to remember the Death of the young Prince our Reformer Edward the Sixth with Grief and Sorrow though Heylin was of another mind the Death of so Pious a Prince not without Suspicion of Poison was a great loss to Religion and the Nation but yet such set days as the Thirtieth of January and Circumstances must be avoided such a Memory may to this day be well continued by lawful Means as his very Funeral Sermons Epitaphs and such things remaining as were published in or about that time as Jeremiah's Lamentation upon that Subject might be read and sung in after-Ages The Memory of good Princes and other pious Men ought to be precious and dear to Posterity but we must not bestow any thing of Religious Relation upon them but strictly avoid every appearance of it Saul's Death was a Judgment upon him but Josiah's Death was a Mercy to him Because thine heart was tender 2 Chron. 34.27 28. I will gather thee to thy Fathers and to thy Grave in Peace neither shall thine eyes see all the Evil that I will bring upon this place and upon the Inhabitants of the same Now Things and Persons being compared in the Reigns of Josiah and Charles to say no more we shall find a vast Difference The third case is that of Gedaliah whom 2 Kings 25.25 and Jer. 41.2 after the taking of Jerusalem the King of Babylon made a Governour of the Cities of Judah which was treacherously killed by Ishmael the Son of Nethaniah This indeed was a sad Blow to the People that was left in the Land but in the two quoted places in the Margin nor in the Book of Chronicles nothing is said of any publick mourning of the People for it yet some would if possible upon the Opinion of the most Judicious Interpreters as he calls them screw something out of Zech. 7.5 as if their Mourning there was an Ordinance for that lasted till the time of their return from their Captivity but 't is easie to find the true cause of it namely Levit. 23.27 29. a positive order from God On the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of Atonement it shall be an holy Convocation unto you and ye shall afflict your Souls c. And whatsoever Soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day he shall be cut off from amongst his People This is the true cause of the Mourning in the Seventh Month and 't were in vain to fancy any other A very good Use may by present and future Ages be made of such sad Effects of God's Providence as to warn us of our Mortality of the Uncertainty of Life of the Vanity of Honours and to prepare us for Death to shew how our Life is in the Hand of God which he disposeth of how and when he pleases It is good always to be Thankful to God for Mercies always to be humbled and to Mourn for Sins for as we do constantly Sin so we must constantly repent what doth befall others as well as what happeneth to us ought to work upon us And so we have cause enough to keep days of Humiliation both in Publick and Private and this is to make a right use of such Occasions and not to flatter and chuse God's House to make Panegyricks of Dead Men over and over every Year in such a Strain as Papists do for their Pretended Saints and Dead Men. After this way Mr. Newman in his Sermon Page 17 18 19 c. maketh King Charles a great Poet nay a Laureat one a great Orator He saith He was Master of a Sublime Grandure of Language and in Points of Controversie and in Cases of Conscience so great a Divine as he might have challenged the Theological Chair upon the account of meer Worth If he had but attributed some Miracles then we might have said as Jesuits use to speak of their Ignatius Franciscans of their Francis and Dominicans of their Dominick upon their days And all this he affirms upon hear-say and by relation if this be not Flattery 't is too much like it this is a studied Discourse to make a shew of his Parts to flatter the Dead deceive the Living but edifie none To say the setting apart such days is not intended as if thereby they were made Holier than others but only to appoint them to an Holier Use is not enough to excuse the thing we all know 't is not in the power of Man in that kind to make one day better than another that 's the Work of God alone and of all the days of the Week the Seventh his Sabbath-day * Gen. 2.3 and Exod. 20.11 he sanctified it blessed and hallowed it Nay the other Feasts which were but Typical and for a time which we read of in the Book of * Chap. 23. Leviticus were of God's own special Appointment So that to Institute such days is an Act of Religion And though we agree that the Church may make Rules for Order-sake as to Circumstances yet under the Gospel no Man may upon Humane Account Institute days wherein is a Cessation of Work God having commanded Six days to labour and do our work Thus there would be no end one day this Year another or more the next as we see it in the Church of Rome where every new Saint hath a day allowed him every Year By the same reason it is done for one it may be done for an hundred All Orthodox Divines do agree That in the First and Second Commandment not only Idolatry but also Superstition are forbidden whereby the Fixedness of the Minds of Men which ought to be upon God is tossed and distracted here and there upon different Objects Prayers of Mourning Repentance or Thanksgiving must be directed to God for they are part of his Worship without any Collateral regard to the Merits or Sufferings of any Man Dead or Alive And here by the by I must take notice of a Clause which some of our Ministers use in their Prayers to thank God for his Servants deceased which in my opinion is very Improper for those who own we ought not to pray to or for the Dead the Gospel and God's other Mercies is What we ought to thank God for And though a Minister may make mention of those Faithful Servants of his remembred in his Word and exhort us to follow their Example and Divine Rules they were acted by the Faith of Abraham the Patience of Job the Repentance of Peter yet the Case is different when he is in Prayer for then he is the Mouth of the People to God in that Condition of Supplicants no Humane Rule or Example is to be mentioned to God especially now when so gross an Abuse about it is committed by Papists whereof we ought to avoid the very Appearance The Dangers of bringing such things into the Church is very great though at first not perceptible sometimes great Evils had but small beginnings the Devil is
our Dross then there will be Peace and Plenty within Honour and Safety round about and God will humble our Enemies abroad To bring this good Work to an happy End Prejudices about controverted Matters must be laid aside Stumbling-blocks removed the Vail rent the Partition-wall pulled down that we may go all together into the House of God joyn in his Worship and make but one Sheep-fold And let this be taken notice of That amongst the Diffenters from the Church who own and have a Ministry by way of Office who Administer both Sacraments and are for Order and Government in the Church there is nothing whereby those who are called Church-men may justly be offended But in the Church by Law established there are several things which Dissenters think they have cause to except against So that the Ground of Church-men disliking Non-conformity is Negative that is They have not and do not act that which they would have them to do and have But the Ground of Dissenters not liking Church-mens Practice is positive that is They do and have things which they think they ought not to do nor to have And this is the State of the question between Protestants and Papists for these do believe all we do believe but we do not believe all what they believe I shall not say much about the Matters in dispute so many things having already been said and written about it only shall in few words modestly lay down some reasonable Grounds of an Agreement and Union First As to the Common-Prayer-Book under two Notions I st As to the Matter of it 2d As to the Manner of using it As to the Matter Out of it a good Liturgy could be made taking away many Superfluous Repetitions and altering several Expressions Dubious Dangerous or otherwise liable to Just Exceptions There is some Gold I mean Good things but they must own there is also Dross which ought to be purged What these things are hath been said and named at many and several times though we have some amongst us who out of Ignorance or Obstinacy take the prayer-Prayer-book to be of an equal Authority with the Holy Bible and that to read and hear it read at the appointed times is sufficient Performance of Christian Duty Nay * Abbot against Church-forsakers one of some Note hath written That all the Wit of Angels and Men can find no Fault with it A bold Assertion too positive for any Humane Book Several other things in that kind which I omit have been said by others not willing to press too far upon the Subject and I think there is enough said by the by upon the Matter of the Common-Prayer-Book only I add That the Preference therein given to the Apocrypha before some places of the Canonical to be read when the others are to be lest out is not at all to be approved Several Exceptions are taken against the Order and Distribution of several parts of the Book out of several lame and maimed parcels of Scriptures as three or four Verses of one Chapter as many of another especially in most places the leaving out that excellent and comfortable Clause of the Lords Prayer For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory which in us raises Hopes and Confidence of being heard and that God will give us what we ask him in the six Petitions First Because he is our King Now a King grants the Just Petitions of his Subjects Secondly Because he is able to give what we ask according to Christ's direction And Thirdly Because what we ask is for his Glory Then dividing the Matter of the prayer-Prayer-book into Gospels Epistles Collects or Prayers is after the Pattern of Popish Missals and Rituals and clear out of the way of Liturgies of all Reformed Churches Secondly Several things are said against the Manner of using it as in a certain Tone or Singing way which is the Popish of the very Prayers in Cathedrals Then as to the place some at the middle of the Church others by the Altar as if there was in the Church one place Holier than the other or that God will hear us there better than here Then as to the Posture sometimes sitting then standing as if the Epistle was not the Word of God as much to be heard with a Reverence if standing be a more reverend Posture than sitting as the Gospel being both the Word of God Nay Gospel is made different from Gospel for in the first Lesson a whole Chapter being read People sit but at the second Lesson when few Verses of a Chapter of the Gospel are read then every one stands up Herein is too much of Formality and I could almost say too mimical for Christian Reformed Churches Thus the Liturgy ought to be mended so to be imposed as not to exclude Extemporary Prayers of Ministers As to the formal Ties called Church Ceremonies they ought wholly to be abolished as introducing Superstition under the name of Decency and being contrary to Christian Liberty Such is the use of Surpliss so abominably abused in the Church of Rome where 't is thought necessary when they perform their Idolatrous Worship of the Mass at the very act of Idolatry and some amongst us have been so Superstitiously inclined as to say Angels have appeared in it But let them look how they can prove out of Scripture that the * Matt. 28.3 Angels Raiment as white as Snow †Mark 16.5 that the long white Garment ‖ Luke 24.4 and the shining Garments of the two Men were a Surpliss And to say as some do that that colour is a Sign of Purity and Candor which is of it to make a Sacrament I would have those who are so much for the Surpliss to remember how fine Linen as well as Purple and Scarlet is reckoned among the Merchandise of Babylon Rev. 18.12 As to the Sign of the Cross in Baptism it is an Addition to the Sacrament None but he who hath right to Institute Sacraments may make any Addition Diminution or Alteration thereunto without Impiety or committing Sacrilege And it were to have a mean Opinion of the Lord Jesus's Divine Wisdom to think he left with his Church an Imperfect Ordnance in the Institution and none may institute Sacraments but he that can bestow the Graces thereby signified Bowing towards the Altar For so some call Improperly the Communion-Table as the Minister a Priest is very unfit for Protestants and Reformed Christians when Papists from whom 't is derived do it 'T is according to their Principle they believe Transubstantiation to be made upon such places and therefore they give them such Signs of Religious Worship But 't is very odd for us so to do who do not believe one place in the Church to be Holier than the other And what need in Cathedrals and some Chappels of Candle-sticks and unlighted Candles upon the Altars in the day-time As for bowing at the Name of Jesus it is of the same
Reflections upon the Dead as well as upon the Living But we must not wonder that a Man who instead of a Sermon for though he uses some very few Scripture-Phrases yet one excepted doth quote no one place out of it but that of his Text maketh a Declaration against Indulgence and Liberty of Conscience He like another Saul Acts 9.1 yet breathing out threatnings and slaughter and is sorry it is not now in his power to persecute I say 't is no wonder if he doth so seeing he maketh bold to say in some places those things which may well be interpreted not only as Reflections but Invectives against the present Government Thus some who go up into the Pulpit are not satisfied with Paul 1 Cor. 2.2 to know and Preach nothing save Jesus Christ and him Crucified but do set up for Statesmen and Teachers of Human Wisdom and upon occasion turn the Preaching of the Gospel of Peace into blowing the Trumpet of War This instead of repairing our Breaches is to make them wider instead of composing our unhappy differences is to increase them instead of reconciling the spirits of Men is to exasperate them 't is to continue our Divisions to propagate Hatred and Animosities to Posterity These are the likely means to divide and subdivide us over and over again for we shall never want some Boanerges Sons of Thunder to inflame our Wounds to put all in a Confusion and in a fair way to Cut one anothers Throats Here indeed the thing is so obvious that I cannot avoid taking notice of how that Tribe of Levi as they call themselves do for the most part for some of them wish things were better mind the Interest of the World not that of Christ Instead of taking Care of Souls which is their Office 't is the least of their thoughts they would be governing the State and make an Hierarchical Monarchy and it may be at last like the Roman Clergy if they could turn Monarchy into Hierarchy and instead of a Pope have a Patriarch for that Spirit since the Reformation run into the Blood of several of them who in some of the late Reigns took upon themselves the Administration of most important Places in State and in their Convocations made such Canons as caused one of their good Friends the Lord Faulkland in his Speeches in Parliament in 1641. highly to Complain that they had taken upon them to do such things as belonged to Parliaments as to appoint Holidays to define what is Treason and in some kind to raise Monies upon Parishes when they charged Parishes to buy certain Books for the use of the Church 'T is sad that those Attempts of theirs and such ill Consequences thereof should so soon be forgotten Do they take this to be a Nation that can be content to be Priest-ridden That now again they begin in a solemn manner to decide about the Constitution of the Government and make us a Conquered Nation and as much as in them lies to lay the Foundation of Slavery for time to come Cannot they be satisfied with the share they have in the Legislative Power but must also some of them take upon themselves to alter the Nature of the Constitution of the Government it were more proper for them to betake themselves to their Books and to take care of the Souls committed to their Charge and not to hazard overturning all to bring again their Diana upon the Stage the Doctrine of Passive Obedience Seeing they have such a mind to be doing there is an occasion offered for them so to be within their Sphere now when Socinianism is coming in a pace And why should not there be some course taken to find out means to prevent and stop it such as may be a Convocation this is the proper Remedy against Heresies practised by the Primitive Church Thus the first Council of Nice assembled against Arrius upon this same account Are the Orthodox Doctrines about the Holy Trinity about the Incarnation Person and Offices of Christ not worthy to be asserted Wherein is the Care of our Church-Officers to keep out this Damnable Heresie are they pleased with it or will they make themselves Accessary to the Guilt of bringing of it in through Neglect or otherwise We all Church and State are alarm'd when we hear of a Forreign Army at our Doors but neither doth mind that Detestable Soul-murthering Heresie which is gotten into some of our Bowels and is hastening into our very Vitals What 's become of all our Watch-men can no effectual course be taken to stop it If formerly any one had spoken or written against Church-Government or its Dependencies though one had quoted Scripture never so much all took Fire punished persecuted and stigmatized such a one But now though this abominable Error doth come in with a bare Face none but one or two of our great Church-men doth bestir himself but seem to be unconcerned O ye that upon this occasion are Dumb Dogs and Idol-Shepherds what account of this can you give unto God What a Pother do Men keep about a Book whether it be King Charles the First 's or Dr. Gauden's as if it was an Article of their Faith if it was a Book of Holy Scripture and the question whether Canonical or Apocripha they could do no more How hot is D. H. upon it Tooth and Nail as much as for a Gospel-truth yet from the beginning of the Book 's appearing in the World it was made a question Whether or not that King was the Author Well let us not believe what Milton saith about it but Dr. Walker hath said enough to satisfie any impartial and reasonable Man but suppose he was not would it not better become D. H. as he is a Minister of the Gospel to make use of his Pen against Socinianism and serve his Master if he be Christ's Servant than vainly to spend his time and labour in a meer Complement to a dead Man who whether the Book be his or not shall never be one jot the better or the worse for it Thus instead of hoc agere to do his Duty is aliud agere that which doth not belong to it And thus whilst the Antichristian Spirit of Socinianism doth rage abroad and if I may so say the Fundamentals of our Religion lie at stake whilst Ravenous Wolves are striving to get into the Sheep-fold that Man trifleth away his Time and Pains with throwing Flowers not upon the Coffin but rather the Ashes of a Carcase Here I solemnly declare I have taken Pen in hand not in the least to detract from King Charles's Memory whose Name I am sorry to see made use of upon so unwarrantable an account but to make known an Abuse not only crept in but strongly setled which I think tends to the Dishonour of God and Disparagement of our Holy Religion to make a Mixture of a dead Man's Worship in the House of God for let Men say what they will the thing