two first weekes till the full of the Moone the third week the Ocean keepes his course according to the first weeke and the fourth weeke doth as the second did and so the weekes and moneths runne round with the Ocean Seventhly Seneca Epist 95. somewhat past the middle confesseth they did accendere lucernam Sabbatis light their Tapers on the Sabbath dayes and faulting them for so doing because nor God wants light nor men take pleasure in the steame or stench of Lampes or Candles confesseth withall their Religious observation of the Sabbaths by the Romans for the point was quo modo d◠sint colendi How God ought to be worshipped Tibullus lib. 1. Eleg. 3. pag. 84. is firme proofe that he obserued Saturnes day as the holy day whether we read it as it is in the body of his workes Saturni aut sacram me tenuisse diem that is Or that unto Saturnus old I us'd his holy-day to hold Or whether it be as Joseph Scaliger the Prince of Critickes in his Castigations on the place saith it is better Omnia dira Saturni Sacrame tenuisse die that is Or that to Saturne on his day I us'd to feast to pray to play Thus much with Gothofredus and the most learned Cerda against Rigaltius his needlesse alteration of Tertullian by which the day of the Sunne or Sunday is unjustly made to be the Gentles day of rest or Sabbath which indeed was on their Saturday and yet if Rigaltius his reading be supposed to be the best it affordeth Testimony that the Gentiles had some knowledge of the weekely honour due to God one day or other in that they observed a Sabbath * The returne to this Point after the ensuing digressions you shall finde below Paragraph the 9. Chap. 9 which reacheth proofe enough to my maine intention I cannot yet end the businesse of the Lords Day but have divers of mine owne observations to set downe and come nearer to the purpose the controversie against the Sabbatarians concerning both the day and the Recreations then lawfull hath beene so unanswerably handled by Bishop White and other most learned Doctors that much cannot be added somewhat shall in a mixed way nor will I blot out mine owne observations though others also have lighted on some of them First then I say the Sabbatarians doe grossely infantiliter childishly expound S. Austin whilst they would violently hale him to their sides against all manner of Recreations and nothing is more common than S. Augustines authoritie produced against any Recreation on the Lords Day I professe his authoritie moved me much till I read him himselfe and saw him misunderstood even by great ones and chiefe among the Sabbatarians The first place is on the enarration of the 91. Psalme on the Preface of the Psalme Melius est arare in Sabbato quam saltare T is better to goe to Plow than dance on the Sabbath Day but S. Augustine speaketh of the Iewish Sabbath or Saturnes day of the first day after the creation when God is said to rest Let me adde unto him To Plow on that Sabbath the Iewish Sabbath was not amisse in a Christian but to Dance on the Iewish Sabbath was an approving of the old first Sabbath and as it were a renouncing of the Christian Sabbath See the place who will and he shall find that S. Augustine spake not of the Lords Day or Dies solis Sunday nor of the Christians day of rest properly but of the Metaphoricall spirituall Sabbath of the dayly Sabbath or rest of a good conscience view his words In corde est Sabbathum nostrum multi enim vacant membris tumultuantur conscientiâ Omnis homo malus Sabbatum habere non potest ipsa tranquillitas Sabbatum est cordis our Sabbath is kept in our heart for many have bodily rest who are troubled in conscience an evill man hath no Sabbath Inward tranquility is the Sabbath of our heart What is this to the question of the Lords day His words there are these Ecce hodiernus dies Sabbati est hune in praesenti tempore ot◠quodom corporaliter languido fluxo luxarioso celebrant Iudai Behold even this day is the Sabbath day The Iewes keepe this day at this present time idlely lazily and luxuriously so he But our question is concerning the Lords Day the memoriall not of the Creation but of Christs Resurrection which S. Augustin doth not name nor meane not so much as point at nor the least way censure for faire Recreations in this place The second place extorted from S. Augustin is in his Booke De decem chordis cap. 3. almost at the beginning It is in his tenth Tome and is thus cited by Zepper Legum Mosaicarum Forenstum 4.9 Satius est operari quà m spectaculis interesse mulieres nere quâm tota die impidicè saltare I answer First I finde not those words in that Booke Satius est operari quà m spectaculis interesse Secondly if Augustin hath said so the beholding of bloody spectacles which were in viridi observantiâ in greatest request and permitted most even by some Christian Emperours was sinfull in it selfe and condemned by many Fathers and reacheth not against faire recreations post sacra peracta after Service is ended Thirdly the words indeede are thus truely translated It is sayd to thee that thou spiritually observe the Sabbath not as the Iewes who observe the Sabbath by being carnally idle applying their mindes to trifling toyes and luxurie a Iew should doe better to goe about his profit in his ground then inthesauro in the Exchequer or perhaps in his Counting-house to be seditious and their women on the Sabbath day or the women on the Sabbath day the words will beare it were better card and spinne than impudently to dance the whole day in their new Moones but thou art spiritually to keepe the Sabbath in hope of future rest which God hath promised thee who doth what he can to obtaine that rest though it seeme laborious what he doth yet if he referre it to the faith of the promised rest he hath not truely the Sabbath in re but in spe not in possession but in hope but thou wilt rest that thou mayst labour when thou oughtest to labour that thou mayst rest So farre he The like he hath toward the later end of the first Chapter Observe First he speaketh of the Christians spirituall Sabbath with an eye looking forward to the eternall promised Sabbath of Sabbaths as he phrazeth it in his first Chapter Secondly he speaketh of the Iewish carnall Sabbath he speaketh not one word of the Lords Day or Sunday neither doth he fault any recreations of Christians on that day Thirdly he telleth not what a Christian but what a Iew should doe not simply but comparatively rather be busie and profitable in his ground than seditious and their women rather card and spinne than the whole day in their Festivals and Feastings to dance immodestly but what
are their new Moones and solemne Iewes-feasts to us Christians They shamefully wrong S. Augustin and wrong the unlearned Readers who produce this testimonie to confute seemely recreations of Christians on the Lords Day after the holy Service is ended Fourthly let the indifferent judge whether S. Augustines later passages in this testimony doe not rather afford a patrociny for labour than the former words did condemne fit refreshings Lastly good Reader when thou readest in the Fathers or from the Fathers ought concerning the Sabbath I pray thee search and examine whether they speake of the Iewish Sabbath or of the Christian Quiet very seldome doe they call the day of Christian rest properly to be Sabbatum They doe often say it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dies dominicus our Lords Day or Sunday So much be said to vindicate S. Augustin from divers too Iewishly addicted in our dayes against our lawfull Sports Secondly that most learned Prelate the last Lord Bishop of Ely citeth Theodoret on Ezechiel the 20. as saying that no other Nations but onely the Iewes observed the Sabbath Day He meant no Nation kept the Sabbath to the same end and with the same strictnesse that Iewes did 2. Indeede no Nation but the Iewes onely kept the Sabbath at that time which Ezechiel speakes of viz. at their comming out of Aegypt Ezech. 20.10 c. yet many Nations did afterwards keepe the Sabbath day 3. No Nation kept it as a particular Law and as a signe of a distinct republique as Israel did Vt sit signum inter me ipsos to be a signe betweene me and them saith Theodoret in the very words of the text ver 12. yet is he Totius historiae ignarus blinde in all history who denieth that other Nations imitated the Iewes in observation of a Sabbath In which regard the most reverend Prelate the Eye of our Tymes and one who for all religious learning may be called Arca Foederis In the same page 156. saith If any Heathen did observe the Iewish Sabbath they did it not by the light of naturall reason but by imitation of Gods people But because the living Library in his Margin in the same place quoteth Josephus contra Appionem lib. 2. and Clemens Alexandrinus stromat 5. as denying Vrbem ullam Graecorum sive Barbarorum ex Judaico ritu âdiei septini cessatione ab opere suo in suos mores suscepisse That any city of the Grecians or Barbarians did use the fashion of resting from their worke on the seventh day from the custome of the Iewes I thus answer them If they sayd and meaned that the Iewish Sabbath with all its circumstance and severe strictnesse which the words ex Iudaico titu will well permit was never received by any Heathen cities or by the immediat delivery of God as the Iewes had it then they are in the right but particularly Josephus in the same Booke against Appion declareth the cleane contrary avouching that every Nation Greeke or Barbarous observed the Sabbath in imitation of the Iewes and Clemens Alexandrinus in the same cited booke saith expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septimum diem esse sacrum non solùm sicut Hebraei verum etiam Graci Not onely the Iewes but the Gentiles also know that the seventh day is the holy day and he proveth it by divers reasons and authorities but Clemens ibidem exceedeth when from Plato his tenth Booke de Repub. he would prove that Plato did fore-divine of the Lords day page 437. Againe though that Mundus eruditionis that world of learning saith the Grecians and the Romanes observed for resting dayes the one the eight day and the other the ninth day and saith it well enough to oppose the simple Sabbatarians who horribly incline to Iudaisme of late and will not remember that the Iewes shall be turned to be Christians but that the Christians should be converted Proselytes of the Iewes was never foretold nor expected yet the most learned Lord Bishops words if they be rightly printed must be interpreted of some of the Romanes and some of the Grecians and not of the greater part Or secondly of the extraordinary dayes of rest and not of the ordinary and continued weekely Sabbath Plutarch in the later end of Theseus life saith indeed the Athenians did make the solemnest and chiefest sacrifices unto Theseus on the eight of October and doe further honor him every eight day of every moneth but first this was Athens alone Secondly this honoring of Theseus on the eight day hindered not their other observations of the seventh day which they constantly also kept as I have demonstated Thirdly in the same place of Plutarch it is sayd they worshipped Neptune or did sacrifice to him on the eight day of every moneth because the number of eight is the first Cube made of the even number and the double of the first squared which reasons are ridiculous Lastly as we have holy dayes besides our Lords Day so had they multitudes of extraordinary Festivals which were not properly such dayes of sacred rest as the Iewes observed Romish Pestivalls on the Ides of their moneths See at large set downe by Alexander ab Alexandro Genialium dierum 3.18 singulis Idibus saith he ibidem which Ides jumpe not exactly with every eight day a Gracis singuliâ— Calendis dii vener antur The gods are worshipped by the Grecians every Calends Macrobius in the like place maketh not the ninth day a generall rest Indeed saith he Nundina est Romanorum Dea a nono die nusceritium nuncupata qui lustricâ—â— dicitur quo die infantes lustrantur nomen accipiunt Sed is maribus nonus Octavus est faeminis Nundina is a goddesse of the Romanes so called from the ninth day that infants were borne which day was called Lustricus because on it children were purged and first named but in men children it was the ninth day in women children the eight day it may now be used for the Christning day Idem Macrob. 1.11 Nonis Iuliis diem festuÌ„m esse ancillarum vulgò notum est it is commonly knowne that the Nones of Iuly is maides holiday Dio Cassius placing the weekely Sabbath among the speciall observances of that Nation doth not say that no other Nations kept their Sabbath day but rather pointeth at this the Sabbaths were given more especially to the Iewes that they were the first Nation that kept the Sabbaths and generally and strictly observed them Secondly the Sabbatarians unto their forced expositions invent lyes that they may further their seeming devotions but God needs not mans lye to uphold his truth Who but the Father of lyes suggested those horrid untruths which are published concerning the evills that befell upon Glastonbury for prophaning the Sabbath which the Inhabitants thereof and we the neighbours doe know to be false almost in every point Thirdly is it not knowne generally how dangerously many fell into Iudaisme and turned Traskites the most ignorant of all Hereticks and
is counted the greatest of many abominations in that Chapter their backes were toward the Temple of the Lord and their faces towards the East and they worshipped the Sunne towards the East and Clitchtovaeus holds it probable that the Jewes were commanded to worship toward the West to recall them from the Idolatry of the Gentiles who in their adoration bended towards the East But Idolatry being rooted out by Christianity and there being no occasion to feare the imitation of Ethnickes as the Jewish Circumcision was turned into the more convenient Baptisme the Paschall Lambe into the thrice blessed Sacrament the Sabbath into the Lords day so the praying toward the West by the Jewes was more aptly changed to the praying Eastward by the Christians Clemens Alex indrinus Stromat 7. ante medium pag. 520. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diei Natalis Imago est Oriens that is the East is as it were the birth day of the day and from thence the light springeth therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad ortum matutinum habentur preces we pray towards the East Iustin Martyr quaest ad Orthodox with us the most excellent things are destinated to the honour of God it were better for all if it were so in our times but in the opinion of men the East is better than the other parts and therefore in the time of prayer doe we all turne toward the East this reason was taken from the Apostles saith Iustin Martyr not because they thought the Climate of the sunne to be the Habitacle of God but for the reasons now specialize Hyginus de limitibus the Ancients builded their Temples toward the West afterward they changed all Religion to that place from which place of heaven the earth is enlightned surely Hyginus borrowed the first part of his words from Clemen Alexandrinus in the place above cited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The most ancient Churches looked towards the West S. Hierame ad cap. 6. Amos in flne from the 67. Psalme thus reads it Psallire Domino qua ascendit super Caelum caeli ad orientem unde saith he in mysteriis primùm renunciamus ei qui in occidente est nobisque moritur cum peccatis sic versi ad orientem pactum inimus cum sole Iustitiae ei servituros nos esse promittimus that is Sing unto the Lord who ascended above the Heaven of Heavens at or in the East whence in our Sacraments we first renounce Sathan in the West and then turning to the East wee covenâ—nt with Christ and promise to serve him but this is not done without prayers Ambrose likewise Ad Orientem converteris qui enim renunciat Diabolo ad Christum convertitur illum directo cernit obtutu the initiate is turned toward the East for he who renounceth the Devill turneth to Christ and seeth Christ directly Dionyfins Areopagtia de Hierarch Eccles cap. 2. Turning to the West thou shalt abjure Sathan then turning to the East thou shalt prayse God These three last Authorities evince that the turning to the East was not casuall or indifferent or done without speciall Reason but that it proceeded from a Religious observation of those holy times even in the height of Divine Mysteries I will close up the point with the learned Father Damascene de fide Orthod 4.13 Non simpliciter fortuitò ad Orientem adoramus that is we doe not simply ignorantly or casually adore God toward the East but upon good Motives did they so First because God is an intelligible Light and our Saviour is the Son of righteousnesse Mal. 4.2 and Christ is called Oriens The day-spring from on high hath visited us Luk. 1.78 Therefore the East is to be dedicated unto him in our Adoration 2. Secondly he who bestoweth every good gift largely willingly lovingly on us is to receive from us omne praestantius every thing that was most excellent such was the Adoration towards the East supposed to be see the most learned Commentary of Iudocus Clitchtovaeus on this passage 3. Thirdly God placed Eden in the East and cast out man to the West therefore desiring our old habitation and sighing for it towards it we worship 4. Moses his Tabernacle had the vayle and propitiatory on the East and the Tribe of Iudah as the most honourable Tribe encamped on the East and in the most famous Temple of Salomon the Porch was towards the East 5. Christ being Crucified looked towards the West and we in fervent desire sighing after him worship towards him Christ in his assumption ascended toward the East and so his Apostles worshipped him and so shall he descend to the last judgement at his second comming for Act. 1.11 This same Iesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seene him going into Heaven say the blessed Angels and this they learned from Christ himselfe Mat. 24.27 As the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth even unto the West so shall also the comming of the sonne of man be If it be objected speciously that it is to be understood de modo non de situ positione corporis First I answere I onely cited Damascen's argument Secondly in mode situs positio Corporis potest intelligi Thirdly the unusuall doubled phrases shall so come and in like manner point out variety of matter in the manner for I thinke not fit to exclude the manner nor his ascent to the East 4. Situs corporis may be understood two wayes either pro positione corporis quiescentis this the Text doth not meane or propositionis corporis moti vel moventis sese and of this posture is the Text to be interpreted for Christ in his body shall come from the East toward the West 6. Damascen acknowledgeth there is no expresse command in Scripture to pray or worship toward the East by saying it is an Apostolicall tradition and an unwritten Apostolicall Tradition if it be so certainely binds us as well as if it were written see most of these pointsamplified by the learned Clitchtovaeus upon Damascene Concerning the two last arguments of Damascene which Clitchtovaeus wholly omitteth I will onely say this omitting many things that our dead are buried with their feere toward the East that at the Resurrection their faces may be that way prepared as it were to behold the glorious second comming of our Saviour so much expected so much desired Thus much be spoken in defence of Christians praying toward the East which may be done at many fit times and fitly though we officiate the Liturgie at the North-side of the Communion Table From whence likewise the Canonicall appointment of the Commandements to be set on the East-end of every Church and Chappell and the placing of our Communion Table our woodden Altars our Sacred boords toward the East exactly as the Propitiatory was in the old Law is justly defended and found answerable to the Primitive usance Henceforth let that blaspheunous
danger had beene greater Fol. ib. Par. 26 There being no such danger of an Abaddon in future times they chose any of the Vertuosi whether they were friends or kindred though their dwellings were further off Fol. 51 The Contents of the eight chapter Par. 1 The perpetuall rites of the Passeover were instituted at severall times Fol. 52 Par. 2 The generall perpetuitie excluded not just Dispensations Fol. ib. Par. 3 In what Cases Dispensations were permitted Fol. ib. Par. 4 Our blessed Sacraments may be deferred Fol. ibid. Par. 5 Change of Rites might not be Fol. ib. Par. 6 Even included permission is Legall Fol. 53 Par. 7 Some rites of the passeover unordained in Aegypt prescribed in their journying Fol. ib. Par. 8 In extremities a Kid might serve for a Passeover Fol. ibid. Par. 9 A Kid doth not so exactly typifie our blessed Saviour as a Lambe doth Fol. 54 Par. 10 The Paschall Lambe must be unspotted Fol. ib. Par. 11 Party-coloured things in high esteeme Fol. ib. Par. 12 Most sâ—eepe spotted about Jewry Fol. ibid. Par. 13 The Heathen vilifying their owne gods Fol. ib. Par. 14 The perfectnesse of the offering to be made to God the imperfections signed out Fol. 55 Par. 15 The bodily perfection of Aaronicall Priests Fol. ib. Par. 16 Diversifying in colour no blemish but an ornament Fol. ib. Par. 17 There may be spots without blemishes Fol. ib. Par. 18 Blemishes without deformity Fol. ib. Par. 19 Christ was blemished but most unjustly Fol. 56 Par. 20 Blemishes of birds a little reputed blemish hindered not the Lambe to be the Passeover an ill blemished spotted Lambe might not be the Passeover Fol. ib. Par. 21 Difference betweene spotted and party-coloured Fol. ibid. Par. 22 The Paschal lambe must not be a female one but a male a male implyeth perfection Fol. ib. Par. 23 The Lambe must be under a yeare old the Lambe of one houre above a yeare old was to be refused the sonne of a yeare Fol. 57 Par. 24 The impuritie of creatures till seven daies be passed over them the strangr effects co-incident to the number of seven Fol. ibid. Par. 25 The Jewes thinke a Lambe of nine dayes might be the Passeover Fol. ibid. Par. 26 It might be a burnt offering Fol. ib. Par. 27 Reasons why it might not be a Paschall Lambe Fol. 58 Par. 28 A proportionable number was to be chosen to the eating of the Paschall Lambe Fol. 58 Par. 29 The exact number is not cannot be set downe Fol. ibid. Par. 30 Maimonides saith they ought to agree of the number before they chose their Lambs Fol. ib. Par. 31 The fellow-communicants were called the sonnes of the Societie Fol. ib. Par. 32 It is more probable that at the first Passeover they chose their Lambe first and company afterward At the first Passeover the next neighbour or neighbours were brothers of the Societie or members of that brother-hood At the after Passeovers they were not so strict nor was it a durable Rite to have the next neighbours Fol. ib. Par. 33 Sometimes ten sometimes twentie made up the full number saith Iosephus most commonly ten Cestius the Romane Precident his policy Fol. 59 Par. 34 Thirteene were at Christs last Passeovers eating even Christ and his twelve Apostles Fol. ib. Par. 35 The Romanes imitation of these Ceremony sodalitates Fol. ib. Par. 36 Rex convivii in Macrobius dominus convivii in Gellius modimperator in Varro Fol. 60 Par. 37 The numbers no where fixed and certaine but ab libitum varied as it pleased the â—â—â—efe Ruler of the feast c. Fol. ib. The Contents of the ninth Chapter Par. 1 NOn-admittance of strangers to the Passeover divers sorts of servants strangers servants of the seede of Israel their estateâ— and priviledges servants of forgaine Nations their hard conditions hired servants and their differences from others the hired servant might not be forced to be circumcised Fol. 62 Par. 2 Maimonides falsely opineth that the seede of Abraham were onely to be circumcised Fol. 64 Par. 3 There were three sorts of strangers in Israel two sorts of Aliens Adam's sixe Precepts to all the world Noahs additionall inhibition the Law of Moses is a branch of the Law of Nature Bishop Andrewes commended and excellent passages of his Worke transcribed The Romane Lawes borrowed from the Jewes in Tertullians judgement The twelve Tables and their supposed perfections their imperfection in precept the fragments onely remaine of them some semblance betweene the foure first Commandements of the first Table in Gods Law and betweene the Romane Lawes Regalitives rejected Gothofredus preferred Comparisons betweene the Gentiles keeping the Saturday and Christians the Sunday Saturday was the Sabboth of the Romanes kept with joy and feasting as our Lords day A large Treatisâ— concerning the Lords day the Christians pray towards the East the Reasons thereof The holy Communion Table justly placed at the East end of the Chaâ—cell ignorant and irreligious Censurers taxed and objections answered the promiscuous use of the words Altar and the Lords Table The Commandements of the second Table of Moses followed by the Papyrian Law and twelve Romane Tables except the tenth Commandement onely a foreigner unfixed might not eate of the Passeover a sojourner or stranger whose males were circumcised might eaâ—e thereof and so might their sons onely Circumcised ones might eate the Passeover all other was forbidden women were held as circumcised in the circumcisinn of the Jewish males Fol. 65 The Contents of the tenth Chapter Par. 1 THe yeare of the world in which the Passeover was first instituted Fol. 90 Par. 2 The moneth of that yeare The old Iewish account of the yeares and the new anons saâ—â—â— vulgaris The yeare preceding the seventh Sabbaticall yeare viz. the 48. yeare after the old Iubilee and the second yeare before the new Iubileâ— brought forth sufficient fruits for three yeares Fol. 91 Par. 3 The Magnalia performed in the Moneth of Abib Fol. 94 Par. 4 The Passeover upon some other occasions extraordinary might be kept on another moneth Fol. ib. Par. 5 The proclaming of festivall daies commanded both by Moses some Heathen Fol. 95 Par. 6 The appointed â—â—y for the Passeover Fol. ib. Par. 7 It was the fourteenth day of the moneth not alâ—â—ble or dispensible with Fol. ib. Par. 8. The full Moone Fol. 96 Par. 9 The Iewes hope that the Messiah shall deliver Israel the same day that Moses did and that the Passeover was kept Fol. ib. Par. 10 Tertullian explained Fol. ib. Par. 11 The Iewes unlawfully altered the day of the Passeover Fol. 97 Par. 12 Christ are the Passeover on the fourteenth day of the moneth the Iewes on the day following Fol. 98 Par. 13 The strict observation of the Jewish festivals a trappe laid for Christ and broken taxations are payable to Princes against the opinion of Pharisaicall zelot Galilaeans The mis-understood story of the Galilaeans slaine by Pilot explained Fol. ib. Par. 14 Before the
seven a brawle Turba plerunque turbnlenta est sayth Gellius 13.11 from Varro that is a route most commonly turnes into a riot I would chuse alwayes if I might the number of the foure Evangelists at an ordinary repast I cannot abide to eate my morsells alone at a great solemne Feast the number of the twelve Apostles seemeth fit to me The Primitive Christians continued their course of meeting Per sodalitia by fraternities even at the time that Rome was arrived to its highest pitch of glory Pliny 10.97 wrote to Trajan that the Christians confessed they were wont to meete before day to adore worship and sing praises to Christ as God then to receive the Sacrament binding them as it were from all evill and to all manner of goodnesse when these things were ended they departed and met customarily againe to eate meate together promiscuously but innocently This was at their Love-feasts which then were taken after the blessed Eucharist The same truth is also confirmed by Tertullian in Apologet. cap. 2. Belike Trajan had heard of such meetings for sayth Plinius to him secundum mandata tua hetaerias esse vetui betaeriae hoc est ipsa sodalitita vetia erant sayth b Baron ad An. Christi 104. Num. 4. Baronius when Pliny had forbid them according to the mandate of the Emperour the Christians did forbeare such meetings To this effect Caius Plinius secundus But I fully beleeve that after Trajan his favorable Edict Conquirendi non sunt that Christians should not be enquired after and much more after that Persecution wholy failed and Peace was restored to the Churches of God the Christians met againe as they were wont and more boldly more publiquely celebrated both Divine and Humane Offices and renewed their sodalitates or fraternities The Prayer O Lord our good God a little doth content our naturall bodies yet superabundance of provision thou hast prepared for us yea thy mercy hath permitted us to recreate our selves sometimes even with Feasting and holy thankes be ascribed to thy name therefore yet we meekely beseech thee O gracious God that we never so eate or drinke to sustaine our weake nature but we may alwayes keepe our selves in appetite and strong desire to feed on the Divine food at thy heavenly Table with all the most blessed societie of our beatified Predecessors the Participants and Communicants with Iesus Christ our Lord in his Kingdome Amen CHâ—P IX The Contents of the ninth Chapter 1. Non-admittance of strangers to the Passeover divers sorts of servants and strangers servants of the seed of Israel their estates and priviledges servants of forraine Nations their hard condition hired servants and their differences from others the hired servant might not he forced to be circumcised 2. Maimonides falsely opineth that the seed of Abraham were onely to be circumcised 3. There were three sorts of strangers in Israel two sorts of Aliens Adam's sixe Preceps to all the world Noahs additionall inhibition the Law of Moses is a branch of the Law of Nature Bishop Andrewes commended and excellent passages of his Worke transcribed The Romane Lawes borrowed from the Iewes in Tertullian's judgement The twelve Tables and their supposed perfection their imperfection in precept The fragments onely remaine of them some semblance betweene the foure first Commandements of the first Table in Gods Law and betweene the Romane Lawes Rigalitius rejected Gothofredus preferred Comparisons beeweene the Gentiles keeping the Saturday and Christians the Sunday Saturday was the Sabboth of the Romanes kept with joy and feasting as our Lords day A large Treatise concerning the Lords day the Christians pray towards the East the Reasons thereof The holy Communion Table justly placed at the East end of the Chancell ignorant and irreligious Censurers taxed and objections answered the promiscuous use of the words Altar and the Lords Table The Commandements of the second Table of Moses followed by the Papyrian Law and twelve Romane Tables except the tenth Commandement onely a forraigner unfixed might not eate of the Passeover a sojourner or stranger whose males were circumcised might eate thereof and so might their sons onely Circumcised ones might eate the Passeover all others were forbidden women were held as circumcised in the circumcision of the Iewish males PARAGRAPH 1. ANother Paschatizing Ceremony of durabilitie which is the sixt was the non-admittance of strangers or the admittance of the Iewish Church onely the expresse Lawes concerning this point are some inhibitory some mandatory The negative precepts are first of all Exod. 12.43 This is the Ordinance of the Passeover there shall no stranger eate thereof Secondly ver 45. A forraigner shall not eate thereof an hired servant shall not eate thereof The preceps affirmative are these Exod 12.44 Every man servant that is bought for money when thou hast circumcised him then shall be eate thereof and ver 48. When a stranger shall sojourne with the and will keepe the Passeover to the Lord let all his males be circumcised and then let him come neare and keepe it and he shall be as one borne in the Land One Law shall be to him that is home-borne and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you ver 49. The same in effect is repeated to shew it is a lasting Rite of the passeover Num. 9.14 If we deepely consider the occurrent and emergent particularities comprised in the affirmative and negative precepts I dare say we cannot open nor understand the businsse as it ought to be understood unlesse we take notice both of the divers sorts of servants and divers sorts of strangers in the Iewish Law Servants were thus to be distinguished first such as were of the seede of Iacob secondly servants of other Nations The first kinde of servants were in a farre better estate than the latter and had divers priviledges above other servants a powerfull man might take some true or supposed offenders for bondmen otherwise the brethren of Joseph had needlesse and false suppositions in their heads for they feared lest they should be taken for bondmen Gen. 43.18 Any man might make himselfe a bondman We will be my Lords bondmen Gen. 44.9 If a Iew did sell himselfe to a stranger or sojourner he himselfe if he grew able or any of his kindred might redeeme him if not he was to be as a yearely-hired servant he shall not be ruled with rigour he and his children shall goe out in the yeare of Iubilee the reasons of these priviledges followeth Levit. 25.55 For unto me saith God the children of Israel are servants they are my servants as if he had said the Israelites indeed were Pharoahs bondmen Exod. 6.21 Thou wast a bondman Deut. 15.15 But I have redeemed you out of the house of bondmen from the hand of Pharoah Deut. 7.8 therefore they shall be no longer bondmen Gods service is perfect freedome and now saith God Exod. 4.22 Israel is my Sonne even my first borne let my Sonne goe that hee may serve me ver 23. If a
Iew did sell himselfe to any of his brethren the Iewes hee was not to be compelled to serve as a bond servant Levit. 25.39 Hee shall be with thee not onely as an hired servant but as a sojourner he shall be with thee ver 40. which was higher in Priviledge then the servant-Iew which was sold to a stranger and no doubt they used their brethren-servants the Iewes better that they did servants of other Nations or than Masters of other Nations did use their servants The Iewes even to this day the hard-hearted Iewes are more compassionate on distressed Iewes than Christians are on Christians As concerning the servants of forraigne Nations they were of foure sorts 1. Bondmen or bought-servants 2. Bondmens children 3. Captives 4. Hired servants The three former were almost of one condition 1. They might be used with rigour they were kept hard at worke most times in the more uncomfortable places of their houses or out-houses many in one house God redeemed you out of the house of bondmen Deut. 7.8 which for extremity of hard usage is called the iron furnace Deut. 4.20 Salomon saith of himselfe Eccles 2.7 I got me servants and maydens had sons of mine house c. that is children of my bond-men and bond-women in a sort distinguishing them from sonnes of the bed or rather from the children of free-women 2. They were not to be dismissed at the yeare of Iubilee Levit. 25 44. c. Thy bondmen and thy bond-maydes shall be of the Heathen that are round about thee and of the childrdn of sojourning strangers begot in your Land ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you to inherite for a possession they shall be your bondmen for ever Such were the Gibeonites Josh 9.23 Yee are cursed and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen yet none will deny but Captives and other bondmen might be sold and redeemed if so it pleased the owners and Masters of them Aristotle Ethic. 5. Servus est Possessio Domini a servant is the Masters possession vobis erunt in possessionem they shall be to you for a possession as it is according to the Hebrew in the place of Leviticus last cited and servants were reckoned among Salomons possessions as is in Eccles 2.7 Now upon valuable considerations such possessions might be sold yea he might if so it pleased him manumize any of his servants and was not hindered from giving freely freedome and libertie to either male or female if he would be so gracious unto them the words are rather Permissive then Coactive that is thou mayst keepe him for ever for thy vassall if thou wilt him and his but it is left to thy choyce to make him a freeman if thou pleasest him or his The last sort of servants were the hired servants and they were hired as they are with us by the day or by the yeare these were in a better estate than bondmen God had a more especiall care of them the impoverished Iew was to be as an hired servant Levit. 19.13 The wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night untill the morning You may understand this of the day-labourer Thou shalt not oppresse an hired servant that is poore and needy brother or stranger at his day thou shalt give him his hire neither shall the Sunne goe downe upon it for he is poore Deut. 24.14 c. This you may understand of the Covenant servant hired a yeare who was to be payd quarterly or yearely as was conditioned Tob. 4.14 Let not the wages of any man which hath wrought for thee tarry with thee but give it him out of hand the hired servants had bread enough and to spare Luk. 15.17 Bread that is all things sufficient and competent in which regard the Prodigall sonne resolved within himselfe to bespeake his father thus Make me as one of thy hired servants ver 19. The faithfull and wise Steward Ruler of the houshold was to give them their portion of meate in due season Luke 12.42 and blessed hee was for doing so ver 43. hee was not to beate the Men-servants and Maydens ver 45. the Steward was to call the Labourers to give them their hire even in the Evening of the same day Matth. 20.8 and among hired servants some had more favour than others ver 14. One difference more there was betweene the hired servants and the bondmen Bondmens children or Captives the hired servants might not be compelled or inforced to be circumcised Maymoinides sayth if a Iew bought a man-servant of the Heathen he might retaine his servant a whole yeare though he were uncircumcised then if he would not be circumcised he must sell him again to his Heathen-Master but if the servant whilst he was with the Heathen conditioned and articled with the Iew that he should not force him to be circumcised then the Master might keep his new servant still in the uncricumcision but if the servant bought with money had these priviledges the hired servant was much more free Religion in people of full yeares and discretion and of a degree approaching to liberty was not to be inforced but their soules were left free and they were to have it by election and choyce without violence or coaction But the Iewish glosse of Maymonides in my opinion corrupteth the Text sure I am God sayd to Abraham Gen. 17.13 Hee that is borne in thine house and he that is bought with thy money must needs be circumcised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Himmol Immol Circumcidedo circumcidentur ver 12. Why the children of Abraham should preferre the Covenant betweene Master and Man before the Covenant betweene God and Abraham I see no reason As sure it is Abraham circumcised Ishmael and all his servants as God commanded ver 23. Wherefore not onely they that were bought with money and the Captives whose condition was all one were to be circumcised but Omnis servus dominatus every sonne of the bondman or of the Captives all their children and childrens children that were Masculine were to be circumcised and were circumcised Gen. 17.12 these Vernae or Vernaculi houshould slaves commonly with us called Villaines whose tenure is said to be in villenage had no wrong to be circumcised on the eight day for if Abraham did circumcise his owne children should he spare his bond children If he circumcised himselfe should his servants escape If he were content should they complaine The children were young and it was a deed of charitie to bring them within the Covenant the men were of age sufficient and it was honour to them to be of the family of Abraham and to have the seale of God All were to be circumcised except the hired servant whom they used for their need but had little or no proprietie in him or to his person but rather to his labour PAR. 2. MAymonides againe is awry and wringeth blood from the Text whilst hee voucheth that Circumcision was appointed
scattered ones continued and propagated their Hereticall opinions after Iudas Galilaeus his death and most especially they prevailed in Galilee In the time of Christs publike teaching the Pharisees laid a double trappe for Christ about this point Is it lawfull to give tribute to Caesar or not Matth. 22.17 They fully supposed he would have answered yea or no and if hee answered yea their emissary-Disciples would have taken advantage as if Christ had favoured the Romanes not the Iewes the Prince and not the people and so might have stirred up the giddy people against him if Christ had denied it to be lawfull to give tribute the Herodians whom also they sent would have seized on him as an author of rebellion as a follower of Iudas the Galilaean but Christ did then most divinely breake their net in peeces and established the lawfulnesse of paying Tribute so soone as he was borne Ioseph and the thrice-blessed Virgin did in all likelihood pay Taxation-money for him as well as for themselves that Ioseph was taxed no man may doubt that Mary also was taxed is proved from the words Luke 2.5 Ioseph went up to be taxed with Mary for that holy Virgin was the onely daughter which had nor brother nor yet sister sayth Aeuthymius on Iohn and heire of her father and had land by him saith Lyranus on Luke 19.25 and Eusebius Emissenus at large in his Homily of the Nativity of Mary The Taxe was to be done Capitatim by poll and so our Saviour not excluded I am sure as by precepts he upheld the Magistrates authoritie Matth. 22.17 so he payd tribute for himselfe and for Peter the then Representative body of the Church and rather wrought a miracle than he would not pay Tribute a Fish after a wonderfull manner bringing money in his mouth nor did he appeale from the judgement seate of Caesar his Apostle appealed unto it and both S. Paul and Peter called for obedience of the people to their Magistrates both Civill and Ecclesiasticall but after Christ and his Apostles were dead who signed this obedient Truth with their blood and opposed the denyers of tribute then the Galilaean opinion of Zelotes prevayled amaine as witnesseth Josephus Antiq. 18.2 and againe antiq 20.3 and once more De Bello Iudaico 7.29 insomuch as to that one particular amongst others both Iewes and Gentiles doe ascribe the besieging of Hierusalem Now the remnant of those scattered Mutiners who sometimes followed Iudas Galilaeus in likelihood came up to Hierusalem to worship with intentions too-high swolne and revolting whom Pilat prevented by mingling their owne blood with their owne sacrifices Pilates act indeede had beene a most ungodly act if he had not had most certaine intelligence of their resolved rebellion but Christ found no fault at all with Pilat but confessing that the Galilaeans were sinners and great sinners Tertullian ad Nationes 1.17 calleth Commotions and conspirations against Princes Crimina Vaesaniae frantique sinnes yet addeth other Galilaeans understand it of the same factions were as great sinners and even of themselves who related this prodigious act for he knew their thoughts marching along in all likelihood with those rebellious ones he saith Except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish Luke 13.1 c. So much for the explanation of that misunderstood story and the third Argument That the Iewes apprehended not Christ on their Feast-day for feare of an uproare but after hee with his Disciples had received the Passeover and before themselves received it they tooke him they crucified him PAR. 14. AGaine Ioh 13.1 Before the Feast of the Passeover Iesus knew that his houre was come that he should depart out of this world These words before the feast of the Passeover cannot be meant of that Passeover which Christ and his Disciples were to take for they had celebrated their Passeover before and Supper was ended ver 2. at least the Paschall Supper if not the common supper also And Christ arose from Supper and layd aside his garments and tooke a Towell and girded himselfe and afterwards powreth water into a Bason and began to wash the Disciples feete and to wipe them ver 4.5 Therefore the words before the Feast of the Passeover must of necessitie poynt out the Iewish Passeover then drawing on before the feast of the Passeover the other words are but a parenthesis he loved his own unto the end ver 1. For indeede before the Iewish passeover he was apprehended condemned crucified and cryed Consummatum est It is finished Hee prowred out his life for them Hee loved his owne unto the end before the feast of the passeover So there were two distinct passeovers on two distinct dayes To this purpose the words Luke 22.7 Goe and prepare us the passeover and Marke 14.2 Where wilt thou that we goe and prepare that thou maist eate the Passeover and Matth. 26.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My time is at hand I say the words having the Emphasis fixed to the Pronoune declare that Christ tooke not the passeover when the other Iewes did that his time was so marked out from their time and in their first Native sense and intention imply Christs passeover not the Iewish passeover PAR. 15. AS on the contrary it is said of this passeover in the yeare when Christ was put to death Joh. 11.35 The Iewes Passeover was nigh at hand for though Christs passeover was a day nearer yet the words Pascha Iudaeorum was nigh also might punctually signe out the lewish passeover as divers from Christs passeover divers from the true-right passeover contrary to the Law contrary to Christs practise Pascha Iudaeorum justly to be taxed for being out of order and opposed to Pascha Legale or Pascha Mosaicum for Christ kept the Law exactly ad unguem saith one And Beza on Matth. 26 17. Thus Impium est existimare Christum â legis praescrip to vel tantillum discessisse It is impietie to thinke that Christ erred one jot from the prescript Law Againe Stet illud legem prorsùs â Christo fuisse observatam let it never be questioned but Christ did exactly observe the Law with all the durable Ceremonies thereof and this rite among the rest that he celebrated the passeover on the fourteenth day of the moneth though the Nation of the Iewes following the Commandements of men rather than the letter of the Law observed it on the fifteenth day presently after Christ was buried I will not meddle with that controversie of the Christians which perplexed the East and West Churches till from almost the Apostles dayes even till the time of Constantine whilst in mine opinion Polycarpus and Irenaeus were more moderate as leaving all Churches to their former practise than such as made more garboyles and contentions than the matter was worth I would the Church had never knowne those differences while the orientalls kept their Easter in die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the day of his Passion but the Westerne Churches
one brand of the curse that lyeth upon them since their crucifying the Lord of life and say it made much for the honour of our Saviour if it were sure or probable that when they shall be turned to Christ their breaths shall stinke no more than they did before Christs death Lastly nor Martiall nor Tacitus nor any other that I have read though they hated the Jewes taxed them for this matter and God needeth not the lye of men to uphold his Honour or Cause PAR. 4. CEdrenus reporteth from Papias and Papias from others relations that when Judas dyed in his owne ground praefoetore illud desertum remansit inhabitatum usque ad hodiernum diem by reason of his stinke that field continued desert and not inhabited to this day If thus it were as there is no likelihood of it and if people could not passe by without stopping their noses as they say shall we judge the worse or the like of the whole Nation Other reasons might move Marcus to say so if he did say so as Ammianus Marcellinus no friend to Jewes but great enemie to Christians hath perchance in spleene related Yet me thinkes the great Baronius who lived at the same time in Rome with so many thousand Jewes who are allowed to have in that famous City foure Churches might have sought some better grounds ere he had proclaimed Judaei etiam foetoris signo infames Naturâ ipsâ in eos inclamante the Iewes are infamous for their ill-smelling bodies naturally the whole Nation and though the now accursed seede yet still the carnall seed of Abraham should not be so charged without better grounds give the Devill his due let us rather pray for their conversion for converted they must and shall be ere the worlds end yea howsoever Mr. Fuller in his sacred Miscellanies 3.13 passeth a presumptuous and uncharitable verdict upon the Iewish Nation that as it doth live now in vastatione horrendâ in Terras omnes dissipatione so vivet perpetuò sine ullâ reditûs spe yet others have proved and I doe second them that before the end of the world the dispersed Iewes shall bee gathered together and become one flocke with us under Christ and have their politie and government perhaps even in the holy Land see and deepely ponder Rom. 11.25 c. and more especially Luk. 21.24 and among humane Authors Barradius tom 3. pag. 576. Aretius Estius on Rom. 11. and Dionysius Carthusianus on Luke 21. Let us I say rather pray for their conversion than loade the Nation with unjust aspersions for the fault perhaps of some few whose abhorred Covetousnesse perswades them to exchange sweetenesse and cleanelinesse which is not unexpensive for that cheape sordid nastinesse and fulsome-accidentall-ill-breathing smells which would be alike disliked in any of any nation that would be so basely penurious Purchas in his Pilgrimage of Africa 8.8 Paragr 4 relateth from Mt. George Sandys that the Iewish men are of indifferent statures and of the best complexions pag. 1306. that the Iewish women about Constantinople are generally fat and ranke of the savours which attend upon sluttish corpulencie as it is in the next page here not nature but idlenesse causeth the stinke I must adde that a very learned man a great traveller who was inwardly and familiarly acquainted with many of the Iewes as himselfe seriously professed to me could never discerne any such odious smells or ranke nastinesse by them Sir Edward the Bishop Sandys his elder sonne who loved not our Clergie as a Bishops sonne should towards the end of his relation could not have passed over the remarkeable difference of the Iewes if such it were above other nations when he highly commendeth some of them with whom he was well acquainted as seeming to want no grace but the faith of a Christian Indeede their dispersion is most just which they called for and more upon themselves when they cryed Christs blood be upon us and on our children Mat. 27.25 Yet who so shall consider their number and power will say it is not so ill with them as the world imagineth Benjamin of Tudela in Navarr ended his journey 1173. and relateth huge numbers of them at that time he maketh first mention of the Iewes residing at Barcelona then he proceedeth to this effect at Gerundam he found a small congregation of Iewes at Narbona almost 300. Iewes at the towne of Baetiras a company of students at Mount-peslier the most famous Disciples of the wise men of that age at Lunel an holy assembly of about 300. Iewes at Beaâ—caire 40. Iewes and a famous University of them at Nogres about an 100. of their wise men upon the banke of the river Rhone divers Rabbins Iewes at Arelatum 200. Iewes at Marseillis two Colledges of almost 300. Iewes at Genoa about 20. Iewes at Luca almost 40. Iewes at Rome almost 200. Iewes at Capua almost 300. Iewes at Naples almost 500. Iewes at Salernum almost 600. at Malti about 20. Iewes at Benevent almost 200. Iewes at Malchi 200. Iewes at Aesculum almost 40. Iewes at Trone almost 200. Israelites at Tarentum almost 300. Iewes at Barnedis about 10. Iewes dyers of scarlet at Otranto almost 500. Iewes at Corfu one onely Iew at Larta about 100. Iewes at Achilon about 10. Iewes at Patra almost 50. Iewes at Lepantum almost an 100. Iewes at the mountaine of Parnassus almost 200. Iewes at Corinth almost 300. Iewes at Thebes about 2000. Iewes at Aegriphon about 200. Iewes at Iabusteria almost an 100. Iewes at Robinica almost an 100. Iewes at Kuxopotamos about 50. Iewes at Gardegis a few Iewes inhabite at Armilon about 400. Iewes at Bissina almost an hundred Iewes at Seleucia almost 500. Iewes at Melrisi almost 20. Iewes at Darnea almost an 140. at Canistolin almost 20.200 Iewes at Pera and thereabouts at Rodoston almost 400. at Gallipoli almost 200 at Calas almost 50. at Mitilene in 10. places the Iewes have their Synagogues at Chios almost 400. at Samos almost 300. at Rhodos almost 400. at Cyprus as it were a Colledge divers Iewes at Antioch some glasse-makers at Laodicea almost 200. Iewes at Gebal almost 150. Iewes at the Temple of Ammon almost 200. at Biroth almost 50. Iewes at Tsidon almost 20. at Tyrus almost 400. at Akadi almost 200. at Schizeria or Caesarea almost 10. Iewes besides 200. Cathaei or Samaritine Iewes at Lux one Iew a Dyer betweene the mountaines of Gerizzim and Ebal about an 100. Samaritans under the Tower of David 200. Iewes or thereabout at Bethleem 12. Iewes at Beth-Gabarim 3. Iewes at Shunem 300. at Nob 2 Iewes Dyers at Ramas 3. Iewes at Ioppa 1. Iew a Dyer at Askalon almost 200. Iewes 40. Karites who stickt closely onely to the Scriptures and almost three hundred Samaritans at Jisreel one Dyer at Tiberias are about 50 Jewes at Aschath almost 20. Iewes at Alma 50. Iewes at Damascus almost 3000. Israelites almost 200. Karaites Samaritan Jewes 400. at Gilead almost 60. Iewes
Numbers 36. at the last verse The 44. Section began Deuteronomy 1.1 ended Deuteronomy 3.22 The 45. Lecture began Deuteronomy 3.23 ended Deuteronomy 7.11 The 46. Lecture began Deuteronomy 7.12 ended Deuteronomy 11.25 The 47. Section began Deuteronomy 11.26 ended Deuteronomy 16.17 The 48. Lecture began Deuteronomy 16.18 ended Deuteronomy 21.9 The 49. Reading began Deuteronomy 21.10 ended Deuteronomy 25. at the last verse The 50. Lecture began Deuteronomy 26.1 ended Deuteronomy 29.9 The 51. Lecture began Deuteronomy 29.10 ended Deuteronomy 30. with the last verse The 52. Lecture began Deuteronomy 31.1 ended Deuterenomy 31. with the last verse The 53. Section of the Law began Deuteronomy 32.1 ended Deuteronomy 32 with the last verse The 54 and last Section of the Law began Deuteronomy 33.1 ended with the last words of Deuteronomy This is transcribed from the Jewish Doctors and Englished by Aynsworth and it is observable I might proceed to other their Readings out of the six Books of the Psalmes as the Jews divided them though the holy Spirit by S. Peter calleth it in the singular number The Book of the Psalmes Acts 1 20. having reference to the first composure and united body of them And out of the Prophets they had another distinct Reading Acts 13.15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets Acts 13.27 The Rulers knew not Christ nor yet the voyces of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath day And yet by reason of one Spirits dictate and one unity and uniformity of them all in one truth of doctrine the holy Ghost saith Acts 3.18 God shewed by the Mouth of All his Prophets that Christ should suffer But now saith Cornelius Cornelii à Lapide on that place they are accustomed to sing that part which they call Haprathah Propheticam Missionem the propheticall Sending because that being ended the people are sent home See Elias Levita in his Thisbi The Jews deliver traditionally that every of the Lectures of the Law or Pentateuch consisted of one hundred thirty sixe verses And when Antiochus had rent the Books of the Law in pieces which they found and to make sure work as he imagined burnt them also with fire and this the instruments of Antiochus did monethly 1 Macchab. 1.56 58. verses To supply this the Jews saith Lapide took as many verses agreeing in sense with the former out of the Prophets and so read them united in the room of the other and wee may not think any one verse hath perished much lesse so great variety The Jews say confidently that the Lord God more regardeth and respecteth every syllable and letter of the Law than he doth the Stars of Heaven PAR. 3. THese their Deuteroseis or Traditions I will not strictly and rigidly examine though the number of verses in severall Lectures differ Only I will observe these things in or from their former good courses First against the malevolent maledicent recalcitrating ignorant Puritans who reprove our Church for mangling and cutting in pieces the Word of God because we read in our Service one piece of one Chapter and another piece of another and so patch up a Lesson as they terme it I answer In many of these Lectures of the Law Gods chosen people did do so as appeareth in their very first Lecture which ended at Genesis 6 8. and their second Lecture began not at a new whole Chapter but at Genesis 6.9 verse And the like is in diverse other Readings as by the divisions plainely appeareth Therefore if our Church led by such a President and by that which is to be preferred before any humane president Wel-grounded Reasons doth sometimes begin toward the middle of one chapter and end toward the midle of another chapter it is not to bee disallowed Wee aremore to be guided by matter than by Numbers And if any new matter of moment do occurre as often it doth about the midst of a chapter this new notable emergent point wheresoever arising may wel begin a Lesson appropriat for that time and occasion as the Sun-shine always appeareth most welcome from what part of Heaven soever it breaketh from under a cloud Secondly as I hold it most certaine that the names of the Books Divine were called even from their very beginnings as now they are Genesis Exodus and the like So I have not seene it proved that at the first the books were divided by Chapters or the Chapters by Verses Sure I am wheresoever the holy Spirit of God in the New Testament pointeth at or citeth any passage from the Old Testament though the Prophet be named or the Law that is one Book of the Pentaeteuch be mentioned or the Book of Psalmes be particularly expressed yet never in any one of all these places is the chapter much lesse the verse specialized Neither was there any need in those dayes For the Jews got by heart as we say all the Old Testament and upon the least intimation or inckling of any matter they as readily could recite it as many of us can the Lords Prayer or the Ten Commandements PAR. 4. THirdly whereas diverse people of our Westerne parts have horribly Judaized of late and have run on madly in the by-paths of Trask though it bee generally both knowne and confessed that the Iews shall be converted to us and not we Christians to the Iewes Yet I would advise them and all other English Christians whatsoever to beware of these horrid abuses following It is alas it is too common a fault for Women to hold their children out to defile the Church-yards more usuall and common for men to bepisse the corners of our Churches and make them their voyding vessels whilest some wash the filth down into their parents mouths buried nigh that place More especially and as a wicked wonder let me with griefe and indignation of heart â—ecount that whereas the City of Exeter is by its naturall situation one of the sweetest Cities of England and by the ill use of many one of the nastiest and noysommest Cities of the Land whilest not only their by-lanes but the High-faire street yeelds many offensive both sights and savours to the eyes and noses of the Passers by whilest the polluted corners of the â—athedrall are almost dyed by their urine into another colour whilest the Church-yard hath been the draught unto many and the very Câ—oysters the receptacles of their ordures Sacrilegi in Sacrario faciunt oletum I write no more than what I have seen and God thou knowest I know there in that kind worse than what I have now written which for my love to that City I do forbeare For in truth it is an honorable City and the Corporation a choyce Fraternity of worthy good wealthy men Yet let me take leave humbly to advertise them that their holy Predecessors went not to Heaven by opposing that ancient well-founded Cathedrall but by Reverencing of It and of their Canonicall Clergy the guides of their soules and their Ghostly Fathers Let them know
Doctrine The ancient fathers both Latine and Greeke call the third Supper the Supper of our Lord. Fol. 523 Par. 3 A discourse concerning the Agapae or Feasts of Charitie They succeeded in the place of the Chagigah or second Supper When Eaten The Eucharists before Tertullians dayes eaten in the Morning The Agapae in the Evening The Eucharist and Agapae in the Primitive Church were kept neare about the same time Christians falsly accused for eating Infants at their Agapae The Agapae kept on the Lords day What scandals were taken by the Gentiles against the Christians Agapae Fol. 526 Par. 4 The second Eucharist and not the Agapae as the Papists thinke is meant by the Supper of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.20 The Agapae never practised before Christs Ascension The Agapae at first were used holily and religiously sometimes Severally from Jointly with the Lords Supper The Corinthians did eate them before the Lords Supper They were celebrated by the Corinthians in the Church Each Schisme of the Corinthians supped a part by themselves The poore neglected by the Corinthians in their Agapae The primary end of the Agapae the releefe of the poore Fol. 229 Par. 5 Charity modestly covereth a multitude of sinnes The ill fashions of the Corinthians in receiving the Lords Supper reproved Casaubone censured in two points First that the Corinthians received the Eucharist in the Morning Secondly that the Eucharist ought to be called a Dinner or a break-fast rather than a supper The Churches both Westerne and Easterne did receive the supper of the Lord fasting in the fourth Age. On good-Friday the Church used to receive it thrice That use broken by Pope Honorius and the Counsell of Tarracon Pope Eutichianus his Decretall against such as received the Sacrament not-fasting Some Churches of Africa and some Aegyptians received it about Eventide not-fasting In the second age of the Church in Tertullians time they received it some at Night some as Mealetime and some ere Breake of day We receive the holy Communion in the Morning in remembrance of Christs Resurrection Fol. 530 Par. 6 In the Primitive Church they did lye on beds when they did eate their Love-Feasts Love-Feasts forbidden to be kept in the Church by the Laodicean Councell ancient Fathers and later Divines Kneeling in the time of solemne Prayers and administration of the Supper commended by Calvin Fol. 533 Par. 7 In S. Cyprians and S. Augustines dayes some received the Eucharist every day others at certaine times onely S. Augustines Rule Let every one follow the custome of the Church wherein he liveth Eudemon Johannis by Casaubone reproved A Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or holy complying to avoid Schisme and for concords sake was practised by the ancient Fathers by other Christians and by Calvin himselfe and commended by Causabone Rigaltius and others Calvins good advise to Farellus His divine temper against Luther Fol. 534 Par. 8 The holy Kisse usually at the blessed Sacrament Forborne on Good-Friday The Kisse of Charitie why so called 'T is called holy to discriminate it from false amorous and civill kisses Why the holy Kisse was omitted on Good-Fry-day Divers kindes of kissing Some of salvation some of Adoration Divers manners of Kissing Some kisse the lippes or mouth former parts and hinder parts of the shoulder cheeks bands backe of the hands the feete and the toe The reason of Kissing the Popes toe The Penitents in Tertullians dayes did kisse the very foot-steps of other Christians Kissing of a Tablet or holy Board The reason thereof Holden by the eares in kissing used among Heathen and among Christians The reason thereof Joah held Amasa by the beard and kissed him The custome of kissing one another at the receiving of the Sacrament continued till S. Augustines dayes The manner of kissing in Prester Johns Countrey and among the Persians Fol. 536 Par. 9 When the Agapae began and ended uncertaine Not to be eaten in the Church and in the Chancell The use and abuse of them even in the Apostles times The abusers of them termed spots and blemishes in the abstract The words breaking of bread and breaking of bread from house to house Act. 2. verse 44 45 46. interpreted The degrees by which abuses crept into the Agapae Fol. 538 The Contents of the second Chapter 1 DIvers ends why the third holy Supper was instituted 1 Reason To substantiate the preceding type The diference betweene fulfilling of a Law and realizing or consummating of a type Tertullian censured Hierome applaeuded The Passeover was a figure of the Eucharist and of Christs Passion All figures are not Antytipes 541 2 2. Reason To conferre more grace upon it than was given unto the Jewes The figure must come short in exellencie to the thing figured The veritie and effect of the Lords Supper in us 542 3 3. Reason To prefigure Christs death and going out of the world All Sacraments of the old Law were figures of the Eucharist and did typifie Christs death 543 4 4. Reason To be a Remembrance to us of Christs death till his comming againe Tholy Eucharist not onely sealeth and fignifieth Grace but also conferreth and exhibiteth it by it selfe in the true use thereof How farre forth this effect is to be understood Why Christ received the blessed Sacrament before he went into the Garden Christ had degrees of devotion Not to faint in Prayer The blessed Virgin Mary not so full of Grace but that she was capable of more latitude 544 5 5. Reasons To unite us to Christ ib. 6. Reason To breede brotherly love and to unite us one to another Hence the Communion of Saints the Eucharist called Communion 7. Reason To be an Antidote against daily sinnes The Eucharist called Panis supersubstantialis and by S. Ambrose Panis quotidianus 8. Reason To further our spirituall Life 9. Reason Because it is the Sacrament of spirituall charity and filiation The Contents of the third Chapter Par. 1 VVHat course Christ tooke in the perfiting of this third or last Supper First he removed Judas The ceremonies of the Grecians at their Sacrifices S. Augustines error who thought Judas did eate the bread of the Lord Sacramentally A more probable opinion that Christ did not institute the blessed Eucharist till Judas was gone forth After what words Christ began his third Supper The word When doth not alwayes note the immediation of times or things consequent Fol. 547 Par. 2 A discourse by way of digression The first part thereof Concerning the division of the Bible into Chapters and Verses Neither the Evangelists nor the Apostles divided their writings into Chapters and Verses Neither Christ nor his Apostles in the new Testament cited Chapter or Verse of the old Testament Probable that the Bookes of the old Testament were from the beginning distinguished and named as now they are And began and ended as now they doe The Jewes of old devided the Pentateuch into 54. Sections Readings or Lectures The Iewish Section is either Incompleate termed Parashuh or
old time divided not themselves from the Catholique Church in this respect as S. Augustine witnesseth Nor Novatus as Ruffinus recordeth The Christians in ancient time reserved the Sacrament Some reject things really tendred unto them Fol. 623 Par. 6 The second word Eate It is probable that Judas did receive the Sop into his Hand Mouth Many of the Fathers did thinke so Sinnes revealed grow more sinfull Carolostadius his fancy by most Divines disliked disploded The Future tense is never used for the Present tense but the Present tense is often used for the Future in Scripture Fol. 627 Par. 7 The third word This is my body which is given for you c. Transubstantiation roved at The farther Disquisition thereof wittingly and willingly forborne The Authors Apologie for the same His Valediction to the remainder of his Miscellanies Resolves to spend the remainder of his dayes in holy Devotion and continuall Praying The Moores of Morocco Pray sixe times every twenty foure houres The Lords Prayer highly commended and preferred before all other Prayers It ought to be used by every Christian at least seven times a day The Church of England commended Vnto which the Author submits himselfe and all his Writings Bishop Iewell Bishop Andrewes Bishop Morton Bishop White and incomparable Master Hooker have written Polemically the controversies of the Lords Supper unto whose unanswerable Writtings the Author referreth all scrupulous Christians for their better satisfaction The Contents of the seventh Chapter Par. 1 THe Word of God hath omitted to set it downe in particular 'T is probable they did kisse their right hand and so received it An evill custome of false complementing by kissing the hand in Iobs dayes In adoration our hands must be lifted up Our voyce lowly and submisse In great Agonies it is lawfull to cry aloud and roare Probable it is the Apostles received the heavenly Sacrament humbly kneeling on both their knees Tertullian is punctuall against Sitting even after prayer The Heathen after their prayers and some even at their prayers did use to sit upon their Altars Their servants had three Sanctuaries to flie unto from their angry Masters Numa's Law to sit at the time of adoring their false gods A reason why no passage eyther in the Evangelists nor Apostles commandelh Adoration at the Sacrament How the ancient Fathers are to be understood when they say The holy Eucharist is to be adored Fol. 635 Par. 2 Reasons proving that the Apostles received the blessed Eucharist kneeling Par. 1 Reason Most sacred reverence is to be exhibited to most sacred things Par. 2 Reason The Fathers of the Primitive Church received it kneeling Par. 3 Kneeling doth edifie the simple Par. 4 It is an Ecclesiasticall custome The manner of Reverence used both by Priests and Lay people in S. Chrysostomes dayes God will be worshipped as well in our body as in our Spirit The Penitents in Tertullians time did kneele downe at the receiving of Absolution And it was the common practise of all other Christians in his dayes to worship God kneeling Except from Easter to Whitsontide and on the Lords day Divers of holier times had knees as hard as horne by their continuall kneeling at Gods Worship An admonition to stiffe-kneed Pure-trants Fol. 637 Par. 3 Reasons why the devouter sort did forbeare kneeling betwixt Easter and Whitsontide 1 The Church did so appoint it 2 Hereby the people did shew themselves thankefull Whitsunday whence it hath its denomination Kneeling imports Repentance and sorow for sinne Standing implyes thanksgiving for the pardon of our sinnes The divers usances of divers Churches in the Primitive times concerning Fasting and Feasting on the Lords day Kneeling and Standing at the time of Prayer and the reasons thereof In the Primitive Church they baptized not any except the sicke but at Easter and Whitsontide The newly baptized stood to expresse their thankefulnesse to God for their baptisme The people in some Churches stood praying at the Altar on every Sunday betweene Easter and Whitsontide in remembrance of Christs Resurrection The Christians in the Primitive Church prayed Recto vultu ad Dominum to confront the Heathen who fell downe flat on their faces when they adored their false Gods Fol. 638 Par. 4 The great variations of the Primitive Churches concerning the eating or not eating of flesh offered to Idols A just discourse to that purpose A good Rule for the peace of the Church Why our Church hath commanded Kneeling at the receiving of the blessed Sacrament when the Primitive Church hath commanded Standing Churches have great power committed unto them The Church upon just motives may change her Orders The meaner sort of all people Ecclesiasticall and Civill are bound to obedience are not to Order Peter Moulin found fault with the precise Ministers of our Church of England The day of Christs Resurrection the first day of his Ioy after his Dolorus passions Why the Fathers made Sunday their Holy-day Why they forbade Kneeling and Fasting upon that day What indifferency is according to S. Hierome A thing indifferent in it selfe being commanded by the Supreame Magistrate or Church is no longer indifferent to thee Varietie of Ceremonies not hurtfull but beneficiall to the Church of Christ The Bishop of Rome taxed by Cardinall Palaeotus excused Rome Christian in too many things imitateth Rome Heathen in publique prayer commeth short of it Heathen Rome began all their businesse in the world with this Prayer Quod foelix faustumque sit c. The greater power the Pope and his Cardinals have the more neede they have to pray to God before their publique meetings in their Consistory Kneeling at receiving the holy Eucharist never disliked as a thing of its owne nature evill or unlawfull In the Primitive Church after Whitsontide they used to kneele Kneeling at the blessed Sacrament not prescribed by Scripture but authorized by tradition confirmed by custome observed by Faith In the Primitive Church when they received the Sacrament Standing Kneeling they prayed Standing Kneeling Our Factionists would follow the Primitive Church in one thing but leave her in another Fol. 639 Par. 5. A third Reason At the first Institution of things Sacred Profane the solemnitie is greater than in the sequell Every new thing hath a golden taile Proverbe Popular Lecturers have sunke even below scorne All sinnes of former times have descended downe upon our dayes An Epiphonema or Exclamation against the profane pretenders of Devotion now adayes The lowest humiliation is too little for the house of God They cryed Abrech or how the knee before Ioseph Hee that boweth himselfe most before man is most right in the sight of God Divers examples of Prostration and Geniculation both out of the old and new Testament A Vice-Roy of Ireland devoutly fell on his knees and asked an Archiepiscopall Benediction The Heathen kneeled downe to worship their very Idols S. Hieromes saying By Kneeling wee sooner obtaine what wee aske at the hands of God Not lawfull for any to sit
in the porch of the Temple but onely the Kings of Davids loynes The humble gesture of the Iewes when they came in went out of the Temples The Primitive Church kneeled to the Altars Altars the seats of the body and blood of Christ The Crosse in Chrysostomes dayes did alwayes use to remaine upon the Altar An Angel an assistant when Christ is offered up Ambrose To this day we worship the flesh of Christ in the Sacrament Idem No man eateth the blessed Sacrament before be have worshipped Christ in the Sacrament Augustine Constantine the Emperour in his Soliloquies with God pitched on his knees with eyes cast downe to the ground K. Charles partaketh of the body and blood of Christ with as much Humilitie as the meanest penitent amongst his subjects His holy and devout gestures at the participation of the Lords Supper turned the heart of a Romanist to embrace the truth on our side In Origens Arnobius and Tertullians dayes the Saints never met in holy places about holy things without decent reverence The Papists in kneeling adore the very materials of the Sacrament Yet the abuse of a thing taketh not away the right use Proved by divers curious instances Christians may lawfully use many artificiall things though invented by Heathenish Gods and Goddesses To argue from the Abuse of things to the whole removing of the use is rediculous Illustrated by some particulars Veneration of the Sacrament is accorded on all sides In the very Act of receiving it it is lawfull to kneele downe and worship Christ in it Calvin himselfe holdeth that adoration to be lawfull The Lutherans are divided in this point Illyricus denieth Christ to be worshipped in the Eucharist Brentius and Bucer hold That then we must worship Christs body Luther himselfe stileth the Eucharist Sacramentum venerabile Adorabile Chemnitius saith None but Sacramentaries deny Christ to be adored in the Sacrament Chemnitius acknowledgeth these Theses 1. Christ God Man is to be adored Arrians deny this 2. Christs humane nature for the hypostaticall union with the Divinitie is to be adored None but Nestorians will deny this The Apostles worshipped the Humane Nature of Christ Adoration precedeth Communication by the judgement of S. Chrysostome and S. Augustine Christs flesh as made of earth may be said to be Gods footestoole So is the Arke All the Angels of God doe Worship Christ Christ is to be adored alwayes and every where Augustine Ambrose Nazianzene and Eusebius Emissenus are Chemnitius Co-opinionists Not the materiall Elements but Christ onely in them is to be adored If wee must adore Christ when we celebrate the divine Sacrament much more did the Apostles Habituall not alwayes Actuall Adoration of Christ 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—ired of the Apostles The Apostles worshipped Christ 1 When he had newly performed any Super-humane worke 2 When they begged great matters of him 3 When he did heale some who were vehemently afflicted 4 When he conferred any extraordinary blessing on their soules As hee did when he instituted the new Sacrament Master Hooker tearmeth Kneeling an Adorative gesture No kinde of Worship accepted that is not sometimes conjoyned with Kneeling Gregory Nazianzens Story of his sister Gorgonia Eusebius Emissenus and Origen say Christ is worshipped in the Sacrament Kneeling at the Communion commanded by the Booke of Advertisments set down set forth by Queene Elizabeth by the Lawes of the Realme and the Queenes Majestie Injunctions They defraud the Knees of their chiefest office and honour who refuse to bend them at the receiving of the blessed Sacrament Fol. 645 The Contents of the eight Chapter Par. 1 WHat gesture we are to use at the Administration of it to others Receiving of it our selves Both handled promiscuously The English Liturgie our best guide At the Repeating of the Law the people must kneele Receiving of the same the Israelites did no lesse Never Patriarch Prophet Evangelist Apostle nor holy Man nor Christ himselfe prayed sitting when there Was oportunity of kneeling The Monkes of Egypt did pray sitting The rule of Saint Benedict mentioneth Sitting at the Reading of three Lessons Rising up at Gloria Patri c. Severall gestures are to be used both by Priests and People upon severall occasions The Priests never kneeles while the people stand but he may stand when they kneele Great reason why they should kneele at the receiving of the Body and Blood of Christ No superstition nor idolatry then to kneele but obstinate irreverence if not blaspemy not to kneele Prayer most an end used with bending of the knees The Pharisee stood Christ kneeled when he prayed The Rubricke of the Communion Booke is to be followed by all obediently Fol. 652 Par. 2 The Minister is to deliver the Communion to the people kneeling in both kindes into their Hands Maximus would have Men to wash their hands Women to bring clean linnen that will communicate The nicetie of former times questioned The sixth Synod Canon 3. against it The consecrated bread must be carefully delivered and received To let any crumme or particle thereof fall to the ground accounted a great sinne by Tertullian and Origen Pope Pius the first punished those who let any of the Lords blood fall upon the ground or Altar S. Cyrill of Hierusalem gives a caveat to this purpose Little tables set before the Communicants in former times as now we hold linnen clothes saith Baronius The usuall fashion of receiving the Consecrated bread between the thumb and a finger or two disliked Receiving the holy bread in the Palme of the hand a safer way In Tertullians dayes the Christians did stretch abroad their hands like Christ upon the Craffe in their prayers Damascene would have us receive the body of Christ crucified with our hands framed like to a Crosse The right hand being upward open and hollow to receive the bread This accounted the safer Way Saint Cyril commanded the same kinde of usance Other manner of taking it not sinfull In things indifferent wee must not love singular irregularity All unseemly motions and gestures are so many profanations of the Lords Supper Seven generall rules to be observed against the profanation of the Lords Supper The word Amen explaned and kneeling at receiving the blessed Sacrament pressed Fol. 653 Par. 3 Tenth Generall What Names are given to the blessed Sacrament by the Scriptures and Fathers the Latine and Greeke Church The hallowed bread is called in the Scriptures 1 The Lords body broken for us 2 The Communion of the Body of Christ And the reasons thereof Breaking of bread from house to house 4 Holy bread Blessed bread Eucharisticall bread Heavenly bread Joh. 6. In the Fathers 1 Taking of the Lords body Tertullian 2 Earthly bread sanctified by prayer consisting of Earthly and Heavenly things IreÌ„naeus A Medicine of immortality an antidote against death procuring life purging sinne driving away all evills idem 3 Christs Dole to his Church Tertullian The plenty abundance and fatnesse of the Lords Body The Wine is called in
Munster as that Gospell is in Hebrew and by him set forth and dedicated to Henry the eight where Nizabon of the Iewes fiercely objecteth against us Christians Si Christus odivit Sabbata solennitates Neomenias quarè suscepit super se legem Iudaicam circumcisionem Sabbatum Vniversam legem Israel cunctis Diebus suis If Christ hated our Sabbaths solemne Feasts and New Moones why did he undergoe or fulfill all the Law of the Iewes Circumcision the Sabbath and the Universall Law of Israel all the dayes of his life Munster excellently retorteth it if Christ observed their whole law as is here confessed why doe they why did their forefathers accuse him of Sabbath breaking and condemne him as a transgressour of the Law their present confession is ground enough to conclude hee strictly solemnized this passeover and was unjustly both accused and condemned Whosoever preferreth not the searching out and finding of a truth before a little paines in reading may passe over the next argument and many other in this Booke PAR. 7. THe next yeare the next passeover that Christ was present at is poynted at in these words e Ioh. 5.1 Iohn 5.1 After this there was a feast of the Iewes and Iesus went up to Hierusalem If any object that here is no mention of the passeover I answer there is none expresly and further adde both that there were many other Feasts of the Iewes and that the diversity of expositors and expositions seeme to make the poynt more full of scruple than I conceive it to be f Melchior Caenus loc com 11 c. 5. ad 5. Melchior Canus approoveth Cajetan for holding that this Feast of the Iewes was a Winter Feast and so could not be the Feast of Easter Canus himselfe addeth Nihil interest sive dicas fuisse Festum dedicationis Templi secundi sub Zorobabele quod celebrabatur tertiâ die mensis Adar hoc est Februarii sive potius Festum sortium quod Iudaeis solenne erat 14 15. die ejusdem postremi mensis That is It mattereth not whether it was the Feast of the dedication of the second Temple under Zorobabel which was kept on the third day of February or the Feast of Lots which was observed by them on the 14. and 15. dayes of the same February so he may crosse the torrent and invent a new crochet he can be content to leave it in a certaine uncertainety It must be acknowledged that it is said a feast of the Iewes and that the Iewes had many feasts some Stata some Conceptiva saith Zepper but say I their Conceptiva were Stata also therefore thus they may be better divided Some were of primitive divine institution as besides other the three famous feasts of the passeover Pentecost and Tabernacles to which there was due a most strict obedience yearely Thrice in a yeare shall all your male children appeare before the Lord God a Exod. 34.23 Exo. 34.23 viz. Once at each of these feasts And there were some other posthumous feasts afterward casually and incidentally appointed as the Feasts of the dedication and of Lots c. made by men pro re natâ as occasion served yet no way against Gods Law divine PAR. 8. ANd howsoever some frothy-mouth'd ignorants raile against holy dayes and say none can make holy dayes save God onely who is holy I say when the Church of God maketh holy dayes it is never done against God or besides his will but they are lawfully made and are holy to God and God may be said mediately to make them holy Concerning the Feast of Lots thus When the Iewes were wonderfully delivered from the cursed plots of Haman and evill fell on him who evill thought they called those dayes Purim b Esth 9.26 Esth 9.26 By reason of the Magicall Lots which Haman used calling in the great Abaddon to helpe the Iewes destruction And the Iewes ordained and tooke upon them and upon their seed and upon all such as joyned themselves to them so as it should not faile that they would keepe those two dayes yearely ver 27. This was the decree of Esther confirming the ordinance of the Iewes ver 32. Will you say this was profane or unlawfull So concerning the feast of Dedication c 1 Mac. 4.59 1 Mac. 4.59 Iudas and his Brethren with the whole Congregation of Israel ordained that the dayes of the dedication of the Altar should be kept in their season from yeare to yeare by the space of eight dayes Was the dedication of the Altar profane were no dayes holy but Sabbaths what was his feast of eight dayes wherein one Sabbath at least was included Though they esteeme not of the Churches power in making holy dayes yet Christ in his time did observe those holy dayes and sanctifyed them with the presence of his owne words workes and person d Ioh. 10.22 Ioh. 10 22. It was at Ierusalem the Feast of dedication and it was Winter there Christ did miracles there did he plainely avouch himselfe to be God To that feast of the Maccabees doe our late translators apply the words of Saint Iohn and with them agree Maldonat and some others yet if it were at the dedication of the whole City of Ierusalem when the decayed Walls were repayred as Theodorus Mopsuestiensis opineth though the dedication of the City Wals is not so holy a thing or if it were the dedication of Salomons Temple which was in this place aymed at e Cyril in Graeca Catena Cyril rather imbraceth though it will be hardly proved that the day of Salomons dedication was kept holy and festivall after his Temple was destroyed and after the new building of another Temple and new dedication Lastly if it were the dedication of Zorobabel when the Israelites came from Babylon and Persia f 1 Esd 7.7 1 Esd 7.7 Where they offâ—red to the dedication of the Temple 100. Bullockes 200. Rammes 400. Lambes I say which soever of all these dedications it was it is all one to our purpose sithence Christ did honour the feast of the dedication with his owne presence and with wonderfull both words and deeds and that feast of dedication was at Hierusalem and it was Winter as I said before from g Ioh. 10.22 Ioh. 10.22 Encaenia facta sunt I cannot but taxe Zepper lib. 9 c. 9. Who maketh encaenia and Renovalia to be Synonoma's whereas Renovations must differ from dedications and all feasts were often renovated yea some annually some often in a yeare as the New-Moones or the Feasts of the Calends PAR. 9. THe same Zepper faults those meetings of people at the feasts of dedication of Temples and especially the dancing at those times as provocations to venery How temptations may arise from the Dutch dances I know not they may be like those ungracious ones h Exod. 32.6 Exod. 32.6 Or like the Herodian dances though I was never any dancer I know a harmelesse use may be made of dancing himselfe
selves or deferre bathing till night or give your selves to rest and good cheere which ye doe in imitation of other Religions the summe of the controversie is Rigaltius intimateth that the Roman Sunday was to them as the Jewish Sabbath Gothofredus accounts their Saturday called Dies Saturni to be as their Sabbath which is the truest opinion Gothofredus in his notes on that Chapter among many other excellent things observes that Tertullian compareth the Gentiles keeping of their Saturday as the Christians keepe the Lords day First by their not comming at all to their bath that day Secondly or comming late some Colonies anniversarily cloathed with sacke-cloth sprinckled with ashes pray to their Idolles their shops and Bathes shut up till neere nine saith he adversus Psychicos cap. 16. their nine is all one with our three of the clocke in the afternoone Thirdly he compareth the rest and the banqueting of the Gentiles on their dies Sabbathi or Saturday with the rest and banqueting of the Christians on our Lords day quare ut ab excessu revertar qui solem diem ejus nobis exprobratis agnoscite vicunitatem non longè â Saturno Sabbatis vestris sumas wherefore that I may returne from my diversion you Gentiles who cast into the teeth of Christians the adoring of the sun from their strict observation of the Sunday confesse that you and we disagree very little we keepe our Sabbath's on Sundayes ye on Saturnes-dayes or Saturdayes the day of the Lord or Sunday is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Isidorus Pelusiota in his Epistles a day of rest and remission the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometime taken in an ill sense here it is not the Apostle complaineth he had no rest in his spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2.13 or it may be taken for bodily Rest and repose 2 Cor. 7.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our flesh had no rest or it may be taken for liberty opposed to durance so S. Paul Act. 24.23 had liberty that his friends might come unto him was permitted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gothofredus might have observed another parallell in the beginning of the chapter alii solem Christianum Deum aestimant quod innotuerit ad orientis partem facere nos precationem vel die solis laetitiam curare quid vos minus facitis nonne plerique affectione adorandi aliquando etiam coelestia ad solis initium labra vibratis some others say the Sun is the God of the Christians because it is commonly knowne we pray towards the East and are merry and refresh our selves on Sundayes you are like to us you doe little lesse most of you affecting the adoration sometimes of heavenly things at Sun rising doe mutter or pray hee saith not in die solis but ad solis initium or as it is varied in cap. 16. Apologet. ad solis ortum and this they practised as well on any other day as Sunday for Sunday was not their holyday or Sabbath day but Saturday which I marvell that the great Rigaltius erred in for these considerations First that the same Chapter affordeth divers passages that Saturnes day was as it were the Gentiles Sabbath therefore their Sunday was not so Secondly that Gothofredus from Iosephus lib. 2. contra Appionē and from Clem. Alexandrinus 5. Strom. had before hand published Saturni Diem seu Sabbatum otio quieti ubique Gentium Iudaeorum imitatione assignatum fuisse that Saturnes day or Saturday was the Sabbath or resting day of the Gentiles in all places which they borrowed from the Jewish custome Thirdly Tertullian in his Apologeticke which is an elucidary to the bookes ad Nationes and the amplified and refined comment on them cap. 16. hath it Aequè si diem solis laetitiae indulgemus aliâ longe ratione quà m religione solis secundo loco ab iis sumus qui diem Saturni otio victui decernunt if we indulge and be merry on Sunday we doe it not in any religion to the Sun or its day as the day of the sunne but as the Lords day and we are alike or next to those who consecrate aturnes day to repast and rest Fourthly Sidonius like wise Epist 2. l. 1. acknowledgeth so much that the Gentiles kept Festivall the day of Saturne and termeth their profusenesse luxum Sabbatarium I am sure the Noble and holy Lady Paula in S. Hieromes time and her company even on the Lords day after Sacred services were ended vel sibi vel caeteris indumenta faciebant as reformed Churches abroad doe seeme to confine the Sabbaticall day to the Sabbaticall exercises as witnesseth Hierome ad Eustochium Epist 27. and esteeme us little better than Jewes for our strict sabbatizing Also her feasts were turned into mourning and her Sabbaths into reproach for Antiochus Epiphanes had by letters commanded that they should profane the Sabbaths and Festivall dayes 1 Mac. 1.39 c. Yea many Israelites profaned the Sabbath ver 43. Augustine de Civitate Dei 6.11 usque eò sceleratissimae gentis consuetudo convaluit ut per omnes jâm terras recepta sit victi victoribus leges dederunt that is the custome of that most wicked Nation hath beene so prevalent that it is now generally received almost by all Nations the vanquished have given Lawes to the vanquisher these words doth S. Austin cite out of Seneca of the generall observation of the Jewish Sabbath Fiftly Philo in his booke de vitâ Mosis glorieth that all the Easterne people kept their Sabbath forgetting that the Chaldaeans did mocke at the Sabbaths of Ierusalem in the dayes of Ieremie the Prophet Lam. 1.7 Sixtly Macrobius Saturnal 1.7 at the end affirmeth that the Saturnalia were more ancient than the Cittie of Rome that Macrobius speaketh not of the weekly sacrifices I confesse but his Authors words may meane more than he did Lucius Accius in his Poeticall Annalls thus Maxima Pars Graium Saturno maximae Athenae Conficiunt sacra that is The Greatest part of Greece yea Athens hight To Saturne on his day their incense light Cumque diem celebrant per agros urbesque fere omnes Exercent epulis laeti that is And when both towne and Country their holiday doe keepe They most an end doe feast it untill they goe to sleepe Every Saturday their Servants might rejoyce with them He farther relateth from Cicero Septenarium numerum rerum omnium fere modum esse that the number of seven is the measure almost of all things The very vast Ocean observes this number the first day of the Moones tining the Ocean is more full than usuall it decreaseth somewhat on the second day the third day leaveth it lesse and dayly it diminisheth to the seventh day the eighth day is like the seventh the ninth equalleth the sixth the tenth day answereth to the fifth the eleventh to the fourth the twelfth to the third the thirteenth to the second the fourteenth day is as the first day So much for the
use of the Crosse by the Christians of those times almost upon every occasion I collect Bathing was before Eating Eating before Candle-light Candle-light before bed and yet I cannot but adde against Puritanes of our Times that the Crosse was so honoured in the dayes of the best Christianity after the Apostles that the Heathen termed those holy Christians commonly Crucicolas as well as Christicolas Martial 11.53 Coenabis belle Iuli Cerealis apud me Octavam poteris servare lavabimur unà Scis quam sunt Stephani balnea juncta mibi that is Pray Julie Cerealis sup with me And welcome shall you be At eight a clocke into the Bath we 'le goe How neere to Stephens Bath I dwell you know Rich men had their Baths in their houses and meaner sort hired Baths for their guests as Martial did here of Stephanus then followeth Iulius Cerealis his Supper better set forth by Martials Pen then it was served in by his servants the same Martial lib. 10. ep 41. speakes of the seasonable houres of Bathing in Nero his Bath Temperat b Hora Scil. octava haec Thermas nimios prior hora vapores Halat immodico sexta Nerone calet The Bathes at 8. a clocke are mild at 7. the vapours toyle And Nero's Bathe with fervent heate at 6. a clocke doe boyle Alexander ab Alex. Hora Balnei hyeme nona aestate octava fuit at winter they used to goe into the Bathe at 9. a clocke in the summer at 8. The Emperours changed the houres no bathing was allowed in the night but in corrupter times In dayes of devotion among some Romane Colonies Balnea tabernacula in nonam usque eluduntur for clauduntur saith Rigaltius the bathes and Tavernes were shut untill 9. a clocke and Tabernacula are taken for Taberna the testimony is in Tertullian contra Psychicos cap. 16. and againe in Apolog. cap. 42. Non lavo sub noctem Saturnalibus nè noctem diem perdam attamen lavo debitâ horâ salubri quae mihi colorem sanguinem servet that is I use not to bathe my selfe in the Evenings during the Saturnalls lest I should lose both the day and the night neverthelesse I goe into the Bathe at a seasonable and healthy houre which will preserve my colour and my blood in the first passage he implyeth that the Romans bathe about twi-light in their Saturnals Marcus Agrippa made 170. baths for the Romans In the eighth of the Romane Empire were made most costly and Princely bathes Thermae Agrippinae Neronianae Domitianae Alexandrinae Gordianae Severianae Aurelianae Constantinianae c. a great number of Thermae doth Rosinus recount pag. 35. yet all after our Saviours time Publius Victor reckoned above 800. so great was the later luxurie and prodigality Statius 5. Sylvar Argento felix propellitur unda Argentoque cadit labris nitentibus instat Delicias mirata suas that is The spont of silver was the pavement silver Silver the brimmes all the bath over silver Except the waters wondring at their silver Plinius 3.12 and 13.3 witnesseth the bathes were paved with silver PAR. 5. GRant we therefore that the Romans exceeded the Iewes in number and sumptuousnesse of bathes in the Augustane times and after yet the Jewes in Christs time or before tooke not their custome of washing or bathing from the Romans nor intended any flattery or imitation of them since the Iewes observed such things long before from the tradition of the Elders and the tradition of the Elders had some shadow of practise from times long precedent and from some precepts in the Law which they extended too much at their pleasure In the Babylonish Captivity the example of Susanna may give us some light For grant it be not Canonicall yet God forbid we should thinke every passage in the Apocryphall to be untrue or without ground of practise in those dayes for my part â—professe I ascribe to the Apocryphall more than to any meere humane authority Susanna as it is ver 15. was desirous to wash her selfe in the garden for it was hot and she sayd to her maydes ver 17. Bring me Oyle and washing balls that I may wash me It seemeth this was the practise of those times yea though they were in bondage and good women used both Oyle and washing Balls Poppaea in the Romane story used milke which by its fatnesse hath a cleansing power the Romans used divers sorts of Oyles and I finde there was such an Officer as was called Olearius from his performing the duty of anointing as well as from buying or selling of Oyle the matter was not strange to any the word and the name as of a peculiar Minister in their vocation is rare but to the Oyle in the story of Susanna are added washing-balls not used by the Romans neere those times for the washing of their bodies so farre as I remember the whore in Ezekiel did wash her selfe for her adulterers and painted her eyes Ezek. 23.40 and sate upon a stately or honourable bed and a Table prepared before it whereon was set Gods Incense and his Oyle ver 41. And the Adulterers or drunkards put bracelets on their hands and beautifull Crownes upon their heads ver 42. This was also in the Non-age of the Romanes when their name was scarce knowne throughout Italy The holy Spouse sayd Cant. 5.3 I have washed my feete how shall I defile them the Bridegroomes eyes were as the eyes of Doves by the Rivers of waters washed with milke ver 12. Lest some may perhaps thinke that Salomon washed his eyes or face with milke which our Translation will not beare let it be observed the Originall applyeth it to the Doves themselves and to white Doves whose wings are sayd to bee covered with silver Psal 68.13 and which were highly esteemed so that no man out-raged them or killed them Tibullus Lib. 1. Eleg. 8. Quid referam ut volitet crebras intacta per Vrbes Alba Palaestino sancta columba suo that is Through many Cities the white Dove divine Doth flye securely to her Palaestine Joseph Scaliger forsaking his owne Coppie varyeth it thus Alba Palaestino sancta columba Syro making Palaestinus Syrus to be as Psyllus Paenus the sense is all one The Jewes hold their white Doves inviolable and Sacred upon what ground the white Doves were so priviledged by the Iewes I see not unlesse they had reference unto the Holy Ghost appearing in the likenesse of a Dove or some Eulogie of the Doves in Scripture or that Noah his Dove or other Doves mentioned in Scripture were white Bathshebah in Davids time washed her selfe 2 Sam. 11.2 Not her face and her hands onely but bathed her body the Chaldee interpreter in 2. Eccles holdeth that Salomon had costly bathes and fit for so great a King before this the daughter of Pharaoh came downe to wash her selfe at the River and the maydens walked along by the River side Exod. 2.5 By how much the Countries of Babylon Aegypt and
Angels were created after the world as the soule of man was after his body So Gennadius and Acatius Yet Beda Cassiodorus and others are peremptory that the Angels were created within the sixe dayes And they followed the Divine S. Aug. for after Aug. almost all the Latines saith Ludovicus Vives de Civitate 10.9 and since them all the Schooles say all the Angels were created within the sixe dayes I boldly say Col. 1.16 By Christ were all things created that are in heaven earth whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers hee might have specialized Angels or Archangels Cherubims or Seraphims since hee added Al things were made by him and for him What some said of Origen I may say concerning those Greek Fathers that they rather Platonize than Christianize for Plato long before them in his booke de mundi opificio held the same opinion The reasoning of Augustine de Civitate Dei 11.9 is good That the creation of Angels is not left out only by Moses I thinke by this saith he it is said expresly God ended his worke on the seaventh day and hee rested the seaventh day from all his workes Gen. 2.2 And In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth Gen. 1.1 Now if he made nothing before the sixe dayes and rested from all his worke the seaventh day then the Angels must needes be created within that time But yet there is a plaine place Exod. 20.11 though it be not sufficiently expressed without some deduction In sixe dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is The Angels are in heaven and on earth This is the assumption Therefore in the sixe dayes they were created Psalm 146.6 It is varied somewhat God made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that therein is From whence you may extract the same conclusion As man was created when all things were fitted for him and the soule is infused into the body when the body is prepared to receive it so as soone as the Heavens the Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now framed the Lord filled it with Angels Furthermore it is said Psalm 148.2 Praise the Lord all yee Angels of his the reason is added in the fifth verse Let them praise the name of the Lord for hee spake the word and they were made hee commanded and they were created not onely Sun and Moone not onely Starres of light not onely heavens of heavens and the waters above the heavens but Angels also and first of all are Angels placed when hee had formerly said Praise the Lord from the heavens And so are they comprized as well as other creatures within the sixe dayes compasse of the creation Augustine in the forecited booke and chapter argueth from the song of the three children in the midst of the fire though it be Apocrypha tous for in the 34. verse it is said All yee workes of the Lord blesse yee the Lord and in the next verse O yee heavens blesse yee the Lord the subsequent verse hath it O yee Angels of the Lord blesse yee the Lord as if they were created and indeed so they were so soone as their habitation was made and God had fitted them a dwelling place But that was done towards the beginning of the creation and therefore the Angels were then created Againe though there be not expresse mention in iisdem terminis sic terminantibus In plaine words and disert termes of baptizing of infants yet the Church justly profitably and excellently observeth it And thus it may be evinced by Scripture In the Apostles time they did baptize whole housholds 1 Cor. 1.16 I baptized the house of Stephanas Lydia was baptized and her houshold Act. 16.15 So the Jaylor was baptized hee and all his streight way Act. 16. verse 33. that is his children as well as his houshold servants Act 2 38. Be baptized every one of you For the promise is made to you and to your children vers 39. This were a silly reason if children might not be baptized but indeed it is a strong motive that they should bring their children to Baptisme and an argument faire enough that children were baptized for those to whom the promise is made must be baptized but the promise is made as much to children as to any others therefore children ought to be baptized Certainly the Apostles would never have named their children if none of them had any children but the converts in that place being some thousands it could not be otherwise but many of them had children yea and that their children were baptized with themselves as in the same day was Abraham circumcised and Ishmael his sonne and all the men of his houshold Gen. 17.26 For otherwise hee had beene disobedient to the holy Apostle who said Be baptized every one of you But no good Christian will or can thinke that those then converted were disobedient and therefore their children were baptized It is a ridiculous thing to thinke the Apostles chose out such housholds only as had no little infants in them leaving great and numerous families unbaptized because some little children were in them And fairelier we may conclude In many families there were some infants But many whole families were baptized therefore some infants If some why not others If others why not all And so all infants are to be baptized Againe Baptisme is necessary for us as Circumcision was for the Jewes This is proved because of the correspondence betweene the Type and Antitype which correspondency is so square and perfect betweene the Old and New Sacrament that the Apostle 2.11.12 in effect designeth out Baptisme by the name of Circumcision But their infants were circumcised Gen. 17.27 and therefore our infants must be Baptized Act. 2.41 In one day were added to the Church about 3000 soules yea daily the Lord added such to the Church as should be saved vers 47. but children are some of those that must be saved for of such is the Kingdome of God saith Christ Matth. 19.13 It is added Mark 10.15 verse Verily I say unto you Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdome of God as a little child hee shall not enter therein Lastly lest any should cavill these children were not very little but such as came of themselves unto Christ it is said in the same verse of Saint Matthew They brought little children unto him and some of those children so brought were infants Luk. 18.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it being significantly translated in our best and last translation They brought unto him also infants Therefore infants according to Christs yea the Apostles practise must be baptized For there is no likelihood but in such great multitudes as were together baptized and divers day by day but there were some infants Much more may be added to this point but Quantò diffusares est tantò substringenda nobis erit that I may use Tertullians phrase ad Nationes 2.12 The second Supper is not
Church were kept neare about the same time Christians falsly accused for eating Infants at their Agapae The Agapae kept on the Lords daye What scandals were taken by the Gentiles against the Christians Agapae 4. The sacred Eucharist and not the Agapae as the Papists think is meant by the Supper of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.20 The Agapâ—e never practised before Christs Ascension The Agapâ—e at first were used holily and religiously sometimes Severally from Jointly with the Lords Supper The Corinthians did eate them before the Lords Supper They were celebrated by the Corinthians in the Church Each Schisme of the Corinthians supped a part by themselves The poore neglected by the Corinthians in their Agape The primary end of the Agapâ—e the releife of the poore 5. Charity modestly covereth a multitude of Sinners The ill fashions of the Corinthians in receiving the Lords Supper reproved Casaubone censured in two points First that the Corinthians received the Eucharist in the Morning Secondly that the Eucharist ought to be called a Dinner or a Break-fast rather than a Supper The Churches both Westerne and Easterne did receive the Supper of the Lord Fasting in the fourth Age. On good-Friday the Church used to receive it Thrice That use broken by Pope Honorius and the Councell of Tarracon Pope Eutichianus his Decretall against such as received the Sacrament Not-Fasting Some Churches of Africa and some Egyptians received it about Eventide Not-Fasting In the second Age of the Church in Tertullians time they received it some at Night some at Mealetime and some ere Breake of day We receive the Holy Communion in the Morning in remembrance of Christs Resurrection 6. In the Primitive Church they did lye on beds when they did eate their Love-Feasts Love-Feasts forbidden to be kept in the Church by the Laodicean Councell ancient Fathers and later Divines Kneeling in the time of solemne Prayers and administration of the Lords Supper commended by Calvin 7. In S. Cyprians and S. Augustines dayes some received the Eucharist every day others at certaine times only S. Augustines Rule Let every one follow the Customes of the Church wherein he liveth Eudemon Johannes by Casaubone reproved A Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or holy complying to avoyd Schisme and for concords sake was practised by the ancient Fathers by other Christians and by Calvin himselfe And commended by Casaubone Rigaltius and others Calvins good advise to Farellus His divine temper against Luther 8. The holy Kisse usuall at the blessed Sacrament Forborne on Good-Friday The Kisse of Charity why so called 'T is called Holy to discriminate it from false amorous and civill Kisses Why the holy Kisse was omitted on Good-Friday Diverse kinds of Kissing Some of Salutation some of Adoration Diverse manners of Kissing Some kisse the lips or mouth former parts and hinder parts of the shoulders cheeks hands back of the hands the feet and the toe The reason of Kissing the Popes toe The Penitents in Tertullians dayes did kisse the very foot-steps of other Christians Kissing of a Tablet or holy Board The reason thereof Holding by the eares in kissing used among Heathen and among Christians The reason thereof Joah held Amasa by the beard and kissed him The custome of kissing one another at the receiving of the Sacrament continued till S Augustines dayes The manner of kissing in Prester Johns Countrey and among the Persians 9. When the Agapae began and ended uncertaine Not to bee eaten in the Church and in the Chancell The Vse and Abuse of them even in the Apostles times The Abusers of them termed Spots and Blemishes in the Abstract The words Breaking of bread and breaking of bread from house to house Act. 2. verse 44 45 46. interpreted The degrees by which Abuses crept into the Agapae PARAGRAPH 1. IN things unrevealed in circumstances omitted a wide window yea a doore is open for diversities of opinions and variety of opinions proveth there is obscurity in those things about which they differ In this obscurity we are left to doubts and doubts are determinable by the fairest proofes Knowledge is not so common a matter as is esteemed many may light on a good beleefe who have not any divine knowledge Cognitio fieri non potest nisi cognoscenda praecedant Augustine de Genest ad litteram Cap. 32. De non intelligibilibus non est intellectio Doubting it selfe is not wholly voyd of all knowledge nor doth any man know any thing truly of which he never made any doubt before saith Petrus Pomponatius de Incantationibus cap. 9. Plato his young youth was to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquisitive Name qui nil dubitat nil capit inde boni For he that reading makes no doubt Doth little profit get thereout A signe to a nimble wit is as persuasive as a sentence to a dull braine The institution of the venerable Eucharist is for the substantiall part thereof set down at large by three Evangelists and by S. Paul But for the time place and manner of administring what preparatives were used by word or deed with what gestures Christ did celebrate and the Apostles receive that blessed Sacrament what Reverence was shewed what Prayers Precedent Concomitant or Subsequent were made is not directly expressed in holy Scripture Scarce ever was there an holy subject more subject to various constructions For we are forced to seek for the light without any shine of it the ashes must bee blown away and hidden corners searched Fire is produced by a strong applying of the flint to the steele and we must be as tinder dryed and apt to entertaine the least flying spark points unwritten must be extracted and distilled out of things written Wherefore good Christian people whosoever you be that are unlearned and can talke only of our English originall forbeare censure in these dubious points be willinger to follow than to lead to learne than to determine But come you hither O ye inquisitive and learned Conjecturers Here is work for you and in this work let me intreat you rather to build than to destroy to cut of rather than multiply perplexities And you dainty Criticks the sweet Children of the Arts and Muses you mines and minters of Invention come with your nimble fancies and pricking apprehensions towring beyond sight fetch light out of darknesse adde improvement to learning and truth and strength of reason to conjecture And you especially most Reverend and Holy divines the true Epoptae Stewards of the mysteries of God and beholders of his secrets who daily converse with God and his blessed Angels who spend not your thoughts on the stincking trash of this filthy world whose death to the world is life to Godward and who are Finita divitiarum cupiditate divites rich in that you covet not riches Whilest an earthworme or muckworme is Medias inter opes inops poore like Tantalus in the middest of his riches You who bury your selves among your books and joy more to illuminate obscurities than to find
and antiquated by the Councell of Tarracon in Spaine So much for the Western Church But the Easterne Church forbade Night-offerings in the Laodicaean Councell Canon 5. and in the sixt Generall Councell cap. 79. So Pamelius on Cyprian Euthychianus the Pope you shall find it in Ivo parte 2. cap. 45. was so strict for the receiving of the Sacrament Fasting that he Decreed whosoever took the Sacrament after meat yea though it were but a petit refection if they were youths they should repent three dayes if they were of perfect age they should do seven dayes penance if they were Priests or Clergymen they should be punished for it twenty dayes together Goulartius on the same Epistle affordeth a liberty to the Pastors of the Churches That for the circumstance of times and places both of old and in our Age they did and may appoint the Communion to be kept either at early Morning or in the Day or at Night Adding they were forced in time of persecution to celebrate the Communion not once only but many times in one day And some Egyptians saith Socrates lib. 5. supped liberally before they received the Sacrament and yet did eate the holy Communion about Eventide Some of these have I cited out of Casaubone against himselfe For in the Morning saith he it should seeme by the authority of the Universall Church Jam inde à principio it was a custome almost every where to take the Eucharist Fasting That it was so about Augustines and Chrysostomes dayes I confesse with some limitation But that it was so jam inde à principio is hardly or not at all to be proved Let me ascend higher to Tertullians time and even here in the second Age of the Church he is pregnant enough that the blessed Sacrament was taken by the Christians Fasting Non sciet maritus quid secretò ante omnem cibum gustes shall not your husband know what you take secretly before any meate is tasted by you Tertulliam ad Vxerem 2.5 The same Tertullian Apolegetic cap. 2. witnesseth that Plinius Secundus wrote to Trajan that the Christians had coetus Antelucanos ad canendum Christo Deo Early meetings before day to sing to Christ and to God But sing they did at their Communions And they did saith Pliny seipsos Sacramento obstringere Binde themselves by the Sacrament which was the Christians receiving of the Sacrament as Baronius opineth ad annum Christi 104. for they bound not themselves to any evill but from doing evill saith Pliny And this was ante Lucem before day saith the said Pliny And yet the same Tertullian de Coronâ militis 3. cap. saith Eucharisiiae Sacramentum in tempore victus omnibus mandatum à domino etiam antelucanis coetibus sumimus Some received it at Night some at Meale-time some ere Break of day Rhenanus on the place of Tertullian Non solum victus tempore erant soliti accipere Eucharistiam sed etiam in congregationibus quae nonnunquam ante exortum diem fiebant An ingenuous confession That the primitive Church in the second Age was wont at Meale-time that is not excluding Supper to receive the Sacrament and yet that some times they received the same before the Day-spring Radevicus relateth of Constantine that either alone or with very small company or retinew he beheld the meetings of the Priests in the Churches before day-light Cyprianus Epistola 63. ad Coecilium Paragraph 12. acknowledgeth the use of receiving in sacrificiis matutinus in their morning sacrifices yet faulting such as received the Sacrament with water only as fearing least through the sent and tast of wine they might smell of the blood of Christ and confuting those who receiving the Communion with water only in the Morning yet when they came to supper they offered mixtum Calicem the sacred Cup with wine and water Cyprian addeth ibid. Christ ought to make his offering about Eventide that the houre of offring might shew the Eventide of the World I answer The houre of the Paschall offring was exactly praescribed But the houre or time of administring the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist was free and arbitrary yet the Prophet might fitly allude to Christ Psal 141.2 when he said Let the lifting up of my hands be as the Evening sacrifice But we saith Cyprian do celebrate the Lords Resurrection in the Morning The sense is we offer the holy Communion in the Morning in remembrance of the Lords Resurrection For certainly say I he Arose in the Morning Mat. 28.1 as it began to dawn that is very early in the Morning Mark 16.1 Early when it was yet dark John 20.1 and yet even Then was the stone taken from the Sepulcher the undoubted signe of Christs Resurrection and by his Arising buried the Jewish Sabbath which by his death was dead before The custome of receiving the holy Sacrament at Night continued in some places even unto the dayes of Augustine saith Pamelius on the fore-cited place of Cyyprian So was it observed by the Aegyptians neare Alexandria and by them of Thebâis saith Socrates and Thebâis was a whole region bounding on Aethiopia Plinius 5.9 Gregorius Nazians Oratione in sanctum Baptisma saith Christ observed the Mystery of the Paschall After Supper and in the House Wee in the Churches and Before Supper And the Mystery of the Paschall I take to be nothing else but the holy Eucharist For what have we to do else with the Paschall Mstyeries The Paschall was a type The Eucharist the mystery typified the Paschall the Ceremony and shadow the Eucharist was the substance and body Leo Magnus in an high straine thus The old observance in the Judaicall Passeover is taken away by the New Sacrament Sacrifice is translated and passed over into a Sacrifice Blood excludeth blood And the legall Festivity whilst or as it is changed is fulfilled PAR. 6. IT is cleare from Tertullian that the Primitive Church had their Triclinia as I proved before and did lye along or discumbere when they did eate their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is also as evident that because it was irreligious to use such gesturesin the hurches that the Laodicaean Councell forbade any to Feast or to eate their Love-Suppers in the Churches or in the Temples of God to make beds to lye on Justin Martyr also is punctuall both that the people sate in Sermon time and prayed standing in Apologia 2. These were changeable Rites and not observed a like in the Churches Before I leave this place it is considerable what Augustinus Januario Epistola 118. cap. 6. teacheth us That the Corinthians whom the Apostle reproved and amended did at their tables mingle the Sacrament with their own meat which was a grosse abuse And the same abuse is remembred by Gregory Nazianzene Oratione in Sanctum lavacrum By Epiphanius toward the end of his 3. Book of the Fashions of the Primitive Church By Chrysostome Homil. 27. on the 1 Epist to the
Corinthinans cap. 11. By Isidore de Divinis Officiis By Bede on Luke 22. By Paschasius de corpore Domini cap 19. and most amply handled by Walafridus Strabo de rebus Ecclesiae cap. 19. So far Pamelius on Cyprian That ill Custome is condemned by Calvin Institut 4.10 But the kneeling in prayers with our hats off he there commendeth and the administration of the Lords Supper not fordidly and unmanerly but sollemnly and reverently More particularly concerning Kneeling in the time of solemne prayers he saith ibid. Parag. 30. That it is so an Humane tradition that it is also a Divine tradition And it proceedeth from God as it is part of the Decency which the Apostle commendeth to us but of this more hereafter PAR. 7. I Now proceed to the twelfth point In the Epistle of Cyprian and of the African Synod to Cornelius as it is in the first volume of the Generall Councels printed at Venice pag. 381. Nos Sacerdotes sacrificia Des quotidiè celebramus we Priests doe daily celebrate the service of God And Augustine in the fore-cited Epistle to Januarius thus Alii quotidiè cōmunicant corpori sanguini Dominico alii certis diebus accipiunt c. Some every day receive the Eucharist some at certaine times only In one place they receive it on the Sabbath and on the Lords day in another they take it only on the Lords day Neither doth Saint Augustine condemne those who take it daily nor them who choose Set-daies nor them who receiue After Supper or Sup After their receiving Faciat ergo quisque quod in eâ Ecclesia in quam venit invenerit Let every one saith he follow the Custome of that Church in which he liveth Which is an holy advice in it selfe but thrusteth through the loynes of all selfe-conceited Singularists who know not or use not that holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that pliable condescent that humble yeelding that charitable peaceable and candid exposition of things either unknowne or doubtfull which the Fathers of the first Christian times both practised and taught Casaubone commendeth the Fathers for it and wished to find it among the Jesuits and I for my part rather preferre a supple accordance a reconciling and uniting of differences before the drawing and stretching of the rope of Contention by both ends and before the multiplying of alienations or divisions which S. Basil calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Over-earnest desire to draw all things to the contrary part Eudemon Johannes that fierce fiery Divell holds That healing vertue that balme for scissures or ruptures that milde and moderate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be little lesse than the betraying of Truth than the abjuration of all Christian Religion Casaubone justly reproveth the eager and fiery Jesuit Exercitatione 16. cap. 32. And not Casaubone only but the great and learned Rigaltius in his Observations on Tertullian de Oratione commendeth in the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Tertullian aswell as of other Fathers Tanta fuit patribus charitatis cura ut plerosque ritus ratione non bona receptos tolerarent potius quà m rigidâ censurâ vel minimam scissurae occasionem praberent pag. 40. The Fathers saith Rigaltius had so great a regard unto or care of Charity that they did rather beare with diverse Rites though instituted and received upon no good ground than they would by rigid censure administer the least occasion of scissure or division Yet there were ever some who whereas they ought to esteeme or labour to make indifferent things good and good things Better do yet indevour to make good things but Indifferent Indifferent matters to be bad and bad to be worse But as Rigaltius truly observeth Hac erat illo aevo Christianoruni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In those dayes not only the Fathers but other Christians also used that modest holy complying and condescent Neither God bee blessed hath this latter age had all and only rigid and inflexible Lutherans Jesuits and Puritanes but God hath given unto the Church moderate men of softer metall Calvin himselfe gives good advice to Farellus Though saith he we be free in all things yet let us be servants to peace and concord I cannot but add that most divine temper of Calvin if the same flowed from his heart which flowed from his pen that though Luther called him a Divell a thousand times yet he would never say otherwise of Luther but that he was a chiefe servant of God And I hope the best because in another case where he was much abused yet his complaints were moderate and modest To establish his new-found Presbyterie which was falling to the ground he became the busiest Polypragmon that ever was in the world of his meanes He cryeth downe Tithes giveth all power almost to the Lay-Magistrates of Geneva upholdeth usury culium obsequio petens by flattery and beggery seeking to be reverenced accepteth a slipend of forty pounds annually And when the fixed honorary of Tithes was taken away the unfixed humours of the Laicks appeared They cared not to pay him his ten pound quarterly and if the silly man had starved for his pretty new invention they had not much esteemed Yet doth not he play the Boutefeau he animateth none to rebellion he seeketh not the change of estate though the penurious man in his Commentaries on Gen. 47. and Gal. 6. could not but complaine how slowly and ill he was paid When they received the blessed Sacrament on Good-friday they did forbeare to kisse one another as it was usuall at other times For the Apostle commands it Romans 16.16 1 Cor. 16.20 and 2 Cor. 13.12 in all three places not a Lustfull but a Peacefull An Holy kisse is appointed Greet ye one another with an Holy kisse as it is in all three places But 1 Thes 5.26 it is varied Greet ye All the brethren with an Holy kisse Lastly the Apostle Saint Peter sheweth what manner of Kisse this ought to be Greet ye one another with a kisse of charity peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus 1 Pet. 5.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kisse of Charity perhaps because it was given and received when they went to their Agapae or Feasts of Charity a Kisse to manifest true Charity a Kisse to settle peace a Kisse to seale up the prayers of Christians one to another and practised duly and reverently it was as appeareth both by the Greek and Latine Liturgies Origen saith this Custome is delivered to the Churches that After prayers fratres suscipiant se invicem osculo the Christian brethren kissed one another Saint Augustine thus divinely and alwayes like himselfe After the Lords prayer they say Pax vobiscum peace bee with you and then the Christians kisse one another with an Holy Kisse which is the signe of peace As thy lips approach to the lips of thy brother so let thy heart come nigh his heart Sermone 83. de diversis So this kisse is called Holy
Consecration The words of Consecration were onely these This is my body c. Innocentius the third his opinion concerning Christs Consecration of the blessed Sacrament censured A second and third opinion related by Aquinas censured Lucas Brugensis thinkes Christ used more words in the Consecration When or at what Time Christ said those words Take c. Christ gave the hallowed bread not in Promise but in Exhibition John the Baptist called a foole Epictetus saying Christ put not the blessed Sacrament into the Disciples Mouths but into their Hands In the Primitive Church the Christians received it into their Hands So did they in Tertullians time So did they in Cyprians dayes Taking is by the Hand Cases may fall out wherein the hallowed food may be put into the Recipients mouthes We are not bound to doe All whatsoever Christ did at the first Celebration We must doe All whatsoever he commanded us to doe Authorities for Taking the blessed Sacrament into our Hands The Tripartite History Chrysostome Cyprian Tertullian The Schismaticks in old time divided not themselves from the Catholique Church in this respect as S. Augustine witnesseth Nor Novatus as Ruffinus recordeth The Christians in ancient time Reserved the Sacrament Some Reject things really Tendred unto them 6. The second word Eate It is probable that Judas did receive the Sop into his Hand Mouth Many of the Fathers did think so Sinnes revealed grow more sinfull Carolostadius his fancy by most Divines disliked disploded The Future tense is never used for the Present tense but the Present tense is often used for the Future in Scripture 7. The third word This is my Body which is given for you c. Transubstantiation roved at The farther Disquisition thereof wittingly and willingly forborne The Authors Apologie for the same His Valediction to the Remainder of his Miscellanies Resolves to spend the remainder of his dayes in holy Devotion and continuall Praying The Moores of Morocco Pray six times every twenty foure houres The Lords Prayer highly commended and preferred before all other Prayers It ought to be used by every Christian at least seaven times a day The Church of England commended Vnto which the Author submits himselfe and all his Writings Bishop Jewell Bishop Andrewes Bishop Morton Bishop White and incomparable Master Hooker have written Polemically the Controversies of the Lords Supper unto whose unanswerable Writings the Author referreth all scrupulous Christians for their better satisfaction PARAGRAPH 1. THe accursed Gnosticks have fained abominable blasphemies and ascribed them to our holy Saviour in his first Institution Sixtus Senensis in my opinion deserves a very sharp censure for the bare reciting and recording such damned horrid lyes though his soule detested them May they never more be thought upon Let us consider the Actions in order in the same manner as Christ performed them First He tooke bread and so the Cup he might have bid them take it themselves as in the Second Supper he bade them Divide the wine among themselves Luke 22.17 But he himselfe now Tooke the bread and by Taking it sheweth he would do somewhat more by It than by other bread which he took not into his hands So John 6.5 Jesus lift up his eyes and he took the loaves and when he had given thankes he distributed to the Disciples ver 11. So he took the seven loaves and fishes and gave thankes and brake them and gave them to the Disciples Mat. 15.36 Neither did he ever take Any thing in a religious forme into his hands but it was bettered and changed from its old nature some way or other Simeon tooke Christ up in his armes and blessed God Luke 2.28 for Christ needed no blessing Christ took a child into his armes Mark 9.36 And some think this child was Ignatius who saith of himselfe that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borne or carried of God But whosoever hee was certainly he was blessed of Christ more than others whom he took not into his armes When little Children were brought to him that he might touch them Christ was much displeased with his Disciples because they rebuked them who brought them he took the children up in his armes but what followed He put his hands upon them and blessed them Mark 10.16 If I should say that when Christ made a scourge of small cords John 2.15 and drove all the faulty ones out of the Temple no doubt that scourge had more vertue than an ordinary whip If vertue went out of him when a woman touched but the hemme of his garment Mat. 9.20 questionlesse when in a religious way he touched other things he imparted vertue to them So when he took the bread you cannot but think He put his hands upon it and blessed it blessed it above other bread which he touched not Saint Matthew saith expressely He took bread and blessed it Mat. 26.26 So it is also Mark 14.22 confirmed with a back of steel It is varied Luke 22.19 Christ took the bread and gave thanks and brake it And this is also doubled or redoubled 1 Cor. 11.23 c. Christ took bread and when he had given thanks he brake it Hence ariseth the next point the Second point worthy the disquisition PAR. 2. AFter he took bread he blessed it Mat. 26.26 What it is to blesse All words names voices and things whatsoever which are applied to God are more significant than if they be referred to ordinary matters When God blesseth he giveth bequeatheth exhibiteth blessings He doth good and prospereth the parties blessed Gods Benedicere is his Benefacere imparting to the creature some reall benefit efficacious blessing Gen. 12.2 I will blesse thee and make thy name great .. That was one effect of Gods blessing but many more concurred with that both Temporall The Lord hath blessed my Master greatly and he is become great he hath given him flocks and heards silver and gold c. Gen. 24.35 What need have we to cite more particulars when God blessed Abrahaem in all things ver 1. And God blessed Abraham not in Temporall things alone for they many times are the portion of the wicked but even in Eternall and Spirituall blessings Gal. 3.14 It followeth Thou shalt be a blessing or as the Interlineary hath it rightly from the Hebrew Be thou a blessing Gen. 12.2 He spake the word and it was done By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth Psal 3.6 Abraham became a blessing to us The faithfull alive are the children of Abraham The blessed who are dead are in Abrahams bosome It yet followeth I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee that is who do good for thee I will do good for them who do ill to thee I will do ill to them God said to Kings Touch not mine Annointed and do my Prophets no harme Psal 105.14 15. One of the Kings was Pharaoh whom the Lord plagued and his
reines as quarries of stones my parents knew no such disease though they lived long my right hand heretofore carelesly unfenced and undefended from the cold alas for the time hath swelled with the gowt as if it would break I have been often sick always weak yet have I prevented antelucanam opificum industriam nox ad diem accessit Early and late have I performed my hard taske Yea Midnight hath conceived full many of the dayes expressions and oft have I arose from my bed and meales with a Conclusum est to prevent forgetfulnesse But the manifold avocations by my own private affaires and especially by publick employements both in Ecclesiasticall and Civill Justice have after their dispatch set an edge and sharpned the appetite of my endeavours The unbent bow hath prepared it selfe for the stronger shooting or delivery Yet now my senses decay my memory faileth me I have no courage or incouragement I am out of heart I am worne to the stumps and spent I must imitate old Ennius his race-horse to whom age afforded quiet and exempted from more active exercise craving pardon if my book in some passages have partaken of my weaknesse and infirmities or languishing And now thou great Work of mine concerning the Estate of humane soules from their creation to the day of the generall Judgement exclusively on which I have bestowed thousands of houres Lie still and sleep S. Hierom did seeme always to heare Surgite Mortui venite ad Judicium Arise you dead and come to Judgement And me thinks I heare the repeated precept as spoken to my selfe and such only as are in my case 1 Thess 5.17 pray without ceasing pray always Luke 21 3◠Yea though I be enfeebled and faint wronged and distressed as the widow was yet the rather ought I alwayes pray and not faint Luke 18.1 The very Mcores of Morocco pray six times in 24. houres And thinck he is not held worthy to beare witnesse to a truth who hath not said his prayers six times in a naturall day Seven times a day did David prayse God Psal 119. vers 164. Some have held and sure that Christian doth best who saith the Lords Prayer at least seven times in a day There never was composed a perfecter and sweeter prayer To what prayer shall God give eare if not to the prayer composed by his own son which the extravagant bablings of Pharisees and battologies of those who Longum precantur love long prayers as Tertullian phraseth it and the sudden extemporary ebullitions of Lip-holy seeme-Saints are as far inferior as Hell is to Heaven which no men no raptures of Angels or Archangels can mend O Lord prepare my heart to continue in Prayers and guide my prayers to please thee through him in whom thou art well pleased Jesus Christ our blessed Saviour and Redeemer 2. I will go briefly to work Concerning the divisions of these times and the scruples from these words I wholly put them off to the Masters of Controversies and the Anti-Bellarminian Canvasers and I refer my selfe and my beliefe to the Doctrine of the Church of England assenting to her wholly so far as my knowledge reacheth and in other things beyond my capacity implicitly beleeving in her For I see no reason but in such things as the Lay-man and Ignorant must trust in his Priest by an implicit Faith so the Clergy man ought to trust in his Church It is no false ground whatsoever the ignorant Zelotes do say or write but fit to be imbraced To confesse and follow Scripture expresse in things apparent and to beleeve such senses thereof as may be though to us unrevealed Not can it be amisse to subscribe to our Church in points beyond our Sphere Needle or Compasse but to Follow the Faith of our Governors Overseers and Pastors That which I know is good what I know not I beleeve to be better said Heraclitus of old To her I subject in humblest manner all my Writings with my selfe professing in the sight of God who searcheth soules and tryeth consciences that I beleeve the Church of England to be the purest part of Christs Militant Church pro quâ non metuam mori as one said in another case In the defence whereof I could be well content if occasion served to sactifice my dearest blood In a more particular expressing I unbosome my thoughts thus We have had foure right Reverend and most learned Lords Bishops Bishop Jewel Bishop Andrewes Bishop Morton and Bishop White who have written polemically and unanswerably of this subject and may give content to any indifferent Reader Many other Heroës of our Church of England have also done excellently well but the incomparable Mr. Hooker exceeds them all Let them who have him not buy him who have him study him and who is scrupulous concerning these words This is my Body c. let him reade and diligently consider and he may safely beleeve what Mr. Hooker writeth in his Ecclesiasticall Polity lib. 5. Par. 67. I cannot but transcribe part Thus then divinely he proceedeth p. 179. Variety of Judgements and opinions argueth obscurity in those things whereabout they differ But that which all parts receive for truth that which every one having sifted is by no one denied or doubted of must needs bee matter of infallible certainty Whereas therefore there are but three expositions made of This is my Body The first This is in it selfe before participation really and truly the naturall substance of my body by reason of the coëxistence which my omnipotent body hath with the sanctified element of bread which is the Lutherans interpretation The second This is in it selfe and before participation the very true and naturall substance of my body by force of that Deity which with the words of Consecration abolisheth the substance of bread and substituteth in the place thereof my body which is the Popish construction The last This hallowed Food through concurrence of divine power is in verity and truth unto Faithfull receivers instrumentally a cause of that mysticall participation whereby as I make my selfe wholy theirs so I give them in hand an actuall possession of all such saving grace as my sacrificed body can yeeld and as their soules do presently need this is to them and in them my body Of these three rehearsed Interpretations the Last hath in it nothing but what the rest do all approve and acknowledge to be most true nothing but that which the words of Christ are on all sides confest to inforce nothing but that which the Church of God hath always thought necessary nothing but that which alone is sufficient for vvery Christian man to beleeve concerning the use and force of this Sacrament finally nothing but that wherewith the writings of all Antiquity are consonant and all Christian Confessions agreeable And as truth in what kinde soever is by no kinde of truth gain-faid so the mind which resteth it selfe on this is never troubled with those perplexities which the
be understood when they say The holy Eucbarist is to be adored 2. Reasons proving that the Apostles received the blessed Eucharist Kneeling 1. Reason Most sacred Reverence is to be exhibited to most sacred things 2. Reason The Fathers of the Primitive Church received it Kneeling 3. Kneeling doth edifie the simple 4. It is an Ecclesiasticall custome The manner of Reverence used both by Priests and Lay people in S. Chrysostomes dayes God will be worshipped aswell in our body as in our Spirit The Penitents in Tertullians time did Kneele down at the receiving of Absolution And it was the common practise of all other Christians in his dayes to worship God Kneeling Except from Easter to Whitsontide and on the Lords day Diverse of holier times had Knees as hard as horne by their continuall Kneeling at Gods worship An adminition to stiffe-kneed Pure-trants 3. Reasons why the devouter sort did forbeare Kneeling betwixt Easter and Whitsontide 1. The Church did so appoint it 2. Hereby the people did shew themselves thankefull Whitsunday whence it hath its denomination Kneeling imports Repentance and Sorrow for Sins Standing implies Thankesgiving for the pardon of our sins The diverse usances of diverse Churches in the Primitive times concerning Fasting and Feasting on the Lords day Kneeling and Standing at the time of Prayer and the Reasons thereof In the Primitive Church they baptized not any except the Sick but at Easter and Whitsontide The newly baptized stood to expresse their Thankefulnesse to God for their baptisme The people in some Churches Stood praying at the Altar on every Sunday between Easter and Whitsontide in remembrance of Christs Resurrection The Christians in the Primitive Church prayed Recto vultu ad Dominum to confront the Heathen who fell down flat on their Faces when they adored their false Gods 4. The great variations of the Primitive Churches concerning the Eating or not Eating of flesh offered to Idols A just discourse to that purpose A good Rule for the peace of the Church Why our Church hath commanded Kneeling at the receiving of the blessed Sacrament when the Primitive Church hath commanded Standing Churches have great power committed unto them The Church upon just motives may change her Orders The meaner sort of all people Ecclesiasticall and Civill are bound to obedience are not to Order Peter Moulin found fault with the precise Ministers of our Church of England The day of Christs Resurrection the first day of his Joy after his Dolorous passions Why the Fathers made Sunday their Holy-day Why they forbade Kneeling and Fasting upon that day What Indifferency is according to S. Hierome A thing Indifferent in it selfe being commanded by the Supreame Magistrate or Church is no longer Indifferent to thee Variety of Ceremonies not hurtfull but beneficiall to the Church of Christ. The Bishop of Rome taxed by Cardinall Palaeotus excused Rome Christian in too many things imitateth Rome Heathen In publique prayer commeth short of it Heathen Rome began all their businesse in the world with this Prayer Quod foelix faustumque sit c. The greater power the Pope and his Cardinalls have the more need they have to pray to God before their publique meetings in their Consistory Kneeling at receiving the holy Eucharist never disliked as a thing of its owne nature evill or unlawfull In the Primitive Church After Whitsontide they used to kneele Kneeling at the blessed Sacrament not prescribed by Scripture but authorized by Tradition confirmed by Custome observed by Faith In the Primitive Church when they received the Sacrament Standing Kneeling they Prayed Standing Kneeling Our Factionists would follow the Primitive Church in one thing but leave her in another 5. A third Reason At the first Institution of things Sacred Profane the solemnity is greater than in the sequell Every New thing hath a golden tayle Proverbe Popular Lecturers have sunke even below scorne All sinnes of former times have descended downe upon our dayes An Epiphonêma or Exclamation against the profane pretenders of Devotion now adayes The lowest humiliation is too little for the house of God They cryed Abrech or Bow the knee before Joseph He that boweth himselfe most before men is most right in the sight of God Diverse examples of Prostration and Geniculation both out of the Old and New Testament A Vice-Roy of Ireland devoutly fell on his knees and asked an Archiepiscopall Benediction The Heathen kneeled downe to worship their very Idols S. Hieromes saying By Kneeling we sooner obtaine what we aske at the hands of God Not lawfull for Any to sit in the porch of the Temple but onely the Kings of Davids loynes The humble Gesture of the Iewes when they came In went out of the Temple The Primitive Church Kneeled to the Altars Altars the seats of the body and blood of Christ. The Crosse in Chrysostomes dayes did alwayes use to remaine upon the Altar An Angel an assistant when Christ is offered up Ambrose To this day we Worship the Flesh of Christ in the Sacrament Idem No man eateth the blessed Sacrament before he have Worshipped Christ in the Sacrament Augustine Constantine the Emperour in his Soliloquies with God pitched on his knees with eyes cast downe to the ground K. Charles partaketh of the body and blood of Christ with as much Humilitie as the meanest penitent amongst his Subjects His holy and devout Gestures at the participation of the Lords Supper turned the heart of a Romanist to embrace the truth on our side In Origens Arnobius and Tertullians dayes the Saints never met in holy places about holy things without decent reverence The Papists in Kneeling adore the very materialls of the Sacrament Yet the Abuse of a thing taketh not away the right use Proved by diverse curious instances Christians may lawfully use many artificiall things though invented by Heathenish Gods Goddesses To argue from the Abuse of things to the whole remooving of the use is ridiculous Illustrated by some particulars Veneration of the Sacrament is accorded on all sides In the very Act of Receiving it it is lawfull to Kneele downe and worship Christ In it Calvin himselfe holdeth That Adoration to be lawfull The Lutherans are divided in this point Illyricus denieth Christ to be Worshipped in the Eucharist Brentius and Bucer hold That then we must worship Christs body Luther himselfe styleth the Eucharist Sacramentum venerabile Adorabile Chemnitius saith None but Sacramentaries deny Christ to be Adored in the Sacrament Chemnitius acknowledgeth these Theses 1. Christ God and Man is to be Adored Onely Arrians deny this 2. Christs humane nature for the hypostaticall union with the Divinitie is to be Adored None but Nestorians will deny this The Apostles worshipped the Humane Nature of Christ Adoration procedeth Cemmunication by the judgement of S. Chrysostome and S. Augustine Christs Flesh as made of Earth may be said to be Gods footstoole So is the Arke All the Angels of God doe Worship Christ Christ is to be Adored alwaies and everywhere
the Lords day and others Feasted on it whence Ambrose gave the Counsell and Augustine both himselfe and his Mother practised it and counselled it to others that people should fast or not fast according to the custome of those Churches to which they then came and with whom they conversed See Augustine Epist 118. ad Ianuar. So the Standing betweene Easter and Whitsontide was not in use with All the Primitive Churches nor with All the people The Councell of Nice the first Generall Councell confessed That some did Kneele on the Lords day betweene Easter and Pentecost and forbad them and if any other people did as the New-baptised did they did it to countenance the neophyte Christians rather than as if it were necessary but in some times places and with some people onely See Cerda on Tertullian and he assureth us that of old in the Church they baptized not any except the sicke but at those Two solemne times or Feasts of Easter and Pentecost and therefore all That time they did rejoyce The Church having changed that Constitution and the Cause being removed why are people now so desirous to continue the Effect Certainly Tertullian himselfe was not to be baptized nor tasted milke and honey nor abstained from washing a whole weeke when he writ thus We are thrice drowned over head and eares then we taste of mingled milke and honey and from the day of Baptisme we abstaine a whole weeke from washing but he speakes in the persons of the Newly-baptized De Coronâ Militis cap. 3. So ibidem when he saith They take the Eucharist antelucanis coetibus at their morning-prayers before day Nec de aliorum manu quà m praesidentium and that not at the hands of any but of their chiefe Ministers he speaketh in the person of the Receivers onely not of the Administrants And examine whether he speake not of such onely as did then first of all receive the holy Communion as well as before he spake of the then-Newly-baptized Examine also whether the not-Kneeling on the Lords day was forbade on all Sundayes of the yeare or on Easter-Sunday and Whitsunday and the Sundayes between them If it be objected that on these Sundayes also yea on All the Sundayes of the yeare they forbore Kneeling which excludeth the reference to the newly-baptized I answer Sub Iudice lis est that is more than they can prove They did not Stand All the time of divine Service in all Churches or All the time that they were in the Churches but sometimes they somewhere Sate sometimes they Kneeled sometimes they did Prostrate themselves as is generally confessed But at the Altar indeed the people in some Churches stood Stantes oramus quod est signum Resurrectionis We pray Standing because Standing is a resemblance of the Resurrection Vnde etiam omnibus diebus Dominicis id ad Altare observatur Hence every Sunday at the least betweene Easter and Pentecost and on those Sundayes themselves we Stand praying at the Altar saith Augustine ad Ianuarium Epistola 119. cap. 15. Also they might stand at some Set prayers as we Stand at the Te Deum the Magnificat at the Three Creeds and at the Gospell and yet in other parts of prayer they did Kneele when they asked forgivenesse they did Kneele and who needed not aske forgivenesse I would faine see such a Pharisee At prayers of Thanksgiving they did Stand as before I proved out of Rhenanus Againe the Councell of Nice appointed Vt Stantes ad orationem vota Domino reddamus that when we pay our vowes unto the Lord we should Stand in prayer as Gratian hath it Folio 441. Columella 1 a. So in bringing of Tithes and Offerings they might doe it standing Moreover the Heathen were wont to fall downe flat on their faces and adore their false Gods and therefore to confront them some Churches might ordaine their publique Service to be performed Recto vultu ad Dominum orationis Standing and Praying to God on all Sundayes and on every day betweene Easter and Whitsontide because in these dayes we celebrate the joyfull time of our Lords Resurtection PAR. 4. COnsider I intreat you the great variations yea the seeming contrarieties that the Churches of Christ made and practised concerning the eating and not-eating of flesh and meate offered to Idols at severall times and all to good ends Holy men feasted the people holily So did David 1 Chron. 16.3 But Balaam taught the people to eate of things sacrificed to Idols Revel 2.14 Whereupon in the Law of Grace Act. 15.20 it was ordained by the Hierosolymitan Councell that the converted Gentiles should abstaine from pollutions of Idols or things offered to Idols For otherwise the weake Jewes who abhorred such a sin would have beene offended Among the Jewes none but the Priests or his attendants and family might eate of some sacrifices or things offered viz. of the Shewbread But among the Gentiles on extraordinary Festivals and times of joy they did promiscuously partake of things offered to Idols except This case onely Whosoever had slaine a man he might not partake of the Pagan sacrificed meate as being reputed holy and in this case it might be said Procul ô procul este prophani Whereupon that Councell forbad the Ethnick Converts to eate of things offered to Idols promiscuously with other meats least that might breed an exulceration of minde between the Jewes and Gentiles if they used contrary ceremonies For the Jews before abstained from such things though offered to the true God After this S. Pauls opinion was asked by the Corinthians or cause given him to explaine his opinion And because the Corinthians vainely imagined That an Idoll was something in the world otherwise the meate offered to Idols would be indifferent and as nothing like the Idoll it selfe The Apostle to remove this scandall for a time in a sort cancelleth the decree of Councell though made by the holy Ghost and the Apostles and seemes to deny that the Idoll is any thing or that which is offered to Idols is any thing 1 Cor. 10.19 c. and in plaine tearmes 1 Corinth 8.4 As concerning the eating of things offered unto Idols we know that an Idoll is nothing in the world though made of matter wood stone brasse silver or gold yet it is nothing In genere signi relati ad rem significatam because the thing signified by the Idoll is nothing nothing reall in the world And so the Apostle permitteth the eating of things sacrificed to the Idols Provided that first it be done without scandall to others 1 Cor. 8.9 c. Secondly We must not eate it if we know that it hath beene offered unto Idols or eate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As a thing offered to an Idoll vers 7. as he most acutely and divinely distinguisheth Neither must it be done in the Temple of the Idoll 1 Corinth 8.10 Otherwise neither if we eate are we the better neither if we eate not are we the worse
the lesse righteous But if the Supreame Magistrate or the Church command a thing indifferent it is no longer indifferent to thee it is now a binding precept upon the injunction and that must make thee yeeld Obedience upon the Ecclesiasticall Magistrates authority which bindeth not others in other places Variety of ceremonies is not hurtfull to the Church of Christ but rather beneficiall for out of them we may choose those for practise which are best and most agreeable to our Times and Congregations If thou findest any thing any where that more pleaseth God select that to the use of the Church saith Gregory the Great to our Augustine of Canterbury as it is in Beda cap. 27. What Gregory appointed I wish the now Bishop of Rome practised In all our solemne Ecclesiasticall meetings we begin with publick humble prayer unto God to blesse and guid us Yet in the Popes Consistory at Rome there is not heard the voyce of publick prayer And the learned Cardinall Palaeotus De Sacri Consistorii Consultationibus p. 373. goeth about to excuse it saying The Pope and the Cardinals were at their Devotions before they came to the Consistory and there commended themselves heartily to God I answer Every one I presume in our Convocation-house do pray to God heartily before our going to that meeting yet publick prayers are also thought necessary because of meeting in an holy place and because holy matters are there to be handled and we seeke to obtaine a blessing from God and we must not be weary in well-doing Gal. 6.9 but must pray always that is upon all faire occasions In too too many things the Church of Rome hath followed and imitated the fashions of Heathen Rome In this point Pagan Rome is holier than our late Christian Rome No man doubteth but the Senators did after their sort pray in their Houses or Capitoll or Temples before they came into the Sentate house yet before they began any businesse of the World this kind of prayer was publickly recited Quod foelix faustumque sit c. God blesse and prosper us in our undertakings His Second subterfuge that they pray not because the Pope is present who hath so great power is most ridiculous for supposing him so holy and to have all the pretended power He and they should the rather pray together to God and would the sooner be heard I returne to the old matter Concerning Kneeling at the Receiving of the holy Eucharist it was never disliked as a thing of its own nature evill and unlawfull but as inconvenient for such times and not simply inconvenient but because the Church so judged From Easterday not only unto Whitsunday excluding it sed eâdem immunitate in Pentecosten usque gaudemus saith Tertullian de Coronâ Militis cap. 3. They kneeled neither at the feast of Easter nor at the feast of Pentecost nor between those times but after both feasts were ended If you look for Scripture to command this No Scripture prescribeth it as a Law Tradition is the author Custome the confirmator Faith is the observer saith Tertullian cap. 4. And there was some reason for it to which thou owest obedience saith he ibid. Whensoever they received the blessed Sacrament standing they prayed standing likewise when they Kneeled at one duty they Kneeled at the other yet diverse of the factious ones will kneele at Prayer who will not kneele when they are partakers of the Communion and are faulty therein which themselves find fault withall contemning the ancient Churches practise in the one halfe whilst they are eagerly bent for the other part Thirdly at the first institution of things both sacred and prophane the solemnity is more than in the sequell of them Abraham made a great Feast the same day that Isaac was weaned Genesis 21.8 When Christ weaned the Apostles from the World and made them an Heavenly banquet we must think their Joy and Thankes was great and their devotion did strive to correspond unto the gift At the receiving of the Law the Israelites sanctified themselves two dayes and washed their cloaths and did not come to their wives Exodus 19.14 and 15. yet was the Law but a Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ and brought not with it that benefit to them which the sacred Eucharist doth to us Therefore the greatest and devoutest solemnity of Gesture can be but too little When Christ was in his swadling-bands The wisemen fell down and worshipped him Matth. 2.11 and gave gifts unto Him And can we think the Apostles lay all along or sate unreverently when Christ gave Them better gifts than Gold Franckincense and Myrrhe when he gave Himselfe to them Absit God forbid If we have but new cloaths we will not suffer a spot upon them but we wipe them brush them and put them on more carefully than when they are thread-bare and worne out It is an old Proverbe Every new thing hath a Golden tayle is much loved admired and desired and yet within awhile it fals into neglect and sometimes into contempt malam caudam trahit that I may use Calvins phraze in his Epistles Colum. 478. it smelleth ill like the candle going out I have lived to see popular Lectures sinck below scorne who were formerly admired and both undeservedly as the humors and passions of the people move which is by Levaltoes The diseases of the body and the humors thereof commonly fall into the legs all sins of former times have descended and rowled down upon and into our dayes and now the feet swell and we proud that they are full of corruption and a curing hand they will not heare of O my God! into what dregs of time are we fallen that they who pretend most Devotion and think themselves to be the purest Christians on the earth do accompt it Indevotion to be humble and reverent and will not come into the house of prayer till prayer be ended that they may heare a Sermon Who will not Kneele when they enter into the Church nor shew any reverence at their going out of it nor bow at the sacred mention of our Saviour Jesus Christ but come boldly impudently and most irreverently into Gods house and stay there and returne as if it were an ordinary roome or Town-house to meet in Is this to reverence Gods Sanctuary Is the feare of Superstition become the mother of Atheisme Hath liberty been turned into licenciousnesse Because some Kneele to Idols shall we not Kneele to the true God Because some creep to the Crosse shall not wee worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our Maker This is such a mark of the deare children of God of the Elect and the Generation of the Just of the Plants for Heaven of the Holy Ones that are sure to be saved as former times never heard of How hath my soule abhorred to see some men labour to gaine reputation upon God and by being irreverent in the Church to magnifie themselves as they think above
De corona cap. 5. Deus auditum in auribus fodit visum in oculis accendit gustum in ore conclusit odoratum in naribus ventilavit contactum in manibus astimavit per haec exterioris hominis ministeria interiori homini ministrantia fructus munerum divinorum ad animam deducuntur à sensibus God hath bored hearing in the eares because into them it descendeth as into an hole He hath kindled sight in the eyes for the eyes do sometimes sparkle with fire and are of a fiery nature He hath shut up tasting within the mouth for he hath bounded it within that compasse He hath winnowed or vanned smelling in the nostrils by the playing of the wind He hath made the hands the judicatories of touching which touching being diffused over all the body yet is more used by the hands He concludeth divinely By these ministeriall bodily Organs serving the inner Man the blessings and fruits of heavenly gifts are from the Senses conveyed to the soule Much more might be added of other parts I will end all in this addition They defraud their Knees of the chiefest office and greatest honour who refuse to bend them in holy times and places especially at the receiving of the blessed Sacrament which I would take after I had fallen on my Face and used groveling Adoration if the Church so appointed me or if scandall would not arise from such extraordinary Gesture THE PRAYER O Lord thou knowest my heart and that with Soule and Body I Reverence and Adore thee in thy divine Eucharist I humble my selfe as much as I can and I would humble my selfe lower even unto the gates of Hell if I could confessing my worthinesse in nothing but that I am worthy to be condemned In such contemplations quakeing and terror take hold of my heart and I am horribly afraid of thy Iudgement Abraham Isaac and Jacob shall be in a sweat at the day of Iudgement as good children shall be in a dread to see their father angry with his rebellious children The earth shall melt away like wax the heavens shall tremble and the pillars of Heaven shall shake to whom shall I fly to whom shall I say Cover me but unto thee most compassionate Saviour for thou art my rocke thou art the buckler of my defence under the shadow of thy wings do I desire to rest as thou wert superexalted because thou didst humble thy selfe so grant good Lord I may so fall down before thee that I may bee taken up by thee and that the greatnesse of my humility may bring unto mee by thy favour the riches of thy glory the exaltation both of my soule and body Lord heare my prayer and let my cry come unto thee for Iesus his sake Amen CHAP. VIII Which containes the ninth tenth and eleventh Generals Wherein is declared 1. What Gesture we are to use at the Receiving of the blessed Eucharist 2. What Names have been given to it 3. What Words were spoken by our Saviour after the Third Supper before he departed out of the Coenaculum 1. What Gesture we are to use at the Administration of it to others Receiving of it our selves Both handled promiscuously The English Liturgy our best guide At the Repeating of the Law the people must Kneele Receiving of the same the Israelites did no lesse Never Patriarck Prophet Evangelist Apostle nor holy Man nor Christ himselfe prayed Sitting when there was opportunity of Kneeling The Monkes of Egypt did pray Sitting The Rule of Saint Benedict mentioneth Sitting at the Reading of three Lessons Rising up at Gloria Patri c. Severall Gestures are to be used both by Priest and People upon severall occasions The Priest never Kneeles while the people stand but he may stand when they kneele Great reason why the people should kneele at the Receiving of the Body and Blood of Christ No superstition nor Idolatry then to Kneele But obstinate Irreverence if not blasphemy not to Kneele Prayer most an end used with bâ—nding of the Knees The Pharisee Stood Christ Kneeled when he prayed The Rubrick of the Communion Book is to be followed by all obediently 2. The Minister is to deliver the Communion to the people Kneeling in both kindes into their Hands Maximus would have Men to wash their hands Women to bring clean linnen that will Communicate The Nicity of former times questioned The sixth Synod Canon 3. against it The consecrated bread must be carefully delivered and received To let any crumb or particle thereof fall to the ground accounted a great sinne by Tertullian and Origen Pope Pius the first punished those who let any of the Lords blood fall upon the ground or Altar S. Cyril of Hierusalem gives a Cave at to this purpose Little Tables set before the Communicants in former times as now we hold Linnen clothes saith Baronius The usuall fashion of receiving the Consecrated bread between the Thumb and a Finger or two disliked Receiving the holy bread in the Palme of the hand a safer way In Tertullians dayes the Christians did stretch abroad their hands like Christ upon the Crosse in their private prayers Damascene would have us receive the Body of Christ crucified with our hands framed like to a Crosse The right Hand being upward open and hollow to receive the bread This accounted the safer way S. Cyril commandeth the same kind of usance Other manners of Taking it not sinfull In things indifferent we must not love singular irregularity All unseemely Motions and Gestures are so many profanations of the Lords Supper Seven Generall Rules to be observed against the profanation of the Lords Supper The word Amen explaned and Kneeling at Receiving the blessed Sacrament pressed 3. Tenth General What Names are given to the blessed Sacrament by the Scriptures and Fathers the Latine and Greek Church The hallowed Bread is called in the Scriptures 1. The Lords Body Broken for us 2. The Communion of the Body of Christ And the Reasons thereof 3. Breaking of Bread from house to house 4. Holy Bread Blessed Bread Eucharisticall Bread Heavenly Bread Joh. 6. In the Fathers 1. Taking of the Lords Body Tertullian 2. Earthly Bread sanctified by prayer consisting of Earthly and Heavenly things Irenaeus A Medicine of immortality an Antidote against death procuring life purging sin driving away all evils idem 3. Christs Dole to his Church Tertullian The Plenty Aboundance and Fatnesse of the Lords Body The Wine is called in the Scriptures 1. The New Testament in his Blood 2. The Blood of the New Testament 3. The Cup of the Lord. 4. The Communion of the Blood of Christ The blessed Eucharist consisting of both kinds is styled In Scripture 1. The Lords Supper And in what regards it is so called The Papists dislike the frequent use of this Phrase Casaubone confutes Justinian and Maldonate the Jesuits and cals it The Great Supper The most Divine Supper The Arch-Symbolicall Supper 2. The Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 10.21 With Vs it is commonly
his sake who is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world even Iesus Christ the righteous to whom with the holy Father and blessed Spirit be ascribed all power all thankes all wisedome and all other good things for ever and ever so be it Amen The Synopsis or summe of All. And now having ended the second Supper give me leave as it were in a Picture to present it unto your eyes as I did the first Supper 1. THe same faire Upper-chamber was well furnished still 2. The same Table was in it almost foure-square decent adorned where they tooke their common repast 3. Three bed-steds still with good furniture incompassing three sides of the bed on which they might either sit or lye downe for their greatest and best ease 4. Great store of water standing by 5. Unleavened bread sufficient 6. The Remainders of the Paschall-Lambe not removed 7. Store of wine salt and other sauce in all conveniencie still on the same Table and Table-cloth Then 8. Rost meates sod meates baked meates stewed meates as I sayd before Esculenta Poculenta Condimenta of great variety brought in by the same Administrants for the second Supper The 2. Supper began 9. Christ and his twelve Apostles eating frugally and discoursing heavenly about one quarter of an houre 10. Contentions arising among the Apostles for superiority 11. Christ then arose from the second Supper put off his cloathes girded himselfe washed and wiped his Apostles feete All of them 12. Put on his cloathes againe lay downe and preached humility to them both by word and deede 13. This Pedilavium or washing with the discourse concerning it tooke up another quarter of an houre and upward 14. The third quarter of an houre or more before the end of the second Supper was spent in the further detection of Iudas and sealed up with an exact demonstrative discovery of the Traytor by Christs delivering of a sop to him and his taking of it 15. This Sop was not the blessed Eucharist 16. Here the second and usuall supper ended 17. Satan entred into Iudas 18. Christ separated Iudas 19. The Apostles were ignorant what Christ meant by those words to Iudas What thou doest doe quickely 20. They mis-interpreted them 21. Judas his Egresse when it was Night 22. They gave thankes at the end of the second Supper 23. They had a Grace-Cup 24. And if they sung an Hymne it was a short one 25. Thus about sixe of the clocke they began to eate the Paschall Supper which lasted not much above one quarter of that houre 26. The second Supper lasted above three quarters of an houre and about one quarter of an houre after seven in the Night both the Paschall and usuall Supper were fully and perfectly dispached and transacted When I have handled the third Supper I hope in God to remove the curtaine of obscuritie and folded preplexities and to shew you a true picture drawne almost to life of the things done and appeartaining to that Most Sacred Supper of the Lord. Deus in adjutorium meum intende Lord be thou my helper Amen FINIS TRICOENIUM CHRISTI WHEREIN THE THIRD AND LAST SUPPER OF OUR LORD IS HANDLED LIBER TERTIUS Manu ducat me Iêsus Christe juva Ignoto feror aequore plenaque ventis Vela dedi totus langueo Christe juva Aut doce Aut disce Aut cupientem prodesse patere Monuit Robertus Cenalis Episcopus Abrincensis LONDON Printed for Andrew Crooke at the green Dragon in Saint Pauls Church yard 1641. This third Book is the third Generall part of my propounded method Wherin is contained 1. A Preface 2. A Tractate wherin is shewed 1. Reasons of the word Tricoenium and why I call this work Tricoenium Christi 2. Divers differences between the Agapae and the Third Supper or Supper of the Lord. 3. The use of the Holy Kisse at the Lords Supper Chap. 1. 4. Certaine Reasons why the Sacred Eucharist was substituted to the aetetnall disannulling of the Passeover Chap. 2. 5. What course our Saviour took in the perfecting of his Third or Last Supper And therein is shewed 1. After what words Christ began this Third or Last Supper A digression 1. Concerning the division of the Bible into Chapters Verses 2. Against filthy prophaners of Churches Church-yards 3. Against Conventicles Chap. 3. 2. It was instituted in the same large upper roome wherein they ate the Paschall and Common Supper 3. It was not whilst the Apostles were eating the Second or Common Supper but After That Supper 4. It was instituted on a Table 5. On a distinct Table Chap. 4. 6. Whether Christ himselfe received the blessed Eucharist 7. What posture Christ used when he consecrated the Eucharist Chap. 5. And therein I consider his 1. Actions 1. He took bread 2. He blessed it 3. He brake it 4. He gave it to his Disciples 2. Words implyed in these words And said 1. Take 2. Eate 3. This is my Body c. Chap. 6 8. What Gesture the Apostles used in Receiving the holy Eucharist Chap. 7. 9. What Gesture we are to use at the receiving of it 10. What Names have beene given to the blessed Eucharist 11. What Speeches were spoken by our Saviour after the Third Supper before he departed out of the Coenaculum Chap. 8. A PRAYER ETernall and only wise God because on the one side Satan standeth with danger in his hands and laboureth to inveigle us to search into curious and needlesse matters and on the other side standeth our naturall lazinesse with distrust making men beleeve they can never finde out such truthes as indeed may be found I humbly beseech thee O gracious God and giver of all good gifts to preserve me from both of these extremes and grant unto me good Lord that I may abhorre to looke after things unsearchable super subtile and above my reach which lie hid within the closet of thy breast and yet may with all holy and reverent industry proceed to the finding out of Thee Thyself in and by thy Truth even Iesus Christ my alone Saviour and Redeemer Amen TRICAENIUM CHRISTI LIB III. CAP. I. Which containes the first second and third Generals Wherein is shewed 1. Reasons of the word Tricaenium 2. Differences between the Agapae and Third Supper 3. Use of the holy Kisse 1. A Praeface by way of Admonition to the Vnlearned Invocation of the Learned 2. Reasons of the word Tricaenium and why I call this Work Tricaenium Christi A threefold Supper farther proved The Papists offended for calling the third Supper the Supper of the Lord. A deviation concerning Maldonat the Jesuite his Life and Doctrine The ancient Fathers both Latine and Greeke call the third Supper the Supper of the Lord. 3. A discourse concerning the Agapae or Feasts of Charity They succeeded in the place of the Chagigah or second Supper When Eaten The Eucharist before Tertullians dayes eaten in the Morning the Agapae in the Evening The Eucharist and Agapae in the Primitive
taken in the morning Secondly The Agapae were in the evening Thirdly Yet at the first they were both about the same time Let me say a little of each point 1. For the receiving of the Sacrament in the morning Tertullian ad uxorem thus Non sciot maritus quid secreto ante omnem cibum gustes Shall not thy husband know what thou dost eat in secret before thou dost caste a bit of any other meat And after him Saint Augustine would have the Eucharist eaten fasting propter honorem Corporis Dominici out of a religious reverence to the Lords Body More plainly the same Tertullian in lib. de corona militis Eucharistiae Sacramentum etiam antelucanis coetibus nec de aliorum manu quà m de prasidentium sumimus we receive the Sacrament of the blessed Eucharist even at our morning meetings and that at the hand of no other but of our owne Ministers And Pliny who was Rationalis Trajani Trajans Receiver and Accountant did certifie the Emperour that the Christians were wont to meet before day light ut sua sacra facerent to performe their divine service 2. Concerning the second point namely the Agapae that they were kept in the evening is as apparent Coena nostra de nomine rationem sui reddit Vocatur enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id quod Dilectio penes Gracos est The name of our Supper sheweth its nature that it is a Love-feast yet a Supper it was and so he called it Otherwhere he saith Coenulas nostras sugillatis you scoffe at our Suppers where the Agapae are not wholly excluded Otherwhere Coena nostra vocatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Supper is called a Love-feast Quantiscunque sumptibus constat lucrum est pietatis nomine facere sumptum siquidem inopes quoque isto refrigerio juvamus How costly soever our Love-feasts be expence for pietie sake is gaine for the poore are refreshed with it Augustinus contra Faustum 20.20 Agapae nostrae pauperes pascunt sive frugibus sive carmbus Our Love-feasts doe feed the poore either with bread or meat one way or other 3. The third point is as evident from 1 Cor. 11. that the Primitive Christians kept no great distance of time betweene the sacred Eucharist and the Agapae For the Apostle proceedeth from the abuses of one to prevent the abuses which might fall in the other and speaketh as of things almost conjoyned And from hence the Gentiles objected that Christians at their Love-feasts did eat an Infant because the blessed Eucharist was in the same Agapae or neere the time administred and it being called spiritually the Flesh and the Blood of Christ the Christians were accused that they did eat mans flesh and drinke mans blood Alba-spinaeus doth answer very shallowly That this crime was forged even from the daies of Tiberius as Tertullian saith in his Apologetick I reply All this is true that it was a most horrid falshood an affected Lie coined in Tiborius his time But the question is not Whether the same were true or false to which only Alba-spinaeus supinely but idlely answereth but from what ground or probability the rumour did arise or how we may trace the report home to its owne forme to the bed from whence it first started I say againe It was because the Eucharist and the Agapae were conjoyned and were then kept at Night-season thereupon they found fault with the Suppers of Christians as sated with blood and humane flesh And perhaps in after times this was one true reason why they are the blessed Sacrament in the morning and the Agapae at night to remove that objection That in the night they feasted not themselves with the blood of an Infant Which practice though it staggered the report and someway diverted it and the Christians absoluti sunt were acquitted yet litura manebat the spot was not cleane taken away as Claudius was wont to say in another case aliquid haerebat but something still remained behind because the accusation was boldly vouched Inveterate rumours are not easily wiped out If Alba-spinaeus had observed that at their single separated Agapae there was no possibility of suspition of Infanticide or feeding on mans flesh or drinking of mans blood but that the words of the body and blood of Christ eaten and drunken might in the carnal mis-interpretation be Caput famae a ground though slippery for report and for such a report through their malice and infidelity he would then have said without a perhaps that for a good while after Christs time both the Eucharist and the Love-feasts did touch or kisse each the other and that thence arose the horrid imputation that their Suppers were accused as sceleris infames infamous for villanies to use Tertullians phrase Weigh this farther circumstance The Agapae were kept on the Lords day Diebus Dominicis celebrabant Agapas they celebrated their Love-feasts on the Lords day saith Alba-spinaeus himselfe observat 18. and then was the most blessed Eucharist administred that day above all other dayes that time of the day even about Supper time in imitation of our Lord. Tertullian ad uxorem 2.4 speaketh of Pagan husbands suspition of their Christian wives Quis ad Convivium Dominicum illud quod infamant sine sua suspitione dimittet Who can endure to let his wife goe to that infamous banquet of the Lord without jealousie What this Convivium Dominicum this Banquet of the Lord is falleth under enquiry Pamelius interpreteth it de Missa Christianorum of the Christians Masse Rhenanus Junius Mornaeus Casaubonus Exercitat 6. pag. 512. interpreteth it of the Eucharist Alba-spinaeus in his notes on this place of Tertullian thus farre concludeth wittily and truly That Tertullian speaketh of that Banquet or Feast that was infamous among the Gentiles Convivium illud quod infamant are the very words of Tertullian But they were not suspected of any incest at the Eucharist saith Alba-spinaeus or of any unlawfull lust then as from Pliny junior and others may appeare Therefore those scandals were only taken against the Agapae or Love-feasts What things are objected against the Christians in Justin adversus-Judaeos Apolog. 2. In Tertullian Apologet. and ad Scapulam De cultu foeminarum in Minutius Foelix in Eusebius 4.1 4. capitibus concerning their Suppers and Infanticide they are to be referred to the Agapae in which the Eucharist was neither consecrated nor received Thus farre White-thorne or Alba-spinaeus But if he had observed either that at their Agapae only there was no possibility of suspition concerning Infanticide and that at the Eucharist a carnall man might so interpret it or that the Eucharist was held by the Gentiles worse than the Agapae so much worse as Infanticide and devouring humane flesh and blood are worse than the sins of the eighth Commandement or that the holy Eucharist and the Agapae were kept both at one time about Supper time in the dayes Apostolicall and the Eucharist being first dispatched the suspition for lust
was laid upon the Second Supper where they did feast sing and were merry and that Tertullian Apologetico cap. 39. mentioneth the Triclintum Christianorum the Supping-beds of the Christians and their discumbing thereon both men and women I say againe he would have concluded without a perhaps that the blessed Eucharist and the Agapae were not dis-sundred by much time but rather were united and he would not have rejected as he did both his owne and our Heroes Pamelius Rhenanus Junius Mornaeus Casaubone to whom let me add that learned Jesuit Ludovicus de la Cerda who interpreteth Dominicum Convivium the Lords Supper thus Convivium Domini peragebatur celebrabaturque sacrâ Eucharistiâ ac tunc menticbantur Gentiles ac dicebant Christianos panem sacrum Eucharistiae edere intinctum sanguine jugulati Infantis So farre Cerda The Banquet of the Lord was kept and celebrated at the sacred Eucharist and then did the Gentiles falsly report and say that the Christians did eat the sacred bread of the Eucharist dipped in the blood of a butchered Infant I may not omit it is called Dei coena the Supper of God in Tertullian ad uxorem 2.6 And that Alba-spinaeus in all his Observations observed not that the Agapae or Love-feasts did succeed the Second Supper of the Jewes at all their great feasts which Suppers were for the most part contiguous and never farre dis-sundred Julian the Apostata taxed the Christians for these three altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in Petavius his Edition pag. 588. Chrysostome Homiliâ 27. on the Epistle to the Corinthians Statis diebus mensas faciebant communes on set and certaine times they kept common feastings peracta synaxi post Sacramentorum communionem omnes commune inibant Convivium and when the Congregation was dismissed after they had communicated of the Sacraments they all met together at a common Banquet Thus did the Agapae or Love-feasts succeed in the roome of the Second Jewish Supper After the Sacraments were administred they feasted altogether PAR. 4. THe Papists say That the Apostle speaketh of the Agapae or Love-feasts and not of the sacred Eucharist as I proved before Suffer me I pray you to cleere the text concerning the Agapae 1. First I would know where any or whoever called the Agapae or Love-feasts the Supper of the Lord. Tertullian indeed Apologetic cap. 39. calleth their Love-feast Coenam a Supper but that ever he or any other called it singled by it selfe Coenam Domini the Supper of the Lord with reference to the Sacrament I remember not As Agapae were doled to the poore and what is given to them is lent to the Lord so it may be called the Lords Supper 2. Secondly the Agapae or Love-feasts were never begun or practised by Christ never in use whilest Christ lived on the earth in likelihood not till after he was ascended into heaven some short time after so they were of a latter institution than the blessed Sacrament though they were holy just conscionable and founded on sufficient good authority viz. Divine 3. Thirdly if there had beene no abuse In or At the Agapae or Love-feasts among the Corinthians yet the rightest use of them could never produce this Consequent That that was to eat the Supper of the Lord which must be the resultance from the opinion of the Papists For none can deny but the Church did sometimes use the Agapae or Love-feasts holily and heavenly And yet it was a different thing To eat the Lords Supper Both the Supper of the Lord and the Agapae or Love-feasts might be and have beene perfectly administred severally and at severall houres and watches of the day or night also jointly and contiguously one presently after the other sometimes the one first and sometimes the other 4. Fourthly the Agapae or Love-feasts succeeded indeed in the roome of the Second or Common Supper And it is as cleere as the light that the Corinthians did first eat their Agapa's or Love-feasts Every one taketh before his own Supper 1 Cor. 11.21 5. Fifthly These Corinthian Agapae or Love-feasts were celebrated in the Church For the Apostle reprooveth them because they did not eat at Home before they came to the Church What have ye not Houses to eat and drink in or despise ye the Church of God ver 22. 6. Sixthly There being divisions among the Corinthians v. 18. it is more than likely that the maintainers of each Schisme supped Apart by Themselves thereby fomenting divisions and cherishing factions 7. Seventhly It is probable that the Rich supped by Themselves For certain it is that the Poore were neglected Ye shame them that are poore or that have not ver 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subaudi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that have no part of Supper And this neglect was against the primary end of these Agapae which was principally to comfort and refresh the Poore Tertullian speaketh much in commendation of these Love-feasts Inopes quosque refrigerio isto juvamus we relieve every Poore body by that refection of ours saith hee Apologet. cap. 39. And the Confessors in Prison had not only part of the Collections of the Christians saith Tertullian ibidem but had part also of their Love-feasts Tertullian ad Martyres cap. 2. what is fit for the bodies of Martyrs they want not per curam Ecclesiae Agapen fratrum through the care of the Church and the charity of the Brethren PAR. 5. EIghthly as by the words One is hungry we may not imagine that the Apostle confined his meaning to singly One to Onely One and no other so when he saith Another is drunken he appropriateth not the fault to meer-One-alone as if no more were drunken but modestly covering their faults and charitably casting as it were a mantle over their nakednesse what was too common among them he qualifieth modifieth and diminisheth by reducing all to the singular number One is drunken 9. Ninthly Though the Maine abuses if not All reprehended by the Apostle in these Corinthians were committed in Agapis Before the receiving of the Lords Supper yet because these disorders were ill preparatories unto the heavenly food of their soules wicked in themselves and scandalous to others though they did receive the Lords Supper afterwards yet this was not the way to eat the Lords Supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some interpret it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nonlicet ye may not eat it So. Others say that the Apostle by an usuall hyperbole precisely denieth That to be done which was not well done of the most I like the former exposition of Vatablus and Erasmus because the Apostle findeth fault with the Corinthians for eating the Lords Supper with those precedent ill fashions and reduceth them to Christs owne institution of his Third and last Supper without mentioning any thing concerning the Agapae Neither is there involved an expresse deniall of their receiving but they received in ill Fashion and after an ill Manner 10. Tenthly Casaubone Exercitatione