the uniformity of Common prayer set in the beginning thereof testifieth Also every one which entreth into the Ministery of the Church of England first subscribeth That the booke of Common prayer containeth in it nothing contrary to the Word of God and that it may lawfully so bee used and that hee himselfe will use the forme in the said booke prescribed in Publike prayer and administration of the Sacraments and none other As it is in Canon 36. That the booke of ordering of Bishops Priests and Deacons is likewise ratified the six and thirtieth Article of the Religion established declareth saying The Book of Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops and ordering of Priests and Deacons lately set forth in the time of Edward the sixt and confirmed at the same time by Authority of Parliament doth containe all things necessarie to such Consecration and ordering neither hath it any thing that of it selfe is superstitious and ungodly And therefore whosoever are consecrated or ordered according to the Rites of that booke since the second yeare of the aforenamed King Edward unto this time or hereafter shall be consecrated or ordered according to the same Rites we decree all such to be rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated and ordered That both the bookes of Homilies now printed in one Volume and distinguished into two Tomes are approved by the whole Clergy it is manifest by every ones subscription unto the third Article to be subscribed unto afore receiving any order or degree in the ministery whereof the words are That he alloweth the book of Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Archbishops In Canon 36. and Bishops of both Provinces and the whole Clergie in the Convocation holden at London in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand five hundred sixtie and two and that he acknowledgeth all and every the Articles therein contained being in number nine and thirty besides the Ratification to be agreeable to the Word of God And in the five and thirtieth Article therof it is said The second booke of Homilies the severall titles whereof we have joyned under this Article doth containe a godly and wholesome Doctrine and necessary for these times as doth the former booke of Homilies which were set forth in the time of Edward the sixt and therefore we judge them to be read in Churches by the Ministers diligently and distinctly that they may bee understanded of the people The Eleventh Article concerning the justification of man referreth unto the Homily of Iustification wherein the most wholesome Doctrine thereof and very full of comfort is more largly expressed In the booke of Common Prayer in the Rubrick after the Nicene Creed the Homilies are mentioned It is required that the booke of Homilies be in every Church Canon 80. And Canon 49 requireth Ministers not allowed Preachers to reade the said Homilies For the confirmation of be true saith and for thâ—â—â—â—d â—â—strâ—â—lâ—â— and 〈◊〉 disication of the people The great authority of the Homilies may also appeare out of the Titles of both Tomes of them The Title of the first Tome is Certaine Sermons or Homilies appointed to bee read in Churches in the time of the late Queene Elizabeth of famous memory And now thought fit to be reprinted by Authority from the Kings most Excellent Majesty The Title of the second is The second Tome of Homilies of such matters as were promised and entituled in the former part of Homilies set out by the Authority of the late Queenes Majesty and to be read in every Parish Church agreeably There are no writings of any Author whatsoever whereunto the Church ascribeth so much authority as to the Bookes of Divine Service having ordained them only together with the holy Scriptures to bee publikely read in every congregation of the Land Now some will say It appeareth by these relatings that great is the respect which we owe unto the said bookes of the Church but yet we are to receive no delivery in them but what we know agreeth with the Word of God In which saying of many of these times there is contained a greater defect than all doe observe therein For first by so saying they attribute not such authority as is due unto the Church their Mother they duely acknowledge not her loyalty unto Christ her Head S. Paul propoundeth the Church her fidelity or faithfull obeience to be a patterne for imitation where he saith As the Church is subject unto Christ Eph. 5.24 so let the wives bee to their owne husbands in every thing Put case that in that her fundamentall Doctrine there were some deliveries not in all respects so perfect as are the Scriptures of God our Father yet it is against her loving nature and prudence to propound unto us any matter for our hurt Yea what we suppose to be imperfect wee may make that use thereof for which it was by her intended and be much benefited thereby Secondly by that their limitation they imply that they have an ability to judge the understanding and wisdome of their mother And if they bee demanded whence they have received so great an extraordinary abilitie as to judge of their mother the Church her knowledge and Doctrine The common answer is by their reading the holy Scriptures They not seriously considering what is written in them also Acts 8.30 31. That how can one reading the holy Scriptures understand them except some man guide him Malachi 2.7 And that the Priests lips is to keepe knowledge and the people is to seeke the Law at his mouth The Clergie of the Church is to teach the common people of the same The lay people in their understanding and applying the Scriptures are to be guided by the Priesthood or Clergy And before it hath beene declared that the universall Clergy with one mouth and consent have borne witnesse That there is not any thing in the Booke of Common Prayer which is contrary to the Word of God And that the booke of Homilies doth containe a godly and wholesome Doctrine and necessary for these times to bee understanded of the people Seeing then all the guides in the Church all the ordained keepers of knowledge all such from whom the people are appointed to seeke the Law or spirituall instruction and teaching doe testifie together the truth and profitablenesse of the bookes of the Divine Service can any one justly accept against any deliverie in them unlesse he doe assume unto himselfe for to outsee the whole Clergy of the Church of England The Lord Iesus Christ hath so greatly confirmed the authority of his Church that he hath said Mat. 18.17 Whoso neglecteth to heare the Church let him or her be unto his people as an Heathen and a Publicane Wherefore it is our bounden duty most diligently to heare read and meditate on every particular delivery in those fundamentall bookes composed by the perfectest wisdome of the Church our mother and to frame our mindes and lives according to every prescription
many times in a yeere so is it exceeding furthersome for all younger people to have it all in perfect memory and at least once a weeke to examine themselves by the same CHAP. 62. Of Excommunication IT is said in the second part of the * T. 2. p. 213. Homily concerning the Holy Ghost or in the Homily for Whitsunday Christ ordained the authority of the keyes to excommunicate notorious sinners and to absolve theÌ„ which are truly penitent In the second part of the * Homily concerning the right use of the Church T. 2. p. 9.10 it is said In the primitive Church which was most holy and godly and in the which due discipline with severitie was used against the wicked due discipline with severitie suffered once to enter into the house of the Lord nor admitted to Common Prayer and the use of the holy SacrameÌ„ts with other true Christians untill they had done opeÌ„penance before the whole Church And they that were so justly exempted and banished as it were from the house of the Lord were taken as they be indeed for men divided and separated from Christs Church and in most dangerous estate yea as Saint Paul saith even given unto Satan the Devill for a time and their company was shunned and avoided of all godly men and women untill such time as they by repentance and publike penance were reconciled Iesus Christ said unto Peter To thee I will give the c Mat. 16.19 keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven The same d Mat 18.18 19 20. authority hee afterward pronounced unto the rest of his Apostles Also when after his resurrection hee breathed on them and said Receive ye the Holy Ghost he gave the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven unto them all saying e Ioh. 20.22 23. Whose soever sins yee remit they are remitted unto theÌ„ whose soever sinnes ye retaine they are retained Saint Paul saith to the Corinthians concerning excommunicating the incestuous person In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ To f 1 Cor. 5.4 5. deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may bee saved in the day of the Lord Iesus He said of Hymenaeus and Alexander that he had g 1 Tim. 1.20 delivered them unto Satan that they might learne not to blaspheeme Concerning what persons are to be excommunicated if otherwise they will not be reformed it is observed that the Apostle signifieth where he saith If any man that is called a brother be a fornicatour or covetous or an Idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with h 1 Cor. 5.11 such a one no not to eate Vnto the Thessalonians he saith And if any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and have i 2 Thes 3.14 no company with him that he may be ashamed The Apostle speaketh of disorderly living and living out of a vocation by the sweat of other mens browes or eating other mens bread for nought The Apostle also faith If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be k 1 Cor. 16.22 anathema Maran atha The speech here l Sunt enim haeâ— dicendi genera Haebraeis non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquit Buxtorfiuâ— in Gram. Heb. pag. 548. excusâ anno 1620. love not is observed to signifie hateth Anathema is interpreted a curse a cursed thing or one accursed Maran signifieth our Lord and atha signifieth commeth The excommunication which was called anathema maranatha is accounted to be the greatest kinde thereof and so the very last namely when as one for his persevering wilfull hatred against Iesus Christ is quite forsaken by the Church and left unto the just judgement of Christ of whom Enoch said m Iude 14.15 Arabs juxta sensum reddidit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apud Rabbinos est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contractè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Videt ur dicià syriacâ— verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nominare quòd hâ—c sit nominatissima excommunicatio Vulgò taâ—en volunt esse nomen compositum ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Deus venit Alij ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. ibi mors Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him The holy scriptures deliver other causes also for which there may be excommunication the which the Church of England hath partly mentioned in the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiasticall as also when any being summoned to appeare before ecclesiasticall authority will contemptuously refuse c. The Lord Christ Iesus hath in his Gospell given an everlasting generall rule If any one neglect to heare the Church let him be unto thee as an n Mat. 18.17 Heathen man and a Publicane CHAP. 63. Of Confession and Absolution in particular manner BEsides the generall Confession and Absolution to be said and pronounced in the beginning of the Divine Service and afore receiving the holy Communion holy Church hath ordained that a private may be made In the second Exhortation to be read afore the Communion it is said Because it is requisite that no man shold come to the holy Communion but with a full trust in Gods mercy and with a quiet conscience therefore if there be any of you which by the meanes aforesaid cannot quiet his owne conscience but requireth further comfort or counsell then let him come to me or some other discreet and learned Minister of Gods Word and open his griefe that he may receive such ghostly counsell advice and comfort as his conscience may be relieved and that by the ministery of Gods Word he may receive comfort and the benefit of absolution to the quieting of his conscience and avoyding of all scruple and doubtfulnesse In the Rubricke of the Service for the Visitation of the Sicke it is said The sicke person shall make a speciall confession if he feele his conscience troubled with any weighty matter After which confession the Priest shall absolve him after this sort * The forme of absolution used to one in particular Our Lord Iesus Christ who hath left power to his Church to absolve all sinners which truely repent and beleeve in him of his great mercy forgive thee thine offences and by his authority committed to me I absolve thee from all thy finnes In the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen Concerning Confession the Church in the 113. Canon delivereth That if any man confesse his secret and hidden sinnes to the Minister for the
to afflict his soule is it to bow downe his head as a Bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him wilt thou call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to undoe the heavie burdens and to let the oppressed goe free and that yee beake every yoake is it not to deale thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poore that are cast out to thy house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh Moreover that there ought to be made fervent prayer in the fasting dayes of the foure Ember-weekes it is signified in an Exhortation at the consecrating of an Elected Bishop where the Archbishop saith Brethren it is written in the Gospell of Saint Luke that our Saviour Christ continued the b Luke 6.12 13. whole night in the prayer or ever that hee did choose and send forth his twelve Apostles It is written also in the Acts of the Apostles that the Disciples which were at Antioch did c Act. 13.1 2 3. In every solemne fast wee ought to give some almes fast and pray or ever that laid hands upon or sent forth Paul and Barnabas Whereas Isaiah signifieth that the use which is to be made of fasting is charitablenesse some observe that when one fasteth hee is to give somewhat to the poore what hee hath spared from his owne selfe to let some poore member or members of Christ to bee comforted therewith CHAP. 78. Of Conversion Repentance and Regeneration IN the * T. 1. p. 53. Homily concerning Falling from God it is said out of Saint Origen He that with minde with study with deeds with thought and care applieth and giveth himselfe to Gods Word and thinketh upon his Lawes day and night giveth himselfe wholly to God and in his Precepts and Commandements is exercised this is he that is turned to God or one converted Conversion is the charge of the streame of minde and life of meditation and conversation from following ones d Isa 55.7 8 9. owne will or the lusts of e 1 Pet. 4.2 others unto an unfeined indeavour for to know all the Commandements of f Mat. 28.20 Iohn 15.14 Christ and his g 1 Cor. 11.2 Icr. 35.18 19. Church and to live obediently unto every particular of the same Then saith David shall I not be ashamed when I have a h Ps 119.6 respect unto all thy Commandements If I i Ps 66.18 regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare me Ezekiel saith If the wicked k Ezek. 18.21 22. will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my Statutes and doe that wâ—â—ch is lawfull and right he shall surely live he shall not dye Christ charged his Ministers to teach all Nations to observe l Mat. 28.20 all things whatsoever he hath commanded them He also saith Yee are my m Iohn 15.14 friends if yee doe whatsoever I command you And concerning the duty that all owe unto his n Luke 10 16. Church hee saith Who so heareth you heareth me and he that desoiseth you despiseth me and hee that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent me If any neglect to heare the o Mat. 18.17 Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publicane When one is in converting or turning unto God he is said in holy Scripture p Luke 15.17 to come to himselfe to q Psal 22.27 remember himselfe to take his owne estate into r Ezech. 18.28 Of repentance consideration Concerning repentance it is said in the first part of the * T. 2. p. 256. Homily thereof There is nothing that the Holy Ghost doth so much labour in all the Scriptures to beate into mens heads as Å¿ Acts 17.30 repentance amendment of life and speedy returning unto the Lord God of hostes * p. 258. Afterward there is signified That repentance is a returning againe of the whole man unto God from whom wee bee t Rom. 3.23 fallen away by sinne But that the whole discourse therof may be the better born away wee shall first consider in order foure principall points that is from what we must returne to whom wee must returne by whom we may be able to convert and the manner how to turne unto God First from whence or from what things we must returne Truly we must returne from those things whereby wee have beene withdrawne pluckt and led away from God and these generally are our sinnes which as the holy Prophet Isaiah doth testifie doe u Isa 59.2 separate God and us and hide his face that he will not heare us But unâ—â—â— the name of sinne not onely those grosse words and deeds which by the common judgement of men are counted to be filthy and unlawfull and so consequently abominable sinnes but also the filthy lusts and inward concupiscences of the flesh which as Saint Paul testifieth doe w Gal 5.16 17. 1 Pet. 2.11 Rom. 7.23 resist the will and Spirit of God and therefore ought earnestly to be bridled and x Gal. 5.24 kept under We must repent of the y Isa 44.20 Isa 59.13 false and erroneous opinions that we have had of God and the wicked superstition that doth breed of the same the z Rev. 9.20 unlawfull worshipping and service of God and other like All these things must they forsake that will truely turne unto the Lord and repent aright For sith that for such things the a Eph. 4.6 wrath of God commeth upon the children disobedience no end of punishment ought to be looked for as long as we continue in such things Secondly we must see unto whom we ought to returne The Lord saith Returne as farre as unto mee We must labour that we doe returne as farre as unto him and that we doe never cease nor rest till we have b Phil. 3.12.13 14. Act. 17.27 apprehended and taken hold upon him But this must be done by c Eph. 3.17 faith For sith that God is a Spirit he can by no other meanes be apprehended and taken hold upon Therefore thirdly we are to consider by whom we must returne unto God because we have of our owne selves nothing to present us to God and doe no lesse flee from him after our fal then our first Parent Adam did who when he had sinned did seeke to d Gen. 3.8 hide himselfe from the sight of God Wee have therefore neede of a Mediatour to bring and reconcile us unto him who from our sinnes is angry with us The same is e Col. 1.22 Iesus Christ And hee himselfe in his Gospell doth cry out and say I am the f Iohn 14.6 way the truth and the life no man commeth to the Father but by mee * P. 259. Fourthly as concerning the manner of our
is Christ and the head of woman is the man and the head of Christ is God Every man praying or prophecying having his head k 1 Cor. 11.2.3.4.7 Turpia vitiosaque legi debent bonesta contrà et vitio carentia detegiac ostendi Quod si vir operto capite preces agit ostendit suum caput esse vitiosum et preinde tegendum Atqui viri caput Christus est qui vitij est expers Itaque debet viri caput detegi quò Christum qui viri caput est vitij expertem esse indicetur Mulâ—eris verò caput vir est qui cuÌ„ sit nocens et vitiosus debet mulier suuÌ„ caput tegere Haec quidam anonymus Of the gesture to be used in prayer covered dishonoureth his head But every woman that prayeth or prophecieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head For man indeed ought not to cover his head forasmuch as hee is the Image and glory of God But the woman is the glory of the man It is written that the Lord Iesus l Luke 22.41 kneeled downe and prayed So m Acts. 7.60 did Saint Stephen when hee prayed though stones then were throwne against him where through hee presently died c. Peter n Acts. 9.40 kneeled downe and prayed c. Paul o Acts. 20.36 and 21.5 kneeled downe and prayed c. And Davids saying is which is appointed to bee read on every Sunday morning O come let us worship and fall downe and p Psal 95.6 Of the gesture to be used wheÌ„ the confession of Faith and the Gospel for the day is read kneele before the Lord our maker Moreover concerning the reverence done by standing up when we make confession of our Faith it is to be considered that then to sit is altogether unseemely because it is as it were a speaking unto God And sitting is no gesture of reverence When any civill person goeth unto his superiour and declareth any matter unto him hee will doe it standing And thus to demeane our selves in speaking to our superiours wee are taught even by the very light of q 1 Cor. 11.14 Thereout Balaam willed Balak to rise up Therupon Eglon arose up out of his seate nature Ought wee not then when wee make confession of our faith unto our God to stand up reverently We read not in Scripture of any that spake unto God sitting but either kneeling or standing or fallen downe on the face as * Gen. 17.17 18. Abraham did Kneeling commonly when they prayed and standing in making confession or profession It is recorded of King Salomon that hee and all the Congregation r 1 King 8.14.22.55 stood whiles hee confessed or made acknowledgement of the goodnesse of God towards them and blessed the name of the Lord. And afterward when he fell to prayer it appeareth hee s 1 King 8.54 kneeled on his knees It is also written that Abraham t Gen. 18.22 Gen. 19.27 stood before the Lord whiles he spake unto him Very many are the Scriptures which mention the gesture of standing before the Lord in speaking unto his Omnipotent Majestie Whereas also the Church prescribeth That when the Lord Iesus shall bee mentioned due and lowly reverence shall bee done by all persons present as it hath beene accustomed testifying by these outward Ceremonies and gestures their inward humility c. It is to bee understood that not onely all are to bow the knee when the Lord Iesus is mentioned in saying the Beleefe but also in the reading of the holy Gospell when as the the Lord Iesus is mentioned therein For which cause that people may then performe that reverence unto the Lord Iesus is it not requisite that all stand up whiles the Gospell which is in the divine Service is in reading And that people are to stand up in hearing the speciall messages from Almighty God not a few Scriptures doe teach Of standing up when the Gospel for the day is read When Ehud came to king Eglon as he was sitting in a Summer Parlour Ehud said I have a message from God unto thee And the King u Iudg. 3.20 arose out of his seat Why is it written that he rose up but for our learning that when we heare the Gospell which the Church hath upon specical consideration for the day appointed to be read we should stand up and then may make due and lowly reverence Of bowing the knee when the Lord Iesus is mentioned when the w Phil. 2.9 10 11. Rom 14.11 Isa 45.23 Ephes 3.14 Ioh. 5.22.23 Psal 72.9 and 95.6 Lord Iesus shall be mentioned as it hath beene accustomed The word Gospell in the originall signifieth a good or joyfull message It is written in the booke of Samuel That as Samuel and Saul were going downe to the end of the City Samuel said unto Saul Bid the servant passe on before us and he passed on but x 1 Sam. 9.27 stand thou still a while that I may shew thee the Word of God Hee doth not bid him sit still a while whiles he delivered to him the speciall message The Prophet Isaiah saith unto women when they were to heare his speciall delivery unto them from the Lord y Isa 32.9 Rise up ye women that are at ease heare my voice ye carelesse daughters give eare unto my speech Rising up in the hearing of a matter published is a token of the more carefull attention thereunto It is recorded that when Ezra opened the booke for to read all the people z Neh. 8.5 stood up Even very nature taught the heathen when any message was said to bee published unto them as from God that they were to stand up in hearing of it Wherupon Balaam said unto King Balak a Num. 23.18 Rise up Balak and heare hearken unto me thou sonne of Zippor Against sleeping in the Church in time of Gods publike worship Furthermore people ought not to sleepe whiles the publike worship of God is in performing no not in hearing an Homily or Sermon It is recorded by Saint Luke for our learning that when Christ preached the eyes of all that were in the Synagogue were b Luke 4.20 fastned on him And the judgement that befell c Act. 20.7 8 9 10. Entychus sleeping whiles Paul preached is written also for our admonition It is also remarkable what is said in the first part of the * T. 1. p. 53. Homily How dangerous a thing it is to fall from God Whosoever is occupied with fables and tales when the Word of God rehearsed Of attentive harkening to the publike worship he is turned from God Whosoever in time of reading Gods Word is carefull in his minde of worldly businesse of mony or of lucre he is turned from God whosoever is intangled with the cares of possessions filled with the covetousnesse of riches whosoever studieth for the glory and honour of this world he is turned from God So that