by the Congregation of Israel in the Wildernesse have ever beene the description of a people gathered together before God to serve him and I conceive the old and new Testament in the accomodation thereof to have no other meaning and mystery though I know this is not made of it by many both Moderne and Ancient Divines In one Psalme Beasts are Emblems of the Campes and Companies both of the godly and ungodly Psal 68.10 the word is Caiath or Caiah which signifies the wild beasts Gen. 1.24 25. because in them is the greatest life and livelinesse and it is applied by David to Gods people in whom there ought to be in the service of God the greatest spirit and life It s likewise ve 30. given to sinners and the Chaldee translates it Armies of them and further 2 Sam. 23. it s put for the troopes of the Philistins 1 Chro 11.15 the word Machanes is used for it which every learned man knows to be a Campe or Leager Gen. 23.2 Jacob calls the place where the Angells met him Mahanaim two Hoasts or Campes for as Laban in the reare and Esau in the front came against Gods servant so his blessed Angells came for him and made two Campes to crosse them both In the song of songs it is concluded that the Shulamite should convert to God as it were a double Army tither of Iewes and Gentiles or as the children of the Iewes converted to their fathers and the disobedient to the wisdome of the just Can. 6.13 Luke 1.17 I may hold my resolution and take the foure Beasts for the congregation of the Gentiles or all people that come in and encampe about the throne of the Lambe and seates of his Ministers wee will consider their names number orders office and actions Names Beasts better as in Ezech. 1.5 living creatures of the most vigorous nature Quatuor sunt superbi vel qui emineant in mundo Leo inter feras Bos inter Iumenta Aquila inter volucres Homo cui Deus supra omnes pulchritudinem largitus est ut omnibus imporaret Schindler pag. 266. d. Gods people should be as couragious as Lyons as patient in bearing their burdens as the Oxe is in labour and submitting to his masters yoke They should quit themselves as men in their best reason and rule and subdue their lusts to Gods Spirit They should like Eagles fore aloaft into the contemplation of divine things and be speedie in the dispatch of all their businesse their number is foure and that is from their quarters or campes as they lie East West North and South Their Catholicke concord and universall consent in all things is divinely described by Ezechiel Their faces and wings feete and soles of their feete wheeles and rings are nothing else but their unanimous consent in all things Their faces are foure and yet but one face in their aspect ver 10. Foure had the face of a man and the face of a Lyon c. They were not as foure hēads looking severall wayes but it seemes as one head fashioned to forme foure faces and all looking one way when they looked Southward they had all the face of a Man when they looked Eastward they had all the face of a Lyon when they looked Westward they had all the face of an Oxe and when they looked Northward they had all the face of an Eagle Vniversalitie and unitie in minde and motion is that which ought to be in Gods Saints Their wings had the hands of a man under them to shew that their high contemplations and foring into divine Mysteries was with humble and heartie readinesse to doe the things they understood Their wheeles did carry them on all sides in the same course and the rings did unite them as one in motion and they were full of eyes to direct them to the true end of all their actions furthermore these foure Beasts thus fashioned and formed to expresse the faith and fellowship of Gods people and their universalitie to looke to all Regions in their Religion and not Schismatically to professe one in a corner or command all to looke into some division or part the holy Catholike Church is most universall and binds us to all places where Iesus Christ hath sent his Gospell and this must also be added that the foure beasts are divided into twelve Tribes and the order of three is in them all To every beast three Tribes are allotted and then the whole number is twelve and this is a great mysterie and most certaine marke of a true Church in the Revelation Rev. 7. The tribes are sealed and two for Idolatry separated from the seale as Dan and Ephraim yet the number is made up and twelve tribes are sealed and in each tribe twelve thousand and twelve times twelve thousand is the number of Gods people Rev. 12.1 the crowne upon the head of the Church is 12. stars Rev. 22.12.14 Twelve gates twelve foundations on the gates are written the twelve tribes on the foundations the twelve Apostles and what is all this but a Church constant in the Doctrine and Fellowship of the Apostles Their order is strangely described Rev. 4.6 they are in the middest of the throne and round about it no circumference but every point of it rests upon the center It was Saint Pauls joy Col. 2.5 to see the order and faith of that Church faith plants a Church upon the foundation and that 's Christ order keepes all the members from confusion and placeth them as members in the body that all may serve for the good of the whole Their office is in their eyes and wings and it seemes the one is outward and the other inward Rev. 8. their wings and their workes are to be seene of men but their eyes that must guide therein be within and secret in themselves and must teach them that Gods Service must be with understanding God loves cheerefulnesse in our obedience and wisedome in all our workes their actions are to give glory unto God and not to rest night nor day in praises of his Name Castra Angelorum The last part is the invisible attendance of Angells and shewes the Majestie of God to be exceeding great Seaven Angells are before the Throne and these I take to be the Princes of Angells and the millions of the rest watch and ward and worship with us our gracious Saviour Our Church hath added Therefore with Angells and Archangells and with all the company of Heaven wee laud and magnifie thy glorious Name and evermore praysing thee and saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory Glory be to thee O Lord most high CHAP. VI. Contayning an exhortation to constancie in the Doctrine Fellowship Sacraments and Prayers of the Church Act. 2.42 HE that will not be an Heretick and denie the truth must continue stedfast in the Apostles doctrine he that wil not be a Schismatick depart from the Church must
A TREATISE OF THE HONOR OF GODS HOVSE OR THE TRVE PATERNE Of the Church shewed in the parts And pietie of it With a Discovery of the true Cause and Cure Of our present Contentions And an answer of such Objections as may Offend the weake CANT 6.12 Returne returne O Shulamite returne returne that we may behold thee what shall you see in the Shulamite but as the company of an Army LONDON Printed by T. C. for William Cooke and are to be sold at his Shop neere Furnivalls Inne Gate in Holbourne 1637. Perlegi hunc tractatum cui titulus est A Treatise of the honour of God House c in quo nihil reperio sanae doctrinae aut bonis moribut contrarium quo minus imprimatur Ex Aedibus Lambeth Jun. 15. 1637. IOHN OLIVER Reveren in Ch. Patri Dom. Dom. Ar. Câ—ant Sacell Dom. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL CLERE TALBOT Dr. of Law Comissary to the Reverend Father in God the L. Bishop of Norwich one of his MAIESTIES Iustices of Peace Worthy Sir I Am forced to set forth my selfe as well as my Sermon and to satisfie some I must tell them as well what I am as what I have said A short Sermon is often the occasion of much discourse and many like the Athenians delight in nothing but to heare and tell newes and some like the devill are not so idle as ill occupied in slandering of others The biting of mad dogges admits of medicine to helpe it but there is no Physitian that knowes a remedy against a slander All the comfort is that Mala opinio benè parta delectat a mans owne conscience may be his cordiall Vnus mihi pro populo erit one understanding man is better than a multitude whose very wisedome as the Wiseman saith is to be despised Omnis honestae reimalus judex est vulgus the common people are corrupt judges Eadem probamus eadem reprehendimus hic est exitus omnis judicij in quo lis secundum plures datur in number of voyces there is no certaintie of truth satis est unus satis est nullus one or none may be sufficient to satisfie in a good cause which as I am perswaded I have undertaken I am not ashamed to passe it from the Pulpit to the Presse and to Print what I preached In both I have your request and it is some part of a requitall to say Hoc ego non multis sed tibi I owe as much as you have desired and will not be dainty by your hands to deliver it to others That you have found the approbation you sought for is to mee a second confirmation it may doe more good than I expected I shall be glad to helpe the weakest and not to receive him for controversies of disputations I have not stirred the stone they stumble upon nor moved their mindes with noveltie Qui intempestivè monet ille nocet a monition must be as a medicine seasonably applied When there is no motion of humours in a body their very agitation is dangerous and no pacification to be expected by their purgation but the Aphorisme is true when they move remove them least they doe mischiefe Si quid movendum move humores qui turgent purgentur Me thinkes our diseases are discovered by Saint Paul in the right method Tit. 1.10 Many are unruly vaine talkers deceivers Authoritie is disobeyed Secondly disobedience is defended Thirdly the defence deceives others These diseases are apparent in many whose malady is contention with their Superiours which they defend by bookes and by the same poyson most of the people who looke not so much into the cause as the complaint and complying in affection with the Authors lose the apprehension of the truth which whosoever shall reveale it to them shall not be heard for the prejudice they have conceived Prava dogmata wicked doctrines make Heretickes and poison their mindes but diversa studia small differences will make Schismatickes and set them out of good thoughts withall they cannot affect Saint Paul disputes the case charitably 1 Cor. 11.10.19 he beleeves it in part and passeth not the same sentence upon all and mitigates the matter further by an effectuall gradation from Schisme to heresie as from the lesse to the greater No marvell you are divided in Rites and Ceremonies and contrary Customes wherein wee for our parts contend not neither the Churches of God but study peace and quiet as counting them no matters of moment to cause contention Such contentious spirits make Gods people come together not for the better but for the worse where is the fault not in the Church but the bad humours of it in such as are in the Church but not of it in such as have least to doe with it yet make worke enough for them which have most to doe and set all into a combustion I say the holy Apostle helpes the staggering Christian and labours to make him stand upright First I beleeve it to be in your company and onely of those that will not be of you Secondly it is from a bad cause to a good end The devill moves it but God will have the glory of it and you shall have the good in being approved to him Secondly in being made manifest to others and that first that you are not the Schismatickes secondly that you are such as the Church approves thirdly you neede not wonder at Schismes when Satan can raise heresies That 's a happy Church that is without weedes and a thousand separations are not to be trusted that seek safety where Satan shall not find them America is no more the place than Rome Satan is to be feared hath found and will finde their societies but I will not accuse them so much as defend my selfe and tell all men what I am sure I should be if I be righâ— I am unus in corpore as well as unus in capite one that strives as much for one Church as for one Christ and as it is my duty to name my selfe a Christian from my communion with Christ so shall it ever be the same to sirname my selfe a Catholike from my communion with his body Seeing you have drawne me out to say some thing I say it for the Church and seeke pacification of that which is now in agitation and because the Altar breedes the greatest quarrell I will first labour to take away the offence in the name secondly I will examine whether every Altar induceth a sacrifice thirdly whether the sacrifice superinduceth the sinne of Idolatry fourthly I will set before you severall instances of the excellencies of Gods House to bring us in love with it fiftly give directions to avoid danger and this I am forced to fixe before my Sermon to make it more acceptable in the reading I know it is not all one to Preach in a Pulpit and speake out of a Presse my desire is to make way by a Preface that no prejudice may remaine in a short Sermon
Augustine that Churches Ceremonies may have these conditions First that they be Numere paucissimae Secondly Observatione facillimae Thirdly Significatione utilissimae I confesse they that can beare none complaine of all Ceremonies as too many Our wisdome must be to let them judge that know better what is good for us than we our selves Study to be as pure as you please so you be peaceable and let that property Iames 3.17 take speciall place in you á¼Ï…πειθâ—Ï‚ easie to be counselled when you cannot counsell your selves and rather yeeld to the Church than these heates of humours that like an aguish distemper will suffer you to relish nothing I am resolved the Scripture will lead no man into an errour though it may seeme to follow it by force finde but the opinion and the same fancy that found it hath Scripture to confirme it Every man seekes to establish Non quae vera sed quae suae est opinio and wee stand in the Church like Cato and Scipio in the Senate with mihi videtur mihi non videtur and all comes to that end as a Father complaines Inter licet nostrum non licet vestrum nutant remigant animae Christianorum God stay these staggers It 's pitty we should stumble upon an Altar and raise an altercation about that which should be the onely argument of our reconciliation Our Ancients in imitation of our blessed Saviour and his Evangelicall counsell Matth. 5.23 24. proclaimed by the Church-deacons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man have ought against another but be reconciled and at peace before he presume to come to Gods Altar It cannot be any custome or Law amongst the Iewes seeing Ezech. 46.10 the very Prince is commanded to come and goe with the people And Luke tells us the people waited for the Priests dismission Luk. 1.21 And we find no tradition of the Elders to urge such a Law as our Saviour inforceth to be followed by his Disciples It is most Evangelicall and a degree above Pharisaicall righteousnesse to seeke such peace as he preached in the Mountaine and surely not without an eye to our Christian Altar though it may seeme somewhat to anticipate the institution of his heavenly Supper Would God our comming to one Table or Altar might end our strife and lay aside a verball contention to make us reall in that which is materiall and it shall be all our desire yet further to discover the same unto you It is not to be wondred at that wee read so often in Authours straines to our owne senses and every man is willing to force a Testimony to his owne minde I shall wish no more than to take my Authour in his owne words and never use corrections that may prove corruptions His censure of Ignatius as Vedelius in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Senate of sacrifices the Senate of Saints as more willing to advance the congregation than the Priesthood I hope to bring no Author to my selfe but my selfe to them and leave the evidence to the judicious Reader GODS HOVSE AND GODS HONOVR GEN. 28.17 How dreadfull is this place this is no other but the House of God and this is the gate of Heaven GEN. 35.7 And he built there an Altar and called the place El-Beth-El nothing but Majestie inhabits Gods House and teacheth us to give him honour in it Deus-Domus-Deus CHAP. I. Concerning an Insinuation of the honour due to Gods House with the heads of the ensuing Discourse EVery house is knowne best by its owner and it beares his name great men display their Armes where they are disposed themselves to live and their very Chariots have the inscriptions of their Honour The Cherubins are called the glory of God Ezek. 1.20 and every place where he appeares takes denomination from him Iacob calls theÌ„ place of Gods appearance unto him twise by the Name of God and it teacheth us what it is that makes a place holy and honourable even the Name of God and this remaines at this day in our Temples as a remembrance of Gods holinesse in his House we neede not aske the question why Gods House is more holy than an other place or resolve it as some doe upon false grounds of presence and vertue either in the people or place it selfe It is not holy because an holy people meete there or for popular presence which is more likely to pollute than exciteto any holinesse or for any qualities in it to make them more holy but because of God whose name it beares and whose presence fills it with the signes of his glory and who there especially sanctifies and accepts holy service a Relative no inherent holinesse a Relative it is to God and not to men his house it is not theirs wheresoever God men and Angells meete and are made knowne one to another by voyce and vision there is Gods House and holinesse when God appeared to Iacob and spake unto him Gen. 28. the blessed Angells accompanied him and waited upon him in the Ladder of his Providence and assured Iacob that they would goe with him in every steppe of his journey both forward and backward Nay Iacob saw in his journey the very ladder of heaven and his way to eternall happinesse Ios 1.51 and 8.56 It would be observed what made the place dreadfull and yet a gate of heaven Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not Ignorance of an invisible presence deprives us of our comfort therein and therefore God by vision and voyce so workes upon our eyes and eares that they may let in Majestie and mercie together Power and Compassion Grace and Glory c. These signes want not their use in our dayes and deliver us our duties in the like expressions of Majestie to us Our signes are milder yet not lesse Majesticall than of old now wee are all so for voyces that we in a manner contemne all Visions and our eares are so open to hearing that we heed not what our eyes should turne us unto When God appeared to Moses Exod 3. hee had a Vision and a Voyce when he appeared to Ezekiel Ezek. 1.28 he had the like Cornelius and Peter had both of them Visions and Voyces to direct them Act. 10. And as in the extraordinary God takes this way upon him so in the ordinary course he observes the same and sets before us as well signes of his Presence as Voyces to informe us Masse is made a matter of just reproach to them that take away the teaching and intelligible voice to turne it into the pleasure of the eyes yet there be of itching eares too that steppe over duties and looke not to their feete when they enter consecrated places to give God any honour at his memoriall in his House and sight of any signe of his presence They say they are ready to heare a good dutie but that is not enough if they consider not the presence of God
living with Saint Iohn might speake that plainly which Saint Iohn expressed mystically yet by his allusion to the Church of the Iewes might let us see our surrogation into their place and cast the forme after that fashion then the which there could not be a better setting apart the types which were fulfilled in Christ for besides them we might serve God upon our holy dayes as they did upon theirs in our holy places as they did in â—heirs Saint John resembled our place of Majestie by theirs our place of Ministery by theirs our place of Auditory by theirs They kept one day in a week so do we they kept Feasts and Festivals so doe we as Easter Pentecost the Nativitie of Christ c. We are Christians in that wherin they were Iews and shew that their shadows are converted into perfect light Revel 12.1 we have that under our feet which was the crown of their head and that upon our whole bodie which they looked for The Sun the Embleme of our Church and the measure of our time and service Their Feasts were all lunary ours solarie and moneths in Saint Iohn are apposed to days and yeers Revel 11.23 12.6.14 13.5 and makes the distinction betweene a true and false company of Christians I say the Sunne is a great ceremony in the Christian Church and so is the East where it riseth as may be seen in the solemnitie of Baptisme which Saint Peter mentioneth 1 Pet. 3.21 Baptisme is the interrogation of a good conscience and saveth the Church from the floud of Apostacie as Noahs Arke did eight persons from drowning Revel 7.1 The foure Winds that shake the foure corners of the earth are barbarous wars sometimes compared to great and mighty waters sometimes to terrible and tempestuous windes these cast downe Kingdomes and cause confusion and there is nothing that can stand these blasts but the sealed societie and Baptisme well understood will reach the meaning as being both the seale of our service and safety with God if we keepe it it will keepe us and bind as well God to us for safetie as it binds us to him in a service as a master The making of our vow in Baptisme is wonderfull solemne if wee search out the ceremonies of speaking and standing at the Font or Fountaine to be baptized The interrogation is Saint Peters expression and it was made to the conscience of the believer abrenuncias abrenuncio Credis Credo more largely thus in the answere of the party to be baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I disband my selfe from thee O Satan and from all thy Angels Autors of Idolatry I do bid a farewell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to all thy mediators for me to thee as a deceitfull God and I utterly abhorre all thy pomps and vaine services c. Hereby the way understand how our Ancients made Pagan Playes the renunciation of Baptisme and most damnable to all Christians because they were services to the dead and hellish honours to the infernall fiends foes to Christ Iesus and furtherers of all Idolatry against him The Christians abrenunciation should be remembred as the feale of his service and safety if hee returne againe to false Mediatours hee loseth the benefit of his Baptisme and becomes as it were another mans servant and seeks safety from another master Having made his renunciation he begins again and sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I binde my selfe and binde my selfe for ever to thee ô Christ as my sole Redeemer and Mediatour and will gaine God or go to God by no other but thy selfe and I believe c. reade but the Churches Catechisme and the Churches Baptisme and wee shall finde Saint Peters interrogation and the answere of a good conscience made by the party to be baptized The standing will stirre more the coals of contention but I cannot helpe it to relate to a reasonable man what may well be received In the abrenunciation of the Devill the partie was to look the Devill in the face and set it Westward towards the Devils throne or his Idoll and Altar and testifie his defiance and departure from him and to spit at him in token of great detestation Fie get thee hence what have I to do with Idols pomps and vanities of Satan This ceremonie ended he turns his back upon the enemy and looks into the East and earnestly vowes himselfe to Christ and from hence followes the ceremonie of prayer into the East and placing the house of Prayer ordinarily that way and also placing the holy Table in the East end and making that the Sanctuary The whole Tabernacle and Temple stood in the miâ—â—st of the people of Israel But when they entred the Courts the Court of Majestie in both places was in the West The Church is Gods throne in generall as was the Temple Tabernacâ— and Gods peopled well about it as Israel did both in the Wildernesse and the Land of Canaan But the speciall throne in the Church is the holy Table where we have our perfectest communion with God It begins in Baptisme ends in the Lords Supper and they are the best Saints that are admitted unto it some reason there is of all that is said from the distinction of times The Iewes and Gentiles before Christ by their looking into the West professed the darknesse of their dayes we by looking into the East professe our times to be light It s small wisdom to multiply needlesse questions and as great wisdome to answer them that be profitable To satisfie the weak the wise alike is impossible whiles one man cryes one thing and some another the greater part know not what they doe or wherefore they come together It hath often beene checked in Preachers to speake of needlesse matters but shall that be needlesse which the times make necessary let them aske no questions raise no quarrels with our Church and wee shall count it needlesse to contend with them that are convicted both of our faith and order the only two things in Saint Pauls greatest joy Colos 2.5 we should be glad to preach nothing but faith and the fruits of faith working by charity for salvation but there is a necessitie to preach for order when they that professe to be children of our Church neverthelesse appose her holy Orders This my addition is not to pursue but pacifie the quarrell It s my dutie to stand for the Church and perswade with all the members to be of one minde and mouth He that sayes to mee why is one place more holy then another I may say to him and why is one day more holy then another Shall Saint Paul resolve us in one word upon one ground for one end Rom. 14.5 6. Estimation makes the distinction fulnesse of knowledge must warrant it and the glory of the Lord Iesus must be the end of it In Religion every day is alike to a Christian that will not be a Iew and one day is