Minister for our good according to our Petitions Ep. 120. c. 22. Ep. 121. c. 9. This sense is oft expressed by S. Augustin and in the Book under his name De diligendo Deo and seemeth well to agree with the expressions of others of the ancient Fathers and with the notion of the ancient Jews as it is mentioned by Philo Phil. de Plant. Nae de Gigantibus and thus much seemeth to be encluded in these words of the New-Testament Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation And Mat. 18.10 Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that their Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven And this notion expresseth an honourable ministration of the holy Angels De Cu. Dei l. 9.6 15. which hath respect to the Church of God but doth not allow them as S. Aug. would not to be accounted Mediators nor to receive Religious worship from us but to be honoured by us Charitate non servitute De Ver. Râ—elig c. 55. by an high degree of respectful love but not by Religious service and subjection 10. As to that passage of Ecclus. 46.22 Which mentioneth Samuel prophecying after his death it is sufficient here to observe that that that part of that Chapter is by our Kalendar directed to be omitted And from all this it may appear that nothing is in our service appointed to be read out of the Apocrypha which being rightly understood is any way hurtful or of ill influence upon practice Yet it is to be further noted that he who shall acknowledge that there is much good contained and no evil or sin advised in any of the Apocryphal Books is still far from admitting them to be equal to the Canonical Scriptures For though there may be divers Books free from actual error yet it is the Prerogative of the holy Scriptures alone to be immediately indited by that holy Spirit who can never err and to be tendered of God and received of his Church as the perpetual and infallible rule to manifest the will of God and the Doctrines of Faith SECT VII Considerations about that Translation of the Psalms used in the Liturgy 1. The next thing to be treated of is the ue of the Psalms according to the version in the Common-Prayer-Book concerning which Consid 1. The use of this Translation doth not require us to judge it the best English Translation For as formerly the sentences out of the Psalms before Morning Prayer and at the Communion were expressed according to another ancient and distinct translation so both the Epistles and Gospels and the sentences out of the Psalms at the beginning of Morning and Evening Prayer are now altered according to our last allowed English Translation which alteration seemeth to prefer that Translation as the best 2. Cons 2. The Translation of the Psalms used in our Liturgy is from the Hebrew to which it generally agreeth sometimes using the liberty of a paraphrastical stile And the Hebrew being the Original is doubtless more pure than any Translation which differeth fromit And though the Septuagint in the Book of Psalms which of all other hath been of most frequent publick use in the Christian Church doth vary less from the Hebrew than in any other Poetical Book of holy Scripture yet a Catalogue may be given of at least an hundred and fifty places wherein the Septuagint differeth from the Hebrew not in any Christian Doctrine but in the manner of expressing the sense of those Texts in all which the version in the Liturgy accordeth with the Hebrew and dissenteth from the Septuagint Indeed in some phrases and clauses our version followeth the Septuagint where the matter is unblameable and three entire verses which are not in the Hebrew Chaldee or Syriack are in the fourteenth Psalm added in this English Version according to the ordinary Copies of the 70 Grot. in Ps 14. and of many but as Grotius intimateth not all of the Aethiopick Vulgar Latin and Arabick and which are not in the Greek Manuscript from Alexandria but these Verses being the same with what is cited by the Apostle out of the Old Testament Rom. 3.12 13 18. cannot be disallowed as to the matter of them and the Psalms in the Liturgy being chiefly used as Hymns of praise or our words of blessing God agreeably to the practice of the Jewish and ancient Christian Church may well admit in that use of such a variation from the Hebrew Text. 3. If we observe the practice of the ancient Christian Churches we shall find that the Greek Church publickly used the Psalms according to the Septuagint and the Latin Arabian and Aethiopick Churches V P. Pithaeum de Latin Biblior Interpret had their Psalms of publick use translated from the Septuagint or with a little tincture from Lucian the Martyr wherein they also followed some evident corruptions of the Greek Copies as the Arabick in admitting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ps 17.14 the Aethiopick in reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ps 39.5 Ps 92.10 and the Vulgar in translating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Syriack Version was translated out of the Hebrew but hath suffered some alterations by being revised according to the Septuagint from whence among other things it received its frequent use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but this Version hath many imperfections as chiefly its leaving out sometimes a whole verse as in Ps 34.9 and sometimes some part thereof as Ps 58.9 The result of this consideration is this that the Psalms publickly used in the Church of England are more fully agreeing to the Original Hebrew than any of those known Versions were which were used in the ancient Christian Churches and he who thinketh that he may not lawfully join or Minister in the Church of England because of our use of this version of the Psalms might have discerned greater cause in this very particular to have kept him at a greater distance from all the famous ancient Christian Churches in the World 4. Cons 3. The particular places most blamed in this Version of the Psalms do afford no sufficient cause when our superiours enjoin the use of this Translation to withhold our hearty consent thereto I shall instance in three places which are chiefly urged 1. One is Ps 106.30 where this Translation readeth it then stood up Phinees and prayed and so the Plague ceased But the Version in our Bibles rendreth it Then stood up PHinehas and executed judgment The word in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Verbs of which Root being most used in the form Hithpahel do generally signifie to pray and in this form of Pihel they are rarely used and do sometimes signifie judging or the judge interposing between men and men to end their strife But
49. And that good man as both Ruffinus and himself relate when the Church was like to be embroiled upon his account cryed out in the words of Jonah Naz. Cann de Vit. sua If this tempest be for me take me up and cast me into the Sea and the disturbance shall be at an end And his readiness by all effectual means to promote Peace together with his eloquent discourses to that purpose had such an influence upon the concord of the second General Council and the Churches good Baron Annal An. 381. n. 55. that Baronius thinketh that thereupon the very place where that Council sate and these speeches were made did bear the name of Concordia in after times which was an evidence how highly Concord was then valued Indeed it becometh a builder to repair and cement the breaches in the Church which is the House of God but he who would widen and encrease them goeth the way to make the whole to fall and it may be that part may be first in its ruins which he least desireth 7. Besides this the dreadful ruins of Kingdoms and Countries which are sometimes the consequents of Church divisions are enough to awaken and deeply affect them who are not senseless and past feeling to beware thereof He who readeth the History of the Turks and of the Eastern Empire may see that the Christians State divisions founded upon or fomented by discords in the Church laid the foundation on which the Turks erected their Dominion in those places which was the rooting out their publick Christian profession And the last words of the Old Testament acquaint us that the continuance of dissentions provoketh God to smite the Earth with a Cherem or a dreadful Curse which includeth an irrecoverable devoting Prol de Bel. Jud. and Josephus relateth that the divisions of Jerusalem and the Jewish Nation exposed them to the desolation brought upon them by the Romans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bar. An. 303. n. 29. And it is observed by Baronius that the dissentions in Africa raised by the Donatists were the occasion of the great calamities there sustained first from the Vandals and after than from the Arabians to the destruction of the Country and the almost final ruine there both of the other Christians and of the Donatists themselves 8. Amongst plenty of other instances it becometh us to be most affected as we were most concerned with the much Christian bloud unchristianly shed in England as a sad consequent of these contentions We made our selves an example to Foreigners who took notice that Apud Anglos integro seculo de Ecclesiae regimine controversia violenter agitata est ad status usque publici convulsionem that the violent motions and disturbances in England about Ecclesiastical controversies wrought us into a convulsive and distracted State And we who are nearest home ought to be if we be not most sensible and apprehensive of this which others at a distance could not but observe with some amazement The Lord grant that we may at length learn to mind the ways of Peace and discern the danger and guilt of needless running into divisions 9. The breaking the Churches Peace is peculiarly sinful when without any just and necessary grounds contentions run so high as to appear in open Schism and separation which hath been long designed and is too much practised by many opposers of Conformity And though it be and must be asserted that separation is both lawful and necessary and therefore free from the sin of Schism where Communion upon a right understanding cannot be kept without sin yet even the Writings of many Non-Conformists as well as of others do express and aggravate the sin of unnecessary separation and the Canons of the ancient Church declare very severely against it Can. Ap. 31. Conc. Carth. c. c. 100. Besides Conc. Ancyr c. 18. Gang. c. 6. Antioch c. 5.2 Carth. c. 9. Trull c. 31. Such separation is condemned as ambition and tyranny in the Canons called the Apostles as a destructive Sacrilegious sin in the African Code as a sin which excludeth from the Kingdom of Heaven by Ignatius Ign. ad Philad Cont. Helv. c. 22. and it is censured to enclude a contempt of true Religion by the Helvetick confession 10. It is a known and approved sentence of Dionysius Alexandrinus Eus Eccl. Hist l. 6. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That to suffer Martyrdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather than to divide the Church by Schisms is not less glorious then to be a Martyr for resusing to offer Sacrifice unto Idols Cyp. de Vnit Eccles And S. Cyprian asserteth that the sin of breaking the Churches peace by Schism is in divers respects more hainous than the sin of those lapsed Christians who in the time of persecution yielded to offer Sacrifice to Idols Because the former bewailed his miscarriage and by repentance sought for pardon from God and communion with his Church his straights and dangers were the occasion of his sin and though he miscarried himself he did not perswade others to do the like and he might afterwards be honoured as a Martyr whereas the latter was swelling and pleasing himself in his sin did disturb oppose and reject the Church his sin was his of his own free and voluntary choice and he also beguiled and ensnared others And all this was expressed by both these ancient Writers with peculiar reference to the Novatian Schism which them made a breach in the Churches Vnity about matters of Discipline without denying any Articles of the Faith Ibidem And S. Cyprian proceedeth so far as to declare that if the man who soweth discord in the Church should lay down his life in the defence of the name of Christ the stain of his sin could not be wiped out that is so as to render him honoured in the Church by the stream of his bloud but as he goeth on inexpiabilis gravis est culpa discordiae nec passione purgatur 〈◊〉 adv And the same thing is by Optatus urged against the Donatists Parm. l. 3. and is approved by divers others as being grounded on the words of S. Paul If I give my body to be burned and have not Charity it presiteth me nothing And from hence we may discern that in those Primitive times when the vital heat of Piety within was able to prevail against the fiercest flames of Persecution without this duty of minding the Churches Unity had a mighty commanding force upon the Consciences of Christians and they accounted unnecessary divisions and Schisms to be unchristian practices and dreadful sins 11. Nor can such separation be otherwise accounted of then a great evil which general experience manifesteth ordinarily to eat out Christian love and doth most directly and openly oppose that Christian Vnity which as the following Section will evidence the Gospel commandeth the relation of Membership in the Christian Society requireth and our blessed Saviour earnestly
Vnity and yet to allow of open breaking and dividing and visible falling into pieces Is this to think either honourably or reasonably of the designs of Christ to suppose that he should express his Church to be one body compacted and joined together Eph. 4.16 intending that its real members might be daily parting asunder by disclaiming the communion of each other or that the whole Church should be as one building fitly framed together Eph. 2.21 but with free allowance that its parts should be at such a manifest distance as never to come so near one another as to owne their communion And when our Saviour prayed for his Church which should believe through his Apostles Doctrine as a consequent upon their believing that they may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me Joh. 17 20 21. Cyp. de Ovat Dom. Christoph in Joh. 17. Hom. 81. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is manifest that that Union of the Church which should tend to convince the World of Christianity and engage them to the Faith of Christ must besides the inward Vnity of faith and love include an open and professed holding communion with each other which is the most visible testimony of their Unity and the want of which hath occasioned them who were strangers to Christianity to decry and loath the Christian Religion as appeareth from what is above-mentioned in the second Section Hier. in Eph. 4. And when S. Paul requireth to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace it hath been reasonably of old thence inferred that separation and breaking the Churches peace ought to be rejected because it opposeth and loseth that Vnity of the Spirit Cypr. Ep. 52. which Christians should maintain by renouncing fellowship with the Church of Christ 6. And it is manifest that needless withdrawing or not holding communion with that particular setled Church where we abide with appearance of causeless distast towards it or the way of its communion was vehemently and with a pathetick zeal condemned in S. Peter himself withdrawing and separating from the Gentiles which action included a blameable forbearance of manifesting his allowance and approbation of their way of Christian life and serving God Gal. 2.11.14 And the manifold cautions against divisions oft expressed in the Scriptures do especially condemn such separation which is the highest attempt and most open profession of dividing and as this separation is expresly condemned in the holy Scripture so this is that thing which is so greatly condemned by the ancient Canons above named and that even under the term and name of Schism And it is of no small moment to observe that the Primitive Church who received the holy Commandments of the Gospel from the Apostles did always understand the precepts of peace to extend mainly to the duties of external communion especially considering that whereas the Churches peace can only be broken by Church contests which are managed either by words writings or open actions of discord this latter way of expressing them by actions of separation and open rendezvous of parties is of all other the highest and most considerable 7. But if the use of the word Schism be here considered it includeth much of needless strife about words to deny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Schism signifying division or renting asunder to be a fit expression for rents and separations in the Church when it hath been so used in the common Ecclesiastical custom of speech and is that which is according to the direct and proper import of the word And if S. Paul accounted the bandying into parties and factions at Corinth though without separation which some account to be their case to be Schisms because their Unity was thereby opposed and hindred much more must separation which is the highest appearance of parties and breach of Unity and was probably the true state at Corinth be so accounted of 8. Dr. Owen of Evang. Love and Church Peace c. 5. And whereas the same person hath of late purposely undertaken to espouse the interest of separation from the present Church of England and to defend it from the charge of Schism the pleas and pretences made in behalf thereof will now fall under our enquiry 9. A third Notion Its first Plea P. 167 171 172. One principal Plea is That where things or observances unscriptural are made the indispensible condition of Communion there to refuse submission to such things imposed and to with hold Communion from that Church is no Schism but a discharge of a duty And that we may understand what he meaneth by such expressions as Vnscriptural conditions of Communion he telleth us in one place P. 171. We do not dispute the lawfulness or unlawfulness of the things themselves P. 177. and in another place that it may be at present granted that the manner or modes of the performance of Gods worship with rites and ceremonies for order and decency may be lawfully appointed or as it pleased him to call it instituted by the rulers of the Church yet saith he this will not help in our present enquiry unless it be also granted that what may be lawfully practised in the worship of God may be also lawfully made a necessary condition of Communion And he saith in another places P. 205. It is required in this case not only to produce a warranty from the Scripture for the use of Liturgies but also for making the constant attendance on them a necessary condition of Communion Wherefore his sense is that with-holding Communion becometh lawful and a duty where any appointments for orderly ministration and the fit and decent performance of Gods service though lawful in themselves but not particularly expressed in Scripture as conditions of Communion are so determined that they must be submitted to and complyed with by them who embrace actual Communion with that particular Church 10. But this is both false in it self and would render all setled Church-Communion utterly Vnlawful and would make separation the Universal duty of all Christians in every Christian Assembly in the World not excepting them of the Congregational way For the Scriptures have not injoined the particular time for Sacramental and other administrations nor the place for publick Assemblies nor in what method Prayer Preaching Sacraments Psalms Chapters Hymns with other thanksgivings and services are to be performed nor hath it determined us either to or against any particular lawful form or external rite as making them either universally necessary or sinful but these with divers other things of like nature are left to the rules of Ecclesiastical Liberty and Prudence Now it concerneth him who made this exception to discover how there can possibly be any orderly Christian Assemblies and unconfused performances of Religious services where such things as these are not determined as where their Prayers and Services are neither performed with nor without a form c. And to the common
apprehensions of other men it is very manifest that unless there be a complyance or submission to such determinations by the members of the Church they can not actually communicate in these administrations unless they could communicate in what they will not yield to join in Yet these things with us are not made the conditions of communion any other way than the submission to lawful determinations of those things which must be one way or other determined is necessary for them who will join in such an orderly Society 11. And they who urge this objection do themselves make their determinations of these things besides some other things peculiar to their way as much a condition of Communion in their Congregations as our determinations are with us They may possibly stamp a divine authority upon those usages of their own which really have it not and urge such things for laws of God which he hath not established but this being much of the same nature with teaching for doctrines the commandments of men can never render their communion the more acceptable And I suppose this following discourse will sufficiently manifest that the divine authority doth neither enjoin their way of service without all forms and other rites nor disapprove of ours And now the arguments brought in that Treatise to make good this exception will concern themselves to answer as well as others and may be easily solved For 1. P. 173. When Christ gave Commission to his Apostles to baptize all Nations and teach them to observe whatsoever he commanded he thereby enjoined all his doctrines and precepts to be received and obeyed of all men and especially of those who imbrace the Christian baptism but he doth not thereby forbid rules of decency and order which are required in the Scripture to be received in the Communion of Christians And 2. Lib. 2. Ch. 1. Sect. 3. Ch. 2. Sect. 2 3. the Apostles practice and 3. their doctrine with a particular consideration of the fourteenth Chapter to the Romans will be evidenced in this Treatise to give both allowance and direction for Ecclesiastical constitutions of order 12. The fourth argument is from this instance of fact P. 191. When Victor Bishop of Rome excommunicated the Asian Churches for not observing Easter at the same time with the Roman Church this his action as fixing new bounds to Church-Communion was then disliked much by others and especially rebuked by one of the most holy and learned men then living which was Irenaeus Ans Well might Victors actions be censured by Irenaeus which was not only a directing and retaining that as a sixed rule of order for his own Church Eus Eccles Hist l. 5. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was then the Roman Custom and practice and which Irenaeus and the French Churches as well as many others did allow and judge requisite in that very Epistle to Victor but it was the obtruding that which was no Apostolical command or institution to be so far Apostolical as to be thereupon a doctrine and practice necessary to be received in all parts of the Christian Church and that all other whole Churches who received it not were not to be owned in the Communion of the Catholick Church Ibid. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and upon this account he undertook to excommunicate the Asian Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being Heterodox or erring from the Faith But our Church can be charged with no such practices as these were for it declareth it self thus B. of Com. Prayer of Ceremonies In these our doings we condemn no other Nations nor prescribe any thing but to our own people only which words with other to the same purpose are prefixed to our Liturgy His fifth argument is P. 194. that hence it would follow that there is no certain rule of Communion amongst Christians fixed and determined by Christ To which I answer that in all doctrines of Christianity nothing can be required as necessary for Communion with any Church but what Christ hath determined yet even here every errour in judgment or miscarriage in practice doth not forfeit the right of Communion and concerning defaults they who have the power of the Keys which is managed with Ecclesiastical Prudence Albasp Observat l. 2. Obs 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. are allowed to consider of times and other circumstances whence the Church of God hath unblameably used sometimes greater and other times less severity about the same crimes But that there should be different prudential rules of external order in the communion of different Churches hath generally been allowed and acknowledged in the ancient Church and pleaded for amongst the reformed Churches 13. P. 171 202. Indeed it is in the same Treatise urged as a thing included under this exception of Vnscriptural conditions of Communion that Ministers are required to express their approbation of the things injoined as the Liturgy Articles and Book of Ordination by their subscription or declaration But besides that these things are not intended for conditions of Christian communion but requisite for regular administrations and the preservation of order it is but reasonable that they who insist on this Plea before they blame us much more before they separate from us upon this account should themselves consider whether they would be willing to receive any persons to be Ministers of their Congregations who do not some way or other express their allowance of their way and order and particularly whether they would entertain him as their Minister who is resolved to perform all ministerial actions according to the order of the Liturgy If they be willing to entertain such a Minister and Ministration they must thereby justifie our way of order and communion by their submitting to the same terms of injoying Church-Communion But if they will admit no person to be a Minister in their Churches as indeed they will not before they are satisfied that he approveth and will continue in the way and order of their Churches while they herein blame our Church they should consider those words of the Apostle Rom. 2.1 Thou art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest dost the same things 14. But of the lawfulness of things as enjoined in the Church for order sake which is the main thing considerable in this exception and which hath been divers times sufficiently justified Bishop Whitgift Tr. 2. Hccles Folit l. 3. Lib. 2. c. 2. by Bishop Whitgift Mr. Hooker and many others since them I shall treat in another place more particularly and it will be sufficient here to add that God who hath appointed Rulers in his Church to guide and command hath also made it a duty to obey them who have the rule over us 15. Its second Plea Another Plea for separation from the Church of England is That the joining in communion
therewith requireth a consent to omit and refuse known duties commanded by Christ P. 216. P. 218.231 For the proof of which he giveth two instances In his first instance he claimeth to every Minister of a particular Congregation by the appointment of Jesus Christ the whole immediate care of the flock so that no part of discipline should be exempted from his office or care p. 219. and this he saith by Consormity they must renounce p. 229. Which Plea for separation or rejecting Communion is as much as to say that no Minister may lawfully communicate and exercise his Ministry in any Church where this kind of Congregational Independency is not the fixed Government or where the Episcopal Power and Authority above Presbyters in all or any publick acts of discipline is preserved An assertion which favours of great rashness in rejecting all those manifest evidences produced by divers on the behalf of this Episcopal Government and Jurisdiction with such an height of confidence as professedly to disclaim the lawsulness of Ecclesiastical Ministration and Communion with those who in practice embrace them Yea this is such a position as would have engaged all Christian Ministers to have renounced the Communion of all the ancient Churches in the Christian World in the times of the most eminent Fathers of the Church by this new way and method of the Churches Peace and Unity And therefore instead of a charge against our Church he hath herein done it this honour to mention that as a chief matter of exception against it in which it is conformable to the purest ages of Christianity 16. Conc Nic. c. 5. Conc. Ant. c. 6. The Councils of Nice and Antioch which are part of the Code of the Universal Church expressing a manifest distinction between Bishops and Presbyters do declare the disciplinary proceedings of Church censures to be under the Bishops ordering and authority and before them S. Cyprian did the same Cyp. Ep. 10 65. both concerning excommunication and publick disciplinary absolution and Ignatius frequently required that nothing should be done without the Bishops Authority to which agree the Scripture expressions concerning Timothy Titus and the Apocalyptick Angels And that the ancient Churches and the authority of their Bishops were not confined to single Congregations as some would have us believe is apparent 1. Conc. Neoc c. 13. Conc. Ant. c. 8. Conc. Sard. c. 6. Athanas Apol. besides the instances from the Roman and other Churches in Scripture 1. From the frequent mention of Country-Presbyters and Religious Assemblies in such places for which no Bishops were appointed 2. From the multitude of Presbyters in one City it not being credible that 46. Presbyters for the City of Rome in Cornelius his time 2. Eus Hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Photii Nomo can Yit 1. c. 30. Justin Novel Const ◠60. at Constantinople with a greater number both before and after Justinians Constitution and a numerous Company in other Churches should be designed with a Bishop and many Deacons for the service of God in a single Congregation 3. Because the greatest Cities in the World with the parts adjacent when Christians were most numerous had but one regular Bishop and he who can imagine that in the most flourishing times of Christianity there were never more Christians in those Precincts than made up a single Congregation though divers Churches were built at Jerusalem and other places may as well conceive the same of the present London Diocess And though there be some expressions in some ancient Writers as Tertullian and S. Hierome which many have thought to assert the ancient exercise of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction by a Bench of Presbyters of equal authority which would be too large a digression to be here considered yet even that notion also must fall under the heavy censure of this exception 17. The other instance concerneth private Members P. 141.142 and the whole Church being abridged and deprived of that liberty to discharge their duty which by the law of Christ they are to provide for Among these duties he nameth reproof admonition and exhortation as if these things were not allowed in our Church which is an intimation that needeth reproof and also withdrawing from them that walk disorderly and putting such obstinate offenders from among them Now this instance also is built upon the bottom of Independency groundlesly supposed to be a divine institution Decl. of Faith and Ord. of Congr Ch. Par. 2. Se. 4 5 7. Answ to 32. Quest qu. 14. 15. For the Independents allowing the Ministers the principal care about the discipline of the Church do assert an authority and power of Church-Government to be seated in all the members of the church together with their Officers yea that the members of the Church may censure their Officers and some of them as they of New-England express it that the Keys are committed to all believers who shall join together according to the ordinance of Christ And Dr. O. who gives somewhat more authority to Ministers than many others of them do yet declareth his non-admittance of our discipline p. 256. upon this account as one as being in the hands of meerly Ecclesiastical persons or such as are pretended so to be This late device of discipline being exercised by an authoritative power of all the members of the Church is claimed here as necessary for embracing Communion but this is not only contrary to the Church of England Gillespy Gov. of Ch. of Scot. Part. 2. c. 1. Postscript Jus Div. Reg. Eccles Par. 2. c. 10. with the ancient Churches and to the French Dutch and other reformed Churches abroad but it is also directly opposed and refuted by the Presbyterians both of Scotland and England and this also is a general argument for separation from all Christian Assemblies of the Primitive and Reformed Churches except a few of themselves 18. But as under the former instance he insisted much upon the great usefulness of administring Church-discipline which if rightly stated and in its due measures we heartily admit so here he reflecteth upon the defects of exercising discipline among us urging that upon such defects as by the design of his discourse he representeth ours to be P. 244 245. pious men may without the least suspition of the guilt of Schism forsake the Communion of that Church and if they have a due care of their own salvation they will understand it to be a duty But what he intimately chargeth upon the Church of England speaking of the Church where wicked persons are admitted without distinction or discrimination unto the Communion of the Church and tolerated therein without any procedure with them or against them if this be generally understood of all wicked persons as those words without distinction or discrimination to import it is untrue and slanderous But if this be meant only of divers particular persons it is acknowledged that a more vigorous
execution of discipline which I have in the former Section noted to be hindred in the effects thereof and not helped by divisions and separations is desireable and would be advantageous to the Church Yet here we must observe 1. That some mens rigour would make the rules of Communion overstrict and severe which was the ground of the Schism of the Novatians and Donatists and as some have anciently related of the Meletians also and it is not desireable that the Churches authority should be acted by such heats 2. That real defects in this particular though they are not to be approved of are no sufficient ground for separation since such blemishes were mixed with the beauty of the Apostolical Churches themselves as is manifest from almost all the Apostolical Epistles and particularly from the first Epistle to the Corinthians in which divers miscarriages were taxed and yet unity was strictly commanded and dividing severely rebuked Yea this very discourse at sometimes will not owne P. 126. that this thing solely of it self is sufficient to justifie a separation and the Congregational Churches in England in the Declaration of their Faith and order affirmed Of Institution and Order of Churches Sect. 21. the Church-members upon offences taken by them having performed their duty private admonition and relating it to the Church ought not to disturb any Church-order or absent themselves from the publick assemblies or the administration of any ordinances upon that pretence but to wait upon Christ in the further proceeding of the Church 19. Last Plea Another thing only touched in that discourse but which is the main ground of mis-apprehensin is that there is saith he no Evangelical obligation to local or external Comunion P. 256 257. with any particular or parochial Church of this Nation because every man may relinquish it by removing his habitation which plea floweth from want of a right sense of the Church Catholick For every Christians obligation to keep Communion with the Church is founded in his being visibly a member of Christs body which includeth his visible fellowship with the whole Church which he entreth upon by Baptism and from hence he standeth obliged to communicate with that regular fixed part of this Church where he resideth and from which he hath no warrantable or necessary cause of separation In this respect our Parochial Assemblies are of like nature with the Jewish Synagogal Assemblies unto which they were not obliged by any special Synagogal-Covenant but partly from Gods general command of their assembling themselves together and partly from their Religious profession and circumcision engaging them to Communion with the whole Church of the Jews and thereby to their Synagogal-Communion Hereupon under that dispensation it was the practice of our Blessed Saviour whose example should not be over-looked by us to attend upon these Synagogal Assemblies and the Religious worship of God celebrated therein as appears Luk. 4.16 At Nazareth where he had been brought up as his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day 20. And can it enter into the heart of any Christian to imagine that the holy Apostles who in their travells could not be fixed in any particular Congregation did not stand bound by the duty of Christian Vnity to join themselves in Communion with the particular fixed Churches or Assemblies of Christians where they came as S. Peter at Antioch S. Paul at Jerusalem and divers other places though such Churches were founded by some of the other Apostles And upon this account of the Vnity of the body of Christ the Primitive Christians when they went abroad into other Regions and distant parts of the World did with a Religious care seek the Communion of the Churches where they came and not to make separate Assemblies Yea this is a thing so far acknowledged by our English Independants themselves though they can talk at another rate where it serves their interest that in their publick Confession of Faith at the Savoy they say Conf. Ch. 27. Sect. 2. All Saints are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and Communion in the worship of God which communion though especially to be exercised by them in the relations wherein they stand whether of Families or Churches yet as God affordeth opportunity it is to be extended to all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus 21. But the conditions required in any particular fixed Christian Assembly embracing the Christian Faith and Worship in the place of our residence to make it our duty upon the account of the Christian Vnity to join therein are these two 1. That our communicating therein doth not oblige us to join in any action or profession which is sinful This is acknowledged on all hands and needeth no further proof because the Christians duty of keeping in Communion with Christ himself doth require it 2. That the Assembly we join in doth not maintain an unwarrantable separation from the Communion of the established Church for here to join in Communion is to join in separation and is like Barnabas and the other Jews joining with S. Peter Gal. 2.14 who all walked contrary to the truth of the Gospel in withdrawing from the Communion of the Gentiles at Antioch and the communicating with such a separating Assembly would be a breach of that Apostolical command of avoiding them who cause divisions Rom. 16.17 And we may observe that the joining in needless separations being a sin against the commands of Christ which require Christian Unity and Communion can not be warranted by any authority upon earth because that authority can not dispense with the commands of Christ but ought to be subject to them and therefore as S. Peter's practice and countenance Theod. Hift. l. 4. c. 22. Aug. Ep. 166. did not excuse Barnablas and the other Jews so neither could the indulgence of Valons the Emperour or his Predecessor execuse the different Sects by them tolerated from being guilty of Schism and the breach of Christian duty in their divisions and separations 22. Another notion of Schism there is A fourth Notion of Schism which condemneth separation where ever Communion is lawful but assumeth that whereever any thing unlawful or strongly suspected Mr. H. Tract of Schism p. 2 5 8. is required in order to Communion there to hold Communion would be to join in conspiracy and separation is then both lawful and necessary Concerning which notion granting that separation is necessary where any thing unlawful is required in order to Communion I can not admit for truth that if any thing suspected be so required separation becometh lawful thereby For if by suspected be meant whatsoever the person who maketh the separation doth suspect as evil by this rule he who through carelessness of enquiry or prejudice and want of Charity is needlâ—sly suspicious about any form of service or way of Church-Administrations will be allowed to separate and to be therein free from
whom the reversion shall appertain Nor doth the using these two words of assent and consent in the same clause require such a sense of this Declaration in which they must differ from each other since variety of words even in the most soleum acknowledgments is oft used not to express the difference but to determine the certainty of sense according to that Rule Ex Reg. Juris Quae dubitationis tollendae causa inseruntur jus commune non laedunt Thus in the Oath of Obedience or Allegiance I A. B. do truly and sincerely acknowledge profess testifie and declare that our Soveraign Lord is lawful and rightful King Where all these words connected by conjunctive Particles do only serve more expresly to manifest the same thing 12. And since the consideration both of persons and time make it evident that this assent to be given cannot contribute any thing to the authoritative ordering and constitution of these things which were before established by authority its most proper and natural sense must import a consent to or allowing of the use of these things which is the sense unto which the expressions in the Act of Uniformity do also plainly direct Wherefore such things only as are to be used being both contained and prescribed as all the Prayers Hymns directing Rubricks Kalendar and the Whole frame of the Liturgy come within the compass of this Declaration But some things occasionally declared and not prescribed are not contained under it In the Preface For instance these words That this Book as it stood before established by law did not contain in it any thing which a godly man may not with a good Conscience use and submit to though they be true and considerable yet if they were encluded under this Declaration then even such things as were thought fit to be altered must be still in some sort assented unto which is both contrary to the end of such alterations and to the proper sense of the words of this Declaration 13. And even such persons who conceive some things or expressions prescribed either in the Phrases of Common-Prayer it self or in the pointing of the Psalms or in the Translation of the Psalms or other Scriptures not to be suitable to their own desires or apprehensions yet to be free from fin and of such a nature as that the whole remaineth useful to guide the exercises of Piety those persons may safely and with a good Conscience make this Declaration of assent with respect unto other weighty considerations of submission to Authority promoting Peace Order and Unity and the edification of the Church in the united exercise of a right religious worship Even as such learned men who may judge even our last translation of the Bible not to have fitly expressed the sense of some difficult places may yet both unfeignedly assent and earnestly perswade to the diligent use thereof as knowing it to be of excellent advantage to the pious and humble Readers for their profitable learning the Gospel Doctrine and the will of God 14. Wherefore by this Declaration is given such an open vocal approbation of this Book required by Law as agreeth in sense with the subscription enjoined by Canon And the intend thereof is to express such an unfeigned allowance or consent to all things contained and prescribed in the Book of Comon-Prayer with the Psalms as that they may warrantably and with a good Conscience be used as they are established by authority the truth of which will appear more manifest upon a particular enquiry CHAP. IV. Of the Liturgy and the ordinary service appointed therein SECT I. The lawfulness antiquity and expediency of publick forms 1. PVblick Prayer is acknowledged by all Christians to be a chief part of the worship of God who hath said My house shall be called an house of Prayer for all people But since God hath not expresly declared in his word whether the ordinary publick duties of Christian Prayer should be performed with or without a form the determination of the sittest practice in this case must be made not without regard to the authority of Governours by a respect to the rules of order edification and the glory of God and an eye unto approved examples from which considerations I shall produce divers evidences of the requisiteness of a set form for the publick offices of the Church both from Reason and from example and authority 2. The reasons are such as these 1. That hereby a fit true right and well ordered way of worship in addresses to God may be best secured to the Church in its publick service of God that neigher God nor his worship may be dishonoured their being many easily discernable ways of considerable miscarriage in the publick offices of the Church even by them who err not in the doctrines of Religion 2. That needful comprehensive petitions for all common and ordinary spiritual and outward wants of our selves or others with fit thanksgivings may not in the publick supplications of the Church be omitted which considering men as they are can no other way be either so well or at all assured 3. That the affections and hearts of pious and religious men may be more devont and better united in their presenting their service to God where they may consider before-hand what particular Prayers and Thanksgivings they are to offer up and come the more ready and prepared to join in them This is an advantage of which many are deprived by a bad temper of mind either sucked in by prejudice or swallowed down by carelessness 3. 4. That such difficult parts of Church Offices as Baptism and the Lords Supper the matter of which requireth great consideration that they may be clearly and aright expressed as both Conformists and many Non-Conformists acknowledge and is evident from the many disputes about them by men neither of mean parts nor dangerous designs may by a more considerate care in the composure of a form be so framed that men of greatest understandings may with readiest assent entertain them and that they may be sufficiently vindicated against the boldest opposers 5. To be an evidence to other Churches and future times after what way and manner we worship God and that both the matter and expression of our service to him is sound and pious in our general and common worship And this may be a full testimony that such a Church both receiving the true faith and expressing a right way of worship is both a true and in its measure a pure and incorrupt Church 4. The Arguments from example which in general countenance the lawfulness or expediency of a form are two which will require a larger Declaration The first is from the practice and example of Christ who directed his Disciples the use of the Lords Prayer as a set form and that from thence the custom of the Christian Church De Eccles Offic. l. 1. c. 9. in composing and using set forms did take its pattern is reasonably
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
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
Tom. 2. Athanas where he purposely declareth them to be no part of the Canon of Scripture And amongst the Protestants Dr. Reinolds who wrote so largely against the authority of the Apocrypha Books Censura de Lib. Apocr Prael 7. in his Censura yet in one of his Praetections declareth of some of them chiefly Ecclesiasticus and Wisdom valde bonos utiles esse omnibus tractationibus praeferendos that they are exceeding good and profitable and to be preferred before all Treatises of other Writers Prael 74. and in another Praelection expressing his judgment of the same Books saith proximum illis locum deberi post scripturam sacram that they ought to have the next place after the holy Scripture in the former of which expressions he followeth the steps of S. Aug. de praedestin Sanctorum Exam. post 1. de Scrip. Can. And Chemnititus alloweth them to be Books quae à fidelibus in Ecclesiis leguntur Which are read in the Churches by the faithful and non esse abjectos damnatos that they are not condemned writings and off-casts but may be received in the number of the holy writings or sacrae scripturae sobeit they be not reputed the Canon of Faith and this saith he we willingly both yield and teach 5. Cons 4. And it is in this Case especially to be considered that in our Church no Apocryphal Chapter is appointed for any Lords Day throughout the Year not is any directed for any Holy-day but only out of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus which are Books of great esteem with all those who have well considered them And also upon those Week-days when some Apocryphal Chapters are read there are always other Canonical Scriptures read likewise Directory of reading the holy Script whereas they who do oppose Conformity so far as we may take the Directory for their rule did never appoint or direct any Scriptures to be ordinarily and publickly read upon any of these week days but ordered that where the reading on either Testament endeth on one Lords day it should begin on the next Wherefore it is to be well noted and observed that our Church doth not herein differ from the dissenters as if they did require the Canonical Scriptures to be more frequently read in publick than our Kalendar appointeth but our Kalendar requireth the Holy Scriptures to be much more frequently read in publick almost six Chapters for one besides the Epistles and Gospels than the Directory did and besides them these Apocryphal Lessons for profitable instruction 6. But if any persons shall decry in the general the hearing any thing in the Church besides the holy Scriptures of immediate infallible inspiration this would either from unadvisedness or from what is worse reject and disown to the great disadvantage of Religion the use of Sermons Exhortations and Catechism Nor is it any sufficient cause to condemn the reading Apocryphal Chapters because they are read as one of the Lessons For our Church manifestly declareth these Lessons not to be Canonical Scripture nor can any command of God be produced which either directly or by consequence requireth that in every daily Assembly of Christians there must be two Lessons read out of the Canonical Scripture or that none may be taken out of any other approved Book And it is manifest that the censuring this practice condemneth divers if not all the ancient Churches before the decaying and degeneracy of the Christian Profession V. Bishop Durhams Schol. Hist of Can. of Scrip. Sect. 60. For though it be admitted that the Laodicean Council did appoint that none but the Canonical Books should be read in the Church and that Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremy there mentioned are intended for parts of the Prophecy of Jeremy yet long before that did even the Greek Church read the Epistles of Clemens c. above mentioned and the Book of Hermas And it is not to be wondered that there should be different practices observed in the Church in matters of order and liberty 7. Cons 5. Whereas this Church is the more blamed for using some Apocryphal Chapters while some others acknowledged to be Canonical Scripture are not appointed to be read by the Kalendar which are mostly either some Prophecies hard to be understood or matters of Genealogy or Jewish Observations or some Histories for the mostpart expressed in other Scriptures appointed to be read it must be considered that even hence it is evident that the Kalendar was never intended to be a Determination or Declaration of what is Canonical Scripture and of certain divine authority but only a direction for useful and profitable reading Nor was it the Custom of the ancient Christian Church Conc. Laod. c. 60. that the Canon of the Scripture should be described by what was publickly read the rule of the Laodicean Council which cometh nearest thereto did not direct the Revelation to be read The ancient Jews who divided the Old Testament into the Law the Prophets and the Hagiographa Bux Syn. Jud. c. 11. Salian Annal Eccl. A. M. 3447. n. 16. did for a long time only read the Law in the Synagogues after which only a Section of the Prophets was added but that the Hagiographâ—a which included all the Books from the beginning of the Chronicles to the end of the Canticles besides Ruth Lamentations and Daniel were not read in the Jewish Synagogues Hor. Heb. in Joh. 4.15 hath been observed from the Talmudists and this is agreeable to divers passages of the New Testament Luk. 4.16 Act. 13.15 27 Act. 15.21 Yet Christ and his Apostles blamed not the Jews but joined with them in this service 8. Cons 6. That which is objected from the matter of these Apocryphal Chapters which are appointed to be read is not sufficient either to prove them hurtful or not useful as will appear from the following Section SECT VI. The Objections from the matter of the Apocrypha disoussed 1. Among the particular Objections from the matter of these books Obj. 1. Judith Susanna Bel and the Dragon are thought to be sabulous because no certain time can be easily fixed for Judith S. Hierome calleth the other susannae Belis Draconis fabulas Prol. in Dan. Com. in Dan. 13. 14. and Josephus maketh no mention of them But first if these Books should be admitted to be parabolical discourses to express the great opposition of many wicked men against God and his Worship the Vanity and Folly of their Pride and evil designs and the mighty protection that God can give to his people by his Almighty Power they might still be allowed to be of very considerable use The frequent use of Parabolical Instructions among the Jews is both manifest from their Talmudical Writers and allowed by the practice of our Saviur And besides this they had another Custom of Clothing real Histories under different names which expressed a resemblance of the things intended Targ. in Cant. c. 6. v. 7
of God in the Ordinance of Baptism and therefore this Salvation would not be an advantage slowing from their Baptism But if it be said that by Baptism the Covenant of grace is sealed to such Infants we must here further consider that Gods Covenant by reason of his faithfulness goodness and Soveraignty cannot be sealed as mens Covenants are to make it firm and binding when it would otherwise be void and of no force Wherefore there remain two ways whereby the Sacraments as they are on Gods part Seals of the Covenant of Grace may be of great advantage unto us the one is as they give further assurance of the priviledges of that Covenant for our comfort but of this benefit these infants are not capable partly because the receiving this comfort requireth the exercise of judgment and consideration and partly because the evident sureness of Gods Covenant can be no cause of consolation to them unless we admit that there is some ordinary means appointed of God whereby they may attain the blessings so assured the other way of advantage is by the benefits of Gods Covenant being sealed or surely conveyed as the present interest and priviledge of the persons rightly receiving these Seals and in this way which encludeth saying regeneration infants are indeed capable of receiving wonderful benefit thereby 8. 5. And omitting other arguments even the Prayers of the Church with faith and confidence upon the other grounds above-mentioned not doubting but earnestly believing that God will favourably receive those infants and embrace them with the arms of his mercy doth give further assurance of forgiveness of sin and a state of salvation for baptized Infants For God who hath declared his favour towards them and encluded them in his Covenant doth direct 1. Joh. 5.16 that if any man see his Brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and shall give life for them that sin not unto death and this general command encludeth Gods gracious answer to such Prayers and Prayer which is a general means to obtain Grace is used for the obtaining saving benefits in Baptism with the greater encouragement because the blessings prayed for are tendred in this Ordinance and by Gods promise unto Infants who receive Baptism To this purpose S. Augustine saith that remission of sins in Baptism is obtained per orationem De Bapt. cont Don. l. 3. c. 18. i. e. per columbae gemitum by the Prayers and groans of them who live in Peace Love and Vnity and our Church in the Prayer before the words of the Gospel in the Baptismal Office urgeth Gods promise Ask and you shall receive seek and you shall find c. the usefulness and benefit of Prayer being here the same in Baptism as it is in the most religiously prepared person for receiving the benefits of the Communion SECT IV. The Doctrine of the ancient and divers Reformed Churches herein observed 1. In observing the Doctrine of the ancient Church Conc. Milev c. 2. I shall begin with Councils The Council of Milevis condemned those who denyed infants to be baptized for the remission of sin or who asserted that they did not draw that original sin from Adam which is purged by the laver of regeneration and they declare that by the rule of the Catholick Church Infants are baptized for the remission of sin that that may be cleansed by regeneration which was derived by generation And this Canon of Milevis is the more considerable Conc. Carth. c. 124. because it was taken into the African Code and with that-Code was confirmed by the sixth General Council Conc. Trul. c. ◠The sixth general Council in another Canon requireth that those infants should be baptized without any scruple concerning whom there can be no sufficient testimony given that they were baptized before Conc. Trul. c. 84. and this it enjoineth lest such scruple should deprive them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this Baptismal purging for sanctification Conc. Constant And whereas the Creed of the second general Council expresseth a belief of one Baptism for the remission of sins the Council of Milevis above mentioned avoucheth Conc. Mil. ubi supra those expressions to have been always so understood in the Church as to acknowledge that baptized Infants did thereby obtain actual pardon and remission And that African Synod whose Epistle is extant amongst S. Austins Works declared Aug. Ep. 90. that whosoever shall deny that little Children are delivered from perdition and do obtain Eternal Salvation by the Baptism of Christ let him be an Anathema 2. If we consult the ancient Fathers it is beyond all contradiction evident that real remission and regeneration of all baptized Infants is acknowledged by S. Aug. Ep. 23. de peccat Merit Remis l. 2. c. 28. passim by Optatus Advers Parm. l. 5. Fulgentius de fide ad Petr. c. 30. by Prosper and generally by the suceeding Writers of the Church But some have pretended Gatak de Bapt. Infant vi effic p. 268. that this position sprung from their eager opposition of the Pelagians who denied Children to be guilty of original sin for the removing of which pretence it will be requisite to give some testimony of the judgment of the Ecclesiastical Writers who lived before the appearing of the Pelagian tares S. Cyprian night two hundred years before Pelagius did not only express the mighty sensible efficacy of his own Baptism for conferring Grace to him in his Epistle to Donatus but in his Epistle to Fidus he declareth that Infants by their Baptism do obtain the grace and favour of God Cyp. Ep. 59. and the remission of their sins and several expressions of that Epistle do intimate that this is the end for which they are baptized and comparing the state of an Infant coming to Baptism with an adult person embracing Christianity and the true Faith he doth in this respect prefer the state of the Infant because ad remissam peccatorum hoc ipso facilius accedit c. he doth upon this account the more readily obtain the remission of sins because the sins forgiven to him were not his own acts but anothers or Original sin Orig. in Luc. Hom. 14. Origen in his Homilies upon S. Luke which were undoubtedly his and translated by S. Hierome saith that Children are baptized for the remission of sins but saith he of what sins and when did they sin and a little after answereth that by the Sacrament of Baptism nativitatis sordes the sins and defilements with which they were born are laid aside and for this cause saith he little ones are baptized for unless a man be born again of Water and of the Spirit he cannot see the Kingdom of God The same Doctrine is also asserted by Nazianzen in his 40th Oration Naz. Orat. 40. as the comparing some things not far from the beginning with others towards the middle thereof will manifest and this he
calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be sanctified without any sense or apprehension thereof Wherefore S. Aug. did truly assert De peccat Mer. Remis l. 3. c. 5. that of old the whole Church did firmly hold parvulos fideles originalis peccati remissionem per Christi baptismum consecutos esse that little Children of the Church of Christ do obtain remission of original sin by the Baptism of Christ 3. Among the publick Writings of the Protestants the first Augustan Confession asserteth Conf. Aug. 1530. Art 9. that Children being offered to God in Baptism are received into the favour of God and condemneth the Anabaptists who say that Children may be saved i. e. ordinarily without Baptism to which the larger Confession 1540. addeth that concerning Children baptized in the Church of God Christ said Mat. 18. It is not the will of your Father which is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish Conf. Saxon de Baptism The Saxon Confession fully expresseth the saving regeneration of baptized Infants and that these words I baptize thee c. are as much as to say By this mersion I testifie thee to be washed from thy sins and to be now received by the true God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath redeemed thee by his Son Jesus Christ and sanctifieth thee by the Holy Ghost and it declareth that at that time Infants are truly received of God and sanctified and to the same purpose is the Confession of Frederick the third the Prince Palatine Conf. Helv. c. 20. And the general expressions of the efficacious saving vertue of Baptism Conf. Gal. c. 35. in the Helvetick French and Scotish Confessions Conf. Scot. Sect. 21. are such that the state of Infants cannot be excluded therefrom And the Geneva Catechism declareth that By baptism we are Cloathed with Christ and receive his Spirit unless by rejecting the promises which are there tendered to us we render them unfruitful to our selves 4. To give an account of the particular judgments of Protestant Writers would be a needless difficult and endless undertaking Divers of them manifestly assert the saving regeneration of all baptized Infants others do embrace another notion of baptismal regeneration which I shall afterward mention and some from the use of different ways of expression and from what they speak with just earnestness against the errors of the Church of Rome are sometimes misunderstood Cath. Orthod Tr. 3. qu. 3. Sect. 1. Rivet averreth that there is no true Protestant who doth not approve that of Aquinas 12ae q. 81. Art 3. That Original sin is done away in Baptism as to the guilt thereof and he there saith that it is most false that Calvin and Beza ever said that some baptized Infants are damned Ibid. Sect. 9. dying in their infancy before they commit any actual sin unrepented of Absters Cal. Calum 7. and the same thing is with much passionate earnestness asserted by Beza himself writing against Tilemannus Heshushius Whit. ad Rat. 8 m Camp And Dr. Whitaker against Campian undertaking herein to declare the Protestant Doctrine saith In baptism we receive remission of sins we are entred into Christs Family we have the Holy Ghost given us we are raised to certain hope of eternal life what hath your Baptism saith he to Campian that ours hath not hath it grace hath it the merits of Christ hath it salvation all these hath ours And against Duraeus in defense of his answer to Campian he saith To the adult Faith is necessary Cont. Duraeum l. 8. that Baptism may be a saving Sacrament but to little ones because they are the Children of believing Parents and are encluded in the Covenant it is the Sacrament of Salvation though they by reason of their age cannot believe where by the Children of believing Parents his foregoing words declare him to mean Children born within the Church in distinction from Turks Jews and Ethnicks These words do express an actual regeneration of baptized Infants by the grace of God and the application of the merits of Christ for remission and Salvation but they are very hardly reconcileable with divers passages in the posthumous Writings of that learned man especially his Praelections de Sacram. Qu. 4. c. 2 3. SECT V. The Objections against the saving regeneration of Infants in Baptism considered 1. Against all baptized Infants being savingly regenerated by their Baptism it may be first objected That the Scriptures declare the general necessity of Faith in order to Salvation and therefore Infants unless they believe cannot be saved by being baptized In answer to this it being a matter of obscurity I shall relate different ways of solution Aug. de pec Mer. rem l. 3. c. 2. 1. Many account Faith the condition for adult persons Aug. Ep. 23. but not for Infants but this is discarded by others both ancient and modern Kemait Exam. Part. 2. de Baptism partly because by the general practice of the Church at Infant-Baptism of which S. Aug. taketh notice it was declared in the Infants name as it is in our Liturgy Credo or I believe and partly because the condition of Faith seemeth so generally expressed in the Gospel that they judge that Infants cannot be thence excluded though the Faith for the infant state cannot be the same with what is required from the adult 2. Divers others as Augustine Bede Hugo de Victore Amalanus and Walafridus Strabo think baptized Infants to be saved by the Faith of the Church into which they are baptized or by the Faith of them who offer them unto Baptism or as many Protestants and also the Catechismus Romanus express it credunt parentum fide by the faith of their Parents as the Syrophaenician Womans Daughter was healed by her Mothers Faith Mat. 15.28 and the sick of the Palsie was Cured by the Faith of them who brought him to Christ Mat. 9.2 But this doth not satisfie Kemnitius and some others partly because it is every ones one Faith which is the Gospel condition for his Salvation though anothers Faith may be instrumental for the procuring of divers blessings and partly because this answer giveth no good account of the Ecclesiastical usage of owning or professing the Creed in the Infants name at the time of his Baptism 3. Others assert that there is some Faith wrought in Infants Inst lib. 4. c. 16. Cath. Orth. Tr. 3. qu. 1. Sect. 12. which Calvin and Rivet say is not the act but the seed of Faith by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and Kemnitius asserteth this operation of the Holy Ghost in Infants to be that they call Faith though they know not what kind of operation it is 2. 4. To these I shall add what I conceive most probable That since Infants are not capable of the Faith of adult persons which cometh by hearing and consisteth in the knowledge and assent of the mind
with the engagement to love submission and acceptance of the heart and since there are different degrees of Faith in several adult Christians and different acts of Faith relating to the object thereof in the Jewish and Christian Church it will be sufficient that the Faith which referreth to Infants have only some general agreement in its notion with the Faith of the adult Now since the Faith of the adult is an acceptance of the Covenant of Grace and the Gospel Doctrine with a submission thereunto which in their state requireth an active exercise of the whole Soul Mind and Will when an Infant is said to believe this must consist in such an acceptance of and submission to the Gospel as his State is capable of which is Passively Thus by being baptized he accepteth Christ and the Covenant of Grace being united to and made a Member of that Church which holdeth Christ as the head and the Gospel Covenant as the ground of Hope or if Baptism cannot be obtained its being designed may be here considerable and hereby according to their capacities Infants do enter upon a profession and acceptance of the Christian Faith which their sureties declare and themselves stand obliged to owne when they come to years of understanding To this purpose in S. Aug. Infans vocatur fidelis Aug. Ep. 23. non rem ipsam mente annuendo sed Sacramentum percipiendo and in Gratian Credere est infantibus baptizari or they become believers by being baptized into the Faith and thus S. Aug. giveth an account of the Custom of the Church declaring Infants at their Baptism to believe that is to undertake the profession of the Faith and this he calleth saluberrimae consuetudinis rationem an account of a very good Custom 3. Obj. 2. If Infants be savingly regenerated by being baptized then must Infants dying without Baptism be excluded from Salvation Ans 1. Though it be certain that S. Aug. Fulgentius Prosper Isidoms Hispalensis Alcuinus and the whole stream of later Writers before the reformation do pass a sad sentence upon unbaptized Infants yet even then some and those none of the meanest Cassand de Bapt. Inf. did strive against the stream as Biel Gerson Cajetau with some others noted by Cassander And it hath been ordinarily acknowledged in the Christian Church that where Baptism could not be obtained adult persons exercising Christian Graces Cont. Don. l. 4. c. 22. might obtain Salvation without it even besides the case of Martyrdom this was asserted by S. Augustin largely defended by S. Bernard Bern. Ep. 78. Lib. 4. Dist 4. Amb. de Obit Valent and the Master of the sentences with his School is encluded in S. Ambrose his hopes of Valentinian the Younger who died without that Baptism which he designed and desired and is proved by the instance of the Thief upon the Cross And hence it will follow that though Baptism be an instrument of Salvation yet it is not in all Cases of absolute necessity thereunto 2. There is cause to hope well of those dying Infants who cannot obtain Baptism because the mercy and goodness of God may account them according to their capacity passively to accept of the Covenant of Grace by being born in a Church and of Parents who designed them for Communion with Christ and the embracing Christianity Rivetus ubi supra n. 8 9. Wardi Resp ad Gat. n. 18. Of the happy state of such Infants Rivet and Dr. Ward doubt not though this latter expresseth his less degree of confidence where Baptism is wanting through the neglect or contempt of the Parents yet it must of necessity be acknowledged that there is greater certainty of the Salvation of Infants baptized than of those who dye without Baptism because the Ordinances of Christ ought by no means to be looked upon as useless for salvation and the promise made to Christians and their Seed is upon condition of their acceptance of the Covenant of Grace Act. 2.38 39. as was also the promise to the Seed of Abraham Gen. 17.7 14. 4. Obj. 3. If Infants be savingly regenerated by Baptism it would be an excellent piece of Charity to baptize Pagan Infants and even to murder baptized Infants because many of these do afterwards by irreligion or debauchery expose themselves to eternal damnation but the former is opposite to Christianity and the other to humanity Ans There can be no act of Charity but what is every way conformable to Christian duty and is no way injurious to the interests of men and therefore the actions mentioned in this objection are far from being charitable Because 1. To baptize Pagan Infants continuing with them under their education would be to abuse Gods Ordinance by administring it to subjects not duly qualified according to the will of God and therefore no saving benefit could be expected thereby to such Infants because as Mr. Hooker expresseth it Eccles Pol. l. 5. n. 57. Sacraments are not physical but moral instruments of Salvation which unless we perform as the Author of Grace requireth they are unprofitable 2. To take Pagan Infants from them forcibly and unjustly that they may be baptized and educated in Christianity is no right act of Christian Charity for though those particular persons might obtain that Salvation by embracing the Christian life and doctrine which they cannot enjoy in the pursuance of Pagan Idolatry yet such actions being against the right of their Parents and thereby contrary to that justice and innocency which Christianity recommendeth would greatly tend to the prejudice of the name of Christ in the World 3. Pagan Infants undertaken to be brought up in Christianity and as it were adopted into Christian Families have by reason of that intended education a right to Christian Baptism as Abrahams Servants bought with money had to Circumcision with all others born in his House and if such an Infant dye so soon as it hath received Baptism yet Fulgentius declareth him factum esse haeredem Dei Fulg. de Ver. Praed l. 1. c. 12. cohaeredem Christi that he is made an Heir of God and joint Heir with Christ 5. As to the other part of this Objection Though it be certain whatever we judge of Baptismal regeneration that it had been better for every wicked man never to have lived to commit those hainous sins for which the wrath of God cometh upon the Children of disobedience yet there can be no more horrid and uncharitable action attempted in the World than the murdering baptized Infants which would be a wicked acting against the holy command of God and extreamly opposite to the meekness and goodness of Christianity and such practices would tend to the ruin and extinguishing of the present Church of God and to render Christianity abhorred in the World to the prejudice of many thousands of Souls and to the prejudice of these Infants both in the loss of their lives and in hindring them of the opportunity of exercising pious
baptized in riper years where every person then baptized is said to be regenerated and graffed into the body of Christs Church to be born again and made an heir of everlasting Salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ and to have now by Baptism put on Christ being made a Child of God and of the Light Yet it is not hereby intended to be dogmatically declared that every adult person receiving Baptism is thereby in a certain state of Salvation because true Faith and Repentance which some such persons may possibly want is in them necessary in order to the spiritual efficacy of the Sacraments and is so acknowledged by the Doctrine of our Church Artic. 27. For as our Articles declare that those who receive Baptism rightly are thereby as by an instrument graffed into the Church and obtain remission of sins so they also assert concerning Sacraments Artic. 25. that in such only who worthily receive the same they have a wholesom effect and operation 5. Agreeable hereto are the frequent expressions of the ancient Church in which it was ordinarily and truly delivered that Baptism without true Faith and Repentance cannot avail to the salvation of the adult nor put them into a present justified state And though some words in S. Augustine by way of dispute and inquiry do incline to the contrary yet that that was none of his fixed judgment was sufficiently observed by the Master of the Sentences Sent. l. 4. Dist 4. b. Aug. Cont. Liter Petit l. 1. c. 23. S. Augustine proveth that Baptism is inwardly of no profit to some from the example of Simon Magus and from the same instance S. Hierome concludeth Hier. in Ezek. 16. that he who doth not receive Baptism with a compleat Faith is indeed baptized with water sed nequaquam baptizatus est in salutem but is in no wise baptized unto salvation Cyril Hieros Procatach and Cyrill of Hieru expresseth him who cometh with his body to Baptism and not with his heart to be nothing profited And this must needs be acknowledged for truth because the performance of the conditions of the Covenant of grace by the adult can in no respect be confined to Baptism only 6. Yet these Writers did ordinarily acknowledge both universally concerning all persons baptized and particularly concerning any adult person that they had put on Christ and were made his Members and were regenerated by the Holy Ghost and born again with other such like expressions S. Augustine saith Cont. Donat l. 5. c. 24. Men put on Christ either ad Sacramenti perceptionem so far as concerneth the receiving the Sacrament or usque ad vitae sanctificationem as far as reacheth to the sanctification of life which is admitted by P. Lombard who inferreth thence that all persons who receive Baptism put on Christ Cyril telleth every one of those adult persons who came to be baptized Cyr. Catech 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Holy Ghost will seal your Souls According to the expression of Rabanus any baptized person à Christo Christianus vocatur De instit Cleric l. 1. c. 1. Dei Patris Ecclesiae matris noscitur esse filius is called from Christ a Christian and is known to be a Child of God his Father and of the Church his Mother and Clemens Alexandrinus accounteth all who are admitted into the Church of Christ to be called Members of Christ whose body is the Church and towards them who indulge themselves in Carnal practices and pleasures Strom. l. 7. he indulgeth himself in this fanciful expression to esteem them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. But above all the language which the holy Scripture useth is to be observed which as it oft speaketh of Children of God and such like Phrases concerning them who are inwardly renewed by a divine life which it every where requireth as of absolute necessity so upon account of visible admission to the Church and profession of the Faith it oft applyeth the like expressions towards every person received into the Church So 1. Gal. 3.27 S. Paul declareth as many of you as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ 2. Concerning baptized persons being Members of Christ and graffed into his body the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 12.13 We are all baptized into one body and v. 27. Ye are the body of Christ and Members in particular Which words respect every one in the Church of Corinth who are required from this argument because they are members of Christs body to consult not themselves but the benefit of the whole Church and to consider the different proportions of several Members And when he useth this Argument against Fornication 1. Cor. 6.15 Shall I take the Members of Christ and make them the Members of an Harlot God forbid he doth no doubt thereby disswade every person who had undertaken Christianity from that filthy sin because by his Baptism his body was dedicated to be a Member of Christ And to this may be added what our Saviour speaketh Joh. 15.2 of a branch in him that beareth not fruit 8. V. Sect. 9. n. 5. 3. Concerning the titles of being regenerated born again and being the Children of God we may observe that even those circumcised Members of the Jewish Church who denyed the holy one and the just and killed the Prince of life Act. 3.14 15. Act. 3.25 and who as yet had not repented nor were converted v. 19. were yet called the Children of the Covenant which God made with Abraham And of those Jews for whom the Apostle had great sorrow and continual heaviness and for whom he could wish himself accursed from Christ he saith Rom. 9.4 that to them pertaineth the adoption By which expressions it is meant that they were visibly Children of the Covenant by undertaking it and that they were under the tenders and external priviledges of adoption and under the visible means of the spiritual benefits thereof Under the Christian profession the Apostle expressing to his Galatians the difference between being under the legal Covenant which gendreth to bondage Adv. Marc. l. 5. c. 4. Ch. 4.24 and the Evangelical Covenant which bringeth forth them that are free or between Judaismus and Christianismus as Tertullian speaketh saith that the Jerusalem which is above that is the Covenant of Grace and the Gospel Doctrine as Illyricus rightly glosseth is the Mother of us all Illyr Gloss in Loc. v. 26. and we are the Children of the promise v. 28. Which things are mentioned as titles of priviledge which their undertaking the Gospel profession did receive them unto And when the Apostle telleth them Gal. 3.26 Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus it is evident from his scope that by faith is there understood the Gospel dispensation of Faith undertaken by them in opposition to the Law and that those who by Baptism are admitted to the profession of the Christian Faith are called the
Children of God Ch. 3.26 27. or by way of distinction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sons of God under great external priviledges of Christian freedom and also inwardly Sons and Heirs of life if they live as becometh the profession of Christianity whilst they who were under the Law were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children under age being in bondage under the Elements of the World Gal. 4.1 3. And since all those who by Baptism do enter upon Christianity are entituled Sons of God which Sonship proceedeth not from their natural Generation but from their entrance into the Covenant of God persons baptized may according to the same sense be hence called regenerate and born again and such expressions also are sufficiently allowed and defended from the Scripture speaking of being born again of Water and of the Spirit Joh. 3.5 and calling Baptism the washing of regeneration Tit. 3.5 9. 4. Concerning baptized persons being called Heirs of Everlasting Salvation we may observe that those Members of the Church visible who shall be cast into outer darkness are yet called Children of the Kingdom Mat. 8.12 And they may well be called Heirs to whom the promise referring to the inheritance is confirmed and who are by Baptism received under the Seal of the Covenant of Grace which alone giveth right of inheriting Gal. 4.30 On this account the Gentile Church and every Member embracing the Christian Faith are called Fellow-Heirs and Members of the same body Eph. 3.6 they also being now by the Gospel grace received to be the Children of the Covenant And S. Peter exhorteth Husbands and Wives embracing Christianity to mind their duties as being Heirs together of the grace of life 1 Pet. 3.7 And when S. Paul exhorteth the Thessalonians to walk worthy of him who hath called them unto his Kingdom and Glory it is manifest that he speaketh to them all and even to them who were most negligent of the Christian life to whom such titles of dignity do belong from their Christian profession and being under the Gospel Grace though the inward priviledges exhibited under those Titles are only the portion of those who do perform the Conditions of the Gospel Covenant And upon the same account that baptized persons may be called the Sons of God they may be also thence concluded Heirs of Salvation 10. 5. On the same manner may Christians by Baptism be acknowledged to be regenerated by the Holy Ghost because the entrance into the body of Christ by Baptism is a priviledge obtained by the Grace of God or by the Holy Spirit For in Baptism the Minister acteth in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and therefore as Calvin asserteth Baptism is to be received as from the hand of God Baptismus accipiendus est quasi ex manu Dei Wherefore in like manner as Baptism which is performed in the name of the Holy Ghost hath been shewed to regenerate persons may be properly said to be therein regenerated by the Holy Spirit to which agreeth that Phrase of being born of Water and of the Spirit Joh. 3.5 And as all gifts and diversities of operations in the Christian Church are derived from the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 11. So particularly this gift or priviledge of being baptized and received into Membership with the body of Christ is acknowledged by the Apostle to flow from the holy Spirit unto whom all benefits of Divine Grace and favour are ascribed For the Apostle saith concerning every visible member of the Church of Corinth as is manifest from the design of that Chapter 1 Cor. 12.13 By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body to which place Zanchy referring saith Vi Spiritus Sancti baptizamur c. De Trib. Eloh Par. 1. l. 7. c. 5. Sect. 6. By the power of the Holy Ghost we are baptized of the Father into one body of Christ and thereby regenerated as well by the Spirit as by the Father and the Son And again Haec regeneratio seu insitio in Christum fit à patre sed per Spiritum Sanctum And this is agreeable to our Book of Articles Artic. 27. expressing that in Baptism the promise of forgiveness of sins and of adoption to be the Sons of God by the Holy Ghost are visibly signed and sealed 11. Besides these expressions the Scriptures speak of persons baptized being buried with Christ Col. 2.12 and being dead unto sin and buried with Christ by Baptism unto death and being planted together in the likeness of his death Rom. 6.2 4 5. And as Zanchy at large observed Tom. 7. de Persever c. 2. p. 118. 137 138. Notanda est Scripturarum consuetudo c. The usual way of the Scriptures is to be observed they call as many as give up their names to Christ and are baptized into his name persons justified sanctified and the Sons of God And in another place he saith All who are baptized are sealed unto Christ Tom 8. de Relig. Christ Fides De. Baptismo Sect. 1. as being now incorporated into him by the Holy Ghost that they may not be under their own power but under his by whom they are said to be taken into the fellowship of his Covenant and to be made one body with him and all Saints and to be partakers of all spiritual and heavenly good And in his next Paragraph he saith All who are baptized tales esse fieri Sacramentaliter vere dicuntur Sect. 2. are sacramentally and truly said to be such and to be made such 12. But it may be said that according to this sense these expressions of being regenerated born again members of Christ c. have but a low signification not suitable to the excellency and dignity of those names Ans 1. These expressions even as they are used at the Baptism of the adult do enclude a considerable hope and evidence of true spiritual Communion and Membership with Christ and of inward regeneration and a right to Eternal Life which are benefits certainly attained in Baptism by persons duly qualified for the receiving them 2. They declare the very high priviledge of the Christian calling the entrance into which is the way to the Communion with Christ and to the highest enjoyment of the priviledges of the Children and Heirs of God which those persons do enjoy who do neglect the Christian life And the Scriptures usually mention those who are under the tenders of Salvation by terms of great priviledge and dignity not to make them secure in the disregarding true piety but partly to amplify and exalt the Gospel grace and goodness of God whereby so great benefits are set before us partly to manifest our great engagements to exemplary Piety and Obedience from so great encouragements partly to testifie that if we perish by willful neglect of God and disobedience to the Gospel this will be to fall into dreadful misery out of that state which encluded excellent means and great opportunities of obtaining Eternal
doth also add to the honour of that holy estate and therefore it may well be mentioned as a further excellency of that holy relation that God hath consecrated it to such an excellent mystery that in it is signified and repented the spiritual Marriage and Vnity between Christ and his Church SECT IX Of the Communion of the sick and the Office for Burial 1. The Communion of the sick is very allowable because the dying state may need the best supports of Christian Faith the highest encouragements of Divine Grace and the chief means to strengthen hope all which is encluded in this Ordinance of the Lords Supper it being a pledge and assurance yea a tender from Christ of mercy and forgiveness to them who truly repent and believe And though the celebrating this holy Communion in private places Conc. Laod. c. 58. standeth condemned in ordinary cases by the ancient Canons Conc. Nic. c. 13. yet in this extraordinary Case sick or dying persons were ordinarily allowed to receive it and the Council of Nice doth well approve of the sick persons desire thereof And though it be sufficiently proved by Albaspinus that the Viaticum frequently given to dying Penitents did not always enclude the Eucharist yet it is manifest that they did frequently partake thereof 4. Conc. Carth. c. 76 78. as is expressed not only in the Canons of the fourth Council of Carthage but in the more ancient testimony of Dionysius Alexandrinus Eus Hist Eccles l. 6. c. 36. 2. Divers Protestant Churches besides our own Rat. Disc c. 3. have retained the use thereof and amongst them the Bohaemian Syn. Petric Sect. 5. the Polonian with the consent of the Ministry of the three several Confessions Form Visit Aegr in Bucer and that of Strasburgh as it was in Bucers time And though this was not practised at Geneva Calv. de quibusd Ritib Aug. 12. 1561. Calv. Oleviano Cal. Dec. 1563. yet Calvin did in several places and even towards the end of his life testifie his allowance thereof and also that there were divers weighty causes which constrained him to judge that it ought not to be denied 3. But against this it is objected that some persons who have led vitious lives may earnestly desire the Communion in their sickness and yet not be truly penitent for their sins and therefore cannot worthily partake of those holy Mysteries To which I answer that even in this Case Christian Charity must encline to the more favourable part and since man hath no certain evidences to judge of sincere repentance the infallible discerning thereof must be reserved to the judgment of God And if this person hath lived vainly and exorbitantly the Minister may acquaint him with the nature if need be of true Faith and Repentance and the necessity thereof both to a dying Man and to a Communicant and if he appear so far as is in him desirous to practise and exercise those Christian Graces and to obtain the help of Jesus Christ and his Grace to deny him this Sacrament would be to deny him a testimony in Gods name that he will upon these conditions bestow grace and remission of sins and to shut up the means of Grace and remission from a Sinner who seeketh after it and certainly it cannot agree with the Ministers Office to reject those persons who in a dying state declare they would come to Christ And in the strict times of Primitive Discipline he was thought worthy to be deposed from his Ministry who either rejected or did not receive any Sinner upon his return and a peculiar Charity towards dying persons was expressed in divers ancient Canons 4. In the Office for Burial several expressions are misliked as being thought unmeet to be spoken of every person dying in the Churches Communion Where a first expression to be considered is That Almighty God of his great mercy hath taken to himself the Soul of the person departed When yet we cannot assert that every person dying in our Communion is eternally saved Ans Besides what may be said of the judgment of Charity the wise man telleth us Eccl. 12.7 that the Spirits of dying men return to God who gave them that is to be disposed of according to his righteousness and our Church in this place acknowledgeth the mercy of God through the grace of Christ who now hath the Keys of Hell and Death that dying persons do not forthwith go into the power of the Devil who had the power of Death Heb. 2.14 but do immediately go into the hands of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ to be disposed of by him according to the promises and conditions of the Gospel Covenant This is that which all Christians must acknowledge to flow from the great mercy of God towards man and that this is the sense intended in this place I am induced to believe because in the ancient Offices of Burial they magnified the Divine Power whereby the unjust and tyrannous power of the Devil was overcome and our Lord receiveth us Dioniss de Eccles Hier. c. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto his peculiar and most righteous judgment Yet even this sense doth express a general and firm confidence of the future happy state of all them who heartily embrace the Christian Faith and life as being consequent upon the gracious mediation and Soveraign Dominion of Jesus our Saviour 5. And whereas this Office calleth the deceased person Our Brother and Our dear Brother these Phrases may undoubtedly be applyed to every person who professing Christianity dyeth in the Churches Communion And that extensive sense of those words is sufficiently warranted by the use thereof in Scripture when it commands us to love our Brother not to put a stumbling block before our Brother not to defraud our Brother 1. Thes 4.6 to forgive our Brother Mat. 18.34 and when it speaketh of the Brother that walketh disorderly 2. Thes 3.6 and of admonishing him as a Brother v. 14. and of thy Brother trespassing against thee and if he hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother Chrys in Heb. 11. Hom. 25. Mat. 18.15 and if any man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator 1. Cor. 5.11 from which place S. Chrysostom observeth that every Christian man baptized by the laver of regeneration is there called a Brother Tertullian in a general sense as they are men alloweth even the Heathen to be accounted Brethren Apol. c. 39. though they be Mali fratres evil Brethren but in a more special sense he so esteemeth of all Christians Praep. Evang l. 1. c. 4. who acknowledge one God the Father and much to the same purpose writeth Eusebius Cyr. Hier. Praef. And Cyril telleth all those who gave up their names to Christianity that they become the Sons and Daughters of one Mother V. Albasp Obs l. 1. c. 19. So that this manner of expression in this Office is the same which the Scriptures and
the ancient Fathers have ordinarily used or it is approved by those Writings which only are of Divine Authority and by those which are in the Church of greatest humane Authority 6. The expression of his being a dear Brother doth only enclude a respect suitable to a Brotherly relation and expresseth that the Members of the Church of Christ had real desires of the welfare of such persons as are received into its Communion 7. That clause in committing the body to the ground in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life doth so evidently express the Faith and Hope of the general resurrection wherein all Christians are concerned when as it followeth he shall change our vile bodies and make them like to his glorious body that it cannot reasonably be understood with a particular restriction to the party deceased but it declareth that while this object of mortality is before our eyes the Faith of the Resurrection to Life remaineth fixed upon our hearts 8. When we give thanks to God that he hath delivered this our Brother out of the miseries of this sinful World it must be considered that the enâ—ling all troubles and miseries is an act of Gods mercy and ought to be so acknowledged though some men by their own neglect of the Christian life deprive themselves of the benefits thereof as the goodness of God in his patience ought to be owned though some aggravate their own misery by the mis-emprovement thereof And some regard may be had in this expression to the Christian hope of the future estate which is the more quickned by every instance of our present frailty And both this and the former expressions may be used with a particular confidence of the eternal bliss of any holy person deceased and with the exercise of the judgment of Charity in its proper object 9. There is only one expression in the latter Prayer which encludeth particularly our favourable thoughts of the person departed when we pray that we may rest in him as our hope is this our Brother doth In the use of which Phrase we may well express different degrees of hope according to the different evidences of Piety in several distinct persons But even where men were vitious in their lives there may be in ordinary cases some degree of hope that they knowing and professing the truth might at last become truly penitent though we have no evidence thereof For some degree of hope doth not enclude so much as the judgment of Charity and it may be exercised where ever we cannot certainly determine the contrary Yet if there should be any such extraordinary case where not so much as any degree of hope can be admitted it is far more desireable that this expression should be omitted in that singular case alone which would be very rarely found than that all ordinary expressions of the hopefulness of them who depart this life in Communion with so excellent a Church as this is should be expunged and disclaimed For as this would be an undertaking extreamly groundless and deeply uncharitable so the very sound thereof may be enough to affright Pagans from Christianity and Papists from the Reformation if our selves did not allow ordinarily any hopes of the happy estate of the Members of our Church 10. Yet that this may not be misunderstood and mis-emproved when it is applyed to such persons who have been wanting in the practice of due strictness of Christian life and too much swerved from the holy Rules and Doctrines delivered in the Gospel and received by our Church we ought to consider that this expression of hope is no encouragement to any others to be guilty of the like neglects For the bare expression of hope is below any degree of evidence and only expresseth that our judgments and understandings cannot conclude it absolutely certain that he was finally impenitent though his state may appear extreamly hazardous And whosoever liveth wickedly and dyeth without sufficient repentance of which god can certainly judge where man cannot it will be no advantage to him in the other World that his name was mentioned in the Church with some degree of hope or as the Author of the Constitutions expresseth it Const Apol. lib. 8. c. 43. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the state of such a person is not the less miserable because frail men are not endued with that infallible judgment whereby they can conclude it utterly desperate 11. The Charity of the ancient Christian Church in expressing their hope of them who dyed in their Communion is very manifest and it is a great mistake which some have entertained that through the strictness of their Discipline no persons had their names honourably mentioned by the Church with hopes of their future happiness but such who had lived altogether free from any apparent sinfulness of life or had given severe testimonies of a strict amendment Indeed some rigorous Canons neither of general practice nor of long continuance in the Church would not allow some offenders whatsoever repentance they manifested to be reconciled to the Church or admitted to its Communion throughout their whole life no nor at the hour of death and yet these Canons have been conceived only to make them perpetual Poenitentes so that after their death their oblations were received or they all who were admitted as such Penitents were then owned among them who had relation to the Church Albasp Obs l. 2. c. 4. and of whom it had hope but amongst the ordinary rules of Primitive Discipline these were generally admitted 1. That whosoever came under any censure of the Church Cyp. Ep. 54. Can. Apost 52. whatsoever his crime was he might upon his supplication be admitted to be one of the Poenitentes or to be under the rules of penance 4. Con. Carth. c. 74. and the not admitting him hereto was accounted an heinous crime because non fas est Ecclesiam pulsantibus â—laudi 2. That if any of these Poenitentes were under dangerous sickness or approaching death Cyp. Ibidem Conc. Nicen c. 13. Ancyr can 6. Araus can 3. 4. Carth. c. 77. it was requisite they should be then admitted to the peace of the Church and its Communion 3. That even they who being under censure did only in the time of dangerous sickness desire to be admitted Penitents might thereupon forthwith be both admitted Penitents and receive reconciliation and Communion Conc. Araus c. 2. Leo. Ep. 91.4 Carth. c. 76. This is a consequent from the two former and is encluded in the Canon of Ancyra now mentioned and is manifest by divers other particular testimonies and it was grounded upon this reason because as Leo expresseth it we cannot limit the times nor determine the measures of Gods mercy 4. That all who were so received into the Church Dion de Eccles Hier. c. 7. with others who died in its Communion Cyp. Ep. 10. and even Penitents who dyed without the opportunity of obtaining
disciplinary reconciliation Con. Nic. c. 13. had the memories of their names recommended in the Churches Prayers 4. Carth. c. 79. as persons of whom it hoped well which is I suppose intended by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Council of Nice though it be otherwise understood by the Greek Canonists and in Albaspinus his explicaton Conc. Arel 2. c. 12. THE SECOND BOOK CONCERNING CEREMONIES AND Ecclesiastical Constitutions CHAP. I. The lawful use of some Ceremonies in the Christian Church asserted SECT I. What we are here to understand by Ceremonies 1. AMong all the things appointed in our service there is nothing against which a heavier charge is drawn up than against the Ceremonies as they are ordinarily called common custom herein making use of a word which admittedâ— great variety and latitude of sense and signification For 1. The word Ceremonia Ceremony primarily encludeth the general exercise of all publick Religious Worship and Piety Scal. in Fest for as Scaliger noteth Ceremonia was as much as Sanctimonia being derived from Cerus which in the old â—atin signifieth the same with Sanctus and Serâ—â—us hath been observed to declare that omnia Sacra apud Latinos Ceremoniae dicuntur and to this purpose the old Constitutions of the twelve Tables declared Leg. 12. Tab. De Sacerdot officio Sacerdotum duo genera sunto unum quod praesit Ceremoniis sacris c. intending thereby all sacred actions of Religious service and in this large sense is this word sometimes used by some later Writers Luth. de piis Cerem servand Bucer Censur c. ultim as Luther and Bucer 2. This word sometimes among the ancient Christian Writers peculiarly expresseth the most solemn visible Symbols of the Grace of God in which sense also in the Augustan Saxon and Witemberg Confessions and the Apology of the Church of England the two New Testament Sacraments are called Ceremonies and Bishop Saunderson resolveth the sum or main Contents of the Gospel into these three things De Obl. Cors Prael 4. Sect. 32. the Mysteries of Faith to be believed the holy Ceremonial and Ecclesiastical Institutions and the maral Precepts Bishop Whitg Tr. 2. c. 1. And these Bishop Whitgist calleth substantial Ceremonies which a â— of the substance of Religion 3. This word sometimes encludeth all such practices as bear any external respect unto Religion whence some have called Holy-days by the name of Ceremonies and Gotofredus probably supposeth that fasting at least with some other external observations is so called in those words of the Code of Justinian Cod. Justin l. 3. Titl 12. Sect. 6. Quadraginta diebus qui auspicio Ceremoniarum Paschale tempus anticipant c. 4. In this present enquiry by Ceremonies must be understood some particular external and visible actions and circumstances which are not instituted by God but are in themselves things indifferent and are appointed in the Church for order and decency 2. And there is a vast difference between the things called Ceremonies in the Church of England and the chief part of those things which by an aequivocal use of the same word we commonly call Ceremonies in the Jewish Constitutions under the Mosaical Law For those Jewish Ceremonies which consisted in their Sacrifices Purifications or the proper Levitical and Temple worship were such things as used aright with respect to the Messias were the way and means whereby Gods acceptance was obtained and his grace and favour vouchsafed and did partake of a Sacramental nature and were not amiss by Durandus called the Sacramentalia Rational div Offic. Prooem Sect. 7. and did also prefigure Christ to come in the flesh And upon this account no such rites as these could ever be appointed or lawfully used but such only as were established by a divine Institution nor might they be any longer observed than that institution did either enjoin or warrant and allow them and hence both S. Aug. Ep. 19. Augustine and S. Hierome do justly and vehemently condemn and censure the observation of these things among Christians And of this nature was the whole paedagogy of the Mosaical Constitutions jointly considered and every branch thereof so far as it encludeth an owning of Judaism as the way of Gods acceptance especially Circumcision Sacrifice and such like services of the Jewish Temple the observing of which under the Gospel since the clear manifestation of Christianity would be to deny Christ to become in the flesh and to close with that as a way of obtaining grace from God and finding favour with him which is contrary to his will and standeth for ever abrogated by the Gospel And hence it may appear that he who would charge the use of all Ecclesiastical Rites appointed for Order and the promoting reverence in the service of God as if it encluded the same with reducing the Ceremonial Law of the Jews might with a fairer plea of reason accuse all use of Seals or Ornamental Engravings to be a forging and counterfeiting the Kings Broad Seal and thereby to be deeply criminal 3. Yet it may be observed as a truth though in be not necessary for the just defence of any of those things commonly called Ceremonies in our Church that there were many particular things in the Ceremonial Law which singly taken and by themselves did only include some rational provisions and comely and fit Constitutions and had nothing in themselves which did necessarily restrain them to the Judaical state and such things where there is no design of any Jewish signification may lawfully be still made use of under the Gospel as still retaining what conveniency or decency they would have had if they had never been included in the Jewish Constitutions The appointment of the Jewish Tabernacle in the Wilderness is no sufficient ground to conclude it a sin for such Christians who sojourn in deserts and have minds far from Judaizing to build an House with boards for the place of their Christian Assemblies nor is the building our Churches with hewen stone to be censured as unlawful because such were the materials of Solomons Temple nor is it unlawful to use Vessels of Silver and Gold at the administring the Communion because such were the Vessels of the Tabernacle and the Temple and the like may be said of Tithes and some other things To this purpose Bucer determined in his Epistle to Alasco and P. Martyr to Bishop Hooper and Bishop Saunderson observeth De Oblig Cons Pral 4. Sect. 29. that all Ceremonials are not to be alike accounted of but those which concern order and decency are with prudence to be separated from those which prefigured Christ to come and that prudent Casuist well resolved that those things Which concerned order and decency are not now simply unlawful yet may they be many times inexpedient as they become dangerous by their scandal 4. And it is acknowledged and declared that the things with us called Ceremonies are in themselves
in his Gloss published from Strasburgh 1570. upon those words of the Apostle If any man seem to be contentious we have no such Custom nor the Churches of God write thus The Apostle saith he rejecteth morose and contentious answerers shewing that profitable rites received by grave authority ought by no means to be contemned or plucked in pieces though they be not built on solid demonstrations But if any man will be stiff in his opinion the Apostle will not contend any longer with him but will acquiesce in the Custom of Godly and worthy men and of the Churches of God themselves idemque saith he alios omnes pios facere debere and that all pious men ought to do the same is acknowledged there to be an Apostolical direction by Illyricus when he was out of the heat of contention in a cool and calm temper 4. If we view the pulick writings of the Reformed Churches Conf. Bohem Ars. 15. the Bohemian Confession declareth them to teach that humane Traditions Rites and Customs which do not hinder Piety are to be preserved in the publick Christian Assemblies And in their account of the Discipline and Order of their Churches they divide the matters of Religion into three heads the Essentialia which contain the matters of Faith Love and Hope the Minisierialia which enclude the means of Grace as the word of God Rat. Difc Ord. c. 1. the Sacraments and power of the Keys and the Accidentalia by which they say they mean what others call Adiaphora or external Ceremonies and Rites of Religion In these matters Adiaphorous they say they may have some things in use among them which are different from other Churches and yet are they not willing upon any small occasions to allow any alteration therein neque ob leves causus quicquam mutare aequum putamus nemini apud nos licet insuetas ceremonias inahoare Ibid. c. 2. And in their Ordination both of their Bishop and their Consenior who is designed to represent the Chorepiseopus in some ancient Churches whose Office is like that of our Arch Deacon and their Minister and their Deacon those of the same Order give to the person then ordained their right hand of fellowship and those of the inferiour Order when one is ordained to any of the higher degrees give him their right hand in token of subjection testified and assured by that external Rite 5. The Augustane Confession in several expressions asserteth it lawful for the Bishops or Pastors Conf. August de Eccâ—◠〈◊〉 Artâ—â—â— 21 de descrimine cibor to appoint things for Order in the Church and declareth that they do retain many ancient Rites or Ceremonies though they complain also of the abuse of others in the Romish Church as the Church of England doth and it asserteth also ritus illos servandos esse qui sine peccato servari possunt ad tranquillitatem bonum ordinem Ecclesiae conducunt Conf Saxon de Tradition The Saxon Confession treating of Rites appointed in the Church by humane Authority declareth that nothing ought to be appointed against Gods word or in the way of superstition but that some blameless Rites for good order both ought to be and by them are observed ritus aliquos honestos boni ordinis causa factos servamus servandos esse docemus And the Ceremonies most opposed in the Church of England with more besides them are retained both in that and in other Lutherane Churches Conf. Helv. c. 27. The Helvetick Confession asserteth that the Church hath always used a liberty about Rites as being things of a middle or indifferent nature The French Church alloweth that there be singulis locis peculiaria instituta Conf. Gallic c. 32. prout commodum visum fuerit peculiar Constitutions for several places as it shall appear profitable And the Strasburgh Confession discoursing about humane Traditions or external Rites and Observations which conduce to profit though they be not expressed in the Scriptures Conf. Argent c. 14. saith that many such the Church of God at this day doth rightly observe and as there is occasion doth make new ones adding these sharp words quas qui rejecerit is non hominum sed Dei cujus traditio est quaecunque utilis est authoritatem contemnit that whosoever rejecteth these things doth not contemn the authority of men but of God of whom is every profitable Constituion Wherefore he who will yet disclaim all Ceremonial Rites under Christianity and will esteem them to be a pestilential and dangerous Contagion in the Church must undertake to affix both to the ancient and latter most famous Churches a Miserere nostri SECT V. The ill consequences of denying the lawfulness of all Ecclesiastical Rites and Constitutions in things indifferent observed 1. Though the condemning the practice and rule of the Church in all Ages and even in the time of the holy Apostles and Prophets be inconvenience sufficient for any opinion to stand charged with yet besides this which hath been evidenced in the two former Sections the denying the lawfulness of any external Rites 1. Debarreth the Church of what is really advantagious unto it for some fit external Rites of order and decency provided they be not over-numerous do promise solemnity in the service of God and tend to excite a greater degree of seriousness reverence and attentiveness It was S. Austins observation De Curia pro mortuis c. 5. that in Religion the outward actions of bowing the knee stretching forth the hands and falling on the ground though they be not performed without the preceding actions of the Soul do much encrease the inward affections of the heart In the common affairs of the World the boaring his Ear with an Awle who was willing to undertake a perpetual service the giving possession among the Jews by the pulling of the shoe and amongst us by divers other ways of livery and seisin the delivering some ensign of authority at the enstallment of a Magistrate and the giving the hand as a pledge of fidelity have by the common prudence of men been judged useful Rites to render those undertakings and actions the more solemn and observable Nor can there be any reason why some external actions may not obtain the like effect in matters of Religion especially considering that both Prophets and Apostles in delivering their extraordinary Messages from God thought fit frequently to make use of visible representations that their words might thereby take the deeper impression Thus Ezekiel carried out his stuff in their sight and Isaiah walked naked without his ordinary Garments when they denounced Captivity and Agabus foretelling the imprisonment of S. Paul bound himself with his girdle Act. 13.51 Mar. 6.11 and the Apostles according to the commandment of Christ shook of the dust of their feet as a testimony against those Cities who received them not V. Hor. Hebr. in Mat. 10.14 which was a rite
their superiours who are over them in the Church in the things they command or the truths they recommend rather than by the opinions of any other persons whomsoever 1. Because God hath appointed them to be teachers leaders and guides to us and therefore it is against the duty of our relation to them and of the due submission we owe to them and inconsistent with the duty of honouring our Rulers to censure their appointments or instructions as evil meerly upon the credit of any other persons contrary opinion 2. Because they who disobey the Constitutions of their Superiours only out of respect to the contrary judgment of any other persons do not disobey out of Conscience but out of prejudice and disaffection because no principle of Conscience can ordinarily bind men who are not able to judge fully of the Case to conclude their superiours or Ecclesiastical Governours to be in the wrong and those who oppose them to be in the right and Gods command to obey them who have the rule over us cannot safely be overlooked out of respect to mens own prejudices and disaffections Disp of Cerem c. 15. Sect. 3. In this case it was well declared by Mr. Baxter that the duty of obeying being certain and the sinfulness of the thing commanded being uncertain and only suspected we must go on the surer side with much more to the same purpose Now the observing these rules abovementioned See Dr. Ferne's Considerations of concernment c. 1. will both preserve the true freedom of judgment and Conscience which when it proceedeth upon unerring evidence is to be preferred before any humane authority and it will also provide for the establishing of Truth Vnity and Peace in the Church and will be the best security to the Souls and Consciences of men because they who hold fast the Fundamentals of Christian Faith and Life though in matters of a lesser nature they should mistake where they sincerely design to practise their duty so far as they can understand of themselves or are instructed by their teachers without any willing neglect of duty towards God or Man such mistakes or errors are not destructive to Salvation 12. Indeed S. Paul telleth his Romans Rom. 14.23 that he that doubteth is domned or condemned which some expound self condemned if he eat and that whatsoever is not of Faith is sin But as the Rules above-expressed are means for the satisfying doubts so this Apostolical Rule requiring a full and well satisfied perswasion of a mans own judgment and knowledge in what he acteth must be applyed to the special case intended which is this That wheresoever the omitting any action is certainly free from sin and the practice of it appeareth to any person doubtful there to do that action is a very dangerous and evil practice because it containeth in it a chusing to run the hazard of sin which choice is always a sin in such a Case the Apostle alloweth no man to engage upon any such action until he be certainly perswaded by an undoubting knowledge of the lawfulness thereof And the same rule must take place when the practice of any thing is manifestly lawful and the omission doubtful But the Case is very much different when both acting and forhearing may be doubted of where the one of them is a duty and it is impossible that both should be forborn and such to some persons is the question above-mentioned concerning Infant Baptism obedience to Rulers c. Nor doth the Apostle in this place design in general that no Servant Child or Subject may eat any thing observe any time religiously obey any command or perform any other action till he hath obtained so much knowledge as to discern by an undoubting judgment how these actions in their particular circumstances are allowable by the rules of Christianity for then the ignorant person should be directed till he becometh knowing to be idle and do nothing and to be disobedient and under no command but would scarce be allowed to live so long as to obtain knowledge But God having commanded Superiours to rule and Inferiours to obey to suspend all action here is to perform an inward moral action of choice about a matter of duty which if it be not regularly managed is a sin And in this case so far as concerneth the obedience of a Child Servant or Subject they ought to account their superiours command to lay such an obligation upon them to duty that they must be guided thereby unless they be able to prove themselves bound to act the contrary 13. Assert 4. It is neither necessary nor possible that Ecclesiastical Constitutions should not be liable to be scrupled or suspected where those suspicions and scruples are admitted without sufficient evidence of evil in the things themselves Mr. H. Tract of Schism I know that some have asserted that the Church and its Officers are guilty of Schism if they appoint any thing not necessary or indifferent which is by others suspected But that things in themselves lawful and expedient may lawfully be commanded though they be groundlesly suspected or scrupled appeareth I. Because otherwise all rules of Ecclesiastical order would be unlawful where people are needlesly suspitious and scrupulous and a great part of the authority of Princes Parents and Masters would be abridged if it must be limited by all the unnecessary suspitions of inferiours 14. Arg. 2. From the Apostolical practice When S. Paul had directed his Corinthians that the men should pray uncovered and the women covered adding 1 Cor. 11.16 that if any man will be contentious we have no such Custom nor the Churches of God he doth plainly enough express that what is duly and orderly established in the Church must take place notwithstanding contentions and oppositions And when the Apostolical Synod required the Gentiles to abstain from bloud and things strangled even that constitution might have been scrupled and opposed especially considering that many Primitive Christians were not presently satisfied by the Declaration of the Apostles concerning Christian liberty as is manifest from Rom. 14.2 14 20. Had not Christians then been of another temper than many now are and made up more of Vnity humility meekness and peace than of heats parties and controversies they might have objected that this was an encroachment upon Christian liberty whereby they were free from the whole Yoke of Mosaical Ceremonies that it might seem to countenance the distinction of things clean and unclean and to give occasion to the Gentile Christians to Judaize as the Galatians did It might also have been said that that Decree had an appearance of establishing Christianity upon Judaism because the Jews had a sort of Proselytes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselytes of converse Gemar Sanhedr c. 7. Sect. 5. Cocceius ibidem Buxt Lexic Rab. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who were not circumcised but only enjoined to observe the seven Precepts of the Sons of Noah to whom bloud was prohibited And
them but even to urge them to approve and allow what is really sinful and is rightly so esteemed by them 20. But the main objection to be here considered is that S. Paul Rom. 14.1 c. commandeth to receive them who are weak in the Faith but not to doubtful disputations Commiss Papers p. 70. and alloweth no judging or despising one another for eating or not eating meats and for observing or not observing days and hence it is urged that no such things indifferent ought to be imposed but to be made the matter of mutual forbearance Now it must be granted that Christian Charity requireth a hearty and tender respect to be had to every truly conscientious person so far as it may consist with the more general interest of the Church of God yet it is manifest that the Apostle is not in this Chapter treating about and therefore not against the rules of order in the service of God But in order to a right understanding of this place I shall note three things 21. First that these directions given by the Apostle in the beginning of this Chapter so far as they give allowance to the different practices therein mentioned have a peculiar respect to those times only of the first dawning of Christianity when most of the Jews who believed in Christ did as yet zealously retain the Mosaical Rites abstaining from certain meats as judging them unlawful and unclean Rom. 14.2 14. and observing Jewish days and times out of a peculiar esteem for them v. 5. and yet this for a time was in this Chapter allowed and indulged by the Apostle But afterwards the Rules and Canons of the Church severely condemned all Christians whether of Jews or Gentiles August Ep. 19. Conc. Gangr c. 2. Conc. Laod. c. 29. who observed the Mosaical Law and the Rites and distinction of meats contained therein out of Conscience thereunto yea S. Paul himself vehemently condemned the Galatians who were Gentiles for observing such distinctions of days out of Conscience to the Law Gal. 4.10 11. and passeth the like censure upon the Colossians who distinguished meats upon the same account Col. 2.20 21 22. Wherefore we must further observe that in the Apostles times and according to the Rules they delivered to the Church The Gentile Christians were in these things with others prohibited the observation of the Law of Moses and its Ceremonies though many of them as the Galatians and Colossians were prone to judge this to be their necessary duty Act. 21.25 Gal. 5.2 The Jews among the Gentiles who did not yet understand that the Law of Moses was abrogated were allowed to observe its Rites and to practise according to the Jewish Customs Act. 21.21 24. Gal. 2.12 13. Act. 16.3 But the Jews who lived in Judea and S. Paul himself when he was there were obliged or enjoined to observe the Mosaical Rites though they were satisfied that the binding power of the Law was abrogated Act. 21.24 Gal. 2.12 Now in these different practices allowed determined and ordered by the directions and rules given by the Apostles as temporary provisions for the several sorts or different Churches of Christians the Apostle requireth the Romans to receive and not to judge one another 22. 2. When the Apostle commandeth them to receive them who are weak in the Faith he thereby intendeth that they ought to be owned judged as Christians notwithstanding these different Observations v. 1. And when he commandeth that he that eateth should not despise him that eateth not and that he that eateth not should not judge him that cateth v. 3. he forbiddeth the weaker Jews to condemn the other Jews or Gentiles as if they were not possessed with the fear of God because they observed not the Law of Moses and prohibiteth those others from despising or disowning these weaker Jews as not having embraced Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 3. signifying here so to despise as withal to reject and disclaim as Mar. 9.12 Act. 4.11 1 Cor. 1.28 because they observed the Rites of Judaism And to this sense are manifestly designed the Apostles Arguments whereby he enforceth these Precepts V. 3. For God hath received him v. 4. to his own Master he standeth or falleth for God is able to make him stand v. 6. he acteth with Conscience to God and v. 10. Why dost thou judge thy Brother or why dost thou set at naught thy Brother We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ So that the main design of this part of this Chapter is this To condemn them who press their own practices or judgments in things unnecessary as being the essential and necessary points of Religion and Christianity and thereupon do undertake to censure all those who differ from them in such lesser things as having no true Religion or inward relation to or Communion with Jesus Christ though they live never so conscientiously and act according to the best apprehensions they can attain Aug. Exp. prop. 78. ad Rom. To this purpose S. Austen expounded these words Non ferre audeamus sententiam de alieno corde quod non videmus Beza in Loc. and Beza saith upon them Rudes non debent ut extra salutis spem positi damnari And this which is the true intent and scope of the Apostle in that place doth in no wise impugn the use of Ecclesiastical Authority in appointing what is orderly and expedient about things indifferent but he will by no means allow that lesser things should be esteemed the main matters of Religion and Christianity to which purpose he layeth down that excellent Rule in v. 17. The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost 23. 3. The considering the Apostolical practice in making Decrees at the Council of Jerusalem in S. Pauls setting orderly bounds to the use of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit in the Church of Corinth or limiting the exercise thereof to avoid confusion and his not allowing S. Peter Barnabas and other Jews to practise without controul what agreed with their present apprehensions under those circumstances but was the way to disadvantage the peace and welfare of the Church and his giving commands for order and decency with things of like nature do evidence that it is a great misunderstanding of the Apostles Doctrine in this place to conceive that he condemneth the establishing useful rules for the order and edification of the Church though they do not always comply with every particular persons apprehension 24. But if it be further objected that if those things may be commanded or enjoined which some persons though through mistake judge unlawful either they must practise against their own judgments which would be sinful or their being conscientious will be their disadvantage which is not desireable To which I answer 1. That if in some particular things certain persons through meer mistake accompanied with humility and designs of peace should judge things
Gregory that in the use either of single or trinal Mersion there is sufficient Baptism And it is well observed by Strabo that if we must relinquish the use of all things which have been perverted there will nothing of this nature remain allowable And whereas God loseth no right of Soveraignty to any Creature by mans abuse it was not without good reason acknowledged and asserted by S. Austen that the Christians did lawfully use those Fountains where the Gentiles drew Water for their Sacrifices Theod. Hist l. 3. c. 14. and as Theodoret declareth they owned the same liberty under Julian the Emperour who designed to defile the Fountains and meats with Pagan pollutions 4. Obs 2. This position if granted would be such an Engine which would do more work than they who place it would willingly allow of and would extirpate divers useful things referring to religious worship which are ordered by humane Wisdom and Prudence Of all external things the individual Temple or Church in which corrupt Religion was performed may seem as much defiled thereby as any species of action or gesture can be and yet even the Directory declared Direct of the day and place of worship that such places are not subject to any such pollution by any superstition formerly used and now laid aside as may render them Vnlawful or inconvenient and S. Austen declareth Aug. Ep. 154. that even Idols Temples when their use is changed to the honour of God may be lawfully so employed as well as persons may be received to God who are converted to the true Religion Ecclesiastical revenues for the support of the Ministry and Universities have been and in the Romish Church still are abused as much as any other external thing to be the great support of a corrupt Religion and yet the continuance of these things is well allowed of by dissenters from this Church The same may be said concerning the times of attending upon the publick service of God Morning and Evening And notwithstanding the gross abuse of Bells in the time of Popery Mr. Rutherford declareth it unreasonable and groundless Of Scandal Qu. 5. Qu. 6. that thereupon they should be disused And if this position was admitted as doctrinally true the pretence of their convenient usefulness would be no better excuse on their behalf than was that Plea for sparing the best of the Amalakites Cattel that they might be a Sacrifice when God had utterly devoted them to destruction and therefore the admitting this position it self would be as the coming down of a violent torrent which instead of scouring the Chanel will overflow and drown all the Country 5. Obs 3. Where this is admitted the general grounds of the Protestant Reformation must be disowned Conf. Boh. Art 15. The Bohemian Church which led the Van openly professeth that such Rites and Ceremonies ought to be retained which do advantage Faith the worship of God Peace and order whomsoever they had for their Author Synodum Pontificem Episcopum Luth. Formul Commun pro Eccl. Witemb aut alium quemvis And both Luther and the Augustan Confession declare the like purpose and practice to have been in the German Reformation Conf. August c. 3. Abus de Missa Zanch. Epist l. 1. in Ep. ad Craton And Zanchy asserteth that this is the true way of reforming the Church which he wisheth all would mind after the example of the Bohemian Brethren not to root out every thing that was found in the Church of Rome but to reject what was fit to be rejected and to preserve what was fit to be preserved That this was designed in the Reformation of the Church of England appeareth from the Preface in the Book of Common-Prayer concerning Ceremonies from the Apology of the Church of England and from the Book of Canons Can. 30. expressing according to that Apology a very plain Declaration hereof 6. The Arguments urged for the proof of this position are such as do not need any long answer For whereas Jehn his breaking down the House of Baal is commended in the Scripture and neither he nor Jehoiada reserved the House of Baal to be a place of Synagogue worship This action might be necessary for the effecting a reformation and the disentangling the people from their Idolatry and upon a like account Hezekiah brake in pieces the brazen Serpent Aug. de Civ Dei l. 10. c. 8. which God himself had appointed when the people did colere eum tanquam idolum give worship to it as to an Idol as S. Aug. expresseth it and to the same end the ancient Christians in some special Cases where they feared that the continuance of the Idols Temples might tend to uphold the honour of the Idol Eus de Vit. Const l. 4. c. 39. did raze them to the foundations and sometimes erected anew Christian Churches in their places But besides this the Jews had such positive Laws as these Thou shalt quite pluck down all their high places Num. 33.52 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places where the Nations served their Gods Deut. 12.2 Ye shall destroy all their graven images Deut. 7.25 Ch. 12.3 and the proper extent of these Laws enjoined them utterly to destroy all Monuments and places formerly used to Idolatry out of the land of Israel But whereas no such positive commands are given to Christians if they should think themselves bound to follow these Jewish Patterns Tr. of Scandal Q 6. Mr. Rutherford himself condemneth them as Judaizing in this particular 7. And when God commandeth the Israelites that they shall not do after the doings of the land of Egypt and the Land of Canaan Ibid. Q 7. Lev. 18.3 which Mr. Rutherford objecteth against our Rites The design of that place is that the Israelites ought to be guided by the holy Laws and Commandments of God in their Conversations and not to follow the debauched examples of other Nations mentioned in the following part of that Chapter nor the abominable idolatries of their worship Hook Eccles Polity l. 4. Sect. 6. But in matters in themselves lawful where God had given them no particular Ceremonial commands to the contrary they were not tyed to disclaim all expedient things practised by other Nations in civil actions they might eat bread and drink water yea plow and reap in the same manner with other Nations Ex. 34.13 Num. 25.2 and in circumstances of Religion though sacrificing and bowing were manifestly rites of adoration used by idolatrous Nations before the giving the Law they were still received under the Law and appointed thereby and though the Philistines had long before the time of David an House or Temple of Dagon for the place of their Sacrifice Judg. 16.23 29 30. 1 Chr. 10.10 Davids purpose of building an House or Temple to the Lord was never the less allowable 8. But besides this it is chiefly to be considered that the things designed for the matter of this objection
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
Christ to the narrow limits of some parts of Africa saying Dost thou call thy self a Christian that thou mayst envy the glory of Christ cujus signum in fronte te portare asseris whose sign thou clarest thy self to bear in thy forehead he thereby sheweth that this sign was accounted to include an engagement or admonition to promote and advance the honour of Christ And that it might be a more plain Memorial of the Christian faith and duty when it was used to the Catechumens Confes l. 1. c. 11. De pec Mer. Remis l. 2. c. 26. Aug. de Symb. l. 2. c 1. some distant time before their Baptism of which S. Austin maketh frequent mention the abrenunciation and profession of faith were then joyned therewith as appeareth from S. Aug. de symbolo ad Catechum the like unto which appeareth in our office of private Baptism and when it was used at the time of the administration of Baptism it immediately followed upon the persons professing to undertake the Christian life Dionys de Hier. Eccl. c. 2. as is expressed by the Author De Hierarchia Ecclesiastica And some dark intimation of this Primitive use of this sign may be discerned remaining in the corruptions of the Papacy but the more clear expression thereof is exhibited in our reformation 7. This sign used in our Church upon any person in the office of Baptism is declared to be in token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ Crucified and manfully to fight under his Banner against sin the World and the Devil c. Which words speak this sign to be a token by way of remembrance of his duty to the person baptized and a testimony of engagement upon him and expectation concerning him from the Church Which sense of these words is made more manifest by the Canon Can. 30. which declareth that it is apparent in the Communion Book that the infant baptized is by vertue of Baptism before it be signed with the sign of the Cross received into the Congregation of Christs stock as a perfect member thereof and not by any power ascribed unto the sign of the Cross and it after addeth that this Church accounteth this sign a lawful outward Ceremony and honourable badg whereby the infant is dedicated to the service of him that died upon the Cross Now dedicating a person being an engaging or setting him apart unto God and it being evident from the Canon that this dedicating is wholly distinct from the baptismal dedication to be a Member of Christs Church we must hereby understand the Church to engage this Member upon her account to the service of Christ in like manner as when any Father shall give himself to the Lord as the Macedonians did 2 Cor. 8.5 and with diligent care shall warn and charge his Children to yield and devote themselves to God this is properly called his dedicating himself and his to the service of God And this sense is yet more evident from the office of Baptism where the Minister baptizing acting in the name of God saith in the singular number N. I baptize c. but saith in the plural number We receive this Child and do sign him c. acting herein in the name of the Rulers and other Members of the Catholick Church in Communion with us the whole body desiring and seeking the good of every member So that hereby there is as great an obligation laid upon this person baptized as the members of Christs body and the power of his Church can lay upon him by their relation to him interest in him and authority over him 8. Defence of three Cerem Par. Ch. 2. Sec. 7. With much agreeableness to this sense Bishop Morton declared that the Child is dedicated to God by consecration in Baptism which is a Sacrament of Grace but the dedication which is fignified by the sign of the Cross is not by any proper consecration to God or tender of grace received from God by such a sign made but is a declarative token of duty which afterwards the person baptized ought to perform concerning his constant and visible profession of the Christian Faith Bishop Fern saith Consider of Concernment Gh. 7. n. 7. Eccles Polit l. 5. Sec. 65. it signifieth the duty of the baptized and is to mind him of it and Mr. Hooker termeth it an admonition to glory in the service of Christ and a memorial of duty and a bar or prevention to keep from Apostacy 9. Now besides the Sacraments themselves it is very useful and needful to admit other means of memorial and solemn charge to engage men to the faithful service of God who are too prone to be negligent therein Though all Abrahams Family were circumcised God had a special favour for Abraham because he would command his Children and Houshold after him Gen. 18.18 19. and they would keep the way of the Lord. And though in Joshua's time the Israelites were circumcised Josh 24.22.27 and kept the Passover and had their Sacrifices and publick general Assemblies before the Tabernacle yet Joshua did further solemnly engage them to God and set up a stone as a witness thereof And when S. Paul mentioned the good profession which Timothy made before many witnesses 1 Tim. 6.12 13. he thought fit to add a solemn charge unto Timothy in the sight of God and Jesus Christ which requireth him to answer that profession Wherefore since such a charge is in it self very useful if as members we have that due value we ought to have for the body of Christs Church that engagement charge or expectation which hath a concurrent force and influence both from the Rulers and from multitudes of other members of that body must be thought the most solemn and weighty of all other 10. That in so considerable a Case some significant rite is very expedient to add to the solemnity thereof is sufficiently proved by the common wisdom of Mankind when they commit to others any great charge and by the prudence of the ancient Church in this very particular And this rite of the sign of the Cross is upon many accounts very proper for this purpose because it is apt to suggest to our minds the remembrance of the name of Christ which was anciently signified by chi the first letter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the old form of which letter was this †as appeareth from an ancient Inscription proâ—â—ced by Scaliger and of the Passion of our blessed Saviour upon the Cross Scalig. Animad in Euseh p. 110 120. and of the nature of Christianity in taking up his Cross and also because it was a sign to this end honourably used by the Primitive Christians And our Church hath taken abundant care to prevent all superstitiousness in the use hereof both by appointing it after the person is baptized and received as both the Office of Baptism and the Canon expresseth and by the