and so comprize the whole time of the four first General Councils from first to last Eusebius in his 4th Book of the Life of Constantine describing the Martyrium of the Apostles built by him at Constantinople adds chap. 60. All these did the Emperor dedicate that he might consign to Posterity the Memory of our Saviour's Apostles But he had another Design in his Mind when he built this Church which was at first concealed but in the end it became known to all For he had designed this place for himself after his Death foreseeing by a transcendent Alacrity of Faith that his Body after Death should be made Partaker of the Apostles Apellation that even after Death he might be esteemed worthy of the Prayers which should be performed there in Honour of the Apostles believing that their Memory would be useful and advantagious to his Soul And afterward describing the Solemnity of his Funeral chap. 71. he saith that a vast Number of People together with those Persons consecrated to God not without Tears and great Lamentation poured forth Prayers to God for the Emperor's Soul thereby performing a most grateful Office to this pious Prince And herein also God demonstrated his singular Favour towards his Servant because after his Death agreeable to his own most earnest Desire the Tabernacle of his thrice blessed Soul was vouchsafed a place with the Monument of the Apostles and that it might be joined with God's People in the Church and might be vouchsafed the Divine Rights and Mystick Service and might enjoy a Communion of the Holy Prayers This was but 12 years after the Nicen Council and a great and most illustrious instance of the common received and settled Practice of that time And here before I proceed further it is fit to consider how far the continuance of that wicked and shameful Abuse by Cranmer put upon the Church of England in his clandestine Corruption of the True English Liturgy I say the Continuance of it to this day whether by supine Negligence or base Compliance with a Faction of Sectaries be consistent with that Profession of Reverence to Antiquity in general and to those first four General Councils in particular which is made by all who pretend to be genuine Sons of the Church of England with their use of the Constantinopolitan Creed in the most solemn Office so fouly deformed contrary to the Publick Office at that time used in the Church and attested by S. Cyril Bishop of Hierusalem who was present at that Council and a principal Man there How consistent with the Statutes of most ancient Colleges in both the Universities and the Oaths taken by so many Scholars for the Observance of them How consistent with the Belief of One Holy Catholick Church and of the Communion of Saints with that Reverence and Respect which the Holy Scriptures require should be paid to the Body of Christ the Depository of Christian Verities and the Pillar or Monument and Basis of Truth with that Reverence and Honour and Esteem which all true and genuine Christians cannot but have for so many glorious Saints as flourished in the Church of Christ and all agreed in this pious Practice for more than 1200 years from the time of Constantine who himself was none of the least being converted in an extraordinary manner by special Vision from our Saviour and the Truth thereof confirmed by very remarkable Victories and afterward so great a Promoter of Christian Piety that he was as Eusebius relates partaker of the Apostles appellation being called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Offices of the Greek Church and deservedly How it can be consistent therewith and with Christian Modesty to set up a Calvin a Bucer a Cranmer an Vsher like little Idols above all and not rather an undeniable proof of the very Spirit of Hereticks and Schismaticks Mr. * Life Appendix p. 55. Baxter's Questions in another Case not unlike this may very properly be proposed to our modern Opposers of this Catholick Practice Would they have held Communion with the Catholick Church for a Thousand Years together Or would they not if they had lived in those times If they would then why not with us who are of the same Judgment Was it a Duty then And is it unlawful now If they would not in all those Ages have held Communion with the visible Church what would they have done but separated from the Body and so from the Head and cast off Christ in all his Members and taken him to be a Head without a Body which is no Head and so no Christ What would they have done but denied his Power and Love and Truth and consequently his Redemption and his Office Hath he come at the end of 4000 years since the Creation to redeem the World that lay so long in Darkness And hath he made such wonderful Preparations for his Church by his Life and Miracles and Blood and Spirit c. and promised That the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it and that his Kingdom shall be an Everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion endureth from Generation to Generation and yet after all this shall he have a Church even as the Seekers say but for an Age or two Thus Mr. Baxter and very good but if this be good in the Case of Baptism of Infants why not as good in the Case of Prayers and Oblations for the Dead which I think hath as good Evidence of Apostolical Original as that or the Lord's-Day or Episcopacy or a good part of the Scriptures of the New Testament And if they stand all upon the same Foundation why should they not stand or fall together There is also an Assertion of St. Augustin 's which deserves to be here considered in this Case That * Quod universa tenet Ecclesia nec in Consiliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi Authoritate Apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur cont Donat l. 4 c. 24. what the Vniversal Church doth hold and was not instituted in Councils but always retained is most rightly believed to have been delivered by no other than Apostolical Authority For as this is a Practice which none did ever pretend was instituted by any Council so amongst all who have written concerning the Original or first Invention or Introduction of things none has ever assigned any Original of it in the Catholick Church later than the Apostles or in any part of the Catholick Church later than of the rest of Christianity it self So that could we trace it no further back than the time of Constantine it would be unreasonable to believe that the whole Christian Church so largely spread over the Face of the Earth and planted by so many several Persons at first and in Places so divided and remote one from another should so unanimously agree in such a Practice did it not proceed from some Common Cause which could be no other than the Mutual Agreement of all the Apostles in it
Temporal Interests and Respects and Pre-ingagement of Reputation for maintenance of Opinions received especially when intermixed with something of Truth to support them it is absolutely necessary to the Discharge of this Duty Securing of this Interest and Exercise of this Wisdom Esteem and Reverence to consider well and settle it in our Minds that those are no Principles of Truth but commonly of Error and Means of which wicked Spirits make great Advantage to harden Mens Hearts and make them obstinate in the Errors which they have intermixed with the Truths of God and therefore be assured that since we are all Fallible there may be as much Truth on their side with whom we contend as on our own and that it is more likely that both Parties are in Error than that either is intirely in the Right and thereupon to set generously and impartially to examine and distinguish and retain what is plain and clear reject what is manifestly false and leave what is doubtful and obscure till God shall reveal that also in the mean time as of less Importance and where there is occasion of consulting others make choice as in consulting Lawyers or Physicians of such as are not only well versed in such matters but also disinterested unbyassed and faithful And because to resist reject or make light of any Truth but offered by the gracious Providence of God is a Sin of great Ingratitude and very offensive to his Divine Majesty and usually provokes subtraction of his Grace and Spiritual Judgments it greatly concerns all who have any true Devotion to God and considerate Care for their own Souls to be very cautious that they do not unadvisedly reject or neglect any such when proposed to them but especially if such as have been believed professed and practised if of that nature by the most eminent Saints in all Ages and in all Parts of the Church of Christ and more-especially if such as concern the Honor of God and of our Saviour the Interest of his Church which is the Kingdom of Christ upon Earth the Communion of Saints or the Salvation or Consolation of Souls whether in the Body or out of the Body and more yet if there appear just cause of Suspicion of the contrary Opinions as when the first Teachers differ and fall out among themselves and principal Men of their Followers afterward confess that what was greatly magnified by them before was greatly mistaken when Charges or Accusations are of themselves monstrous and unreasonable as that Catalogue of Errors of the Church of Rome published by two several Persons eminent in their own Parties which computed amount to above Five Hundred a great sign of more Partiality than Prudence more Heat than Truth and of more Contention and Calumny than of just cause of Accusation and one of the same Persons after-terward confessing that those of that Church are unjustly and untruly charged in many things and especially when that remarkable Note of the Apostle viz. Going out 1 Jo. 2.19 according to his Masters Cautions before Luk. 17.23 21.8 which by the Ancient Christians is so much insisted on as a certain Note of Heresie and Schism is manifest beyond all contradiction In all such cases a Godly Jealousie and Circumspection is highly necessary that we do not obstinately persist in Error and resist the Truth So much is required of all Men as Rational Creatures that they be faithful to their Creator and their own Souls in the due Use and Improvement of their Talent of Natural Reason and Understanding But Christians should farther consider that they have many subtile and powerful invisible Adversaries to contend with called Principalities and Powers and the Rulers of the Darkness of this World and one chief called the God of this World who commonly puts on the Appearance of an Angel of Light blinding the Minds of Worldly and Carnal Men least the Light of Truth should shine unto them and therefore be very watchful against their Wiles beware of their Snares be not conformed to this World but transformed by the Renewing of their Mind be mindful of their Baptismal Covenant their Renunciation not only of the Devil but of the World and the Pomps and Vanities thereof and of the Flesh with its Lusts and Affections which are two great Engines of the Adversaries that they may attain to true Purity in Heart that the Light of Truth may shine into it and be kindly and effectually received For this they have first the implicit Document of the Great Example of their Redeemer their Lord and the Captain of their Salvation which they must follow if they do sincerely indeavour to attain the End and besides the Explication of it in manifold express written plain Declarations affectionate Admonitions obliging Exhortations and strict Injunctions they must be Doers of his Will if they will know the Truth of his Doctrine and be careful to avoid Pride seeking Honor of Men Jo. 5.44 and Conceitedness the common Levin of Hereticks and Schismaticks be mindful also of the other part of their Baptismal Covenant their Profession of Faith observe and consider well the Order of the several Articles of their Belief and study to understand the Importance of each For there is nothing in that Form of Sound Words either in Matter or Order but is of Importance to be noted and understood and consider well what special Means and Helps our Lord hath provided for them for Evidences of his Word and Doctrine and be careful they neglect none of them much less set them one against another and abuse what they pretend to receive as is very usual I know not any Means whereby Men are more effectually imposed upon than by Misapplication of manifest Truths nor any Matters wherein in this part of the World they are more commonly deceived or deceive themselves than in false Notions concerning the Two great Evidences of the Christian Doctrine and Institutions the Catholick Church and the Sacred Scriptures which rightly understood and used do mutually confirm and corroborate one the other but misunderstood separated and abused are the very Principles of all our Differences and Confusions The Catholick Church is the Kingdom of Christ upon Earth and to have great Regard to the Interests of it is certainly the Duty of all Christians but to despise or slight the Testimony or Authority of it is a great Sin in it self and the Inlet to many others and a Fundamental Error To conclude they who sincerely desire to understand and imbrace the Truth of Christianity must consider what is required before their Engagement declared by our Saviour in two Comparisons Luke 14.28 31. what is to be performed after declared likewise by two other Comparisons Matt. 13.44 45. and what are the Terms upon which only Men may be Christ's Disciples indeed in express Terms inculcated upon divers Occasions Matt. 10.35 37 38. and again Matt. 16.24 Luk. 9. and again to the Multitude Luk. 14.26 33. and the Danger of Denying or being
THE LITURGY OF THE ANCIENTS REPRESENTED As near as well may be IN English Forms WITH A PREFACE Concerning the RESTITUTION of the most Solemn Part of the Christian Worship in the Holy Eucharist to its Integrity and just Frequency of Celebration LONDON Printed for the AUTHOUR 1696. Bp. Andrews's Sermon on Gal. 3.4 p. 32. No Fulness there is of our Liturgy or Publick Solemn Service without the Sacrament Some part yea the chief part is wanting if that be wanting Dr. S. Patrick the present Bp. of Ely Our Worship must be confessed to be but imperfect when the Holy Communion is wanting Discourse of Frequency of Holy Communion p. 68. Id. ibid. p. 61. The Church in the best Times and the best Men in the Church in after-Ages look'd upon this as an Ordinary part of Christian Worship which Christ intended should be performed in his Church as oft as they assembled for Divine Service QUESTIONS Concerning the Proper and Peculiar Christian Worship 1. WHether the Divine Service or Liturgy as from Act. 13.2 we may conceive it to have been anciently termed as it hath been in all Ages since of the Christians hath not from all Antiquity been distinguished into two Parts The first consisting of Reading of the Scriptures and Explication thereof or Exhortation to the People with some few short Prayers called The Service of the Catechumens The other consisting principally of a Solemn Memorial of the Passion of our Saviour represented before the Father as the great Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World with Thanksgivings and Prayers for the Catholick Church and all Mankind for the particular Church and People of all Orders and Degrees where it was celebrated and for all the Necessaries of humane Life called The Service of the Faithful to which the Catechumens and Penitents were not admitted but were excluded 2. Whether this latter Part called The Service of the Faithful hath not been retained and celebrated in all Churches of the World from the Apostles Times to this Day except those called Reformed as the Peculiar and most solemn Part of the Christian Worship daily where they had any daily Worship as in most great Churches they had from whence it had the name of Sacrificium quotidianum in others three or four times in the Week and in all every Lords Day and the rest without it be any more than the Service of Catechumens and Penitents 3. Whether there be any plain Evidence or Appearance in the Holy-Scripture of any solemn Assembly of Christians in the Apostles times where this sacred Rite was not used or that any present at any such Assembly where it was used did ever depart without Communion or Participation And whether the Sacred History Act. 20.7 relating that the Disciples came together to break Bread as the End and Occasion of that famous Assembly of the Christians at Troas though Paul so eminent an Apostle was then to Preach there and to Preach his Farewell Sermon doth not thereby signify or imply that that was notwithstanding the principal Business of that and such settled Assembles And St. Paul himself 1 Cor. 11.20 speak of their coming together to eat the Lords Supper as the constant and Principal Business of such Assemblies and the same also be not strongly implied in those other Expressions Act. 2.42 46. and 1 Cor. 10.16 4. Whether by ancient Canons all the Faithful who came to Church and heard the Scriptures were not oblig'd to stay this Solemn Service of the Faithful and Communicate under the Penalty of Excommunication 5. Whether there was ever any Doubt or Question whether all the Faithful ought to Communicate every Day that is if where there was a daily Celebration till the time of St. Augustine And whether many did not continue to do so then 6. Whether this most Holy Solemn and Peculiar Worship of the Faithful Christians be not being duly performed most highly Honourable to the Father by Solemn Worship and Recognition of him as the Soveraign Lord of the Universe and also to the Son by like Solemn Worship and Recognition of him as our Lord and Redeemer and that we are all his Purchased Servants and to the Holy-Ghost by whose Presence and Virtue all Sacred Operations are perfected And moreover of very great Benefit to the Souls of the Faithful duly disposed by a Communication of Divine Virtue to them 7. Whether what some Learned Men have rightly observed à posteriori from matter of Fact That the Devil hath exercised and vented more Malice against this Holy Rite than against any other part of the Christian Religion except the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity be not also credible upon Considerations â priori from the Nature of the thing from the Honour and Worship therein performed to the Father and to our Saviour and to the Holy-Ghost and the Benefits communicated to Humane Souls but more especially because therein that Passion of our Saviour which the Devil had maliciously procured is solemnly Honoured and represented before the Father as the great Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World to the Confusion of that Proud Malicious and Envious Spirit 8. Whether great Elevation of Soul and Devotion to God and Enlargement of Souls in mutual Charity of one to another being principal Benefits ordinarily communicated to Souls duly disposed in the frequent and Reverend Use of this Holy Sacrament Deprivation of these Benefits and instead thereof Dissentions Contentions and Animosities and Decay of Piety and over-spreading of Wickedness may not be just and deserved Punishments of the Neglect of so great a Duty and Solemn Worship and of so Holy Means for the obtaining of those Benefits and may not therefore reasonably be believed to be Special Judgments of God for the same when we see them follow Notorious Neglect thereof at no great Distance 9. Whether therefore Neglect of Communion by the People in the Greek Churches where Chrysostom preached vehemently against it both at Antioch and Constantinople may not reasonably be believed to have been severely Punished by the Special Judgement of God and Malice of the Devil getting Advantage thereupon by the Divisions and Confusions which arose there not long after his Death and continued till almost all the Eastern Churches were first over-spread with them and at last over-run and enslaved by the Turks and Mohemetans And in the Latin-Churches by the abominable Corruptions Abuses Impostures and Usurpations of the Papacy 10. Whether the Neglect not only of Communion by the People but even of Celebration by the Clergy so that such of the People as would have Communicated could not and in a manner taking away of the daily Sacrifice in the Churches called Reformed may not also reasonably be believed to have been punished by the special Judgement of God and Malice of the Devil by their Divisions amongst themselves from the Beginning of their Reformation and by the great Decays of Piety and Over-spreading of Wickedness which hath by degrees increased amongst them
ever since 11. Whether in these Divisions in the Churches called Reformed the Socinian Heresy hath not had great Advantage by their Neglect of so Pregnant a Testimony of the Catholick Church against it as this of the Solemn Memorial of the Passion of our Saviour before the Father as the great Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World 12. Whether all these Churches called Reformed Note The like Judgments of God are observeable upon divers particular Persons who neglect the Opportunities or refuse the Invitations they have for this great Duty and necessary Means For there is as much Unworthiness and Dis-respect done to this Holy Sacrament by Neglect or Refusal of Communion as by Unworthy coming to it or Irreverence at it And most of the Pretences which People make to excuse their Omission will be found but Hypocrisy at last But many have not Opportunities or discerning to observe this in particular Examples have not great Reason to fear and expect a further Judgement upon them for this Neglect if they be not moved by those before mention'd speedily to reform the same that is to be delivered into the Hands of their Enemies as it happened to the Greek Churches and hath happened to some of these already and particularly to one of the most Ancient and best Reformed of them all in all other Respects the Bohemian besides others since 13. Whether there can be any Objection or Exception against the constant use of this Holy-Worship which doth not reflect upon and imply either great Ignorance or something more shameful in such as make it 14. Whether all such as Oppose or Discourage the frequent Rever and Vse of this Holy-Worship do not therein greatly gratify the Devil and do him a very pleasing Service 15. Whether as well from the Nature of the Thing as from the Authority and Practice of the Catholick Church this Holy-Worship ought not to be restored to a daily Frequency in all Cathedrals with Prayers there to be offered up with this Solemn Memorial for the whole Diocess more particularly besides those for the whole Catholick Church and the Nation as also in all great Towns and populous Places where there are a competent number of People to frequent it daily but especially in the Universities and to a Weekly Vse that is every Lords-Day at least in all other Churches 16. Whether all the Clergy belonging to such Churches or in such Places ought not Constantly and Reverently to attend this Solemn Worship except when hindred by sufficient special and extraordinary Occasions 17. Whether our Offering up to God a defective or imperfect Service in a superficial formal Manner hath not been a great Offence and Provocation to many to forsake the Church and go over to the Dissenters and the Restitution of the compleat Christian Worship reverently and devoutly performed would not be as likeâ—y to reduce them 18. Whether our Neglect of the daily Sacrifice so manifestly contrary to the Practice of the Catholick Church hath not been a great Scandal and Offence â—o many of the Papists and hindred their Communion with us and the Restitution of it with all Decency and Reverence be not a likely Means to invite them to come in especially if we did but therewithal restore some more of the undeniable Practices of the Catholick Church and particularly that Solemn Manner of Treating of Penitents so Honourable to God and Beneficial and Necessary to Men 19. Whether though of all the ancient Liturgies that of the Greeks the Form of which may be seen in Cyril of Jerusalem and much of the Matter in the Ancient Book called Clements Constitutions not much different from that which bears the Name of St. James be both more Ancient and more compleat than any now extant of any of the Latin-Churches there be not notwithstanding a great Agreement among them all in all the Principal and Essential Parts of this Holy-Worship and between them and the most Ancient Forms of the Jews in such things as are common to both as many are and not peculiar to the Christians and therefore Whether all Persons ought not to be very cautious how they use either their own extempore Conceptions or Forms composed according to their own private Phansies or Opinions in so Solemn Worship of God 20. Whether it be not the Duty and the Wisdom of any Church or People as well as of particular Persons to give Glory to God by an humble Acknowledgment of their Sin and a speedy Resolute and effectual Reformation but a foolish and dangerous thing either to palliate or cover the same for fear of Weakning their Authority or to delay or procrastinate the Reformation or do it insufficiently or imperfectly upon any other prudential Considerations FINIS THE PREFACE THE Method which our Blessed Saviour prescribed for the Reformation of what is amiss in individual and private Persons and Matters viz. That it be gradual and first as gentle as may be by tacit Admonition or private Reproof and if that will not do then to proceed only to the Audience of one or two but still in private that there may be Witnesses to attest the orderly Proceeding as well as the Obstinacy of the Offender and then indeed if that will not do to report it to the Church or Holy Assembly of the Faithful but never to expose the Person till all other Means have been used and found ineffectual and unsuccessful the same is doubtless according to his Will ordinarily much more to be observed in publick Persons and Matters And this I have endeavoured and do desire to observe in the Matter in hand which is of no mean Moment but concerning a Principal Matter of the Christian Religion the most Solemn and Peculiar Part of the Christian Worship For upon diligent Search under the Conduct of the Hand of God into Miscarriages and Matters amiss therein having plainly discovered and detected the same to my own Satisfaction I have given Notice thereof to such as were concerned to promote a Reformation and expected a just time for something to be done or at least be begun for that Purpose And having done all that could be done in Secret I am now by a regular Course of Proceeding to make my Report to the Church and for that since there is no appearance of any opportunity to do it in a Synod there is no other way left but this of the Press And this I have been careful to use with all the Gentleness and Deliberation that is fit in this Case to be used if we consider who is concerned in it and how far I have already out of respect to those in Authority for no inconsiderable time in a manner suppress'd communicating but to a few and some of the principal men what I had Printed though it did but in part open the Faults and now I do but propose a Specimen of a Remedy to Consideration without expressly noting what is amiss desiring only Leave to use it with my own