order therein and bountifull Sacrifices offered verse 5. and that the Priests were come out of the holy place verse 10. The place being now resigned and prepared for God to take his possession then the Cloud filled the house of the Lord verse 10. And the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. 3. Solemnitie did also ever accompany this worke Iacob erecting his Altar Gen. 28. first acknowledgeth the place to be none other than the house of God a dreadfull place setteth up the stone on end powreth oyle thereon for an oblation maketh there his vowes to God which hee afterwards performed cap. 35. Who will may reade at large with what solemnity the Tabernacle was dedicated Exod. 40. And the Temple of Salomon 1. King 8. And the second Temple 1. Esdr 6. And when Iudas Macchabeus had renewed the Altar which together with the Temple the heathen had prophaned what time the heathen had prophaned it even in that was it dedicated with Songs and Cytterns and Harpes and Cymballs And then all the people fell on their faces worshiping and praysing the God of heaven who had given them so good successe and so they kept the Dedication of the Altar 8. dayes CAP. IIII. Consecration of Temples and Churches is not Leviticall but Morall THere is a conceite taken up upon imagination and propagated by tradition without ground that consecrations were meere Leviticall rites and Ceremonies against which fancie we reason that consecrating of places to Gods Worship being neither peculiar to the Iewes under the Priest-hood of Levi nor any type of any thing to bee fulfilled in Christ are not Leviticall but morall whereto the very heathen have beene directed by the light of nature a See Liv. hist. Ro. dec 1. l. 1. l. 9. Tacit. hist l. 4 fl Vopis in vita Aureliani in all times among all nations Nature informeth us that there is a God that God must be Worshipped that there must be places where publickely to performe that worship heathen men know all this and practise accordingly And will any man say or imagine that to give thankes to God for affording a place for his publicke worship or by prayers to begge of God that the prayers there made the Word there Preached and the Sacraments there received may be all effectuall under Gods blessing is a matter Leviticall Or it is a Iewish thing to seperate the place of Gods worship from common use Or to shut up the house of God from being an house of Merchandise Where lyeth either Iudaisme superstition or any errour in all this And this is all that which wee call consecration or dedication Doth not Nature teach men to acknowledge God to be the Author of all the good things which we receive and therefore to receive them with thankes for them and prayers to God for his blessing upon them to our use for every creature 1 Tim. 4. 5. of God is good if it be received with thankesgiving for then it is sanctified by the Word and Prayer In regard whereof God taught us not Deut. 20. 5. to enter upon the possession of a private house without so dedicating it Shall consecration hold generally in the use of all Gods blessings even of those which concerne onely the use of this life and is the creature sanctified to our use when it is received with prayer and thankesgiving and shall wee be affrayd to say that the Church is specially sanctified to our use or to call it a consecrated or holy place when it is a creature of God set a part for the worship of God for the benefit of the soule and for the furtherance of the whole man to everlasting Salvation We must not call every thing Iewish or Leviticall which is done by a Iew or Levite no more than we terme every thing Popish which is done by a Papist But as that onely is Popish which is peculiar to a Papist and wherein he in doctrine or ceremonie innovateth against the Word of God and the faith and practise of the primitive and purer Church so that is Iewish or Leviticall which is peculiar to the people of the Iewes or Leviticall worship but that which becommeth all men to doe in all times and places and whereto they are guided by the light of nature the Word of God and presidents of Antient Orthodox Fathers and sincere primitive Christians is neither Iewish Leviticall nor Popish but morall pious and Christian That exemplary Knight not unworthily stiled Sir Hen Spelm. a Magazine of learning doth in his booke de non temerandis ecclesiis extract the morall from what was Leviticall in the Worship of God from the first institution of the Order of Levi unto the period or expiring thereof by taking into consideration the distinct regions as I may call them of the Temple In the first whereof being the holy of holyes was the divine presence in the Arke the Oracle and Mercie seate into which none but the high Priest might enter and that but once in the yeare and not without blood In the second being the holy place which was the court of the Priests was the Ceremoniall worship and attonement by sacrifices oblations and other Leviticall rites and therefore here were the holy vessels the Shew-bread the incense Altar and in the Court the Altar of burnt Sacrifice The third was the outward Court or Court of the people called Salomons Porch and this place was for thankesgiving Prayer and Preaching The two first regions or places of the Temple were Ceremoniall in wordly elements Mysticall signifying some Spirituall things to be fulfilled in Christ Secrete for the things there performed were remote from the eyes of the people Leviticall administred onely by that tribe Iudaicall for the use onely of that people temporall to endure onely to the time of reformation But the third place with the duties there performed was free from the Ceremonies of the two former all open to the people The mysteries were there explained all the Tribes people and nations had their accesse thither The duties performed in this region and so the place it selfe were and are to continue to the end of the world in specie though not in individuo i. in the same kinde though not in the same particular to be of the same use al the world over for so saith Almighty God Mine house shall be called an house of Prayer Es 56. 7. to all nations And the sayd worthy Knight further observeth that our Saviour Christ reformed not any thing in the two former places the functions there being at an end but for so much as the functions of the third were to continue therefore he purgeth that place and restoreth it to the former and due sanctity An Argument drawne from the Tabernacle or Temple to our Churches in things Morall and founded on the Law of nature is good and concludeth strongly For though the vayle of the Temple be rent downe from the
toppē to the bottome and an end be put to the Typicall and Leviticall Worship Yet the Temple was not then throwne downe but continued standing the space of 40. yeares after the ascention of our Saviour into heaven for Morall worship and Service and was accordingly used by Christian people for prayer and preaching as is evident Act. 3. 1. and cap. 5. 20 21. And no doubt but that to this day it might have continued the house of God for morall worship if the impietie of the Iewes had not provoked God to bring the Romans upon them to destroy both them and their Temple The necessitie that lay upon the Temple to bee throwne downe in regard of the Prophecie of our Saviour Christ foretelling the ruine thereof proceeded from our Saviour his foreknowledge looking to the vengeance which the people deserved for their sinnes and not from the nature of the Temple which might have continued for morall worship though the Leviticall be ceased And to that effect the Masters of the Centuries well knowne to be no friends to superstition observed well in these words The Christians are Cent. 2. c 7. dayly in the Temple with one accord Act. 2. The Apostles ceased not dayly there to teach and to Preah Christ Act. 5. Peter and Iohn went up to the Temple to pray and they did Preach to the People when they flocked together in Salomons Porch Act. 3. And the Apostles being delivered out of prison are commanded not to Preach the Gospell in the Temple Act. 5. And the whole congregation came together with one accord in Salomons Porch and S. Paul also is apprehended in the Temple and all this was after that our blessed Saviour had by his death and resurrection put an end to all Leviticall ceremonies If any object here that when the Romans had burnt downe and destroyed the Temple the anger of God was so great against it as not to suffer any rebuilding of it any more the answere is ready viz. that the anger of God was not against the being of an house for his worship in that place but because the unbeleeving Iewes as they did hate Christ so being animated by that grand enemie of Christ the Apostate Iulian endeavoured to erect there a Temple for Leviticall worship and ceremonies to be set up againe in defiance and slander to the Crosse of Christ and prejudice of the Gospell For the Christians did afterward in that very place where the Temple stood and where the Iewes were not permitted by God to rebuild set up a very faire and goodly Church for Christian worship which Church was long blessed of God and became a Patriarchall seate CAP. V. That Consecration belongeth also to our Churches under the Gospell OUr Churches under the Gospell are in the same condition with the third region of the Temple among the Iewes viz. Gods house of prayer to all nations And therefore as that was so ours must be no house of Merchandize but set a part from all common use for the worship of God thankesgiving Novel 6. prayer preaching and the like acts and exercises of Religion Iustinian made a Law that ecclesiasticall persons should not celebrate divine offices in places not consecrate And so hath the Church anciently accustomed to make the places of Religious meetings peculiar and proper for onely religion and devotion by the solemne rites of consecration Saint Augustine preaching 1200. yeares since Serm. de temp 256. at the consecration of a Church beginneth thus Celebritas hujus congregationis dedicatio est domus orationis i. The solemnity of this meeting is the dedication of the house of prayer Saint Ambrose L. 1. Ep. 5. telleth us that he and Felix had beene invited ad consecrationem basilicae per Bassianum i. to the consecration of a Church by Bassianus Athanasius Ep. ad Const doth divers times mention the consecration of Churches Before all these Alexander Bishop of Apol. ad Const. Alexandria as testifieth Athanasius consecrated a Church with great solemnity Eusebius relateth that upon the death of the tyrant Maximianus L. 10. c. 3. Optatum exhibetur spectaculum Celebrationes viz. eccaeniorum per Civitates Oratoriorum recens structorum consecrationes i. There appeareth a very joyfull spectacle or sight viz. the yearely comemorations of the Dedications of Churches and Consecrations of others newly set up And howsoever Pope Higinus about the yeare 140. Decr. de consec dist i. e. omnes Basilicae made a Decree that Churches should be consecrated yet it is plaine that that Decree was but the ratification of what was then in use rather than any innovation or bringing in of a new fashion For there were Consecrations of Churches under Pope Evaristus about 40. yeares before that Decree Gratia of Higinus and that either something before or presently after the death of Saint Iohn the Evangelist for I finde some uncertainety here in matter of Chronologie though the space of the time in difference is not long And indeede how can we imagine otherwise but that so soone as the Christians had any certaine places for their religious meetings they did for the more Comfortable expectation of Gods blessing in them dedicate them unto God by prayer and thankesgiving Yea and the Primitive Christians were wont at the dedication of their Churches to bee exceedingly affected and taken with excessive joy at these Dedications whilest they considered that God had as it were taken an house among them therein to entertaine feede feast and cloath them with his owne speciall presence his holy Word the blessed Sacraments and the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ where also they might Communicate and impart themselves by their prayers unto God and confidently begge and have for all their necessities and occasions sufficiency of releefe and therefore as in the Old Testament we finde that when Salomon Dedicated the Temple he held a great feast the space of 14. dayes And 1 King 8. then he blessed the people and the people blessed him and went to their tents joyfull and glad of heart for all the goodnesse which the Lord had done for David his servant and for Israel his people and as in the 6. Chapter of the booke of Ezra They kept the Dedication of the house of God with joy c. So also the primitive Christians used with much gladnesse and rejoycing to solemnize the Dedications of their Churches Eusebius in the place last cited addeth these words Hic Psalmodiis ac reliquis divinitus L. 10. nobis traditis elogiis Illic divinis ac mysticis mysteriis c. ecclesiarum presides panegyricis conventus ornabant and then totis animi viribs hilarique mente precando gratias agendo deum bonorum authorem venerabantur i. Here with Hymnes and divine prayses There with sacred and deepe Misteries c. yea and the governors of the Churches did with publicke speeches solemnize the meetings and with songs and prayses from the
well disposed doth as I have said ingender quicken increase and nourish the inward reverence respect and devotion which is due to Soveraigne Majesty and power which those whom the use thereof cannot perswade unto would easily by the want thereof be brougbt to confesse for which cause I crave leave to be excused by them herein if in zeale to the common Lord of all I choose rather to coÌ„mend the vertue of an enemy then to flatter the vice and imbecillity of a friend Finally I know not any that dissallow the adorning of Churches except Anabaptists and Brownistes into whose schisme and faction too many of our bretheren seem to be too much inclining Indeede Theod. l. 3. c. 12. the unfaithfull disciple afore mentioned did grudge at what was bestowed on Christ and came not into the bagge which he had in keeping And wee read of one Felix an apostate and great treasurer to the apostate Emperour Julian who beholding the goodly vessels which the piety of the good Constantine and Constantius had bestowed upon the Church sayd in the bitternesse of his malice en quibus vasiâ—s ministratur Mariae filio i. Behold what goodly vessels the sonne of Mary is served in But as the history relateth this sonne of Beltal quickly came to a shamefull end To adorne Churches is not Superstitious but to deprive them of their ornaments to hinder their endowments and to repine thereat are all no better then sacrilegious And now me thinks I heare some of our bretheren call upon me to listen to the sounde that is made in our Churches by voices of singers by Organes and other instruments of musique and to tell how I can cleare this from being Popish or superstitious But God be thanked as there is no law to prohibit the use of musique even in the Church Service so withall being rightly used it is very usefull and profitable for the spirituall man in that it stirreth up his christian affection the more chearefully to prayse God Pet. Mart. saith that in Musique rightly â—nd judic 5. ordered tria bonorum genera concurrunt honestum utile jueundum i. three good things concur viz. comely profitable and pleasant When God had brought his people through the red sea therein whelmed the Aegyptians The Israelites as they expresse their gladnesse by their songs so to proportion their joy the best they can to the measure of their hapynesse do set their ditty to an instrument of Musique The like is done by devoute Deborah For when God had given the life of Siserah into the hands of Jael and peace to Israel in the confusion of Jabin Then sung Deborah and Barak prayse yee the Lord for a venging Israel But this was done once upon speciall occasion at the red Sea not above once more in nere two hundred Object yeares in the dayes of the Judges what is this then to the standing use of musique in the publique worship of God But this was done in the publique worship of God Ans by the people of god without any breach of any law of God therfore it is stil lawful to be done again as well twice as once as well coÌ„stantly as sometimes And therefore the King and prophet David the only man ever Chronicled to have been a man after Gods owne heart and well might he so be being so zealous as he was for the house and honour of God as Ps 69. 9. he composed his Psalmes to be tuned and sung to severall instruments of Musique for Gods honor so he brought that musique into the Church and erected 1 Chro. ea 16. Ca. 25. the most glorious Quire that ever was under the cope of Heaven for song in the house of the Lord with Cymballs Psalteries and Harpes for the Service of the house of God But this was in the old Testement and therefore Object is like to have beene some Leviticall Ceremony The is no such Institution among all the Leviticall Ans ceremonies which were all delivered by God to Moses and by Moses to the people 400 yeeres before David was borne Yea the text telleth us 1 Chro. 25. 6. playnely that this was according to the Kings order And therefore it is no Leviticall ceremony in that there was no institution thereof before the dayes of David And then I hope here is no feare of Popery to be in the use of the Church Musique because it had the first Institution in the dayes of David 1500 yeares before any Popery began And therefore Eph. as it were in approbation of so good a practise Colos our Saviour Christ with his Disciples sing a Psalme at the end of the Sacred Supper And S. Paul adviseth the use of the Psalmes hymnes and spirituall Comm. Judic c. 5. N. 1. Songs Pet. Mart. proveth that musique hath beene of use in the Christian Church from the dayes of the Apostles because Plinius secundus writeth unto Trajan euseb l. 3. l. 30 that the Christians did hymnos antelucanos Christo suo canere i. Sing Psalmes to their Christ before day light They found themselves thereby charged in Gods worship And I do assure my selfe that man who shal bring to the Church where Musique is rightly used a devout hart not perverted with prejudice and attend unto the Prayses of God which are set out with Musique cannot choose but feele his thoughts therewith elevated and enlarged the more pathetically and feelingly the more amplie and fervently to acknowledge and magnifie the goodnesse of God It is true that some of the antient Fathers do find fault with the abuse of Musique in Gods Worship but that condemneth not the right use thereof any more then the holy Supper is condemned by St. Paul whilest he blameth those who shamefully prophaned it In the right use therefore of church Musique there is good profit and edification to the affection but no Superstition CAP. VIII Gods Servants are Holy and not Superstitious HOuses are usually framed to suit their owners especially when they build them for their owne habitation And such masters such men Salomon had not only builded an house answeareable to the wisdome and state of so great a King but was also sorted with servants suitable to the wisedome Levit. 19. 2. of their prince and to the order and magnificence of his house and throne And God whose house and habitation the Church is is holy The Church also being Gods house is holy So the holy God hath an holy house as is suitable Neither will he want answerable servants who by their holy demenure shall manifest it to the world that they are the Servants of the holy God The true servants of God must be holy For the Lord God their master is holy And St. Peter telleth us that we are an holy Nation And here we do not meane only a relative holinesse such as times places garments and the like are capable of but such an holinesse as is wrought