direct others Now I suppose they who object this place would not from hence infer that in the publick Prayers of the Church there was no Minister who expressed the words of Prayer with which the rest joined in affection This is indeed most properly to pray sine monitore but this could not be practised in publick Prayers save only in the use of a known form in which they should all conspire with one heart and voice and according to this sense in which it is most fairly understood if it be referred to the publick Prayers of the Church this place is a considerable testimony for the use of set forms 6. But it seemeth to me very probable which I leave to the consideration of others that these words peculiarly concern the Stationary days of the ancient Church These days were the fourth and sixth days of the Week in which the Christians attended the publick Assemblies of the Church Albasp Obs l. 1. obs 16. beginning very early in the Morning and continuing till three a Clock in the Afternoon and these were accounted the chief days of Christian supplication and humiliation and the observance of them was esteemed the most effectual means to obtain Gods blessing and favour On these days besides their joining in publick Prayers which Tertullian intimateth to be performed about the hours of nine twelve and three a considerable portion of the days was allotted for their exercising themselves in private Prayers and inward and fervent supplications humbly performed upon their knees with fasting and tears in the place of publick Assemblies with regard to what was needful either to themselves in particular or to the publick welfare of the Church or Empire Of the ordinary use of these retired but solemn supplications and devotions in the Christian Church there are as I suppose divers sufficient testimonies 7. Tertullian who in his Book De Oratione De Orat. c. 13. hath peculiar respect to their Stationary days speaketh hereof Quid amplius referunt isti qui clarius adorant nisi quod proximis obstrepant imo prodendo petitiones suas quid minus faciunt quam si in publico orent Cyp. de Orat. Dom. v. Pamel in Cyprianum And S. Cyprian requireth them who are gathered together in the Assemblies with the brethren and do celebrate divine Sacrifices with Gods Priest that they would avoid indigested and tumultuous speaking and setteth before them the example of Hannah who prayed not by loud petition sed tacite modeste intra ipsas pectoris latebras precabatur That there were such Prayers used in the Jewish Church appeareth from the example of Hannah and of the Pharisee and Publican To understand this Phrase of Tertullian concerning such Prayers in the Christian Churches is most agreeable to the literal sense of these words sine monitore quia de pectore and to zephyrus thus paraphrasing upon it We do not conceive Prayers dictated by a Priest but all the Christian Assembly as if we all conspired together to express our desires with sighs and groans out of the very seat of our minds and spirit So that he understandeth this place of that inflamed devotion kindled from a fervency of inward heat which needed not the help of the wind without to blow it up or of those active desires which received not their efficacy from the breath or voice of another but from the inward motions of the soul 8. After these are produced the Council of Laodicea Can. 18.3 Conc. Carth. c. 23. and Conc. Milev c. 12. as if they gave the original to set forms of Prayer when they only established some sanctions concerning them The Laodicean Canon enjoineth the use of these services Morning and Evening The Canon of Carthage in one part of it requireth that quascunque sibi preces aliquis describit whatsoever Prayers any one shall transcribe for himself he shall not use them till he hath conferred with the understanding brethren Now tramcribing properly here intended supposeth a form and care is taken by this Canon that no Copy for the publick use of the Church which could then be only had by transcribing should be received until it was carefully examined V. Medes Christian Sacr. Sec. 3. The other part of that Canonrequireth that at the Communion where Christs offering up himself to the Father is commemorated their Prayers should always be directed to the Father This doth not suppose that there were no forms then in use but might well be intended either to put a stop to what was then entring or to regulate what was amiss in any of their set forms especially considering that in the vast territories of the Carthaginian jurisdiction various forms of Prayer were about that time used some of which were composed by Hereticks as is evident from S. Augustin Cont. Don. l. 6. c. 25. who was a member of that Council The Canon of Milevis declareth against the use of any other forms than those established by the Council but we may as well conclude from our Act of Vniformity as from any of these Councils that it gave the first Original to forms of Prayer because they are thereby established And thus having viewed these chief objections I may well conclude that the evidence for the great antiquity of set forms remaineth inviolable 9. The argument against the lawfulness of set forms because they limit the use of gifts needeth not much consideration since it is manifest that by the will of God bounds and limits were to be set even to the use of the extraordinary gifts of Gods spirit that the Church might be edifyed 1 Cor. 14.26 27 28 30 33. Whereas now no such miraculous emanation of the Holy Ghost can be pretended nor doth the establishing a form for the publick Offices of the Church deny the liberty in due place of using other Prayers according to the practice of our and the ancient Church 10. It is further objected that forms of Prayer are disadvantageous to piety and devotion and the Non-Conformists oft plead experience as a testimony that they are the cause of much deadness in mens spirits and the hindrance of the lively exercise of Religion Here on the other hand others by experience assert the advantage of set forms to promote devotion when attended without prejudice and with a Religious design of joining in Gods worship To discern the truth in this difference it may be useful to consult the judgment of such persons as are least partial in this Case and yet are able to make a true estimate of damage or advantage and then especially to consider the evidence of reason which may be produced 11. The Leyden Professors declare concerning set forms Synopl Purior Theol. Disp 36. Sect. 33. non tantum licitas sed valde uâ—â—les esse contendimus We defend against any persons that they are not only lawful but exceedingly advantageous and this they assert not only because every Christian cannot fitly conceive new Prayers upon
and it may be easily inferred that if it be lawful to set days apart for humbling themselves before God with sasting and prayer without any particular divine Commandment it must needs also be lawful where there is sufficient occasion to appoint the like for the Service of God with Religious praise and thanksgiving with joy and gladness of heart 5. They had also the Feast of Purim established by the Letters of Mordecai Esth 9.21 when the Jews ordained and took upon themselves to do after this writing vers 27. after which Esther and Mordecai wrote with all authority to confirm these days of Purim vers 29.31 and it is expresly declared that the Decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim vers 32. The Feast of Dedication was appointed by Judas Maccabaeus and his Brethren and the Children of Israel 1 Mac. 4.59 to be observed annually for eight days in remembrance of the cleansing of the Temple from the profanations of Antiochus and the restoring the liberty of the performing the Service of God therein and at this Feast was our blessed Saviour himself present at the Temple Joh 10.22 23. And that the Feast of Dedication was that Feast appointed by Judas Maccabaeus though some ancient Christian Writers did otherwise interpret it is proved by Junius Buxtorf but especially and very largely and fully by Mr. Selden De Syned l. 3. c. 13. Sect. 7. c. Ibid. Sect. 12. Divers other Feasts are mentioned in the various Jewish Kalendars as may be seen in Scaliger and in that Kalendar exhibited by Mr. Selden which I shall not insist upon Yet it may be considered that Scasiger divideth the Jewish Feasts into the Legalia or Feasts appointed by Gods Law and Politica or such as were established by their own consent and that those of this last sort were some of them appointed before the time of Fsdras and some after of both which he undertaketh to give particular instances De Emend Temp. l. 7. and it is thought by Mr. Thorndike that the Feast of the Wood-offering expressed in the Jewish Kalendars Of Religious Assemblies c. 8. is referred unto in Neb. 10.34 and Chap. 13.31 both which places speak of the Wood-offering at the time appointed But the instances above mentioned are sufficient to manifest that it was lawful under the time of the Jewish Church to appoint days of Religious Solemnity to be annually observed though they were not enjoyned by any divine Institution Wherefore I forbear to insist upon the seven days feast which Solomon kept before the Lord immediately before the Feast of Tabernacles 1 King 8.65 2 Chron. 7.9 10. and of the seven days feast in the time of Hezekiah added to the seven days of unleavened bread 2 Chron. 30.23 Now it seemeth very reasonable that Christians whose mercies from God are greater than the Jewish Church enjoyed should also make use both of weekly and other set times for the Service of God it being prophesied of the Gentile Church under the Gospel Isa 66.23 That from one new Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before the Lord. 6. After the Coming of Christ as the Disciples of John fasted oft so our Lord declared that his Disciples should fast after his departure This duty was asterwards practised by the Apostles and enjoyned to all Christians 1 Cor. 7.5 and was in part exercised in the stationary days of the ancient Christians two days in the week And besides other times Eus Hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the time of our Lords passion which Eusebius calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is evidently asserted by him though he misunderstand some words of Philo to have been observed by the Christians in the days of Philo and that is from the time of our Saviours death and to the observation of the Passion time those words of Tertulli in do manifestly refer notwithstanding the divers conjecture of learned men where he declareth the Christians appointing jejuniis Parasceven Advers Psye c. 14. Cont. Cets l. 8. and what Origen writeth of their observing the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which probably includeth more than a single day 7. There is abundant testimony also of other solemn days of Religious joy besides the Lords days to have been observed Tert. de Idol c. 14. among which Tertullian mentioneth the whole fifty days from Easter to Whitsontide with which he saith no Religious Solemnity of the Gnetiles could compare and Origen undertaketh to justifie the Festivals of the Christian Church at Easter time and Whitsontide Orig. Ibid. and such like besides the Lords days not to be contained under the Apostles censure upon the Galatians for their observation of days and times And before their time the observation of some annieversary remembrance of eminent Martyrs is expressed in the Martyrium S. Ignatii published by Bishop Vsher from ancient Manuscripts which he judgeth to have been written by Philo Gaius and others who were present at this Martyrdom who write Manifestavimus vobis diem tempus ut secundum tempus martyrii congregati communicemus althletae glorificantes in ipsiusee merabili sancta memoria Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum To the same purpose are the words of Cyprian Cyp. Ep. 34. n Martyrum passiones dies anniversaria commemoratione celebramus and this is the sense also of Tertullian his oblationes pro defunctis pro natalitiis annua die facimus for both the Phrase and thing of these ancient oblations De Cor. Mil. c. 3. did particularly intend an honourable memorial and Communion with the person And when Eusebius giveth an account of the change of the Empire under Constantine from Heathenism to Christianity he saith they then had great respect to the Lords day De Vit Const l. 4. c. 23. and honoured the days of the Martyrs and celebrated the Festivals received in the Church And I suppose it needeth no proof that the Apostles and Evangelists had the chief place among the Christian Martyrs who were the principal Testisiers of Christ and the particular days wherein a pious remembrance of them was celebrated to the glory of God are frequently mentioned after the end of the third Century and are expressedin Constit Apost l. 8. c. 33. And though the particular Festivals of the Apostles were according to the practice of the Church in several parts of the World celebrated at very different times as may appear by comparing the practice of the Western Church with the Constitution of Alexius Comnemus which concerned the Eastern or Greek Church and with the several Arabick Kalendars two of which are exhibited by Mr. Selden de Syneder l. 3. c. 15. Yet in all these Churches as also in the Syriack as appeareth from the Rubricks for the Lessons on these days in the Syriack Testament and also in the Aethiopick and Egyptian Churches as appeareth from the Computus Aethiopicus De Emend Temp.
them but this as some other ways of reserving them as found to be of ill use Hesych in Lev. 8. Hesychius speaketh of a custom of burning them which custom I suppose took its original from those Commands of God whereby he enjoyned the remainder of the Jewish Passcover and of the Sacrifices of thanksgiving and some others to be burnt with fire Exod. 12.10 Lev. 7.15 16 17. The Council of Mascon directed them to be given in the Church Conc. Matisc 2. c. 6. to such Christians as kept their Fasts there on the fourth and sixth days of the week which were the old stationary days The direction in our Rubrick is ordered with as much prudence as any of these if it be not to be preserred before them all for as there is no reason to doubt but that they may be eaten so can there be no reason produced why the Communicants may not as well eat them as any other persons 3. The eating these Elements in the Church by the Communicants out of a reverent respect to the Sacrament for which they were consecrated is allowable and no way blameable Both our Articles and our Rubrick after the Communion Service do acknowledge that the sacramental Bread and Wine even in the Sacrament do remain in their proper substances which with other expressions in our Liturgy sufficiently exclude the Romish corruptions Yet since we believe this Sacrament to be an excellent Gospel Ordinance I suppose that out of respect thereunto devout Christians do generally acknowledge that even the Vessels particularly appointed for the Bread and Wine at the Communion and the Communion Table should not be used at mens ordinary meals and certainly a due respect to Gods Ordinance for which they are set apart will not allow this which was also condemned by the ancient Canons and it appears very reasonable that those Elements which were consecrated for the Sacrament may be used with at least as much reverence as the Communion Cup or Patine De Consc l. 4. c. 31. Sect. 3. And when Amesius truly asserteth that it necessarily followeth from the Religious honour of God that those things which have any respect unto Gods Worship ought to receive from us a privative honour even when they are not used to a holy use as heh instanceth in Bread and Wine left at the Communion which is to be honoured privatively that is care ought to be taken that it be not used contemptibly and sacred Phrases as sacramental words c. not to be used in sport even hence it will follow that they may be used with a relative honour that is so used as to express a reverence to those holy Ordinances to which they bear relation SECT III. Of the saving Regeneration of Infants in Baptism and the grounds upon which it may be asserted 1. THE next Office in the Book of Common Prayer is that of Baptism where that which requireth principal consideration is that every baptized Infant is declared Regenerate and thanks is returned to God after Baptism that he hath regenerated this Infant by his holy Spirit and the beginning of the Catechism declareth that the Child in Baptism was made a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven These expressions have been somewhat differently understood some applying them to a saving Regeneration of every baptized Infant others to a federal Regeneration or a Regeneration Sacramento tenus And I suppose it evident that if it can be certainly proved that every baptized Infant is savingly regenerated or if on the other side all the expressions in the Liturgy can be fairly and probably interpreted of a federal Regeneration which is generally acknowledged there can be then no doubt but all these expressions may be fitly and allowably used shall treat of both these senses because they both plead an allowance in our Church and indeed the latter doth not necessarily destroy but may well consist with the former 2. Beginning with the former I shall first shew what evidence there is that the acknowledging a saving regeneration of every Infant baptized hath been the Doctrine publickly received in this Church ever since the Reformation This is the more probable sense of that Rubrick before the Catechism in the former Book of Common Prayer and that at the end of Baptism in the present Book both which declare that Children baptized are undoubtedly saved that is as the first Book of Edw. VI. and our present Book do express it if they dye in their infancy and before they commit actual sin And our Book of Homilies declareth Hem. of Salvation of Mankind by Christ Part. 1. that Infants being baptized and dying in their infancy are by his Christs Sacrifice washed from their sins brought to Gods favour and made his children and inheritors of his Kingdom of Heaven To these I shall and what Bishop Cranmer who was a great Instrument in our Reformation and Bishop Juell a principal Defender thereof write concerning Baptism complying with the sense here expressed Bishop Cranmer saith Of the Lords Supper lib. 1. c. 12. For this cause Christ ordained Baptism in water that as surely as we see feel and touch water with our bodies so assuredly ought we to believe when we be baptized that Christ is verily present with us and that by him we be new born again spiritually and washed from our sins and graffed in the stock of Christs own body so that as the Devil hath no power against Christ so hath he none against us so long as we remain graffed in that stock Def. of Apol. Part. 2. c. 11. Sect. 3. c. Bishop Juell declareth the Doctrine of the Church of England thus We confess and have evermore taught that in the Sacrament of Baptism by the death and blood of Christ is given remission of all manner of sin and that not in half or in part or by way of imagination or by sancy but whole full and perfect of all together so that now was S. Paul saith There is no condemnation to them that be in Christ Jesus 3. But it must be here noted that by the saving regeneration of baptized Infants it is not intended that their understandings or wills are guided to an high esteem and love of God and the Christian life which the Infant state is not capable of but this regeneration is mainly relative so that being regenerated by Baptism they are no longer the Children of wrath and under the curse due to original sin but are brought into a new state to be members of the body of Christ and thereby partakers of the favour of God And though some small seeds of gracious disposition may be in Infants who are capable thereof in the same manner as they are of corruption yet that regeneration or renovation of an Infant in Baptism whereby he is received into a state of remission and Salvation is very different from the regeneration of an adult person whereby his
Rubrick requiring every Parishioner to communicate be understood so as to be exclusive of such notorious siners until their amendment but to urge warn them to amend 7. Cons 4. There is just cause why Christians should be required at least thrice in the year to receive the Communion For whereas God required all males among the Jews to appear before him three times in the year which appearing encluded their professing owning and engaging to serve the God of Israel and their accepting and submitting to the Law of Moses and the Covenant God made with Israel with their expectation of the benefits thereof it would be very unreasonable that Christians who are freed from that severe yoke of bondage which the Jews were under and enjoy higher priviledges than the Jews did should come short of them in our great duties of Religion and therefore we should at least so oft express our owning honouring and accepting the Gospel-Covenant and the service of Christ our Lord in the most solemn manner approaching to this Sacrament of our Lords institution 8. Amongst the ancient Christians this Sacrament was received ordinarily thrice in the Week that is upon the Lords day and the two Stationary days some did partake thereof daily whose practice S. Aug. would neither commend nor censure but he exhorteth them who are duly prepared to receive every Lords day with whom agreeth Gennadius Walaf Strab. de Reb. Eccl. c. 20. as he is cited by Walafridus Strabo who further observeth that they are related to be excommunicate in the Greek Church who passed two or three Lords days without receiving the Communion They who required the least among the ancients did strictly enjoin the communicating thrice in the year De Consecr d. 2. Seculares and omnis hosito as besides others the Councils of Elvira and Agatha are related to have done Our later English Constitutions before the Reformation advised it thrice in the year but insisted upon once at the least Linw. prov l. 5. Tit. 16.8.16 and some Reformed Churches have directed it four times yearly and without all doubt the great neglect of so many amongst us to partake of that Ordinance is a manifest evidence of the want and decay of the ancient spirit of Christian piety and devotion SECT II. Of some other things in the Communion Office 1. Some exceptions here tendred are such that it cannot be conceived that the Objectors thought them at all considerable such is the disliking that clause in the Prayer before the Consecration That our sinful bodies might be made clean by his body and our souls washed by his most precious bloud This passage is charged with ascribing a greater efficacy unto the bloud of Christ than to his body whereas in truth these words as they are here expressed do no way exclude the efficacy of his bloud from washing our bodies nor the sufferings of his body from cleansing our Souls and those words used at the delivery of the Elements The body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life and the like concerning his bloud are a manifest expression that the benefits both of the body and bloud of Christ do redound to the salvation both of our souls and bodies 2. Commiss pap p. 92. But with more earnestness and heat the Ministers delivering the Elements to every Communicants hands and using the form of words for the distribution particularly to every one of them is censured as a thing contrary to the practice of Christ and the judging this to be expedient is insinuated to be a studying to be wiser than our Master and not to be obedient to him This Objection was urged also by the Authors of the Admonition V. Bp. Whitgift Tr. 13. c. 1. d. 17. and by Mr. Cartwright formerly and the ground they build upon is this that the holy Evangelists relate our Saviour in his institution of the Lords Supper to have said to his Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take ye eat ye whence they conclude that he neither gave the elements singly to every one nor used any particular expressions to every Communicant at the delivery of the Elements Wherefore that this may be rightly understood I shall consider what may be collected concerning the manner of our Saviours distribution and the expressions he used in this ordinance 3. Touching the distribution of these Elements as I can find no evidence in the holy Scriptures to shew that it was not particular which yet would have been evidently expressed if it had been designed by our Saviour to be made a necessary duty in all future Administrations of this Sacrament so there are some expressions in the Scripture which seem to intimate the contrary When S. Matthew Mat. 26.26 27. Mar. 14.22 23. Luc. 22.19 20. S. Mark and S. Luke reciting the institution of this Sacrament relate both of the Bread and the Cup that he gave it to the Disciples or he gave it to them these words do more fairly and probably express his giving the Elements to every one of them than that he either only blessed them and set them before them all or that he delivered them to one of his Disciples to be given from one to another And if we consider the manner how the chief person of the family did bless things at the Jewish Passover it will give some light hereto it being manifest that our Lord did much comply with the ordinary Jewish Rites According to their Customs they only blessed some things and every one present took thereof which was their usage about the bitter Herbs which required no action of the Master of the Feast to give or distribute them but other things he both blessed and particularly distributed to every one present and such was their usual practice at the eating of the Cake in the Passover Feast Syn. Jud. c. 13. The former of these is expressed by Buxtorf on this wise that after his benediction comedit alios quoque comedere jubet and of the latter he saith comedit aliis quoque porrigit and Camero citing the words of the Jewish ritual referring to this latter Camer in Mat. 26.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth well render them tum singulis dat seu distribuit then he giveth or distributeth to every one of them To the former Custom our Saviour manifestly complyed when he blessed the Cup before the Lords Supper and commanded them to take it and divid it among themselves Luk. 22.17 but his practice was agreeable to the latter Custom when he gave the Bread and the Cup in the Lords Supper to his Disciples 4. If we further consider the practice of the ancient Christian Church in the purer times of Christianity it is most likely that their practices were conformable to the practice of Christ in the manner of distribution and it is no way probable that they in those early and purer times did administer
them but even to urge them to approve and allow what is really sinful and is rightly so esteemed by them 20. But the main objection to be here considered is that S. Paul Rom. 14.1 c. commandeth to receive them who are weak in the Faith but not to doubtful disputations Commiss Papers p. 70. and alloweth no judging or despising one another for eating or not eating meats and for observing or not observing days and hence it is urged that no such things indifferent ought to be imposed but to be made the matter of mutual forbearance Now it must be granted that Christian Charity requireth a hearty and tender respect to be had to every truly conscientious person so far as it may consist with the more general interest of the Church of God yet it is manifest that the Apostle is not in this Chapter treating about and therefore not against the rules of order in the service of God But in order to a right understanding of this place I shall note three things 21. First that these directions given by the Apostle in the beginning of this Chapter so far as they give allowance to the different practices therein mentioned have a peculiar respect to those times only of the first dawning of Christianity when most of the Jews who believed in Christ did as yet zealously retain the Mosaical Rites abstaining from certain meats as judging them unlawful and unclean Rom. 14.2 14. and observing Jewish days and times out of a peculiar esteem for them v. 5. and yet this for a time was in this Chapter allowed and indulged by the Apostle But afterwards the Rules and Canons of the Church severely condemned all Christians whether of Jews or Gentiles August Ep. 19. Conc. Gangr c. 2. Conc. Laod. c. 29. who observed the Mosaical Law and the Rites and distinction of meats contained therein out of Conscience thereunto yea S. Paul himself vehemently condemned the Galatians who were Gentiles for observing such distinctions of days out of Conscience to the Law Gal. 4.10 11. and passeth the like censure upon the Colossians who distinguished meats upon the same account Col. 2.20 21 22. Wherefore we must further observe that in the Apostles times and according to the Rules they delivered to the Church The Gentile Christians were in these things with others prohibited the observation of the Law of Moses and its Ceremonies though many of them as the Galatians and Colossians were prone to judge this to be their necessary duty Act. 21.25 Gal. 5.2 The Jews among the Gentiles who did not yet understand that the Law of Moses was abrogated were allowed to observe its Rites and to practise according to the Jewish Customs Act. 21.21 24. Gal. 2.12 13. Act. 16.3 But the Jews who lived in Judea and S. Paul himself when he was there were obliged or enjoined to observe the Mosaical Rites though they were satisfied that the binding power of the Law was abrogated Act. 21.24 Gal. 2.12 Now in these different practices allowed determined and ordered by the directions and rules given by the Apostles as temporary provisions for the several sorts or different Churches of Christians the Apostle requireth the Romans to receive and not to judge one another 22. 2. When the Apostle commandeth them to receive them who are weak in the Faith he thereby intendeth that they ought to be owned judged as Christians notwithstanding these different Observations v. 1. And when he commandeth that he that eateth should not despise him that eateth not and that he that eateth not should not judge him that cateth v. 3. he forbiddeth the weaker Jews to condemn the other Jews or Gentiles as if they were not possessed with the fear of God because they observed not the Law of Moses and prohibiteth those others from despising or disowning these weaker Jews as not having embraced Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 3. signifying here so to despise as withal to reject and disclaim as Mar. 9.12 Act. 4.11 1 Cor. 1.28 because they observed the Rites of Judaism And to this sense are manifestly designed the Apostles Arguments whereby he enforceth these Precepts V. 3. For God hath received him v. 4. to his own Master he standeth or falleth for God is able to make him stand v. 6. he acteth with Conscience to God and v. 10. Why dost thou judge thy Brother or why dost thou set at naught thy Brother We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ So that the main design of this part of this Chapter is this To condemn them who press their own practices or judgments in things unnecessary as being the essential and necessary points of Religion and Christianity and thereupon do undertake to censure all those who differ from them in such lesser things as having no true Religion or inward relation to or Communion with Jesus Christ though they live never so conscientiously and act according to the best apprehensions they can attain Aug. Exp. prop. 78. ad Rom. To this purpose S. Austen expounded these words Non ferre audeamus sententiam de alieno corde quod non videmus Beza in Loc. and Beza saith upon them Rudes non debent ut extra salutis spem positi damnari And this which is the true intent and scope of the Apostle in that place doth in no wise impugn the use of Ecclesiastical Authority in appointing what is orderly and expedient about things indifferent but he will by no means allow that lesser things should be esteemed the main matters of Religion and Christianity to which purpose he layeth down that excellent Rule in v. 17. The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost 23. 3. The considering the Apostolical practice in making Decrees at the Council of Jerusalem in S. Pauls setting orderly bounds to the use of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit in the Church of Corinth or limiting the exercise thereof to avoid confusion and his not allowing S. Peter Barnabas and other Jews to practise without controul what agreed with their present apprehensions under those circumstances but was the way to disadvantage the peace and welfare of the Church and his giving commands for order and decency with things of like nature do evidence that it is a great misunderstanding of the Apostles Doctrine in this place to conceive that he condemneth the establishing useful rules for the order and edification of the Church though they do not always comply with every particular persons apprehension 24. But if it be further objected that if those things may be commanded or enjoined which some persons though through mistake judge unlawful either they must practise against their own judgments which would be sinful or their being conscientious will be their disadvantage which is not desireable To which I answer 1. That if in some particular things certain persons through meer mistake accompanied with humility and designs of peace should judge things
Libertas Ecclesiastica OR A DISCOURSE Vindicating the lawfulness of those things which are chiefly excepted against in the Church of England especially in its LITVRGY and WORSHIP And manifesting their agreeableness with the Doctrine and practice both of Ancient and Modern Churches By WILLIAM FALKNER Preacher at St. Nicholas in Lyn Regis LONDON Printed by J. M. for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops-Head in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1674. IMPRIMATUR Jan. 23. 167â— â— Sam. Parker TO The most Reverend Father in God Gilbert by Divine Providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitan and one of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council c. May it please your Grace YOur Grace being a Person of such singular Eminency in the Church of England I humbly crave leave to present to your hands this following Discourse which contains a Vindication of the Publick Worship of our Church from those Exceptions which by Dissenters have been made against it And the main Design of this Treatise being to promote Christian Vnity by representing the evil consequences of such unnecessary Discords and Schisms and the great unreasonableness of those pretences which have been alledged for their Justification it will nâ—t I hope be judged incongruous that it should address it self to your Grace whose high Office in the Church tendeth to advance the Vnity thereof and entitleth you to the publick Patronage of Peace and Truth I cannot doubt your Graces approbation of this design which is at all times useful but more especially in this present Juncture of Affairs if God please to grant success which is my earnest prayer For as all good men who prefer Truth and the sincere practice of Piety before their own prejudices wills and passions cannot but approve of such honest endeavours to rectifie mistakes and compose the minds of men to peace so all who are pious and wise cannot but discern a greater necessity and a more particular obligation at this time to silence all these little janglings and quarrels if they have any respect to the main interest and concerns of the Reformed Profession And I hope My Lord that the late Alarum we had from our common Enemies may open mens eyes to see the mischief of rending the Church into so many Factions and may dispose them to receive just and reasonable satisfaction And though what hath been excellently performed by former Writers upon this Subject be sufficiently satisfactory yet my labour herein may not be wholly useless considering the humour of this Age which is more apt to read new Books than to seek for old ones But though the cause I have undertaken deserves your Graces Patronage yet my own personal defects might justly have discouraged me from presenting this discourse to one of so high Dignity and so great a Judgment had not the cause it self been so good that it needed no Art and Colours to set it off but is sufficiently justified when it is rightly represented and understood and your Graces Candour and Clemency so well known as to encourage me to hope for a favourable Acceptance which is the only thing I beg in this humble Address unto your Grace favourably to accept of this small Present from him who unfeignedly prayeth for your Graces prosperity and is intirely devoted to the service and interest of Truth and Peace and Humbly honoureth your Grace with all due Observance W. Falkner THE PREFACE TO THE READER Christian Reader THE design of this discourse being to remove or at least to allay those fierce contentions about the external forms of worship to which we owe all those unhappy Schisms which good men so heartily bewail it was necessary in order to this end to rectifie those mistakes and prejudices which abuse well-minded men who have not throughly consider'd things and to correct those corrupt passions that quarrelsom and contentious humour which perverts others To these two causes we owe most of our present disorders it is too evident what hand the latter of these has had in them while divers Persons wanting a due sense of the evil and danger of these discords and a due regard to the Peace and Unity of the Church have been too zealous and forward to maintain and promote such dissensions thereby to serve the Interest of their own parties and to oppose the settlement of the Church upon sure and lasting principles now I had no other way of dealing with these men but to convince them of the great evil of such contentions and how much it is the duty of every Christian to study Peace and Unity For there is nothing more evident than that mens minds are strangely byassed by their affections and Interests and clouded by passion and therefore while they are so peremptorily resolved upon their way while they are so fond of their own Inventions while they are devoted to the service of a Party and account those men their Enemies who should rule and govern them and inform them better there is no expectation that reason and argument should prevail with them And if those arguments which I have made use of for this purpose should be effectual to calm the passions of men and to work in them a Christian and peaceable temper of mind I can easily foretel the success of my following discourse the design of which is to rectifie those mistakes and misapprehensions which some men labour under which either concern the particular Rites and offices of our Church or the General rule of duty or Ecclesiastical liberty by which the Church must be directed and guided in matters of order The first hath occasion'd various exceptions against some Rites and Ceremonies and particular passages in our forms of Prayer and I have spent great part of this Treatise in answering such objections by which I hope it will appear what little reason there is to disturb the Peace of the Church and to separate from our Communion upon such pretences Concerning the General Rule which ought ever to be observed in the Church about matters of order there are some who will allow nothing except some few circumstances to be determined by the Authority of the Church unless it be directly enjoined by a particular divine Institution and for a more plausible colour they reject all such rules of order or regular administration under the terms of unscriptural conditions of Communion But in answer to this I have made it appear to be an unjust and unreasonable exception against the establisht order of any Church that there are some things determined and appointed by the Authority of Superiours which have always been accounted of an Indifferent nature and are indeed the proper matters of Ecclesiastical Liberty And I hope I have abundantly proved to the satisfaction of all sober inquirers that prudent and well ordered Ecclesiastical Constitutions and appointments for the promoting order and decency and the advancement of Religion and Piety are very allowable and unblameable nay that it is impossible that
account also apparently hindred because these discords do oft divert many Ministers from the more directly profitable parts of their employment and make it necessary for them to spend much time in satisfying these scruples and answering objections with thoughtfullness of the ill consequents of these dissentions while they have other work enough to do in the worship of God the edifying his Church and the opposing other designs of those Enemies who seek to undermine it This is like the discovery of a fire breaking forth or inward mutinies appearing at that time when there is much necessary work to be done at home and many conflicts to be prepared for both at home and abroad which must needs put some considerable obstructions to those proceedings SECT III. Of the dangerous loss of the Churches Peace and Unity by this controversie and of the sin of Schism 1. That upon matters referring to this controversie the Peace and Concord of our Church doth much depend and that it is and hath been thereby evidently and extreamly hindred is so apparently visible that it needeth no proof and hath been on all hands generally confessed and complained of Now though it be every Christians duty to reject that Peace which is inconsistent with Piety yet there can be no discharge given to these great duties of Peace and Vnity where they may be practised consistently with godliness and truth To be truly Religious is to enjoy a healthful state of a sound mind where there is no lethargick stupidness but an inward and vigorous life which is not attended with distempered heats and inflammations but with a calm and sedate composure of a sober spirit for the fruits of righteousness are sown in peace Jam. 3.18 2. This duty is so considerable that the Holy Ghost seemeth scarce in any thing else so pathetically to command and urge our practical obedience as about the Churches Peace and Christian Vnity If there be any consolation in Christ Phil. 2.1 2. saith the Apostle if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded being of one accord and of one mind Yea so generally is this duty pressed that there is scarce any Book of the holy Scripture chiefly of the new Testament but doth particularly enjoin or recommend it 3. If we value the favour and presence of God even that is no where so much to be found as where Christian Peace and Unity are most pursued Wherefore St. Paul commandeth 2 Cor. 13.11 Be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you And the same Apostle declareth that the Church becometh an Holy Temple Eph. 2.21 22. and an habitation of God by being a building joined and united in Christ and fitly framed together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some have not amiss observed that in the framing of that Greek word there is contained a treble band of Unity The Jewish Doctors observed that the Shecinah or Divine presence did dwell with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meek and quiet spirits but flyeth from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them who were wrathful and angry Nazianz. Orat. 12. Nazianzen maketh it a considerable Character of one who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 near of God and to what is Divine that he is a man who embraceth peace and hateth discord Ign. Ep. ad Eph. p. 20. 25. Edit Voll and Ignatius expresseth the great profitableness of being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in unspoted Vnity that thereby they may always have Communion with God and prevail against the power of the Devil 4. If the true exercise of the Christian life and duty be considered St. Paul declareth the divisions and discords of the Church of Corinth to be an evidence that they were carnal 1 Cor. 3.3 and to be the cause why their assembling to the Lords Supper was not advantageous but hurtful to them Ch. 11.17 18. and that the benefits of true Christian growth and encrease are to be expected in Christian Vnity Cyp. de Vnit Eccl. Eph. 4.16 Ch. 2.21 Col. 2.19 And in those words of our departing Saviour Hil. in Ps 119. Joh. 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you the ancient Fathers have conceived the great blessing of peace given by Christ to his Church and the duty of peace required in it to be chiefly contained Basil Mor. Reg. 50. Amb. de Joseph c. 13. To this sense St. Cyprian Hilary Basil Ambrose Chrysostome and Theophylact expound that place some of them including also the tranquillity of the Christian mind and the perfect peace of the life to come And from that Text St. Augustine concludeth Serm. 59. de Verb. Dom. that he cannot come to Gods inheritance who doth not observe Christs Testament and he can have no concord with Christ who will be at discord with a Christian 5. That the want of peace becometh the decay of piety may be also sufficiently confirmed by particular instances Ep. ad Cor. p. 3. Clemens observed concerning the Corinthian Church that while they enjoyed peace they had an unsatiable desire to do good and received a plentiful effusion of the holy Spirit they were religious in their supplications to God and harmless towards one another but upon their discord righteousness and peace was banished far from them they all who embraced divisions forsook the fear of God P. 5. and became dark sighted in the Faith and walked after evil affections And Nazianzen took notice that Religion had one flourished in the Church and calculating the season when its decay began Naz. Orat. 21. he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that from the time this contradicting spirit as a terrible Disease infected the Church thence forward its beauty and glory did decline And there is another Country not unknown to us where like effects may be observed and after peace was lost injustice and unrighteousness like a mighty torrent did at once bear down all before it heretical blasphemies were frequently belched forth against all the fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith and all manner of vile affections were professedly served under the ranting and other names of pretendedly Religious Sects 6. Upon this account Christian peace was deservedly esteemed and honoured in the Primitive Church to which purpose the judgment and practice of that excellent spirited man Gr. Nazianzen is above other worthy our observation He disswadeth from that peace which is evil and sinful Orat. 12. but by no means alloweth any discharge to this great duty in other cases and declareth that his little Church where he was Bishop before he went to Constantinople continuing in Unity and concord when discord and much overspread the Christian World was reputed to be as the Ark of Noah which alone escaped the universal deluge and where Religion was intirely preserved Ruff. Prol. in Naz. Orat
49. And that good man as both Ruffinus and himself relate when the Church was like to be embroiled upon his account cryed out in the words of Jonah Naz. Cann de Vit. sua If this tempest be for me take me up and cast me into the Sea and the disturbance shall be at an end And his readiness by all effectual means to promote Peace together with his eloquent discourses to that purpose had such an influence upon the concord of the second General Council and the Churches good Baron Annal An. 381. n. 55. that Baronius thinketh that thereupon the very place where that Council sate and these speeches were made did bear the name of Concordia in after times which was an evidence how highly Concord was then valued Indeed it becometh a builder to repair and cement the breaches in the Church which is the House of God but he who would widen and encrease them goeth the way to make the whole to fall and it may be that part may be first in its ruins which he least desireth 7. Besides this the dreadful ruins of Kingdoms and Countries which are sometimes the consequents of Church divisions are enough to awaken and deeply affect them who are not senseless and past feeling to beware thereof He who readeth the History of the Turks and of the Eastern Empire may see that the Christians State divisions founded upon or fomented by discords in the Church laid the foundation on which the Turks erected their Dominion in those places which was the rooting out their publick Christian profession And the last words of the Old Testament acquaint us that the continuance of dissentions provoketh God to smite the Earth with a Cherem or a dreadful Curse which includeth an irrecoverable devoting Prol de Bel. Jud. and Josephus relateth that the divisions of Jerusalem and the Jewish Nation exposed them to the desolation brought upon them by the Romans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bar. An. 303. n. 29. And it is observed by Baronius that the dissentions in Africa raised by the Donatists were the occasion of the great calamities there sustained first from the Vandals and after than from the Arabians to the destruction of the Country and the almost final ruine there both of the other Christians and of the Donatists themselves 8. Amongst plenty of other instances it becometh us to be most affected as we were most concerned with the much Christian bloud unchristianly shed in England as a sad consequent of these contentions We made our selves an example to Foreigners who took notice that Apud Anglos integro seculo de Ecclesiae regimine controversia violenter agitata est ad status usque publici convulsionem that the violent motions and disturbances in England about Ecclesiastical controversies wrought us into a convulsive and distracted State And we who are nearest home ought to be if we be not most sensible and apprehensive of this which others at a distance could not but observe with some amazement The Lord grant that we may at length learn to mind the ways of Peace and discern the danger and guilt of needless running into divisions 9. The breaking the Churches Peace is peculiarly sinful when without any just and necessary grounds contentions run so high as to appear in open Schism and separation which hath been long designed and is too much practised by many opposers of Conformity And though it be and must be asserted that separation is both lawful and necessary and therefore free from the sin of Schism where Communion upon a right understanding cannot be kept without sin yet even the Writings of many Non-Conformists as well as of others do express and aggravate the sin of unnecessary separation and the Canons of the ancient Church declare very severely against it Can. Ap. 31. Conc. Carth. c. c. 100. Besides Conc. Ancyr c. 18. Gang. c. 6. Antioch c. 5.2 Carth. c. 9. Trull c. 31. Such separation is condemned as ambition and tyranny in the Canons called the Apostles as a destructive Sacrilegious sin in the African Code as a sin which excludeth from the Kingdom of Heaven by Ignatius Ign. ad Philad Cont. Helv. c. 22. and it is censured to enclude a contempt of true Religion by the Helvetick confession 10. It is a known and approved sentence of Dionysius Alexandrinus Eus Eccl. Hist l. 6. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That to suffer Martyrdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather than to divide the Church by Schisms is not less glorious then to be a Martyr for resusing to offer Sacrifice unto Idols Cyp. de Vnit Eccles And S. Cyprian asserteth that the sin of breaking the Churches peace by Schism is in divers respects more hainous than the sin of those lapsed Christians who in the time of persecution yielded to offer Sacrifice to Idols Because the former bewailed his miscarriage and by repentance sought for pardon from God and communion with his Church his straights and dangers were the occasion of his sin and though he miscarried himself he did not perswade others to do the like and he might afterwards be honoured as a Martyr whereas the latter was swelling and pleasing himself in his sin did disturb oppose and reject the Church his sin was his of his own free and voluntary choice and he also beguiled and ensnared others And all this was expressed by both these ancient Writers with peculiar reference to the Novatian Schism which them made a breach in the Churches Vnity about matters of Discipline without denying any Articles of the Faith Ibidem And S. Cyprian proceedeth so far as to declare that if the man who soweth discord in the Church should lay down his life in the defence of the name of Christ the stain of his sin could not be wiped out that is so as to render him honoured in the Church by the stream of his bloud but as he goeth on inexpiabilis gravis est culpa discordiae nec passione purgatur 〈◊〉 adv And the same thing is by Optatus urged against the Donatists Parm. l. 3. and is approved by divers others as being grounded on the words of S. Paul If I give my body to be burned and have not Charity it presiteth me nothing And from hence we may discern that in those Primitive times when the vital heat of Piety within was able to prevail against the fiercest flames of Persecution without this duty of minding the Churches Unity had a mighty commanding force upon the Consciences of Christians and they accounted unnecessary divisions and Schisms to be unchristian practices and dreadful sins 11. Nor can such separation be otherwise accounted of then a great evil which general experience manifesteth ordinarily to eat out Christian love and doth most directly and openly oppose that Christian Vnity which as the following Section will evidence the Gospel commandeth the relation of Membership in the Christian Society requireth and our blessed Saviour earnestly
and affectionately recommended and hath naturally such other dangerous attendants as have been above observed to be the result of the breach or want of the Churches Peace This sin is to the Church what Sedition is to the State the most manifest and direct means to hinder its Government and to destroy that Society which is best preserved in true Vnity and of which as Christ himself hath so every Christian ought to have a tender regard It is to the body of Christ what disjointing is to the body of man it hindreth the actions of the body and the usefulness of the members to each other it weakneth the whole and causeth pain and anxious grief to those other members which are not senseless and is ordinarily accompanied with swelling tumours in the part ill-affected and out of order 12. And as it self is contrary to Gods Commandment so its influence promoteth all manner of sin and is called by Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an original of evils Ign. Ep. ad Smyrn For besides the evils above mentioned which accompany this sin as it includeth a breach of the Churches Peace it is apt to prevail with the Separatist to so much impiety as to place much of his Religion in that which is his sin viz. his unwarrantable separation and it is oft if not ordinarily attended with so great uncharitableness as to be pleased with respect to the interest of their party in hearing if not speaking evil concerning others who withstand them It promoteth prosaneness and disadvantageth Religion in others by rendring censures and admonitions of the Church when they are administred the less efficacious upon the offenders who are the more ready to conclude that it is no great shame or danger to be excluded from that Society of Christians from which many who profess Religion do exclude themselves And upon this and other easily discernable accounts it is a probable occasion of remisness in the exercising discipline which would be more enforced and enlivened by a more general Union whereby also divers obstacles and impediments would be removed Athan. Synops in 1. Ep. ad Cor. Thus Athanasius was of opinion that the Corinthian divisions were the cause why the incestious person was not rejected SECT IV. Some false Conceptions of Schism refuted 1. But because there are some notions or rather misrepresentations of this sin of Schism designed to excuse many from the guilt thereof whom the rules of Christianity do envolve under it I shall endeavour to discover the insufficiency of such Plaisters either to cover or cure so great and dangerous wounds as the deep rents made in the Church to which they are applyed 2. A first false Conception of Schism A first Notion is the natural result of the New-England Independant Principles of Church-Communion They assert expresly Ans to 32. Qu. quo 4. that Baptism neither maketh nor admitteth any to be members of the Church and call it the opinion of Papists and Anabaptists that we enter into the Church by Baptism But they assert the foundation of Church-Society to be laid in their Church-Covenant which is a particular contract among themselves binding themselves to God and one to another to live in Christian Society with that particular Congregation to which they join themselves by this contract Apol. for Chur. Coven p. 3 5 15. And this Church-Covenant is they say the Constitutive form of a Church and joining in it is that which maketh a particular person a member of a Church And from hence it may be easily infered that there can be no duty of holding and therefore no sin of Schism in withdrawing or neglecting Communion where they have not made this engagement by that particular Covenant 3. But this notion of the Vnion and Communion of the Church doth confine it to such strait limits as to exclude in a manner all Christians of all ages from Church Society but themselves and is thereby uncharitable and no stranger to Schism and can not consist with the full and due sense of the Churches Catholicism for the ancient Church did never account the obligation to Christian Communion to be so narrow a thing as only to respect a particular Congregation and therefore never framed any such particular Covenant This is also directly contrary to S. Paul who as an argument to Union and against Schism saith 1 Cor. 12 13. By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body and teacheth us that we are baptized into Christ Rom. 6.3 and thereby are planted together in the likeness of his death v. 5. and that they who are baptized into Christ do put on Christ Gal. 3.27 Which Scriptures do sufficiently express that by our Baptism as we undertake the Christian life so we thereby are admitted to be members of the Church or body of Christ and are engaged as members to Vnity therein and to continue in Communion therewith Whereas if this notion was admitted the grounds for the being and Vnion of the Church which the Scriptures lay down together with the Apostolical and Primitive practice must be accounted as insufficient and the necessary support of its being and Union must be derived from this late invention All which things are sufficient to manifest the errour of this opinion and to shew that there may be a sinful breach of the Vnity of the Church among them who never entred into that Church Covenant 4. A second Notion Dr. Owen of Love Church Peace c. 3. But one of that way of our own Nation treating of Schism and separation acknowledgeth Baptism to give Relation to or entrance into the Catholick Church visible but still owneth a particular contract or joint consent among themselves to be the only bond for external Ecclesiastical Communion in a particular Church or as he expresseth it to be that wherein the Vnion of such a Church doth consist which will be hereafter further considered N. 19 20. Dr. Owen's Review of Schism ch 8 9. And he giveth us this representation of Schism That the sin of Schism doth not consist in the want of or breach of external Vnity by separation but in the want of internal Vnity by needless divisions of judgment in a particular Congregation as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith is used 1 Cor. c. 1.11 Hence these assertions are laid down 1. That the departing of any man or men from any particular Church as to the Communion peculiar to such a Church is no where in Scripture called Schism nor is so in the nature of the thing it self 2. One Church refusing to hold that Communion with another which ought to be between them is not Schism properly so called 5. But if we here consider the matter or thing it self we must enquire whether Christian Religion doth allow needless separations in the Christian Church And surely he must have strange thoughts of the earnest commands and frequent arguments for Christian Unity who supposeth them to regard only an inward
Vnity and yet to allow of open breaking and dividing and visible falling into pieces Is this to think either honourably or reasonably of the designs of Christ to suppose that he should express his Church to be one body compacted and joined together Eph. 4.16 intending that its real members might be daily parting asunder by disclaiming the communion of each other or that the whole Church should be as one building fitly framed together Eph. 2.21 but with free allowance that its parts should be at such a manifest distance as never to come so near one another as to owne their communion And when our Saviour prayed for his Church which should believe through his Apostles Doctrine as a consequent upon their believing that they may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me Joh. 17 20 21. Cyp. de Ovat Dom. Christoph in Joh. 17. Hom. 81. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is manifest that that Union of the Church which should tend to convince the World of Christianity and engage them to the Faith of Christ must besides the inward Vnity of faith and love include an open and professed holding communion with each other which is the most visible testimony of their Unity and the want of which hath occasioned them who were strangers to Christianity to decry and loath the Christian Religion as appeareth from what is above-mentioned in the second Section Hier. in Eph. 4. And when S. Paul requireth to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace it hath been reasonably of old thence inferred that separation and breaking the Churches peace ought to be rejected because it opposeth and loseth that Vnity of the Spirit Cypr. Ep. 52. which Christians should maintain by renouncing fellowship with the Church of Christ 6. And it is manifest that needless withdrawing or not holding communion with that particular setled Church where we abide with appearance of causeless distast towards it or the way of its communion was vehemently and with a pathetick zeal condemned in S. Peter himself withdrawing and separating from the Gentiles which action included a blameable forbearance of manifesting his allowance and approbation of their way of Christian life and serving God Gal. 2.11.14 And the manifold cautions against divisions oft expressed in the Scriptures do especially condemn such separation which is the highest attempt and most open profession of dividing and as this separation is expresly condemned in the holy Scripture so this is that thing which is so greatly condemned by the ancient Canons above named and that even under the term and name of Schism And it is of no small moment to observe that the Primitive Church who received the holy Commandments of the Gospel from the Apostles did always understand the precepts of peace to extend mainly to the duties of external communion especially considering that whereas the Churches peace can only be broken by Church contests which are managed either by words writings or open actions of discord this latter way of expressing them by actions of separation and open rendezvous of parties is of all other the highest and most considerable 7. But if the use of the word Schism be here considered it includeth much of needless strife about words to deny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Schism signifying division or renting asunder to be a fit expression for rents and separations in the Church when it hath been so used in the common Ecclesiastical custom of speech and is that which is according to the direct and proper import of the word And if S. Paul accounted the bandying into parties and factions at Corinth though without separation which some account to be their case to be Schisms because their Unity was thereby opposed and hindred much more must separation which is the highest appearance of parties and breach of Unity and was probably the true state at Corinth be so accounted of 8. Dr. Owen of Evang. Love and Church Peace c. 5. And whereas the same person hath of late purposely undertaken to espouse the interest of separation from the present Church of England and to defend it from the charge of Schism the pleas and pretences made in behalf thereof will now fall under our enquiry 9. A third Notion Its first Plea P. 167 171 172. One principal Plea is That where things or observances unscriptural are made the indispensible condition of Communion there to refuse submission to such things imposed and to with hold Communion from that Church is no Schism but a discharge of a duty And that we may understand what he meaneth by such expressions as Vnscriptural conditions of Communion he telleth us in one place P. 171. We do not dispute the lawfulness or unlawfulness of the things themselves P. 177. and in another place that it may be at present granted that the manner or modes of the performance of Gods worship with rites and ceremonies for order and decency may be lawfully appointed or as it pleased him to call it instituted by the rulers of the Church yet saith he this will not help in our present enquiry unless it be also granted that what may be lawfully practised in the worship of God may be also lawfully made a necessary condition of Communion And he saith in another places P. 205. It is required in this case not only to produce a warranty from the Scripture for the use of Liturgies but also for making the constant attendance on them a necessary condition of Communion Wherefore his sense is that with-holding Communion becometh lawful and a duty where any appointments for orderly ministration and the fit and decent performance of Gods service though lawful in themselves but not particularly expressed in Scripture as conditions of Communion are so determined that they must be submitted to and complyed with by them who embrace actual Communion with that particular Church 10. But this is both false in it self and would render all setled Church-Communion utterly Vnlawful and would make separation the Universal duty of all Christians in every Christian Assembly in the World not excepting them of the Congregational way For the Scriptures have not injoined the particular time for Sacramental and other administrations nor the place for publick Assemblies nor in what method Prayer Preaching Sacraments Psalms Chapters Hymns with other thanksgivings and services are to be performed nor hath it determined us either to or against any particular lawful form or external rite as making them either universally necessary or sinful but these with divers other things of like nature are left to the rules of Ecclesiastical Liberty and Prudence Now it concerneth him who made this exception to discover how there can possibly be any orderly Christian Assemblies and unconfused performances of Religious services where such things as these are not determined as where their Prayers and Services are neither performed with nor without a form c. And to the common
therewith requireth a consent to omit and refuse known duties commanded by Christ P. 216. P. 218.231 For the proof of which he giveth two instances In his first instance he claimeth to every Minister of a particular Congregation by the appointment of Jesus Christ the whole immediate care of the flock so that no part of discipline should be exempted from his office or care p. 219. and this he saith by Consormity they must renounce p. 229. Which Plea for separation or rejecting Communion is as much as to say that no Minister may lawfully communicate and exercise his Ministry in any Church where this kind of Congregational Independency is not the fixed Government or where the Episcopal Power and Authority above Presbyters in all or any publick acts of discipline is preserved An assertion which favours of great rashness in rejecting all those manifest evidences produced by divers on the behalf of this Episcopal Government and Jurisdiction with such an height of confidence as professedly to disclaim the lawsulness of Ecclesiastical Ministration and Communion with those who in practice embrace them Yea this is such a position as would have engaged all Christian Ministers to have renounced the Communion of all the ancient Churches in the Christian World in the times of the most eminent Fathers of the Church by this new way and method of the Churches Peace and Unity And therefore instead of a charge against our Church he hath herein done it this honour to mention that as a chief matter of exception against it in which it is conformable to the purest ages of Christianity 16. Conc Nic. c. 5. Conc. Ant. c. 6. The Councils of Nice and Antioch which are part of the Code of the Universal Church expressing a manifest distinction between Bishops and Presbyters do declare the disciplinary proceedings of Church censures to be under the Bishops ordering and authority and before them S. Cyprian did the same Cyp. Ep. 10 65. both concerning excommunication and publick disciplinary absolution and Ignatius frequently required that nothing should be done without the Bishops Authority to which agree the Scripture expressions concerning Timothy Titus and the Apocalyptick Angels And that the ancient Churches and the authority of their Bishops were not confined to single Congregations as some would have us believe is apparent 1. Conc. Neoc c. 13. Conc. Ant. c. 8. Conc. Sard. c. 6. Athanas Apol. besides the instances from the Roman and other Churches in Scripture 1. From the frequent mention of Country-Presbyters and Religious Assemblies in such places for which no Bishops were appointed 2. From the multitude of Presbyters in one City it not being credible that 46. Presbyters for the City of Rome in Cornelius his time 2. Eus Hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Photii Nomo can Yit 1. c. 30. Justin Novel Const ◠60. at Constantinople with a greater number both before and after Justinians Constitution and a numerous Company in other Churches should be designed with a Bishop and many Deacons for the service of God in a single Congregation 3. Because the greatest Cities in the World with the parts adjacent when Christians were most numerous had but one regular Bishop and he who can imagine that in the most flourishing times of Christianity there were never more Christians in those Precincts than made up a single Congregation though divers Churches were built at Jerusalem and other places may as well conceive the same of the present London Diocess And though there be some expressions in some ancient Writers as Tertullian and S. Hierome which many have thought to assert the ancient exercise of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction by a Bench of Presbyters of equal authority which would be too large a digression to be here considered yet even that notion also must fall under the heavy censure of this exception 17. The other instance concerneth private Members P. 141.142 and the whole Church being abridged and deprived of that liberty to discharge their duty which by the law of Christ they are to provide for Among these duties he nameth reproof admonition and exhortation as if these things were not allowed in our Church which is an intimation that needeth reproof and also withdrawing from them that walk disorderly and putting such obstinate offenders from among them Now this instance also is built upon the bottom of Independency groundlesly supposed to be a divine institution Decl. of Faith and Ord. of Congr Ch. Par. 2. Se. 4 5 7. Answ to 32. Quest qu. 14. 15. For the Independents allowing the Ministers the principal care about the discipline of the Church do assert an authority and power of Church-Government to be seated in all the members of the church together with their Officers yea that the members of the Church may censure their Officers and some of them as they of New-England express it that the Keys are committed to all believers who shall join together according to the ordinance of Christ And Dr. O. who gives somewhat more authority to Ministers than many others of them do yet declareth his non-admittance of our discipline p. 256. upon this account as one as being in the hands of meerly Ecclesiastical persons or such as are pretended so to be This late device of discipline being exercised by an authoritative power of all the members of the Church is claimed here as necessary for embracing Communion but this is not only contrary to the Church of England Gillespy Gov. of Ch. of Scot. Part. 2. c. 1. Postscript Jus Div. Reg. Eccles Par. 2. c. 10. with the ancient Churches and to the French Dutch and other reformed Churches abroad but it is also directly opposed and refuted by the Presbyterians both of Scotland and England and this also is a general argument for separation from all Christian Assemblies of the Primitive and Reformed Churches except a few of themselves 18. But as under the former instance he insisted much upon the great usefulness of administring Church-discipline which if rightly stated and in its due measures we heartily admit so here he reflecteth upon the defects of exercising discipline among us urging that upon such defects as by the design of his discourse he representeth ours to be P. 244 245. pious men may without the least suspition of the guilt of Schism forsake the Communion of that Church and if they have a due care of their own salvation they will understand it to be a duty But what he intimately chargeth upon the Church of England speaking of the Church where wicked persons are admitted without distinction or discrimination unto the Communion of the Church and tolerated therein without any procedure with them or against them if this be generally understood of all wicked persons as those words without distinction or discrimination to import it is untrue and slanderous But if this be meant only of divers particular persons it is acknowledged that a more vigorous
execution of discipline which I have in the former Section noted to be hindred in the effects thereof and not helped by divisions and separations is desireable and would be advantageous to the Church Yet here we must observe 1. That some mens rigour would make the rules of Communion overstrict and severe which was the ground of the Schism of the Novatians and Donatists and as some have anciently related of the Meletians also and it is not desireable that the Churches authority should be acted by such heats 2. That real defects in this particular though they are not to be approved of are no sufficient ground for separation since such blemishes were mixed with the beauty of the Apostolical Churches themselves as is manifest from almost all the Apostolical Epistles and particularly from the first Epistle to the Corinthians in which divers miscarriages were taxed and yet unity was strictly commanded and dividing severely rebuked Yea this very discourse at sometimes will not owne P. 126. that this thing solely of it self is sufficient to justifie a separation and the Congregational Churches in England in the Declaration of their Faith and order affirmed Of Institution and Order of Churches Sect. 21. the Church-members upon offences taken by them having performed their duty private admonition and relating it to the Church ought not to disturb any Church-order or absent themselves from the publick assemblies or the administration of any ordinances upon that pretence but to wait upon Christ in the further proceeding of the Church 19. Last Plea Another thing only touched in that discourse but which is the main ground of mis-apprehensin is that there is saith he no Evangelical obligation to local or external Comunion P. 256 257. with any particular or parochial Church of this Nation because every man may relinquish it by removing his habitation which plea floweth from want of a right sense of the Church Catholick For every Christians obligation to keep Communion with the Church is founded in his being visibly a member of Christs body which includeth his visible fellowship with the whole Church which he entreth upon by Baptism and from hence he standeth obliged to communicate with that regular fixed part of this Church where he resideth and from which he hath no warrantable or necessary cause of separation In this respect our Parochial Assemblies are of like nature with the Jewish Synagogal Assemblies unto which they were not obliged by any special Synagogal-Covenant but partly from Gods general command of their assembling themselves together and partly from their Religious profession and circumcision engaging them to Communion with the whole Church of the Jews and thereby to their Synagogal-Communion Hereupon under that dispensation it was the practice of our Blessed Saviour whose example should not be over-looked by us to attend upon these Synagogal Assemblies and the Religious worship of God celebrated therein as appears Luk. 4.16 At Nazareth where he had been brought up as his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day 20. And can it enter into the heart of any Christian to imagine that the holy Apostles who in their travells could not be fixed in any particular Congregation did not stand bound by the duty of Christian Vnity to join themselves in Communion with the particular fixed Churches or Assemblies of Christians where they came as S. Peter at Antioch S. Paul at Jerusalem and divers other places though such Churches were founded by some of the other Apostles And upon this account of the Vnity of the body of Christ the Primitive Christians when they went abroad into other Regions and distant parts of the World did with a Religious care seek the Communion of the Churches where they came and not to make separate Assemblies Yea this is a thing so far acknowledged by our English Independants themselves though they can talk at another rate where it serves their interest that in their publick Confession of Faith at the Savoy they say Conf. Ch. 27. Sect. 2. All Saints are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and Communion in the worship of God which communion though especially to be exercised by them in the relations wherein they stand whether of Families or Churches yet as God affordeth opportunity it is to be extended to all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus 21. But the conditions required in any particular fixed Christian Assembly embracing the Christian Faith and Worship in the place of our residence to make it our duty upon the account of the Christian Vnity to join therein are these two 1. That our communicating therein doth not oblige us to join in any action or profession which is sinful This is acknowledged on all hands and needeth no further proof because the Christians duty of keeping in Communion with Christ himself doth require it 2. That the Assembly we join in doth not maintain an unwarrantable separation from the Communion of the established Church for here to join in Communion is to join in separation and is like Barnabas and the other Jews joining with S. Peter Gal. 2.14 who all walked contrary to the truth of the Gospel in withdrawing from the Communion of the Gentiles at Antioch and the communicating with such a separating Assembly would be a breach of that Apostolical command of avoiding them who cause divisions Rom. 16.17 And we may observe that the joining in needless separations being a sin against the commands of Christ which require Christian Unity and Communion can not be warranted by any authority upon earth because that authority can not dispense with the commands of Christ but ought to be subject to them and therefore as S. Peter's practice and countenance Theod. Hift. l. 4. c. 22. Aug. Ep. 166. did not excuse Barnablas and the other Jews so neither could the indulgence of Valons the Emperour or his Predecessor execuse the different Sects by them tolerated from being guilty of Schism and the breach of Christian duty in their divisions and separations 22. Another notion of Schism there is A fourth Notion of Schism which condemneth separation where ever Communion is lawful but assumeth that whereever any thing unlawful or strongly suspected Mr. H. Tract of Schism p. 2 5 8. is required in order to Communion there to hold Communion would be to join in conspiracy and separation is then both lawful and necessary Concerning which notion granting that separation is necessary where any thing unlawful is required in order to Communion I can not admit for truth that if any thing suspected be so required separation becometh lawful thereby For if by suspected be meant whatsoever the person who maketh the separation doth suspect as evil by this rule he who through carelessness of enquiry or prejudice and want of Charity is needlâ—sly suspicious about any form of service or way of Church-Administrations will be allowed to separate and to be therein free from
of his Ministry by determining that if any Bishop Can. Ap. 36. Conc. Antioch c. 17. Presbyter or Deacon being ordained did not undertake his Ministration he must be separated from the Christian Society and deprived of Ecclesiastical Communion And with equal severity they condemned that Minister who refused the regular work and place of his Ministry Can. Ap. 58. and him who undertook the place but minded not the work and duty behaving himself negligently in not attending the care of the people 5. From what I have expressed hitherto we may take a short prospect of the evills flowing from these contentions which are such as these the prejudicing men against the holy administrations of Gods service the promoting wrath and strife and the quenching Christian love the being a stumbling block to the weak hardning the careless and being an occasion of much irreligion grieving the godly and every way gratifying the Churches Enemies and hindring its welsare and the growth of piety the hurtful disturbance of the Churches Peace and endangering the Kingdoms interest and the promoting of dangerous and dreadsul Schisms nor is the disobedience to Magistrates and the deserting the Ministerial charge unconcerned herein And all these things if God in his mercy put not a stop to them by directing mens minds to a right understanding and turning their hearts into a more peaceable and amicable frame and temper may provealso very dangerous and hurtful in the next Generation to the dishonour of God the discredit of Religion and the ruine of many thousand souls which sad consequences plainly enough shew these unhappy contests rather to gratifie the designs of the destroyer than of the Saviour and to be fruits growing from a root of bitterness Ful. Church Hist l. 7. p. 401. In these respects I think he was not far from the mark who called this disagreement about Conformity the saddest difference that ever happened in the Church of England SECT VI. A proposal concerning due considerateness in this Case and the design of this treatise manifested 1. After I have shewed the sad fruits of these dissentions I must still acknowledge that I doubt not but that there are dissenters who act out of true principles of Conscience and design to walk in piety to God and in love and peace towards men to such persons though they be of different judgments yea though some of them too far indulge their passions I profess an hearty respect and brotherly love considering that wise and good men are lyable to mistake and err still retaining this as a testimony of their integrity that they are willing to be informed and in practice to embrace what is their duty when it shall be so evidenced 2. S. Cyprian who was a great promoter of Truth Piety and Peace and wrote some tracts purposely to correct the fierceness of them especially who were of his own opinion viz de bono patientiae Cyp. in Conc. Carth. Epist ad Jubaian de zelo livore for want of better information but with openly avowed dislike of breach of communion lived and for what appeared to S. Austin died also in that errour about baptizing Hereticks Aug. Ep. 48. But had he rightly understood the truth he would no doubt have rejected his errour as those Bishops who were of the same opinion with him are related to have done Eus Hist Eccl. l. 7. c. 3. Hieron adv Lucif Pamel in Vit. Cypr. both in the Eastern Church and in the African whereupon the Church enjoyed peace and was filled with exceeding abundant joy and Pamelius thinketh that S. Cyprian himself lived to do the same 3. And the women who out of love but in their errour came to anoint Jesus designing it as a rite belonging to his burial when they ought according to his doctrine which they did not yet understand to have believed that it was the day of his resurrection meeting with Jesus himself who expressed his favour unto them were forthwith ready to have their mistakes discovered and with joy upon conviction to yield both their judgments and thereupon their practices to be rectified Erring acts from mistake of judgment are herein of the same nature with other infirmities of Christians in that the being of them is consistent with the true nature of Christian life whereas the willful persisting in them and the designed promoting of them against evidence is contrary thereto For that is for men to resolve not to deny themselves or to submit to God but to oppose his mind and will if it be contrary to their own 4. Wherefore I must intreat my Reader if he be a person dissatisfied about the matters treated of in this discourse that he would make a stand and give me leave to propose what his own interest will engage him to admit That before he proceedeth any further he would seriously resolve himself these two things First whether with reflexion upon what hath been said he would not be heartily unwilling to stand charged in the sight of God with being any way sinfully instrumental unto so much hurt as is consequent upon being unwarrantably engaged in these contentions and oppositions Secondly whether he be resolvedly willing to lay aside all prejudice and designed serving any opinion or party and to aim impartially to keep a good conscience and in judgment and practice to entertain all evidences of truth in this enquiry about Conformity 5. If any man should answer either of these two things in the Negative he must be a man of an irreligious Spirit willing to ruine himself and of a pernicious Spirit ready to destroy others and whilst he remaineth thus strongly prepossessed he is never like to be advantaged by this discourse or any other of the same subject but it is most necessary for him to become better instructed in that chief principle of Christian practice to which he is yet a stranger viz. The great necessity in order to salvation of minding uprightness to God and the doing his will above gratifying his own affections or the pleasure of any other men But as to him who answereth these two things in the affirmative I only entreat him to proceed in the remaining part of this discourse with the same frame and temper of Spirit 6. I come now to examine the matters themselves to which Conformity referreth which from the premises appeareth to be of very considerable use and tendeth to the resolving divers cases of Conscience and if God please to vouchsafe so great a mercy to us to promote the Churches peace and Vnity the Ministers comfortable discharge of his duty the common advancement of Christianity and the Protestant profession and the particular edification of Christians In order to the contributing somewhat towards these excellent ends I have undertaken this discourse beseeching the God of wisdom and knowledge to guide and lead me that I may clearly understand and manifest what is truth and that he would so move on the hearts
asserted by Isidorous Hispalonsis That the Lords Prayer was delivered as a form is so manifest that was it not for the violent force offered to mens minds by prejudice and contentious opposition it could never have been questioned And it may be sufficiently proved 1. From the command given by our Saviour Luk. 11.2 When ye pray say Our Father c. and the expression in S. Matthew Mat 6.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pray sc or on this manner is the same with that when the form of Aaronical benediction was enjoined Numb 6.23 On this wise in the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall ye bless But the blessing there directed hath been generally acknowledged to be a constant invariable form of Benediction under the law Luth. Tom. 3. f. 10. Prec Eccles Form Genev. and as such was used in the German Reformation by Luther and in that also of Geneva 2. From the ground of the Disciples request Luk. 11.1 Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples That it was ordinary for the Jewish Teachers to compose forms for their Disciples is observed by Dr. Lightfoot on Mat. 6.9 and the frequent yea constant use of forms in the Jewish Church shall be hereafter manifested and if this be referred to the words of S. Luke now mentioned it is not to be doubted but that John the Baptist according to the custom of the Jews delivered a form of Prayer to his Disciples and that what John did herein was both approved and the like practised by our Saviour who directed the use of the Lords Prayer to his Disciples at two different times 5. 3. From the manner of the composure of the Lords Prayer which is not propounded as a general direction to pray that Gods name may be hallowed and that his Kingdom should come but it is dictated by Christ as it should be expressed by us in our persons Our father hallowed be thy name c. 4. The ancient Christian Church near the times of Christ did acknowledge and use it as a form S. Cyprian is very large to this purpose Cyp. de Orat Domin saith he Christ consulting the salvation of his people etiam orandi formam ipse dedit himself delivered them a form of prayer and then exhorteth that we pray as our master taught us that the father when we pray may owne the words of his Son and saith he when we have Christ an advocate let us express the words of our advocate and how much more effectually shall we obtain what we ask in Christs name if we ask by his Frayer Tertullian before him declared Tertul. de Orat. c. 1. c. 9. Christus novam orationis formam determinavit Christ appointed a new form of prayer and he saith that whilst the Christians used other Prayers this was not omitted praemissa legitima ordinaria oratione quasi fundamento And before both these the words of Lucian in Trajan's time Lucian in Philopat about reciting the Prayer beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth intimate the ordinary use of this Prayer among Christians From these testimonies I suppose it evident that the Lords Prayer was used as a form in the ancient Christian Assemblies and that we have good reason thus far to receive what some hundred years after was delivered by S. Gregory Gr. Ep. l. 7. c. 63. and from him by divers other Writers that the Apostles themselves did always at the Consecration of the Eucharist make use of the Lords Prayer Wherefore the Lords Prayer being thus delivered as a form doth enclude an approbation of the like composures of Prayers among the Jews and an allowance of the same among Christians for whom this was intended And that path where we follow our Saviours steps cannot be the way of errour 6. The other argument from example is from the ordinary practice of the Church both Jewish and Christian Concerning the Jewish Church I might instance in the eighteen Prayers composed for its ordinary use from the time of the Captivity which are oft mentioned by the Jewish Writers and in their forms of Prayer for the Passover De Emendar Tempor l. 6. p. 573. of which Scaliger thinketh that there is as much reason to be confident that the particular Prayers recorded in the Talmud which he calleth their Digests were the ancient forms used by the Jews as that the Roman Digests exhibit to us the true determination of the Roman Lawyers But I shall rather insist on the Jewish Church making use of set forms of Prayer from the very times of Moses and so downwards which is no new opinion but is ordinarily received and it hath been observed by divers learned men that the Samaritan Chronicle speaketh of a Book of Prayers used by the Jews at their Sacrifices from the time of their Legate Moses until that day And besides the testimony of that Author which I urge no further than other proof may be made let these two things be considered 7. First That it is certain from the Scriptures and oft expressed by Philo Judaeus that the Jews did use Prayers with their Sacrifices and oblations The whole multitude were praying without at the time of incense Luk. 1.10 and the Apostles themselves went up to the Temple at the hour of Prayer which was the ninth hour Act. 3.1 Which was the time of the evening Sacrifice Mr. Mede Disc on Ezr. 6.10 and Mr. Mede hath well proved that Sacrifice if self is a rite of supplication And that the use of such Prayers was as ancient as Moses is manifest from Lev. 16.21 Where Aaron was commanded to confess over the live Goat the iniquities of the Children of Israel Secondly That there are plain evidences in the Old Testament of such forms used upon many occasions Besides the forms of Prayers and praises in the Book of Psalms enjoined for constant use unto the Levites by Hezekiah and the Princes 1 Chr. 29 30. and besides divers other Hymns and Songs and such commands for a form of words as Joel 2.17 Hos 14.2 there is an express form of Prayer appointed by God to be used at the Offering the Heifer for expiation of uncertain murder Deut. 8.21 and a form of confession at the offering up their first fruits Deut. 26.3 4 5 6 7. and a form of Prayer at the presenting the third years Tithe Deut. 26.13 14 c. and some other such like Whence it is evident that forms of Prayer were by Gods appointment used from the beginning of the Jewish Church Yet if no such thing could have been proved and if their original had been from John the Baptist and the direction of our Saviour this alone might be sufficient to recommend them unto Christians 8. In considering the general practice of the Christian Church it must be acknowledged that in that extraordinary case which reacheth not the ordinary condition of the Church when the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost were communicated both
1. Cor. 14.16 But the very phrase of blessing and giving of thanks makes it probable that this Text is to be understood as Mr. Thorndike expoundeth it of the Consecration of the Communion And at that time the people did ordinarily answer Amen and nothing more as appeareth from the early testimonies of Justin Martyr and Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria 2. But if this sense be not admitted this Text of the Apostle doth neither mention nor in the context more nearly refer to Prayer than to singing in which latter the peoples bare saying Amen is not contended for nor allowed as a constant rule for the Churches practice though it was probable the usual method in the Christian Assemblies in those Apostolical days when the duty of singing was performed by the immediate inspiration of the spirit upon some particular persons and that these extraordinary motions of Gods spirit in those times were only vouchsafed to the Clergy or Ministry is not probable from the contents of that very Chapter And therefore this place of Scripture doth not confine the whole vocal service of God excepting an Amen to the Ministry the people being altogether debarred and excluded 5. But that all the servants of God may allowably be interested where the due rules of order and edification are observed in the outward joint expression of praise and Prayer to God is very agreeable to the holy Scriptures where the holy Angels are represented to cry one to another and say Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his glory Is 6.3 and all Israel praised God and said For he is good for his mercy endureth for ever 2. Chr. 7.3 And as S. Paul exhorteth that with one mind and one mouth Christians should glorifie God Rom. 15.6 S. John in his Vision beheld and heard the four living things the Elders the Angels and every Creature in Heaven and Earth expressing blessing honour glory and power unto God Rev. 4.8 11. Ch. 5 8. 14. and a great multitude whom no man could number crying with a loud voice and saying Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb. Rev. 7 9 10. and he heard also the voice of the 144000. who were with the Lamb on Mount Sion as the voice of many Waters and as the voice of a great thunder singing a new Song Rev. 14.1 2 3. and these places last mentioned are the more considerable because they contain representative Visions of the service acceptably performed to God in the Christian Church 6. If we consult Ecclesiastical practice there is very probable evidence that under the Old Testament the people did vocally join by responsals in the ordinary service of God in the Sanctuary and Synagogues V. Hor. Hebr. in Mat. 6.13 Both the Joma and other Tracts of the Talmud mention the people in the period of their Prayers expressing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Blessed be the name of the glory of his Kingdom for ever and ever In Ch. Par. in Deut. 10.16 And the particular responsals used by the Jews at Circumcision are expressed by Fagius The use of alternate singing among the Essens is sufficiently known but that this was of very ancient use in the Jewish Church is very likely because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth to answer is an usual expression of singing even in the holy Scriptures And there appeareth considerable evidence from Ex. 15. v. 1. v. 20. that that Song of Moses and the Children of Israel Phil. de Vit. Mos l. 3. was uttered as Philo Judaeus averreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with responsal melodies alternately repeated 7. In the Christian Church the Original of the Antiphona or the alternate singing of Hymns by two quires is ascribed by Socrates to Ignatius the like use of Davids Psalms is declared by Theodoret to have had its beginning at Antioch from Flavianus and Diodorus Their Original in the Latin Church is referred by Platina to Damaseus and by Walafridus Strabo to S. Ambrose Is Hisp de Eccl. Offic. l. 1. c. 7 8. but both Isidorus Hispalensis and Rabanus Maurus do testifie that long before this the Responsoria wherein the whole Quire answered to one Man Rab. Maur. de Inst Cler. l. 2. c. 50 51. were known by that name and used in the Latin Church And sometimes the whole Assembly joined in their Hymns and Psalms sometimes they were sung by one alone all the rest joining to eccho forth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or end of the Hymn Conc. Laod c. 15 and by the Laodicean Council the wholy Assembly were not allowed to join in their publick singing which was required to be performed by the appointed singers only Thus the Ecclesiastical practice hath varied according to what was thought prudent and convenient 8. Concerning Prayers and Confessions S. Basil declareth it to have been in his time the ordinary practice of divers Eastern Churches Bas Ep. 63. that every man by his own words did profess repentance and make confession Naz. Or. 3. And Gr. Nazianzene acquainteth quainteth us that Julian in imitation of the Christians did appoint amongst the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a form of Prayer to be said in parts or by way of Responsals Hierom also relateth that populus cum sacerdote loquitur in precibus the people did speak with the Priest in the Prayers and Gregory the great noteth Gr. Ep. l. 7. c. 63. that in the Greek Church the Lords Prayer was ordinarily said by all the people together and as anciently as we can meet with any parcels of Liturgy or particular Offices the use of responsals may be easily discerned even as far as S. Cyprians sursum Corda and Habemus ad Dominum Wherefore the use of responsals and the people joining in some expressions in the publick service of god was a thing thought useful by the ancient Church as well as by our own and is allowable by the rules of the Scripture and the Order of the publick worship of God and whosoever assert that the vocal joining of the people in any expressions of Prayer in the publick Assembly is as Vzziahs action was an intrenching upon the Priests Office doth set up such Bars about the service of God which do keep Gods people at a greater distance from the throne of Grace than the nature and priviledge of Christian liberty will allow Yet the composing or directing particular Prayers for the publick use of Christian Assemblies is the proper work of the Church Officers who are to be the guides thereof as also teaching and instructing being an act of authority doth ordinarily belong to the Ministers of the Church and this is that speaking which is forbidden to Women in the Church because it is an act of authority 1. Cor. 15.34 1. Tim. 2.12 Whereas the joint expressing some words of confession or supplication is wholly an act of humility and is not forbidden
when the Gospel service was represented by a Vision of Angels Elders and other Creatures Rev. 4.8 11. Ch. 5.9 12 13 14. Ch. 7 10 12. the worship of God was not there expressed in one continued Prayer but in several distinct short expressions of adoration 5. No rule of Religion declareth any particular method of Prayer to recommend us to Gods acceptance and blessing which is done by inward grace and piety which is not tyed to a certain model of expression 13. It hath been also objected that it would be unseemly and imprudent for any man who petitioneth a great King divers times to begin and end and then begin again and therefore this is not to be allowed in our address to God by that rule Mal. 1.8 Offer it now unto thy Governour But 1. the expressing divers Prayers one after another is not to begin and end but to continue in Prayer 2. Nor is there any indecorum if he who is to speak to a King about several matters shall when he passeth to a new head give the King some fit honourable title 3. And chiefly those words in Malachi do require that that respect and reverence which we are to express to God must not be less but always greater than that which we give to any authority upon earth but it no way directs us to the same course in honouring and worshipping God which we use in giving respect to our Governour It is most proper for a mean man who would present a Petition to a King not to attempt to come himself directly to the King or the Prince but to make some favourite who is also a meer subject his friend to present his Petition yet will not this plead for the Popish address to God by Saints and Angels and it would be accounted intolerable impudence if a subject should every day of his life twice four times or seven times a day come into his presence and prefer his suit to him in a great measure to one and the same effect at all times whilst this frequent practice of supplication to God is a Religious devoutness These things besides divers others manifest that the measuring divine service and worship by the standard of any humane respect in all the particulars of our address to God is the way to commit an error as great as from Earth to Heaven 14. But besides this if the ordinary practice of the Church of God be considered it may be of use to discover what hath been accounted expedient in a matter where God hath given no particular command Buxt Lex Rab in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hor. Heb. in Mat. 6.9 It hath been observed by divers learned men from both the Talmuds that in and before the time of our Saviour the Jews had eighteen distinct Prayers appointed for ordinary daily use of them who were most devout when they who had not liberty to attend to them were to use the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or summary of them And the ordinary custom of celebrating the Jewish Passover Idem in Mat. 26.26 27. did contain several distinct Prayers and benedictions which is a practice manifestly as ancient as the time of our Saviour 15. In the Christian Church the Liturgy framed by S. Chrysostom Bax. Syn. Jud. c. 13. and before him that of S. Basil though they have passed through cousiderable changes sufficiently appear to have been composed after the manner of distinct short Prayers Bas Ep. 63. and S. Basil declareth it to have been in his time the usual practice at Caesaria and divers other Churches in the East that even in the midst of their Psalmody or between their singing Psalms or Hymns they did frequently intermix Prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in the Latine Church the like use of short Prayers is evident from the composure of the Ambrosian and other very ancient Offices divers of whose particular Prayers are collected and exhibited in a distinct Treatise by Cassander Cass Preces Ecclesiast These things besidew what might be observed from Clemens his Constitutions and the Prayers used by the Brethren in Egypt Aug. Ep. 121. c. 10. which were very short as S. Augustin relateth do give considerable evidence of the ancient practice of the Christian Church and render it very probable that the like methods of Prayer were used before the time of these Fathers because it is very unlikely that a perfect new method and model of the service of God of a quite different nature from what was of former use amongst any Christians should about the same time be introduced into places so remote from each other as Italy Cappadocia Egypt Syria and others And as that architect who disparageth a Fabrick which himself cannot equal doth thereby display his own imprudence so it can be no part of wisdom for persons in the present age to condemn the prudence of the ancient Christians in ordering their Religious service when they were as well before us in the devoutness of their Religious piety as in time 16. The last thing to be considered concerning the composure of the Liturgy is that it standeth charged by some who have greater regard to the serving an interest than to truth to be wholly Romish and to be taken out of the Romish Breviary Missal and their other Rituals Whereas in truth the doctrine of no Protestant Church differeth so much from that of the Church of Rome as the model of our Liturgy doth from their Mass and other Offices where our reformers have rejected all things that were corrupt or inconvenient in themselves which were very many and have added much which was though necessary or expedient and have put the whole service into a different and more regular frame Indeed several pious Prayers of which the Lords Prayer is one with some ancient and approved Hymns and the Creed besides Psalms and Scriptures which were by them used are by us retained And as for such persons who assert that every thing made use of in the Romish service though never so innocent ought to be rejected V. Zanch. ad Arianum Resp de Antithes Christi Anti-Christ let them consider that upon this principle there were some who asserted it necessary to disclaim our Creed and renounce the doctrine of the Trinity beacuse it might not be acknowledged said they that the Romanists did retain any true belief concerning God And that strange design of rash rejecting those things in Religion though useful and good which they embrace as it hath unchristianly engaged some to deny the Divinity of Christ so if it be without all bounds entertained it may engage others impiously to disown the holy Scriptures and the true God wherras our Caristian profession requireth us to prove 〈◊〉 things 1. Thes 5.21 and to hold fast that which is 〈◊〉 SECT IV. Of the Doxology Athanasian Creed and some particular expressions in the Litany 1. The frequent use of that Doxology Glory be to the Father
Tom. 2. Athanas where he purposely declareth them to be no part of the Canon of Scripture And amongst the Protestants Dr. Reinolds who wrote so largely against the authority of the Apocrypha Books Censura de Lib. Apocr Prael 7. in his Censura yet in one of his Praetections declareth of some of them chiefly Ecclesiasticus and Wisdom valde bonos utiles esse omnibus tractationibus praeferendos that they are exceeding good and profitable and to be preferred before all Treatises of other Writers Prael 74. and in another Praelection expressing his judgment of the same Books saith proximum illis locum deberi post scripturam sacram that they ought to have the next place after the holy Scripture in the former of which expressions he followeth the steps of S. Aug. de praedestin Sanctorum Exam. post 1. de Scrip. Can. And Chemnititus alloweth them to be Books quae à fidelibus in Ecclesiis leguntur Which are read in the Churches by the faithful and non esse abjectos damnatos that they are not condemned writings and off-casts but may be received in the number of the holy writings or sacrae scripturae sobeit they be not reputed the Canon of Faith and this saith he we willingly both yield and teach 5. Cons 4. And it is in this Case especially to be considered that in our Church no Apocryphal Chapter is appointed for any Lords Day throughout the Year not is any directed for any Holy-day but only out of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus which are Books of great esteem with all those who have well considered them And also upon those Week-days when some Apocryphal Chapters are read there are always other Canonical Scriptures read likewise Directory of reading the holy Script whereas they who do oppose Conformity so far as we may take the Directory for their rule did never appoint or direct any Scriptures to be ordinarily and publickly read upon any of these week days but ordered that where the reading on either Testament endeth on one Lords day it should begin on the next Wherefore it is to be well noted and observed that our Church doth not herein differ from the dissenters as if they did require the Canonical Scriptures to be more frequently read in publick than our Kalendar appointeth but our Kalendar requireth the Holy Scriptures to be much more frequently read in publick almost six Chapters for one besides the Epistles and Gospels than the Directory did and besides them these Apocryphal Lessons for profitable instruction 6. But if any persons shall decry in the general the hearing any thing in the Church besides the holy Scriptures of immediate infallible inspiration this would either from unadvisedness or from what is worse reject and disown to the great disadvantage of Religion the use of Sermons Exhortations and Catechism Nor is it any sufficient cause to condemn the reading Apocryphal Chapters because they are read as one of the Lessons For our Church manifestly declareth these Lessons not to be Canonical Scripture nor can any command of God be produced which either directly or by consequence requireth that in every daily Assembly of Christians there must be two Lessons read out of the Canonical Scripture or that none may be taken out of any other approved Book And it is manifest that the censuring this practice condemneth divers if not all the ancient Churches before the decaying and degeneracy of the Christian Profession V. Bishop Durhams Schol. Hist of Can. of Scrip. Sect. 60. For though it be admitted that the Laodicean Council did appoint that none but the Canonical Books should be read in the Church and that Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremy there mentioned are intended for parts of the Prophecy of Jeremy yet long before that did even the Greek Church read the Epistles of Clemens c. above mentioned and the Book of Hermas And it is not to be wondered that there should be different practices observed in the Church in matters of order and liberty 7. Cons 5. Whereas this Church is the more blamed for using some Apocryphal Chapters while some others acknowledged to be Canonical Scripture are not appointed to be read by the Kalendar which are mostly either some Prophecies hard to be understood or matters of Genealogy or Jewish Observations or some Histories for the mostpart expressed in other Scriptures appointed to be read it must be considered that even hence it is evident that the Kalendar was never intended to be a Determination or Declaration of what is Canonical Scripture and of certain divine authority but only a direction for useful and profitable reading Nor was it the Custom of the ancient Christian Church Conc. Laod. c. 60. that the Canon of the Scripture should be described by what was publickly read the rule of the Laodicean Council which cometh nearest thereto did not direct the Revelation to be read The ancient Jews who divided the Old Testament into the Law the Prophets and the Hagiographa Bux Syn. Jud. c. 11. Salian Annal Eccl. A. M. 3447. n. 16. did for a long time only read the Law in the Synagogues after which only a Section of the Prophets was added but that the Hagiographâ—a which included all the Books from the beginning of the Chronicles to the end of the Canticles besides Ruth Lamentations and Daniel were not read in the Jewish Synagogues Hor. Heb. in Joh. 4.15 hath been observed from the Talmudists and this is agreeable to divers passages of the New Testament Luk. 4.16 Act. 13.15 27 Act. 15.21 Yet Christ and his Apostles blamed not the Jews but joined with them in this service 8. Cons 6. That which is objected from the matter of these Apocryphal Chapters which are appointed to be read is not sufficient either to prove them hurtful or not useful as will appear from the following Section SECT VI. The Objections from the matter of the Apocrypha disoussed 1. Among the particular Objections from the matter of these books Obj. 1. Judith Susanna Bel and the Dragon are thought to be sabulous because no certain time can be easily fixed for Judith S. Hierome calleth the other susannae Belis Draconis fabulas Prol. in Dan. Com. in Dan. 13. 14. and Josephus maketh no mention of them But first if these Books should be admitted to be parabolical discourses to express the great opposition of many wicked men against God and his Worship the Vanity and Folly of their Pride and evil designs and the mighty protection that God can give to his people by his Almighty Power they might still be allowed to be of very considerable use The frequent use of Parabolical Instructions among the Jews is both manifest from their Talmudical Writers and allowed by the practice of our Saviur And besides this they had another Custom of Clothing real Histories under different names which expressed a resemblance of the things intended Targ. in Cant. c. 6. v. 7
with the engagement to love submission and acceptance of the heart and since there are different degrees of Faith in several adult Christians and different acts of Faith relating to the object thereof in the Jewish and Christian Church it will be sufficient that the Faith which referreth to Infants have only some general agreement in its notion with the Faith of the adult Now since the Faith of the adult is an acceptance of the Covenant of Grace and the Gospel Doctrine with a submission thereunto which in their state requireth an active exercise of the whole Soul Mind and Will when an Infant is said to believe this must consist in such an acceptance of and submission to the Gospel as his State is capable of which is Passively Thus by being baptized he accepteth Christ and the Covenant of Grace being united to and made a Member of that Church which holdeth Christ as the head and the Gospel Covenant as the ground of Hope or if Baptism cannot be obtained its being designed may be here considerable and hereby according to their capacities Infants do enter upon a profession and acceptance of the Christian Faith which their sureties declare and themselves stand obliged to owne when they come to years of understanding To this purpose in S. Aug. Infans vocatur fidelis Aug. Ep. 23. non rem ipsam mente annuendo sed Sacramentum percipiendo and in Gratian Credere est infantibus baptizari or they become believers by being baptized into the Faith and thus S. Aug. giveth an account of the Custom of the Church declaring Infants at their Baptism to believe that is to undertake the profession of the Faith and this he calleth saluberrimae consuetudinis rationem an account of a very good Custom 3. Obj. 2. If Infants be savingly regenerated by being baptized then must Infants dying without Baptism be excluded from Salvation Ans 1. Though it be certain that S. Aug. Fulgentius Prosper Isidoms Hispalensis Alcuinus and the whole stream of later Writers before the reformation do pass a sad sentence upon unbaptized Infants yet even then some and those none of the meanest Cassand de Bapt. Inf. did strive against the stream as Biel Gerson Cajetau with some others noted by Cassander And it hath been ordinarily acknowledged in the Christian Church that where Baptism could not be obtained adult persons exercising Christian Graces Cont. Don. l. 4. c. 22. might obtain Salvation without it even besides the case of Martyrdom this was asserted by S. Augustin largely defended by S. Bernard Bern. Ep. 78. Lib. 4. Dist 4. Amb. de Obit Valent and the Master of the sentences with his School is encluded in S. Ambrose his hopes of Valentinian the Younger who died without that Baptism which he designed and desired and is proved by the instance of the Thief upon the Cross And hence it will follow that though Baptism be an instrument of Salvation yet it is not in all Cases of absolute necessity thereunto 2. There is cause to hope well of those dying Infants who cannot obtain Baptism because the mercy and goodness of God may account them according to their capacity passively to accept of the Covenant of Grace by being born in a Church and of Parents who designed them for Communion with Christ and the embracing Christianity Rivetus ubi supra n. 8 9. Wardi Resp ad Gat. n. 18. Of the happy state of such Infants Rivet and Dr. Ward doubt not though this latter expresseth his less degree of confidence where Baptism is wanting through the neglect or contempt of the Parents yet it must of necessity be acknowledged that there is greater certainty of the Salvation of Infants baptized than of those who dye without Baptism because the Ordinances of Christ ought by no means to be looked upon as useless for salvation and the promise made to Christians and their Seed is upon condition of their acceptance of the Covenant of Grace Act. 2.38 39. as was also the promise to the Seed of Abraham Gen. 17.7 14. 4. Obj. 3. If Infants be savingly regenerated by Baptism it would be an excellent piece of Charity to baptize Pagan Infants and even to murder baptized Infants because many of these do afterwards by irreligion or debauchery expose themselves to eternal damnation but the former is opposite to Christianity and the other to humanity Ans There can be no act of Charity but what is every way conformable to Christian duty and is no way injurious to the interests of men and therefore the actions mentioned in this objection are far from being charitable Because 1. To baptize Pagan Infants continuing with them under their education would be to abuse Gods Ordinance by administring it to subjects not duly qualified according to the will of God and therefore no saving benefit could be expected thereby to such Infants because as Mr. Hooker expresseth it Eccles Pol. l. 5. n. 57. Sacraments are not physical but moral instruments of Salvation which unless we perform as the Author of Grace requireth they are unprofitable 2. To take Pagan Infants from them forcibly and unjustly that they may be baptized and educated in Christianity is no right act of Christian Charity for though those particular persons might obtain that Salvation by embracing the Christian life and doctrine which they cannot enjoy in the pursuance of Pagan Idolatry yet such actions being against the right of their Parents and thereby contrary to that justice and innocency which Christianity recommendeth would greatly tend to the prejudice of the name of Christ in the World 3. Pagan Infants undertaken to be brought up in Christianity and as it were adopted into Christian Families have by reason of that intended education a right to Christian Baptism as Abrahams Servants bought with money had to Circumcision with all others born in his House and if such an Infant dye so soon as it hath received Baptism yet Fulgentius declareth him factum esse haeredem Dei Fulg. de Ver. Praed l. 1. c. 12. cohaeredem Christi that he is made an Heir of God and joint Heir with Christ 5. As to the other part of this Objection Though it be certain whatever we judge of Baptismal regeneration that it had been better for every wicked man never to have lived to commit those hainous sins for which the wrath of God cometh upon the Children of disobedience yet there can be no more horrid and uncharitable action attempted in the World than the murdering baptized Infants which would be a wicked acting against the holy command of God and extreamly opposite to the meekness and goodness of Christianity and such practices would tend to the ruin and extinguishing of the present Church of God and to render Christianity abhorred in the World to the prejudice of many thousands of Souls and to the prejudice of these Infants both in the loss of their lives and in hindring them of the opportunity of exercising pious
meaneth by decency and order and saith among other things one end of decency is that while certain Rites are made use of to conciliate reverence to sacred things we should by such helps be the more excited unto piety Illyricus himself declareth this command to be a foundation Gloss Illyrici in Loc. first Frinciple or Rule upon which Church Government and Polity is to be built and according to which it is to be modelled Part. 2. Ch. 4. And the same commandment is produced by the London Ministers in their Jus divinum Regiminis Ecclesiastici as giving allowance for the ordering the circumstantials of Church Government And then it must especially warrant the orderly determining things circumstantial concerning Ecclesiastical Assemblies and divine worship which is the special matter about which the Apostle treateth in that Chapter SECT IV. The practice and judgment of the Primitive and many Protestant Churches concerning Ceremonies 1. The third Argument is from the judgment and practice of the Church of God in all Ages both in its Primitive Purity and since the Reformation And as Christian Prudence and Sobriety requireth a reverend esteem of the judgment or the Vniversal Church so Christian Charity Humility and Modesty will forbid the rast censuring the generally received practices in the best times of Christianity In the Primitive times all their Canonical Constitutions of Synods supposed a liberty reserved to the Church of determining things expedient their observation of some Rites appointed by the Apostles is clear enough from the foregoing Section and of their use of the sign of the Cross of distinct Garments in Religious Worship of their gesture at the Communion and of imposition of hands in Confirmation and the Ring in Marriage Ch. 4. I shall give a particular account when I come to consider the particular Rites of our Church And that in the early times of Christianity they stood at Prayer on the Lords Days and from Easter to Whitsunday as professing the hope of the Resurrection that they prayed with their faces to the East while in the Jewish Temple Worship they always worshipped with their faces to the West that they used various impositions of hands on the Penitents and gave some initiatives Symbols as Salt Hony and Milk to the Catechumens and newly baptized persons with others of the like nature is so manifest that no man who hath read the ancient Writers can possibly make any doubt thereof And such Rites as were orderly and fitly established by Ecclesiastical Authority without any divine institution were frequently justified and defended by divers of the Fathers as Tertullian S. Ambrose Basil Austin as their testimonies might be largely produced 2. For instance sake I shall single out S. Austin who though he piously complained of the over-great number of Ceremonies in his time when they were indeed very numerous in his Epistle to Casulanus writing concerning fasting on the Saturday Aug. Ep. 86. he giveth this general Rule that in those things where the divine Scriptures determine nothing certainly the custom of the people of God or the institution of our Ancestors is to be reputed as a Law And afterwards he adviseth to be careful lest the clearness or calmness of Charity be about such things Clouded over with the tempests of contention and disputation Ep. 118. c. 2. And in his Epistle to Januarius after many other things to the same purpose he expresseth the advice of S. Ambrose which he always esteemed as a Divine Oracle that in things which neither opposed Faith nor a holy life every one was to conform to the Observations and Custom of that Church where he had his present abode cum Romae sum jejuno Sabbato cum hic sum non jejuno sic etiam tu ad quam forte Ecclesiam veneris ejus morem serva si cuique non vis esse scandalo nec quenquam tibi Ep. 119. c. 18. and in his next Epistle he giveth a like direction about the same matter which is by him called saluberrima regula And he saith he had oft perceived with grief and sorrow much disturbance of the weak per quorundam fratrum contentiosam obstinationem superstitiosam timiditatem through the contentious obstinacy and superstitious fearfulness of some brethren who stir up such contentious questions about Ecclesiastical Rites of an indifferent nature in particular Churches that they judge nothing right but what themselves do and in the same Epistle Ep. 118. c. 6. he defendeth the Custom of the Church in his time of receiving the Eucharist fasting which Christ instituted after meat but gave no command that it should be afterwards so celebrated 3. Amongst the Protestant Writers Calvin at Geneva Calvin Tom. 7. Ver a Ecclesiae Reform Ratio maketh this formal protestation Lest any man should raise a calumny I would have all pious Readers here to bear me witness that I do not contend about Ceremonies which do serve only for decency and order nor yet against such which are either Symbols of or incitements to that reverence which we bear to God Vrsin Eaepl Catec q. 103. Vrsin in the Palatinate asserteth the Ecclesiastical appointment of some Rites not only to be lawful but to be a duty potest saith he ac debet Ecclesia quasdam Ceremonias instituere Rivet in the Dutch Church saith that in the Church we use Ceremonies Cathol Orth. Tr. 2. q. 37. ut gestibus actionibus solennibus Ceremonies as gestures and actions of solemnity and concerning such things which are appointed for decency and order he declareth his approbation of that Rule of S. Austin above expressed from Ep. 118 c. 2. Among the Lutherans Kemnitius not only asserteth the Churches liberty Exam. Conc. Trid. de Sacram. Can. 13. in appointing adiaphorous Rates but also for order sake he disalloweth all liberty of varying from them Et sane ordinis decori gratia etiam in externis adiaphoris non est cuivis sine Ecclesiae judicio consensu permittendum ut ex petulâ—nlie pro libidine quid vis vel omittat vel permutet Ger. Conf. Cathol Lib. 1. Gener Par. 2. c. 5. de Traditionibus Gerard both acknowledgeth the Authority of the Church for the ordaining samethings about the external part of worship and yieldeth that not only the Church but even the Aposiles themselves did institute in the Church ritus quosdam liberos some free indifferent rites appertaining to order and decency which in specie and in particular are neither written nor imposed by a perpetual Law as necessary for the whole Church And in another place he sheweth that they readily receive these adiaphorous things for order and decency C. 12. de consuetudine Eccles etiamsi sola Ecclesiae consuetudine nitantur though they only depend upon the Custom of the Church Illyr Glos in 1. Cor. 11.16 And Flacius Illyricus himself when he was out of the humour of opposition did at last
a laying a burden upon the Churches Act. 15.28 Wherefore when the whole matter of this Decree is in that verse called necessary things we must thereby understand that some things indifferent yea under the Gospel inconvenient in their own nature being judged of use for the avoiding scandal and promoting Peace and Vnity in the Church became necessary to be practised in the Church after that Decree and Injunction And though the end of designing the Unity and encrease of the Church did require that in some things the Gentile Christians should yield a complyance to the Jews yet in what particulars this compliance should consist was determined by the authority of this Apostolical Synod whereby the practice thereof became necessary 3. Obs 2. That Apostolical Decree concerning these matters indifferent was designed to lay an obligation upon the practice of all Gentile Christians in those Apostolical times There are indeed some very learned men who have reputed this Decree to be a local constitution confined to Syria Cilicia and the Territories of Antioch and Jerusalem And if it had extended no further it had been a sufficient instance of an injunction in things indifferent but if it was intended to oblige all the Gentiles it is thereupon to be esteemed a more full and large example Now that this Decree contained in the first Canonical and Apostolical Epistle of the New Testament was of general concernment to the Gentile Christians though its inscription referred 〈◊〉 those places above-mentioned may be concluded because S. James declared it in general to have respect to the believing Gentiles Act. 21.25 because S. Paul Silas and Timotheus delivered this Decree even unto the Cities of Lycaonia Phrygia and Galatia to be observed by them Act. 16.1 3 4 6. and because the Primitive Christians did in all places account themselves bound by this determination of the Apostles to abstain from bloud and things strangled as appeareth from the testimonies of Tertullian Tertul. Apol c. 9. Minut. in Oct. Orig. cont Cels l. 8 Eus Hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 1. Minutius Felix Origen the Epistle from France concerning their Martyrs recorded in Eusebius and the Canon of the Greek Code above-mentioned 4. Obs 3. It is acknowledged upon good grounds and granted by the Presbyterians that this Apostolical Sanction doth evidence a power in the Church of enjoining in lawful things what may be conducible to the good and welfare of the Church both because the successive practice of the Church did thence-forward exercise such a power and because though the Apostles might be inspired extraordinarily after they met together in this Synod yet they did not account a particular divine inspiration necessary to make an Ecclesiastical Constitution but in that great question whether and how far the Gentiles should undertake the Law of Moses they came together to consider of this matter Act. 15.5 6. and proceeded therein by way of disputation v. 7. Hence Gillespy in his assertion of the Government of the Church of Scotland Gillesp Par. 2. Ch. 4. Ch. 8. concludeth the authority of Synodical Assemblies and that they have a diatactick power to make Decrees The London Ministers in their Jus Divinum Regiminis Ecclesiastici Part. 2. c. 14. declare this Apostolical Synod to be a pattern and platform for others and thence allow a Synodical power of imposing things on the Church which they assert to be encluded in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 15.28 And the Assemblies Consession doth from hence assert a power in Synods to make Decrees and determinations Conf. c. 31. which ought to be received with reverence as from Gods Ordinance and to set down rules and directions for the better ordering the publick worship of God Yet it may be observed that some of that way have in this particular manifested great partiality as Mr. Rutherford Ruth Introd to Div. Right of Ch. Gov. Sect. 5. p. 81. Disp of Candale Libert qu. 5. when he disputes against our Church and against the lawfulness of external Rites he denyeth any power in the Church to prescribe Laws touching things indifferent Plea for Presbyt Ch. 14. p. 199. but in his Plea for Presbytery he asserteth their Synods to have power to make Ecclesiastical Canons and Decrees which tie and bind particular Congregations to observe and obey them 5. Wherefore if the Apostles did make injunctions concerning things indifferent and imposed them upon all the Churches of the Gentiles and accounted their authority of Ecclesiastical Government guided by prudential consideration to be sufficient without extraordinary inspiration to establish such a Sanction then must this power remain in the Church taking in the Princes supremacy where the Authority of Church Government abideth permanent 6. And if we consider the Church under the General Notion of a Society as it is ordinary in all Societies for the Rulers thereof to exercise a power of making Rules and Constitutions not contradictory to any superiour Government for preserving a due order in that Society so this doth especially take place in the Christian Church where there are special divine Laws which require care to be taken for order and decency and command Christians to obey them who have the rule over them And that those who will enjoy the Communion of any particular Church must submit to the Rules of order appointed therein is but the proper result of orderly Constitution and is of general practice insomuch that the French Reformed Churches as hath been observed by Mr. Durell Durelli Vindic. Eccl. Angl. c. 22. in Praf would not suffer Mr. Welch who came thither from Scotland to continue in administring the Sacrament without using the prescribed form of Prayer and admitting the standing gesture according to the order of that Church but he being enjoined Conformity by the Synod at S. Maixant 1609 left that Church and Realm rather than he would embrace it 7. But it is by some pleaded against the lawfulness of Constitutions Ecclesiastical that these are an infringing of Christian liberty But whereas Ecclesiastical Rites and Constitutions are in themselves lawful as hath been proved prudential determinations about such indifferent things can no more incroach upon Christian liberty than do the political Sanctions of Civil Laws and the Domestick commands of Parents and Masters And surely every mans apprehension must needs acknowledge it a gross mistake to imagine that when the Precepts of Christianity do earnestly enjoin the practice of self-denial meekness submission and obedience to superiours it should be the priviledge of Christian liberty to disoblige men from any or these things which would represent our most excellent Religion as contradicting it self But true Christian liberty conveyeth a priviledge of freedom from that which the Christian Doctrine abolisheth the Mosaical Covenant and Ceremonies of the Law from that which its Precepts prohibit and disclaim the life of sin and bondage to the Devil and being under any other as our Soveraign and supreme
their superiours who are over them in the Church in the things they command or the truths they recommend rather than by the opinions of any other persons whomsoever 1. Because God hath appointed them to be teachers leaders and guides to us and therefore it is against the duty of our relation to them and of the due submission we owe to them and inconsistent with the duty of honouring our Rulers to censure their appointments or instructions as evil meerly upon the credit of any other persons contrary opinion 2. Because they who disobey the Constitutions of their Superiours only out of respect to the contrary judgment of any other persons do not disobey out of Conscience but out of prejudice and disaffection because no principle of Conscience can ordinarily bind men who are not able to judge fully of the Case to conclude their superiours or Ecclesiastical Governours to be in the wrong and those who oppose them to be in the right and Gods command to obey them who have the rule over us cannot safely be overlooked out of respect to mens own prejudices and disaffections Disp of Cerem c. 15. Sect. 3. In this case it was well declared by Mr. Baxter that the duty of obeying being certain and the sinfulness of the thing commanded being uncertain and only suspected we must go on the surer side with much more to the same purpose Now the observing these rules abovementioned See Dr. Ferne's Considerations of concernment c. 1. will both preserve the true freedom of judgment and Conscience which when it proceedeth upon unerring evidence is to be preferred before any humane authority and it will also provide for the establishing of Truth Vnity and Peace in the Church and will be the best security to the Souls and Consciences of men because they who hold fast the Fundamentals of Christian Faith and Life though in matters of a lesser nature they should mistake where they sincerely design to practise their duty so far as they can understand of themselves or are instructed by their teachers without any willing neglect of duty towards God or Man such mistakes or errors are not destructive to Salvation 12. Indeed S. Paul telleth his Romans Rom. 14.23 that he that doubteth is domned or condemned which some expound self condemned if he eat and that whatsoever is not of Faith is sin But as the Rules above-expressed are means for the satisfying doubts so this Apostolical Rule requiring a full and well satisfied perswasion of a mans own judgment and knowledge in what he acteth must be applyed to the special case intended which is this That wheresoever the omitting any action is certainly free from sin and the practice of it appeareth to any person doubtful there to do that action is a very dangerous and evil practice because it containeth in it a chusing to run the hazard of sin which choice is always a sin in such a Case the Apostle alloweth no man to engage upon any such action until he be certainly perswaded by an undoubting knowledge of the lawfulness thereof And the same rule must take place when the practice of any thing is manifestly lawful and the omission doubtful But the Case is very much different when both acting and forhearing may be doubted of where the one of them is a duty and it is impossible that both should be forborn and such to some persons is the question above-mentioned concerning Infant Baptism obedience to Rulers c. Nor doth the Apostle in this place design in general that no Servant Child or Subject may eat any thing observe any time religiously obey any command or perform any other action till he hath obtained so much knowledge as to discern by an undoubting judgment how these actions in their particular circumstances are allowable by the rules of Christianity for then the ignorant person should be directed till he becometh knowing to be idle and do nothing and to be disobedient and under no command but would scarce be allowed to live so long as to obtain knowledge But God having commanded Superiours to rule and Inferiours to obey to suspend all action here is to perform an inward moral action of choice about a matter of duty which if it be not regularly managed is a sin And in this case so far as concerneth the obedience of a Child Servant or Subject they ought to account their superiours command to lay such an obligation upon them to duty that they must be guided thereby unless they be able to prove themselves bound to act the contrary 13. Assert 4. It is neither necessary nor possible that Ecclesiastical Constitutions should not be liable to be scrupled or suspected where those suspicions and scruples are admitted without sufficient evidence of evil in the things themselves Mr. H. Tract of Schism I know that some have asserted that the Church and its Officers are guilty of Schism if they appoint any thing not necessary or indifferent which is by others suspected But that things in themselves lawful and expedient may lawfully be commanded though they be groundlesly suspected or scrupled appeareth I. Because otherwise all rules of Ecclesiastical order would be unlawful where people are needlesly suspitious and scrupulous and a great part of the authority of Princes Parents and Masters would be abridged if it must be limited by all the unnecessary suspitions of inferiours 14. Arg. 2. From the Apostolical practice When S. Paul had directed his Corinthians that the men should pray uncovered and the women covered adding 1 Cor. 11.16 that if any man will be contentious we have no such Custom nor the Churches of God he doth plainly enough express that what is duly and orderly established in the Church must take place notwithstanding contentions and oppositions And when the Apostolical Synod required the Gentiles to abstain from bloud and things strangled even that constitution might have been scrupled and opposed especially considering that many Primitive Christians were not presently satisfied by the Declaration of the Apostles concerning Christian liberty as is manifest from Rom. 14.2 14 20. Had not Christians then been of another temper than many now are and made up more of Vnity humility meekness and peace than of heats parties and controversies they might have objected that this was an encroachment upon Christian liberty whereby they were free from the whole Yoke of Mosaical Ceremonies that it might seem to countenance the distinction of things clean and unclean and to give occasion to the Gentile Christians to Judaize as the Galatians did It might also have been said that that Decree had an appearance of establishing Christianity upon Judaism because the Jews had a sort of Proselytes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselytes of converse Gemar Sanhedr c. 7. Sect. 5. Cocceius ibidem Buxt Lexic Rab. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who were not circumcised but only enjoined to observe the seven Precepts of the Sons of Noah to whom bloud was prohibited And
Amalarius de Eccles Offic. l. 4. c. 3. solemus stare but when they were sometimes sung by one person alone the usage of the Church in such indifferent things not being always the same in the Western Church Cassian Inst l. 2. c. 8. in the time of Cassian they all stood up at the end of the Psalms with joint voices to render glory to God 4. Standing at the Creed is a visible sign or token of the profession of the Faith therein contained which profession is a duty much required in the holy Scripture and is one part of our glorifying God for which Religious Assemblies of Divine Worship are intended In the Creed we professedly acknowledge the three persons in the glorious Trinity to be the only true God and our only Lord and a standing posture well becometh a Servant in his professed owning and attending upon his Master we openly declare every one for our selves I believe c. the ground of our Christian hope and comfort that believing in the Father who made the World in the Son who died rose again ascended and shall judge all men and in the Holy ghost we have expectation in the Church of God and the Communion of Saints of obtaining forgiveness of sins resurrection and everlasting life and do also acknowledge all these Articles of the Christian Faith and a standing gesture is very suitable to any solemn Declaration of our minds in matters of moment and concernment And as the profession of Faith encludeth a stedfast resolution to continue firm in the acknowledgment of the Christian Doctrine this is so properly signified by the standing gesture according to the general apprehensions of the World that both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek which are words expressing the standing gesture are in the holy Scripture used to signifie an asserting with resolution Deut. 25.8 1 Chr. 34.32 1 Cor. 16.13 2 Thes 2.15 and the like Idioms of speech are in some other languages as well as our own designing to express what we resolve to stand to SECT II. Of standing up at the Gospel 1. Standing at the Gospel is appointed in our Liturgy of which a very reasonable true and good account may be given Some Ritualists have told us that the Western Church stood up at the Gospel and not at the Epistle because the Gospel containeth matters of Faith and belief the Epistle consisteth of Rules of life and practice and that the Gospel and not the Epistle expresseth the very words spoken by Christ But I account not these reasons sufficient partly because the Gospels for some days do not contain and the Epistles for some days do contain the points of Christian Faith and the express words of Christ and partly because by insisting on these things alone we can have no reason antecedent to the appointment why standing at the Gospel should be required with us and not at the second Lesson in the Morning Service 2. Wherefore I observe 1. That in the devouter times both of the Jewish and Christian Church it was frequently observed by the people to manifest their reverence unto the holy Scriptures by standing up at the reading thereof When Ezra opened the Book of the Law Salian Annal. Eccles A. M. 3447. n. 16. all the people stood up Neh. 8.5 and the Children of Israel stood up in their places to read the Law of the Lord Neh. 9.3 and our blessed Saviour who according to the Custom of the Jewish Doctors taught sitting stood up to read the words of the Prophet Ecclesiastici lib. 1. c. 4. Luke 4.16 20. Junius observeth this as one thing wherein the practice of the Jewish Synagogue and the Christian Church did agree si verbum Dei ipsum legitur stat erecta Auditorum corona that when the word of God was read the whole Assembly stood up which observation was true concerning sometimes of the Jewish Church and of the principal parts of the Christian Church Sozom. l. 7. c. 19. Wherefore though Sozomen relateth that the Alexandrian Bishop did not stand up at the reading the Gospel yet he noteth it as such a peculiar usage that he had not seen nor heard the like any where else 3. And though in the Jewish Church the people and among them our Saviour Luk. 2.46 usually sat to hear their Doctors and the ancient Christians sometimes heard their Sermons and Exhortations in the same gesture as may be collected from Justin Martyrs second Apology Euseb de Vit. Const l. 4. c. 33. yet Eusebius acquainteth us that Constantine that famous Emperour whose practice doubtless was not singular would not hear a Sermon or Treatise about divine things in a sitting but only in a standing posture as judging it not allowable to do otherwise And that in the African Churches they did even until S. Austens days generally stand Aug. Hom. 26. both at Sermons and all Lessons out of the Scriptures is manifest from what he expresseth to that purpose And such respect was shewed even among barbarous Nations to what was dictated from God that Eglon King of Moab when Ehud told him he had a message from God unto him did arise out of his seat Jud. 3.20 4. Obs 2. Out of tenderness to the weakness and infirmity of many Christians liberty was granted to them that they might hear the longer Lessons or portions of holy Scripture sitting Aug. ibidem but as a testimony of their honour to the whole they were required at the reading other portions of Scripture to stand up S. Austen telleth us how he gave Counsel and in some sort made supplication that those who were infirm and not well able to stand might humbly and attentively hear the longer Lessons sitting but in the same place he maketh complaint that this liberty granted only to the infirm in those African Churches was taken by others more generally than was intended or allowed And to somewhat a like liberty the words of Amalarius in the ninth Century seem to refer Amalar. de Eccles Offic. l. 4. c. 3. who saith in recitatione lectionis sedere solemus aut silendo stare it is our Custom either to sit or to stand with silence when the Lesson is read And whereas in the Christian Church the Law and Prophets with some of the Apocrypha and the Gospels and Epistles were publickly read in their Assemblies as is manifest both from Councils Fathers and Ritual Writers the Latin Church enjoined standing up at the Gospel only which was ordinarily short for many hundred years past Microl. c. 9. the Greek Church as Micrologus relateth stood up also at the Epistle which was likewise short Cassand Liturg. c. 5. and so did also the Churches of Russia as Cassander observeth from the History of Sigismundus Liberus For though a posture of reverent respect to the word of God is very suitable whensoever it is read yet that the Church should allow a liberty to hear the
fierceness carrieth them very far yet if we consult the judgment of the Protestant Churches who all admit an uniform gesture in their several churches not only the Lutheran Churches make use of kneeling at the Communion as an expression and excitement of devotion but the Bohaemian Church which also used kneeling declared that this gesture being piously received Ratio Discipl Cap. 3. Sect. 4. devotionem ipsam in conspectu Dei humilitatem adcoque gaudium cum tremore auget encreaseth devoutness of mind humility in the sight of God and awful rejoycing Those of the Helvetick Confession in Poland who themselves used standing did approve of kneeling in the Polish Synods above-mentioued nor hath it ever been condemned by any Protestant Church abroad but is particularly approved and well allowed of also by divers of the most eminent Ministers of the Reformed Churches as hath been manifested by Mr. Durel Zanchy declareth Zanch. in Sec. praec c. 17. that there is no doubt but that they act holily and according to the will of God who come to handle and partake of the holy Sacrament with external reverence also And Hospinian declareth that the Sacraments ought to be handled with great Religion and reverence Hospin Hist Sacram l. 5. c. 8. according to the Custom of every Church with a comely habit modest behaviour soberly and devoutly with the head uncovered and with bended knees CHAP. IV. Of other particular Rites appointed in the Church of England SECT I. Of the Surpless 1. A Decent habit in the service of God is generally allowed to be expedient and Bucer observed that whether men will or no they must acknowledge that the distinct Garments and Ornaments of Magistrates doth procure a singular respect to their Magistracy And a decent habit used by Ministers in the worship of God doth express a reverent esteem of the service of God and promoteth a due respect to them and their Ministration with men of unprejudiced minds Upon which account a particular comely attire for the Levites under the Law Ch. 1. Sect. 2. as hath been above-shewed and for Christian Ministers both in the Primitive and reformed Churches was ordered and appointed by Ecclesiastical Authority and to this end with us as with many other Churches anicent and modern reformed the use of the Surpless is received the decency of which is to be considered 2. As the service of God in Religious ministrations is excellent and honourable Baron A. 44. Casaub Exercit. 16. n. 73. Selden de Synod l. 1. c. 3. so the general sense of a great part of the World both Jews and Gentiles have accounted white garments to be honourable and comely and they are also approved as such by the wisdom of God himself in the description of the most excellent persons and things The glorious attire of the Lambs wise and some of the Apocalyptick Angels is expressed by their being arrayed in white linen Rev. 19.8 Chap. 15.6 the glorious state of the whole Church of God and its Members and of the Elders before the Throne is signified by their being cloathed in white raiment Rev. 7.9 Chap. 3 4 19. chap. 4.4 and the appearance of Angels the Transfiguration of Christ and the vision of the glory of God are represented in white garments Mark 16.5 Act. 1.10 Mark 9.3 Dan. 7.9 and the Holy Ghost would certainly not make use of things indecent and unseemly as representations of such great and glorious excellencies And therefore they who will condemn or deride a vesture of white linen as being in it self uncomely must first undertake to give evidence Zanch. in 2. Pracept c. 16. that they have better judgments concerning what is decent in the Church than the rest of the World have P. Martyr Ep. ad Hoop or than he hath who gave the being both to the World and to the Church And it hath been acknowledged by Protestant Writers of good note that the use of white linen hath hereby this special advantage that from the natural simplicity of the colour the special consideration of white linen above expressed and the use of these expressions in Scripture it may aptly direct us to the meditation and consideration of purity 3. Yet because it must be acknowledged that things in themselves otherwise unblamable may become unlawful when they are made use of upon evil principles or in any evil way or to bad ends and purposes and whereas the use of the Surpless is charged by some with Judaizing and by others with too much compliance with the degenerate state of the Christian Church under Popery I shall take these things into consideration 4. Though such things as have a natural comeliness or conveniency do not become unlawful to Christians at all times because they were made use of or injoyned in the Law of Moses as hath been manifested yet I further observe Ch. l. Sect. 1. that the Surpless was no Aaronical garment as hath been ordinarily supposed and granted Among the high Priests garments his Ephod which was made of blue Purple Scarlet and sine twined linen and his Robe which was all of blue can have no affinity with the Surpless neither of them being white linen and both of them of a different shape and his linen Breeches Bonnet Mitre and Girdle bear not the least resemblance thereto it remaineth therefore that none other of their garments can be like to our Surpless unless either the Coat of the high Priest or the Coats of the inferiour Priests which are sometimes called Ephods should agree thereto The high Priests Coat was ordinarily an under-garment worn next to his skin upon which he put on his Robe Ephod and other attire as may be collected from Moses his consecration of Aaron Lev. 8.7 8. and is plainly expressed by Josephus who was himself a Priest Josep Ant. l. 3. c. 8. and at Jerusalem whilst this attire was yet worn 5. But it must be owned that upon the day of atonement which was the tenth day of the seventh mouth the high Priest went into the Holy of Holies in a linen Coat without his other ordinary Priestly garments Philo. de Somn. Targ. Jonath in Lev. 16.4 Salian An. 2545. n. 54. as is affirmed by Philo Judaeus who also saith that this was a white Coat though others as well as our English Translators in Exod. 28.39 suppose it was embroidered by one of the Chaldee Paraphrasts and by divers others both Jewish Writers and Modern Christians Cun. de Rep. Heb. l. 2. c. 1. And though Cunaeus representeth the contrary opinion which he opposeth as the common opinion of those Christian Writers which went before him yet it must be acknowledged as manifestly true from Lev. 16.4 23 24 32. that the high Priest entred the Holy of Holies without his glorious attire only in a linen Coat with linen Breeches Mitre and Girdle which might well signifie that humble purity was more fit to appear before God than
Declaration of its true intent and end which is therewith expressed 11. I know that some persons have asserted as from Irenaeus Iren. adv Haer. l. 1. c. 1. that the Original use of the sign of the Cross was received in the Church from the Valentinians who used it as the fan of Christ to purge away sin but these things are much misrepresented there being nothing at all in Irenaeus to this purpose Only concerning the Valentinians who indeed were no Christians but by a strange medley from names used in Christianity and Gentilisme and from their own fancies they framed a Theogonia of Aeones which they called their Pleroma Irenaeus with whom Tertullian agreeth Tertul. adv Valentin c. 9. saith that the Keeper of this Pleroma was Horus who among other names was also called Stauros or Crux Lytrotes or Redemptor and of him they interpreted those words of S. Matthew his fan is in his hand So that all this referred not to the sign of the Cross but to an imaginary person who was an Idol of Valentinus his brain 12. But though the true original of the Christian use of this sign be above expressed Justin Apol. 2. adv Tryphon Tertul. de Bapt. c 8. Adv. Jud. c. 10. Barnab Ep. p. 136. what is produced by the ancient Writers of this sign being prefigured in the Old Testament by the roasting the Paschal Lamb the Serpent upon the Pole the form of the hands of Jacob in blessing the Sons of Joseph and of Moses hands being lifted up which Barnabas expresseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is far more considerable than the mistaken matter of this objection And whereas the mark upon the forehead Ezek. 9.4 was accounted by Theodotion and by Aquila as Origen relateth by the Vulgar Latin and the ancient latin Version used by Tertullian to be the mark of the Letter Thau which is the word there used in the Hebrew both S. Hierom who himself understood the Samaritan Character which was anciently used by the Jews and Origen from the relation of a converted Jew declare that the old form of 〈…〉 Thau was in the figure of a 〈◊〉 And though Scaliger in his learned â—â—â—â—dversions upon Eusebius averreth Animad v. p. 117. that this was their mistake concerning the Samaritan Character yet the truth of what they asserted may appear from the old Alphabet collected out of their ancient Medals by Bishop Walton which is different from the Vulgar Characters And I may add that the Aaronical Priesthood under the Law which prefigured Christ Kerith f. 5. in Buxt Lex Rab. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 received their Vnction in the form of a Cross or the Greek Chi as both the Talmud and all the Jewish Rabbins do declare those Rabbins who seem to dissent being reconciled to this assertion by the reasonable interpretation of Simeon de Muis. S. de Muis Var. Sacr. in Abarb. in Ex. 30. Sozom. l. 7. c. 15. Baron an 389. n. 99. Just Mart. Apol. 2. Sylburg ibidem And the form or sign of a Cross was an Hieroglyphick of the life to come among the Aegyptians and a character of wisdom among the Platonists And all these things speaking an honourable use of this sign before the time of Christ though they were not chief reasons of the Christians usage might well be providentially ordered for the advantage of Christianity it being particularly related by Sozomen that the Conversion of divers Pagans was occasioned thereby 13. Obj. 2 As for them who would charge this Rite because of its signification with being a new Sacrament I have sufficiently discovered the palpable erroneousness of that conceit in a former Chapter Ch. 2. Se. 1. 14. And whereas some disapprove this sign because it hath been abused by the Church of Rome I have given a sufficient answer to this in the fourth Section of the same Chapter And he who would censure an useful and piously ordered sign of admonition and memorial because a superstitious operative use of the same transient sign is not allowable must condemn things greatly different as if they were the same As if because Gideons Ephod was abused when it was made an Idol the use of an Ephod by Samuel and David for the decent service of God must be also insufferable and because the image of Caesar set up to be worshipped is abominable therefore his image stamped upon the Coin must not be tolerated And there is as much reason to condemn wholesom and profitable words from some persons making an ill use thereof as to condemn useful actions and gestures for the same cause 15. They who censure this Rite because it is used so soon after Baptism it self as an attendant thereupon supposing that no significative rite may be lawfully received so nearly attending upon any Sacrament they also build upon a very false and groundless supposition as if the Love-kiss and the Agapae were not so used in the Apostolical times with reference to the Lords Supper and the trinal mersion in Baptism both in the Primitive and most reformed Churches Yea I would appeal to every indifferent mans Conscience whether if a Father being solicitously careful of the eternal welfare of his Son and having nurtured him in the fear of God and lived to see him receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper should give his Son some token so soon as be cometh from that Sacrament requiring him to keep the same as a memorial of his Fathers charge upon him to mind the service of God and the Christian life and Unity to which he is further obliged by the receiving that Sacrament I say I would appeal to such a man whether he durst condemn this action as sinful meerly because this charge and token hath some reference to the Sacrament And this rite of our Church hath many advantages above this instance both in the higher authority of the Church the greater simplicity of the rite it self and the relation it beareth to the pattern and example of Primitive Christianity 16. Among the Protestants the Lutheran Churches retain not only this but some other Rites in the office of Baptism which are not received in the Church of England And though many other Reformed Churches do not use this sign yet they condemn it not nor do they herein censure either the Church of England or those of the Augustane Confession It hath been observed partly by Mr. Hooker and partly by Mr. Durel Goulart in Ep. 56. Cypr. c. 7. that Goulartius declared this Ceremony to be indifferent in its nature but said it was not necessary now for all Christians to observe it by those words rather modestly defending the practice of Geneva as Mr. Hooker expresseth it in a way of excuse than expressing any dislike of them who without superstition do retain it Exercit. in Bar. 13. n. 33. Isaac Casaubone when he wrote his exercitations expresseth an approbation of this Rite in the Church of England Buc.
Cens c. 11. And Bucer in his Censura declareth it to be an ancient and simplex ritus apure or innocent Rite and that he judgeth the use thereof to be neither indecent nor unprofitable 17. I know there are some who think their own apprehensions so much above all others that they are no otherwise moved by testimonies which are produced against them than to express their censures Altar Damasc c. 10. p. 830. and sometimes their contempt o◠the most worthy Writers and on this manner doth Didoclavius deal with the testimony of Bucer which I now produced saith he it is frigida diluta censura nec satis expendisse videtur it was his dull and weak judgment about this matter and he did not seem to have considered what he wrote But let not such think that their authority is of any value to be put in the balance against the Primitive Church and so many reformed Churches and Writers and therefore as there being no just cause from the consideration of this rite it self and the use thereof to condemn it the censure of such persons is unjust and uncharitable and the dislike of others who are more modest in their opposition is also groundless SECT III. Of laying on hands in Confirmation THis Imposition of hands is the more opposed Didocl Altar Damasc c. 5. p. 359. Except of Presbyt p. 29. because of those Declarative words in the Prayer used at Confirmation Vpon whom after the example of the holy Apostles we have now laid our hands to certifie them by this sign of thy favour and gracious goodness to them The Non Conformists here will neither allow that the Apostles practice should be accounted any example for laying on hands in Confirmation nor that this sign may be used to certifie Gods grace and favour which seemeth say they to speak it a Sacrament 2. Wherefore we are first to consider what Warrant this imposition of hands in Confirmation may claim from the practice of the Apostles We read Act. 8.15 17 18. that after Philip had baptized at Samaria by the Apostles prayer accompanied with imposition of hands they received the Holy Ghost and the same is related concerning the Disciples at Ephesus Act. 19.6 Here we have an Apostolical practice evident that they imposed hands and prayed and thereupon the Holy Ghost was received It is indeed acknowledged that in those instances there was a visible and miraculous testimony of the presence of the Holy Spirit by speaking with Tongues c. but the chief blessing of Gods Spirit consisteth in the inward Graces of the Spirit which were not peculiar to that time and that the obtaining the strengthning grace of the Spirit was in an especial manner designed by the Apostles imposition of hands is declared by Irenaeus Iren. adv Haeres l. 4. c. 75. Aug. Tract 6. in Ep. 1. Johan and it was justly esteemed by S. Austin that the Holy Ghost is here received where no miraculous gifts are bestowed but the gracious dispositions of love peace and unity are entertained And prayer especially the most solemn Prayer of the Bishop or chief Officer of the Church joyned with imposition of hands which was a testimony of peculiar benediction used by dying Jacob and others under the Old Testament and by Christ and his Apostles under the New is a means to obtain this blessing to such who are disposed and qualified for the receiving thereof but that those who indulge and give way to their corruptions and passions as the Corinthians did by their divisions could not receive the increase of the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit by the Apostolical imposition of hands is also asserted in the place above-mentioned by Irenaeus And if any persons will contend that the imposition of hands now received in the Church cannot be a practice according to the example of the Apostles because in those times the Holy Ghost was oft miraculously received which cannot now be expected he may as well assert that the imposition of hands for Ordination is not continued in the Church from the example of the Apostles because then the Holy Ghost was sometimes extraordinarily given thereby or that our praying and preaching is not a doing that for which we have the Apostles for an example because we cannot by them expect such wonderful gifts as sometimes were conferred under the Apostles doctrine and by their prayer 3. And by the searching into Antiquity we may discern the general use of this Imposition of hands in the Church as from the Apostles When the Apostle Heb. 6.2 speaketh of the Foundation of the Doctrine of Baptisms and of laying on of hands the ordinary exposition of the Greek and Latine Fathers refer those words unto Confirmation and in the same sense are they understood by Calvin Beza Illyricus and many other Protestants Eusebius ralateth a story Eccl. Hist l. 3. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein Confirmation was used under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while S. John was yet alive and Cornelius noted it as a defect in Novatus the Schismatick that he never obtained Confirmation from the Bishop for receiving the Holy Ghost which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eus Hist l. 6. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his words are related in Eusebius Tertullian in his short account of the Rites of the Church Tertul. de Resur Cam. c. 8. De Baptism c. 8. after he had mentioned Baptism expresseth Confirmation in these words Caro manus impositione adumbratur ut anima Spiritu illuminetur and in his Book De Baptisma saith that after Baptism is used imposition of hands calling for and inviting the holy Spirit by that benediction Cypr. Ep. 73. S. Cyprians testimony is yet more full who saith that for those whom Philip baptized that which lacked was performed by Peter and John by whose prayer and imposition of hands the Holy Ghost was invocated and poured forth upon them which also saith he is now practised among us that those who are baptized in the Church are presented to the chief Officers of the Church that by our prayer and imposition of hands they may obtain the Holy Ghost and may by Confirmation attain to the highest Order of Christians or signaculo dominico consummentur S. Ambrose speaketh of Confirmation Amb. de Sacr. l. 3. c. 2. Hieron adv Lucif Aug. Cont. l. 3. c. 16. l. 5. c. 23. in Psal 130. that the holy Spirit is thereby obtained by prayer S. Hierom approveth it for Apostolical and S. Austin in divers places defendeth the practice hereof with relation to the Apostolical imposition of hands and for the receiving the Holy Ghost even when the miraculous gifts of the Spirit were no more communicated and this imposition of hands was enjoyned by the ancient Council of Elvira Conc. Elib c. 38. unto them who being baptized in case of necessity did afterwards recover their health And therefore this practice of the