also from sin and their whole man from destruction And in this sense if this Petition should be supposed to enclude which in the proper sense of the words it doth not even Traitors and Robbers can we be blamed to pray even for them that God would preserve them from further sin and so keep them that they may have time and grace for repentance and that thereby they may be preserved from eternal destruction according to Mat. 5.44 12. That Petition that God would have mercy upon all men is condemned by some but is certainly commanded by S. Paul requiring us to make Prayers for all men for nothing can be prayed for which doth not enclude Gods mercy But such light objections which are easily made against the best words that the wisdom and piety of man can devise I think not worthy the further naming but shall now proceed to some other matters of greater moment SECT V. Considerations concerning the publick reading Apocryphal Chapters 1. The reading the Apocryphal Chapters in our Church hath been severely censured as if it was a forsaking the holy Scriptures which are the waters of life to drink of other unwholsom streams but that this matter may be rightly understood without prejudice or mistake it will be requistie to take notice of these following considerations 2. Cons 1. The excellent authority of the Canonical Books of Holy Scripture as they are distinguished from the Apocryphal is fully and clearly acknowledged by this Church in her Articles Art 6. where it declareth concerning the Apocryphal Books that the Church as S. Hierome saith doth read them for example of life and instruction of manners but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine which Article plainly disclaimeth them from being accounted Canonical Books of the Holy Scripture That the Jews do not owne these Books as any part of the Old Testament is manifest from their Bibles which contain them not and the particular evidences from the Jewish Rabbins against every one of those seven Books of the Apocrypha which are forged to be Canonical by the Council of Trent are some of them exhibited by Hollinger Thes Phil. l. 2. c. 2. Sect. 1. And that neither the ancient Church of the Jews before the destruction of Jerusalem nor Christ and his Apostles nor the several Ages of the Christian Church till some late Romish Councils did acknowledge or make use of these Books as Canonical is solidly and learnedly evidenced by the Bishop of Durham Schol. Hist of Can. of Scripture throughout with reference to the sixth Article of this Church Wherefore though it would be injurious to the holy Scriptures that any other Books which are not of divine inspiration should be accounted of equal authority with them yet it is far from being a dishonour either to them or to they holy Spirit who indited them if either these Apocryphal or any other good Books be esteemed useful and profitable and acknowledged to contain things that are true and good 3. Cons 2. It was can usual practice in the ancient Christian Church that some of these Apocryphal Books and other good writings besides the holy Scriptures were publickly read as instructive Lessons in their Assemblies but with such variation as the prudence of every Church thought meet In the second Century both the Fpistle of Clemens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the then ancient Custom In Eus Hist l. 4. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some other Ecclesiastical Epistles were publickly read even on the Lords days for their instruction as Dionysius of Corinth testifieth And in Euscbius his time as well as before it Ibid. l. 3. c. 15. was the Epistle of Clemens publickly read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the greatest number of Churches Aug. de Civ Dei l. 22. c. 8. Hom. de Sanct. de S. Steph. Ser. 7. In the African Church in S. Augustins time the Histories of the passions of Martyrs v. Hom. 26. inter 50. and accounts of miraculous works by the efficacy of Christian Prayer were read in their Churches which Custom though it was very pious in the beginning was at last intolerably abused to the bringing in legend stories And more particularly the publick reading several Apocryphal Books as Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Tobit Judith and the Maccabees was ordered in one of the Carthaginian Councils in S. Augustins time 3. Carth. c. 47. Cont. Carth. c. 27. and that Canon was taken into their Code and besides what S. Hierom oft speaketh of these Books being read in the Church but distinguished from their Canon Ruffinus his contemporary who was first his friend and then his adversary having given first an acount of the Canonical Books proceedeth to these Books which he saith are not Canonical but Ecclesiastical Ruff. in Symb. as Ecclesiasticus Wisdom Tobit Judith c. and declareth the judgment of the ancient Fathers before his time concerning them quae omnia legi quidem in Ecclesiis voluerunt sed non proferri ad auctoritatem ex his fidei confirmandam that they would have them all to be read in the Churches but not to be produced as of authority to confirm any matters of Faith And that in after Ages these Books were read in the Church Isid de Eccl off l. 1. c. 11 12. Rab. de Inst Cler. l. 2. c. 53. is evident from Isidonss Hispalensis and in the very same words from Rabanus Maurus and might be shewed from very many others if that was needful 4. Cons 3. These Books called the Apocrypha have been greatly esteemed both in the ancient Church and by the chief Protestant Writers as very useful though not divine writings Divers of the ancients have cited them under the title of the holy Scripture using that Phrase in so great a latitude as to signifie only holy writings though not divinely inspired The Council of Carthage above-named doth there call them Canenical Books as doth also S. Augustin who was in that Council De Doct. Christ lib. 2. c. 8. using the word Canonical in a large sense for it is manifest from that and divers places of S. Aug. that they were not esteemed of equal authority with those Books properly called Canonical And therefore Cajetan for the interpretation of the right sense of there words Caj Com. in Esth in fin hath well declared concerning these Books Non sunt Canonici i. e. regulares ad firmandum ea quae sunt fidei possunt tamen dici Canonici hoc est regulares ad aedificationem fidelium or they are not Canonical as containing a rule to direct our faith an belief though they may sometimes be called Canonical as containing rules to better our lives In the Greek Church where they were not at least so much publickly read as in the Latin they were accounted useful for instruction as appeareth besides the Citations of the Greek Fathers from that very Epistle of Athanasius Fragm Epist 39. in
this was the Element which was set apart for the admitting Disciples unto Christ himself under the Gospel and for the conveying to them remission of sins was manifested by Jesus coming to be baptized therewith from whence forward all who came to be his Disciples were baptized with water in the Baptism of Christ To this purpose the ancients frequently speak of Christs Baptism sanctifying the water of Baptism Tertul. adv Jud. c. 8. So Tertullian Baptizato Christo i. e. sanctificante aquas in suo baptismate And the Author de Cardinalib Christi operibus Veniebat Christus ad baptismum De Bapt. Christi ut Sacramento perennis daretur authoritas To the same purpose also Nazianzen Orat. 38. 39 and S. Bernard de Epiph. Serm. and even the Annotations under the Assemblies name express this as one end of Christs Baptism to sanctifie the flood Jordan In Mat. 3.15 and all other waters to the mystical washing away of sin 9. The use of the sign of the Cross in Baptism I here purposely omit because it will be more fitly discoursed of in the following Book where also I shall discourse of the Imposition of hands in confirmation and of the Ring in Marriage SECT VIII Of the Office for Confirmation and that for Marriage 1. The main things referring to Confirmation being considered in the following Book and some things in the Catechism which are most impugned being sufficiently cleared from the five foregoing Sections I shall here only observe that though our Catechism Hom. of Com. Pray and Sacr. Art 25. Homilies and Articles do sufficiently declare that Christ ordained only two Sacraments in his Church yet some have taken exceptions at those words of the Catechism which express that there are two only Sacraments generally necessary to salvation as if these words did intimate the contrary which exception doth manifest how innocent words may be wrested by the force of suspicions 2. And some like not that these Sacraments are said to be generally necessary to Salvation which as it was the Doctrine of the ancient Church so is it also of the Protestant Churches Conf. Boh. c. 11. the Bohemian Confession expresseth it to be their Doctrine that Sacraments are necessary to Salvation Catech. Genev. de Sacram. and the Geneva Catechism declareth that he who despiseth the use of the Sacraments is to be accounted of as one who tacitly denyeth the name of Christ and he who thinking not meet to profess himself a Christian ought not to be ranked among Christians And concerning Baptism when our Saviour saith Mar. 16.16 he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved doth not that besides other Scriptures express it to be ordinarily part of the condition of Salvation And touching the Lords Supper if the obeying the great commands and institutions of the Gospel and the attending to and receiving those excellent means of Grace and of Communion with Christ which he appointeth in the Gospel be ordinarily necessary to Salvation then must the receiving the holy Communion be acknowledged to be so And let it be considered without prejudice whether when our Saviour declared Joh. 6.53 Except you eat the stesh of the Son of man and drink his bloud ye have no life in you these words though they cannot be confined to that Sacrament not then instituted do not sufficiently declare that he who hopeth for eternal life by Christ may not safety neglect the careful attendance on that Ordinance which Christ hath particularly appointed to be the Communion of his body and bloud 3. Concerning the Office for Matrimony the words of contract will be most fitly discoursed of in another place where I treat of the use of the Ring I shall here only consider such Phrases which some disrelish that our Liturgy calleth it an holy Estate of Matrimony and saith that God consecrated the state of Matrimony to such an excellent Mystery that in it is signified and represented the spiritual marriage and Vnity between Christ and his Church Now it is manifest that the Apostle expressing the Marriage institution and Union Eph. 5.30 31 32. calleth it a great Mystery not as it referreth to the Husband and Wife but as it mystically representeth Christ and his Church saying We are members of his flesh of his body and of his bones For this cause shall a man leave his Father and Mother and shall be joined unto his Wife and they two shall be one flesh This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church And to these words of the Apostle the Phrase of our Liturgy hath manifest reference 4. And when it is said to be consecrated or to be a holy estate this is as much as to say that it is designed for a holy and religious end and purpose Though the Gentiles lived in lasciviousness and all uncleanness the Christian marriage as well as the whole Christian life is to be a holy estate separate from these pollutions of which the Apostle speaketh This is the will of God even your sanctification that you abstain from fornication that every one of you may know how to possess his Vessel in sanctification and honour not in the lusts of concupiscence 1 Thes 4.3 4 5. for God hath not called us to uncleanness but unto holiness 5. Christian marriage is also an holy estate as it is the lawful way set apart and ordained according to the will of God for the increase of his Church Thus Children born within the Church and under the Covenant are called Sons and Daughters which are born unto or for God Ezek. 16.20 holy Children 1 Cor. 7.14 and with reference hereunto that the Children may be holy and within the Church the Apostle saith the unbelieving Husband is sanctified by the believing Wife and the unbelieving Wife is sanctified by the believing Husband and upon this account the Christian marriage may well be esteemed holy and sanctified as being a marriage in the Lord 1 Cor. 7.39 and is fitly called as S. Ambrose expresseth it Amb. Apol. Dav. c. 11. Sancta copula a holy bond 6. And whereas S. Paul declareth how all things are sanctified by the word of God and Prayer we have concerning marriage a more especial word of Divine Institution whereby two are made one flesh Gen. 2.24 and that no man may put them asunder because it is God who joineth them together Mat. 19.6 and also a particular divine benediction which God gave unto the estate of marriage Gen. 1.28 And this Marriage Union hath been generally attended with the use of Prayers in the Christian Church 7. Wherefore Christian Marriage which as well as the Christian life is designed for the service of God and for holy ends and an holy use is upon that account the more fit to represent the Vnity and Marriage between Christ and his Church and this Union being hereby resembled is both an argument to the more holy deportment in Christian Marriage and
Lord besides Jesus Christ and from that from which its promises tend to secure us the curse and wrath to come and thereby from Hell and Death But it was S. Peters Doctrine that we should obey every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake as free Conf. Ch. 20. Sect. 4. 1 Pet. 2.13 16. And it was truly expressed in the Assemblies Confession That they who upon pretence of Christian Liberty shall oppose any lawful power or the lawful exercise of it whether it be Civil or Ecclesiastical resist the Ordinance of God And as for those strange spirited men who account the practising things indifferent to be the worse because they are enjoined they are guided by such dangerous Principles of false imaginary Liberty as would teach Children and Servants that things otherwise lawful are sinfully performed when they are commanded by their Parents and Masters 8. Ruth Introd to Doctr of Scandal But Mr. Rutherford objecteth that the nature of things indifferent are not capable of being enjoined by a Law For saith he what wise man will say the Church may make a law that all men should cast stones into the water or as he in another place instanceth that a man should rub his beard Whether these and other such like words proceeded from gross mistake of the Question about things Indifferent or from wilful misrepresentation thereof to please the humours of scornful men I cannot affirm For things called Indifferent in this Question are not such as can tend to no good but are a mispending time when purposely undertaken as a designed business and enclude also such a levity and vanity as is inconsistent with gravity and seriousness and much more with Religious Devotion But the things here called matters indifferent are such where many things singly taken are in their general nature useful but because no one of them is particularly established by any Divine Law the appointing any one in particular is called the determination of a thing Indifferent because some other might have been lawfully appointed Thus the use of one special form of Prayer prescribed not condemning all others as unlawful is the use of an indifferent thing to an useful end And the ordering some proper Hymns or Psalms of praise for the glorifying God and decent gestures of reverence in Gods service and the appointing a fit translation of the Bible for publick use and a particular visible sign of Christian profession are things of good use but are called Indifferent because these particular things are not so established by Divine Precepts but that some other Prayers Hymns Gestures Translation or token of profession might have been without sin and breach of any particular divine commands chosen and appointed in the Church and the like may be said of other things So that such things as these which may manifestly have a profitable use where they are observed without misunderstanding and prejudice but are no special matters enjoined by any Divine Laws immediately given from God himself are the most proper and most accountable matter for Ecclesiastical Laws and Constitutions and are fit to be ordered by those who are invested with Power and Authority especially when the particular things so established may be peculiarly recommended upon good considerations of Antiquity or manifest usefulness 9. But some have further Questioned whether things concerning the Church and the order thereof may be established by secular Sanctions the transgression of which is attended with civil penalties This Authority hath been exercised by the most Religious Kings and Rulers of Israel in the Old Testament who were therefore commended in the Holy Scriptures and also by the Christian Emperours as appears by their Laws in the Codex and Novellae and by divers Kings of our own and Foreign Nations in former times it is acknowledged by the Articles of our Church Article 37. and by the Doctrine and practice of the ancient Church is established by our Laws and hath been defended by divers good Writers concerning the Kings Supremacy in Causes Ecclesiastical But some there are both at home and abroad joining herein with the Spirit of the Anabaptists who have undertaken to deny the lawfulness of any such proceedings under pretence of advancing Christianity thereby and of pleading for due liberty in matters of Religion but their grounds and reasons on which they build are not strong enough to bear the weight they lay upon them 10. For they who tell us that the use of such civil Laws and penalties tendeth to declare that the motives and arguments of the Gospel are weak and insufficient to recommend the Christian truth and preserve the order of the Church without the help of the secular power do seem not to consider that Treasons Murders Adulteries Thefts and Perjuries with other great crimes are vehemently prohibited by the Precepts of Christ and yet are upon good grounds punished by the power of the Sword which is also Gods Authority not because of any insufficiency of the arguments propounded by the Doctrine of Christ but because the corruptness of many mens Spirits is such that divers persons are prone to overlook the most weighty motives and arguments which are of an Heavenly and spiritual nature when they are more affected with sensible things of much less concernment 11. And as for them who say that all temporal laws and penalties about Church matters will never make men truly Religious but may make them Hypocrites and cause them to profess and practice what they do not heartily approve this is manifestly untrue for though I grant that these means have sometimes accidentally this ill effect upon some men yet even Laws ad Penalties rightly dispensed are a proper and effectual means in themselves to make men seriously and rightly Religious Aug. Ep. 48. This effect as S. Augustine upon his own knowledge declareth they obtained both in his own Church and divers other African Churches where many of the Donatists from thence took occasion seriously to consider and embrace the truth and rejoiced that by this means they were brought to the right knowledge thereof And thus all well-ordered Government in a Realm or Family the encouraging what is good and the discountenancing errours prophaneness and all disorders by great men or others may have this accidental ill consequence upon some men that it may occasion them hypocritically to pretend to be better than they are out of affection of applause and designs of advantage yet these things being duties as the Magistrates care to promote Religion is also they ought not to be neglected because they may possibly be abused 12. And whereas some urge that in the Apostolical times which were the best there were no secular sanctions or outward penalties used in matters of Religion they might also have observed that Kings and Emperours were then no countenancers favourers nor yet Professoes of Christianity which is not to be a pattern for succeeding times when it must be esteemed a blessing to the Church
Script Angl. They who entred into the Ministry at Strasburgh after its first reformation did by Oath undertake to keep in the Communion and obedience of the Church and its Governours according to the law of God and their Canons Statutes and Ordinances And it is related from the laws of Geneva where an established Liturgy is one of their Constitutions that all they who were there received to the Ministry must oblige themselves by Oath to observe the Ecclesiastical Ordinances ordained by the Councils of that City In the Hungarian reformed Church they who enter the Ministry do by a very solemn Oath oblige themselves to the observations of the Ecclesiastical Canons Eccles Augl Vindic cap. 31. in fin and to the performing due obedience to the Bishop and other Superiours in the Church as may be seen in their Oath as it is fully exhibited by Mr. Durell from their Synodical Constitutions 5. The Subscriptions or Declarations required amongst us besides what for the present concerneth the Covenant are an acknowledgment of the Kings just authority to secure the Government of the Articles of Religion to preserve truth of Doctrine and of the Liturgy and Book of Ordination to maintain order and Uniformity to which end also tendeth the Oath of Canonical obedience wherein such obedience to the Bishop and his Successors is engaged in all lawful and honest things which must needs be blameless unless it could be accounted a sin to resolve to do good and honest things in a way of order Of these I shall in this discourse treat of what concerneth the Liturgy which is chiefly opugned and therefore requireth the principal consideration for the vindicating our Communion in the worship of God and the manifesting the unlawfulness of the breach thereof 6. Some declared allowance of the Liturgy hath since the reformation been ordinarily required in this Church Art 35. The Articles in the time of King Edward the Sixth contained an approbation both of the Book of Common Prayer and of Ordination In Queen Elizabeths time the allowance of the use and the Subscription to the Book of Common-Prayer was required by the Advertisements Advertism 7. Eliz Can. 1571. c. concionatores Tract 21. c. 1. and Canons and defended by Bishop Whitgift Since Queen Elizabeth the same hath been performed in the Subscription according to the 36th Canon and in the Declaration and Acknowledgment in the Act of Uniformity which in seense much agreeth therewith 7. The subscription required by the thirty sixth Canon is grounded upon the Constitutions of the Convocation confirmed by the authority of the Kings broad Seal according to his supream authority in causes Ecclesiastical and according to the Statute 25. Henr. 8. And so the Canons of the Church did of old frequently receive a confirmation by the Emperours sanction under his Sea which is a thing of so great antiquity that Eusebius relateth concerning Constantine the first Christian Emperour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that by his Seal Eus de Vit. Const l. 4. c. 27. he ratisied the determinations made by the Bishops in their Synods 8. That Article in this Canon which referreth to the Book of Common-Prayer doth enclude an acknowledging three things First that that Book containeth nothing contrary to the word of God which is intended to be manifested in the following Chapters touching the things chiefly opposed The second will be consequent thereupon viz. that it may lawfully be so used The third and last clause is a promise to use the form prescribed in that Book in publick Prayer and administration of the Sacraments and none other the lawfulness of which promise doth evidently follow from the former clause and its sense is of the same import with those words of the acknowledgment required in the Act of Uniformity viz. I will conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now established 9. But some especial doubts have been peculiarly entertained concerning the sense of the Declaration in the Act of Uniformity in giving unfeigned assent and consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book of Common-Prayer c. But while our Government doth require the use of this form both the intended sense being the same with that of the two former clauses concerning the Liturgy in the Canon above-mentioned and the expression thereof may upon equitable and impartial consideration appear clearly and fairly justifiable To which purpose the true sense of assenting and consenting and the things to which this hath respect is to be enquired after 10. Wherefore it is first to be considered that as to assent when referred to things asserted is to owne the truth of them so when referred to things to be done ordered or used it is to allow that they should be put in practice in which latter sense assenting is one and the same with consenting Now the Act of Uniformity both immediately before this Declaration and in divers other places referreth this unfeigned assent and consent to the use of the things in that Book contained and prescribed and thereby directeth us to this ordinary sense of the word Assent as doth also the nature of the things to be assented to which for the main part are Prayers Thanksgivings and Rubricks which being no assertions or propositions are to be used but not properly to be believed This notion of assenting in the same signification with consenting is according to the frequent use of assensus in the Latin as when things are agreed unanimi assensu consensu and the marriage of Children is declared Littleton C. of Tenaunt in Dower that it should be de assensu consensu parentum and we read of dower de assensu patris in our English Law-Books and the same might be evidenced by various English Examples But this Declaration being required by our Statute Laws it may be sufficient to observe that this is a very common sense of the word assent in our English Statutes 11. 25. Ed. 1. c. 1 Pref. to 18. Ed. 3. to 2. Ric. 2. passim Thus from King Edw. I. will King Henry the seventh and sometimes after our Statute Laws are oft declared to be assented unto or to be made with the assent of the Lords c. But from Queen Elizabeths time downwards the Laws are oft expressed to be enacted by the King or Queen with the consent of the Lords c. and sometimes with their assent and consent as 1. Jac. 2. 21. Jac. 2. In the same sense par assent assensus and such like expressions are frequently used in our most ancient Statutes in their Latin and Frence Originals As in St. de Carl. Ordinat Forest c. 6. St. Lincoln Westm 4. Exilium Hug. le despenser Ordin pro ter Hib. And about common assaâ—s the word assent is three times in one paragraph used in this sense concerning the recovery of any land 14 Eliz. 8. by the assent and agreement of the persons to
c. which is so much disliked by some is sufficiently vindicated from Battology or a vain and superstitious multiplying of words in the foregoing Section N. 11. To which I shall here add these considerations 1. That it seemeth unreasonable and partial that they who allowed themselves in the conclusion of their own Prayers to use that Doxology To whom Christ with the Father and the Holy Ghost be Glory frequently four or five times in the same Assembly should undertake to determine Except of Presbyt p. 16. that this other Doxology more expresly acknowledging divine glory eternally due to all the three persons of the Trinity is unsit to be used more than once in the Morning and once in the Evening 2. That since in all our Christian service and especially in Hymns and Psalms of praise it is our duty to give glory to the holy Trinity it cannot be blamable to express that with our mouths which is at that time the most fit and proper exercise of our minds 3. That it is manifest from divers passages of the Psalms and other Scriptures as 2. Chr. 5.13 Ch. 7.3 Ch. 20.21 Ezr. 3.11 Jer. 33.11 That with their Hymns or Psalms the Jews ordinarily used some such Doxology as this Hallelujah or praise ye the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Delph Phoenic c. 6. Hence it is probably conjectured that preparation to the Paeanism among the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had its original being the corruption of Hallelujah And from this use of the Jews the Arabian Church their Neighbours did probably derive their practice of expressing Hallelujah at the end of every Psalm as appeareth in the Arabick version of the psalms who also make use of this Doxology to the three persons distinctly which is expressed in the Arabickversion at the end of every tenth Psalm but was probably in practice at the end of every Psalm And that the Western Church used this Doxology Glory be to the Father Cassian Col. l. 1. c. 8. and at the end of every Psalm we have the testimony of Cassian for about thirteen hundred years since Wherefore since this is of so ancient original in the Christian Church so agreeable to the practice of the Jewish Church approved by the Holy Scriptures and a practice so reasonable in it self it may be piously used but not justly blamed in our Liturgy 2. The reading the Athanasian Creed to some though not the generality of Non-Conformists who heartily owne the doctrine of the Trinity hath been thought a matter not free from difficulty For that Creed expressing what must be believed of every one who would be saved doth contain deep mysteries as for instance that the Son is not made nor created but begotten and that the Holy Ghost is neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeding Now since believing things as necessary to Salvation is not an assent to the use of Phrases and expressions but to the sense contained in them it must enclude that there is some difference understood between what is affirmed and what is denied But the difference between the Eternal Generation and Eternal Procession being a Mystery where the greatest Divines see but darkly they are justly affraid to condemn all persons as uncapable of Salvation who cannot reach to so high a pitch 3. But here it is to be considered that in that Creed commonly called the Athanasian there are some things contained and expressed as necessary points of Faith and other things for a more clear and useful explication of the truth though they be not of equal necessity to be understood adn believed even by the meanest capacities Thus if we first consider the contexture of that Creed the Faith declared necessary concerning the Trinity is thus expressed in the begining thereof The Catholick Faith is this that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance After this followeth an explication useful to set forth the true Christian Doctrine which beginneth For there is one person of the Father c. after which explication the same necessary doctine to be known and believed is thus again expressed pressed and distinguished from that explication in these words So that in all things as is aforesaid the Vnity in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity is to be worshipped he therefore who will be saved must thus think of the Trinity So that the acknowledging and worshipping the Trinity of persons and Vnity of Godhead is that which only is declared necessary in the former part of that Creed and this must be acknowledged necessary since we are baptized into the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and we must believe and worship according as we are baptized 4. What is contained in this consideration is the more clear both with reference to the instance mentioned and to the Vnion of the two natures in Christ by this following observation viz. That our Church doth both here and in her Articles evidently receive the Athanasian Creed and yet from the manner of using the Apostles Creed in the form of Baptisin as containing the profession of that Faith into which we are baptized in the Catechism as containing all the Articles of the Christian Faith and in the Visitation of the sick as being a rule to try whether he believe as a Christian man should or not it is manifest that no more is esteemed in our Church of necessity to salvation for all men to believe than that only which is contained and expressed in the Apostles Creed 5. I proceed to consider some expressions in the Litany In the way to which I shall only reflect upon that objection which if it had not been mistaken had been very inconsiderable framed by Mr. Cartwright against the Litany in General That it being chiefly a deprecatory Prayer against evils was framed by Mamertus Bishop of Vienna or rather Vienne in France upon a special occasion of the calamities of that Country This was a very strange and gross mistake for the Litaniae which were ordered by Mamertus were days of supplication in Rogation Week which days were called Litania minor triduanae Litaniae and by some Litania major Alcuin de Div. offic Tit. dieb Rogat Amal. de Eccl. Offic. l. 1. c. 37. Stra. de Reb. Eccl. c. 28. Mur. c. 57. as is manifest from Aleuinus Amalarius Strabo Mictologus Rupertus Tintiensis Johannes Beleth besides other latter ritualists and the French Historians especially Gregorius Turonensis who all mention what Mamertus did in appointing days of Prayer which were called Litaniae to be yearly observed for the obtaining Gods mercy in their distress occasioned by wild Beasts and frequent Earthquakes But that deprecatory Prayers which are called Litanies also and were so called by S. Basil and were of so great use in the stationary days of the ancient Church should have their original from Mimertus
Baptism engaged them to acknowledge and worship the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Baxt. Disp of Gerem c. 2. Sect. 58. And whereas it is objected against the use of any such external signs that this is to set up something to work Grace in the same manner that the Sacraments do which do only objectively teach remember and excite and thereby work on the understanding will memory and affections all this is grounded upon manifest misapprehensions For the holy Sacraments do not only stir us up to the exercise of Grace already received but do tender to us a Communion with Christ and a Communication of further Grace from him which no humane Rites can do Artic. 25. Whence our Articles declare them to be effectual signs of Grace and Gods good will towards us by the which he doth work invisibly in us and doth not only quicken but also strengthen and confirm our Faith in him In Sect. and agreeably hereunto is the Doctrine of all the Protestant Writers above-mentioned But to condemn all objective incitements to the exercise of Grace as humane Sacraments where there is no pretence of their being direct means of conveying further Grace from God would enclude a censuring any particular becoming actions gravity and due expression of affectionateness in the Minister or people in Christian Assemblies because it is a means to excite others to the greater reverence and Religious devotion and would condemn any actions as sinful and evil meerly from their being useful to promote good And for example hereupon he who looking into a Register Book where his Baptism is recorded shall only take notice of his Age should be commended but he who upon the sight of his name in that Book is put in memory concerning his Baptismal Covenant and excited to a care of answering that Covenant by a Christian and pious life should be guilty of grievous sin as if this was to make that Book to be a kind of Sacrament And they who reject all exciting signs as being Sacramental may find almost all the same pretences to dislike all words not instituted of God which do excite men to Religious Piety especially when they are accompanied with any outward action though it be but a gesture because not only Sacramental signs but Sacramental words in their Sacramental Use as in Baptism I baptize thee in the name c. do both exhibit and excite Grace as an essential part of that Sacrament and there is not much more reason to conclude all exciting signs to be Sacramental signs than to account all exciting words to be Sacramental words 15. Sixthly Other external things in Gods worship are properly significant of reverence towards him and of high esteem of him and his Ordinances Such are a humble and devout behaviour and gesture which are Hypocritical actions where no such signification is intended but when designed to this end they are truly religious but far from being Sacramental O◠this nature are the preparing and preserving decent structures and other things comely as Communion Table Cup c. which are set apart for Religious service And to this sixth head belongeth the use of the Ministerial Garments appointed in our Church as the use of the Cross in the Office of Baptism is of the nature of a memorative and exciting sign under the former head And to dislike these things solely because of such signification is to account the actions of man who in Gods worship acts as a reasonable Creature to be the worse meerly because he is able to give a good and rational account why he doth perform them SECT II. Of Ecclesiastical appointments considered as imposed and enjoined 1. Having proved in the former Chapter the lawfulness of some external Rites and having shewed in this Chapter that they do not become unlawful by being significant we may hence infer that nothing can be said against the enjoining some such lawful Rites but what will equally oppose all Ecclesiastical Injunctions and Constitutions in things indifferent For if these things be in themselves both lawful and in their due circumstances useful as I have above shewed and if there be a power in the Church of enjoining lawful things to useful purposes then cannot the establishing these things thus directed be disallowed But to deny the lawfulness of Ecclesiastical Sanctions and Constitutions is to charge all the ancient famous known parts of the Church of Christ with a sinful usurpation of Authority in the Church for that they enjoined what they judged useful both in General and Provincial Synods is manifest from the Canons of the Code of the Universal Church and of the Roman and African Churches and from the more ancient Canons among those called the Apostles and from other Ecciesiastical Rules of Discipline frequently mentioned in Tertullian S. Cyprian and other ancient Writers And that this practice of the Church was used ever since the Apostles is not only manifest from the instances given in the former Chapter Sect. 3. but is also evident from the Synod at Jerusalem and its decisions concerning somethings indifferent mentioned Act. 15. 2. Concerning the Decrees of that Council at Jerusalem I shall Observe 1. That some part of the matter of them was not contained under the Divine Precepts of perpetual obligation but was enjoined only as Ecclesiastical laws of mutable Constitution I should willingly acknowledge that not only that part of the Apostolical Decree which concerned Fornication but that also which concerned things offered unto Idols did contain an immutable Law to all Christians and that what S. Paul writeth upon this subject in his first Epistle to the Corinthians did not at all invalidate or dispense with the Decree of the Apostolical Synod as divers worthy men have judged but only declareth how far that Decree intended to oblige That which renders this opinion probable is because it is evident by comparing Act. 15.20 with Act. 15.29 that the Apostles in commanding to abstain from meats offered to Idols designed only to prohibit the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pollutions of Idols and because after the writing the Epistles to the Corinthians it was still in as general terms as that Synod did express it accounted a duty to abstain from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or things sacrificed to Idols not only by divers particular ancient Writers but by one of the Canons of the Greek Code Conc. Gangr Can. 2. and even by S. John in the Revelations Rev. 2.14 But that that Decree concerning things strangled and bloud was no perpetually binding Law of God may be evinced from the general judgment of the Church of God Aug. cont Faust l. 32. c. 13. Binius in 4. Syn. Apost de Immolatis which doth not now account it binding some very few persons excepted from such general expressions of holy Scripture as that nothing is unclean in it self and to the pure all things are pure and from the Apostles expressing their Decree to be
Amalarius de Eccles Offic. l. 4. c. 3. solemus stare but when they were sometimes sung by one person alone the usage of the Church in such indifferent things not being always the same in the Western Church Cassian Inst l. 2. c. 8. in the time of Cassian they all stood up at the end of the Psalms with joint voices to render glory to God 4. Standing at the Creed is a visible sign or token of the profession of the Faith therein contained which profession is a duty much required in the holy Scripture and is one part of our glorifying God for which Religious Assemblies of Divine Worship are intended In the Creed we professedly acknowledge the three persons in the glorious Trinity to be the only true God and our only Lord and a standing posture well becometh a Servant in his professed owning and attending upon his Master we openly declare every one for our selves I believe c. the ground of our Christian hope and comfort that believing in the Father who made the World in the Son who died rose again ascended and shall judge all men and in the Holy ghost we have expectation in the Church of God and the Communion of Saints of obtaining forgiveness of sins resurrection and everlasting life and do also acknowledge all these Articles of the Christian Faith and a standing gesture is very suitable to any solemn Declaration of our minds in matters of moment and concernment And as the profession of Faith encludeth a stedfast resolution to continue firm in the acknowledgment of the Christian Doctrine this is so properly signified by the standing gesture according to the general apprehensions of the World that both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek which are words expressing the standing gesture are in the holy Scripture used to signifie an asserting with resolution Deut. 25.8 1 Chr. 34.32 1 Cor. 16.13 2 Thes 2.15 and the like Idioms of speech are in some other languages as well as our own designing to express what we resolve to stand to SECT II. Of standing up at the Gospel 1. Standing at the Gospel is appointed in our Liturgy of which a very reasonable true and good account may be given Some Ritualists have told us that the Western Church stood up at the Gospel and not at the Epistle because the Gospel containeth matters of Faith and belief the Epistle consisteth of Rules of life and practice and that the Gospel and not the Epistle expresseth the very words spoken by Christ But I account not these reasons sufficient partly because the Gospels for some days do not contain and the Epistles for some days do contain the points of Christian Faith and the express words of Christ and partly because by insisting on these things alone we can have no reason antecedent to the appointment why standing at the Gospel should be required with us and not at the second Lesson in the Morning Service 2. Wherefore I observe 1. That in the devouter times both of the Jewish and Christian Church it was frequently observed by the people to manifest their reverence unto the holy Scriptures by standing up at the reading thereof When Ezra opened the Book of the Law Salian Annal. Eccles A. M. 3447. n. 16. all the people stood up Neh. 8.5 and the Children of Israel stood up in their places to read the Law of the Lord Neh. 9.3 and our blessed Saviour who according to the Custom of the Jewish Doctors taught sitting stood up to read the words of the Prophet Ecclesiastici lib. 1. c. 4. Luke 4.16 20. Junius observeth this as one thing wherein the practice of the Jewish Synagogue and the Christian Church did agree si verbum Dei ipsum legitur stat erecta Auditorum corona that when the word of God was read the whole Assembly stood up which observation was true concerning sometimes of the Jewish Church and of the principal parts of the Christian Church Sozom. l. 7. c. 19. Wherefore though Sozomen relateth that the Alexandrian Bishop did not stand up at the reading the Gospel yet he noteth it as such a peculiar usage that he had not seen nor heard the like any where else 3. And though in the Jewish Church the people and among them our Saviour Luk. 2.46 usually sat to hear their Doctors and the ancient Christians sometimes heard their Sermons and Exhortations in the same gesture as may be collected from Justin Martyrs second Apology Euseb de Vit. Const l. 4. c. 33. yet Eusebius acquainteth us that Constantine that famous Emperour whose practice doubtless was not singular would not hear a Sermon or Treatise about divine things in a sitting but only in a standing posture as judging it not allowable to do otherwise And that in the African Churches they did even until S. Austens days generally stand Aug. Hom. 26. both at Sermons and all Lessons out of the Scriptures is manifest from what he expresseth to that purpose And such respect was shewed even among barbarous Nations to what was dictated from God that Eglon King of Moab when Ehud told him he had a message from God unto him did arise out of his seat Jud. 3.20 4. Obs 2. Out of tenderness to the weakness and infirmity of many Christians liberty was granted to them that they might hear the longer Lessons or portions of holy Scripture sitting Aug. ibidem but as a testimony of their honour to the whole they were required at the reading other portions of Scripture to stand up S. Austen telleth us how he gave Counsel and in some sort made supplication that those who were infirm and not well able to stand might humbly and attentively hear the longer Lessons sitting but in the same place he maketh complaint that this liberty granted only to the infirm in those African Churches was taken by others more generally than was intended or allowed And to somewhat a like liberty the words of Amalarius in the ninth Century seem to refer Amalar. de Eccles Offic. l. 4. c. 3. who saith in recitatione lectionis sedere solemus aut silendo stare it is our Custom either to sit or to stand with silence when the Lesson is read And whereas in the Christian Church the Law and Prophets with some of the Apocrypha and the Gospels and Epistles were publickly read in their Assemblies as is manifest both from Councils Fathers and Ritual Writers the Latin Church enjoined standing up at the Gospel only which was ordinarily short for many hundred years past Microl. c. 9. the Greek Church as Micrologus relateth stood up also at the Epistle which was likewise short Cassand Liturg. c. 5. and so did also the Churches of Russia as Cassander observeth from the History of Sigismundus Liberus For though a posture of reverent respect to the word of God is very suitable whensoever it is read yet that the Church should allow a liberty to hear the