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
of others that they who err by mistake may attain to a right judgment and that those who act out of any spirit of opposition may have their hearts reformed and be made willing to mind their duty 7. And because among the other things required of Ministers who conform many dissenters have expressed themselves to be most dissatisfied about the clauses concerning the Covenant and some who have undertaken to make a Surveigh of these things Surveigh of Grand Case Case 6. though they may be mistaken in the measure of their ground have declared that this is the great mountain in their way to be removed by the Faith of miracles I shall in the first place take that into consideration and manifest that there is a ready safe and direct passage without any great difficulty or need of miracles over that which only appeareth to them to be a mountain if we be willing to walk in the plain paths to which we are directed by the Scripture rules 8. And whereas in the other particulars expressed there is nothing more if so much disliked and opposed than what is contained in the Liturgy and particularly the Ceremonies I shall endeavour in the remaining part of this Book to give a true account of these things the right understanding whereof may be very conducible towards the Churches peace and the general good CHAP. II. Of the Covenant SECT I. Of its being an unlawful Oath 1. THE acknowledgment to be made by Ministers concerning the Covenant being no permanent Constitution may require the shorter discourse Yet it is needful that so much be said as to manifest that while it is for the present continued and until it shall be withdrawn and abated it ought not to be an obstacle to any in the entrance upon Ecclesiastical administrations or civil offices To this end I shall first consider the Oath it self that it was n it self unlawful and then its obligation so far as that is concerned in this acknowledgment 2. Now an Oath may be accounted unlawful in it self with respect to the wholsom laws of the land and upon this account any Oath especially concerning publick affairs of Government is unlawful in it self where either the matter or the constitution and framing is unwarantable according to the law That the Covenant and its Imposition was in this respect unlawful will be easily admitted by all impartially considering persons who cannot be supposed to acknowledge that whatsoever either for or against their own interest obtaineth in any wise a vote in the two Houses but is not assented to but disallowed by the King hath a sufficient legal and warrantable constitution 13. Car. 2.1 And accordingly by the highest authoritative way of resolution this Oath is declared Vnlawful by a publick Act in our Statute Laws 3. And it s not having a legal Constitution besides what respecteth the particular matter thereof is sufficient to render it unlawful in it self according to the law of God which establisheth order commandeth obedience to Government and subjection to all wholsom humane laws For by the law of God the Oaths of Subjects against the will of their Rulers for altering matters of Government must be declared to be unlawful as not being according to the rule of righteousness And it is not the matter only which maketh an Oath or Promise Vnlawful in it self but all other necessary ingredients or attendents may have the like effect and influence as the consideration of the person who taketh the Oath with respect to his capacity and authority and many other such like things which the Canonists have expressed in this distick Sayr Clav. Reg. l. 5. c. 3. Sit jusjurandum licitum decerne notato Quis cui quid per quid ad quid cur quomodo quando Martin Margarit Decret Filiuc Trac 25. n. 204. Agreeable hereunto Filiucius a Casuist maketh an express distinction between pomissio illiciâ—a ex parte materiae and promissio illicita per seipsam telling us that a promise made by a Son against the prohibition of his Father may be a lawful promise as to the matter of it but yet it is an unlawful promise in it self as encluding in it self an unlawful thing that is disobedience to his Father 4. But touching the matter of the Covenant being unlawful I might note that that clause expressing them who take the Covenant to be of one reformed Religion and that they had before their eyes the glory of God and the honour of the King was either not so true or not so well known concerning one another as that they might safely express it in a warrantable Oath And what concerned the doctrine worship discipline and Government of Scotland and Ireland was that which could not be understood as the matter of an Oath should be by ordinary persons in England who were required to take it And that clause declaring that this Covenant was made according to the commendable practice of these Kingdoms in former times did not only require them who took it to be well skilled in History but also declareth former open combinations of Subjects by Oath against the mind and will of their Prince to alter the affairs of Government to be commendable practices which is to assert what is contrary unto truth 5. And how much it was in the matter of it Unlawful by its designed tendency to promote a civil War even against the King may also be considered For though the King was known to oppose this Oath yet the Covenant engaged them who took it according to their places and callings to assist and defend all those that entred into this League and Covenant in the maintenance and pursuing thereof And also that they should all the days of their lives coniinue therein against all opposition And that this phrase according to our places and callings was not understood nor intended in the Covenant and by the contrivers thereof in the due limited sense though many private persons did so take it is manifest by considering what kind of assistance to each other was by them practised before at and after the taking the Covenant and also because the taking this phrase in such a strict restrained sense would have been utterly inconsistent with what is joined therewith viz. the assisting and defending all those that enter into this League and Covenant in the maintaining and pursuing thereof to continue therein against all opposition and not to be withdrawn from it by whatsoever perswasion or terrour since all this was against the Kings known command and open Proclamation 6. As this Covenant had respect to the affairs of the Church it appeareth unlawful upon a double account 1. That endeavour intended in the Covenant for the alteration of Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government was in the nature thereof an Unlawful endeavour for thereby Subjects did undertake of themselves though without legal authority and without and against the Kings consent to alter oppose and expel what was established by the
are quite of a different nature from the Case and Question to which they are applyed It is acknowledged that for any persons purposely to design to model the Christian worship according to the Rites of Pagan and idolatrous original and use which would be to run parallel with what is aimed at in this objection is certainly wicked and intollerable But since the intent of the present enquiry concerneth ancient Christian Rites used by us and abused in the Romish degeneracy it would be nearer to our state to enquire Whether ever God gave any command that his Church should relinquish whatsoever even the Pagans imitated abused or prophaned as Belshazzer profaned the Temple Vessels many of which were only voluntarily dedicated 2 Chron. 15.18 Nazianz. Or. 3. Sozom. l. 5. c. 15. and Julian appointed among the Gentiles a resemblance of the order of the publick Christian service and many things especially in the Grecian Idolatry have been proved a kind of apish imitation of some things in the Jewish worship Delph Phaenic. cap. 11. Yet since the Papists are not Pagans but Christians of a corrupt profession that the Case of the Jews may fully answer ours it must be thus stated Whether the things laudably used in the service of God in the ancient times of the Jewish Church which were not directly instituted of God as their rules for the ordering their Synagogue worship and Officers ought to be rejected in the reformation of Hezekiah or Josiah so far as these things were received or imitated in the corrupt worship of the ten Tribes and this is that which I presume no man will have the confidence to assert And as it is manifest that the ten Tribes did in their worship designedly imitate many things in the Jewish Temple worship Amos. 4.4 5. Ch. 5.21 22 23. so they retaining among them the Sons of the Prophets it is not to be doubted but they reserved an imitation of the Jewish Synagogue worship or Weekly Assemblies 9. But it is time to consider the particular things actions or gestures appointed in our service Gestures are so necessary as inseparable attendants to the body that there is no reason to place expedient gestures among the number of Ceremonies yet because kneeling at the Lords Supper is especially so esteemed and thereupon by some opposed it will be requisite to express somewhat concerning gestures as well as other Rites and to manifest how little reason there is for the Censures passed upon these particular Rites by divers at home and some few persons abroad who for the most part proceeded upon some misinformation or misunderstanding of our affairs CHAP. III. Of devout and becoming gestures in the service of God SECT I. Of the Gesture at Prayer praise and Christian profession of Faith 1. THat a reverent behaviour is a duty in our approaches to God in Prayer and other religious exercises is ordinarily acknowledged but by many too much neglected And as the most devout and humble gestures were ordinarily used in Prayer under the Old Testament so under the new our Saviour himself prayed upon his knees Luk. 22.41 and so did S. Paul with the Disciples both of Ephesus and Tyre Act. 20.36 Ch. 21.5 And though the Primitive Church upon the Lords days and from Easter to Whitsunday prayed standing manifesting thereby their abundant joy and hope by Christs Resurrection yet kneeling was esteemed their ordinary gesture of Prayer Euseb Ec. Hist l. 5. c. 5. whence Eusebius declaring the admirable effect of the Prayers of the Christian Legion called the thundring Legion in the Army of Aurelius saith that they kneeled down upon the ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the ordinary custom the Christians used in Prayer Ad Scapul c. 4. upon which account Tertullian calleth their Prayers Geniculationes or their falling on their knees and from hence divers Christians contracted upon their knees an hard brawniness like that of the Camels as S. Hierome relateth concerning S. James and S. Gregory Greg. in Evang Hom. 38. concerning Tarsilla his Fathers Sister And that the great and good Emperour Constantine did in his Closet four times every day put up his Prayers to God upon his knees De Vita Const l. 4. c. 21. is expressed by Eusebius and these things are the more worthy our imitation because it needeth no other proof but common experience that where there is a neglect of external reverence in the service of God it tendeth to abate the inward fear of God and the devoutness of Religion and therefore Kneeling at Prayer which is enjoined with us is very useful 2. The injunction of this gesture in Prayer was esteemed so warrantable by Calvin that he declareth it to be such an humane Constitution as is grounded on the word of God and to be so humane Inst l. 4. c. 10. Sect. 30. that it is also divine being a part of that decency the Apostles commended But no more need be added in so plain a Case only it may be here observed that the expediency of kneeling at the absolution at the commandments and the receiving imposition of hands is hence also manifested because besides what may be said from the proper subject matter of each of them to every Commandment in our Liturgy is adjoined an humble Petition for pardon and grace the absolution is intended to enclude a concomitant Prayer as may be collected from the Rubrick following the absolution in the Morning Service and the imposition of hands encludeth a benedictory supplication 3. Standing to praise and give glory to God is sometimes enjoined in our Liturgy Now this duty of giving glory to God is sometimes performed in a way of humiliation and Confession under a sense of the glorious Soveraignty majesty and justice of God in which respect the gesture of kneeling or falling down is suitable thereto being practised Rev. 4.10 11. And frequently in the Christian Assemblies the giving glory to God is performed in magnifying the Glorious Trinity in a way of joy praise and thankfulness and with reference to the grace and mercy of God and to this end the gesture of standing up hath been thought proper to be practised and enjoined both under the Old and the New Testament The Levites were appointed by David to stand every Morning to thank and praise the Lord and also at even 2 Chr. 23.30 the Jews were commanded by the Levites to stand up and praise the Lord. Neh. 9.5 and in S. Johns Vision of the encrease of the Christian Church to so great a multitude which no man could number of all Nations Kindreds and people he saw them standing before the Throne and the Lamb and saying Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb. Rev. 7.9 10. In the former times of the Christian Church when the Psalms were sung by all the Assembly they ordinarily performed this service in a standing posture as Amalarius declareth Dum cantamus Psalmos