grand cases of Blasphemy and Heresy but in those lesser occasions of Errour and Schism he is entrusted with Power to quench the least spark as well as the devouring flame Arius in Alexandria was but a little spark in the beginning but because the Christian Emperour did not timely interpose his Authority for the quenching it Totum orbem ejus flamma depopulata est it became a flame which consumed almost the whole Christian World The Prince's Authority may and ought to be exercised in restraining dangerous Disputations concerning Religion Sozomen l. 7. c. 12. tells us that Constantine enacted a Law against Disputes of the Trinity Nemo Clericorum de summa Trinitate disputet And Marcianus prohibited all Disputes De fide Christiana of the Christian Religion Andronicus the Emperour when his Bishops were disputing curiously and subtilely of those words of Christ Pater major me est My Father is greater then I threatned to cast them into the River Ni tam periculosis sermonibus abstinerent unless they did forbear such dangerous Discourses That of Sisinius to Theodosius being most true Disputando de sacris accendi tantum contentiones that Contentions only are fostered by Disputations Secondly To the second Question How far the Coercive Power of the Prince extends It is acknowledged that his Authority may extend to Imprisonment Confiscation of Goods and Banishment of persons sinning against his Commands but whether it may extend to Life is not so manifest because the Apostle saith onely Haereticum hominem devita Titus 3.10 The Gloss upon Gratian turns the Verb into a Substantive de vita and adds supple Tolle There is not as a learned Gentleman of our Church in His Historical Vindication hath observed any example in History of prosecuting an Heretick further then to avoid him till after God having given peace to his people under Christian Emperours they finding that if the Church were in trouble the State was seldom otherwise provided by Laws to punish Hereticks The Councel of Nice therefore having in the year 325 censured the opinion of Arius for Heretical the Emperour who had formerly granted certain considerable Priviledges to Christians declared in the year following Haereticos atque Schismaticos hâ— privilegiis alienos that no Heretick or Schâ—â—smatick should have any part in those Privileges but they rarely proceeded to blood unless perhaps against some seditious Preacher And the Holy men of those times used earnest perswasions to deterr men inclining to that severity from it as not esteeming it to agree with that entire Charity that should be in Christians St. August professeth he had rather be himself slain by them then by detecting the Donatists be any cause they should undergo the punishment of death Ep. 127 This was the Temper of the Christians at least 800. years after Christ But about the year 1000 the Christian World began to punish Miscreants as branches not bearing fruit in Christ by casting them into the fire But the Devout men of those Times did not approve of this rigour St. Bernard explaining those words of Solomon Take us the Foxes the little Foxes that spoil the Vines Cant. 2.15 If saith he according to the Allegory by the Vines we understand the Churches and by the Foxes Heresies or rather Hereticks the meaning is plain that Hereticks be rather taken then driven away Capientur dico non armis sed agrumentis taken I say not by Arms but Arguments whereby their Errours may be refuted and they themselves reconciled if possible to the Catholick Church And that the Holy Ghost intends this is evident saith he because he doth not say simply Take the Foxes sed capite nobis take us the Foxes sibi ergo sponsae suae id est Catholicae jubet acquiri has vulpes cum ait capite eas nobis In Cantic Serm. 64. He commands therefore that they be taken for himself and his Spouse that is the Catholick Church when he saith Take us the Foxes Thus the holy men in that Age in which they first stopped mens mouths not with Arguments but Arms judged of it And indeed we have not many Examples of persons suffering meerly for Conscience till after the year 1216. in which Pope Innocent the Third laid the foundation of that new Court called since the Inquisition who appointed such as should be convicted of Heresie ut vivi in conspectu hominum comburentur to be committed alive to the flames of fire And though such proceedings are not at any good agreement with those rules and examples which Christ hath left us in holy Scripture yet the practise hath been long since taken up in this Kingdom and is in force at this day by the Laws Anno 1166. about thirty Dutch came hither who detested Baptism the Eucharist and other parts of Religion and being by Scripture convicted in an Episcopal Councel called by the King at Oxford they were condemned to be Whipped and burnt in the face and a command given that none should either receive or releive them so that they miserably Perished By the Common-Law that is the Custom of the Realm of England Hereticks are to be Punished by Consuming them with Fire and accordingly there is a Writ De Haeretico comburendo An Apostate Deacon in a Councel held at Oxford by Stephen Langton was first degraded and then by Lay-hands committed to the Fire Bracto l. 3. de Corona c. 9 In Edward the Third's daies about the Year 1347. two Franciscans were Burnt quod de Religione male sentirent because they thought amiss of Religion Pol. Virg. Hist Ang. l. 19. And in the year 1583. Copin and Thacker were hanged at Saint Edmonds-Bury for publishing Brown's Book Cambd. which saith Stow p. 1174 was written against the Common-Prayer Book A Fair warning And thus you see if men will not be Subject to the Higher Powers in matters of Religion for Conscience sake they must be subject because of wrath for the Prince is entrusted with a Coercive Power and bears not the Sword in vain But because it is a thing Morally impossible for one man as the King to Govern the whole Church in his Kingdom Personally by himself He may substitute or delegate others under him to manage all his Power which is communicable in the Government of the Church I say communicable because there are some things inseparable from the Supreme Power as to Correct Alter Ratifie Repeal or Make Null Canons and Constitutions made by any persons under him to reverse or mitigate a Sentence injustly or unduly passed the right of Appeals of nominating Bishops to their respective Sees of translating or deposing them where he seeth cause These and such like are incommunicable unto any inseparable from his Crown But in all other things that are not of this nature he may give Power to others to Govern the Church to whom all persons ow their obedience by virtue of his Delegation as much as to the King himself because it is the King that requires or
Breviary Processional and Mass-Book as they did their Doctrine retaining nothing but what the Papists had received from purer Antiquity which argues onely a fair compliance in us with the Antient Church and not at all with them And if it be said that some Papists have boasted that our Service is but their Mass in English It is certainly a most unreasonable thing that they who will not believe the Papist in any thing else should believe them in their vain boast against us and thinke it an accusation sufficiently proved because some Papists have impudently said it Fourthly The truth is the Papists condemn our Book as much of Schism as the Consistorian do of compliance they accuse it as much of departing from the Church of Rome as the others of remaining with it Now there cannot be a surer evidence of the innocency of our Liturgie then the contrary Censures which it hath undergon between these two Persecutours in the extream it being the dictate of natural Reason that Virtue is infallibly known by this that is it accused by both the Extreams at guilty of either as for instance the true Liberality of mind is by this exemplifyed that it is defamed by the Prodigal for Parcimony and by the Niggard for Prodigality Thus you have some thing in Reply to the Objections in general whereby it appears that our Liturgie is neither Superstitious nor Popish The particular Objections are exceeding many but as Mr. Hooker in his Ep. Dedicatory to his fifth Book for the greatest part such silly things that the easiness renders them hard to be Disputed of in a serious manner I shall briefly consider the most principal of them First For the Litany against which a Cloud of Darts are cast Mr. Hooker a Person of whom it is hard to say whether his Sobriety or Learning may challenge the greatest admiration tells us that the absolute perfection of this piece upbraids with Errour or something worse them whom in all points it doth not satisfy Eccles Pol. B. § 41. Of the rare effects of which he gives us there two famous Instances the one of Mamercus Bishop of Vienna about 450. years after Christ the other of Sidonius Bishop of Averna who by the frequent and fervent use of the Rogation or Litany obtained of God the aversion of portended Calamities and the removing of Famine and a Potent Enemy which besieged them This part of our Service the Litany was Called by the Ancients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earnest or intense Prayer and in the Greek Liturgy simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intense or earnest And therefore the Courch requires the Congregation or People to be more exercised in it then in any other part of the Service Concerning which three things have been offered to be justified against any Gainsayers but no man hath yet entred the Lifts 1. That there is not any where extant a more particular excellent enumeration of all the private or common wants of Christians so far as it is likely to come to the cognisance of a Congregation 2. Not a move innocent blameless Form against which there lies no just Objection and most of the unjust ones that have been made are reproachful to Scripture it self from which the Passages excepted against are fetched As for instance That it may please thee to have mercy upon all men from 1. Tim. ii 1. I exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men Not a more artificial composure for the raising of our zeal and keeping it up then this so defamed part of our Liturgy For which and other Excellencies undoubtedly it is and not for any coniuring or swearing in it as some Blasphemously have said that the Divel hath took such care that it should drink de peest of the bitter cup of calumnie and reviling Secondly For the Responser and following the Presbyter or Priest in the Confession of Sins and Profession of Faith They were designed by the Church from the example of pure Antiquity to very profitable uses as 1. By way of mutual Charity the people returning a prayer for the Priest who begins one peculiarly for them The Lord be with you saith the Priest And with thy Spirit Answer the people 2. To quicken devotion which is but to prone to dull and slacken by continual heairng 3. To engage every one present to be no idle or unprofitable spectatour or auditour of the Service onely Thirdly For the three Creeds the Apostles Nicene and Athanasius his Creed they have been of old a badg of the Church a mark to discern Christians from Infidels and Jews I have not yet heard of any thing objected against the matter of any of them The Apostles Creed whether delivered by the Apostles to the Church by Oral Tradition that famous Tradition so much mentioned by the Fathers or gathered out of the Writings of the Holy Apostles is the sum of the whole Catholick Faith the Key of the Christian Faith That of the Councel of Nice was made in that famous Assembly of 318. Bishops against the Heresie of Arrius who denyed the Coeternity and Coequality of the Son with the Father Athanasius his Creed composed by that Father who alone opposed himself to that Torrent of Arrianism which had over flowed the whole world was both in the East and western-Western-Church accounted as a Treasure of great price There is not any imaginable ground of rejecting either of these unless is be to gratifie the Separatists who are professed denyers of one Article the Holy Catholick Church Fourthly For the Doxology or Glory be to the Father c. it is a very antient Piece the former Versicle of it being according to good Authours composed by the first Councel of Nice and appointed by those Fathers to be used in the Church as a lesser Creed or Confession of the Trinity and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consubstantiality of the Son and the Holy Ghost with the Father At which it hath therefore been the Custom antiently to stand up Confession of God being a praising of Him to which that Posture is most due and proper And for the other Versicle As it was in the Beginning c. when the Macedonian Hereticks excepted against the Divinity of the Holy Ghost as a Novel Doctrine Saint Jerom Opposition to them added that unto the former Versicle Fifthly For the reading of the Commandements and the Responses after them It must be acknowledged that it is not antiently to be found in the Church as a part of the Service no not till King Edward's second Liturgie by which yet we have this Advantage That Popery cannot be charged upon it yet it will appear to be a profitable Part of Devotion For the Priest after a Prayer for Grace to love God and keep His Commandements Almighty God unto whom all Hearts be open c. is appointed to stand and read the Commandements distinctly to the People and they to receive them in
THE SPIRITUAL HOUSE In its Foundation Materials Officers and Discipline DESCRIB'D The Nomothetical Coercive Power of the KING in Ecclesiastical Affaires ASSERTED The Episcopal Office and Dignity Together with the Liturgy of the Church of England VINDICATED In some Sermons Preached at St. Clement Danes and St. Gregories neer St. Pauls London By Geo. Masterson Hath the Lord as great delight in Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better then Sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rams 1 Sam. 15.22 And they answered Josua saying All that thou commandest us wee will do according as we hearkned unto Moses in all things so will we hearken unto thee Josh 1.16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incerti Ap. Stobaeum Printed for Philemon Stephens the younger living at the Golden Lyon in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1661. To the great Exemplar of PIETIE VIRTUE Frances Dutches of Sommerset Her Grace THe Gentile Superstition Madam inscrib'd not the Names or their Deities upon the greatest Donaries which they made them with a Devotion comparable to that with which I lay this Little Thing at Your Grace's Feet The Compilement of this Structure is not in a Lofty and Noble Corinthian form with any Rich or Curious Embrodery of Words but the whole is cemented together in the plain Tuscan I could have given it a Franker Light had I not known that Devotion for which this Spirituall House was built requires collected rather then diffused Spirits I dare not assume the Vanity to think that it is as the Italians use to speak of a well built Structure Fabrica ben raccolta But if Your Grace who are so excellent a Judge be pleas'd to afford it Your Approbation for its usefulness or seasonableness I shall rejoyce in my Endeavour If otherwise the hand that erected shall be first upon it to pull it in pieces and condemn it to rubbage and ruine But since Madam the simple Dedication of an Altar though the Materials of it are but Turf or Brick and the Hand that erected it unacquainted with Art hath ever secur'd it against all but Sacrilegious Hands I am ready to overcome my Reason into a Belief that this otherwise inconsiderable Piece pleading the Cause of His most Sacred Majestie 's Nomotheticall and Coercive Power in Matters of Religion the Prelacy of my Lords the Reverend Bishops as Governours sent by him and of the Pious though despised Liturgy of our Church which three are fairly seated and ruling in Your Graces Soul it shall live under the shadow of Your great Name Thus Madam not without deep acknowledgement of Your Graces undeserved Favours to my most unworthy Self I take the boldness to assure you that the remaining Thoughts and Actions of my Life shall zealously aim at the Honour of being My most honoured Lady Your Graces most devoted Servant Geo. Masterson Decemb. the 20th 1660. 1 Epistle of Peter 2 Chap. 4 5 vers To whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of Men but chosen of God and precious Ye also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house an holy priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ THE first thoughts that the Sons of Men entertain of coming or drawing nigh to God are formed in them by the mediation of his goodnesse that is his profitablenesse or serviceablenesse to them without this all the beauty that is in the divine nature would never affect the heart of one of the lapsed Sons of Adam for though there be infinite charmes in the face of God to attract the soules of all rationall Creatures that have eyes to behold the amiablenesse that is in his face yet the power and justice of God are more potent to deter the creature conscious to it self of its own unworthinesse and guilt from coming to or looking toward him The Son of God himself though he be the brightnesse of his Fathers glory and the expresse image of his Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the character of his subsistence would never lead one heart captive were he not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beneficient and gratious as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anointed so the Spouse Cantic 1.3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth therefore doe the Virgins love thee and our Apostle in my Text mentions not their coming unto God but upon the hypothesis or supposition of their having tasted that the Lord is gracious vers 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his goodnesse is the cords of a Man with which he drawes us and we run after him without a precedent tast of that we should never come to him But if ye have tasted it necessarily and immediatly follows To whom coming as unto a living stone c. In which words you have an allusion to or comparison between the Christian Church and the Temple under the Law of which that was a type or figure and this allusion stands in four things the foundation superstructure priesthood and sacrifices 1 You have here in answer to the foundation of the Temple a stone specified and illustrated by a peculiar Epithite a living stone and describ'd further by two things for preventing that scandal or offence that might be taken at it because disallowed by men that men might not stumble at or dash their foot against this it is true saith our Apostle this stone was disallowed indeed of men but first it was chosen of God though it were reprobated by them it was elected by him non temere assumptus And 2 It is pretious too 1 Coram Deo precious in the sight of God 2 Apud fideles precious in the eyes of all beleevers who prefer this stone to all pearls and diamonds before the treasures of silver and gold Secondly You have here in allusion to the Temple the superstructure upon this foundation ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house 3 The Priesthood dignified with the honourable title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an holy priesthood 4. The sacrifices 1 distinguished from those of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritual the sacrifices under the Law were carnal but these are spiritual sacrifiees 2 The means how they become acceptable to God namely by Jesus Christ The 1. Allusion is the foundation A stone and heer 5. th 1. that Christ is a stone 2. How he is a stone 3. How it fared with him or what entertainment he found he was disallowed 4. By whom And 5tly their sin in disallowing him in three respects 1. Because a living stone 2. Because chosen of God And 3dly because precious 1. Christ is a stone thus the holy Prophets Isaiah Daniel and Zachary prophesied of him Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation Isay 28.16 Thou sawest til that a stone was cut out without hands
Congregation of Christians in all the World hath received and embraced the Episcopacy we contend for To this all the Fathers without exception of any one bear witness He among them who ascribes least to Episcopacy St. Jerom who was not a Bishop but a Presbyter of an inferiour Order whose Testimony therefore may stand in stead of many saith In toto orbe decretum est ut unus de Presbyteris electus caeteris superponeretur ad quem omnis cura Ecclesiae pertineret It is universally decreed that one chosen from among the Presbyters should be set over the rest to whom the whole care of the Church should appertain And that this was the universal Custom of the Church appears by this because those Hereticks who made a separation from the Church Catholick did yet retain this Order among them Thus the Authour of the Homilies upon St. Matthew Hereticks in their Schism have all those things among them which are proper to the true Church Similiter Ecclesias similiter Scripturas similiter Episcopos caeterosque Clericorum ordines They have their Congregations Scriptures Bishops and other Orders of the Clergy as the Church hath Aerius indeed in a Pang of indignation because he missed a Bishoprick which he stood for would have made himself equal to the Reverend Bishops by broaching this Doctrine Presbyterum ab Episcopo nulla differentia discerni debere That a Presbyter ought not to be distinguished by any difference from a Bishop but this errour of his was condemned by the whole Church When one wrote to St. Jerom Nihil interest inter Episcopum Presbyterum There is no difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter he reproved him sharply in the Answer which he returned Hoc satis imperite This was not said for want of ignorance In portu ut dicitur naufragium you make shipwrack as they say Proverbially in the Haven Thirdly The Episcopacy under our present consideration is of venerable Antiquity in the Church having it's rise in the Apostles time In proof of which we can have no better Evidence then the Catalogue of Bishops in Irenaeus Eusebius Socrates and Theodoret who begin from the Age in which the Apostles lived Now no man can deny his assent to such Grave Authority so unanimously conspiring in matter of fact without incurring the guilt of singular irreverence and pertinacy It is as if one should deny that which all the Roman Histories affirm that the Consulship of Rome began from the Banishment of the Tarquins Will you hear St. Jerom Alexandriae a Marco Evangelista Presbyteri unum semper ex se electum in celsiori gradu collocatum Episcopum nominabant Ep. 85. The Presbyters of Alexandria ever since St. Mark the Evangelist having chosen one from among themselves and exalting him to an higher place stiled him Bishop St. Mark died in the eighth year of Nero about the year of our Lord 62. whose Successour St. John the Apostle yet living was Amianus to him succeeded Abilius to Abilius Cerdo After the Death of St. James Simon succeeded him in the Bishoprick of Jerusalem After St. Peter's departure Linus Anacletus and Clement or as some St. Peter yet living sate in the Episcopal Chair at Rome as Evodius and Ignatius did at Antioch A Record of such Antiquity confirmed by Ignatius the Disciple of St. John cannot be rejected by any save such onely who have no Faith for any thing that themselves saw not Who may as well deny that ever there was a Philip of Spain or Lewis of France or Henry King of England as that the persons before mentioned were Bishops of their respective Sees Fourthly The Episcopacy we intend is approved by Divine Right or as Bucer expresseth it Visum Spiritui Sancto utinter Presbyteros unus cur am singularem gereret It seemed good unto the Holy Ghost that one among the Presbyters should have the especial care of the Church Of this we have an undeniable Argument in the book of the Revelations where we find Christ from Heaven commanding St. John to write unto the seven Angels of the Churches of Asia The Title of Angel may I acknowledg be applyed in a general signification to every particular Pastour or Presbyter But here it is manifest Christ intends one in each Church onely whom he stiles the Angel in a proper and peculiar sence For It is no ways probable that Churches so large of such vast extent as Ephesus Smyrna and the rest were had but one Pastour or Presbyter in each of them Nay it is certain and evident concerning Ephesus that in the days of St Paul there were many Presbyters ordained or constituted to feed the Church of God Acts 20.17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church and said unto them verse 28. Take heed unto your selves and to all the flock c. to feed the Church of God And we may as rationally conclude concerning the rest that there were many Pastours in each Church Why then should Christ direct his Epistle to one the Angel if there had not been one among them of a Superiour Function and more eminent Dignity Sub Angeli nomine saith St. Augustine Epist 162. laudatur praepositus Ecclesiae Under the name of the Angel he commends the Prefect of the Church Angelos Ecclesiis Praesidentes dixit Hierom By Angels he understands the Presidents of the Churches And for Smyrna Polycarpus was without controversie Bishop of it ordained by St. John as Bullinger himself acknowledgeth and Irenaeus saith of him l. 3. c. 3. Polycarpus non solum ab Apostolis eruditus c. Polycarp was not onely instructed by the Apostles and conversant with divers of those persons who saw our Lord in the flesh but in Asia he was constituted by the Apostles Bishop of the Church of Smyrna whom I saw saith the Father while I was a young man I wholly wave many other Evidences and descend to a late Protestant Writer Marlorat in locum St. John saith he mentions first the Church of Ephesus in respect of the dignity of the place Nec populum aggreditur sed Principem Cleri utique Episcopum And he doth not apply himself to the people but to the Principal of the Clergy to wit the Bishop And because the Authority of Mr. Beza and Doctour Reinolds may possibly go furthest with those who have no great friendship for the Episcopal Dignity let us in the Point in hand hear them To the Angel saith Beza id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quem nimirum oportuit inprimis de his rebus admoneri ac per eum caeteros collegas totamque adeo Ecclesiam That is the President who first ought to be admonished and by him his Colleagues and so the whole Church Reinolds in his Conference with Hart c. 8. Sect. 3. saith Though there were in the Church of Ephesus many Presbyters and Pastours to Administer to that Church yet there was one ever those many whom our Saviour stiles the
Angel of the Church to whom he directs those things which he would have the rest to learn from him Again the most antient Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament in the concluson of the second Epistle to Timothy have these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The second Epistle to Timothy erdained the first Bishop of the Church of the Ephesians c. And in the end of the Epistle to Titus we translate from the same Manuscripts It was written to Titus ordained the first Bishop of the Church of the Cretians And St. Ignatius tells us that Evedius his Predecessour was ordained Bishop of the Ephesians by the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will add onely to this that God himself who gave Laws in mediately to the people of the Jews constituted and appointed an High-Priest upon whom he conferred Prelacy and Preheminence over the rest of the Priests And if any man object that the High-Priest was a Type of Christ I acknowledg it is true But the entire Institution of his Office was not for that end onely his Eminence was conferred upon him for Order sake in the Church As Kingly Government was in a sort Typical of Christ but because it was not onely Typical of Christ but Instituted likewise for the great ends of Government it may and ought to be retained and so Prelacy among Pastours conducing so much as it doth to Order in the Church ought not to be abolished though it were Typical in the High-Priest Thus you have an account of these Governours in the Church the Reverend Bishops sent by the King I mean in respect of the External and Accidental things of Religion they have another Mission even from the Holy Ghost in respect of the Internal Preaching and Administring Sacraments Ordaining Binding and Loosing and such like Since then Prelacy is not contrary to the Scriptures since the Church Catholick hath received and embraced it since it is of very Reverend Antiquity and approved of by Divine Right this one would think should be enough to prepare a room for it in the heart of any pious and sober Christian enough to beget in us a reverent esteem of the calling of Bishops to work in us a chearfull submission to and ready compliance with the Rites and Ceremonies in the Worship of God commended to and required of us by such persons delegated to that end by the Prince whose Authority in matters of Religion hath sufficiently been asserted I will yet add for the better reconciling this Order to the affections of some men two words I. The Conveniency and Expediency that I say not Necessity of Conformity and Agreement between the Ecclesiastical and Civil Government There is such an affinity between these two that in Common-Wealths where the Government is by many they always commend the Affairs of the Church to the Clergy or Presbytery and not to a Bishop but where the Government is Monarchical in the State Episcopacy in the Church is onely conformable to it Presbytery no way comporting with Monarthy Hence that Preverbial saying No Bishop No King A saying that may be easily derided but not so easily refuted Our late sad Experiences have engraven it in such Capital Characters upon the understandings of all sober and unprejudiced persons than it will not easily be defaced II. The Utility and Advantages that redound to the Church by Episcopacy I might entertain you upon this Head with the unanimous consent of all Historians but I select his Testimony onely who of all the Antients had the least affection for Bishops St. Jerom ad Tit. c. 1. Toto orbe decretum est ut ad tollenda schismata dissidia unus de Presbyteris electus superponeretur caeteris It is universally decreed that for the prevention of Schisms and differences one chosen out of the Presbyters be set over the rest And again Ecclesiae salus in summi sacerdotis id est Episcopi dignitate consistit The safety of the Church consists in the Dignity of the High-Priest that is the Bishop to whom if there be not a Peculiar Power distinct from all others annexed Tot in Ecclesia efficientur schismata quot sacerdotes advers Lucif There will be as many Schisms as Priests in the Church Our own Chronicles tell us that King Edward the Elder by Constituting five new Bishops stopped an Inundation of Paganism ready to break in on the West for want of Pastours If any man question or doubt of the Utility of this Reverend Order let him look back upon the Torrent of Confusion Heresy and Blasphemy that brake in upon us while these Banks were by violent hands thrown down Hoc Ithacus velit c. The Extirpation of Episcopacy in these Kingdoms is the first-born of the Pope's desires That which his Soul longs for as for the first-ripe fruit you know the Apologue how the Wolves would make peace with the Sheep upon the condition they would hang up all their dogs Let but Episcopacy and the Liturgy be abolished and the Papists assure you shall promise you peace upon any terms There is nothing that I know of objected against this Order but that great Bug-bear the Covenant Have we not lifted up our hands to the God of Heaven and sworn the Extirpation of Prelacy How then can we admit of Bishops or submit to them being restored To this I Answer An unlawfull Oath obligeth to nothing but repentance An unjust Oath voluntarily taken or imposed by an unlawfull Authority is not binding to any man's Conscience You have Covenanted and sworn the Extirpation of Prelacy so did Herod binde himself with an oath to Herodias Daughter that he would give her whatsoever she should ask Matthew xiv 7. so did certain Jews binde themselves with an Oath of Execration that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul Acts xxiii 12. Had those men done well in killing Paul because they had bound themselves by a curse or did Herod well in giving John Baprist's Head to the Damsel for his Oath 's sake you will I presume say No. Why No would you not have them keep their Oath I but it was an unjust Oath So was yours and will be found defective in the Properties required in a just Oath Truth Judgment and Righteousness Jer. iv 2. And we may soberly suppose that many men Covenanted against the Bishops for their Land's sake onely As the Earl of Kildare being Arraigned for burning a Church in Ireland said He would never have set fire to the Church if he had not thought the Bishop had been in it Bur if any man can say He took the Covenant in Truth Judgment and Righteousness he might lie under some temptation or keeping it had it not wanted that which is essentially necessary to render an Oath obliging a lawfull Authority to impose it But seeing it wanted this which it were Treason to deny no man's Conscience is obliged by it and he who will persist in it because he hath
taken it justifies his doing of evil by doing of worse Since therefore through the goodness of God and his Majestie 's undaunted Resolution the Reverend Bishops are restored to the Church and sent as Governours by the King if you be Members of this Spiritual House you must submit to their Directions and Injunctions in all Rites Ceremonies and Circumstances of Religion Which fairly leads me to the last thing intended the Consideration and Vindication of the Liturgy of our Church The Calves of our lips our Prayers are a service more acceptable to the God of Heaven then Hecatombs of Oxen Thousands of Rams or ten Thousand Rivers of Oyl An Heathen could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prayers are a more acceptable Sacrifice to God then Oxen. That part of our lives which we spend in Prayer is the most celestial and Divine Prayer is a Duty so absolutely necessary for every person who acknowledgeth a Deitie that Nature hath dictated it to those who were strangers to the Scriptures and Aliens to the Common-Wealth of Israel The Mariners in Jonah when the Storm was upon on them cryed every man unto his God Chap. i. verse 5. and the Mr. of the Ship rebuked the Prophet himself sharply for neglecting this Duty with What meanest thou O Sleeper Arise call upin thy God verse 6. The Sun hath never yet beheld a person so impudent provided he did not say in his heart with David's Fool There is no God as plainly and directly to condemn this Duty In the exercise or performance of which we are diversly concerned after one manner as we are men private persons and after another as we are Christians and members of this Spiritual house on family the Church As Private persons we are left free to make choice of such Time Place and Form as the Exigence of our present occasions require Firs For Time either the Sixth hour as St. Peter in Acts x. 9. or the Ninth hour as the Centurion verse 3 either thrice a day as David at Evening Morning and Noon Psal lv 17. Or Seaven times a Day as He Psal cxix 164. Secondly For Place either in Closet Vpper-Room Garden Fields or elswhere with conveniency Thirdly For the Manner either taking unto our selves words and expressions of our own or making use of apt and pertinent Forms invented by others In all these Circumstances we are free and at our own election as private persons But as we are in Family Members of the house a publick body we are not left free but are under the direction on of our Spiritual guids or Governours in all these respects of time place and form In then two first of these time and place all who are called Christians agree that the King or Governours under him may prescribe that publique Prayers shall be made at such times and in such places onely But the third the prescribing a Form will by no means be allowed by some to the Spiritual Governours or any others And others who allow the King and those who are under him authority to prescribe a form of publique Prayer wil not admit of that which we call The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments I shall endeavour therefore first to vindicate set Forms of Prayer in General and secondly the Liturgy of our Church in Particular First For the lawfulness and expediencie of set Forms of Prayer I offer four Arguments First The Example of God himself and of some Holy men who were enspired by the Holy Ghost In the sixth Chapter of the Book of Numbers verse 22 and foreward you have a form of Blessing the people prescribed by God himself to Aaron and his sons The Lord spake unto Moses saying Speak unto Aaron and his sons saying On this wise ye shall bless the Children of Israel saying unto them The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace And as God prescribed the Priests a Form to Bless the people so he prescribes the People a Form in these words And thou shalt go unto the Priest that shall be in those days and say unto him I profess this day unto the Lord thy God that I am come unto the Countrey which the Lord sware unto our Fathers for to give us Deut xxvi 3 and verse 5. Thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God A Syrian ready to perish was my Father c. When they went to Battel a Form was prescribed Deut xx 3. a form of Thanksgiving for victory and deliverance Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel this Song unto the Lord and spake saying I will sing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his Rider hath He thrown into the Sea c. Exod. xx 1. This Song was composed by Moses and learned by all the People and repeated again in the same words by Miriam verse 21. And Miriam answered them Sing ye unto the Lord for c. King Hezekiah delivered from Death did not onely compose a Set-Form of Thanksgiving but used it all the Daies of his Life The Lord was ready to save me therefore we will sing my Songs to the stringed Instruments all the daies of our Life in the House of the Lord. Isa xxxviii 20. And the same Hezekiah commanded the Levites to ling praises to God with the words of David and Asaph 2 Chron. xxix 30. VVith the Words of David and Asaph that is with Forms composed by those Sacred Pen-men Secondly The Practise and Precept of our Lord Christ in the New Testament is a second Argument 1. This Practise Matth. xxvi 44. And he left them and he went again and prayed the third time saying the same words And again upon the Cross Matth. xxvii 46. My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me The expresse words ' of David Psal xxii 1. 2. VVe have his Precept likewise in prescribing the Pater Nester not onely as a Pattern but Form of Prayer For though he say in St. Matthew After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father c. Matt. vi 9. yet he saith in St. Luke When ye pray say Our Father c. Luke xi 2. Since therefore Christ in whom all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledg were hid in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily to whom the Spirit was not given by measure prescribes and practisech a Form of Prayer the Sons of men may without disparagement to their Parts or Gifts lawfully make use of a Set-Form Thirdly The Example of St. John Baptist who taught his Disciples to Pray by prescribing them a Form which occasioned the Disciples of Christ to desire and him to answer their reqnest in giving them a Form Luke xi 1. To which that excellent Person whose loss the Church could hardly have sustained had not God by his Providence in taking him from us near the time of His Majestie 's