the Negative And for the better making good of the Affirmative I have taken in the Jewish Rabbins and other Antiquaries of that people of most faith and credit the holy Fathers and other Ecclesiastical Authors since the times of Christ to testifie unto the truth of what here is said either by way of explication of such Texts of Scripture which do relate unto this cause or in the way of declaration as laying down the practice of the Jews or Christians in their several times And that it may be seen that Liturgies or Set Forms of worship were of general usage I have made diligent search into the best and most unquestioned monuments of the ancient Gentiles and traced out many of their Forms of prayer and sacrifice used by them in the most religious acts of those performances and placed that search betwixt the practice of the Jews and that of the Christians And I have placed it in that order to the end that it may appear that the Christians had not only some ground of Scripture Tradition Apostolical and the best judgments of their own times to direct this business but that they were also guided in it by the light of Nature the Word of God amongst the Jews and the constant practice of that people in the times precedent Nor have I only took this pains in tracing out the constant practice of all people in respect of Liturgies but also with relation unto the necessary adjuncts and concomitants of them Set Forms of Worship require set times and places to perform them in which gives occasion to insert some notes or observations touching the Festivals or days of Religious offices taken up by the Authority of the Church in several Ages according as the commemoration of some signal benefits or Gods special mercies toward them might invite them to it The like I have done also in the erecting and dedicating of those sacred places which have been destinated in all times to Religious offices from the first Consecrating of the Tabernacle by Gods own appointment till the last dedication of the Temple in the time of Herod and from the first deputing of some places by the Lords Apostles for the divine performances and administrations of the Christian Faith till calmer times permitted the erecting of those stately Fabricks which the Gentiles looked upon with envy and admiration Some other things are intermingled touching the Habit of the Priests or Ministers under either Testament in the time or act of their officiating as also of the Gestures used both by Priests and People according to the several offices and acts of worship And this I have drawn down unto the time of S. Austin's death when neither Superstition in point of worship nor Heterodoxie in point of Doctrine had gotten any predominancy in the Church of Christ which was then come unto her height both for peace and purity By which the Reader may perceive how warrantably this Church proceeded in her Reformation as to this particular how strict an eye was had therein as well to the most sincere and pure Christian Religion taught by the Scripture as to the usages
them which is the moral part thereof A thing which God might please to leave unto the wisdom of his Church and the Rulers of it in that being moral duties and so by consequence imprinted in the minds of men by the stamp of nature there needed not so punctual and precise a prescription of them as of the outward ceremonies which were meerly legal Now that there were set forms of Prayers and Praises used in the celebratien of these legal Sacrifices even from the very times of Moses appeareth by a memorable passage in an old Samaritan Chronicle belonging once unto the Library of Joseph Scaliger now in the custody of the Learned Primate of Armagh In which Book after relation of the death of Adrian the Emperour whom the Jews curse with Conterat Deus ossa ejus as certainly he was a deadly enemy of theirs it followeth thus Quo tempore abstulit librum optimum qui penes illos fuit Clted by the L. B. of Exeter now B. of Norwich in his Answer to the Vindication jam inde à diebus illis tranquillis pacificis qui continebat cantiones preces sacrificiis praemissas Singulis enim Sacrificiis singulas praemiserunt cantiones jam tum diebus pacis usitatas quae omnia acourato conscripta in singulas transmissa subsequentes generationes à tempore Legati Mosis sc ad hunc usque diem per ministerium Pontificum Maximorum These are the words at large as I find them cited the substance of the which is this That after the decease of Adrian the High Priest then being took away that most excellent Book which had been kept amongst them ever since the calm and peaceable times of the Israelites which contained those Songs and Prayers which were ever used before their Sacrifices there being before every several Sacrifice some several Song or Hymn still used in those times of peace all which being accurately written had been transmitted to the subsequent generations from the time of Moses the Legat or Ambassador of God to that very time by the Ministry of the High Priests of the Jewish Nation A book to which the Chronicle aforesaid gives this ample testimony Eo libro historia nulla praeter Pentateuchum Mosis antiquior invenitur that there was not to be found a more antient piece except the Pentateuch of Moses And though some men no friends to Liturgy out of a mind and purpose to disgrace the evidence have told us that the most contained in the aforesaid book Smectymn Vindicat. p. 24. were only divine Hymns wherein there was always something of Prayer In saying so they have given up their verdict for us and confirmed our evidence For if there were set Hymns or Songs premised before every Sacrifice and if that every Hymn had somewhat in it of a Prayer there must be then set forms of Hymns and Prayers used at every Sacrifice which was the matter to be proved and by them denied But to descend unto particulars there was a Song composed and sung by Moses Exod. 15. on the defeat of Pharoah and the host of Egypt which is still extant in Gods book A song sung Quire-wise as it seemeth Moses as Chanter in that holy Anthem singing verse by verse and Mary the Prophetess Aaron's Sister and all the residue of the Women with Instruments of Musick in their hands saying or singing at each verses end CANTATE DOMINO Sing ye to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and the rider hath he thrown into the Sea vers 21. Aynsworth doth so conceive it in his Notes on Exodus and Lyra on the place differs little from it Egressae sunt mulieres quibus Maria praecinebat sec quod oportebat fieri aliae respondebant sicut solet fieri in tympanis choris eodem modo fecit Moyses respecu virorum Cajetan though he differ from them both in the manner of it yet he agrees upon the matter that this Hymn or Anthem was sung Quire-wise or alternatim it being his opinion that the Women singing some spiritual song to the praise of God Cajetan in Exod. c. 15.21 Mary to every verse made answer CANTATE DOMINO Innuitur saith he quod tot choris mulierum tanquam ex una parte canentibus aliquid in divinam laudem Maria sola tanquam ex altera parte canebat initium supra scripti Cantici that viz. which was sung by Moses But whatsoever manner there was used in the singing of it it seems the Jews did afterwards make Use thereof in their publick Liturgy For thus saith Hooker in his Book of Ecclesiastical Polity Hook Eccl. Pol. lib. 5. n. 26. That very Hymn of Moses whereof now we speak grew afterwards to be a part of the ordinary Jewish Liturgie and not that only but sundry others since invented their Books of Common prayer containing partly Hymns taken out of the holy Scriptures partly Thanksgivings Benedictions and Supplications penned by such as were from time to time the Governors of that Synagogue All which were sorted into several times and places some to begin the Service of God withal and some to end some to go before and some to follow after and some to be interlaced between the divine readings of the Law and Prophets Nor is there any thing more probable than that unto their custom of finishing the Passeover with certain Psalms the holy Evangelist doth evidently allude saying That after the Cup delivered by our Saviour unto his Apostles they sung and so went forth to the Mount of Olives What ground that eminent and learned man had for the first part of his Assertion viz That the song of Moses grew afterwards to be a part of the Jewish Liturgy although he hath not pleased to let us know yet I am confident he had good ground for what he said But for the latter part thereof that the Evangelist doth allude unto certain Psalms used at the finishing of the Jewish Passeover I think there is not any thing more clear and evident For proof whereof and that we may the better see with what set form of Prayers and Praises the Passeover was celebrated by the Jews of old Joseph Scalig. de emend Temp. 1.6 we will make bold to use the words of Joseph Scaliger who describes it thus All things being readily prepared and the guests assembled Offam azymam in Embamma intingebat Paterfamilias c. The Father of the Family or Master of the House dipped the unleavened bread into the sawce which was forthwith eaten Another part thereof being carefully reserved under a napkin was broke into as many pieces as there were several guests in the Paschal Chamber each piece being of the bigness of an Olive and each delivered severally to the guests as they sate in order That done he takes the Cup and having drank thereof gives it to the next he to a second and so in order to the rest till they all had
The Prayers saith he which after the Rites and manner of the Romans are made to the immortal Gods are all comprised in the Books belonging to the Priests of the people of Reme and in most ancient Prayers or Orations which still remain upon record And this I take to be an evidence above all exception as to the quod sit of the point that such Forms they had And these I take it were the Books which Lactantius calls Pontificum ipsorum scripta Lactant. de divin Institut l. 1. c. 21. and to the which he doth refer his reader to be more throughly informed de sacrificiis mysteriis deorum touching the mysteries or sacrifices of their several gods Their Rituals we may rightly call them For further proof whereof if more proof be needful I would fain know what else should be the meaning of those verba certa solennia which do occur so often in the ancient writers of that people in case they do not mean those set Forms or words which both the Priests and People were to use in Celebrating their accustomed Sacrifices or other parts of publick worship What else should be the meaning of these solennes preces which we find in Ovid. lib. 6. de Fastis of the solennem precem quindecim virorum mentioned in Statius Papinius lib. 4. Sylv. or of that of Seneca the Tragedian Senec. in Dedlpe Act. 2. Sect. 2. In vota superos voce solenni voca Arasque dono thuris Eoi extrue No question but in all those passages the solennes preces solennis vox are to be understood of those Forms of prayer which were prescribed unto the Priests and by him dictated unto the people In which regard as they were sometimes called verba certa so they are called other-whiles verba dictata For thus the Poet Juvenal Dictataque verba praetulit i. e. as the old Scholiast doth expound it Juvenal Sat. 6. dictata à Sacerdote vel haruspice such words as had been dictated by the Priest or Augur according to the publick Ritual Valer. Flaceus Argonautic l. 1. And to this purpose that of Valerius Flaceus Dictat pia vota sacerdos the Priest did dictate to the party the set words or Form in which the Vow was to be conceived And for the Verba certa which before we spake of they are no other than those words or Forms which were prescribed in the performance of these publick offices For thus saith Cicero speaking of some of the Ancients Generals who willingly had offered up their lives to preserve their Countrey he tells us of them that they did seipsos diis immortalibus velato capite VERBIS CERTIS pro Repub. devovere Cicero de aatur dcorum l. 2. Varro de lingu Latin l. 5. Festus Pompeius in Minora So Varro the most famous Antiquary of the Latines gives us this character or definition of their dies Fasti that they were such quibus certa verba legitima sine piaculo Praetoribus licet fari And thus the old Grammarian Pompeius Festus telling us what is meant by Minora Templa saith that they are loca aliqua ab Auguribus VERBIS CERTIS definita places laid out and limited by the Augurs under a certain Form of words as in another place he tells us that Temples are sometimes called Fana a Fando and gives this reason of the same quod dum Pontifex dedicat CERTA VERBA fatur The Temple being Consecrated and the Priest in readiness we must next go unto the Sacrifice to look upon the Rites and set Forms of that These we will borrow from Rosinus Rosinus Antiq. Rom. l. 3. c. 33. who doth at large describe them in this wise as followeth Cum sacerdos victimam ad aram adduxisset stans manu Aram prehendebat preces fundebat Principium precationis à Jano Vesta fieri oportehat quae in omnibus sacris praecipua numina erant in votis nuncupandis compellationem primam meruerant inde quod per eos aditus ad caeteros patere opinio erat Et observabatur in ea precatione nt Jupiter Pater Opt. Max. omnesque dii caeteri Patres advocarentur Ne quid vero verborum praeteriretur aut praepostere recitaretur descripto praeire aliquem ruisusque alium custodem dari qui attenderet sedulo alium qui favere linguis juberet tibicinem canere ne quid infaustum audiretur oportebat i. e. when the Priest had brought the Sacrifice unto the Altar he stood and held the Altar in his hand or his hand rather upon it and made the ordinary Prayers His Prayers were to begin with invocation of Janus and Vesta as having the chief place in all their Sacrifices and being usually first called upon in all their vows and supplications on an opinion that by them the way was made more facile to the other Gods And 't was observed that in that Prayer not only Father Jupiter the best and greatest was invoked or called upon but also all the residue of the greater Deities And that there might no word be pretermitted or spoke out of order the custom was that some did first repeat the solemn words as they were described in the Ritual which were said after him by the people present others were appointed for overseers to attend the office others there were who did command the people Silence and set the Musician to his singing lest any ominous or unlucky sound should be heard amongst them This in the way of preparation And all this as you see consisted in Prayers and Orizons unto the gods that they would graciously accept the intended Sacrifice and those not arbitrary at the discretion of the Priest but such as were prescribed and limited both for the method and the manner Which being written in a book or Ritual as before I call'd it the Priest did thence praeire verba pronounce the usual and accustomed words the people saying after him what he thence pronounced And whereas it is said by Resnus here that some of the attendants used to command the people silence saying favete linguis as we saw before even those were words prescribed and limited solemn and formal words in all publick Sacrifices For thus we find it in the Poet Horace Favete linguis Carmina non prius audita Musarum sacerdos virginibus puerisque canto Statius Papinius thus Lucanum canimus favete linguis Horat. Carm. l. 3. ode 1. Statius Sylv. l. 2. Servius in Virgil. Antid l. 5. And Servius on those words of Virgil Ore favete omnes cingite temporaramis makes this observation Apto sermone usus est in sacrificiis ludis Nam in sacris taciturnitas necessaria est quod etiam Praeco magistratu sacrificante dicebat Favete linguis The like we also have in Seneca in his Book de beata vita ad Gallionem But to proceed as they made way unto their Sacrifices with certain and determinate Prayers to those
Scripture there is no question made amongst Learned men but they were Obligatory to the Church for succeeding Ages The blessing of the Bread the breaking of it and the distributing thereof unto his Apostles the blessing of the Cup and the communicating of the same to all the Company those formal Energetical words Take eat this is my Body and drink ye all of this this is the Cup c. and all this to be done in remembrance of me Are rites and actions so determined words so prescribed and so precisely to be used that it is not in the Churches power unless she mean to set up a Religion of her own devising for to change the same And this I take it is agreed on by all Learned Protestants Certain I am it was so in the Churches practice from the first beginning as may appear to any one who will take the pains to compare the Rites and Form of administration used by S. Paul and his Associates in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 11.24.25 with that which was both done and prescribed by Christ according as it is related in the holy Gospel A further proof hereof we shall e're long Nor find I any difference considerable amongst moderate men touching the Priest or Minister ordained by Christ for the perpetuating of this Sacrament for the commemoratingof his death and passion until his coming unto judgement The publick exercises of Religion would be but ill performed without a Priesthood and that would soon be brought to nothing at least reduced unto contempt and scorn if every one that listeth might invade the Office Our Saviour therefore when he did institute this Sacrament or as the Fathers called it without offence in those pious times the Sacrifice of the blessed Eucharist Cum novi Testamenti novam docuit oblationem Prenaeus cont hares l. 4. c. 32. to use the words of Irenaeus give an hoc facite unto his Apostles a faculty to them and their successors in the Evangelical Priesthood to do as he had done before that is to take the Bread to bless to break it and to distribute it amongst the Faithful to sanctifie the Cup and then to give it to the Congregation Men of on Orders in the Church may edere bibere as the Lord appointed and happy 't is they are permitted to enjoy such sweet refection But for hoc facere that 's the Priests peculiar And take they heed who do usurp upon the Office lest the Lord strike them with a fouler Leprosie than he did Vzzah 2 Chron. 26.20 when he usurped upon the Priesthood and would needs offer Incense in the House of God These points are little controverted amongst sober men The matter most in question which concerns this business is whether our Redeemer used any other either Prayers or Blessings when he did institute this blessed Sacrament than what were formerly in use amongst the Jews when they did celebrate their Passeover and if he did then whether he commended them unto his Apostles or left them to themselves to compose such Prayers as the necessities of the Church required and might seem best to them and the Holy Ghost This we shall best discover by the following practice in which it will appear on a careful search that the Apostles in their times and the Church afterwards by their example did use and institute such Forms of Prayer and Praise and Benedictions in the Solemnities of the blessed Sacrament of which there is no constat in the Book of God that they were used at that time by our Saviour Christ And if they kept themselves to a prescript Form in celebration of the Eucharist as we shall shortly see they did then we may easily believe it was not long before they did the like in all the acts of publick Worship according as the Church increased and the Believers were disposed of into Congregations And first beginning with the Apostles it is delivered by the Ancients that in the Consecration of the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood they used to say the Lords Prayer Hierom. adv Pelagium l. 3. There is a place in Hierome which may seem to intimate that this was done by Christs appointment Sic docuit Apostolos suos saith that Reverend Father ut quotidie in corporis illius sacrificio credentes audeant loqui Pater noster c. Whether his words will bear that meaning I can hardly say Certain I am they are alledged to this purpose by a late Learned writer Steph. Durantes de ritibus Ecelesiae Cathol l. 2. c. 46. who saying first Eam i. e. orationem Dominicam in Missae sacro dicendam Christus ipse Apostolos docuit that Christ instructed his Apostles to say the Lords Prayer in the Celebration of that Sacrament or in the Sacrifice of the Mass as he calls it there doth for the proof thereof vouch these words of Hierome But whether it were so or not most sure it is that the Apostles are reported to have used that Prayer as often as they Celebrated the Communion Mos fuit Apostolorum saith S. Gregory ut ad ipsam solummodo orationem Dominicam oblationis hostiam consecrarent It was Gregor M. Epist l. 7. Ep. 54. V. Bellarm. de Missa l. 2. c. 19. Durand Ration divinorum l. 4. saith he the use or custom of the Apostles to Consecrate the Host or Sacrament with reciting only the Lords Prayer Which passage if he took from that of Hierome as some think he did the one may not unfitly serve to explain the other The like saith Durand in his Rationale The Lord saith he did institute the Sacrament with no other words than those of Consecration only Quibus Apostoli adjecerunt orationem Dominicam to which the Apostles added the Lords Prayer And in this wise did Peter first say Mass you must understand him of the Sacrament in the Eastern parts Platina in vita Sixti Platina saith the like as to S. PETER Eum ubi consecraverit oratione Pater noster usum esse That in the Consecration of the Sacrament he used to say the Lords Prayer or the Pater noster See to this purpose Antonius tit 5. cap. 2. § 1. Martinus Polonus in his Chronicon and some later Writers By which as it is clear and evident that the Apostles used the Lords Prayer in the Celebration of the holy Mysteries which is a most strong argument that it was given them to be used or said not to be imitated only So it may seem by Gregories solummodo that they used the Lords Prayer and nothing else And therefore that of Gregory must be understood either that they used no other Prayer in the very act of Consecration or that they closed the Form of Consecration with that Prayer of Christs which may well be without excluding of the words of Consecration which our Saviour used or such preparatory Prayers as were devised by the Apostles for that great solemnity For certainly
publick end For if he should it must needs sound exceeding harshly that every Member in the Congregation should be left unto the liberty of his own expression and their Devotions if so ordered could be entituled nothing less than Common-prayers by which name Justin Martyr calls them as before was shewn But that we may the better understand Tertullians meaning we will first take the words at large Tertullian Apologet c. 30. and then conjecture at the sense The words are these Illuc suspicientes Christiani manibus expansis quia innocuis capite nudo quia non erubescimus sine monitore quia de pectore oramus precantes summs omnes semper pro omnibus Imperatoribus vitam illis prolixam imperium securum domum tutam exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum orbem quietum quaecunque hominis vel Caesaris vota sunt We Christians looking towards Heaven pray with our hands stretched out to protest our innocence bare-headed because not ashamed without a Monitor because by heart an happy Reign a secure House valiant Souldiers faithful Counsellors an industrious People and whatsoever else the Prayers of a private man for it is hominis not hominum or those even of the Emperor himself can extend unto And this he sheweth to be the subject of those Prayers which he himself did use to make for the Roman Emperors in the words next following Haec ab alio orare non possum quam à quo me scio consecuturum I pray for all this to no other than to him alone of whom only I am certain to obtain the same And sure Tertullian was a private person nor de we find that he prayed thus with others in the Congregation or if he did yet being the heads are certain which are spoke of here the Form may also be prescribed for ought appears unto the contrary which was used there And for the Monitor 't is true the Gentiles had of old their Monitors not only to direct them in what words but to what God also they should make their Prayers Which thing the Christians needed not who knew they were to make their Prayers unto God alone and being accustomed to pray in the Congregation according to the Form prescribed for the Emperors safety and the prosperity of his affairs could without any Monitor or Prompter pray by heart for those things which concerned the weal and safety of the Emperors and those who were in Office and Authority by and under them What the Prayers were used by the Christians of those times it is hard to say there being so little of them extant in Authors of unquestioned credit but that they used set Forms of prayer is not hard to prove as we shall see in the next Century when we have looked into the works of Origen and spent a little time in S. Cyprians writings If in their Books one of which was cotemporary with Tertullian the other living very near him if not with him also we find prescribed Forms of prayer I hope it will be granted without great difficulty that in Tertullians time they had prescribed Forms although those Forms appear not upon good record But first before we come to that we will lay down the course and order of the ministration according as I find it in the Constitutions ascribed to Clemens The Author of the which whosoever he was lived about these times and may perhaps be credited in a matter of fact although of no Authority with the Learned in a point of Doctrine Now he describeth both the Churches and the service thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constitut Clement l. 2. c. 57. c. When thou he speaks unto the Bishop doest call the Congregation to Assemble as being the Master of the Ship command thy Deacons as the Mariners that places be provided for the Brethren who are as passengers therein First let the Church be built in form of an Oblongum looking towards the East and let the Bishops Throne or Chair be placed in the midst thereof the Presbyters sitting on each side of him and the Deacons ready and prepared to attend the Ministry to whom it appertaineth to place the lay-people in their ranks and seats and set the Women by themselves Then let the Reader from the Desk or Pulpit placed in the middle of the people read the Books of Moss as also those of Josuah Judges Kings and Chronicles and that of Ezra touching the return from Babylon as also those of Job and Solomon and the sixteen Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Two Chapters being read let one begin the Psalms of David and let the people answer the Acrosticks i. e. the closes or the burden of the song as we use to say Then let the Acts be read and the Epistles of S. Paul which he inscribed to several Churches by the suggestion of the Holy Ghost Afterwards let the Presbyter or Dacon read the Gospels which Matthew Mark Luke and John have left behind them And whilst they read the Gospel let the people stand and hearken to the same with silence For it is written Take heed and hearken O Israel and in another place Stand thou there and hearken Then let the Presbyters speak a word of Exhortation to the people not all at once but one by one and the Bishop last This done all of them rising up and turning towards the East the Catechumeni and those which are under Penance being first departed let them direct their Prayers to God after which some of the Deacons are to attend upon the Sacrifice of the holy Eucharist others to have an eye on the Congregation and to see that silence be well kept Then let the Deacon which assists the Bishops thus bespeak the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man here have malice against his Brother let no man harbour any dissimulation Which said the men salute the men the women those of their own Sex with an holy kiss After the Deacon saith the Prayer for the whole Church the universal World and the parts thereof as also for fertility for the Priests the Magistrates for the Bishop and King and the peace of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This done Id. l. 8. c. 22. the Deacons are to bring the offerings to the Bishop laying the same upon the Altar the Priests assisting on each side as the Disciples do their Master Then the Bishop praying to himself together with the Priests or Presbyters and being arrayed in a white Vesture standing at the Altar and maing the sign of the Cross upon his forehead shall say The Grace of God Almighty and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you all and all the people shall return this Answer And with thy spirit Then shall the Bishop say Lift up your hearts and they reply We lift them up unto the Lord. The Bishop thus Let us give thanks unto the Lord the people
Council the Spiritualty and Temporalty And I shall desire you to commend unto God with your prayers the Souls departed unto God in Christs Faith and among those most especially our late Sovereign Lord King Henry VIII your most noble Father for these and for grace necessary I shall desire you to say a Pater-nosler and so forth Which Form of his agrees most exactly with that order in the Kings Injunction not altered then in that clause for the Saints departed which as it seems continued till the alteration of the publick Liturgy Anno 1552. and then was changed with the same In other things no difference between him and that other Form which was commanded and set forth by the Queens Injunction and between him and Bishop Latimer so little that it may seem to be in words more than meaning In both we have a clear and pregnant evidence that then they used no proper and direct address to God in a formal Prayer of their own devising but only laid before the people some certain heads they were to pray for which in the Language of that time was called Bidding of prayer We should now look upon the practice in King Henries days but that I think no question can or will be made in that particular considering the severe temper of that Prince in exacting full obedience unto all his Mandates or if there be that Form of Prayer which we find used by Bishop Latimer in his Sermon Preached before the Convocation in the 28th of that Kings Reign which before we spake of may serve once for all without further Instances which brings the precept and the practice to the like Antiquity Put all that hath been said together and the sum is this That if we do interpret the Canon of the year 1603. by the Queens Injunctions and construe both of them according to the Injunctions in King Edwards and King Henries days seconded by the constant practice in all times succeeding we shall see plainly that in the intention of the Church we are to use no Prayer before our Sermons by way of Invocation to God but somewhere in them or before them to use a Form of Bidding prayer by way of Exhortation to the Auditory This said we will declare in brief how the new Form of Prayer by way of Invocation and address to God which is now generally taken up came in use amongst us and afterwards lay down some reasons not so much to oppose that Form of Invocation lately taken up as to establish and confirm the other Form of Bidding prayers founded upon the Canon the Injunctions and the antient practice Now this new Form of Invocation to deal plainly in it was first contrived and set on foot by the Puritan faction who labouring with might and main 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the saying is to overthrow the publick service of this Church then by Law established endeavoured to advance in the place thereof an Arbitrary and Extemporary Form of Prayer of every ptivate mans devising and that not only before but after Sermon Calvin had so appointed in Geneva and Knex in Scotland and rather than not have it so in England also the Brethren were resolved to put all in hazard This when they could not compass with their noise and clamour they fell upon a way which came somewhat near it and was more likely far to effect their purpose Their Lecturers and Preachers yea and followers too not coming to the Church till the Service ended and their own Prayer was to begin The Book of dangerous practices and positions writ as was thought by Bishop Bancroft though not then a Bishop will give us some of those examples take one among them for a tryal and you shall find him boast himself that every Sabbath so he called it not medling with the Liturgy prescribed he used to Preach unto his people Ego singulis sabbatis si non alius adveniens locum suppleat cum praescriptâ liturgias formula nihil habens commercii in coetu concionem habeo What he professed for himself was then the practice of them all some of them as it is observed in the Conference at Hampton Court being content to walk in the Church-yard till Sermon time rather than to be present at publick prayer and is still I fear used by many Lecturers in and about the City of London Thus having limited all Gods Service unto Preaching and some Extemporary Prayer of their own devising they brought the people at last unto this persuasion that in the publick Liturgy there was nothing but a meer formality which the Law enjoyned Their Arbitrary and Extemporary Forms of Prayer savouring only of the Spirit and true devotion which when they could not bring about at the first attempt they practised with a counterfeit Devil to undertake it The seven of Lancashire when they were taught by Mr. Darrel to play the Demoniacks were also taught by him to promote the cause As often as any of those Ministers who were conformable to the Church and kept themselves unto the Forms of the publique Liturgy did come to visit them and in their hearing read some Prayers out of the common-Common-prayer Book the Devil was as quiet as any Lamb as if he were well pleased with that Form of Service or that there was not any thing in those Prayers or the men that used them to trouble him or disturb his peace But when as Mr. Darrel and other Brethren of the Non-conformity approached in sight who used to fall upon him with whole volleys of raw and indigested Prayers of their own devising such as they had prepared and fitted for the present occasion then were the wicked Spirits much more troubled and perplexed extreamly whereby you may perceive that even the Puritans also had a kind of Holy-water with which to fright away the Devil lest else the Papists should in any thing have the start before them And whereas the Injunction had restrained the Clergy to some certain heads by them to be commended to the Peoples prayers these men took neither care of the Form or matter of the said Injunction not of the Form for they directed their address to Almighty God in manner of a formal prayer as hath since been used against the Canon nor of the matter of the same for they began their Prayer with a long confession or a discourse rather of their own uncleanness and the corruption of mans nature fill'd it with praise and thanksgiving for particular blessings even for their Godly friends and acquaintance and ended it with a kind of a charm or transubstantiating as viz. That the words which they should speak might not be entertained as the words of a mortal man but as they were indeed the words of the immortal and living God For in that very stile I have heard it often nay they went so far in the end that the Visitation of the Sick prescribed by the Church was quite laid aside their weak estate being reduced unto
used it or else between the Text and Sermon as others no less eminent than he have been accustomed to do Or if it must needs be interpreted to be before them both as the most would have it we must then think the Church was pleased to yield a little unto the current of the time in which that fashion generally had been taken up And that the Church regarded not so much the circumstance as the main and substance which was to lay before the people some heads of prayer and thereby to cut of those long and tedious prayers so much used of late under pretence whereof so many Widows houses had been devoured and all the publick service of the Church neglected Thirdly it may be pleaded that the old Form of Bidding prayers is more agreeable to the Law than their new Form of Invocation which is expresly and directly against the same For in the Statute 2. and 3. of King Edward VI. Cap. 1. as afterwards in the first of Queen Elizabeth Cap. 20. whereas afterwards in the first of Queen Elizabeth Cap. 20. wherein the common-prayer-Common-prayer-book now in use was confirmed and established It is enacted That if any manner of Parson Vicar or whatsoever Minister that ought or should sing or say Common prayers c. shall wilfully or obstinately standing on the same use any other Rite Cermony Order Form or manner of celebrating the Lords Supper openly or privily or Mattens Even-song administration of the Sacraments or other open prayer N. B. than is mentioned and set forth in the said Book He shall lose and forfeit to the Queens Highness her Heirs and Successours for his first offence the profits of all his spiritual Benefices and Promotions coming and arising in one whole year next after his conviction and also for the same offence shall suffer imprisonment by the space of nine Months without bayl or mainprise c. and so from one punishment unto another until at last they come on the third offence to Deprivation and imprisonment perpetual Now lest there should be any doubt what is here meant by Open prayer The said two Statutes thus expound it Open prayer in and throughout this Act is meant that prayer which is for others to come unto and hear either in common Churches or private Chappels and Oratories commonly called the service of the Church so as it seemeth by this Statute that whosoever useth in the Church any open prayer i. e. such prayer as is made for other Men to come unto or hear which is not mentioned or set forth in the Common-prayer book makes himself subject unto all the penalties in the same conteined which thing considered as it ought it is not to be thought that in the Convocation of 1603. the Church did order or permit by the aforesaid Canon any Form of prayer or Invocation which was repugnant to the Statutes standing still in force but only purposed to continue the usual Form of Bidding prayer or exhortation unto Prayers which was agreeable thereto In the 4th rank the very place it self comes to be considered in which this Prayer of theirs is made which of all places else is most improper for that action and least intended to it by the Church Pulpits were made of old for publick speeches to the people and not for Prayers unto the Gods the Pulpit for Orations being often mentioned in Heathen Writers call it Suggestum rostrum pulpitum or what else you will but never any mentioned in them as a place for Prayer And so in sacred matters also the Pulpit hath been used for publishing the Law in reference to Mount Sinai whence it first was published Neh. v. 4. Matth. 5.6 7. Deut. 27.13 and for the preaching of the Gospel in reference to the Mount where it was first preached and for the denouncing of Gods Judgments on the Disobedient in reference to Mount Ebal whence the Curse was threatned But that the Pulpit should be used as a place to pray in when there are other places destinate to that holy Use was never heard of as I think till these later Ages when all things seemed to tend to Innovation Sure I am in the Church of England there was no such meaning for in the 83. Canon it is ordained that the Parishioners shall provide a comely and decent Pulpit to be set in a convenient place and to be there seemly kept for the preaching of Gods Word Nothing else in the Canon is expressed but only preaching of Gods Word and therefore I may safely say nothing else was meant especially there being another seat appointed for the publick prayers Can. 82. For further proof of which let us but look unto the Rubrick before the Commination where is said as followeth After Morning prayer the people being called together by the tolling of a Bell and assembled in the Church the English Letany shall be said after the accustomed manner which ended the Priest shall go into the Pulpit and say thus Here seems to be another Use of the Pulpit besides that of preaching but indeed it is not The threatnings of Gods Judgments being many times as necessary to and for Gods people as the endearments of his mercies and both the preaching of his Word Now whereas after the said Commination there are some certain reconciliatory Psalms or Prayers that follow after those are not to be said within the Pulpit but where the Letany had been said before for so it is declared in the next Rubrick Then shall they all kneel upon their knees the Priest and Clerk kneeling where they are accustomed to say the Letany shall say this Psalm which plainly shews that in the intention of the Church the Pulpit was not made for a place for the Priest to pray in but rather for a place wherein to teach the people how they were to pray which is the Bidding prayers in the Canon meant The same may be concluded also even from the posture of the Preacher being in the Pulpit for Pulpits being made as before was said for Speeches Sermons and Orations unto the people the Speaker Orator or Preacher was of necessity or ordinary Course to turn himself unto the people that so they might the better both see and hear him as in such things is still accustomed whereas in times of Prayer the Priest or Minister ought to turn his face to the upper end of the Church looking towards the East and so his back to be towards the people I say that so he ought to do at least if he intend to follow either the prescript of this Church or most true antiquity The Christians of Tertullians time were generally accused for worshipping the Sun because that in their prayers they turned their faces to the East Inde suspicio quod innotuerit nos ad Orientis regionem precari Apol. p. 16. as he there informs us where nos no question was not meant of the people only but of Priest and people And for the Church of England
Rubr. after the Psal it is appointed in her Rubrick that at the reading of the Lessons the Minister which reads shall stand and turn him so as he may be best heard of all such as be present which shews plainly he was to look another way when he said the Prayers And lest it may be said that the other way was not directly from the people but askew upon them which yet would ill become the Preacher we find it among other things objected by the Puritan faction in Queen Elizabeths time not only that the Ministers did say some part of Divine Service within the Chancel where he must needs look askew upon them but that at other times his face was turned away from them altogether whereof see Hooker l. 5. Sect. 30. which makes me wonder by the way that all or most part of our Reading-pews should be of late so placed that contrary both to the Churches Order and the antient practice the Minister when he readeth the Prayers looks downwards towards the lower end of the Church and not unto the East as he ought to do so then the Preacher in the Pulpit turning himself unto the people and making himself the object of their Eyes as he of their attentions cannot be thought to pray to God but if he pray at all to the people rather and on the other side the Form of Bidding prayers being by way of Exhortation and so purposed doth fit as well the posture of the Preacher as it doth the place Lastly the Form of Bidding prayers stands more with the intention of the Church than that of Invocation because it doth avoid some inconveniences and absurdities which do arise upon the other For first whereas the Church prescribes a set Form of prayer in her publick Liturgy from which it is not lawful for any of her Ministers either to vary or recede she did it principally to avoid all unadvised effusions of gross and undigested prayers as little capable of piety as they are utterly void of Order and this she did upon the reason given in the Milevitan Council viz. lest else through ignorance or want of Care any thing should be uttered contrary to the Rule of Faith ne forte aliquid contra fidem vel per ignorantiam vel per minus studium sit compositum as the Canon hath it But were men suffered to enjoy a liberty of Praying and saying what they listed before their Sermons in vain had the Church bound us to set Forms of prayer in the common Liturgy upon several penalties when men might afterwards run riot how they pleased in their particular prayers before their Sermons without blame or censure And though perhaps in some Churches of the Reformation in which there is no publick Liturgy or set Form of Divine Service to which both Priest and people are obliged to conform themselves it may be lawful for the Preacher to use such prayers both before and after Sermon as the consideration of that great work and the necessities of the people may invite him to yet it is otherwise with us in the Church of England where all these points are carefully provided for in the Book of common-Common-prayers which in these other Churches are made the Subject of the Preachers Now where some men conceive they obey the Canon in case they pray in that Form or to that effect those who do so conceive it shew in their deeds that they as little care for the effect as for the Form we plainly see by the effects what that effect of theirs would tend to what is the issue of that liberty which most Men have taken too many of that sort who most stand upon it using such passages in their prayers before their Sermons that even their prayers in the Psalmists language are turned into Sin And for the brevity therein required as briefly as conveniently they may they neglect that also and study to spin out their prayers to a tedious length against all convenience Besides whereas the Church intendeth nothing more in her publick Canons than an uniformity in Devotion this leaving men to themselves in such a special part of Gods publick Service as that now is made would bring in a Confusion at the least a Dissonancie and so destroy that blessed Concord which the Church most aims at Both which absurdities or inconveniences call them what you will are happily avoided by that Order of Bidding prayers by the Church intended A third and greater inconvenience than the other two which would and doth arise from that Form of Prayer by way of Invocation is that it doth accuse the publick Liturgy as insufficient and defective For were it thought that the Confession in the service-Service-book and those particular Prayers Collects Hymns Thanksgivings and Ejaculations which are therein used were either perfect in themselves or acceptable unto God to what end should we add a prayer of our own devising that were to light a Candle before the Sun and therefore they that stand upon it do in effect as much as if a man should say my Friends and Brethren make no account of any thing which you hear from the Common-prayer-book in which is nothing to be found but the voice of Man but hearken unto me and by me what the Churches say to the Spirit or as a Puritan Tradesman once served my old Chamber-fellow Mr. L. D. meeting one time by chance at Dinner my Chamber-fellow being the only Scholar in the Company was requested to say Grace which he did accordingly and having done the Tradesman whom before I spake of lifting up both his hands and whites to Heaven calls upon them saying Dearly beloved Brethren let us praise God better And thereupon began a long Grace of his own conceiving The case is just the same in the present business Nor had those Men who first invented those new Forms of Prayer obtruded them so easily upon the Church but that withal they laboured to persuade weak Men and did persuade them at the last that questionless such prayers were better and more powerful far than any by the Church appointed Now all this fear of bringing down the reputation of the Liturgy and practising to advance our private prayers above the publick are easily avoided by that Bidding of prayers enjoyed by Queen Elizabeth and King Edward VI. and before that in use in the Church of England as doth appear most plainly in King Henries time and therefore questionless it was the meaning of the Canon that it should continue And being it was the meaning of the Canon of them that made it that the said Form of Bidding prayers for avoiding the inconveniences and mischiefs before recited should be still continued the Prelates of the present times have greater reason to see it carefully and duly put in execution by how much the mischiefs and inconveniences arising from neglect thereof and from the liberty which some Men take unto themselves of praying what and how they list in the
the Patriarchs were not meer dumb shews a bare and naked ceremony and no more than so But being their devotions were occasional as before was said we have no reason to presume that they had any prescript and set form of Prayer which of congruity was to change and vary according to the several occasions presented to them And yet it seems it was not long before besides the tendry of their Oblations Gods Book makes mention of a further duty that of Invocation the calling on the name of the Lord their God In the beginning of that Chapter we find Cain and Abel bringing their Offerings to the Lord and in the end thereof on the birth of Enos we find that men began to call on the Name of the Lord. Gen. 4.26 Which Text by reason of the different readings and no less differing expositions is not yet so clear but that a question may be made whether an holy and religious Invocation on the Name of God be there meant or not and if it be whether it were a private or a publick duty For howsoever we read it in the Text of our English Bibles Then began men to call on the Name of the Lord yet in the Margin it is otherwise Then began men to call themselves by the Name of the Lord And Aynsworth differing from them both Then began men to call profanely on the Name of Jehovah So also for the several Glosses made upon the Text not to insist upon the different readings either of the Greek or Latine Bibles the Chaldee Paraphrase had it thus Tunc in diebus ejus inceperunt filii hominum ut non orarent in nomine Domini Chald. Paraph. in Gen. Then in his days began the Sons of men not to invoke or call upon the Name of God which is directly contrary unto the English S. Hierome thus according to the tendries of the Jews as himself informs us Tunc primum in nomine Domini in similitudine ejus fabricata sunt idola then began men to set up Idols both in the Name and after the Similitude of God Hieronym Qu. Hebraic in Gen. Maymonides one of the Learnedest of the Rabbins as he is vouched by Aynsworth thus That in those days Idolatry took its first beginning and the People Worshipped the Stars and the Host of Heaven And as for those that do adhere unto the reading of the vulgar Latine Ap. Aynsw in his notes on Gen. 4. Iste coepit invocare nomen Domini which differs very little from the English Bible they are not very well agreed amongst themselves though most of them do agree in this that it is meant of publick Worship and which is more than so of set forms of worship Junius amongst the Protestants doth conceive it so Prius quidem invocavit Adam sed in familia nunc invocarunt multi sed in Ecclesiam recepti Junii Annot. in Gen. Adam saith he did in the first beginning call upon the Name of God but it was only as it were in his private Family Now began many men to do the like but such as were assembled to that purpose in a Church or body Paraeus is more plain and positive Sed an prius non fuit invocatum Had not the Name of God been called on in the former times Yes that it had saith he but privately and by a few But now the Family of Seth increasing the Church and the Religion in the same professed Paraeus in cap. 4. Gen. became much improved Et certa cultus forma fuit constituta and there was constituted and established a set form of Worship The like Pererius hath for the Pontificians who first expounding it of the Exemplary piety of Enos by preaching and instructing others in the fear of God then adds that Enos is first said to call upon the Name of the Lord Pererius in Gen. cap. 4. quia iste primus certas quasdam precationum formulas condidit because he was the first that did compose set forms of Prayer and devised several rites and ceremonies for the advancement of Gods Service Of the same mind also is Torniellus as to the gathering of Gods People into Congregations the setting out of certain forms of Prayer and Praises for the performance of Religious Worship and the appointing of set times and places for those pious duties Tunc primum institutos fuisse spirituales quosdam conventus quasdam devotas precationes puta Psalmos aut Hymnos in summi Dei laudem Torniell Annal sacri anno 236. certis temporibus locis pie cultis communiter recitandos as his words there are In which he saith no more in substance than did those before But where he adds Praecipuè diebus Sabbati that this was specially observed on the Sabbath day he hath not only found a reach beyond his fellows but plainly contradicted what he said before in another place where we are told that there had been no sanctifying of a Sabbath here on earth Id. Ibid. D. 7. till the time of Moses quando sub praecepto data est filiis Israel when as it was imposed by a Commandment on the House of Israel Thus have we found according to the Expositions of these Learned men a prescribed form of Common-prayer in the time of Enos even in the cradle of the World But being the Text hath different readings and no less different explications as before was shewn I dare not hold it a fit ground whereon to raise the building which I have in hand And if we find not here what we have in search there is but little hope to meet with it in any of the publick Acts of Noah or Abraham Gen. 8.20.12 7 13 4 c. Gen. 12.8.13.4 c. Gen. 26.25 Gen. 35.1 Gen. 33.20 of both which it is said that they built Altars and offered Sacrifice of Abraham that he called also on the Name of God Of Isaac it is also said that he built an Altar and called on the Name of the Lord and it is said of Jacob the Son of Isaac that he built two Altars the one at Bethel by the Lords appointment the other at El-Elohe-Israel of his own devotion But with what rites those Sacrifices were accompanied which were performed upon those Altars and in what solemn form of words or whether with any solemn form of words they did pour forth their prayers to Almighty God I am not able to determine Most like it is that their Devotions being occasional their Prayers and Hymns were fitted unto those occasions as before was said And that the several Actions of Religious worship which are recorded of the Patriarchs in the Book of God were occasional only without relation either to set times or places may be easily seen by looking over the particulars The Sacrifice of Noah as it was remarkable so it was occasional an Eucharistical oblation for that great deliverance which had befallen him and his Family by Gods grace
and mercy And therefore it is well observed by Scaliger that presently upon his coming out of the Ark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immolavit Deo Joseph Scalig. de Emend Temp. l. 5. He offered unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving and paid his Vows to the most High for so miraculous a safety The Sacrifices and other Acts of publick Worship which are recorded in the Scripture of our Father Abraham were occasional also either in due acknowledgment of Gods gracious promise made unto him at his first entrance into the Land of Canaan Gen. xii 7. or for his blessings on his journey ibid. vers 8. or on his taking a livery and seisin of the Promised Land when he sate down and dwelt in the plain of Mamre cap. xiii ver 18. or on the peace concluded betwixt him and the King of Philistims cap. xxi v. 33. or finally not to look after other instances on the redemption or reprieve of Isaac Gen. xxii 13. The like we may observe in that of Isaac building an Altar and calling on the Name of God that it was done upon the Lords appearing to him and the gracious comforts which he gave him cap. xxxvi 25. And why did Jacob offer Sacrifice at Galeed Gen. xxxi v. 48. 54. but on occasion of the League concluded betwixt him and Laban or build an Altar at El-Elobe-Israel but in regard that he had made a Pacification with his Brother Esau and was restored unto his Countrey cap. xxxii v. 20. So that in all this search into particulars the most which we can find is this that they were all intent upon building Altars which shews that Altars were no part of the Jewish Ceremonies nor by those holy men conceived unfit to be imployed in the performance of Religious Worship and that the Sacrifices made upon these Altars were intermixed with Prayer and Invocation on the Name of God Of any prescript form of Prayer there is as little to be found in the former instances as of appointed either times or places for the performance of the same of which we have found nothing hitherto in the Book of Genesis Not hitherto indeed in any of the instances before produced though one there be which is by some supposed to reflect that way Abrahams planting of a Grove and calling there upon the Name of the Lord Gen. xxi 33. is thought by men of no mean credit and ability in the ways of Learning to be the designation of a set and appointed place for the officiating of Gods publick Service Musculus doth conceive it so Musculus in Gen. cap. 21. Cajetan in locum Locum orationis Ecclesiae suae constituit inter Arbores And Cajetan before him to the same effect Nemus quoddam tanquam templum effecit ut esset oratorium tam sibi quam aliis colentibus verum Deum Whose judgement in this point is both recited and approved by Pererius the Jesuite in his Commentaries on the Text. They all agree in this that Abraham did plant that Grove for a Church or Oratory wherein himself and others which were so devoted might make their supplications to the Lord their God Calvin in locum But Calvin rather thinks that Abraham having setled all his differences with K. Abimelech did plant this Grove in signum tranquillae fixaeque habitationis to signifie that now he had a constant dwelling in the Land of Canaan men using not to build or plant but where they do intend to set up their rest Lyra conceives that it was planted for no other end than the benefit of shade and fruit and to give entertainment unto Strangers Lyran. in locum qui amoenitate loci recrearentur fructibus reficerentur to whom the pleasures of the place and sweetness of the fruits must needs be equally delightful And this comes nearer to the Hebrew Aeshel which doth not so much signifie a Grove as a well-spread Tree So that the meaning of the Text being not resolved or if that were the meaning of the Text which Musculus and Cajetan have agreed upon yet being it was not drawn into example by Gods faithful Servants in the times succeeding but only by the Gentiles and the Idolatrous Jews in their Apostasie from God we dare not from this Text infer a set place of worship or that the following Ages took an hint from hence to consecrate appointed and determinate places for Religious uses But if we look a little lower into the Life and History of Jacob we may perhaps find that which will be conclusive Now it is said of Jacob in the Book of Genesis that when he had beheld the Vision and awaked from sleep and said How dreadful is this place c. that he rose up early in the morning and took the stone which he had put for his pillow and set it up for a Pillar Gen. 28.16 17 c. and poured oyl on the top of it And then and not till then he called the name of the place Bethel which by interpretation is the House of God Josephus gives this gloss on these words of Moses Joseph Antiq. Judaic l. 1. c. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honorem etiam loco addidit Bethel nominando quod Graecis domicilium Dei significat And this I take beyond all question to be the first place solemnly inaugurated for the Worship of God ordained by him to be Gods House as it is called expresly v. 22. A place so pleasing to the Lord that he vouchsafed to call himself the God of Bethel I am the God of Bethel where thou anointedst the Pillar Gen. xxxi 13. And to this place did Jacob go by Gods Commandment to offer Sacrifice to the Lord and to pay his Vows Gen. xxxv Finally to conclude this Chapter in imitation of this act of Jacob's unless perhaps it were some remaining spark of the light of Nature the Jews and after them the Gentiles and at last the Christians have used to consecrate their Temples and in them their Altars Sure I am that Rabanus Maurus so resolves it saying Altare post aspersionem aquae Chrismate ungitur ad imitationem Patriarchae Jacob qui post visionem illam terribilem Rab. Maurus de Institut Clericorum l. 1. cap. 45. erexit lapidem in titulum fundens oleum desuper vocansque eum locum domum Dei But it is time to pass from these unsetled Ages of the Church of God and to behold it in a constituted and established state where we shall find not only certain and determinate places and set times of worship to be prescribed by the Lord but also certain and established forms of worship to be observed amongst Gods Servants from the first beginnings CHAP. II. That from the time of Moses unto that of David the Jews were not without a Liturgie or set form of Worship 1. The Israelites in the Land of Egypt had not the liberty of publick worship 2. That people made a constituted Church first
I and my House and the Sons of Aaron thy holy people have sinned and done wickedly c. I beseech thee now O Lord be merciful c. as in the other forms before delivered Finally as there was a form prescribed the Priests in which to make Confession of their own and the peoples sins to the Lord their God so if the people were Impenitent and neither would be brought unto repentance or amendment of life they had their forms of Excommunication also Witness the solemn form in use amongst them in Excommunicating the Samaritans In the denouncing of which censure they brought together 300 Priests and 300 Trumpets and 300 Books of the Law and 300 Boys and they blew with the Trumpets and the Levites singing accursed the Cuttbaeans or Samaritans in the name of Tetragrammaton or JEHOVAH and with the curses both of the higher and lower House of judicature and said Cursed is he who eats the bread of the Cutthaean and let no Cutthaean be a Proselyte in Israel Drusius in Seph Tanhuma neither have any part in the resurrection of the just Which Curse being wrote on Tables and sealed up was published over all the Coasts of Israel who multiplied this great Anathema or Curse upon them Nothing can be more plain than this that in almost all sacred and religious duties which were to be performed in publick the Jews had anciently their appointed and determinate forms as well as their appointed and determinate either times or places But against this it is objected out of Rabbi Maimony that from the time of Moses unto Ezra there was no stinted form of Prayer heard of in the Jewish Church but every man prayed according unto his ability Smectymn Vindicat. p. 25. To which the Answer is in brief that they who have produced this place out of Rabbi Maimony dare not stand upon it conceiving it to be no testimony to command belief Secondly that the Rabbi in the place alledged speaks not of publick but of private prayers And thirdly that the place is curtalled to make it serve the turn the better For look upon the place at large and we find it thus We are commanded to pray every day as it is written And ye shall serve the Lord your God Exod. xxiii 25. We have been taught that this Service is Prayer as it is written And to serve him with all your heart Our wise men have said what Service is this with the heart It is Prayer And there is no number of Prayers by the Law neither is there any set form of this Prayer by the Law nor any appointed time for prayer by the Law And therefore Women and Servants are bound to pray because it is a Commandment the time whereof is not determined But the duty of this Commandment is thus that a Man make Supplication and Prayer every day and shew forth the praise of the holy blessed God and afterward ask such things as be needful for him by request and by supplication and afterward give praise and thanks unto the Lord for his goodness which he abundantly ministreth unto him every one according to his might If he be accustomed unto it let him use such Supplication and Prayer and if he be of uncircumcised lips let him speak according as he is able at any time when he will and so they make Prayers every one according unto his ability This is the place at large in Rabbi Maimony Maymoni cited by Ayns Deut. 6.13 And who sees not that this must be interpreted of private prayer or else it will conclude as strongly against appointed times and places for the performance of this holy exercise as against the forms and then what will become of the blessed Sabbath the day of Prayer or of the holy Temple the House of Prayer Must not they also be discharged on the self-same grounds Or were it meant of publick Prayer as it cannot be all that can be inferred is no more than this that God prescribed no set form or number of prayers in the Book of the Law which makes but little to the purpose For it was said and shewed before that Moses was more punctual and precise in laying down the form and matter of the legal Sacrifices by which the Jews were to be nourished in the faith of Christ and with the which they had not been acquainted in the former times than in prescribing forms of Prayer and Praises being moral duties in which they had been trained from their very infancy Now to this argument derived from the Authority of the Jewish Rabbins we must needs add another which is made against them and that is that the evidence of all this as also of much of that which followeth comes from no better Author than Maimonides Smectymn in Vindicat. p. 23. who wrote not till above a thousand years after Christ Against which weak objection for it is no other we have a very strong respondent even the famous Scaliger Who having made a full description of those rites and forms wherewith the Passeover was solemnized in the former times collected from the Writings of the Jewish Rabbins thinks it as idle and ridiculous to except against them because observed by Writers of a later date though from the best Records and Monuments of that scattered Nation as if a man reading the Pandects of the Civil Law composed in Justinians time should make a question whether those judgments and opinions ascribed unto Paepinian Paulus Vlpianus were theirs or not Quod nemo sanus dixerit Scaliger de emendat Temp. l. 6. Quod nemo sanus dixerit which none saith he except a mad-man would make question of And so these rubs being thus removed and in part anticipated we will go forwards with our search in the Name of God But first before we end this Chapter considering that there were set forms of Marriages and set rites of Burial and those of great Antiquity in the Jewish Church I will here put them down in the way of Corollary For though they were no part of the publick worship yet doubtless they were parts of the publick Liturgy and being performed with Prayer and Invocation of Gods holy Name they deserve place here And first for Marriage in the solemnities thereof they observed this form The time appointed being come the Bride and Bridegroom were conducted by their special Friends who are styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children of the Bride-Chamber Mat. 9.15 in S. Matthews Gospel to the Marriage-house which from the Blessings and Thanksgivings which were used therein on these occasions was called Beth Hillula the House of Praise There in an Assembly of ten men at the least the Writing or Bill of Dowry being ratied before a Scrivener or publick Notary the Man thus said unto the Woman Esto mihi in uxorem secundum legem Mosis Israel Ego juxta verbum Dei colam te honorabo te With my body I thee worship alam
till nine the sixth which began at nine and ended at twelve the ninth which held from twelve to three in the afternoon and the eleventh which was from three until six at night According to which distribution they had three several hours of Prayer viz. the third the sixth the ninth as before was said For thus saith David of himself Evening and Morning and at Noon-day will I pray unto thee Psal lv 17. And so the Scriptures say of Daniel that turning towards Hierusalem he kneeled upon his knees and prayed and gave thanks before his God three times a day as he had formerly been accustomed Dan. vi 10. David who had the opportunity to repair unto the Tabernacle or the House of God joyned with the Congregation in those Prayers which were appointed for those times But Daniel who lived an exile in a strange Land and at a time in which there was no Temple at Hierusalem only conceived himself obliged to observe the hours which had been antiently in Use with the Jewish Nation without being punctual in the forms for ought I can find It 's true the Jews used to repair unto the Tabernacle as afterwards unto the Temple and other places set apart for this pious duty of which more anon to offer up their private Prayers and Vowes to Almighty God For so we read of Hannah in the first of Samuel chap. 1. v. 10. c. and so in other places of Gods Book of divers others Of which none is more eminent because not any one so much objected as that of the Publican and the Pharisee of whom we find mention in the Gospel who going into the Temple to pray as who else did not are confidently said to use no prayer that was of regular prescription because the prayer which they are said to make in the Book of God Smectymn p. 8. was of a present conception But this if pondered as it ought can be no Argument I trow that therefore there was then no set form of publick worship to be performed in those holy places because Gods Servants used as occasion was to make therein their private Prayers to the Lord their God No better argument than if it should be proved that there is no set Liturgy in the Church of England because devout and godly men use oftentimes to have recourse unto the Church or Temple for their private prayers In those though poured forth in the Temple the proper and appointed place of publick worship the people were at liberty to make Use of their own conceptions But it was otherwise in those acts of worship so far forth as they do relate unto Invocation which were to be performed with the Congregation And so it is resolved by the best and learnedest of all the Rabbins by whom it is affirmed that in the publick Congregation a private or a voluntary prayer was not to have been offered to the Lord their God Quoniam nec Ecclesia seu caetus publicus offerebat ex lege sacrificium ultroneum because the Church or Congregation was not to offer any Sacrifice but such as was prescribed and ordered by the Law of God Maim ap Selden in Eutych Alex. p. 49 Which rule as it was constantly observed in all other days and at the several hours of prayer in each several day so most especially upon the Sabbaths and the other Festivals and that upon the self-same reason viz. Quoniam in eis non offerendum erat ultroneum quid because no voluntary oblation might thereon be offered as in some cases might be done on the other days but only such as were appointed in the Law Now that there were set forms of prayer for these several hours besides what is affirmed by a Learned Writer of our own as appeareth by that memorable passage of Peter and John's going up into the Temple Selden Comment in Eutych Alex. p. 46 47. sub horam orationis nonam at the ninth hour being an hour of prayer For if the prayer they went to make were rather of a sudden and extemporary Conception Smectymn p. 8. than of a regular Prescription what needed they to have made Use of such a time when as the Congregation was assembled for Gods publick worship And on the other side that the prayer which the two Apostles went up to make was such as was prescribed the Congregation is evident by that of Ludovicus Capellus the French Oracle of Hebrew Learning as one truly calls him who saith expresly B. Hall Answ to the Vindication Orationem eam cujus causa Petrus Johannes petebant templum fuisse eam quae à Judaeis dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quae respondet oblationi vespertinae lege praescriptae The prayer saith he for which Peter and John went up into the Temple is that which the Jews called the lesser oblation answering to the evening Sacrifice prescribed by the Law And indeed Calvin intimates no less to my apprehension For when he askes the question An Apostoli in Templum ascenderint ut secundum legis ritum precarentur whether the Apostles went into the Temple to pray according to the rites prescribed in the Law Calv. in Act. although he thinks that they went thither at that time to have the better opportunity to promote the Gospel yet he confesseth by the question that at that time there were set prayers made in the Temple after the manner of the Jews But to go on from Moses unto David I find but little changed or added in things that did concern Gods publick worship and the forms thereof But in the time of David and by his Authority there was a signal alteration made much outward form and lustre added to the service of God For whereas formerly the Levites were appointed by the Law of Moses to bear about the Tabernacle as occasion was the Tabernacle being by David fixt and setled in Hierusalem there was no further Use of the attendance of the Levites in that kind or ministery He therefore thought it fit to set them to some new imployment some to assist the Priests in the publick offices of Gods holy worship some to be over-seers and Judges of the people some to be Porters also in the House of God and others finally to be Singers to praise the Lord with Instruments that he had made with Harps with Viols and with Cymbals 1 Chron. 23.4 5 c. Of these the most considerable were the first and last the first appointed to assist at the Daily Sacrifices as also at the offering of all Burnt-offerings unto the Lord in the Sabbaths the moneths and at the appointed times according to the number and according to their custom continually before the Lord. Ibid. ver 31. Id. ch 35.7 The other were instructed in the Songs of the Lord not only such as had been made before in the former times but such as he composed himself according to the influence of the holy Spirit Josephus tells us
Christ Synag l. 6. c. 6. Which if it were so as I have no reason to suspect the Author it was not without good cause affirmed by the Historian if one should look no further than those outward circumstances Novos illic ritus caeteris mortalibus contrarios Tacit. hist l. 5. the very same with that which is affirmed of them in the book of Hester viz. their Laws are diverse from all people Finally Hester 3.8 at the ending of their prayers the people which were present used to say Amen which word from thence hath been derived and incorporated into all the Languages which make profession of the faith Only observe that they had several Amens amongst them Christ Synag l. 1. c. 6. § 5. The first of which they called Pupillum when one understandeth not what he answers the second Surreptum when he saith Amen before the prayer be fully ended the third is Otiosum when a man thinks of something else and so saith it idly the fourth Justorum of the just when a mans mind is set on his devotions and thinks upon no other thing And so much of the Rites and Gestures which they used in prayer But it is well observed by Aynsworth that as the Lamps mention whereof is made in the 30th of Exodus do signifie the light of Gods Word and Incense the Sacrifice of prayers Aynsw Annot. in Exod. 30. so the doing of both these at one time the Incense being to be offered when the Lamps were either dressed or lighted as before was said did signifie the joyning of the word with prayer We must look therefore in the next place what room there was or whether any room at all for reading of the Law in Gods holy Temples And first for that of Solomon taking the Temple in the largest and most ample sense not only for the House but the Courts and Out-works it was ordained by Moses in the book of Deuteronomy that there the Law should publickly be read at the end of every seven years to the Congregation At the end of every seven years saith he in the solemnity of the year of release at the feast of Tabernacles when all Israel is come to appear before the Lord their God in the place that he shall choose thou shalt read this Law before all Israel Deut. 31.11 in their hearing But then withal we must take notice that such a reading as is there commanded could not be taken as a part of the publick Liturgy For by the order and prescript of Moses the Law was to be read publickly before the people in the seventh year only in the year of release because then Servants being manumitted from their bondage and Debtors from the danger of their Creditors they might attend the hearing of the Law with the greater chearfulness And in the feast of Tabernacles because it lasted longer than the other Festivals and so it might be read with the greater leisure and then it was but this Law too the book of Deuteronomy This as it was to be performed in that place alone in which the Lord should choose to place his Tabernacle and afterwards to build his Temple so makes it little if at all unto the frequent reading of the Law in the House of God It 's true that Philo tells us in a book not extant that Moses did ordain the publick reading of the Law every Sabbath day Philo. ap Euseb de Praepar Evang. l. 8. c. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. What then did Moses order to be dene on the Sabbath day He did appoint saith he that we should meet all in some place together and there sit down with modesty and a general filence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hear the Law that none plead ignorance thereof Which custom we continue still saith he breakning with wonderful silence to the Word of God unless perhaps we give some joyful acclamation on the bearing of it some of the Priests if any present or otherwise some of the Elders reading the Law and then expounding it till the night came on But hereof by the leave of Philo we must make some doubt This was indeed the custom in our Saviours time and when Philo lived and he was willing as it seems to setch the pedigree thereof as high as might be So Salianus tells him on the like occasion Videtur Philo Judaeorum morem in Synogogis disserendi antiquitate donare voluisse quem à Christe Apostolis observatum legimus Salian Annal. anno m. 25 46. n. 10. And we must make the same Answer to Josephus also who tells us of their Law-maker that he appointed not that they should only hear the Law once or twice a year no oftner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Joseph contr Apion l. 2. but that once every week we should come together to hear the Law that so we might become the more perfect in it Which thing saith he all other Law givers did omit And so did Moses too by Josephus's leave For besides that no such order or command is to be found in the books of Moses there were not then nor long time after any set places destinate to religious Uses but the holy Tabernacle And how the people being planted all about the Countrey could be assembled every week before the Tabernacle or afterwards unto the Temple weekly let Philo and Josephus judge And this appears more plainly by the Book of God where we are told that K. Jehosaphat sent abroad his Visitors who carried the Book of the Law of the Lord with them 2 Chron. 17.7 9. and went through all the Cities of Judaea and taught the people A needless Office had it been as those Authors tell us if all the people met together weekly to be taught the Law But that which follows of Josiah is more full than this Of whom it is recorded that when Hilkiah the High Priest in looking over the decays and ruins of the Temple had found a book of the Law which lay hidden there and brought the same unto the King how the good Prince upon the hearing of the words of the Law rent his Garments 2 King 22.11 23.1 2. and not so only but gathered together all the Elders of Judah and Hierusalem and read in their ears all the words of the Book and joyned together in a Covenant with the Lord their God Had it been formerly the custom to read the law each Sabbath every week once at least unto all the people neither had that religious Prince been so ignorant of it nor had the finding of the book been counted for so strange an accident nor could it be to any purpose to call the People altogether from their several dwellings only to hear the Law read to them and go home again if it were read amongst them weekly on the Sabbath days and that of ordinary course So that whatever Philo and Josephus say there was no weekly reading
Apologet cap. 39. disciplinam nihilominus praeceptorum inculcationibus densamus We meet saith he in an Assembly or Congregation that we may besiege God in our prayers as with an Army Such violence is acceptable unto God We pray for Emperors and their Ministers and Potestates for the state of the whole world the quiet government of the affairs thereof and for the putting off of the last day We are assembled to commemorate or hear the holy Scriptures if the condition of our present state doth either need to be premonished or reviewed Assuredly by the repetition of those holy words our faith is nourished our hope assured our confidence confirmed yet so that the severity of discipline is strengthened by the frequent inculcating of Gods Commandments In which description of their meetings there is no mention of the Eucharist not that it was not Celebrated then in all publick Assemblies but because as Cassander well observeth ad Paganos nondum initiatos sermo haberetur he did address his whole discourse to Heathen-men such as were not yet initiated in the faith of Christ to whom the Christians of those times imparted not the knowledge of the holy Mysteries In other of his books especially in those entituled ad uxorem there 's enough of that Nor is it to be thought because Tertullian speaks not of the present place nor Justin Martyr in the passage produced before that they sung no Psalms nor gave that part of worship no convenient place in the performance of their Service We find that and the course of their publick worship thus pointed at unto us in another place Jam vero prout Scripturae leguntur aut Psalmi canuntur aut adlocutiones proferuntur Id. de Anima cap. 9. aut petitiones delegantur ita inde materae visionibus subministrantur Now saith he as the Scriptures are read or Psalms sung or Exhortations made or Prayers tendred so is matter ministred unto her visions Where we may see that singing of the Psalms was in use amongst them as well as any other part of publick worship of what sort soever Conceive by singing here as in other Books and Authors about this time such singing of the Psalms as is now in use in the Cathedrals of this Kingdom after a plain tune as it is directed in the Rubricks of the common-Common-prayer book and not the singing of the Psalms in Metre as hath been used and is still in Parochial Churches The singing in those times in use was little more than a melodious pronunciation though afterwards upon occasion of a Canon made in the Council of Laodicea it came to be more perfect and exact according to the rules of harmony and in St. Austins time was so full and absolute that he ascribes a great cause of his conversion to the powers thereof calling to mind those frequent tears quas fudi ad cantus Ecclesiae tuae which had been drawn from him by this sacred Musick by which his soul was humbled and his affections raised to the height of godliness But whatsoever was the Musick of these first times Musick assuredly they had in their publick service as Tertullian tells us whom we may credit in this point And if we please to look we may be also sure to find the same in that place of Pliny which before we touched at Which here take more at large in the Authors words The Christians on examination did acknowledge Plin. Ep. 97. l. 10. Euser hist Eccl. l. ◠c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod soliti essent state die ante lucem convenire carmenque Christo tanquam Deo canere secum invicem seque sacramento non in scelus aliquod obstringere sed ne furta ne larocinia ne adulteria committerent ne fidem fallerent ne depositum appellati abnegarent His peractis morem sihi discedendi fuisse rursusque coeundi ad capiendum cibum promiscuum tamen innoxium They did confess saith he that they were accustomed to assemble on their appointed times before day-light and to sing Hymns or Songs of praise to Christ as to a god amongst themselves and to bind themselves by Oath or Sacrament not to the doing of any wickedness but not to commit Thefts Robberies or Adulteries demanded and this being done they used to depart and then meet again to eat together their meat being ordinary and the manner of their eating inoffensive Which last was added as I take it to clear them of the slander which was raised against them by their malicious Enemies who charged them with eating humane flesh and the blood of Infants as you may see in most of the Apologies which the Christians published in those times Note also that their meeting thus to eat together which is here last spoken of by Pliny was for their Love-feasts or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 described so fully by Tertullian in his Apologetick and by him also joyned to the description of their course or order at their publick meetings But here perhaps it will be said that the question is not at the present about a set order or Rubrick of Administrations but about set and imposed Forms of prayer Vindication of Smectymn p. 19 And that although Tertullian do describe a set course and order yet he is quite against a set From of prayer where he saith That the Christians of those times did in their publick Assemblies pray sine monitore quia de pectore without any prompter but their own hearts Smectym p. 7. And say they that it should be so the same Father as they call him proves in his Treatise de Oratione Sunt quae petuntur c. There are some things to be asked according to the occasions of every man the lawful and ordinary prayer that is the Lords prayer being laid as a foundation it is lawful to build upon that foundation other prayers according to every ones occasion So they and to them it may thus be answered that either those two passages of Tertullian are ill laid together or else they must be understood of private not of publick prayer For that the latter place is meant of those private prayers which every man may make for his own occasions is beyond all question And in their private Prayers it is not denied but men may use what words and what Forms they please so they consider as they ought what it is they ask and of whom they ask it And if this place be meant of private prayer as by the Authors drift and scope it appears to be then must the other passage be so understood or else they are ill laid together as before was said Now that the other place so insisted on is also meant of private not of publick Prayers will appear by this that there Tertullian speaks of the private carriage of the Christians and of their good affections to the Roman Emperors but medleth not with their behaviour as a publick body assembled and convened for a
next It is meet and right so to do And then the Bishop It is meet right and our bounden duty above all things to praise thee the true God who wast from all eternity before the foundation of the world was laid Finally this being done let the Bishop give unto the people the blessing of peace Id. l. 2. c. 57. And as Moses did command the Priests to bless the people in these words The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his Face to shine upon thee and grant thee peace So shall the Bishop use this Form Conserva Domine populum tuum incolumen c. Preserve O Lord thy people in safety and bless thine inheritance which thou possessest and hast purchased with the Blood of Christ and callest a Royal Priesthood and holy Nation Afterwards let him go to the Consecration all the people standing and praying softly to themselves and the Oblation being made let every one severally receive the Body and Blood of our Lord and Saviour coming in order thereunto and with fear and reverence the Women being also veiled or covered as becomes their Sex And whilst that this is doing let the doors of the Church be shut that neither any Infidel or Vnbaptized person be present at it So far and to this purpose Clemens or whosoever was the Author of the Constitutions which how it doth agree with the publick Forms still extant on record in the works and monuments of such Ancient Writers of whom there is no question amongst Learned men we shall see anon One thing must first be taken into consideration and that is whether in the reading of the holy Scripture the Minister was left to his own Election although not for the number of the Sections or Chapters as we call them now yet to read what and where he would without appointment of the Church A point which hath already been resolved by the Church of England declaring The Preface to the Book of Common Prayer How it was so ordered by the ancient Fathers that all the whole Bible or the greatest part thereof should be read over once every year intending thereby that the Clergy and especially such as were Ministers of the Congregation should by often reading and meditation of Gods words be stirred up to godliness themselves and be more ale to exhort others by wholesome Doctrine and to confute them that were Adversaries to the truth And further that the people by daily hearing of holy Scripture read in the Church should copntinually profit more and more in the knowledge of God and be the more inflamed with the love of his true Religion And certainly it was a good and godly institution savouring most abundantly of the primitive wisdom though now I know not how it comes to pass it be made a matter of no moment sive biennio sive triennio absolvatur lectio sacrae Scripturae Altare Damasc c. 10. p. 633. whether the Scriptures be read over in two years or three so it be read at all in the Congregation So little thanks or commendations hath this unhappy Church of England for labouring to revive the ancient orders of the Primitive times and to bring the people of the Lord to be acquainted with his holy Word But it is said that in the Primitive times there was no such custom but all was left both for the choice and number of the Lessons arbitrio Ecclesiae * Id. Ibid. to the discretion of the Church that is to say for nothing else can be the meaning to the discretion of the Minister And this they prove from that of Justin Martyr produced before where it is said that they did read the writings of the Prophets and Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. as they translate it quoad tempus fert as the time would bear But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if translated rightly is indeed quantum licet as much as is lawful and permitted which quite destroyeth their meaning and confirms the Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concedo admitto Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impersonaliter exponitur licet locus est facultas est in the common Lexicon * v. Stephant Thesaurum And this appears further by the best classick Authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non licebat manere in Xenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quam primum licuerit in Herodotus so in others also And that it was thus in the antient practice appeareth very plainly by that of Austin though of a later standing than the times we speak of where it is said that in the meeting or assembly for religious Worship scripturarum divinarum lecta sunt solennia †Augustin de civit Dei l. 22. cap. 8. the solemn and appointed Lessons out of holy Scripture were read unto the Congregation And if they were solennia then that is set out determined and appointed for times and seasons I cannot think thatthey were otherwise in these former days unless it were on extraordinary and great occasions in which that course might possibly be dispensed withal as in the times of persecution and the like extremities And so we come unto the third age of the Church and there we shall begin with Origen who grew into esteem and credit in the beginning of this Century and so continued till the midst By him it is observed and exceeding rightly in Ecclesiasticis observationibus nonnulla esse hujusmodi quae omnibus quidem facere necesse est nec tamen rationem eorum omnibus patere that in the usages of the Church there are many things which of necessary are to be done by every man although the reason of them be not known to all * Origen in Numer cap. 4. Homil 5. Which said in general he thus descends unto particulars Nam quod genua flectimus orantes quod ex omnibus coeli plagis ad solam Orientis partem conversi orationem fundimus non facile cuique puto ratione compertum Sed Eucharistiae sive percipiendae sive eo ritus quo geritur explicandae vel eorum quae geruntur in baptismo verborum gestorumque ordinum atuqe interrogationum ac responsionum quis facile explicet rationem Et tamen omnia haec operta relata portamus super humeros nostros cum ita implemus ea exequimur ut à magno Pontifice ab ejus filiis tradita commendata suscepimus For when we kneel saith he in the time of Prayer and that of all the points in Heaven we turn unto the East when we make our prayers I think the reason why we do so is not known to any Or who can readily assign a reason of those Rites and Ceremonies used both in the receiving of the Eucharist or at the consecrating of the same or of those many things which are done in baptism the words and gestures the order there observed the Interrogatories and the Answers And yet all these we undergo whether revealed
or hidden from us when we do so fulfil and perform them all as they have been commended and delivered to us either by our great Bishop or his Sons Here then we have an evident proof that therer were several Rites and Ceremonies used by the Christians of this time in the officiating of divine Service several words and gestures used both in the celebration of the Eucharist and administration of baptism and divers Interrogatories with their prescribed Answers to be used therein Which Interrogatories doubtless are the same which we recited out of Clemens in the former Chapter and which this Author also doth recount in another place * Id in Numer cap. 21. Homil. 12. Recordetur unusquisque fidelium cum primum venit ad aquas Baptismi cum signacula fidei prima suscepit ad fontem salutaris accessit quibus ibi tunc usus sit verbis quid denunciaverit Diabolo non se usurum pompis ejus neque operibus ejus neque tellis omnino servitiis voluptatibus ejus pariturum Let every faithful Christian call to remembrance what words he used what he denounced against the Devil when first he came unto the waters of Baptism and received the first signs of Faith how he renounced all his pomps and works and did profess that he would never yield obedience to his lusts and pleasures So that a prescribed Form there was of abrenunciation in the Sacrament of holy Baptism and think we that there was not also a prescribed Form of Prayer in the time of Origen Himself shall tell you that there was and more than so shall give us such a fragment of a prescribed prayer as by that piece we may conjecture at the whole For thus saith he Frequenter in oratione dicimus Id in Hieremiam cap. 15. Homil. 11. Da omnipotens da partem cum Prophetis da cum Apostolis Christi tui tribue ut inveniamur ad vestigia unigeniti tui We say this often in our prayers Give us Almighty God give us our portion with thy Prophets and with the Apostles of thy Christ and grant that we may tread the footsteps of thine only Son In which saith he we ask we know not what for in effect we say no otherwise than make us to be hated as the Prophets were to fall into calamity and persecution as the Apostles did A prayer this was no question and a prescribed prayer said often by the people in their publick worship And what else think we were those prayers which in another place he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those solennes preces as the Latine hath it which he saith there they used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id contra Celsum lib. 6. constantly and of duty both night and day that is at Morning and at Evening prayer Assuredly it is not likely that if there were prescribed prayers such as he calleth solennes preces in the times of Origen men should be left at liberty in Tertullians days being so small a time before to use extemporary prayers in Gods publick worship of their own fancies and devising The like we may affirm of S. Cyprian also in whom mention more than once is made of those Solennia which were used in the celebration of the blessed Eucharist Solennibus adimpletis calicem Diaconus offerre praesentibus coepit Cyprian Sermo de lapsis the solemn prayers and therefore a set Form of prayers being finished the Deacon began to offer the Cup or Chalice to such as were present And in another place speaking of the Cup he calleth it Calicem solenni benedictione sacratum the Cup which had been consecrated with a solemn or set Form of benediction Of which we may conclude as before we did that if the Forms were solemn or prescribed in S. Cyprians days they were not likely to be otherwise in Tertullians time whatever other fancies have been railed about it And that they used the solenn or set Form of words in the ministration of holy things in S. Cyprians days besides the general proof before produced appears most plainly in his book de Oratione where we have it thus Id de oratione Dominica Ideo Sacerdos ante Orationem Praefatione praemissa parat fratrum mentes dicendo Sursum corda ut dum respondet plebs Habemus ad Dominum admoneatur nihil aliud se quam Dominum cogitare debere Therefore saith he the Priest before the prayer that of consecration doth by a Preface readily prepare the minds of the Brethren saying Lift up your bearts that when the people make this answer We lift them up unto the Lord they may be put in mind that they must think of nothing but the Lord when they are pouring out their prayers This passage of the Preface as our and it is also to be found in those ancient Liturgies of Rome Hierusalem and Alexandria assigned unto SS Peter James and Mark as before was said Liturgia S. Petri in Biblioth SS Patrum That attributed to S. Peter thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which the people make this answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The very same with that of Cyprian And so is also that of Mark or rather of the Church of Alexandria save that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is left out and it runs simply thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In that ascribed to S. James there is some difference the Priest saying thus Liturgia S. Jacobi in Biblioth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Let us lift up our minds and hearts to which the people answer there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is meet and right so to do But this I take to be an error in the Copy that being the answer of the people to another invitation of the Priest viz. to that of Gratias agamus Domino Let us give thanks unto the Lord And so it seems to be by that which followeth of the Priest in S. James his Liturgy who on the peoples saying it is meet and right goeth forwards in the usual Form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is very meet and right and our bounden duty c. But to return again unto S. Cyprian we may conjecture by this piece that in his time there was a whole and perfect Liturgie though it be not come unto our hands And there 's another passage in that very book de Oratione which points us to that Form of abrenuntiation which was then used by the Church in holy Baptism Cyprian de oratione Dominica Potest autem tualis abjecimus cibum nobis tantum petamus victum That passage in the Pater noster Give us this day our daily bread may be thus interpreted that we which have renounced the World the riches and the pomps thereof by the benefit of faith and grace spiritual should only crave of God our Meat and Victual In which we have the matter although not the Form but that a Form there was we were shewed
before out of the Constitutions ascribed to Clemens and will now further prove it by Tertullian also who thus brings it home Aquam ingressi Christianam fidem in suae legis verba profitemur Tertullian de spectaculis c. 1. renunciare nos Diabolo pompis ejus ejus ore nostro contestamur Entring saith he into the water we make profession of the Christian faith in the very words of his own law and with our own mouth do contest that we renounce the Devil and his pomps and Angels Compare these words with those of Clemens formerly delivered and tell me if you can where the difference lieth And there 's another passage in that book of Cyprians which points us to the hours of prayer at that time in use viz. The third the sixth the ninth Which having shewed to have been formerly in use with Daniel and other holy men of God he addeth that besides those hours observed of old Orandi spatia sacramenta creverunt Cyprian de orat Dominica the times and the occasions of prayer were both increased Nam mane orandum est ut resurrectio Domini matutina oratione celebretur recedente item sole ac die cessante necessario orandum est c. For in the morning we must pray that the Lords resurrection may be celebrated by our Morning prayer and when the Sun is down and the day determined we must needs pray also that praying for the returning of the light we may desire of God our Saviours coming who will conduct us all unto light eternal So great assurance have we of the point in hand both for the Form and hours of prayer from this book of Cyprians that any further search were almost unecessary Now lest it may be said as I know some say that this is none of Cyprians true and genuine writings but thrust upon him by some Sciolist of a later standing S. Austin shall come in for witness who very frequently doth attest unto it as viz. Epist 47. 107. lib. de gratia libero arbitrio cap. 13. lib. 1. contra Julianum de bono perseverantiae cap. 2. Finally to dismiss S. Cyprian the Magdeburgians though no great Friends unto the antient usages of the Church were so convinced or satisifed to say the least with this book of his that they resolve it for a certainty past all peradventure that anciently there were set Forms of publick prayer Histor Ecclesiast Cent. 3. cap. 6. Formulas denique precationum absque dubio habuernunt as they state it there and for the proof thereof refer us to this book of Cyprians This being thus proved IX we may affirm with grief as some do with scorn that great must be our loss who are so unhappily deprived of the best improvement the Church made of her peace and happiness Smectymn p. 9. during the first three hundred years No question but the Liturgies which were then composed did savour strongly both of the piety and affectionof those blessed times Whether the blessed Constantine was herein as unhappy as our selves or whether he needed not have composed a Form of Prayer for his Guard to be used by them on the Lords day but rather might and would have taken them out of the former Liturgies if there had been any will prove a very easie Quaere with whatsoever confidence it be made a difficulty For certainly there might be former Liturgies and yet no Form of prayer found in them for that use and purpose for whch that prayer was made by blessed Constantine For we have now a Liturgie in the Church of England and 't is my prayer we may long have it naugre the machinations of unquiet Men in which are many Forms of prayer for Gods publick worship yet not so many nor so sutable to all occasions but that some Men make bold to set forth their own Besides the Emperours Army did consist as the time then were Eusebius de vita constant l. 4. c. 18. partly of Christians and partly of the Gentiles and possibly it had not proved such an easie matter to bring the Gentiles to the use of a Form of prayer the Christian Souldiers being suffered to repair unto the Church upon Sundays and there to make their prayers to the Lord their God which had been wholly taken from the Liturgies of the Christian Church But for the prayer enjoyned by the blessed Constantine Ibid. cap. 20. it was as followeth Te solum Deum agnoscimus te Regem profitemur te adjutorem invocamus per te victorias consecuti sumus per te hostes superavimus à te praesentem felicitatem consecutos fatemur futuram adepturos speramus tui omnes supplices sumus à te petimus ut Constantinum Imperatorem nostrum una cum piis ejus liberis quam diutissime salvum victorem conserves In English thus We do acknowledg thee for the only God we confess thee to be the King we call upon thee as our helper and defender by thee alone it is that we have got the victory and subdued our Enemies to thee as we do refer all our present happiness so from thee also we expect our future Thee therefore we beseech that thou wouldst-keep in health and safety our noble Emperour Constantine with his hopeful progeny This was the very Form imposed And I believe the blessed Constantine would never have troubled himself to compose this Form had he not though that set and prescribed Forms of prayer had been very necessary and more to be considered of than the extemporary prayers of his ablest Ministers For doubtless in a CAmp wherein there were so many of the Gentiles there must be some Priests to offer sacrifice unto the Gods whom those Gentiles worshipped And it is told us by Eusebius Id. that he had always in his Camp for divine Offices divers Priest and Bishops Chaplains in ordinary to his Majesty and it were hard if none of them could have made a shift to vent some short extemporary prayers for the use of the Army The blessed Constantine had been most unhappy if it had been so and pity 't was that some of those who are so vehemently bent against all set Forms had not been Preachers to his Army Assuredly they would have eased him of that needless trouble Especially since we are told what liberty every Man might take unto himself in praying both what and how he listed For as they say this liberty in Prayer was not taken away nor set and imposed Forms introduced Smeclymn until the time that the Arian and Pelagian Heresies did invade the Church and then because those Hereticks did convey and spread their poyson in their Forms of Prayer and Hymns the Church thought it convenient to restrain the liberty of making and using publick forms A piece of Learning not more new than strange to us who never heard of the like before and such as in conclusion doth destroy it self
and Ministers shall move the people to joyn with them in Prayer in this Form or to this effect as briefly as conveniently they may Ye shall pray for Christs holy Catholick Church that is for the whole Congregation of Christian people dispersed through the whole world and especially for the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland And herein I require you most especially to pray for the Kings most excellent Majesty our Sovereign Lord James King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governour in these his Realms and all other his Dominions and Countreys over all Persons in all causes as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal Ye shall also pray for our gracious Queen Ann the noble Prince Henry and the rest of the Kings and Queens Royal Issue Ye shall also pray for the Ministers of Gods holy Word and Sacraments as well Archbishops and Bishops as other Pastors and Curats Ye shall also pray for the Kings most honourable Council and for all the Nobility and Magistrates of this Realm that all and every of those in their several callings may serve truly and painfully to the Glory of God and the edifying and well-governing of his people remembring the accompt they must make Also ye shall pray for the whole Commons of this Realm that they may live in true Faith and fear of God and humble obedience to the King and Brotherly Charity one to another Finally let us praise God for all those that are already departed out of this life in the Faith of Christ and pray unto God that we may have grace to direct our lives after their good examples that this life ended we may be made partakers with them of the glorious Resurrection in the life everlasting Always concluding with the Lords Prayer So far the Letter of the Canon in which there was not any purpose nor in the makers of the same to introduce into the Church any Form of Prayer or Invocation save those which were laid down in the Common prayer Book nor indeed could they if they would the Statute 1 Eliz. being still in force but to reduce her Ministers to the antient usage of this Church which had been much neglected if not laid aside The Canons then established were no late Invention as some give it out but a Collection of such Ordinances and pious Customs as had been formerly in use since the Reformation which being scattered and diffused in several Injunctions Orders and Advertisements published by K. Henry VIII K. Edward VI. and Q. Eliz. or in the Canons of particular Convocations in those times assembled or otherwise retained in continual practice was by the care and wisdom of the Clergy in the Synod at London An. 1603. drawn up together into one body and by his Majesty then being Authorized in due form of Law And being so Authorized by his Majesty the Canons then made had the force of Laws and were of power to bind the Subjects of all sorts according to their several and respective concernments as fully and effectually as any Statute or Act of Parliament can bind the Subject of this Realm in their goods and properties For which consult the Statute 25. H. 8. cap. 19. and the practice since Which as it may be said of all so more particularly of the Canon now in question of which it is to be considered that the main body of the same had been delivered formerly almost verbatim in the Queens Injunctions published by her Royal and Supream Authority in the first year of her Reign Anno 1559. which I will therefore here put down that by comparing both together we may the better see the true intention of that Canon and what is further to be said in the present business The Queens Injunction is as followeth The title this The Form of bidding the Prayers to be used generally in this uniform sort and then the body of it is this Ye shall pray for Christs holy Catholick Church that is for the whole Congregation of Christian people dispersed throughout the whole world and especially for the Churches of England and Ireland and herein I require you most especially to pray for the Queens most excellent Majesty our Soveraign Lady Eliz. Queen of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and supream Governour of this Realm as well in causes Ecclesiastical as Temporal You shall also pray for the Ministers of Gods holy Word and Sacraments as well Archbishops and Bishops as other Pastors and Curats Ye shall also pray for the Queens most honourable Council and for all the Nobility of this Realm That all and every of these in their callings may serve truly and painfully to the glory of God and edifying of his people remembring the accompt they must make Also you shall pray for the whole Commons of this Realm that they may live in true faith and fear of God in humble Obedience and brotherly Charity one to another Finally let us praise God for all those that are departed out of this life in the faith of Christ and pray unto God that we may have grace to direct our lives after their good example that after this life we may be made partakers of the glorious resurrection in the life everlasting These are the very words of the Injunction wherein it is to be observed that as the Canon hath relation to this Injunction so neither this Injunction nor any thing therein enjoyned was of new erection but a Reviver only of the usual Form which had been formerly enjoyned and constantly observed in King Edwards days as we shall see by looking over the Injunction published and the practice following thereupon in the said Kings Reign Now the Injunction of King Edward the 6. is in this Form following The Title thus The Form of bidding the Common prayers and then the Form it self You shall pray for the whole Congregation of Christs Church and especially for this Congregation of England and Ireland wherein first I commend to your devout prayers the Kings most excellent Majesty supreme Head immediately under God of the Spiritualty and Temporalty of the same Church And for Queen Katharine Dowager and also for my Lady Mary and my Lady Elizabeth the Kings Sisters Secondly you shall pray for my Lord Protectors grace with all the rest of the Kings Majesties Council for all the Lords of this Realm and for the Clergy and Commons of the same Beseeching Almighty God to give every one of them in his degree Grace to use themselves in such wise as may be to Gods glory the Kings honour and the weal of this Realm Thirdly you shall pray for all them that be departed out of this world in the faith of Christ that they with us and we with them at the day of Judgment may rest both Body and Soul with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven This was the Form first published in the beginning of the Reign of King Edward VI. and it continued all
was there nothing at all therein in which the People were to do no not so much except some few as to be Spectators the sacrifices being offered only in the Tabernacle as in the Temple after when they had a Temple the people being scattered over all the Country in their Towns and Villages Of any Reading of the Law or exposition of the same unto the People or publick form of Prayers to be presented to the Lord in the Congregation we find no footstep now nor a long time after None in the time of Moses for he had hardly perfected the Law before his death the Book of Deuteronomy being dedicated by him a very little before God took him None in a long time after no not till Nehemiahs days as we shall see hereafter in that place and time The resting of the people was the thing commanded in imitation of Gods Rest when his Works were finished that as he rested from the works which he had created so they might also rest in memorial of it But the employment of this Rest to particular purposes either of Contemplation or Devotion that 's not declared unto us in the Word of God but left at large either unto the liberty of the People or the Authority of the Church Now what the people did how they employed this rest of theirs that Philo tells us in his third Book of the life of Moses Moses saith he ordained that since the World was finished on the seventh day all of his Common-wealth following therein the course of Nature should spend the seventh day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Festival delights resting therein from all their works yet not to spend it as some do in laughter childish sports or as the Romans did their time of publick Feastings in beholding the activity either of the Jester or common Dancers but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the study of true Philosophy and in the contemplation of the works of Nature And in another place He did command De Decalog saith he that as in other things so in this also they should imitate the Lord their God working six days and resting on the seventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and spending it in meditation of the works of Nature as before is said And not so only but that upon that day they should consider of their actions in the week before if haply they had offended against the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that so they might correct what was done amiss and be the better armed to offend no more So in his Book de mundi opisicio he affirms the same that they imployed that day in divine Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even for the bettering of their manners and reckoning with their Consciences That thus the Jews did spend the day or some part thereof is very probable and we may take it well enough upon Philo's word but that they spent it thus by the direction or command of Moses is not so easily proved as it is affirmed though for my part I willingly durst assent unto it For be it Moses so appointed yet this concerns only the behaviour of particular persons and reflects nothing upon the publick Duties in the Congregation It 's true that Philo tells us in a Book not extant how Moses also did ordain these publick meetings Ap Eâ—seb Praepar l. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What then did Moses order to be done on the Sabbath day He did appoint saith he that we should meet all in some place together and there sit down with modesty and a general silence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hear the Law that none plead ignorance of the same Which custom we continue still harkning with wonderful silence to the Law of God unless perhaps we give some joyful acclamation at the hearing of it some of the Priests if any present or otherwise some of the Elders reading the Law and then expounding it unto us till the night come on Which done the people are dismissed full of divine instruction and true Piety So he or rather out of him Eusebius But here by Philo's leave we must pause a while This was indeed the custom in our Saviours time and when Philo lived and he was willing as it seems to fetch the pedigree thereof as far as possibly he could Annales An. 2546. n. 10. So Salianus tells him on the like occasion Videtur Philo Judaeorum merem in synagogis disserendi antiquitate donare voluisse quem à Christo Apostolis observatum legimus The same reply we make to Josephus also who tells us of their Law-maker that he appointed not that they should only hear the Law once or twice a year Cont. Ap. 2. Deut. 6.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that once every week we should come together to hear the Laws that we might perfectly learn the same Which thing saith he all other Law-makers did omit And so did Moses too by Josephus leave unless we make a day and a year all one For being now to take his farewel of that people and having oft advised them in his Exhortation to meditate on the words that he had spoken even when they tarried in their houses and walked by the way when they rose up and when they went to bed he called the Priests unto him Verse 31.9 Verse 10. Verse 11. and gave the Law into their hands and into the hands of all the Elders of Israel And he commanded them and said At the end of every seven years in the solemnity of the year of Release at the Feast of Tabernacles when all Israel is come to appear before the Lord their God in the place that thou shalt choose thou shalt read this Law before Israel in their hearing that they may hear and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God and observe all the words of this Law to do them Verse 12. This was the thing decreed by Moses and had been needless if not worse in case he had before provided that they should have the Law read openly unto them every Sabbath day So then by Moses order the Law was to be read publickly every seventh year only in the year of Release because then servants being manumitted from their Bondage and Debtours from their Creditours all sorts of men might hear the Law with the greater chearfulness and in the Feast of Tabernacles because it lasted longer than the other Festivals and so it might be read with the greater leisure and heard with more attention and then it was but this Law too the Book of Deuteronomy This to be done only in the place which the Lord shall choose to be the seat and receptacle of his holy Tabernacle not in inferiour Towns much less petty Villages and yet this thought sufficient to instruct the people in the true knowledg of Gods Law and keeping of his Testimonies And indeed happy had they been had
especially appointed for the same are called Holy days Rot for the matter or the nature either of the time or day c. for to all days and times are of like holiness but for the nature and condition of such holy works c. whereunto such times and days are sanctified and hallowed that is to say separated from all prophane uses and dedicated not unto any Saint or Creature but only unto God and his true worship Neither is it to be thought that there is any certain time or definitive number of days prescribed in holy Scripture but the appointment both of the time and also of the number of days is left by the authority of Gods Word unto the liberty of Christs Church to be determined and assigned orderly in every Countrey by the discretion of the Rulers and Ministers thereof as they shall judg most expedient to the true setting forth of Gods glory and edification of their people Nor is it to be thought that all this Preamble was made in reference to the Holy days or Saints days only whose being left to the authority of the Church was never questioned but in relation to the Lords day also as by the Act it self doth at full appear for so it followeth in the Act Be it therefore enacted c. That all the days hereafter mentioned shall be kept and commanded to be kept Holy days and none other that is to say all Sundays in the Year the Feasts of the Circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ of the Epiphanie of the Purification with all the rest now kept and there named particularly and that none other day shall be kept and commanded to be kept holy day and to abstain from lawful bodily labour Nay which is more there is a further Clause in the self-same Act which plainly shews that they had no such thought of the Lords day as that it was a Sabbath or so to be observed as the Sabbath was and therefore did provide it and enact by the Authority aforesaid a bat it shall be lawful to every Husbandman Labourer Fisherman and to all and every other person or persons of what estate degree or condition be or they he upon the holy days aforesaid in Harvest or at any other times in the year when necessity shall so require to labour ride fish or work any kind of work at their free-wills and pleasure any thing in this Act unto the contrary notwithstanding This is the total of this Act which if examined well as it ought to be will yield us all those propositions or conclusions before remembred which we collected from the writings of those three particular Martyrs Nor is it to be said that it is repealed and of no Authority Repealed indeed it was in the first year of Queen Mary and stood repealed in Law though otherwise in use and practice all the long Reign of Queen Elizabeth but in the first year of King James was revived again Note here that in the self-same Parliament the Common Prayer-Book now in use being reviewed by many godly Prelates was confirmed and authorized wherein so much of the said Act as doth concern the Names and Number of the Holy days is expressed and as it were incorporate into the same Which makes it manifest that in the purpose of the Church the Sunday was no otherwise esteemed of than another Holy day This Statute as before we said was made in Anno 5. 6. of Edward the sixth And in that very Parliament as before we said the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book was confirmed which still remains in use amongst us save that there was an alteration or addition of certain Lessons to be used on every Sunday of the Year 1 Eliz. cap. 2. the form of the Letany altered and corrected and two Sentences added in the delivery of the Sacrament unto the Communicants Now in this Common prayer-Prayer-Book thus confirmed in the fifth and sixth years of King Edward the sixth Cap. 1. it pleased those that had the altering and revising of it that the Commandments which were not in the former Liturgy allowed of in the second of the said Kings Reign should now be added and accounted as a part of this the people being willed to say after the end of each Commandment Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law Which being used accordingly as well upon the hearing of the fourth Commandment as of any others hath given some men a colour to persuade themselves that certainly it was the meaning of the Church that we should keep a Sabbath still though the day be changed and that we are obliged to do it by the fourth Commandment Assuredly they who so conclude conclude against the meaning of the Book and of them that made it Against the meaning of the Book for if the Book had so intended that that Ejaculation was to be understood in a literal sence according as the words are laid down in terminis it then must be the meaning of the Book that we should pray unto the Lord to keep the Sabbath of the Jews even the seventh day precisely from the Worlds Creation and keep it in the self-same manner as the Jews once did which no man I presume will say was the meaning of it For of the changing of the day there is nothing said nor nothing intimated but the whole Law laid down in terminis as the Lord delivered it Against the meaning also of them that made it for they that made the Book and reviewed it afterwards and caused these Passages and Prayers to be added to it Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Ridley Bishop of London and certain others of the Prelates then and there assembled were the same men by whose advice and counsel the Act before remembred about keeping Holy days was in the self-same Parliament drawn up and perfected And is it possible we should conceive so ill of those reverend persons as that they would erect a Sabbath in the one Act and beat it down so totally in the other to tell us in the Service-Book that we are bound to keep a Sabbath and that the time and day of Gods publick Worship is either pointed out in the fourth Commandment or otherwise ordained by Divine Authority and in the self-same breath to tell us that there is neither certain time nor definite number of days prescribed in Scripture but all this left unto the liberty of the Church I say as formerly I said it is impossible we should think so ill of such Reverend persons nor do I think that any will so think hereafter when they have once considered the non sequitur of their own Conclusions As for the Prayer there used we may thus expound it according to the doctrine and the practice both of those very times viz. that their intent and meaning was to teach the people to pray unto the Lord to incline their hearts to keep that Law as far as it contained the Law of Nature and had been
Prescience by which he seeth all things past and all things to come as if present with him And therefore having past a general Decree of Predestination touching the saving of all those which believe in Christ and knowing most infallibly who and how many of all Nations will believe in Christ continue in the faith to the end of their lives and consequently attain salvation The number of the persons so Predestinated is as well known unto him in the universal comprehension of his Heavenly Prescience as if they had been personally elected unto life Eternal the accomplishing of which number that so his Kingdom may be hastned and the hastning of his Kingdom that we with all the rest which are departed in the true faith of his holy Name may have our perfect Consummation and bliss both in body and soul is the scope and purpose of that Prayer And being the sole scope and purpose of it cannot imply such a Personal and Eternal Election as some men imagine though it conclude both for a number and for a certain number of Gods Elect. CHAP. X. The Doctrine of the Church concerning Reprobatin and Universal Redemption 1. The absolute Decree of Reprobation not found in the Articles of this Church but against it in some passages of the publick Liturgy 2. The cause of Reprobation to be found in a mans self and not in Gods Decrees according to the judgment of Bishop Latimer and Bishop Hooper 3. The Absolute Decrees of Election and Reprobation how contrary to the last clause in the seventeenth Article 4. The inconsistency of the Absolute Decree of Reprobation with the Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption by the death of Christ 5. The Vniversal Redemption of man-kind by the death of Christ declared in many places of the publick Liturgy and affirmed also in one of the Homilies and the Book of Articles 6. A further proof of it from the Mission of the Apostles and the Prayer used in the Ordination of Priests 7. The same confirmed by the writings of Archbishop Cranmer and the two other Bishops before mentioned 8. A Generality of the Promises and an Vniversality of Vocation maintained by the said two godly Bishops 9. The reasons why this benefit is not made effectual to all sorts of men to be found only in themselves AS the speaking of Heaven doth many times beget the discovery of Hell so the foregoing discovery of Predestination to Eternal life conducts me to the speaking of a few words concerning the Doctrine of Reprobation Rejection Eternal death a point of which the Church of England is utterly silent leaving it to be gathered upon Logical inferences from that which is delivered by her in the point of Election for contrariorum contraria est ratio as Logicians say though that which is so gathered ought rather to be called a Dereliction than a Reprobation No such absolute irreversible and irrespective Decree of Reprobation taught or maintained in any publick Monument of Record of the Church of England by which the far greater part of man-kind are preordained and consequently pre-condemned to the pit of torments without any respect had unto their sins and incredulities as generally is maintained and taught in the Schools of Calvin Much I am sure may be said against it out of the passages in the Liturgy before remembred where it is said that God hath compassion upon all men and hateth nothing which he hath made but much more out of those which are to come in the second Article touching the Universal Reconciliation of man-kind unto God the Father by the death of Christ Take now to more than this one Collect being the last of those which are appointed for Good Friday on which we celebrate the memorial of Christ his death and passion and is this that followeth viz. Merciful God who hast made all men and hatest nothing that thou hast made nor wouldst the death of a sinner but rahter that he should be converted and live have mercy upon all Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks and take from them all ignorance hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy flock that they may be saved amongst the remnant of the true Israelites and be made one fold under one Shepherd Jesus Christ our Lord. A Prayer as utterly inconsistent with the Calvinians Decree of Reprobation as the finding of an Hell in Heaven or any thing else which seems to be most abhorrent both from faith and piety More may be said against it out of the writings of Bishop Latimer and Bishop Hooper before remembred Latimer in his 4. Sermon third Sunday after Epiphany 4. Serm. in Lincoln Beginning first with Latimer he will tell us this viz. That if most be damned the fault is not in God but in themselves for Deus vult omnes homines salvos fieri God would that all men should be saved but they themselves procure their own damnation Thus also in another place That Christ only and no man else merited Remission Justification and Eternal Felicity for as many as believe the same that Christ shed as much blood for Judas as for Peter that Peter believed it and therefore was saved that Judas could not believe it therefore was condemned the fault being in him only and no body else More fully not more plainly the other Bishop in the said Preface to the Exposition on the Ten Commandments where it is said That Cain was no more excluded from the promise of Christ till he excluded himself than Abel Saul than David Judas than Peter Esau than Jacob concerning which two brethren he further added That in the sentence of God given unto Rebecca that there was no mention at all that Esau should be disinherited of Eternal life but that he should be inferiour to his brother Jacob in this world which Prophecy saith he was fulfilled in their Posterity and not the persons themselves the very same withat of Arminius and his followers have since declared in this case And this being said he proceedeth to this Declaration That God is said by the Prophet to have hated Esau not because he was disinherited of Eternal life but in laying his mountains and his heritage waste for the Dragons of the Wilderness Mal. 1.3 that the threatning of God against Esau if he had not of wilful malice excluded himself from the promise of grace should no more have hindred his salvation than Gods threatning against Nineve that the cause of Rejection or Damnation is sin in man which will not hear neither receive the promise of the Gospel And finally thus That by Gods grace we might do the good Exposit of the Command cap. of Ignor. and leave the evil if it were not through malice or accustomed doing of sin the which excuseth the mercy and goodness of God and maketh that no man shall be excused in the latter judgment how subtilly soever they now excuse the matter and put their evil doings from them and
too much to our ancient Martyrs c. exemplified in the parity of Ministers and popular elections unto Benefices allowed by Mr. John Lambert Page 547 2. Nothing ascribed to Calvins judgment by our first Reformers but much to the Augustine Confession the Writings of Melancthon Page 548 3. And to the Authority of Erasmus his Paraphrases being commended to the use of the Church by King Edward VI. and the Reasons why ibid. 4. The Bishops Book in order to a Reformation called The institution of a Christian man commanded by King Henry VIII 1537. correcied afterwards with the Kings own hand examined and allowed by Cranmer approved by Parliament and finally published by the name of Necessary Doctrine c. An. 1543. ibid. 5. The Doctrine of the said two Books in the points disputed agreeable unto that which after was established by King Edward VI. Page 549 6. Of the two Liturgies made in the time of King Edward VI. and the manner of them the testimony given unto the first and the alterations in the second Page 550 7. The first Book of Homilies by whom made approved by Bucer and of the Argument that may be gathered from the method of it in the points disputed ibid. 8. The quality and condition of those men who principally concurred to the Book of Articles with the Harmony or consent in judgment between Archbishop Cranmer Bishop Ridley Bishop Hooper c. Page 551 9. The Doctrine delivered in the Book of Articles touching the five controverted points ibid. 10. An Answer to the Objection against these Articles for the supposed want of Authority in the making of them Page 552 11. An Objection against King Edwards Catechism mistaken for an Objection against the Articles refelled as that Catechism by John Philpot Martyr and of the delegating of some powers by that Convocation to a choice Committee Page 553 12. The Articles not drawn up in comprehensible or ambiguous terms to please all parties but to be understood in the respective literal and Grammatical sense and the Reasons why ibid. CHAP. IX Of the Doctrine of Predestination delivered in the Articles the Homilies the publique Liturgies and the Writings of some of the Reformers 1. The Articles differently understood by the Calvinian party and the true English Protestants with the best way to find out the true sense thereof Page 555 2. The definition of Predestination and the most considerable points contained in it ibid. 3. The meaning of those words in the definition viz. Whom he hath chosen in Christ according to the Exposition of S. Ambrose S. Chrysostom S. Jerom as also of Archbishop Cranmer Bishop Latimer and the Book of Homilies Page 556 4. The Absolute Decree condemned by Bishop Latimer as a means to Licentiousness and Carnal living ibid. 5. For which and making God to be the Author of sin condemned as much by Bishop Hooper ibid. 6. Our Election to be found in Christ not sought for in Gods secret Councils according to the judgment of Bishop Hatimer Page 557 7. The way to find out our Election delivered by the same godly Bishop and by Bishop Hooper with somewhat to the same purpose also from the Book of Homilies ibid. 8. The Doctrine of Predestination delivered by the holy Martyr John Bradford with Fox his gloss upon the same to corrupt the sense Page 558 9. No countenance to be had for any absolute personal and irrespective decree of Predestination in the publique Liturgie ibid. 10. An Answer to such passages out of the said Liturgie as seem to favour that opinion as also touching the number of Gods Elect. CHAP. X. The Doctrine of the Church concerning Reprobation and Universal Redemption 1. The absolute Decree of Reprobation not found in the Articles of this Church but against it in some passages of the publick Liturgie Page 560 2. The cause of Reprobation to be found in a mans self and not in Gods Decrees according to the judgment of Bishop Latimer and Bishop Hooper ibid. 3. The Absolute Decrees of Election and Reprobation how contrary to the last clause in the seventeenth Article Page 561 4. The inconsistency of the Absolute Decree of Reprobation with the Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption by the death of Christ ibid. 5. The Vniversal Redemption of man-kind by the death of Christ declared in many places of the publick Liturgie and affirmed also in one of the Homilies and the Book of Articles Page 502 6. A further proof of it from the Mission of the Apostles and the Prayer used in the Ordination of Priests ibid. 7. The same confirmed by the Writings of Archbishop Cranmer and the two other Bishops before mentioned Page 563 8. A Generality of the Promises and an Vniversality of Vocation maintained by the said two godly Bishops ibid. 9. The reasons why this benefit is not made effectual to all sorts of men to be found only in themselves ibid. CHAP. XI Of the Heavenly influences of Gods grace in the Conversion of a Sinner and a mans cooperation with those Heavenly influences 1. The Doctrine of Deserving Grace ex congruo maintained in the Roman Schools before the Council of Trent rejected by our ancient Martyrs and the Book of Articles Page 564 2. The judgment of Dr. Barns and Mr. Tyndal touching the necessary workings of Gods grace on the will of man not different from that of the Church of England Page 565 3. Vniversal grace maintained by Bishop Hooper and approved by some passages in the Liturgie and Book of Homilies ibid. 4. The offer of Vniversal grace made ineffectual to some for want of faith and to others for want of repentance according to the judgment of Bishop Hooper ibid. 5. The necessity of Grace Preventing and the free co-operation of mans will being so prevented maintained in the Articles in the Homilies and the publique Liturgie Page 566 6. The necessity of this co-operation on the part of man defended and applied to the exercise of a godly life by Bishop Hooper ibid. 7. The Doctrine of Irresistibility first broached by Calvin pertinaciously maintained by most of his followers and by Gomarus amongst others Page 567 8. Gainsaid by Bishop Hooper and Bishop Latimer ibid. 9. And their gain-sayings justified by the tenth Article of King Edwards Books Page 568 And 10. The Book of Homilies ibid. CHAP. XII The Doctrine of Free-will agreed upon by the Clergy in their Convocation An. 1543. 1. Of the Convocation holden in the year 1543. in order to the Reformation of Religion in points of Doctrine Page 569 2. The Article of Free-will in all the powers and workings of it agreed on by the Prelates and Clergie of that Convocation agreeable to the present Doctrine of the Church of England ibid. 3. An Answer to the first Objection concerning the Popishness of the Bishops and Clergie in that Convocation Page 571 4. The Article of Free-will approved by King Henry VIII and Archbishop Cranmer Page 572 5. An Answer to the last Objection concerning the Conformity of
Fortune which mark of the Tooth is still continued in the Doctors Family These and such like signatures of more wonderful form are indeed very rare yet not without example So Seleucus and his Children after him were Born with the figure of an Anchor upon their Thigh as an infallible mark of their true Geniture saith Justin Origenis hujus argumentum etiam posteris mansit Si quidem filii nepotesque ejus anchoram in semore veluti notam generis naturalem habuere Just Hist lib. 15. The Mother of Dr. Heylyn was Eliz. Clampard Daughter of Francis Clampard of Wrotham in Kent Gent. and of Mary Dodge his Wife descended in a direct Line from Peter Dodge of Stopworth in Cheshire unto whom King Edw. I. gave the Seigniory or Lordship of Padenhugh in the Barony of Coldingham in the Realm of Scotland as well for his special Services that he did in the Sieges of Barwick and Dunbar as for his Valour shewed in divers Battels encontre son grand Enemy Rebelle le Baillol Roy d'Escose Vasial d'Angleterre as the words are in the original Charter of Arms given to the said Peter Dodge by Guyen King of Arms at the Kings command dated April the 8th in the 34th year of the said K. Edw. I. one of the Descendants from the said Peter Dodge was Uncle to Dr. Heylyns Mother and gave the Mannor of Lechlade in Glocestershire worth 1400 l. per annum to Robert Bathurst Esq Uncle to the Doctor and Grand-father to that honest and loyal Gentleman Sir Edw. Bathurst now living In the sixth year of his Age he was committed to the Tuition of Mr. North School-master of Burford under whose instructions he profited so well that in a short time he could make true Latin and arrived to an ability of making Verses to which excellency together with History his genius was so naturally addicted that at the Age of ten years he framed a story in Verse and Prose which he composed in imitation of the destruction of Troy with some other Books of Chivalry upon which he was then very studious and intent I presume to mention it as an argument of the prodigious pregnancy of those endowments which God had bestowed on him for he may be truly accounted one of the praecoces fructus the forward fruits of his Age that was soon ripe and contrary to the Proverb was of lasting duration It may be affirmed of him as it was of Lipsius Ingenium habuit docile omnium capax memoria non sine praeceptorum miraculo etiam in puero quae in senectute non defecit His old Master North dying he was committed to another who succeeded in the same School viz. Mr. Davis a right Reverend and good man by whom he was sent to Oxford in the beginning of Decemb. 1613. at the 14th year of his Age and placed under the Tuition of Mr. Joseph Hill an ancient Batchelor in Divinity once one of the Fellows of Corpus Christi Coll. but then a Commoner of Hart-Hall Mr. Walter Newbery afterward a Zealous Puritan was made choice of to instruct him in Logick and other Academical Studies wherein he made such good progress that upon the 22 of July 1614. he stood to be Demy of Magdalen College which he missed of at the first Election but in the year after succeeded having endeared himself to the President Dr. Langton and Fellows of the same Colledge by the pleasantness of a Latin Poem upon a Journey that he made with his two Tutors unto Woodstock After his admission into that noble Foundation within the space of a twelve month he was made Impositor of the Hall in which Office he acquitted himself so excellently that the Dean of the College continued him longer in it than any ever before for which reason he was called by those Scholars of his own standing Perpetual Dictator He then composed an English Tragedy celled Spurius which was so well approved by some Learned Persons in the College that the President caused it to be privately Acted in his own Lodgings In July 1617. he obtained his grace for the Degree of Batchelor of Arts according to the College Statutes which requiring some exercise to be performed by a Batchelor of Arts in the long Vacation he began his Cosmographical Lectures and finished them in the end of the next August His performance of this exercise drew that whole Society into a profound admiration of his great Learning and Abilities insomuch that before he had done reading those Lectures he was admitted Fellow upon probation in the place of Mr. Love And that he might give a testimony of his grateful mind to them he writ a Latin Comedy which he called Theomachia which he finished and transcribed in a fortnight space on July the 19th 1619. He was admitted in verum perpetuum socium and not long before was made Moderator of the Senior Form which he retained above two years and within that compass of time he began to write his Geography accordingly as he design'd when he read his Cosmography Lectures which Book he finished in little more than two months beginning at Feb. 22. and compleating it on the 29th of April following At the next Act which was Anno Dom. 1620. he was admitted Master of Arts the honour of which degree was more remarkable because that very year the Earl of Pembroke Chancellor of the University signified his pleasure by special Letters That from that time forward the Masters of Arts who before sate bare should wear their Caps in all Congregations and Convocations He committed his Geography to the perusal of some Learned Friends which being by them well approved he obtained his Fathers consent for the Printing of it which was done accordingly Novemb. 7. 1621. The first Copy of it was by him presented to King Charles the First then Prince of Wales unto whom he Dedicated it and by whom together with its Author it was very graciously received being introduced into the Princes presence by Sir Robert Carre since Earl of Ancram one of the Gentlemen of his Highnesses Bed-Chamber In some months after his Father died at Oxon with an Ulcer in his Bladder occasioned by the Stone with which he had been many years grievously afflicted He was conveyed to Lechlade in Glocestershire where he was buried near his Wife who departed this life six years before him and was solemnly buried in the Chancel of that Parish Church Septemb. the 15th 1622. he received Confirmation from the hands of Bishop Lake in the Parish Church of Wells and in a short time after exhibited a Certificate to Dr. Langton concerning his Age by which means he obtained a Dispensation notwithstanding any local Statutes to the contrary that he should not be compell'd to enter into holy Orders till he was 24 years of Age according to the time appointed both by the Canons of the Church and the Statutes of the Realm His fear was then very great to enter upon the study of
Examination of the mistakes falsities and defects in some modern Histories Lond. 1659. Certamen Epistolare or the Letter-Combat managed with Mr. Baxter Dr. Bernard Mr. Hickman 8. Lond. 1659. Historia Quinqu-Articularis 4. Lond. 1660. Respondet Petrus or the Answer of Peter Heylyn D. D. to Dr. Bernards book entituled The Judgment of the late Primate c. Lond. 4. 1658. Observations on Mr. Hammond L' Estranges History of the Life of King Charles I. 1658. Extraneus Vapulans or a Defence of those Observations Lond. 1658. A short History of King Charles the First from his Cradle to his Grave 1658. Thirteen Sermons some of which are an Exposition of the Parable of the Tares printed at London 1659 and again 1661. A help to English History containing a succession of all the Kings Dukes Marquesses Earls Bishops c. of England and Wales first written in the Year 1641 under the name of Robert Hall but now enlarged and in Dr. Heylyns name Ecclesia Vindicata or the Church of England Justified c. 4. 1657. Bibliotheca Regia or the Royal Library 8. Ecclesia Restaurata or the History of the Reformation Fol. Lond. 1661. Cyprianus Anglicus or the History of the Life and Death of William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury Fol. Aerius Redivivus or the History of the Presbyterians Fol. ECCLESIA VINDICATA OR THE Church of England JUSTIFIED I. In the Way and Manner of her Reformation II. In Officiating by a Publick Liturgy III. In prescribing a Set Form of Prayer to be used by Preachers before their Sermons IV. In her Right and Patrimony of Tithes V. In retaining the Episcopal Government And therewith VI. The Canonical Ordination of Priests and Deacons By PETER HEYLIN D. D. PSAL. CXXXVI 6 7. Si oblitus fuero tui O Jerusalem oblivioni detur dextra med Adhaereat lingua mea faucibus meis si non proposuero tui in principio laetitiae meae LONDON Printed by M. Clark for C. Harper 1681. A General Preface TO THE READER CONCERNING The Design and Method of the following WORK 1. The Authors Address to those of the same persuasion with him 2. As also to those of different Opinion 3. His humble application to all such as be in Authority 4. Persecution a true note of the Church verified in the Jews the primitive Christians and the Church of England 5. The several Quarrels of the Genevians and Papists against the way and manner of our Reformation 6. The Authors Method and Design in answering the Clamors and Objections of either party 7. The first Quarrels against the Liturgies of King Edward the sixth and the grounds thereof 8. The Liturgy of Queen Elizabeth approved by the Pope subscribed by the Scots and the Church frequented by the Papists for the first ten years of that Queens reign 9. The Puritans and Papists separate from the Church at the same time and the hot pursuance of this Quarrel by the Puritan party 10. The Quarrel after some repose revived by the Smectymnuans and their actings in it 11. The Author undertakes the Defence of Liturgies as also the Times and Places of Publick Worship against all Opponents unto each 12. The Prayer prescribed to be used by Preachers before their Sermons the reasons why it was prescribed and the Church justified for so doing in a Brief Discourse upon that subject of the Authors making 13. An Answer to the Objection touching the free exercise of the Gift of Prayer 14. Set Forms of Prayer condemned in Churches by the Devisers of the Directory and prescribed for Ships 15. The Liturgy cryed down by the Lay-Brethren in Order to the taking away of Tithes 16. The same Design renewed by some late Projectors the Author undertakes against them and his Reasons for it 17. The first Bishops of Queen Elizabeths time quarrelled by the Papists and the grounds thereof 18. Covetousness and Ambition in the Presbyterians the two main grounds of their Pursuit against Episcopacy 19. Set on by Calvin and Beza they break out into action their violent proceedings in it and cessation from it 20. The Quarrel reassumed by the Smectymnuans outwitted in the close thereof by the Lay-Brethren without obtaining their own ends in advancing Presbytery 21. The Author undertakes against Smectymnuus and proves Episcopacy to be agreeable to all Forms of Civil Government 22. His History of Episcopacy grounded on the Authority of the Ancient Fathers and what the Reader is desired in Relation to them 23. Ordination by the Imposition of Hands generally in use in all Churches and how the Ordinance of March 20. 1653. is to be understood as to that particular 24. No Ordination lawful but by Bishops and what the Author hath done in it 25. The close of all and the submission of the whole to the Readers judgment READER of what persuasion or condition soever thou art I here present and submit unto thee these ensuing Tracts If thou art of the same persuasion and opinion with me I doubt not but thou wilt interpret favourably of my Undertakings and find much comfort in thy Soul for thy Adhesion to a Church so rightly constituted so warrantably reformed so punctually modelled by the pattern of the purest and most happy times of Christianity A Church which for her Power and Polity her sacred Offices and Administrations hath not alone the grounds of Scripture the testimony of Antiquity and consent of Fathers but as good countenance and support as the Established Laws of the Land could give her which Laws if they be still in force as they seem to be thy sufferings for adhering to the Church in her Forms and Government may not improperly be said to have faln upon thee for thy obedience and conformity to the Laws themselves Smectym Answ 85. For though it may be supposed with the Smectymnians the Author of The True Cavalier c. and some other of our modern Politicks that Government and Forms of Worship are but matters of humane appointment and being such may lawfully abrogated by the same Authority by which at first they were Established yet then it must be still by the same Authority and not by any other which is less sufficient for that end and purpose And I presume it will not be affirmed by any that an Ordinance of the Lords and Commons occasionally made and fitted for some present exigent is of as good authority as an Act of Parliament made by the King with the consent and approbation of the three Estates in due form of Law Or if it be I would then very fain know the reason why the Ordinance of the third of January Anno 1644. should be in force as to the taking away of the Book of Common Prayer and yet be absolutely void or of no effect as to the establishing and imposing of the Directory thereby authorized which bears an equal share in the title of it or why the Ordinance of the ninth of October Anno 1646. for abolishing Arch-bishops and Bishops should be still in
most eminent Divines of all the Kingdom to come before him whom he required freely and plainly to declare as well what their opinion was of the aforesaid Pamphlets as what they did think fit to be done concerning the Translation of the Bible into the English Tongue And they upon mature advice and deliberation unanimously condemned the aforesaid Books of Heresie and Blasphemy no smaller crime then for translating of the Scriptures into the English tongue they agreed all with one assent that it depended wholly on the will and pleasure of the Sovereign Prince who might do therein as he conceived to be most agreeable to his occasions but that with reference to the present estate of things it was more expedient to explain the Scripture to the people by the way of Sermons than to permit it to be read promiscuously by all sorts of men yet so that hopes were to be given unto the Laily that if they did renounce their errours and presently deliver to the hands of his Majesties Officers all such Books and Bibles which they conceived to be translated with great fraud and falshood and any of them had in keeping his Majesty would cause a true and catholike Translation of it to be published in convenient time for the use of his Subjects This was the sum and substance of the present Conference which you shall find laid down at large in the Registers of Arch-Bishop Warham And according to this advice the King sets out a Proclamation not only prohibiting the buying reading or translating of any the aforesaid Books but straitly charging all his Subjects which had any of the Books of Scripture either of the Old Testament or of the New in the English Tongue to bring them in without delay But for the other part of giving hopes unto the people of a true Translation if they delivered in the false or that at least which was pretended to be false I find no word at all in the Proclamation That was a work reserved unto better times or left to be solicited by the Bishops themselves and other Learned men who had given the counsel by whom indeed the people were kept up in hope that all should be accomplished unto their desires And so indeed it proved at last For in the Convocation of the year 1536. the Authority of the Pope being abrogated and Cranmer fully settled in the See of Canterbury the Clergy did agree upon a form of Petition to be presented to the King That he would graciously indulge unto his Subjects of the Laity the reading of the Bible in the English Tongue and that a new Translation of it might be forthwith made for that end and purpose According to which godly motion his Majesty did not only give Order for a new Translation which afterwards He authorized to be read both in publique and private but in the interim he permitted CROMWEL his Vicar General to set out an Injunction for providing the whole Bible both in Latine and English after the Translation then in Use which was called commonly by the name of Matthews Bible but was no other than that of Tindal somewhat altered to be kept in every Parish-Church throughout the Kingdom for every one that would repair thereunto and caused this mark or character of Authority to be set upon them in red Letters Set forth with the Kings most gracious Licence which you may see in Fox his Acts and Monuments p. 1248. and 1363. Afterwards when the new Translation so often promised and so long expected was compleat and finished Printed at London by the Kings Authority and countenanced by a grave and pious Preface of Arch-Bishop Cranmer the King sets out a Proclamation dated May 6. Anno 1541. Commanding all the Curates and Parishioners throughout the Kingdom who were not already furnished with Bibles so authorized and translated as is before said to provide themselves before All-hallowtide next following and to cause the Bible so provided to be placed conveniently in their several and respective Churches straitly requiring all his Bishops and other Ordinaries to take special care to see his said commands put in execution And therewithal came out Instructions from the King to be published by the Clergy in their several Parishes the better to possess the people with the Kings good affection towards them in suffering them to have the benefit of such Heavenly Treasure and to direct them in a course by which they might enjoy the same to their greater comfort the reformation of their lives and the peace and quiet of the Church Which Proclamation and Instructions are still preserved in that most admirable Treasury of Sir Robert Cotton And unto these Commands of so great a Prince both Bishops Priests and People did apply themselves with such chearful reverence that Bonner even that bloody Butcher as he after proved caused six of them to be chained in several places of St. Paul's Church in London for all that were so well inclined to resort unto for their edification and instruction the Book being very chargeable because very large and therefore called commonly for distinctions sake The Bible of the greater Volum Thus have we seen the Scriptures faithfully translated into the English Tongue the Bible publickly set up in all Parish-Churches that every one which would might peruse the same and leave permitted to all people to buy them for their private Uses and read them to themselves or before their Families and all this brought about by no other means than by the Kings Authority only grounded on the advice and judgment of the Convocation But long it was not I confess before the Parliament put in for a share and claimed some interest in the work but whether for the better or the worse I leave you to judge For in the year 1542. the King being then in agitation of a League with Charles the Emperour He caused a complaint to be made unto him in this Court of Parliament That the Liberty granted to the people in having in their hands the Books of the Old and New Testament had been much abused by many false glosses and interpretations which were made upon them tending to the seducing of the people especially of the younger sort and the raising of sedition within the Realm And thereupon it was enacted by the Authority of the Parliament on whom He was content to cast the envy of an Act so contrary to his former gracious Proclamations That all manner of Books of the Old and New Testament of the crafty false and untrue Translation of Tindal be forthwith abolished and forbidden to be used and kept As also that all other Bibles not being of Tindals Translation in which were found any Preambles or Annotations other than the Quotations or Summaries of the Chapters should be purged of the said Preambles and Annotations either by cutting them out or blotting them in such wise that they might not be perceived or read And finally That the Bible be not read openly in
any Church but by the leave of the King or of the Ordinary of the place nor privately by any Women Artificers Apprentices Journey-men Husband-men Labourers or by any of the Servants of Yeomen or under with several pains to those who should do the contrary This is the substance of the Statute of the 34 and 35 Hen. 8. c. 1. Which though it shews that there was somewhat done in Parliament in a matter which concern'd Religion which howsoever if you mark it was rather the adding of the penalties than giving any resolution or decision of the points in question yet I presume the Papists will not use this for an Argument that we have either a Parliament-Religion or a Parliament Gospel or that we stand indebted to the Parliament for the Use of the Scriptures in the English Tongue which is so principal a part of the Reformation Nor did the Parliament speed so prosperously in the undertaking which the wise King permitted them to have a hand in for the foresaid ends or found so general an obedience in it from the common people as would have been expected in these Times on the like occasion but that the King was fain to quicken and give life to the Acts thereof by his Proclamation Anno 1546. which you shall find in Fox his Book fo 1427. To drive this Nail a little further The terrour of this Statute dying with H. 8. or being repealed by that of K. Ed. 6. c. 22. the Bible was again made publique and not only suffered to be read by particular persons either privatly or in the Church but ordered to be read over yearly in the Congregation as a part of the Liturgie or Divine Service Which how far it relates to the Court of Parliament we shall see anon But for the publishing thereof in Print for the Use of the people for the comfort and edification of private persons that was done only by the King at least in his Name and by His Authority And so it also stood in Q. Elizabeth's time the translation of the Bible being again reviewed by some of the most learned Bishops appointed thereunto by the Queens Commission from whence it had the name of the Bishops Bible and upon that review Reprinted by her sole Commandement and by her sole Authority left free and open to the Use of her well-affected and religious subjects Nor did the Parliament do any thing in all Her Reign with reference to the Scriptures in the English Tongue otherwise than at the reading of them in that Tongue in the Congregation is to be reckoned for a part of the English Liturgy whereof more hereafter In the translation of them into Welch or British somewhat indeed was done which doth look this way It being ordered in the Parliament 5. Eliz. c. 28. That the B. B. of Hereford St. Davids Bangor Landaff and St. Asaph should take care amongst them for translating the whole Bible with the Book of Common Prayer into the Welch or Brittish Tongue on pain of forfeiting 40 l. a piece in default hereof And to incourage them thereunto it was Enacted that one Book of either sort being so translated and imprinted should be provided and bought for every Cathedral Church as also for all Parish-Churches and Chappels of Ease where the said tongue is commonly used the Ministers to pay the one half of the price and the Parishioners the other But then you must observe withal that it had been before determined in the Convocation of the self-same year Anno 2562. That the Common-Prayer of the Church ought to be celebrated in a tongue which was understood by the people as you may see in the Book of Articles of Religion Art 24. which came out that year and consequently as well in the Welch or Brittish as in any other Which care had it been taken for Ireland also as it was for Wales no question but that people had been more generally civiliz'd and made conformable in all points to the English Government long before this time And for the new Translation of K. James his time to shew that the Translation of Scripture is no work of Parliament as it was principally occasioned by some passages in the Conference at Hampton Court without recourse unto the Parliament so was it done only by such men as the King appointed and by His Authority alone imprinted published and imposed care being taken by the Canon of the year 1603. That one of them should be provided for each several Church at the charge of the Parish No flying in this case to an Act of Parliament either to Authorize the doing of it or to impose it being done 4. Of the Reformation of Religion in points of Doctrine NExt let us look upon the method used in former Times in the reforming of the Church whether in points of Doctrine or in forms of Worship and we shall find it still the same The Clergy did the work as to them seemed best never advising with the Parliament but upon the post-fact and in most cases not at all And first for Doctrinals there was but little done in K. Henries time but that which was acted by the Clergy only in their Convocation and so commended to the people by the Kings sole Authority the matter being never brought within the cognizance of the two Houses of Parliament For in the year 1536. being the year in which the Popes Authority was for ever banished there were some Articles agreed on in the Convocation and represented to the King under the hands of the Bishops Abbots Priors and inferior Clergy usually called unto those Meetings the Original whereof being in Sir Robert Cotton's Library I have often seen Which being approved of by the King were forthwith published under the Title of Articles devised by the Kings Highness to stable Christian quietness and unity amongst the people In which it is to be observed First that those Articles make mention of three Sacraments only that is to say of Baptisme Penance and the Sacrament of the Altar And secondly That in the Declaration of the Doctrine of Justication Images honouring of the Saints departed as also concerning many of the Ceremonies and the fire of Purgatory they differ'd very much from those Opinions which had been formerly received in the Church of Rome as you may partly see by that Extract of them which occurs in Fox his Acts and Monuments Vol. 2. fol. 1246. For the confirming of which Book and recommending it to the use of the people His Majesty was pleased in the Injunctions of the year 1536. to give command to all Deans Parsons Vicars and Curates so to open and declare in their Sermons and other Collations the said Articles unto them which be under their Cure that they might plainly know and discern which of them be necessary to be believed and observed for their salvation and which do only concern the decent and politique Order of the Church And this he did upon this ground that the said
in their Convocations as well by the common assent as by subscriptions of their hands 5 6. Edw. 6. chap. 12. And for the time of Q. Elizabeth it is most manifest that they had no other body of Doctrine in the first part of her Reign then only the said Articles of K. Edward's Book and that which was delivered in the Book of Homilies of the said Kings time In which the Parliament had as little to do as you have seen they had in the Book of Articles But in the Convocation of the year 1562. being the fifth of the Q. Reign the Bishops and Clergy taking into consideration the said book of Articles and altering what they thought most fitting to make it more conducible to the use of the Church and the edification of the people presented it unto the Queen who caused it to be published with this Name and Title viz. Articles whereupon it was agreed by the Arch-Bishops and Bishops of both Provinces and the whole Clergy in the Convocation holden at London Anno 1562. for the avoiding of diversity of Opinions and for the establishing of Consent touching true Religion put forth by the Queens Authority Of any thing done or pretended to be done by the power of the Parliament either in the way of Approbation or of Confirmation not one word occurs either in any of the Printed Books or the Publick Registers At last indeed in the 13th of the said Queens Reign which was 8 years full after the passing of those Articles comes out a Statute for the Redressing of disorders in the Ministers of holy Church In which it was enacted That all such as were Ordained Priests or Ministers of God's Word and Sacraments after any other form then that appointed to be used in the Church of England all such as were to be Ordained or permitted to Preach or to be instituted into any Benefice with Cure of souls should publickly subscribe to the said Articles and testifie their assent unto them Which shews if you observe it well that though the Parliament did well allow of and approve the said Book of Articles yet the said Book owes neither confirmation nor authority to the Act of Parliament So that the wonder is the greater that that most insolent scoff which is put upon us by the Church of Rome in calling our Religion by the name Parliamentaria-Religio should pass so long without controle unless perhaps it was in reference to our Forms of Worship of which I am to speak in the next place But first we must make answer unto some Objections which are made against us both from Law and Practice For Practice first it is alledged by some out of Bishop Jewel in his Answer to the Cavil of Dr. Harding to be no strange matter to see Ecclesiastical Causes debated in Parliament and that it is apparent by the Laws of King Ina King Alfred King Edward c. That our Godly Fore-fathers the Princes and Peers of this Realm never vouchsafed to treat of matters touching the Common State before all Controversies of Religion and Causes Ecclesiastical had been concluded Def. of the Apol. part 6. chap. 2. sect 1. But the answer unto this is easie For first if our Religion may be called Parliamentarian because it hath received confirmation and debate in Parliament then the Religion of our Fore-fathers even Papistry it self concerning which so many Acts of Parliament were made in K. Hen. 8. and Q. Maries time must be called Parliamentarian also And secondly it is most certain that in the Parliaments or Common-Councils call them which you will both of King Inas time and the rest of the Saxon Kings which B. Jewel speaks of not only Bishops Abbots and the higher part of the Clergy but the whole Body of the Clergy generally had their Votes and Suffrages either in person or by proxie Concerning which take this for the leading Case That in the Parliament or Common-Council in K. Ethelberts time who first of all the Saxon Kings received the Gospel the Clergy were convened in as full a manner as the Lay-Subjects of that Prince Convocati Communi Concilio tam Cleri quam Populi saith Sir H. Spelman in his Collection of the Councils Anno 605. p. 118. And for the Parliament of King Ina which leads the way in Bishop Jewel it was saith the same Sr. H. Spelman p. 630. Communi Concilium Episcoporum Procerum Comitum nec non omnium Sapientum Seniorum Populorumque totius Regni Where doubtless Sapientes and Seniores and you know what Seniores signifieth in the Ecclesiastical notion must be some body else then those which after are expressed by the name of Populi which shews the falshood and absurdity of the collection made by Mr. Pryn in the Epistle to his Book against Dr. Cousins viz. That the Parliament as it is now constituted hath an ancient genuine just and lawful Prerogative to establish true Religion in our Church and to abolish and suppress all false new and counterfeit Doctrines whatsoever Unless he means upon the post fact after the Church hath done her part in determining what was true what false what new what ancient and finally what Doctrines might be counted counterfeit and what sincere And as for Law 't is true indeed that by the Statute 1 Eliz. cap. 1. The Court of Parliament hath power to determine and judge of Heresie which at first sight seems somewhat strange but on the second view you will easily find that this relates only to new and emergent Heresies not formerly declared for such in any of the first four General Councils nor in any other General Cuncil adjudging by express words of holy Scripture as also that in such new Heresies the following words restrain this power to the Assent of the Clergy in their Convocation as being best able to instruct the Parliament what they are to do and where they are to make use of the secular sword for cutting off a desperate Heretick from the Church of CHRIST or rather from the Body of all Christian people 5. Of the Reformation of the Church of England in the Forms of Worship and the Times appointed thereunto THIS Rub removed we now proceed unto a view of such Forms of Worships as have been setled in this Church since the first dawning of the day of Reformation in which our Parliaments have indeed done somewhat though it be not much The first point which was altered in the publick Liturgies was that the Creed the Pater-noster and the Ten Commandements were ordered to be said in the English Tongue to the intent the people might be perfect in them and learn them without book as our Phrase is The next the setting forth and using of the English Letany on such days and times in which it was accustomably to be read as a part of the Service But neither of these two was done by Parliament nay to say truth the Parliament did nothing in them All which was done in either of them
their Authority and power in Spiritual matters from no other hands than those of Christ and his Apostles their Temporal honours and possessions from the bounty and affection only of our Kings and Princes their Ecclesiastical jurisdiction in causes Matrimonial Testamentary and the like for which no action lieth at the common Law from continual usage and prescription and ratified and continued unto them in the Magna Charta of this Realm and owe no more unto the Parliament than all sort of Subjects do besides whose Fortunes and Estates have been occasionally and collaterally confirmed in Parliament And as for the particular Statutes which are touched upon that of the 24 H. 8. doth only constitute and ordain a way by which they might be chose and consecrated without recourse to Tome for a confirmation which formerly had put the Prelates to great charge and trouble but for the form and manner of their Consecration the Statute leaves it to those Rites and Ceremonies wherewith before it was performed and therefore Sanders doth not stick to affirm that all the Bishops which were made in King Henries days were Lawfully and Canonically ordained and consecrated the Bishops of that time not only being acknowledged in Queen Maries days for lawful and Canonical Bishops but called on to assist at the Consecration of such other Bishops Cardinal Pool himself for one as were promoted in her Reign whereof see Masons Book de Minist Ang. l. c. Next for the Statute 1 E. 6. cap. 2. besides that it is satisfied in part by the former Answer as it relates to their Canonical Consecrations it was repealed in Terminis in the first of Queen Maries Reign and never stood in force nor practice to this day That of the Authorizing of the Book of Ordination in two several Parliaments of that King the one à parte ante and the other à parte post as before I told you might indeed seem somewhat to the purpose if any thing were wanting in it which had been used in the formula's of the Primitive times or if the Book had been composed in Parliament or by Parliament-men or otherwise received more Authority from them then that it might be lawfully used and exercised throughout the Kingdom But it is plain that none of these things were objected in Queen Maries days when the Papists stood most upon their points the Ordinal being not called in because it had too much of the Parliament but because it had too little of the Pope and relished too strongly of the Primitive piety And for the Statute of 8 of Q. Elizabeth which is chiefly stood on all that was done therein was no more than this and on this occasion A question had been made by captious and unquiet men and amongst the rest by Dr. Bonner sometimes Bishop of London whether the Bishops of those times were lawfully ordained or not the reason of the doubt being this which I marvel Mason did not see because the book of Ordination which was annulled and abrogated in the first of Queen Mary had not been yet restored and revived by any legal Act of Queen Elizabeths time which Cause being brought before the Parliament in the 8th year of her Reign the Parliament took notice first that their not restoring of that Book to the former power in terms significant and express was but Casus omissus and then declare that by the Statute 5 and 6 E. 6. it had been added to the Book of Common-prayer and Administration of the Sacraments as a member of it at least as an Appendant to it and therefore by the Statute 1 Eliz. c. 2. was restored again together with the said Book of Common-prayer intentionally at the least if not in Terminis But being the words in the said Statute were not clear enough to remove all doubts they therefore did revive now and did accordingly Enact That whatsoever had been done by virtue of that Ordination should be good in Law This is the total of the Statute and this shews rather in my judgment that the Bishops of the Queens first times had too little of the Parliament in them than that they were conceived to have had too much And so I come to your last Objection which concerns the Parliament whose entertaining all occasions to manisest their power in Ecclesiastical matters doth seem to you to make that groundless slander of the Papists the more fair and plausible 'T is true indeed that many Members of both Houses in these latter Times have been very ready to embrace all businesses which are offered to them out of a probable hope of drawing the managery of all Affairs as well Ecclesiastical as Civil into their own hands And some there are who being they cannot hope to have their sancies Authorized in a regular way do put them upon such designs as neither can consist with the nature of Parliaments nor the Authority of the King nor with the privileges of the Clergy nor to say truth with the esteem and reputation of the Church of Christ And this hath been a practice even as old as Wickliffe who in the time of K. R. 2. addressed his Petition to the Parliament as we read in Walsingham for the Reformation of the Clergy the rooting out of many false and erroneous Tenets and for establishing of his own Doctrines who though he had some Wheat had more Tears by odds in the Church of England And lest he might be thought to have gone a way as dangerous and unjustifiable as it was strange and new he laid it down for a position That the Parliament or Temporal Lords where by the way this ascribes no Authority or power at all to the House of Commons might lawfully examine and reform the Disorders and Corruptions of the Church and a discovery of the errors and corruptions of it devest her of all Tithes and Temporal endowments till she were reformed But for all this and more than this for all he was so strongly backed by the Duke of Lancaster neither his Petition nor his Position found any welcome in the Parliament further than that it made them cast many a longing eye on the Churches patrimony or produced any other effect towards the work of Reformation which he chiefly aimed at than that it hath since served for a precedent to Penry Pryn and such like troublesome and unquiet spirits to disturb the Church and set on foot those dreams and dotages which otherwise they durst not publish And to say truth as long as the Clergy were in power and had Authority in Convocation to do what they would in matters which concerned Religion those of the Parliament conceived it neither safe nor fitting to intermeddle in such business as concerned the Clergy for fear of being questioned for it at the Churches Bar. But when that Power was lessened though it were not lost by the submission of the Clergy to K. H. 8. and by the Act of the Supremacy which ensued upon it then did the Parliaments
frequent also Ad sydera supplex Cressa manus tollens Ovid. Mttam l. 8. Ipse gubernator tollens ad sydera palmas Id. Trist l. 1. Thus Livie tells us of the matrons before remembred nixas genibus supinas manus ad caelum ac deos tendere Livius in hist Rom. dec 4. l. 6. that being on their knees they lifted up their hands unto the Heavens and so made their prayers And they are joyned together by Lucretius also Nec procumbere humi prostratum pandere palmas Ante Deum delubra Lucret. l. 5. More of this we need not And much there needs not to demonstrate that they turned their faces towards the East in the solemnity of their devotions the point being made so universally apparent by this note of Servius For whereas it is said by Virgil in the description of a sacrifice Illi ad surgentem conversi lumina solem Dant fruges manibus salsas The old Grammarian would not have you think that this was spoken of the Sun-rising Jam dudum enim dies erat Servius in Virg. Aeneid 12. For it had long before been day NOt so saith he Sed disciplinam ceremoniarum secutus est ut orientem diceret spectare eum qui precaturus offerat He only doth observe the ancient discipline and ceremonies that he who was to pray should look toward the East And this may also be collected from the contrivance of their Temples which were so fashioned as the great Architect Vitruvius noteth ut qui adierint ad aram immolantes Vitruvius de Architect l. 4. c. 5. an t sacrificia facientes spectent ad partem coeli Orientem that they who offered sacrifice or made their prayers for so it followeth in the next words might look towards the East Finally for the uncovering of the head in the Act of Worship it was used generally by the Grecians both in their Sacrifices and their Prayers Macrob. Saturnal lib. 1. c. 10. l. c. c. 6. and is therefore called Graecus ritus in Macrobius And by the Romans also in the Prayers and Sacrifices made unto Hercules and Saturn whereof consult Macrob. lib. 1. c. 8. 10. and Dionysius Halicarnass hist Rom. lib. 1. as also in all acts of worship whatsoever performed at that great and ancient Altar called Ara Maxima of old erected by the Grecians Macrob. l. 1. cap. 10. before the coming of Aeneas into Italy with his Trojan ceremonies And now I am fallen upon the Grecians and their gestures in the Act of Worship I will lay down the form and ceremonies in which their Sacrifices which were their greatest Acts of Worship were performed and celebrated Of these I had intended to say nothing here partly because the punctual practice of the Romans would give sufficient light and evidence unto the business now in hand but principally because the Estates of Greece being very many and those too absolute and independent I doubted I should find but small agreement in their Rites and Forms But finding a set Form of Sacrifice used by those of Athens painfully collected to my hand by Mr. Francis Rous of Oxon in his three books of the Athenian Antiquities Archaiologiae Atticae l. bri tres Id. l. 2. c. 9. in honour of his learned industry I will here present it leaving the Allegations and Authorities to be consulted in the Authors margin Thus then saith he The Priests being purified and prepared they came and stood round the Altar having with them a Basket in which was the Knife hid covered with flower and salt wherewith they cut the throat of the Victim Then they purified the Altar going about it with the right hand towards it which lustration was made with Meal and Holy-water sprinkled thereon This water is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which they quenched a Fire-brand taken from the Altar with which they bedewed the standers by accounting it a cleansing from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was forbidden him whom they took for a forlorn and polluted wretch Then they cast some of the flour on them And having thus expiated they cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is here to which they made reply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many and good Then they prayed speaking with a loud voice before they began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Let us pray Supplications being ended they drew the Victim so as if it were to the gods above the head might look upwards if it were to the Heroes or Demy-gods with his throat downwards Then they slew him and skinned him and cutting out thehuck shin-bones and banch they covered them with fat which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence the gods of the Heathen are said by Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rejoyce in the fat to the end that they may burn all out in a great flame For the Grecians accounted it unlucky if it did not so consume and thought that it was not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they cast small pieces of flesh cut from every part of the beast beginning with the shoulder which in Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence this action is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reason Eustathius gives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that they might seem to consume all which the Athenians did not being commanded by Law to carry some of the Sacrifice home By reason of which injunction they did so strain courtesie with their gods that the illiberal or niggardly sort of people would sell that which was left and so make a gain of their devotion That which they offered was the haunch-bone or the entrails or somewhat of no great worth where by entrails you must understand the spleen the liver and the heart which Homer calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These the ancients did divide amongst them at Sacrifice to feed on and afterwards cut out the rest to roast for when they had finished their devotions they let loose the reins to all voluptuousness For many times they left nothing of their Sacrifice especially when they offered unto VEsta whence the Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Sacrifice to Vesta is to eatup all He also notes from Aristophanes that they had their Meat-offerings and their Drink-offerings that in their Meat-offerings it was required that it should be sound and without blemish whether it were an Ox Sheep Goat Swine or Calf that he whose poverty was such that he could not afford a Sheep or the like might with acceptance to the Gods offer a little Cake or Mola which by the richer sort was mingled with Oyl and Wine and finally that instead of this the wealthier sort used to cast frankincense upon the Altar Such were the prescribed Rites and Forms in which the Athenians offered Sacrifice to the gods of Attica And doubt we not but that the other States of Greece as they had gods to whom to Sacrifice and Sacrifices
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then doth the Bishop say the Prayers and give the peace or kiss of peace to all the company who having saluted one another with an holy kiss the Diptychs are forthwith recited After the Bishop and the Priests having washed their hands the Bishop standing against the middle of the Altar the Priests and Ministers being round about him and giving praise to God for all his works proceeds unto the Consecration of the Elements being then presented to the publick view Which being thus Sanctified and publickly set forth to view 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he first partakes thereof himself and then exhorteth others to do the like The blessed Sacrament being thus given and received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he finally descends to the giving of thanks and so dismisseth the Assembly This is the Form of ministration laid down before us in the Books ascribed to this Dionysius in which I see not any thing which may advantage those of the Church of Rome unless it be the use of censing but I see much which makes against them viz. the giving of the whole Communion sub utraque specie For should you stumble at the Altar which is mentioned here Ignatius who lived in these very times Irenaeus who lived but little after S. Cyprian and almost who not amongst the Ancients will lend an helping hand for to raise you up And if you would sum up the Form which is described here at large we have the daily Service which I conceive to be those leading Prayers which the Bishop first said at the holy Altar the Psalms the reading of the Scriptures in a prescript order which possibly may be the Epistle and Gospel as we call them now then the dismission of all such who are not fitted to communicate the placing of the Bread and Wine on the holy Table the general confession of the peoples sins to Almighty God the kiss of peace and mutual salutation with the commemoration of the Righteous After all this the Prayer of Consecration and the participating of the blessed Sacrament and finally Thanksgiving for so great a blessing In all which there is nothing that I can see except it be the act of censing as before is said which savoureth not of primitive and Apostolical purity nothing but what is worthy of the name and piety of Dionysius nothing but what we may observe in other Worthies near about the time which is assigned unto this Author Finally if the Author be not Dionysius which I will not take upon me to determine yet doubtless he is very ancient and for the Books ascribed unto him Petr. Molinaeu◠in tract de Altar c. 7. they are acknowledged by Du Moulin to be utilia bonae frugis which is as much as need be said in the present case Let us next look upon the Form of Baptism which is another part of the publick Liturgy For howsoever the word Liturgy be used sometimes to signifie no more than the Ministration of the blessed Eucharist in which respect it is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is expounded so by Balsamon Balsam in not is ad Concil Sardic yet doth it signifie most commonly the whole course And therefore Bellarmine was foully out when he made this note à patribus Graecis vix aliter accipi quam pro minifterio sacrificii Eucharistiae offerendi Bellarm. de Missa l. 1. c. 1. Dionys de Eccles Hierarch p. 77. edit gr lat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it was seldom used otherwise by the Greek Fathers then for the Celebrating of the Sacrifice of the holy Eucharist But let that pass cum caeteris errorbus and go we on unto our business to the Form of Baptism which we find thus described by the said Dionysius The day being come in which the party is to be Baptized and the Congregation being Assembled in the holy Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Bishop sings some Psalm contained in the Scripture the whole Assembly joyning with him then doing reverence towards the holy Table he turns unto the party offered unto Baptism and asks him for what cause he cometh who being taught by his Surety first making known his ignorance and want of God desires that he might be admitted to these things which pertain to godliness The Bishop next letting him know the rules of a Christian life demandeth if he will conform unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the which when he hath promised to do his name together with his sureties are enrolled in the publick Registers This done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bishop saith the holy Prayer which when the whole Assembly have consented to by saying Amen the Deacon doth prepare himself to strip him and disrobe him of his Cloaths and placing him towards the West with his hands lift up requireth him to bid defiance unto Satan thrice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and saying to him the set and solemn words of Abrenuntiation when he hath thrice repeated them he is turned towards the East and willeth him having both his hands and eyes heaved up to Heaven to joyn himself to Christ and Gods holy Word Which having promised and thrice made profession of his faith the Bishop layeth his hand upon him and prayeth over him Then being disrobed the Priests bring the Oyl or chrism wherewith the Bishop doth thrice sign him with the sign of the Cross and after delivereth him unto the Priests who carry him unto the Font where calling upon God to bless and sanctifie the waters and singing to the Lord one of the song or Psalms made by the inspiration of the Holy ghost the party is called by his Name and thrice dipped in water one of the persons of the blessed Trinity being particularly named and called upon at each several dipping or immersion This done they cloath him all in white and bring him back unto the Bishop who once more anointeth him with the Oyl or Chrism and so pronounceth him to be from that time forwards a meet partaker of the blessed Eucharist So far and to this purpose Dionysius But then withal you must observe that this was in baptismo Adultorum and that there was not so much ceremony in the Baptism of Infants although it was the same in both for the main and substance Now for the Form of Abrenuntiation we find it thus laid down in the Constitutions ascribed to Clemens of which it may be said as was before of Dionysius that though they be not his whose name they carry yet are they notwithstanding very ancient and do exceeding well set forth the Forms and usages of the primitive Church Clement Constitut l. y. c. 42. The Form is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. I forsake the Devil and all his works his pomps and service his Angels and inventions with all things under his command Which done he doth rehearse the Articles of his belief in this Form that followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
one to whom that charge or Office appertained began some other Psalm or Hymn and all sung together after him by which variety of singing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some Prayers being interserted or mingled with it they past over the night and on the dawning of the day all of them joyned together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if they had but one heart and one mouth amongst them and sung unto God a Psalm of Confession most likely one of the seven penitential Psalms and after every one made in his own words a profession of his penitence and so all returned Where note that howsoever this Form of Service was fitted only for a company of private Men who had embraced the Monastick life and to be used only by them in their private Oratories yet the most part thereof was borrowed from the publick Forms at that time extant in the Church Of the which Rites or Forms retained amongst them were the beginning of their service with a confession of their sins then p rayers to God and then the singing of the Psalms That which was singular herein and needed the Apology was that they met together before day and spent more time upon the Psalmody than in reading or preaching of the Word or in Common-prayer or any of the other parts of publick Worship Basil could tell as well as any wherein the Form of Service used amongst his Monks agreed with that which was received and used in publick Churches and wherein it differed as having took the pains to compose a Liturgie or rather to compleat and polish and fit unto the publick use such as had formerly been extant And though that Copy of it which occurs in the Bibliotheca and in the writings of Cassander have some things in it which are found to be of a latter date yet we shall clear that doubt anon when we come to Chrysostom against whose Liturgy I find the like Objections Mean time take this of Basil for a pregnant Argument that in his time and long before it the Service of the Chruch was not only ordered by Rules and Rubricks but put into set Forms of Worship which we have noted in his Books De spiritu sancto and is this that followeth For speaking there touching those publick Usages which came into the Church from the tradition of the Apostles Easil de sancto spiritu c. 27. he instanceth in these particulars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The signing with the sign of the Cross all those who place their hopes in Christ what writing teacheth that in our prayers we should turn towards the East where is it taught us in the Scripture And then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those words of invocation wherewithal in the holy Eucharist we consecrate the Bread and Cup of Benediction which of those blessed Saints have left in writing For not content with those things which the Apostles or the Gospel have committed to us many things have been added since both in the way of preface and of conclusion which are derived from unwritten Tradition And not long after thus of Baptism having first spoke of consecrating the Water of the Chrism or Oyl and the three Dippings then in use Those other things saith he which are done in Baptism viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Abrenuntiation which is made to Satan and to all his Angels out of what Scripture is it brought Next for S. Cyrsostom the evidence we have from him is beyond exception 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost in 2. ad Corinth hom 18. It is no now saith he as in the old Testament wherein the Priests eat this and the people that it being unlawful for the people to eat those things which were permitted to the Priest It is now otherwise with us For unto all is the same Body and the same Cup presented And in our very prayers it is easily seen how much we attribute unto the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For both those who are possessed with the devil the Energumeni and those who yet are under penance both by the People and Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common Prayers are made and we say all one and the self same Prayer even that which is so full of mercy Where by the way though in the Greek it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they say all one Prayer yet in the Latin it runs thus omnes unam eandemque precem concipiunt which would make well for unpremeditated and extemporary Prayers if it were possible that all the Congregation both Priest and people should fall upon the same conception But to go on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Again saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when we repell all such from the holy Rayls which cannot be partakers of the holy Table there is another Prayer to be said and we all lie alike upon the ground and all rise together Then when the Peace or sign of peace is mutually to be given and taken we do all equally salute or kiss each other Thus also in the celebration of the sacred Mysteries as the Priest prayeth for the people so do they for him these usual words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And with thy Spirit importing nothing else but this And finally Et cum spirtu tuo Gratlas agamus Deo that Prayer wherein we give thanks to the Lord our God is common unto both alike the Priest not only giving thanks to God but the whole Assembly For when he hath demanded their suffrage first and they acknowledg thereupon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dignum est justum that it is meet and right so to do then he begins the holy Eucharist Nor is it strange nor should it seem so unto any that the people should thus hold conference with the Priest o Minister considering that they sing those holy Hymns together with the Cherubins and the powers of Heaven So he And all this out of question Ideo cum Angelis Archangelis must needs be understood of prescribed Forms such as the people said by heart or could read in Books that either lay before them or were brought with them such as they were so throughly versed in as to make answer to the Minister upon all occasions For what else were those common Prayers those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he speaks of what else that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that one self-same Prayer that Prayer so full of mercy in which all did joyn were they not so determinate the prescribed that all could say them with the Minister And were not those returns and Answers so prescribed and set that all the people knew their Q. and were not ignorant of their turn when they were to speak Several other passages of the antient Liturgies might here and there be gathered from this Fathers writings if one would take the pains to seek them But I shall save that pains at present and indeed well may For what
and doth not only reach the Priests but caeteros omnes praesEntes all who were present in the Church Anastas Ep. ap Binium in To. 2. Concil And doubtless 't was in use before though but now enjoyned Sozomen blaming it in the Alexandrians and he lived long before the time of Anastasius that at the reading of the Gospels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishop stood not up as in other places Sozomen hist Eccl. l. 7. c. 19. Yet you must understand it so that they used not to stand upright sed curvi venerabundi saith the letter decretal but with the bowing of the body as in the way of adoration and more than so too if the name of Jesus did occur in the reading of it they used with all reverence and duty to bow the knee which in those parts and times was the greatest sign both of humility and subjection Of this we need no other witness than the great S. Ambrose whose speaking in his Hexaemeron Ambros in opera Hexaem l. 6. c. 9. touching the particular office of each several member he makes the bowing of the knee at the name of Jesus the proper duty of that part Kneeling they used both in the act of Prayer and Invocation as also in the participation or receiving of the blessed Sacrament First in the act of Prayer or Invocation for when Tertullian blamed it in the Gentiles that they did assidere sub aspectu contraque aspectum ejus Tertullian de Orat. cap. 12. Origen in Numer Homil. 5. sit down irreverently before their Gods as soon as they had done their Prayers And when as Origen asks the reason quod genua flectimus orantes why we should kneel upon our knees in the time of Prayer both of them put it out of question that in the act of Prayer or Invocation the Christians of those early times were upon their knees Next for the reverence which they used in the time of Participation the least that can be said of them is that they received the Sacrament upon their knees What else can be the meaning of that of Ambrose where he informeth us of the Christians of his time that they did carnem Christi in mysteriis adorare adore the flesh of Christ in the holy mysteries Ambros de Sp. S. lib. 3. c. 12. Chrysost Homil. 3. in Ephes or that of Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When thou seesT all things ready at the great Kings Table the Angels ministring at the same the King in presence and thou thy self provided of a Wedding garment cast thy self down upon thy knees at least and so Communicate And what else think you caused the Gentiles to accuse the Christians living in S. Austins time for worshipping Ceres and Bacchus two good Belly-gods August contra Faustum Man l. 20. c. 13. but that they were observed to kneel when they received the Bread and Wine in the blessed Eucharist And all this done with hands stretched out and heads uncovered manibus expansis Tertullian Apologet. c. 30. Basil Ep. 63. capite nudo as Tertullian hath it and as S. Basil doth observe of Gregory Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he used not to be covered in the time of prayer Add that they turned towards the East in the act of worship whereof consult with Justin Martyr in his Book of Questions and Answers ad Orthodopes Qu. 118. Tertullian in his Apologetick chap. 16. Origen in his 5. Homily on the Book of Numbers not to say any thing of those who came after them And then we have a perfect view of the most usual and material orders used by the Primitive Christians in Gods publique service Before I do conclude this Age I shall subjoyn some few notes on the Gloria Patri retained on so good grounds in this Church of England so oft repeated in the divine service of the same so solemnly and reverently pronounced by those who either understand their own Christian duties or the intentions of the antient holy Catholick Church And those remembrances I shall reduce unto these three heads First I shall shew the Antiquity and Original of it Secondly when and by what Authority it became a part of the publick Liturgies And thirdly in what posture Gods people used to put themselves as often as there was occasion to pronounce the same Concerning the Antiquity of the Gloria Patri I know it is referred by some to the Council of Nice or the times immediately succeeding and that it is by them conceived to have been framed of purpose for a Counterpoise to the Arian Heresie and to train up the people in the right perswasion of the holy Trinity And were it so it need not be ashamed of its Original or look into the world for a better petigree the space of 1300 years and more being abundantly sufficient to procure it credit and set it far enough above the reach of contentious men But yet S. Basil who lived near that Council Basil de Sp. S. c. 27. Id. ibid. c. 29. goes a great deal higher and fetcheth the Original of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the tradition of the Apostles and cites some of the antient Fathers and amongst them S. Clemens the Apostles Scholar and Dionysius of Alexandria who died long time before this Council and in whose writings this doxology was expresly found For the Apostles being commanded by their Lord and Saviour to teach and Baptize all people in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost there is no question to be made but that in due conformity to their Masters pleasure they did accordingly proceed and for a preparatory thereunto required of such as were to be added to the Church a solemn profession of that Faith into which they were to be Baptized And this Confession of the Faith he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Original and mother as it were of that Doxologie then and of long time used in the Church of Christ Id. ibid. c. 27. And then it followeth in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. That as they had received so they did Baptize and as they did Baptize so they did believe Id. ibid. Ep. 78. and as they did believe so they also glorified But they Baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and they believed in the Father and in the Son and in the Holy Ghost and therefore also had some Form of ascribing Glory to the Father Son and Holy Ghost which was the Form remaining on record in those antient Fathers whose names there occur And this he further proves by an antient ceremony used of old at Candle tinding which he ascribeth also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the tradition of the Fathers but by which of them devised or first introduced that he could not tell Onely he noteth that at the first bringing in of the Evening lights the people were
or exhorting but taking to themselves the liberty of their own expression for the phrase and stile according to the purpose and effect of the said Injunction And it is worth our noting too that presently upon the end of this exhortation or bidding of the Prayers used by Dr. Parker there followeth in the book these words Hic factae sunt tacitae preces By all which we may perceive most evidently that it was then the peoples practice and is now our duty immediately upon the bidding of the Prayers or on the Preachers moving of the people to joyn with them in Prayer as the Canon hath it to recollect the heads recommended to them and tacitly to represent them to the Lord in their devotions or otherwise to comprechend them in the Pater-noster with which the Preacher by the Canon is to close up all And now being come to the times of King Edward the sixth we will next look on Bishop Latimer the fourth of these five Prelates whom before I spake of who living in King Henry and King Edwards times and in their times using that Form of bidding Prayers which is prescribed both in the Canon and Injunctions shews plainly that the antient practice in this kind was every way conform to the present Canon and the old Injunctions And first to keep our selves to King Edwards Reign we have eight passages in his Sermons preached in that Kings time whereby we may perceive what the usage was six of them laid down in brief and two more at large the two last being as a comment on the former six of the six brief the first occurs in his 2d p. 33. Sermon before King Edward thus Hitherto goeth the Text That I may declare this the better to the edifying of your Souls and the glory of God I shall desire you to pray c. So in his third before the King p. 42. March the 22. Before I enter further into this matter I shall desire you to pray c. And in the fourth March 29. That I may have grace so to open the remnant of this Parable that it may be to the glory of God and edifying of your souls I shall desire you to pray in the which prayer c. And in the 5th Sermon before the King on the 6th of April p. 51. having entred on his matter he thus invites them to their Prayers And that I may have grace c. So in the sixth April the 13th This is the story and that I may declare this Text so as it may be to the honour of God and the edifying of your souls and mine both I shall desire you to help me with your prayers in the which c. The last is in a Sermon before that King p. 108. Preached at the Court in Westm An. 1550. where he doth it thus Here therefore I shall desire you to pray c. These instances compared with the other two make the matter plain whereof the first is in the seventh before King Edward April 19. 1549. Thus This day we have in memory Christs bitter passion and death the remedy of our Sin Therefore I intend to treat of a piece of the story of his passion I am not able to treat of all that I may do this the better and that it may be to the honour of God and the edification of your Souls and mine both I shall desire you to pray c. In this prayer I shall desire you to remember the Souls departed with laud and praise to Almighty God that he did vouchsafe to assist them at the hour of their death I shall desire you to pray c. And in the which c. What mean these caetera's That we shall see most manifestly in his Sermon Preached at Stamford p. 88. Octob. 9. 1550. which shews indeed most fully that the Form of bidding Prayers then used was every way conform to the Injunction of King Edward VI. and very near the same which was prescribed after by the Queens Injunction For having as before proposed his matter he thus bids the Prayers And that I may at this time so declare them as may be for Gods glory your edifying and my discharge I pray you to help me with your prayers in the which prayer c. For the Vniversal Church of Christ through the whole world c. for the preservation of our Sovereign Lord King Edward the Sixth sole Supreme Head under God and Christ of the Churches of England and Ireland c. Secondly for the Kings most honourable Council Thirdly I commend unto you the Souls departed this life in the Faith of Christ that ye remember to give laud praise and thanks to Almighty God for his great goodness and mercy shewed unto them in that great need and conflict against the Devil and Sin and that gave them in the hour of death faith in his Sons Death and Passion whereby they conquer and overcome and get the victory Give thanks I say for this adding prayers and supplications for your selves that it may please God to give you like faith and grace to trust only in the death of his dear Son as he gave unto them For as they be gone so must we and the Devil will be as ready to tempt us as he was them and our sins will light as heavy upon us as theirs did upon them and we were as weak and unable to resist as were they Pray therefore that we may have Grace to die in the same faith as they did and at the latter day to be raised with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and be partakers with Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven for this and all other graces let us say the Lords prayer Now unto Bishop Latimer we will joyn another of the same time and as high a calling which is Dr. Gardiner Bishop of Winchester of whom whatever may be said in other respects in this it cannot be objected but that he followed the Form and Order then prescribed for in a Sermon Preached before King Edward VI. Anno 1550. being the Fourth of that Kings Reign before the naming of his Text for ought appears he thus bids the Prayer Most honourable Audience I purpose by the grace of God to declare some part of the Gospel that is accustomably used to be read in the Church at this day and that because without the special grace of God neither I can speak any thing to your edifying nor ye receive the same accordingly I shall desire you all that we may joyntly pray all together for the assistance of his grace In which prayer I commend to Almighty God your most excellent Majesty our Sovereign Lord King of England France and Ireland and of the Church of England and Ireland next and immediately under God here on earth Supream Head Q. Katharine Dowager my L. Maries grace and my L. Elizabeths grace your Majesties most dear Sisters my L. Protectors grace with all others of your most honourable
and Rulers of the Church and that the Apostles after his ascension did ordain the Deacons to be the Ministers of their Episcopal function and the necessities of the Church Saint Ambrose doth affirm the same Ambros in 1. ad Cor. c. 12. Caput it aque in Ecclesia Apostolos posuit c. Christ saith he made the Apostles the head or supreme Governours of his Church they being the Legats or Ambassadours of Christ according unto that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.20 And then he adds Ipsi sunt Episcopi that they were Bishops More plainly in his Comment on the Ephesians Apostoli Episcopi sunt Prophetae explanatores Scripturarum The Apostles saith he In Comment in Ephes 4. are Bishops and Prophets the Expositors of Scripture But because question hath been made whether indeed those Commentaries are the works of Ambrose or of some other ancient Writer he tells us in his Notes on the 43. Psalm that in those words of Christ Pasce oves meas Peter was made a Bishop by our Lord and Saviour De Repub. Eccles l. 2. c. 2. n. 4. Significat Ambrosius Petrum Sacerdotem hoc est Episcopum electum illis verbis Pasce oves meas as the place is cited by the Arch-Bishop of Spalato And thus Saint Chrysostom speaking of the election of the Seven saith plainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that then there were no Bishops in the Church Chrys hom 14. in Act 6. but only the Apostles But what need more be said in the present business than that which is delivered in the holy Scripture about the surrogation of some other in the place of Judas wherein the place or function of an Apostle is plainly called Episcopatus Acts 1.20 Episcopatum ejus accipiat alter let another take his Bishoprick as the English reads it His Bishoprick i. e. saith Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Principality his Priesthood Chrys hom 3. in Act. 1. the place of government that belonged unto him had he kept his station A Text most plain and pregnant as the Fathers thought to prove that the Episcopal dignity was vested in the persons of the Lords Apostles The Comment under the name of Ambrose which before we spake of having said Ipsi sunt Episcopi Ambros in 1. ad Cor. c. 12 that the Apostles were Bishops adds for the proof thereof these words of Peter Episcopatum ejus accipiat alter And the true Ambrose saying of Judas Id. Serm. 50. that he was a Bishop Episcopus enim Judas fuit adds for the proof thereof the same very Text. Finally to conclude this matter Saint Cyprian shewing that Ordinations were not made without the privity of the people in the Jewish Church Nisi sub populi assistentis conscientia lib. 1. ep 4. adds that the same was afterwards observed by the holy Apostles Quando de ordinando in locum Judae Episcopo when Peter spake unto the people about the ordering of a Bishop in the place of Judas But for a further proof of this that the Apostles were ordained Bishops by our Lord and Saviour we shall see more hereafter in convenient place Vide chap. 6. n. 12. when we are come to shew that in the government of the Church the Bishops were the proper Successors of the Apostles and so esteemed to be by those who otherwise were no great friends unto Episcopacy In the mean time we may take notice of that impudent assertion of Jobannes de Turrecremata viz. Quod solus Petrus à Christo Episcopus est ordinatus Lib. 2. Summae de Eccl. c. 32. ap Bell. de Rom Pont. that Peter only Peter was made Bishop by our Saviour Christ and that the rest of the Apostles received from Peter their Episcopal consecration wherein I find him seconded by Dominicus Jacobatius lib. 10. de Concil Art 7. A Paradox so monstrous and absurd that howsoever Bellarmine doth reckon it amongst other the Prerogatives of that Apostle in his first Book de Romano Pontifice cap. 23. yet upon better thoughts he rejects it utterly in his 4th Book upon that argument Cap. 22. and so I leave it Thus having shewn in what estate the Church was founded by our Saviour and in what terms he left it unto his Apostles we must next see what course was taken by them to promote the same what use they made of that authority which was trusted to them CHAP. II. The foundation of the Church of Hierusalem under the Government of Saint James the Apostle and Simeon one of the Disciples the two first Bishops of the same 1. Matthias chosen into the place of Judas 2. The coming of the Holy Ghost and on whom it fell 3. The greatest measure of the Spirit fell on the Apostles and so by consequence the greatest power 4. The several Ministrations in the Church then given and that in ranking of the same the Bishops are intended in the name of Pastors 5. The sudden growth of the Church of Hierusalem and the making of Saint James the first Bishop there 6. The former point deduced from Scripture 7. And proved by the general consent of Fathers 8. Of the Episcopal Chair or Throne of Saint James and his Successors in Hierusalem 9. Simeon elected by the Apostles to succeed S. James 10. The meaning of the word Episcopus and from whence borrowed by the Church 11. The institution of the Presbyters 12. What interest they had in the common business of the Church whilst S. James was Bishop 13. The Council of Hierusalem and what the Presbyters had to do therein 14. The Institution of the Seven and to what Office they were called 15. The names of Ecclesiastical functions promiscuously used in holy Scripture OUR Saviour Christ having thus Authorized his Apostles to Preach the Gospel over all the World to every Creature and given them power as well of ministring the Sacraments as of retaining and remitting sins as before is said thought fit to leave them to themselves Luk. 24.49 only commanding them to tarry in the City of Hierusalem until they were indued with further power from on high whereby they might be fitted for so great a work Act. 1.9 And when he had spoken those things while they beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight No sooner was he gone to the Heavenly glories but the Apostles with the rest withdrew themselves unto Hierusalem as he had appointed where the first care they took was to fill up their number to surrogate some one or other of the Disciples in the place of Judas that so the Word of God might be fulfilled Psal 69.26 which he had spoken by the Psalmist Episcopatum ejus accipiat alter A business of no small importance and therefore fit to be imparted unto all the Brethren not so much that their suffrage and consent herein was necessary as that they might together joyn in prayer to Almighty God Act. 1.21
in the Publick Government sufficient to retard a work of greater consequence is unknown to none But long looked for comes at last as the saying is though why it should come out at all may be made a question And I shall also give the Reader some account of that but in so doing must make use of somewhat which was said elsewhere It was more than half against my will and rather through the indiscretion of others than any forwardness of my own that I was drawn to shew my self in these present Controversies But being unseasonably brought upon the Stage by Dr. Bernard impertinently enough by Mr. Baxter and with more than ordinary Petulancy by the Man of Scorn the occasion was laid hold on by some very able and discerning men for pressing me to search into the History of these disputes so far forth as the Church of England was concerned in them and to make publick what I sound upon that inquiry To which request I made such answer at the present as the consideration of my many unfitnesses for an employment of that nature might suggest unto me But coming to me from so many hands that it could not fairly be denied I was prevailed with in the end to apply my self to the undertaking as soon as I had dispatched such other businesses as lay then upon me In the mean time I thought I might comply sufficiently with all expectations by fashioning some short Animadversions on the principal passages relating to the Doctrin of the Church of England which had been purloyned for the most part out of Mr. Prinns Book of Anti-arminianism by a late Compiler By which name the old Criticks and Grammarians used to call those men who pilfering their materials out of other mens writings did use to lay them close together as their own to avoid discovery Compilo i. c. Surripio quia quae fures auferunt ea pressim colligunt quod est compilare And so the word is took by Horace is his Compilasse Serm. 1. verse ult as is observed on that verse by the Learned Scoliasts So that a Compilator and a Plagiary are but two terms of one signification And he that would behold a Plagacy in his proper colours may find him painted to the lise in the Appendix to Mr. Pierce his Vindication of the Learned Grotius to which for further satisfaction I refer the Reader That preamble having led the way and may other businesses being ever I prepared my self unto that search to which I was so earnestly moved and so affectionately intreated My helps were few and weak which might sufficiently have deterred me from the undertaking But a good cause will help to carry on it self and truth will find the way to shine though darkned for a time with the clouds of Errour as the Sun breaking from an Eclips doth appear more glorious though a while obscured Delitere videtur sol non delitet as in the like case the Father hath it The five disputed points which in these last times are reproached by the name of Arminianism had more or less exercised the Church in all times and ages especially after the breaking out of the Pelagian Heresies where all the Niceties thereof were more thoroughly canvassed Neither the piety and sobriety of the Primitive times nor the authority of the Popes nor the commanding spirit of Luther nor the more powerful name of Calvin have prevailed so far but that the Church and every broken fragment of it hath sound some subdivision about these Debates So that it can be no great wonder if the Church of England be divided also on the same occasion or that a Deviation should be made from her publick rules as well as in all other Churches and all former times Which way the general vote had passed in the elder ages hath been abundantly set forth by John Gerrard Vossius in his Historia Pelagiana But be descended not so low as these latter times conceiving he had done enough in shewing to which of the contending parties the general current of the Fathers did most encline And if Tertullians rule be good that those opinions have most truth which have most antiquity id verum est quod primum as his own words are the truth must run most clearly in that part of the Controversie which hath least in it of the Zuinglian or Calvinian Doctrins And so far I shall follow his method or example rather in the pursuit of that design which I have before me For though it be my principal purpose to search into the Doctrine of the Church of England yet I shall preface my discourse by laying down the Judgment of the rest of the Western Churches before I come to that of our first Reformers By means whereof it may be seen what guides they followed or rather with what parties they concurred in judgment since in those times the Church was generally so distracted about these disputes that with the whole the aggregate body of believers there could be no agreement hoped for no compliance possible In the pursuance of this work I have exemplified so much of the Debates and Artifices in the Council of Trent as concerns these points and may be parallel'd with the like proceedings in the Synod of Dort I have consulted also the Confessions the Synodals and other publick Monuments and Records of the several parties and so many of the best and most approved Authors of this Church of England as either were within my power or could be advised with at a further distance One whole discourse I have transcribed about Free-will not obvious to the met withal in Shops or Libraries The like I have done also with one whole Homily though the book be easie to be found by those that seek it knowing full well how unwilling most Readers are to take more pains in turning over several books and examining all quotations which are brought before them than of necessity they must Nor have I purposely concealed or subducted any thing considerable which may seem to make for the advantage of the opposite party And have therefore brought in a discourse of the Martyrologist in favour of the Calvinian Doctrine I have also given a just account of the first breaking out of the Predestinarians in Queen Maries time and of the stirs in Cambridge in Queen Elizabeths not pretermitting such particulars as may be thought to make for them in the course of this Narrative even to the Articles of Ireland and the harsh expression of King James against Arminius And therefore I may say in the words of Curtius Plura equidem transcribo quam credo nec enim affirmare ausuge sum quae dubito nec subducere sustineo quae accepi I have related many things which I cannot approve though I have not let them pass without some censure that so I may impose nothing on the Readers belief without good grounds nor defraud him of any thing conducible to his information I was not to be
Archbishop Cranmer Bishop Ridley Bishop Hooper c. 9. The Doctrine delivered in the Book of Articles touching the five controverted points 10. An answer to the Objection against these Articles for the supposed want of Authority in the making of them 11. An Objection against King Edwards Catechism mistaken for an Objection against the Articles refelled as that Catechism by John Philpot Martyr and of the delegating of some powers by that Convocation to a choice Committee 12. The Articles not drawn up in comprehensive or ambiguous terms to please all parties but to be understood in the respective literal and Grammatical sense and the Reasons why I Have the longer stood upon the answering of this Objection to satisfie and prevent all others of the like condition in case it should be found on a further search that any of our godly Martyrs or learned Writers who either suffered death before the Reign of Edward VI. or had no hand in the carrying on of the Reformation embraced any opinions in Doctrine or Discipline contrary to the established Rules of the Church of England For otherwise as we must admit all Tyndals Heterodoxies and Friths high flying conceits of Predestination which before we touch'd at so must we also allow a Parity or an Identity rather in Priests and Bishops because John Lambert another of our Godly Martyrs did conceive so of it In the primitive Church saith he there were no more Officers in the Church of God than Bishops and Deacons that is to say Ministers as witnesseth beside Scripture S. Hierom in his Commentaries on the Epistles of S. Paul Whereas saith he that those whom we now call Priests were all one and no other but Bishops and the Bishops no other but Priests men ancient both in age and learning so near as could be chosen nor were they instituted and chosen as they be now a days the Bishop and his Officer only opposing them whether they can construe a Collect but they were chosen also with the consent of the people amongst whom they were to have their living as sheweth S. Cyprian But alack for pity such elections are banished and new fashions brought in By which opinion if it might have served or a Rule to the Reformation our Bishops must have been reduced to the rank of Priests and the right of Presentation put into the hands of the people to the Destruction of all the Patrons in the Kingdom If then the question should be asked as perhaps it may On whom or on whose judgment the hrst Reformers most relied in the weighty business I answer negatively First That they had no respect of Calvin no more than to the judgement of Wicklef Tyndal Barns or Frith whose offered assistance they refused when they went about it of which he sensibly complained unto some of his friends as appears by one of his Epistles I answer next affirmatively in the words of an Act of Parliament 2. 3. Edw. 6. where it is said That they had an eye in the first place to the more pure and sincere Christian Religion taught in the Scriptures and in the next place to the usages of the Primitive Church Being satisfied in both which ways they had thirdly a more particular respect to the Lutheran plat-Plat-forms the English Confession or Book of Articles being taken in many places word for word out of that of Ausberg and a conformity maintained with the Lutheran Churches in Rites and Ceremonies as namely in kneeling at the Communion the Cross in Baptism the retaining of all the ancient Festivals the reading of the Epistles and Gospels on Sundays and Holy-days and generally in the whole Form of External Worship Fourthy in reference to the points disputed they ascribed much to the Authority of Melancthon not undeservedly called the Phoenix of Germany whose assistance they earnestly desired whose coming over they expected who was as graciously invited hither by King Edward the Sixth Regiis literis in Angliam vocari as himself affirms in an Epistle to Camerarius His coming laid aside upon the fall of the Duke of Sommerset and therefore since they could not have his company they made use of his writings for their direction in such points of Doctrine in which they though it necessary for the Church to declare her judgment I observe finally That as they attributed much to the particulars to the Authority of Melancthon so they ascribe no less therein unto that of Erasmus once Reader of the Greek Tongue in Cambridge and afterwards one of the Professors of Divinity there whose Paraphrases on the four Evangelists being translated into English were ordered to be kept in Churches for the use of the People and that they owned the Epistles to be studied by all such as had cure of souls Concerning which it was commanded by the injunctions of King Edward VI. published by the advice of the Lord Protector Somerset and the Privy Council Acts and Mon. fol. 1181. in the first year of the said Kings Reign 1. That they should see provided in some most convenient and open place of every Church one great Bible in English with the Paraphrase of Erasmus in English that the People might reverently without any let read and hear the same at such time as they listed and not to be inhibited therefrom by the Parson or Curate but rather to be the more encouraged and provoked thereunto And 2. That every Priest under the degree of a Batchellour of Divinity should have of his own one New Testament in English and Latine with the Paraphrases of Erasmus upon the same and should diligently read and study thereupon and should collect and keep in memory all such comfortable places of the Scripture as do set forth the Mercy Benefits and Goodness of Almighty God towards all penitent and believing persons that they might thereby comfort their flock in all danger of death despair or trouble of Conscience and that therefore every Bishop in their Institution should from time to time try and examine them how they have profited in their studies A course and care not likely to have entred into the thoughts of the Lord Protector or any of the Lords of the Council if it had not been advised by some of the Bishops who then began to have an eye on the Reformation which soon after followed and as unlikely to be counselled and advised by them had they intended to advance any other Doctrine than what was countenanced in the Writings of that Learned man Whereupon I conclude the Doctrine of the points disputed to be the true and genuine Doctrine of the Church of England which comes most near to the plain sense of holy Scripture the general current of the Fathers in the Primitive times the famous Augustane Confession the Writings of Melancthon and the Works of Erasmus To which Conclusion I shall stand till I find my self encountred by some stronger Argument to remove me from it The ground thus laid I shall proceed unto the Reformation
say the Lord Protector and the rest of the Privy Council acting in his Name and by his Authority performed by Archbishop Cranmer and the other six before remembred assisted by Thirdby Bishop of Winchester Day Bishop of Chichester Ridley Bishop of Rochester Taylor then Dean after Bishop of Lincoln Redman then Master of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge and Hains Dean of Exeter all men of great abilities in their several stations and finally confirmed by the King the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in Parliament Assembled 23 Edw. VI. In which Confirmatory act it is said expresly to have been done by the especial aid of the Holy Ghost which testimony I find also of it in the Acts and Monuments fol 1184. But being disliked by Calvin who would needs be meddling in all matters which concerned Religion and disliked it chiefly for no other reason as appears in one of his Epistles to the Lord Protector but because it savoured too much of the ancient Forms it was brought under a review the cause of the reviewing of it being given out to be no other than that there had risen divers doubts in the Exercise of the said Book for the fashion and manner of the Ministration though risen rather by the curiosity of the Ministers and Mistakers than of any other cause 5 6 Edw. 6. cap. 1. The review made by those who had first compiled it though Hobeach and Redman might be dead before the confirmation of it by Act of Parliament some of the New Bishops added to the former number and being reviewed was brought into the same form in which now it stands save that a clause was taken out of the Letany and a sentence added to the distribution of the blessed Sacrament in the first year of Queen Elizabeth and that some alteration was made in two or three of the Rubricks with an addition of Thanksgiving in the end of the Letany as also of a Prayer for the Queen and the Royal Issue in the first of King James At the same time and by the same hands which gave us the first Liturgy of King Edward VI. was the first Book of Homilles composed also in which I have some cause to think that Bishop Latimer was made use of amongst the rest as one who had subscribed the first other two books before mentioned as Bishop of Worcester Ann. 1537. and ever since continued zealous for a Reformation quitting in that respect such a wealthy Bishoprick because he neither would nor could conform his judgment to the Doctrine of the six Articles Authorized by Parliament For it will easily appear to any who is conversant in Latimers writings and will compare them carefully with the book of Homilies that they do not only savour of the same spirit in point of Doctrine but also of the same popular and familiar stile which that godly Martyr followed in the course of his preachings for though the making of these Homilies be commonly ascribed and in particular by Mr. Fox to Archbishop Cranmer yet it is to be understood no otherwise of him thad than it was chiefly done by encouragement and direction not sparing his own hand to advance the work as his great occasions did permit That they were made at the same time with King Edwards first Liturgy will appear as clearly first by the Rubrick in the same Liturgy it self in which it is directed Let. of Mr. Bucer to the Church of England that after the Creed shall follow the Sermon or Homily or some portion of one of them as they shall be hereafter divided It appears secondly by a Letter writ by Martin Bucer inscribed To the holy Church of England and the Ministers of the same in the year 1549. in the very beginning whereof he lets them know That their Sermons or Homilies were come to his hands wherein they godlily and effectually exhort their people to the reading of Holy Scripture that being the scope and substance of the first Homily which occurs in that book and therein expounded the sense of the faith whereby we hold our Christianity and Justification whereupon all our help censisteth and other most holy principles of our Religion with most godly zeal And as it is reported of the Earl of Gondomar Ambassador to King James from the King of Spain that having seen the elegant disposition of the Rooms and Offices in Burleigh House not far from Stanford erected by Sir William Cecil principal Secretary of State and Lord Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth he very pleasantly affirmed That he was able to discern the excellent judgment of the great Statesman by the neat contrivance of his house So we may say of those who composed this book in reference to the points disputed A man may easily discern of what judgment they were in the Doctrine of Predestination by the method which they have observed in the course of these Homilies Beginning first with a discourse of the misery of man in the state of nature proceeding next to that of the salvation of man-kind by Christ our Saviour only from sin and death everlasting from thence to a Declaration of a true lively and Christian saith and after that of good works annexed unto faith by which our Justification and Salvation are to be obtained and in the end descending unto the Homily bearing this inscription How dangerous a thing it is to fall from God Which Homilies in the same form and order in which they stand were first authorized by King Edward VI. afterwards tacitly approved in the Rubrick of the first Liturgy before remembred by Act of Parliament and finally confirmed and ratified in the book of Articles agreed upon by the Bishops and Clergy of the Convocation Anno 1552. and legally confirmed by the said King Edward Such were the hands and such the helps which co-operated to the making of the two Liturgies and this book of Homilies but to the making of the Articles of Religion there was necessary the concurrence of the Bishops and Clergy Assembled in Convocation in due form of Law amongst which there were many of those which had subscribed to the Bishops book Anno 1537. and most of those who had been formerly advised with in the reviewing of the book by the Commandment of King Henry VIII 1543. To which were added amongst others Dr. John Point Bishop of Winchester an excellent Grecian well studied with the ancient Fathers and one of the ablest Mathematicians which those times produced Dr. Miles Coverdale Bishop of Exon who had spent much of his time in the Lutheran Churches amongst whom he received the degree of Doctor Mr. John Story Bishop of Rochester Ridley being then preferred to the See of London from thence removed to Chichester and in the end by Queen Elizabeth to the Church of Hereford Mr. Rob. Farran Bishop of St. Davids and Martyr a man much favoured by the Lord Protector Sommerset in the time of his greatness and finally not to descend to those of the lower
from time to time though possibly a great part of them might be present and consenting also 1552. Nor stood this book nor the Article of Freewill therein contained upon the order and authority only of this Convocation but had as good countenance and encouragement to walk abroad as could be superadded to it by an Act of Parliament as appears plainly by the Kings Preface to that Book and the Act it self to which for brevity sake I refer the Reader But if it be replyed that there is no relying on the Acts of Parliament which were generally swayed changed and over-ruled by the power and passions of the King and that the Act of Parliament which approved this Book was repealed the first year of King Edward the sixth as indeed it was we might refer the Reader to a passage in the Kings Epistle before remembred in which the Doctrine of Freewill is affirmed to have been purged of all Popish Errors concerning which take here the words of the Epistle Epist Ded. viz. And for as much as the heads and senses of our people have been imbusied and in these days travelled with the understanding of Freewill Justification c. We have by the advice of our Clergy for the purgation of Erroneous Doctrine declared and set forth openly plainly and without ambiguity of speech the meer and certain truth of them so as we verily trust that to know God and how to live after his pleasure to the attaining of everlasting life in the end this Book containeth a perfect and sufficient Doctrine grounded and established in holy Scriptures And if it be rejoyned as perhaps it may that King Henry used to shift Opinion in matters which concerned Religion according unto interest and reason of State it must be answered that the whole Book and every Tract therein contained was carefully corrected by Archbishop Cranmer the most blessed instrument under God of the Reformation before it was committed to the Prolocutor and the rest of the Clergy For proof whereof I am to put the Reader in mind of a Letter of the said Archbishop relating to the eighth Chapter of this book in which he signified to an honourable Friend of his that he had taken the more pains in it because the Book being to be set forth by his Graces that is to say the Kings censure and judgment he could have nothing in it that Momus himself could reprehend as before was said And this I hope will be sufficient to free this Treatise of Freewill from the crime of Popery But finally if notwithstanding all these Reasons it shall be still pressed by those of the Calvinian party that the Doctrine of Freewill which is there delivered is in all points the same with that which was concluded and agreed on in the Council of Trent as appears Cap. de fructibus justificationis merito bonorum operum Can. 34. and therefore not to be accounted any part of the Protestant Doctrine which was defended and maintained by the Church of England according to the first Rules of her Reformation the answers will be many and every answer not without its weight and moment For first it was not the intent of the first Reformers to depart farther from the Rites and Doctrines of the Church of Rome than that Church had departed from the simplicity both of Doctrine and Ceremonies which had been publickly maintained and used in the Primitive times as appears plainly by the whole course of their proceedings so much commended by King James in the Conserence at Hampton Court Secondly this Doctrine must be granted also to be the same with that of the Melancthonian Divines or moderate Lutherans as was confessed by Andreas Vega one of the chief sticklers in the Council of Trent who on the agitating of the Point did confess ingenuously that there was no difference betwixt the Lutherans and the Church touching that particular And then it must be confessed also that it was the Doctrine of Saint Augustine according to that Divine saying of his Sine gratia Dei praeveniente ut velimus subsequente ne frustra velimus ad pietatis opera nil valemus which is the same of that of the tenth Article of the Church of England where it is said That without the grace of God preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will we can do nothing that is acceptable to him in the ways of piety So that if the Church of England must be Arminian and the Arminian must be Papist because they agree together in this particular the Melancthonian Divines amongst the Protestants yea and St. Augustine amongst the Ancients himself must be Papists also CHAP. XIII The Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the certainty or uncertainty of Perseverance 1. The certainty of Grace debated in the Council of Trent and maintained in the Affirmative by the Dominicans and some others 2. The contrary affirmed by Catarinus and his adherents 3. The doubtful resolution of the Council in it 4. The Calvinists not content with certainty of Grace quoad statum praesentem presume upon it also quoad statum suturum 5. The bounds and limits wherewith the judgment in this point ought rationally to be circumscribed 6. The Doctrine of the Church of England in the present Artìcle 7. Justified by the testimonies of Bishop Latimer Bishop Hooper and Master Tyndal 8. And proved by several arguments from the publick Liturgy 9. The Homily commends a probable and sted-fast hope But 10. Allows no certainty of Grace and perseverance in any ordinary way to the Sons of men OF all the Points which exercised the wits and patience of the School-men in the Council of Trent there was none followed with more heat between the parties than that of the certainty of Grace occasioned by some passages in the writings of Luther wherein such certainty was maintained as necessary unto justification and an essential part thereof In canvasing of which point the one part held that certainty of grace was presumption the other that one might have it meritoriously The ground of the first was Hist of the Coun of Trent fol. 205. c. that Saint Thomas Saint Bonaventure and generally the School-men thought so for which cause the major part of the Dominicans were of the same opinion besides the authority of the Doctors they alledged for reasons that God would not that man should be certain that be might not be lifted up in pride and esteem of themselves that he might not prefer himself before others as he that knoweth himself to be just would do before manifest sinners and a Christian would so become drowsie careless and negligent to do good Therefore they said that uncertainty was profitable yea and meritorious besides because it is a passion of the mind which doth afflict it and being supported is turned to merit They alledged many places of the Scripture also of Solomon that a man knoweth not
long professed and received doctrine but continue to use all good means and seek at your Lordships hands some effectual Remedy hereof lest by petmitting passage to these Errors the whole body of Popery should by little and little break in upon us to the overthrow of our Religion and consequently the withdrawing of many here and elsewhere from true obedience to her Majesty May it therefore please your Lordship to have an honourable consideration of the premises and for the better maintaining of peace and the truth of Religion so long received in this University and Church to vouchsafe your Lordships good aid and advice both to the comfort of us wholly consenting and agreeing in judgment and all others of the University truly affected and to the suppression in time not only of these errors but even of gross Popery like by such means in time easily to creep in amongst us as we find by late experience it hath dangerously begun Thus craving pardon for troubling your Lordship and commending the same in praise to Almighty God we humbly take our leave From Cambridge March 8th 1595. Your Lordships humble and bounden to be commanded Roger Goad Procan R. Some Tho. Leg John Jegon Thomas Nevil Thomas Preston Hump. Tyndal James Mountague Edmond Barwel Laurence Cutterton Such was the condition of Affairs at Cambridge at the expiring of the year 1595. the genuine Doctrine of the Church beginning then to break through the clouds of Calvinism wherewith it was before obscured and to shine forth again in its former lustre To the advancement of which work as the long continuance of Baroe in the University for the space of 20 years and upwards the discreet activity of Dr. Harsnet Fellow and Master of Pembrook Colledge for the term of 40 yeaas and more gave a good encouragement so the invincible constancy of Mr. Barret and the slender opposition made by Overald contributed to the confirmation and encrease thereof For scarce had Overald warmed his Chair when he found himself under a necessity of encountring some of the remainder of Baroes Adversaries though he followed not the blow so far as Baroe did for some there were of the old Predestination Leven who publickly had taught as he related it in the conference at Hampton Court all such persons as were once truly justified though after they fell into never so grievous sins yet remained still just or in the state of Justification before they actually repented of those sins yea though they never repented of them through forgetfulness or sudden death yet they should be justified and saved without Repentance Against which Overald maintained that whosoever although before justified did commit any grievous sin as Adultery Murder Treason or the like did become ipso facto Conf. at Ham. C. p. 42. subject to Gods wrath and guilty of damnation or were in the state of damnation quoad presentem statum until they repented And so far he had followed Baroe but he went no further holding as he continued his own story that such persons as were called and justified according to the purpose of Gods Election did neither fall totally from all the graces of God though how a justified man may bring himself into a present state of Wrath and Damnation without a total falling from all the graces of God is beyond my reason and that they were in time renewed by the Spirit of God unto a lively faith and repentance and thereby justified from those sins with the guilt and wrath annexed unto them into which they had fallen nor can it be denied but that some other Learned men of those times were of the same opinion also Amongst which I find Dr. John Bridges Dean of Sarum Anti-Armini pag. 202. and afterwards Lord Bishop of Oxon to be reckoned for one and Mr. Richard Hooker of whom more anon to be accounted for another But being but the compositions of private men they are not to be heard against the express words of the two Homilies touching falling from God in case the point had not been positively determined in the sixteenth Article But so it hapned notwithstanding that Overald not concurring with the Calvinists concerning the estate of such justified persons as afterwards fell into grievous sins there grew some diffidences and distrust between them which afterwards widned themselves into greater differences Insomuch that diffenting from them also touching the absolute decree of Reprobation and the restraining of the benefit of Christs death and Gods grace unto a few particulars and that too in Gods primitive purpose and intent concerning the salvation and damnation of man-kind those of the Anti-Calvinian party went on securely with little or no opposition and less disturbance At Oxford all things in the mean time were calm and quiet no publick opposition shewing it self in the Schools or Pulpits The reasons of that which might be first that the Students of that University did more incline unto the canvasing of such points as were in difference betwixt us and the Church of Rome than unto those which were disputed against the Calvinists in these points of Doctrine for witness whereof we may call in the works of Sanders Stapleton Allyns Parsons Campian and many others of that sid as those of Bishop Jewel Bishop Bilson Dr. Humphreys Mr. Nowel Dr. Sparks 〈◊〉 Hist l. 9. Dr. Reynolds and many others which stood firm to the Church of England And secondly though Dr. Humphreys the Queens Professor for Divinity was not without cause reckoned for a Non conformist yet had he the reputation of a moderate man a moderate Non-conformist as my Author calls him and therefore might permit that liberty of opinion unto other men which was indulged unto himself neither did Dr. Holland who succeeded him give any such countenance to the propagating of Calvins doctrines as to make them the subject of his Lectures and Disputations Insomuch that Mr. Prin with all his diligence can find but seven men who publickly maintained any point of Calvianism in the Schools of Oxon from the year 1596. to the year 1616. and yet to make that number also he is fain to take in Dr. George Abbot and Dr. Benfield on no other account but for maintaining Deum non esse authorem peccati that God is not the Author of sin which any Papist Lutheran or Arminian might have maintained as well as they And yet it cannot be denied but that by errour of these times the reputation which Calvin had attained to in both Universities and the extream diligence of his followers for the better carrying on of their own designs there was a general tendency unto his opinions in the present controversies so that it is no marvel if many men of good affection to that Church in government and forms of worship might unawares be seasoned with his Principles in point of Doctrine Instit fathers in the Pref. his book of Institutes being for the most part the foundation on which the young Divines of
oblatio obsignatum Angeli enunciant Pater ratum habet How can I be sufficient saith this antient Writer to declare the happiness of that Marriage which the Church celebrates the Sacrament confirmeth which being solemnized is proclaimed by the Angels and ratified by our heavenly father To add S. Ambrose to Tertullian a latter to a former Author may be thought impertinent yet being a Father of the Church and one against whom no exception lieth take him with you also and you shall find in him Ambros Epist 70. ad Vigilium Conjugium sacerdotali benedictione sanctificari oportere that Marriage was to be sanctified with the Priests blessing The Ring in Marriage is as antient as Tertullian also who mentioneth it in his Apologetick cap. 6. and it is given saith Isidore by the Bridegroom to his Spouse or Wife Vel propter mutuae fidei signum Isidor Hisp de officiis l. 2. c. 59. vel ut eodem pignore eorum corda jungantur either to testifie their mutual faith or rather for a pledg of that Conjunction which is agreed upon between them both in heart and mind The reason it is put on the fourth Finger was observed before which lest it should be thought to be meerly gentile you shall also have it from a Christian Author Id. ibid. Quod in eo vena quaedam sanguinis ad cor usque perveniat because there goeth a vein from thence to the very heart That the Brides antiently went to Church in white Apparel appeareth in the same Author also though it was mixt with Purple then which is now disused and that they were conducted to the Church by Paranymphs or Bridemen as we call them now is no less evident but from an antienter Record Where it is said Sponsus Sponsa cum benedicendi sunt à Sacerdote à parentibus suis vel Paranymphis offerantur Concil Carthag IV. Can. 13. That both the Bridegroom and the Bride must be conducted to the Church to receive the benediction of the Priest either by their Parents or their Bridefolks Finally to the making of a Marriage in those early days Isidor Hispal de divin fficiis l. 2. c. 19. they had their Tabulas dotales their Writings and Instruments of Dowry by which the married couple became possessed of each others goods from whence it comes that in the Liturgy of the Church of England the Man doth actually endow his Wife with all his worldly goods and that in facie Ecclesiae even in the sight and hearing of the Congregation Next for their Form or Rites of Burial not to speak any thing of those preparatory actions which were done within doors in the embalming of the Body and making it ready for the Sepulture the Corps was brought unto the Grave with Psalms and spiritual Hymns and being had into the Church the Priests and people said the accustomed Prayers such as were destinate to that business This we shall clearly see by those Funeral Rites with which the body of Macrina the Sister of Gregory Nyssen was brought unto her burial as himself describes it Gregor Nyssen de vita S. Macrinae The Bier saith he being carried by Men of eminency in the Clergy was on both sides attended by no small number of Deacons and other Ecclesiastical Officers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 each with a Taper in his hand And this was not without some mysters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Psalmody continued most melodiously from the beginning to the end in consort not unlike the so much celebrated Song of the three Children The space betwixt the house from whence we came and the burial-place being seven or eight furlongs so that by reason of the throng which hindred us from hasting forward we spent all the day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Being come within the Church we set down the Bier and first betook our selves to Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which moved much sorrow in the people then unto Psalms again which were much interrupted by the cryes and lamentations of the Virgins which were then in place But we requiring them by signs to keep silence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Deacon preparing unto Prayer and crying to the people in the accustomed words they put themselves into a posture of Prayer though with much ado Prayers being done the Body was committed to the Grave and all the company departed to their several houses A short collation being prepared at an house near hand for the principal Mourners to which were sometimes added the poor and needy the Widow and the fatherless Child pupillos viduas saturantes as it is in Origen Origen lib. 3. in Job More of these Rites who list to see let him consult for the first part hereof the Psalmody Nazianzen orat in laudem Caesarii Hierom in vita S. Pauli and his Epistle ad Eustochium de Paulae obitu s. Chrysostom Homil. 70. ad populum Antiochen Augustin Confessionum l. 6. c. 12. And for the latter part the Prayers accustomably used in those Solemnities see Cyprian Epist l. 1. Ep. 9. austin Confession l. 6. c. 12. Paulinum in vita S. Ambrosii Cyrillum Hierosol Catech. mystag 5. Euseb de vita Constant l. 4. c. 71. and others Finally for the Funeral Sermon although condemned of late in some of the Reformed Churches there is no Man so much a stranger to antiquity none who hath ever looked into the works of the fathers Basil or Ambrose Nazianzen or Nyssen and indeed whose not who finds them not to be exceeding frequent in those pious times For by that means the Dead were honoured in the commemoration of their faith and piety and those who were alive received both comfort and instruction in being perswaded to the imitation of their very Examples Sic defunctis praemium futuris dabatur exemplum as Minutius hath it Next for the Rites and Gestures which were in use even in the best and purest times of the Christian Church at the performance of all Acts of publick Worship I find some proper to the Priest some common both to Priest and People That which was proper to the Priests to such as did attend at the holy Altar was that they did attire themselves in a distinct Habit at the time of the ministration not only from the rest of the common people but even from that which themselves used to wear at other times though both grave and decent The colour white and the significancy thereof to denote that Holiness wherewith the Ministers of God ought to be apparelled and seems to have been much of the same condition both for use and meaning with the Surplice still retained in the Church of England This we find clearly evidenced in the Constitutions ascribed to Clemens as may be seen in the sixth Chapter of this book num V. and there the Reader may observe it Besides which being as I take it of unquestioned credit to the point in
hand S. Hierom tells us in the general that in the act of Ministration they used a different Habit from what they ware at ordinary days and times Religio divina alterum habitum habet in ministerio alterum in usu vitaq communi Hieronym in Ezekitl c. 44. which is sufficient for the general that it was so anciently And what this different Habit was he tells us more particularly in his reply against Pelagius who it seems disliked it and asks him what offence it could be to God that Bishops Priests and Deacons or those of any other inferiour Order Id. adv Pelag. lib. 1. in administratione sacrificiorum candida veste processerint did in the ministration of the Sacraments bestir themselves in a white Vesture Nor was this white Vesture taken up in the West parts only which some observe to have been more inclinable to superstition than the Eastern were it was received and used in the East parts too as appears by Chrysostom Who shewing the Priests of Antioch of which Church he was unto how high a Calling the Lord had called them and how great power they had to repell unworthy Men from the Lords Table adds that they were to reckon that for their Crown and glory and not that they were priviledged to go about the Church in a white garment Chrysostom Hom. 83. in Matth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he pleads it there So antient is the use of white Vestments during the time of ministration in the Church of Christ and from those elder days it came down to ours being received long since in the Church of England For in the Constitutions made for the Province of Canterbury by Archb. Walter it was decreed with a praecipimus ut qui Altari ministrat suppelliceo induatur Linwood Provincial de officio Archidiaconi that he who ministred at the Altar should be attired in his Surplice And in the reformation of this Church both in the times of King Edward the VI. and Qu. Elizabeth of blessed memory when as the Church was freed from those massing garments which superstition in the declining times of piety had introduced into the same the Surplice was thought fit to be still retained by reason of its antient and unspotted pedigree from the Primitive times I know it hath been said by some that the first use hereof was heathenish and that it was first borrowed from the Priests of Egypt and I know well the Priests of Egypt were at their publick Sacrifices arrayed in white S. Hierom so informs me Hierom. in Ezekiel c. 44. Pliny Natural hist lib. 19. saying Vestibus lineis uti Aegyptios sacerdotes and so doth Pliny also in his Natural History who tells us Vestes lineus sacerdotibus Aegyptiis gratissimas esse And I could add that so it was in many of the Pomps and Sacrifices of the Romans also of which thus Virgil in the Aeneids Puraque in Veste Sacerdos Setigerae foetum suis intonsamque bidentem Attulit Upon which words it is observed by Servius param vestem dici qua festis diebus uti consueverant sacrificaturi Servius in Virg. Aeneid l. 12. that on the Festivals the Priests who were to sacrifice were cloathed in pure and unspotted Vestures But this seems better as I take it to shew the general use hereof amongst all Nations whatsoever that either worshipped the true God or adored the false than to be used as an argument to disgrace the Habit. For they which have been pleased to object that such a garment as the Surplice had antiently been worn by the Priests of Isis in their idolatrous and wretched sacrifices might have observed as well that before that time it had been imposed by the best Kings of Judah on the Priests and Levites when they sung praises unto God Vid. chap. 3. as was shewn before And if they should object from thence that it is Jewish at the best and so not fit to be continued in a Christian Church they may remember if they please that though it was a garment of the Priests and Levites yet was it none of those that were appointed or imposed for the legal Sacrifices but only was for the moral Service of Almighty God This makes it evident that as the white garment of the Priest or Levite was used in the moral service of God before it had been taken up by the Priests of Egypt so was it also used in the Primitive Church before it came to be abused by the Church of Rome Next for those Rites which were alike common both to Priest and people they did consist especially in those various Gestures which anciently were used amongst them according to the several parts of Gods publick Worship Sometimes they sate and that was commonly as it seems during the reading of the Lessons or whilest the Minister was in his Exhortation or at the singing of the Psalms And this I do collect out of Justin Martyr who shewing that the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles were read unto the people in the Congregation and that being done the President or Bishop went unto the Sermon then adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they all rose up together Justin Martyr Apol. 2. and betook themselves unto their prayers And in the place of Basil before remembred the Monks are said to rise up from their prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to proceed unto the Psalms Which as it shews that there were several gestures in the Act of Worship so I conceive that sitting was the gesture which was used during the Lessons Psalms and Sermon At other times they used to stand as at the Creed the Gloria Patri and at the reading of the Gospel Their standing at the Creed was antiently used to shew their readiness in standing for the Faith and the profession of the same before persecuting Judges never imposed by any Canon or decree of Council for ought I can find but taken up on the Authority of antient practice and afterwards much strengthned by a decree for standing up at the holy Gospels of which the Creed was but the summary or Abstract It was not long before the same gesture had been taken up for I find not that it was imposed by publique Sanction at the reading also of the Creed as being the sum and substance of the holy Gospels Et cum Symbolum est verbum Evangelicum quoad sensum ergo illud stando sicut Evangelium dicitur Durand rationale divin Of standing at the Gloria Patri we shall speak more at large in the following Section And as for the standing at the Gospel it was decreed if not before by Pope Anastasius by whom it was ordained Platina in vita Anastasii l. saith Platina Ne Sacerdotes ullo modo sederent sed curvi venerabundi starent cum evangelium caneretur aut legeretur in Ecclesia But by his leave the Decretal from which this must be taken goes a great deal further
departure of the Prince Elector Palatine in both of which he calls upon his Audience to joyn with him in Prayer by way of bidding moving or inviting Invitemus huc numen precemur preces offeramus and such like phrases All which thus laid together do most plainly shew that he did go that way which was prescribed by the Injunctions revived and ratified in the Canon and travel'd by those Worthies that went before him I mean to instance next in Bishop Jewel who lived and flourished after the setting out of the Queens Injunctions and dyed long time before the making of the Canon In a collection of his Sermons by John Garbrand of Oxon Printed 1583. there are these three passages which declare most plainly how he did understand the said Injunction one giving light unto the other Of these the first occurs in that upon the first of Haggai where having spent two leaves upon the entrance to his matter and made division of his Text we find it in a line by it self and a different character this word Pray and that noting out the place in which his Form of bidding prayer was at that time used More fully in his Sermon upon Rom. 13.12 where having entred on his matter he thus moves the people or as the Stile then was thus biddeth the Prayers But before I proceed to declare further that which is to be spoken at this present let us turn our bearts to God even the Father of lights that it may please him to open the Eyes of your understanding and to direct all our doings to his Glory Most fully and indeed as fully as may be to this purpose in that on Luc. 11.15 where having read his Text he doth thus move the people to joyn in prayer That it may please God so to order both my utterance and your understanding that whatsoever shall be spoken or heard may turn to the glory of his holy name and to the profit and comfort of his Church Before I enter into the exposition of these words I desire you to call upon our gracious God with your earnest and hearty prayer and here I commend unto you Gods holy Catholick Church and therein the Queens most excellent Majesty by the especial grace of God Queen of England France and Ireland Defender of the true antient and Apostolick Faith and the highest Governour next under God of this Church of England c. that as God of his mercy hath marvellously preserved her to the possession of her right to the great comfort of all her Subjects hearts and to the Reformation of the Church so it may please him to aid and increase her with his holy Spirit to the continuance and performance of the same The Queens most Honourable Council with the residue of the Nobility the good Estate of both of the Vniversities and all other Schools of Learning the only Nurseries of this Realm the Bishops and Preachers that the number of them may be increased and that they may have grace to set forth the truth of Gods Gospel as their duty is diligently sincerely soberly timely and faithfully And the whole Commons of this Realm and specially such as speak ill or think ill of Gods holy Word that they may have grace to regard the Salvation of their Souls to lay aside all blind affection to hear the Word of God and so to come to the Knowledge of the truth This is the Form by him then used which plainly is by way of Exhortation not of Invocation a Form of Bidding prayer according as it is prescribed in the Injunction and no direct prayer with address to God as is now devised against the Injunction and the Canon And here it is to be observed that in this Form of Bishop Jewels there is not only a conformity to the Injunction that is by Bidding and Exhorting only but that therein he recommends unto them those particular heads which in the said Injunction are contained the last excepted As for the words or phrase of speaking he useth not the same precisely which are laid down in the Injunction but other words amounting to the same effect which also sheweth that whatsoever liberty is given us in the Canon by these words or to this effect by no means giveth us any power to change the Form of moving bidding or exhorting but only sheweth to what effect they must and may bid move or exhort the people The next in order of Ascent for so we purpose to proceed is Archbishop Parker the first Archbishop of Canterbury in Queen Elizabeths Reign who being Pro-vice-chancellor of Cambridge in King Edwards time and preaching at the Funeral there of Martin Bucer in the conclusion of his Sermon doth thus begin his Exhortation ad preces as it is there called or which comes both to one doth thus bid the prayers Vt igitur velum ignorantiae cordibus nostris detrahetúr discutiatur ab oculis invidiae caligo atque profundâ cogitatione consideratione hunc tristem casum pro occasione à Deo oblatâ confiteamur c. Coram Deo clemente misericorde nos prosternamus piis precibus ab eo misericordiam invocemus In quibus Commendo vobis Ecclesiam Catholicam Sanctam Dei Communionem ut cum dignâ confessione c. progrediatur in cognitione ejus voluntatis in Domini nostri Salvatoris fide persistat orate insuper pro omnibus iis qui per errorem atque infidelitatem manifestò deprehenduntur extra Ecclesiam vel qui hypocriticâ dissimulatione habentur de eadem cum sint reverâ synagoga Satanae ut vocem Christi summi Pastoris unanimes audiant efficiamur unum ovile unum grex uno ore corde gloriam tribuentes Deo Patri Domini nostri Jesu Christi Orate pro Ecclesiâ Anglicanâ Hibernicâ ambarum supremo capite proxime à Christo Illustrissimo Clementissimo Domino nostro Rege Edwardo ejus nominis sexto c. Precemur etiam pro nobis ipsis ut quemadmodum Patres Veteris Testamenti versabantur in continuis votis expectatione primi adventus Servatoris nostri in carne c. sic nos sub novo testamento sobriè piè justè vivamus in hoc mundo acerrimâ cupiditate secundum ejus adventum manentes unà cum dormientibus Fratribus plenam redemptionem Corporum nostrorum ejus glorioso corpori conglutinandorum sitientes consociati Abrahamo Isaaco Jacobo c. This I have here set down in the Latine tongue according as I find the same in the opera Anglicana of the said Martin Bucer pag. 898. which if it be compared with the Kings Injunctions will manifestly appear to be conform thereto in each particular the special recitation of the Kings Sisters the Protectours Grace the Clergy and Nobility being all included though cut off with c. and cometh also very near to that of Bishop Jewel before remembred both of them keeping to the Form of bidding moving