Communion in the same way that Christ himself had promoted it which was by not changing any good prayers he found in publick use at his coming for even in his own most holy prayer wherein he taught his Apostles and in them all Christians how to pray till the worlds end he made choice of such laudable forms as he then found used by the Jews In so much that there is not one petition in this most Christian prayer which was not before some piece of a prayer in the Jewish Synagogue which hath been largely and fully proved by Mr. John Gregory of Christ-Church and needs no other proof after so compleat an Artist Yet I will add the Testimony of one more beyond all exception both for his learning and for his Religion and that was the most learned and most judicious Hugo Grotius who in his Annotations on Mat. 6. 9. hath these words Docent autem nos ea quae ex Hebraeorum libris ab aliis sunt citata non tam formulam hanc à Christo suis verbis conceptam quam in eam congestum quicquid in Hebraeorum precibus erat laudabile sicut in admonitionibus passim utitur notis eo saeculo proverbiis Tam longe abfuit ipse Dominus Ecclesiae ab omni affectatione non necessariae novitatis Those things which have been cited by others out of the Jews writings do plainly shew that our Saviour Christ did not so truly make this form of prayer new of himself as he did take it out of the Jews laudable prayers which he found ready made to his hands even as in his Sermons he did commonly use such Proverbs as that age was best acquainted with So far was he that was Lord of the Church from all affectation of unnecessary novelty An excellent Epiphonema which hath in it a manifest document for all Christian Churches that they ought to follow the example of their Lord in being far from affectation of unnecessary novelty in those prayers which they teach and practise And a tacit approbation of the Church of England because in that particular she had so exactly followed her Lords example she had made her Liturgy punctually according to the Lords most holy prayer as in all other respects so also in this that she would not have it guilty of unnecessary novelty which if she had not done she must have tempted others to schism and separation and have tempted her self to pride and presumption Therefore she was willing to leave the Church of Rome as to her corruption but not as to her Communion nor did Calvin himself desire she should do more in his Epistle to the English at Frankford wherein he was only troubled that some of our Nation were still too much immersed in the dregs of Popery Quid sibi velint nescio quos faecis Papisticae reliquiae tantopere delectant So that t is an injury to that learned man to say he would have the Church of England make no distinction between the good wine of Christianity and the dregs or lees of Popery which they in effect do say who are so ready to quote him for abolishing any thing that was truly Christian in the reformation of our Liturgy But let us particularly examine the excellencies of the Lords most holy prayer that we may from thence the more easily discern the excellencies of our own prayers which can have no excellency but as they follow the pattern of this and if they follow this need look after no other excellency For this prayer hath Christ in all its four causes and is therefore most peculiarly entitled unto him 1. Ratione efficientis in regard of its efficient cause because he was the composer of it there 's Christ in his authority 2. Ratione Formae in regard of its formal cause because it is the most pious and most pithy form that ever was composed there 's Christ in his piety 3. Ratione materiae in regard of its material cause because it containeth all that we do want or can desire as Christians either belonging to this or a better life there 's Christ in his Fruition 4. Ratione finis in regard of its final cause because it intendeth one connexion of all Christians with Christ and in Christ for teaching all to say to God Our Father it joyneth all Christians with Christ who said so and in Christ who bids them say so there 's Christ in his Communion Willing all to agree as Brethren especially in their prayers wherein they invocate one common Father that so none may go without his blessing but that even he who cannot ask it in the righteousness of his person may both ask and have it in the righteousness of his Communion according to that of Saint Ambrose whilst each one saith Our Father every one prayeth for all and all pray for every one And these four excellencies were as much communicated to the Liturgy of our Church as they are communicable to any Liturgy and Christ with them For the efficient cause of it was Christ in his office as King or Christ commanding in his authority Civil and Ecclesiastical both concurring to make the Liturgy though not the prayers The formal cause of it was Christ in his office as Priest or Christ praying in his piety The material cause of it was Christ in his office as Prophet or Christ preaching in his Doctrine The final cause of it was Christ in the result of all his three offices as King and Priest and Prophet or Christ reconciling and gathering in his Communion I cannot be too plain or too punctual in a thing which once so neerly concerned my calling and still so neerly concerneth my conscience and therefore that I may speak the more plainly and the more punctually I must crave leave to speak a little historically In the first year of King Edward the sixth was this heavenly book framed and compiled by a most learned and Religious Synod And after that so again mended and corrected that Mr. Fox witnesseth it was then called by most men The work of God Yet some restless Spirits were then as now we have legions of them who took occasion of quarrel at some particulars Hereupon that learned Arch-Bishop Cranmer turned the book into Latine and sent it to Bucer to crave his Judgement concerning it Bucer approved all generally to be either contained in or at least not to be repugnant to or dissonant from the word of God but yet with a si commode acciperetur if it were fairly taken otherwise saith he Quarrelsome men will thence pick out matter of contention Hereupon this book was the third time corrected and amended and all those particulars either expunged or changed which had before been misinterpreted or were thought liable to misinterpretation Afterwards in the reign of Queen Mary when the Mass was again re-assumed and this prayer-book expulsed the Churches as schismatical and heretical the same learned Cranmer undertook with the Queens leave that himself and
mente super Altare offero quam in primo publico consistorio solenniter repetam Concil Basil sess 40. I made this digression only to shew That unless the Holy Scriptures be taken for the foundation of our faith we are like to have none For a general Council is not this foundation saith Bellarmine The Pope is not say these two Councils and the Pope himself swears on their side So Bellarmine defines against the Councils the Councils define against the Pope and the Pope not only defines but also swears against himself And we conceive that Saint Paul defined against them all when he said He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. 31. and again That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2. 5. T is only Gods truth which can be the foundation of our faith whether propounded by the Scriptures or by the Church as saith Aquinas Formale objectum Fidei est veritas prima secundum quod manifestatur in Scripturis sacris Doctrina Ecclesiae quae procedit ex veritate prima The formal object of faith is the first truth according as it is manifested in the holy Scriptures and in the doctrine of the Church which proceedeth from the first truth He is willing to take in the Church but he is not willing to leave out the Scriptures nay indeed he preferreth the Scriptures above the Church in the manifestation of Gods truth when he saith Doctrina Ecclesiae quae procedit ex veritate prima in Scripturis sacris manifestata 22ae qu. 5. art 3. c. The Doctrine of the Church which proceedeth from the first truth manifested in the holy Scriptures So that according to Aquinas Gods truth first cometh to the Scriptures from them to the Church That truth the Scriptures propound to the Church by way of definition That same truth the Church propoundeth to us by way of declaration Shall we think the declaration may overthrow the definition of truth or the Church may overthrow the Scripture This were in effect to allow that we as Christians do glory in men more then in God and that our faith in Christ doth more stand in the wisdom of man then in the power of God Such a foundation of faith as this which relyes upon man is laid upon the sand or upon grass For all flesh is grass But the foundation of faith which relyes upon the Scriptures is laid upon a Rock The word of the Lord endureth for ever and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you 1 Pet. 1. 24 25. This foundation which is laid upon Gods word is as firm and as infallible as God himself for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God 2. Tim. 3. 16. And this is the foundation of our faith not as Protestants but as Christians we vindicate it as Protestants but we hold it as Christians For no Christian Church or Council did lay any other foundation of faith before that unhappy Council of Trent which began not till the year of our Lord 1545. and ended not till the year 1563. All the cavils that have been raised against the holy Scriptures have been raised since that time to the great dishonour of Christ the great disturbance of Christendom the great discontent of good Christians the great disadvantage of the Christian Faith For the foundation cannot possibly give that firmness to the building which is not in it self therefore there cannot be a greater disadvantage to the Christian Faith then to ground it upon an infirm and an unsure foundation And such a foundation is the word of man instead of the word of God For he that believeth the most Divine truths only upon humane authority can have but an humane an infirm an uncertain Faith Therefore Divine truths must be believed upon Divine authority that we may have a Divine faith concerning them For t is absurd in Reason impious in Religion to have but a humane faith of Divine Truths because the habit and act are infinitely unproportionable to the Object For there may be a twofold errour in our faith the one materially when we believe what God hath not revealed And so they only are erroneous in the faith who believe falsities or uncertainties The other formally when we believe what God hath revealed but not upon the authority of his revelation and so they also may be erroneous in the faith who believe the most sure and certain Truths The ready way to avoid both these errors is to take the written word of God for the foundation of our faith wherein we are sure to meet with Gods truth or verity for the matter of our belief and with Gods Authority or Testimony for the cause of our believing And since our Church teacheth this and no other faith no man can say she is guilty of Heresie that will not make himself guilty of Blasphemy For the Communion of our Church is free from Heresie not only Materially in that she believes no untruths or uncertainties but also Formally in that she believeth Gods truths upon Gods own authority So that to call such a faith Heresie which is wholly of God and through God must needs be blasphemy For my part I confess that I do not see how I can be sufficiently thankful to God for making me a member of such a Communion and therefore am sure I cannot be too zealous for it nor too constant in it A Communion which neither hath Heresie in the Doctrine of faith nor the cause of Heresie in the foundation of faith And truly to be rid of Heresie in its self and in its cause are both very great blessing but yet the latter is the greater of the two For a true reason of believing which rids us from Heresie in its cause may partly excuse even a falsity in the belief when a man believes what is not true because he thinks God hath revealed it But a false reason of believing can scarce justifie a truth in the belief when a man believes what is true but not upon the authority of Gods revelation The one desires to be a true believer in a false article the other resolves to be a false believer in a true article of faith The one in the cause of his faith believes the truth whilst in the doctrine of it he believes an errour the other in the cause of his faith believes an errour for every man is a lyar and may suggest a lye whilst in the Doctrine of it he believes a truth the one in the uprightness of his heart cleaves to God when in his mouth he departs from him the other in the perversness of his heart departs from God when in his lips he draws neer unto him The uprightness of heart makes the one a true man in his errour as S. Cyprian in his false Tenent of rebaptiz ation the perversness of heart makes the other a false man in his truth as
that Christian joy The first part is Christ Preached The second part is Christ Practised The third part must be your own that is Christ Purchased which from the bottom of his heart and in the bowels of Christian Charity he wisheth unto you who is Your Brother and Servant in Christ E. H. A Prayer in honour of Christs Nativity OBlessed Jesus thou Lover and Redeemer of souls God manifest in the flesh who camest unto men and didst become man to bring true light into the world from the Father of Lights grant we beseech thee unto us miserable sinners so to glorifie thee for thy coming to us and being in us and reigning over us that though of our selves we are in darkness and in the shadow of death yet in thee we may come to see the true light of Grace and by thee may come to enjoy the true light of Glory to glorifie thee eternally who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God eternal world without end Amen A short Scheme of the whole Christ welcomed in his Nativity Hath three Chapters The first sheweth the Motives of that welcome The second sheweth the Reasons of that welcome The third sheweth the joyful manner of that welcome CAP. 1. Shewing the Motives of Christs welcome from God and from Gods Church both Triumphant and Militant Hath fifteen Sections Sect. 1. CHrists image repairs the loss of Gods image in man The Churches desire tâ—… Christ should be formed in us Christs humiliation is the Christians exaltation Sect. 2. Christs humiliation was in the fulness of time Sect. 3. The fulness of time in which Christ came to humble himself was the perfection of time Sect. 4. God observed the fulness of time for the sending of Christ to fill our souls with Patience and with Piety which two make up the true Christians fulness Sect. 5. The authority of God and of his Church for a solemn Festival to celebrate the coming of Christ and that the Church did no more then her Duty in appointing that Festival and an Advent Sunday to prepare for it and that we cannot justly or safely gainsay that Appointment Sect. 6. Christmass no superstitious word and Christmass-day observed not for it self but for its duty takes off all controversies and can fall under no just exceptions and may not fall under any unjust cavils much less calumnies Sect. 7. The difference betwixt a Iewish and a Christian observation of daies This latter is a moral part of Gods service and may not be neglected without scandal Sect 8. To oppose the celebration of Christs Nativity is a scandal to Christians and a stumbling block to Iews keeping them from Christianity Sect. 9. The Iews equally scandalized by Idolatry and by Profaneness especially that profaneness or irreligion which immediately dishonoureth our Saviour Christ Sect. 10. That those Christians who oppose Christmass-day do give occasion to other good Christians to suspect them as not well grounded in the Christian Religion Sect. 11. The first Christmass-day was kept by the holy Angels therefore no will-worship in keeping Christmass but rather a necessity to keep it from Heb. 1. 6. The Kingdom of Christ as Creator and as Redeemer Sect. 12. We must embrace all opportunities of glorifying Christ that we may not be thought to desert either our Saviour or our selves whiles we are defective in our Devotions either for want of Preparation before them which hath hitherto made us so bad Christians in so good a Churâ—â— or of Affection in them which will keep us from being good Christians or of Thankfulness after them which will keep us from worthily magnifying the name of Christ Sect. 13. A new song for the coming of Christ God the Father Son and Holy Ghost carefully observed the time of our Saviours coming into the world therefore it can be no true piece of Reformation for men not to observe it Sect. 14. Everlasting thankfulness is due to God for this everlasting mercy Sect. 15. Time not perfect in Gods account from our Creation but from our Redemption The Iews not destroyed and Time not untimed meerly in relation to the coming of Christ Time still continued for the world to make a right use of his coming No other time perfect in Gods account but that wherein he gives his Son And no other should be perfect in our account but that wherein we receive him CAP. 2. Shewing the Reasons of Christs welcome because of the infinite love of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost bestowed on man in his Redemption Hath nine Sections Sect. 1. GOds first gift to man was his love in Christ his second Gift was Christ in our nature No Gift can prove a blessing unless God give it in love Not Government not the Gospel though the one be the best temporal the other the best Spiritual Gift Sect. 2. Gods love in Christ though it be Universal in the diffusion yet is it particular in the Obligation Sect. 3. Gods love to man in Christ was the ground of his Consultation with himself how to bring us to eternal life Sect. 4. Gods love to man in Christ was not in vain or without Success though his Churches love to us in daily Praying for us and teaching us to pray for our selves often proves unsuccessful And yet our best proof that God hath loved us in Christ is That we love him again both in his Authority and in his Ordinances and in his Members Sect. 5. Gods love to us in Christ was not in vain or without a cause for as much as Christ was the ground of our Election as well as the Author of our Reconciliation More men Reconciled by Christ to God then Recommended to Him Or more men reconciled Potentially then Actually Sect. 6. Gods love in Christ is not a fond love therefore he scourgeth whom he loveth The Christian Church not taught in the New Testament to expostulate for being scourged though she be crucified as Christ was between two thieves Sect. 7. Christs love to us that he would come from the bosom of his Father to teach and to redeem us The title of the chief corner-stone blasphemously applyed to his pretended Vicar Christ was not an Apostle one sent from God but an Ex-apostle one sent out of God Sect. 8. Tht mother of Christ so a Woman as still a Virgin The Prayer of the seventy Interpreters Christs love to us that he would be made the Son of a woman whereby he hath exalted men above Angels A mercy not to be forgotten till there be no man to remember it That the Iews corrupted not the Text proved from the Prophecies concerning Christ Sect. 9. Christs love to us that he would be made under the Law That man is a Son of Belial not a Member of Christ who will not be under the Law All good Christians follow Christ both in Active and in Passive obedience CAP. 3. Shewing the joyful manner of Christs welcome as proceeding from joy in the Holy-Ghost
have known Christ and Christianity That Christ teacheth us by his voice in holy Scripture more certainly then by his voice in holy Church and that the Scripture is to teach the Church as the Church is to teach the people Sect. 4. That the state of true Christianity is to be learned only in the Church of Christ For there only doth Christ teach by his word which the Church is bound to translate that the people may understand it And by his Spirit accompanying his word which teacheth both infallibly and irresistibly by taking away our resistance That the state of true Christianity is not confined to any one particular Church for that Christ teacheth more or less in all Christian Churches and yet this is no ground for Sectaries to run from the Church Sect. 5. That the certainty in true Christianity or the state thereof is from the Word and Spirit of Christ the uncertainty from our selves Of doubtings in good Christians concerning their state That some are by way of admiration others by way of Infirmity but none by way of Infidelity CAP. 2. Of the knowledge of the state of true Christianity Hath two Sections Sect. 1. THE knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity is from our keeping the words of Christ That Antinomians cannot be much less know they be in the state of true Christianity Sect. 2. Three Practical principles necessary to be maintained by all those who desire to be good Christians and to know themselves to be in the state of true Christianity 1. That Christ hath words to be kept as well as to be believed 2. That true love of Christ will make us labour to keep his words 3. That true faith in Christ was never yet without this Love CAP. 3. Of the comforts that arise from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity Hath three Sections Sect. 1. THE first comfort arising from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity is That we are thereby assured of the Love of God Sect. 2. The second comfort arising from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity is That we are thereby assured of Communion with God The cause the work and the effects of that Communion The cause of Communion with God is God The work of it contemplation of God and consultation with God The effects of it That it makes a man live for to with and in God Sect. 3. The third comfort arising from the knowledge of our being in the state of true Christianity is That we are thereby assured of the continuance of our Communion with God For his Desertion will be only for Tryal not for Punishment unless we become unfaithful and unfruitful Christ Reteined in the true Christian Communion Hath a Prooem and three Chapters The Prooem Christian Communion is to be considered in its Authority in its Excellency in its Sincerity The first Chapter is of Christian Communion in its Authority The second Chapter is of Christian Communion in its Excellency The third Chapter is of Christian Communion in its Sincerity CAP. 1. Of Christian Communion in its Authority Hath six Sections Sect. 1. CHrist requires our Communion by his own Authority as our Head which hath the most noble and most powerful influence upon the members The nature the reasons the cause the proofs of our Communion with Christ Sect. 2. That our Communion with Christ is as our Participation of Christ External or Internal The one may be the Communion of Hypocrites the other only of good Christians The way to be a good Christian in a bad Church Sect. 3. That our internal Communion with Christ is through his Spirit and our Faith which may not be a phansie or fiction much less a faction but a faith Knowing by Evidence Approving by Adherence Applying by Affection and Working by Practise That such a faith will make our Communion with Christ real and substantial in the thing it self though in the manner it be only spiritual and mystical Sect. 4. Christian Communion beginneth with the Church but endeth with Christ both in the Word and Sacraments and Prayers And that the Church is bound in all these to advance not to hinder our Communion with Christ either by denying the People the use of the Scriptures or by teaching them superstitious prayers as to Saints and Angels wherein Christ neither can nor will communicate with men The ready way to have Communion with Christ is by Peace and Holiness and wherein that Communion chiefly consisteth Sect. 5. That the Catholick Church requires our Communion by the authority of Christ as his Body That the whole Christian Church is this Catholick Church and that it is known to be so by the undoubted Word of Christ And how a particular Church may be sure to keep Communion with the Catholick Church Sect. 6. The Catholick Church properly so called hath in it neither Hereticks Schismaticks nor Hypocrites but commonly so called comprizeth all those Christians who outwardly embrace the truth and worship of Christ That our own particular Church keeping Communion with the Catholick requireth our Communion by the authority of the Catholick Church The Authority and Trust of particular National Churches from Scripture and Councils A sober and pious resolution not to sin against the Authority of the Church by wilful Schism and the reasons of that resolution CAP. 2. Of Christian Communion in its excellency Hath two Sections Sect. 1. THE excellency of Christian Communion because of its large extent as reaching to all Christians though of different perswasions and professions Sect. 2. The excellency of Christian Communion as holding of Christ and from him having Immortality Piety Verity and Charity And that the Church is the proper Place Angels and men the Company and God the Author of this Communion CAP. 3. Of Christian Communion in its Sincerity Hath four Sections Sect. 1. THE sincerity of Christian Communion consists in this That it gives all to Christ Hence those Christians justified who do so in their Festivals The Sabbatarians questioned for not so doing The Apostles new method of teaching Christian Divinity by interlining of prayers and praises that Christ might be the more glorified and the Christian Religion the less adulterated Sect. 2. The sincerity of Christian Communion is the Bullwark of its authority and first to be regarded by every Christian Church as being the glory of her Prosperity and the comfort of her Adversity Such a sincere Communion never to be deserted when once happily attained Sect. 3. The sincerity of Christian Communion comprehendeth both the Purity and the Solemnity of Religion and is the whole Duty of the first Table The Purity or Substance of Religion being enjoyned in the three first Commandments The solemnity or publick exercise of it with the adjuncts thereto belonging being enjoyned in the Fourth The Exercise of Religion from the End the adjuncts from the Letter of the Law The Sabbatarian the greatest opposer
satisfies his conscience unless he be sure and certain of the terms of his Communion for the conscience cannot be satisfied and much less can God be served upon uncertainties And since the Apostle hath expresly said That whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 13. 23. Those men do very indiscreetly who in their publick worship do rather exercise their Phansies then their Faith and those do very irreligiously who labour all they can to spread and to promote that exercise For in the work of serving God above all other works it is evident That the diminution of Faith is the addition of sin wherefore men have little reason to bring themselves and less Religion to seek to bring others to any the least diminution of their Faith in Gods service for that is to come under the hazard of Judas his curse Let his prayer be turned into sin Psalm 109. v. 6. We must then take it for an argument of true love even the love of our souls and of our salvation that the Christian Church did in imitation of the Church of the Jews offer up daily Prayers and Praises unto Almighty God for us and also teach us to offer up daily Prayers and Praises for our selves And it is to be feared That men have rewarded the Church of Christ evil for good hatred for her good will in that the dismal curse which follows in the next verses hath fallen upon so many Nations of the Christian world For it is evident that this curse set thou an ungodly man to rule over him and let Satan stand at his right hand let his days be few and his children be vagabonds c. is ushered in with this sin For the love that I had unto them loe they take now my contrary part ver 3. and is continued and confirmed for it is because his mind was not to do good but persecuted the poor helpless man that he might slay him that was vexed at the heart and ver 16. His delight was in cursing and it shall happen unto him he loved not blessing therefore shall it be far from him For nothing is more offensive to God then that men will not return love for love And yet this hath been always the portion of his Church she hath still found returns of hatred for love For there is no true Christian Church but may truely say with Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12. 15. I will very gladly spend and be spent for you it is in the Original Greek for your souls though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved No love affectionate like this which loves the soul no love abundant like this which makes the lover spend and be spent for his affection and such is the love of every true Christian Church which is the grand Apostle of its nation it loves affectionately it loves abundantly for what it wants of this charity it wants of true Christianity but doth seldome receive back again love for love It was Luthers complaint that whilst he Preached and practised mans Inventions he found too much love but after he preached Gods truth the Gospel in its own sincerity he found too little so hath it been ever since his time with Protestant Churches for those which have most deserved the peoples thanks for teaching them the true and the right way to heaven have least found their love Thus we see to our grief no less then to our mischief that the best of men may love in vain but God never loves in vain For he never loves but he is beloved again so saith the beloved Disciple 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us As he loves us so we love him again though he love first we afterwards and therefore if we love not him the reason is because he hath not loved us in the Son of his love I say not if we love not God in himself for that 's impossible acccording to that excellent position of Aquinas Deus secundum essentiam suam à nullo potest odio haberi sicut neque bonitas At secundum quosdam Justitiae suae effectus potest 22. qu. 34. God cannot be hated by any man as he is in himself no more then goodness can be hated but he is hated only for some effects of his Justice therefore I say not if we love not God in himself but if we love not God in his Vice-gerency or Authority whether Civil or Ecclesiastical by our dutifulness and fidelity If we love not God in his Commands and Ordinances by our Obedience and Piety Lastly If we love not God in his image and likeness by our brotherly and Christian Charity we do indeed not love God for himself hath said I ye love me keep my commandments Joh. 14 15. And if we do not love God the reason can be no other but this because he hath not loved us And it were to be wished that some men who most think themselves the darlings of heaven would try their spiritual estate by this touchstone for if we are indeed in the love of God and in the Son of his love it will appear by our returning love back again to him And the Apostles consequence being as good for the Negative as for the Affirmative it must needs follow that if we love not God it is because he first loved not us SECT V. Gods love to us in Christ was not vain or without a cause for as much as Christ was the ground of our Election as well as the Author of our reconciliation More men reconciled by Christ to God then recommened by him or more men reconciled potentially then actually GOD had a good reason of his love to us thoug not in our selves yet in our Saviour the Son of his love For he began his first Epistle or message of love unto our souls as Saint John began his second and third Epistles Vnto the elect and welbeloved whom I love in the truth the same in effect with salutem in Christo or dearly beloved in the Lord which salutations have since been used by the Church God loves us in the truth that is in our Saviour Christ who is called the truth John 14. 6. And as no man cometh to the Father but by him so no man abideth with the Father but in him so saith Saint Paul 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them where is punctually set down both the meritorious cause of our reconciliation Christ and the formal cause of it Gods not imputing our sins to us for Christs sake For God cannot be reconciled to a sinner whilst he looks upon him as a sinner because sin is directly opposite to his own goodness and therefore he cannot but hate sin as he cannot but love himself and God cannot but look upon a sinner as a sinner whilst he looks upon him in himself not in his Saviour who hath expiated his sin Hence Scotus tels us
be the Spirit of God dwell in you and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. The Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ are one and the same Spirit for Christ is God And it were also to deny the greatest and chiefest comfort of Christianity which is this That the Spirit of Christ dwelleth in us to revive our souls now from the death of sin to revive our bodies hereafter from the death of the grave the Apostle plainly attributeth thr Resurrection of the soul from sin and of the body from death only to the dwelling of Christs Spirit in us Rom. 8. 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righeeousness there 's the resurrection of the soul from sin and again ver 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you There 's the resurrection of the body from death And this is also from the Spirit that dwelleth in us as well as the other the Spirit of Christ raiseth the soul from sin the Spirit of Christ raiseth the body from death so that to deny the Holy Ghost to be the Spirit of Christ is to deny both our Regeneration and our Resurrection Wherefore this being of so dangerous a consequence The Master of the sentences would not impute this Tenent to the Greek Church as if they denyed the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son though they would not say in their Creed I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son but only who proceedeth from the Father who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified But he saith plainly that the Greek Church did agree with the Latine Church concerning that Article of Faith in sense though not in words Sensu nobis conveniunt dum aiunt Spiritum Sanctum esse Patris Filii They agree with us in the sense whilst they say that the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son only we speak a little more plainly saying who proceedeth from the Father and the Son nor are we to be blamed saith he for adding to the Creed much less to be anathematized because our addition is not of a contrary assertion but of a necessary interpretation Nos enim non praedicamus contrarium sed addimus quod deerat ideoque non subjecti anathemati Lomb. 1. Sent. Dist 11. He is more careful to justifie his own Church for adding to the Creed then to condemn the Greek Church for not allowing that addition But his Scholars are not so moderate for Aquinas taxes Damascene of Nestorianism in the case and saith he was carried away with the Schism of the Greeks Damascenus sequitur errorem Nestorii Quod Sp. S. non procedit à Filio quia fuit tempore quo incepit illud Schisma Graecorum Aqu. 3. par qu. 36. art 2. ad 3. And Bonaventure is yet much mor fierce when he saith that the Greek Church denyed this article out of ignorance pride and perverseness Graecos negâsse hunc articulum ex ignorantiâ superbiâ pertinaciâ Bonav in lib. 1. sent dist 11. Three unmerciful words from a Church-mans mouth against a whole Church and surely altogether underserved For the Greek Church always acknowledged the Holy Ghost to be consubstantial with the Son as well as with the Father as appears by the Confession of Faith exhibited by Charisius in the Council of Ephesus in the sixth Action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit of truth the comforter being of the same essence or substance with the Father and the Son which plainly shews the Greek Church did not deny the article though they were loth to change their Creed wherein they found it was thus expressed Who proceedeth from the Father no mention at all made of the Son For this is their own profession in the Council of Florence in the 25. Session 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We have our Creed from seven general Councils and weneither add thereto nor take therefrom And t is evident that the Latine Church it self did a long time demurr about this addition of Filioque to the Greek Creeds Nay Leo the third did strongly oppose it and that not only Papally in his Chair but also Episcopally in his Chancel for he did absolutely refuse this addition when he was thereto intreated by Charles the great and did set up the Creed over the Altar at Rome without it nor did Filioque get into the Article till the time of Benedict the seventh saith Binius in Syn. Constant which was above nine hundred and fifty years after Christ and about six hundred years after the divulging of that Creed But without doubt the Addition it self is to be justified for it was not Additio corrumpentium Symbolum sed perficientium as saith Bonaventure not an addition to corrupt the Creed but to perfect it or rather an explication not an addition as Bellarmine seems to distinguish Explicatio Doctrine non additio contrarii but the manner of maintaining it seems altogether unjustifiable For those of the Latine Church shewed little temper and as little charity in rejecting the Greek Church for hereticks which was trampled on enough by Turks and needed not Christians to help tread it more under foot for not admitting the same addition meerly because they thought themselves under the curse which the Latines are willing to put off by a distinction if they should recede but one tittle or syllable from the language of their own Creeds But this it seems was the fault of the Greek Church which hath been ever since accounted damnable Schism in all other Churches they could not swallow much less digest that crude position Ad summum Pontificem pertinet fidei Symbolum ordinare It belongs to the Pope to order and dispose of the Creeds A position so unreasonable that Aquinas himself the greatest Master of reason among all the Schoolmen is fain to fly to Gratians decree to fetch a proof for it and that proof depends altogether upon the Authority of some few Popes who were very partial Judges in their own cause This is clear that the objection about Athanasius his Creed doth so puzzle him that he is fain in effect to say his Creed is no Creed because he cannot find the Popes hand was in the making of it Athanasius non composuit manifestationem fidei per modum Symboli sed per modum cuiusdam Doctrin◠Athanasius did not set out this manifestation of the faith as a Creed but as a Doctrinal institution notwithstanding the very title of it in Greek is the same which is prefixed to the Apostles Creed and the Latine Church calleth it Symbolum Athanasii unto this day It is not suitable with my purpose and much less with my desire
it either to prevent it from coming upon us or to redress it when it is come For it calleth us to unity against division to constancy against distraction since there can be no constancy where there is no unity It calleth us to a communion with Christ and with his Church which communion must have unity from the nature and constancy from the author of it For our Saviour Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. and as he is unchangeable in himself so he desires to be found unchangeable in his members He will have them the same yesterday and to day and for ever And indeed so they are for they do partake of the constancy who were real partakers of the unity in the Christian communion which is betwixt Christ and his Church Those Christians do shew forth a kind of immutability or unchangeableness by their constancy in religion who truly have communion with Christ in the unity of his Church For they cannot run a gadding after other mens phansies who are really established in their own consciences They know they have met with the true Christ already and therefore look not after false Christs and regard not them who say loe he is here or loe he is there They have found him in his Church and will not look for him in the desert or in the secret chambers For Christ having said to his Church Loe I am with you alwayès even to the end of the world would not have us think that we can be with him if we will not be with his Church Therefore we must look for Christian communion in Christs Church though we must not look for it only in his Church but also much rather in himself For in truth Christ and his Church do make but one true Christian communion Accordingly it will be necessary to consider this communion first in its authority for that Christ calleth us thereto by his own authority as the head and the Church calleth us thereto by the authority of Christ as his body After that we shall consider the same communion in its excellency for authority and excellency are reciprocal in Gods commands He commonly commaning that with the greatest authority on which he hath bestowed the greatest excellency And lastly we shall consider the same Christian communion in its sincerity for in spiritual exercises or duties of the soul such as is the desire and practice of this communion the greatest part of the excellency consisteth in the sincerity for God the seer and searcher and judge of hearts accounteth nothing excellent in his service but what proceeds from the heart Lord make me earnestly desire this Christian communion for its authority as proceeding from Christ the eternal Son of God make me highly admire this communion for its excellency as continuing with Christ make me cordially embrace this communion for its sincerity as wholly ending in Christ A true Christian communion indeed which hath its beginning from Christ its continuance with Christ its end in Christ which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex ipso per ipsum in ipsum which is of him and through him and to him as the Apostle speaks Rom. 11. 36. Because it is of him it hath great authority because it is with him it hath great excellency because it is to him it hath great sincerity CAP. I. Of Christian Communion in its Authority SECT I. Christ requires our Communion by his own authority as our Head which hath the most noble and most powerfull influence upon the members The nature the reasons the cause the proofs of our communion with Christ COmmunion with Christ is the only way to Salvation by Christ for if we embrace not his Communion here we shall not enjoy his Salvation hereafter For Christ as man is the head of our Christian Communion though as God he be not only the commander of it by his word but also the defender and maintainer of it by his power so that the gates of hell are not able to prevail against it And this is Saint Augustines Judgement upon those words of our blessed Saviour John 1. 5. I am the true Vine That our Saviour spake those words Secundum quod caput Ecclesiae as he was the Head of the Church that is according to his humanity whereby he is of the same nature with us men as a Vine is of the same nature with its branches Nor can there be a fitter similitude to express the communion of Christ with his Church then is this of a Vine with its branches For as a Vine in the winter is without its branches so was Christ in his passion without his disciples for they all forsook him and fled Mark 14. 50. And as a Vine when it is without its branches is without it is beauty so it is said of Christ whiles he was yet without its disciples hanging upon his cross He hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Isa 53. 2. And as a Vine is first planted in the earth before it brings forth branches So was our Saviour first laid in the earth before his Church was increased and multiplied And as the Vine is the basis and foundation which sustaineth the branches so is Christ the foundation of his Church Other foundation can no man lay then that is laied which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. The fellow-labourers with God spoken of in the ninth verse may help under prop the branches but t is only the Vine that can sustain them And as the branches have all their greeness and growth and fruit from the Vine So hath the Church all its beauty and nourishment and increase from Christ and as the Vine doth transfuse its nature and therewith its vertue into the branches so doth Christ communicate to his members his name whereby they are called Christians his vertue whereby they are made Christians nay the very nature and being of his filiation or Son-ship as far as it is communicable in that he makes them the Sons of God with himself though not by nature yet by adoption and Grace Lastly which is Saint Augustines observation As the branches are the most contemptible of all sorts of wood when they are off from the Vine but the most glorious whiles they are on it so is it with men whiles they are without Christ they are most base and contemptible Saint Peter can liken them to nothing but to dogs or swine But it is hapned to them according to the true proverb the Dog is turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2. 22. But whiles they are in Christ they are glorious and excellent above all others the same Saint Pteer labours for variety of titles to express their excellency But ye are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People 1. Pet. 2. 9 Nay yet more
t is plain that the New Testament was not only before their eyes but also within their hearts for they proved all their several Doctrines out of it particularly this position that Christ is God by the union of the manhood with the God-head they proved 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the Apostle Saint Pauls writings among which is also reckoned up the Epistle to the Hebrews 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the Epistles general of Saint Peter Saint John Saint Jude 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the Gospels peculiarly so called Concil Ephes par 1. And t is most evident that the Doctrines delivered by the four first general Councils in their Creeds are all plainly to be proved by the Scriptures so that we may easily grant that they placed the Holy Gospel in the midst of their Synods as it were to make protestation that they intended to obtrude no other faith to the world then what they had met with there and could prove from thence and consequently not to desire other mens communion with them in their Doctrines further then themselves had in the same Doctrines communion with the Holy Ghost Wherefore this is the ready way for every particular Church to be sure to keep communion with the Catholick Church in her Doctrine to adhere stedfastly to the written Word of God which is the only indisputable ground of that Doctrine For this Word alone sheweth that the Jews in Moral worship had communion with Christians and that both the Jews then had and Christians now have in the same worship communion with Christ They have Moses and the Prophets saith our blessed Saviour let them hear them Luke 6. 29. And again If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead ver 31. We Christians have not only Moses and the Prophets but also the Apostles for the foundation of our Churches and as we are sure that Moses and the Prophets were delivered incorrupt to our first Fathers for else our Saviour Christ would not have appealed unto them but rather have reproved the Jews for corrupting them so ought we to be sure that the Apostles are now delivered as incorrupt unto us unless we will say that the Christian Church hath been less faithful then the Jewish Synagogue in keeping the Text and by so saying quite disannul her authority in expounding it and so cut our selves off from one of the best means of our salvation Why thou should not these writings of Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles which are the only proof of our Churches be also the grand establishment of our communion For as t is the faith that makes the Church so t is the agreement in the Faith that makes the communion of the Church truely Christian Accordingly our own Church hath taught us to pray most exquisitely for this Christian communion in these words Beseeching thee to inspire continually the universal Church with the Spirit of truth unity and concord and to grant that all they that do confess thy holy Name may agree in the truth of thy holy word and live in unity and godly love A prayer so full of true Christian affection that its Christianity will acquit it from Novelty though it be scarce to be found in any antient Greek or Latine Liturgie for it setteth forth true Christian communion in all its four causes in its efficient cause the Spirit of truth unity and concord in its material cause the universal Church in its formal cause the agreement in the truth of Gods holy Word and in its final cause to live in unity and godly love How can any man that heartily saith this prayer be either an Heretick by willingly sinning against the truth of Gods Word or a schismatick by wilfully sinning against the unity of Gods Church We may conclude then That all the several Christian Churches in the world which have been are and shall be do concur together as members to make up the body of Christ or the Catholick Church and that all of them as Christian are joyned together though thousand of miles and years asunder in one outward communion by agreeing in the same word of Christ and in one inward communion by enjoying the same Spirit of Christ The outward communion joyns the members to the body and I would to God that they were not so much disjoyned and disjoynted The inward communion joyns the body to the head and I bless God that in that respect there can be no disjunction T is dangerous to be a separatist from the first but t is damnable to be a separatist from the second communion to communicate with Gods most holy Spirit in Gods most holy Word is the most sure and ready way to communicate with the Catholick Church aud that will keep us from being hereticks for no heretick as such doth communicate either with Gods Word or with Gods Spirit To communicate with the Catholick Church is the most sure and ready way to communicate with Christ himself and that will keep us from being Schismaticks for no Schismatick as such doth communicate with Christ either in his body or in himself But still we must remember that communion with the Word and with the Church is nothing worth without communion with Christ and with the Spirit and that will keep us from being hypocrites For no hypocrite doth communicate with Christ and with his Spirit either in his word or in his Church And we have need in these dangerous times of all three cautions for never was there any Heresie without a Schism and seldome is there any desperate Schism without most damnable hypocrisie SECT VI. The Catholick Church properly so called hath in it neither Herereticks Schismaticks nor Hypocrites but commonly so called comprizeth all those Christians who outwardly embrace the truth and worship of Christ That our own particular Church keeping communion with the Catholick requires our communion by the authority of the Catholick Church The authority and Trust of particular National Churches from Scripture and Councils A sober and a pious resolution not to sin against the authority of the Church by willfull Schism and the reasons of that resolution THE special number of right believing and therefore righteously doing Christians in all the several Churches of the Christian world which communicate in all things wherein Christians should is alone truly and properly named the Catholick Church because it consisteth of them only that without addition diminution alteration or innovation in matter of doctrine hold the common faith once delivered to the Saints so that t is impossible for them to be Hereticks And without all particular or private division or â—actâ—on retain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace so that t is impossible for them to be either Hypocrites or Schismaticks they cannot be hypocrites because they have the spirit of God and they cannot be Schismaticks because they hold the unity of
it ought to be so ordered that Minister and People may as one man with one voice and with one heart Pray together not only in one company but also in one Communion And consequently the Gift of Prayer which is to be exercised in publick is that which God hath given to his Church in general and not that which he hath given to any of his Ministers in particularâ—…â—â—use the people cannot communicate in faith unless they 〈…〉 before-hand the terms of their communion For faith is grounded upon infallibility which now cannot be in the Persons and therefore must be in the Prayers and hence ariseth the necessity of a set form of publick Prayer that the People as well as the Priests may pray in faith in the same Congregation and not only one but also many several Congregations may constitute no more then one and the same Christian Communion For that Precept Let all things be done decently and in order was given to the whole Church of Corinth and with it a power of making publick Prayer as a Duty over-rule publick Prayer as a Gift For by the same reason that the Church hath power to regulate the gift of tongues it hath also power to regulate the gift of Prayer which is chiefly seated in the tongue and since unknown matter and form in Prayers is no less against the edification of the People as to praying in faith then an unknown dialect the Church may as justly prohibit the one as the other and the pretence of a Gift may in neither enervate the Churches prohibition Again The Church is bound to use her Gift of Tongues for the peoples good and why not also her Gift of Prayer and how can she use that Gift without making of a set form The same Church is entrusted with the ordering of Religion and how shall any Minister either presumptuously invade her Trust or contumaciously opppse her order Nay on the contrary every Minister is bound to submit his gifts to the order of the Church for so is Saint Pauls absolute determination The Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets 1 Cor. 14. 32. that is The Spirits of the Prophets ought not to be refractory insolent and imperious but modest obedient and submiss not given to contention but compliance not to contradiction but condescention not despising others but submitting themselves For he that placed a Prophet above a private man hath placed that Prophet under the other Prophets Saint Chrysostom here observes the Apostle hath used four arguments together whereby to perswade Ministers to a Christian modesty and moderation in the publick use of their spiritual gifts 1. That the work of the Ministry will be as fully but more orderly discharged For ye may all prophesie one by one Vers 31. 2. That the Spirit will not be discontented or disparaged For the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets Vers 32. 3. That this is exactly according to the will of God For God is not the author of confusion but of peace Vers 33. 4. That this is exactly according to the general practise of the Church of God As in all Churches of the Saints Vers 33. He that will not be induced by these arguments to submit his gift to the Churches gift in the publick exercise of Devotion plainly sheweth that though he may have the Gift yet he hath not the Grace of the Spirit And indeed it is no wonder that these two should be divided for common gifts of the Spirit such as tend only to the edification of others and not to a mans own sanctification are often given without saving grace And such a gift we must acknowledge the Gift of Prayer considered precisely in it self because we doubt not but Judas had it as well as the rest of the Apostles and yet we dare not say that he had sanctifying Grace We must therefore distinguish between the Spirit and the Gift of Prayer The Spirit of prayer consisteth in an holy and firm attention in sanctified and enlarged affections and proceedeth wholly from the infusion of Grace But the gift of Prayer as this age is pleased to call it though without Gods warrant in the Text consisteth in the readiness of apprehension and the fitness of expression and proceedeth partly from the endowments of nature partly from the confidence of custom and partly from the acquisitions of industry For these three Nature Custom and Industry are all necessarily required to the attaining of that faculty whereby a man is enabled upon all occasional emergencies or necessities fittingly to express the desires of his heart and by fitting expressions to enflame and to enlarge those desires as well in himself as in those that hear him which I think will afford us the full definition of the Gift of prayer considered precisely in it self without the Spirit of prayer not only essentially but also causally For so the efficient cause thereof is nature custom and industry though nature and custom more then industry in so much that men of natural endowments and of personal confidences do often in this gift out-strip those of most industrious improvements whereby nature and custom are frequently animated to laugh and scorn at learning and industry The material cause thereof is occasional emergencies or necessities The formal cause thereof is readiness of apprehension and fitness of expression The final cause thereof is to enflame and enlarge the desires of the heart Tell me what can any true Israelite see in this Dagon of the Philistians that the Ark of God should fall down before it and not rather it should fall down before the Ark For all this while if the desires be truly good such as indeed ought to be enflamed or enlarged that is not to be ascribed to the Gift but only to the Spirit of Prayer So that in truth the Spirit of Prayer is as much above the Gift of Prayer as an holy affection is above a quick imagination or a voluble expression and a sanctified heart is above a ready wit or an elaborated tongue For these two I mean the Spirit and the Gift of Prayer must necessarily be separated because they are very dangerously confounded the common sort of people admiring these men as almost Angels who have the Gift without the Spirit and contemning those Ministers as scarce men who have the Spirit without the Gift For many good Christians have the Spirit of Prayer who have not the Gift of Prayer so saith Saint Paul The Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings there 's the Spirit of Prayer but with groanings which cannot be uttered there is not the Gift of Prayer Rom. 8. 26. And on the other side many pernicious hypocrites may have the Gift of Prayer who have not the Spirit of Prayer so saith our blessed Saviour Woe unto you hypocrites who for a pretence make long Prayers Mat. 23. 14. And again Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied
men can establish a better Religion then Gods word hath established they cannot find they should not seek a better Church then such as most entirely professeth that Religion For a Church which hath the Religion God commands must needs have the Communion God approves This smal piece seeks to justifie such a Church and hopes to be the confirmation of your faith and not only the Account of mine Wherein I profess my self an Accountant not as a Politician but as a Divine For without doubt so many pious Ministers scandalous chiefly for this that they durst be true to their Oaths and to their Trust in such a perfidious and false age have not lost themselves for nothing in this present world But they have a good conscience to comfort them against their losses and a good cause to countenance them against the world However this can be no immodest assertion to say that he which values the Communion of his Church above his living is most likely to value the Religion of his Church above his life and God make me such a scandalous Minister For I may not forsake the true Christian Religion without being a againstâ—…y â—…y God nor the true Christian Communion without being a Separation from Him And if such a Religion and such a Communion be in the Church I seek to justifie I shall fall under the curse of Meroz if I do not my best to justifie it For this is not to come to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Judges 5. 23. unless we ought rather to say they have lost their might by opposing the Lord who have lost their Innocency by opposing his Church If you be Unchristian you may perchance think I seek to justifie a Church that is not to be regarded If Antichristian A Church that is to be oppressed But if truly Christian you know I seek to justifie a Church which conscience doth bid you to regard and God doth forbid others to oppress A Church which doth most entirely set forth Gods glory without the falsities of a superstitious or the novelties of a factious worship and in that it doth most entirely set forth Gods glory it cannot but most entirely promote Mans salvation And this being the proper End of Religion is also the proper work of a Church which though it may be a company from the multitude of worshippers yet is it not a Communion but from the verity and unity of worship O thou who art the way the truth and the life the way for us to walk in the truth to direct our goings the life to reward us at our journeys end forgive us our many strayings out of thy way our fierce oppositions against thy truth that thou mayst give us the happy enjoyments of thy life O thou eternal Sun of righteousness who hast enlightned the Christian Church by thy Holy word and holy example and multiplied illuminations of thy holy Spirit be pleased also to enlighten our wandring souls that thy holy word may instruct us thy holy example may guide us thy holy Spirit may rule and govern us that we may not love darkness more then light because our deeds are evil But may love thee who hast given us thy heavenly light may love thy Church to whom thou hast given it may love thy Ministers by whom thou hast given it may love our own souls for which thou hast given it and dost still continue it So shall we be preserved from that inner darkness which will not see thee here and from that outer darkness which shall not see thee hereafter and also be preserved in the unity of thy Church to be ever with thee by a Holy Communion in Earth and by a blessed fruition in Heaven Amen Amen The Justification of the Church of England according to the true principles of Christian Religion and Communion consisting of three Chapters CAP. I. That the Church of England is Gods Trustee for the Christian Religion as to the people of this Nation SECT I. Christ delivered the trust of his Word and Sacraments to his Apostles they delivered the same to Bishops and Presbyters their Successors but the Apostles had an illimited their Successors have a limited trust The necessity of the succession of these Trustees to the worlds end yet is the succession of Doctrine more necessary then the succession of Persons DID Christian Churches more consider the obligation and the charge then the priviledges and the honour of being God's Trustees none of them would arrogantly claim much less tyrannically invade anothers trust But each would timorously undertake carefully manage and conscionably discharge her own T is evident that our blessed Saviour trusted all his Apostles equally with the teaching of his Word Administring his Sacraments and governing of his People because he gave to each Apostle an infallible Judgement and an illimited commission the one enabling the other authorizing each of them to guide and govern the whole world though for the better expediting of their work every one of them betook himself as it were to his own peculiar Diocess according to that of Paul For we stretch not our selves beyond our measure 1 Cor. 10. 14. But t is easie to distinguish betwixt their Power and their use of it For surely if we consider the Power only of each Apostle none of them by taking care of all Christian People could usurp anothers authority or intrude himself into anothers Trust Thus that commission and command given to Saint Peter immediately by and from our blessed Saviours own mouth Feed my sheep Feed my lambs John 21. though we suppose those sheep and lambs did comprize all Christs Flock that then was or ever should be which is as much as the words can bear and more then they do claim or will justifie yet even that large Commission taken in a larger sense then it was given was no supersedeas to Saint Paul for taking care of all the Churches 2 Cor. 11. 28. Instantia mea quotidiana solicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum He calleth the care of all Churches his daily instance that is his daily work and labour even in the Judgement of the Latine Church at the time of the Vulgar Translation For Saint Paul as well as Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles as well as Saint Paul had an universal commission to teach and baptize all Nations Mat. 28. and by consequent an universal Trust concerning all those Nations who should be taught and baptized for else they might both teach and baptize in vain And this universal trust he that commanded them to undertake enabled them to discharge for the holy Spirit of God leading every one of them into all truth fitted every one of them to lead all the world besides But we dare not say it was so with the successors of the Apostles For they neither had an infallible Judgement that they might have an illimited authority nor had they an illimited authority that they might
have an universal Trust Nay the Text bids us say the quite contrary for Saint Paul thus writeth to Titus For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting or that are yet left undone and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee Tit. 1. 5. He limits Titus his commission and much more the rest of the Ministers that were under him to that people only which was in Crete and leaves him not to take the particular care of any other People or Nation they were to have other Trustees appointed for them Again The same Saint Paul writeth thus to Timothy I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other Doctrine 1 Tim. 1. 3. Where it is as plain that Saint Timothies Trust was confined only to the people of the Church of Ephesus and that he was Gods chiefest Trustee though he was not Gods only Trustee for that people because the same Saint Paul saith to all the Presbyters of the same Church Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Acts 20. 28. where it is evident whose Trustees they were for he saith The Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers or Bishops and what was their trust for he saith Take heed to your selves and to all the Flock to feed the Church of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so to feed as t is also to govern or to guide for so doth a shepheard his sheep Pascere saith Beza to feed Regere saith the Vulgar Latine to govern the word requires both and accordingly their trust is not only to feed their Flocks but also to govern them Here is a commission not only for Doctrine but also for Discipline and this commission is given only to the Presbyters or Doctors of the Church of Ephesus He sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church ver 17. If you ask what Elders T is plain by their office what they were even such as were to answer for the blood of those who perished in their sins if they did not teach repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ For so the Apostle argues for himself I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you ver 20. I testified Repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ ver 21. I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God ver 25. Wherefore I take you to record this day That I am pure from the blood of all men ver 26. He alludes without doubt to those words of Ezekiel Because thou hast not given him warning he shall die in his sin but his blood will I require at thine hand Ezek. 3. 20. So that Saint Paul gave this commission only to such Elders as were to succeed him in his office of preaching and governing or in the Ministry which he had received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God ver 24. Thâ—se Elders he appointed his Successors in the Church of Ephesus when he was now quite to be taken from thence and by the same appointment hath established the succession of the Ministry in all other Churches For as the Apostles observing the first day of the week for the publick worship of Christ hath made it necessary for all Christian Churches to observe the same day for their publick worship to the worlds End so their appointing the Ministers as their Successors for the discharge of that publick worship hath much more laid upon all Churches the necessity of a successive Ministry yet Saint Paul looks upon the succession of Persons without a succession of Doctrine as a poor evidence and a poorer priviledge of a Christian Church because he saith Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them v. 30. In that he saith Of your own selves shall men arise he plainly sheweth they should have a succession of Persons but in that he saith speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them he as plainly sheweth they should in that succession of persons not have a succession of Doctrine T is a miserable condition when men shall put asunder those two which God hath joyned together but if we will needs phansie for God forbid we make or fear much more that we should suffer for the division better it were for the succession to be divided from the Ministry then for the Ministry to be divided from the Doctrine For the Ministry is necessary for the Doctrine but the Doctrine is necessary for it self And those Churches which most pretend an uninterrupted and an undoubted succession in their Ministry yet would be loth to be no surer of their Doctrine then they are of their Ministry For all the world cannot make them have more then a Moral certainty of the succession of their Ministers whereas they cannot be good Christians if they have not a Theological certainty of the succession of their Doctrine for he that believes the truth not knowing it to be true and to have proceeded from the God of truth is not formally but only materially a true Believer and leaves himself in a capacity if he doth not put himself into a disposition to believe a lye For by the same reason that he can bestow his Faith upon an uncertainty He may also bestow it upon a Falsity SECT II. The trust and nature of the Catholick Church best gathered from particular Churches the first part of their Trust is concerning the Word of God HE that would not miss or lose his way to the Sea had best follow the conduct of some particular River and he that would not be mistaken in his judgement concerning the Catholick Church were best guide himself by the consideration and the observation of particular Churches Vniversalia priora sunt particularibus ordine naturae Particularia Vniversalibus â—rdine Doctrinae Universals are before particulars in the order of nature but particulars are before universals in the order of Doctrine wherefore we must first enquire into the nature of particular Churches if we would fully understand the nature of the Catholick or universal Church For as Universals have no subsistence in themselves but only in their Individuals so neither hath the universal Church any actual subsistence but only in particular Churches And as we rightly understand an universal by abstracting it from the conditions and imperfections of the individiuals and taking only the perfections of the same So shall we rightly understand the Catholick Church by abstracting it from the imperfections of particular Churches and imputing to it only their excellencies and perfections Thus though I see lameness in one man blindness in another perversness in a third ignorance in a fourth and falseness in all yet I consider