personal Action and this Action is attributed to the Spirit of God as it appears by these words of St. Paul Because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God But to make Intercession is an Act which cannot be attributed to God the Father for it would follow that the Father should make Intercession to himself which is absurd because he that maketh Intercession is supposed to be distinct from him to whom he maketh Intercession Moreover To come unto men as being sent unto them is a personal Action but the Comforter or the Holy Ghost did come being sent as it is seen by these words of St. John When the Comforter is come whom I will send you from the Father and if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you ergo the Holy Ghost cannot be ascribed in this place to God the Father since God the Father sendeth but is never sent And to speak and hear are personal Actions and both together attributed to the Holy Ghost in such a manner as they cannot be attributed to God the Father as it appears by those words of John When the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that he shall speak Now to speak and not of himself cannot be attributed to God the Father since he doth all things of himself And to speak what he heareth cannot be also attributed to God the Father who can receive no Instruction from another Seeing then the Holy Ghost speaketh and not of himself and speaketh what he heareth it followeth evidently that he is not God the Father neither a divine Quality which cannot be said properly to speak and hear but that he is a Person distinct from the Father Now that the Holy Ghost as a Person really distinct from the Father is truly and properly God appears by these words of St. Peter for when Peter said Ananias Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost He repeateth the same Question in reference to the same Offence Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God He means there the true God as it appears by these words Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God For when he saith Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God it is as if he should say thou hast not lied unto Creatures since men are Creatures but thou hast lied unto him who is no Creature and consequently unto him who is true God And if the Holy Ghost could be taken sometimes for a Creature this Proposition of St. Peter To lie to the Holy Ghost is to lie unto God would not always be true therefore St. Peter speaking without distinction and without a limited sence 't is to prove that this word Holy Ghost is never taken in the holy Scripture but for the true God Moreover to whom the divine Attributes do belong as certainly as they belong unto God the Father he is truly and properly God because these are divine Attributes which are properties of the Divine Nature and none can be indued with to whom the Nature of God doth not belong But the divine Attributes as Omniscience the Sanctification of Souls and the like do belong as certainly unto the Holy Ghost as they do unto God the Father therefore it followeth that the Holy Ghost is truly and properly God and consequently that he proceedeth from the Father and the Son as it is declared in the Symbole of Nice Obj. The Church of England doth neither believe nor practice all that is contained in these words viz. Abstain from meats offered to Idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication therefore she is not the holy Catholick Church since the holy Catholick Church is that that believes and practises the whole Christian Doctrine as I have made it appear already Answ This Commandment was in the time of the Primitive Church but was abolished by the Apostles Because the Jews would not eat things strangled nor Blood the Apostles enjoyned that the Gentiles embracing the Christian Religion ought in Charity to Conform herein to the Jews and not give Offence where the thing was it self indifferent Wherefore St. Paul saith If meat make my brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the World standeth lest I make my brother to offend But now this Commandment is past and abolish'd by the Apostles and therefore it is not true that the Church of England doth believe and practise any thing contrary to the holy Scripture For the-better understanding of this Truth we must know that in these words enjoyned to the Gentiles embracing the Christian Religion to wit Abstain from pollution of Idols and from Fornication and from things strangled and from blood there is something bad in it self and something bad by Accident something bad for a time only something belonging to the Moral Law and something belonging to the Ceremonial The thing bad in it self for ever and belonging to the Moral Law is to abstain from Idolatry and from Fornication and the thing bad by accident for a time only and belonging to the Ceremonial Law is to abstain from things strangled and from Blood Now it is certain that to abstain from Idolatry and Fornication is a part of the Moral Law seeing it is written Thou shalt have no other Gods but me and thou shalt not commit Adultery It is also true that these things are bad of themselves and for ever because they were forbidden in time past are now unlawful and shall be for time to come which appears by these words of St. Paul to the Corinthians Neither Fornicators nor Adulterers shall inherit the Kingdom of God 'T is likewise certain that to Abstain from things strangled and from Blood belongs to the Ceremonial Law it is also without doubt that it was abolished as it is seen in these words of St. Paul Whatsoever is sold in the Shambles that eat asking no question for Conscience sake for the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if any of them that believe not bid you to a Feast and ye be disposed to go whatsoever is set before you eat asking no question for Conscience sake And by these to Timothy where it is said that Every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving and forbidding to abstain from meats is a doctrine of Devils And by these to the Romans I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of it self but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is unclean And that ye may not say that these words of St. Paul were written before those of the Council held at Hierusalem or of the 15th of the Acts the
which by their Institution and Operation are holy Thirdly In reference to the Saints departed from this life and admitted to the presence of God and of this Church speaks St. Paul when he saith Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it by the washiâ—g of Water by the Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrink'e or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Fourthly In respect of every Person who is a member of that Church because in professing Faith in Christ he is thereby engaged to holiness of life according to the words of the Apostle Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity The Church that we are speaking of and call holy is that that embraces all the Professors of the true Faith of the holy Scriptures when they are in this World which Church comprehends good and bad being both externally called and professing the same Faith for the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Field in which Wheat and Tares grow together into the Harvest Like unto a Net that was cast into the Sea and gathered of every kind Firmissime tene nullatenus dubites aream Dei esse Ecclesiam Catholicam intna eam usque in finem seculi frumento mixtas paleas contineri hoc est bonis malos Sacramentorum Communione misceri that is Hold this most sirmly and doubt not of it in any wise that the Catholick Church is a Floor and that therein as long as the World shall stand Wheat and Tares together shall be contain'd that is to say that the bad and wicked shall be mingled with the good and just in the Communion of the same Sacraments This is that Ark of Noah in which were preserved Beasts clean and unclean This is that great house in which there are not only vessels of Gold and Silver but also of Wood and Earth and some to honour and some to dishonour Therefore when we speak of the Holy Church we do not consider her in respect of the Vocation which is holy neither of the Offices and Powers which likewise are holy nor in reference to the Saints departed this Life and enjoying the presence of God nor in relation to the Persons who compose the Church in this Life since in that respect the Church comprehends both good and bad but in relation to the Doctrine taught therein which is pure and holy and without blemish The Church thus described is also called Catholick that is universal which word is used in our Creed to teach us to discern the true Church from the false The word Catholick may be taken either in reference to time or relation to places or in respect of Persons or else in reference to Doctrine It is here taken in respect of the Doctrine only so that by the Catholick or universal Church we mean that Church that teaches and believes the whole Christian Doctrine For as the Holy Ghost did lead the Apostles into all truth so did the Apostles leave all truth unto the Church which is called Catholick from the universality of necessary and saving Truths contain'd therein This being granted it follows that that Church which embraces the Faith once delivered to the Saints and keeps the holy Scriptures in Purity without adding to or diminishing from them is the holy Catholick Church for whatsoever Church pretendeth to be holy Catholick and keeps not the whole Faith once delivered to the Saints and imposes things to be believed which are not found neither can be deduced from the Scriptures by evident and necessary Consequences as the Church of Rome doth falsly attributes this name to her self Since then the Church of England keeps the Faith once delivered to the Saints preserves the holy Scripture in its Purity and imposes nothing to be believed but what is therein distinctly contained or can be deduced therefrom by evident and necessary Consequences it follows that she is the holy Catholick Read over the Old and New Testament and if you can make it appear that the Church of England believes or practises one point of Faith which is not contain'd in the holy Scripture or doth not believe or practise those Articles of Faith which are contained therein as too often the Roman Church doth then I will grant freely that she is not the holy Catholick bnt no body being able to make this appear I am in the right in asserting the Church of England to be the holy Catholick Church 'T is certain they do not make unto themselves any graven Images nor worship kiss and serve them neither bow pray and offer Incense unto them They do not make Images of God the Father in the shape of an old man holding the Globe of the World in his hands nor of the Holy Ghost in the form of a Dove nor of the Cross and do not worship them as the Church of Rome doth with a Worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with a Worship due unto God only They do not believe in any other Saviour and Redeemer than Jesus Christ they hold him for their only Mediator and Advocate and they will not put their trust and confidence in any other They do not believe any other Purgatory than the Blood of Jesus Christ nor believe that the Pope with a little Indulgence laid unto a Bead or Cross or Medal or with a Mass said upon certain days of the week is sufficient to procure a release to the Souls of men detained in torments wherein to fill his Trunks with Money and to fatten his Kitchin he would make ignorant People to believe they are imprisoned They do not believe that he is Infallible that he hath any Power to depose Kings and Princes from their Throne to dispense their Subjects from their Allegiance or to kill those that he calls Hereticks Neither do they believe that Christ's Body is still upon Earth they believe and put it in practice that we are bound to sing pray and give thanks to God Almighty in a known tongue they believe they ought to give the common People the liberty of reading the holy Scriptures in their own Tongue They give the Sacraments of Christ's Body and Blood with Bread and Wine give leave to eat Flesh at all times do not forbid Bishops Priests and those which are in orders to marry knowing that such a Doctrine is the Doctrine of Devils they add nothing to nor diminish from the holy Scriptures as the Church of Rome often doth therefore it is clear that the Church of England believes the whole Christian Doctrine as it was once delivered to the Saints and consequently that she is the Holy Catholick Object The Church of England believes in the Trinity but the word Trinity is not found in the holy Scripture therefore the Church of England believes a point of Faith not contained in the Word of God
who is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World came out of the darkness of the Sepulchre on which day our Redemption appeared more especially and evidently and that on the first day of the week there appeared unto the Apostles cloven Tongues like as of fire and sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues and that on this day likewise Christ revealed to St. John the excellent and admirable Mysteries described in his Revelations and that the Apostles did chuse that day for their publick exercises of Piety and Charity for the administration of Sacraments and manifestation of the Gospel as it appears in the Acts and in the first to the Corinthians I say all this being true the Church thought they might and ought to imitate the Apostles and instead of the seventh ordain the first day of the week to be kept holy Object It is written in the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians Not to think of men above that which is written and in the 15th Chapter of St. Matthew In vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men But the Church of England thinks of men above that which is written and teaches for Doctrines the Commandments of men as it appears in the Common-prayer Books which are appointed to be read in all their Churches wherein they enjoyn The sign of the Cross and God-Fathers and God-mothers in Baptism it appears also in the Surplice Musick and Organs practised especially in Cathedral Churches Therefore she is not the holy Catholick Church because to be so she ought to believe and practise the whole Christian Faith without adding to or diminishing from it Answ The words of St. Paul and Matthew are to be understood of the Doctrine or points of Faith that is to say it is not lawful to any man in whatever Dignity or Power he is to establish any Article of Faith besides what is established in the holy Scripture Therefore St. Paul foreseeing that men would attribute to themselves a Priviledge belonging to God only I mean that they should establish Articles of Faith not found in the holy Scripture as oftentimes the Church of Rome doth curseth them and will have them to be Anathema Secondly I say when the Church of England commands and uses Common-Prayers she doth not think of men above that which is written nor teaches for Doctrines the Commandments of men because in several places of the holy Scripture we have a Command to pray yea to pray by a form For when you pray saith Christ himself pray after this manner Our Father which art in Heaven c. and seeing that Jesus Christ not only commands his Disciples to pray but also to pray after a Form which Example they ought to follow in all other Prayers 't is a sign that Common-Prayers which are made according to that form which by our Saviour is set as a Pattern I mean which conduce to the Glory of God and Salvation of Souls and wherein nothing is found contrary to the holy Scripture are not only lawful but ought to be used in Churches and preferred before extempore Prayers I say that they ought to be preferred before extempore Prayers First Because in this sort of Prayers we may let slip as it happens too often a bad Doctrine or some points contrary to Faith and either by inconsideration or ignorance we may ask that which is contrary to the Will of God and hurtful to our Salvation and what good effect can a man hope from such Prayers wherein are found so many Imperfections But none of these faults are found in Common-Prayers we are certain they are Orthodox and that therein we ask nothing hurtful unto us nor contrary to the Will of God they being composed by them who represent the Church I mean by a considerable number of learned and godly men who before they commanded them to be used in publick did seriously consider whether they were wholly conformable to the Word of God Secondly Because in the Prayer made extempore as Dr. Beveridge did very well observe in his admirable Sermon of the Excellency of the Common-Prayer We must first listen to what the Minister will say next then we are to consider whether what he saith be agreeable to sound Doctrine and whether it be proper and lawful for me to joyn with him in the Petitions he puts up to God Almighty And if we think it is so then we are to do it but before we can well do that he is got to another thing by which means it is very difficult if not morally impossible to joyn with him in every thing so regularly as we ought to do But by a set form of Prayer all this trouble is prevented for having the Form continually in our mind being thorowly acquainted with it fully approving of every thing in it we have nothing else to do whilst the words are sounding in our ears but to move our hearts and our affections suitably to them to raise up our desires of those good things which are prayed for to fix our minds wholly upon God whilst we are praising of him and so to employ quicken and lift up our whole Souls in performing our Devotions to him Thirdly I confess that there are unlawful Ceremonies They being either grosly Idolatrous or else directly conducing to Idolatry as some are found in the Church of Rome as to bow before Images pray and offer Incense unto them But I must also confess that there are some lawful they either conducing to have more respect towards God Almighty or serving to incite our cold hearts and inflame them with the love of God and heavenly things The Ceremonies which are practised in the Church of England are lawful because they are good and have no other end than the edification of Souls and to cause in us more and more respect and love towards holy and Celestial things and are not contrary to the holy Scripture That there be lawful Ceremonies it can't be denied unless we will condemn the holy Scripture and the Practice of the Apostles and of Jesus Christ who ordained and kept them Which is manife sted by these words Now I praise you brethren that ye remember me in all things and keep the Ordinances as I delivered them to you and verse 34. The rest will I set in order when I come When ye come together saith the same Apostle speaking concerning meeting in Churches Let all things be done to edifying And verse 40. Let all things be done decently and in order And what means all this but that there were Ceremonies used among the first Christians in the Apostles time proposed by them whereof no particular mention is made in the holy Scripture And to make it plain and remove all doubt mark the following Ceremonies Is not the Ceremony of the holy Kiss
the Glory of God Is the Custom of wearing the Surplice of singing and playing upon Organs forbidden in any Chapter of the holy Scripture If they were pray inform me where it is What evil consequence follows therefrom Instead of this doth it not serve to distinguish Lay-man from Clerk and to cause a greater respect to be given to the things belonging to the Worship of God and to put him that wears it in mind that when he cometh to Church to administer divine Service he ought to be pure in his heart which is signified unto him by the whiteness of his Surplice which is the Symbole of Purity And doth not Musick and Organs used especially in Cathedral Churches serve to raise up our minds to inflame our hearts with the love of God to lift them up towards Heaven and to cause them to desire to be for ever in that holy and blessed Company wherein with an Harmony that infinitely surpasses our Musick here upon Earth they sing Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory And is it not conformable to several Texts of the holy Scripture wherein it is said Sing aloud unto God our strength make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a Psalm and bring hither the Timbrel the pleasant Harp with the Psaltery blow up the Trumpet Therefore it is clear and certain that the Ceremonies of the Church of England are lawful they being not contrary to the holy Scripture but conducing to the Glory of God and Edification of our Souls Now because these words Not to think of men above that which is written and these In vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men are not to be understood concerning Ceremonies but concerning points of Faith and finding several Ceremonies used among the first Christians even in Christs and his Apostles time whereof some were specified as I have made it appear already and some not specified whereof no particular mention is made in the holy Scripture as it may be inferred from these words of St. Paul Let all things be done decently and in order it follows that the Church of England is the holy Catholick Church since she believes and practises nothing but what is agreeable to the Christian Doctrine It is then without good Reason that a great many separate themselves from that Church it being the holy Catholick For those who knowing her to be such separate themselves from her are Schismaticks and out of hope of Salvation First I say that they are Schismaticks because they have not sufficient Reason to warrant their Separation For as saith Irenaeus Schismata operantur qui sunt immanes non habentes Dei dilectionem fuamque utilitatem potius considerantes quà m unitatem Ecclesiae propter Modicas quaslibet causas magnum gloriosum corpus Christi dividant quantum in ipsis est interficiunt pacem loquentes bellum operantes verè liquantes culicem Camelum transglutientes Those are Schismaticks who are cruel having not the love of God before their eyes but rather embracing their own In̄terest than the Vnity of the Church and for small and light causes divide the great and glorious Body of Christ and murder it as much as is in their power speaking Peace and making War straining at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel Ceremonies are no points of Faith therefore he that separates himself because of Ceremonies separates himself for small and light Causes and therefore he is a Schismatick and if he only be Schismatick who separates himself from the Church for small and light Causes as saith Irenaeus and is granted by Divines then on the other hand he is no Schismatick who separates himself for great and weighty Causes as for Idolatry and other Articles of Faith which they will have us to believe under pain of eternal Damnation and which are not found in the holy Scripture or are directly contrary to it Therefore we separating our selves from those of the Roman Church for great and weighty Causes it is manifest we are not Schismaticks and as no man should separate himself from a Church for small and light Reasons so he is bound to separate himself when he finds evidently that that Church believes and practises Articles of Faith which are not in the holy Scripture or are directly contrary to it which is enjoyned unto us by St. Paul and Isaiah saying Come out frone among them and be ye separate For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness And what Communion hath light with darkness And what Concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath he that believes with an Infidel And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols This is the only lawful Cause of Separation and for this Cause we separate our selves from those of the Roman Church or rather they separte themselves from us for Schism is not to be Imputed unto us because we believe and practise nothing in the Church but what is agreeable to the holy Scripture Wherefore it may be justly imputed to them because they do not only believe and practise but also will have us to believe and practise several Articles of Faith which are neither distinctly contained in the holy Scripture nor can be deduced from it by clear and necessary Consequences They then that separate themselves from the Church of England because of Ceremonies do separate themselves for small and light Causes and consequently are Schismaticks Secondly I say they are out of hope of Salvation for as man is composed of a body and spirit and as his body liveth by his spirit whilst it is united to the body So if we will live by the Spirit of Christ we must be united to Christ's Body but the Mystical Body of Christ is the Church therefore they that are separated from the Mystical Body of Christ cannot be vivified by the spirit of Christ and consequently cannot be saved for those only are saved that are vivified by the spirit of Christ Which is very well represented by the Deluge and Ark of Noah for as all perished temporally by the Deluge that were not in the Ark so all shall perish eternally who are out of the Catholick Church And as no body could escape drowning being out of the Ark so neither shall any escape Damnation out of the Church And as none of the first born of Aegypt lived but such as were within these Habitations whose Door posts were sprinkled with blood by the appointment of God for their preservation And as none of the Inhabitants of Jericho could escape the Fire and Sword but such as were within the House of Rahab for whose Protection a Covenant was made So none shall ever escape the eternal wrath of God which is not a Member of the holy Catholick Church For as There is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we can be saved but the Name of Jesus So