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
be called Gods House or Temple so the Sanctuary or Altar is the speciall place of Majestie One Eucharist one Flesh one Bloud one Bread one Cup one Altar Epi. ad Philad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here I am sure is the Sacrament with all the signes and the things signified and what shall the Altar be Christ will some say is one Altar to all Churches for Tables they may have many Not so but as there is to us one Christ so one Altar and we professe no more to expresse the Majestie of our God There is one Altar for the whole Congregation many Altars in one Church were never heard of in the most Primitive times let these looke to them that undertake their defence for I say with S. Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fist generall Councell speakes of concourse to the Altar that there was running 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Saint Iohn hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 4.4 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 6. All I seeke for is some sympathie betwixt the holy Scriptures and Primitive practises A throne of Majestie there is in the House of God or some visible signe of Gods invisible presence to make the partition as S. Iohn hath set it downe At the Dedication of the Temple of Tyreâ— I read of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compassed about with neate workes â—he holy Alâ—â— and the reverent placing of Pauline the Bishop with his clergie in Cathedra and Exedris about it I reade of Alexander the holy Bishop of Constantinople in the case of Arrius and the desperate storme threatened against him and the Orthodox faith to have fallen at the foote of the Altar and prostrate to Almightie God to have prayed that God would evert that judgement from his poore Church c. I conceive wee may well conjecture we are not farne from the sense the same sence may yet further be fetched from three places of Scripture to which he alludeth in the expression of the Christian Theatre upon which God represents his glory in the world CHAP. III. Touching the Throne of Majestie in Sinai and the Tabernacle c. FIrst he alluds to Sinai Gods first glorious Sanctuarie among men Rev. 4.5 as may appeare by Lightnings and thundring and voyces which issue out of the Throne as they did upon Sinai when God appeared Exod. 19. and in these declared his Majestie and set bounds to all Israel to be kept with the greatest diligence least danger befall the intruders to their ruine God made all the Mount the place of his Maiestie and he himselfe spake in terrour to his people so that they petitioned there might be a middle betweene them and him and that Moses and men like themselves might speak and that first division of Majestie and auditory of God speaking and men bearing being too terrible might be turred into a more milde and middle way of Ministerie intervening betweene himselfe and them Exod. 24. The multitude are to keepe the station and not to stirre at all to draw any nearer to God Aaron Nadab and Abihu with seventy Elders are to goe uâ— with Moses into the Mount and there must they Minister â—â—â—weene God and the people whiles God gives the â—â—â—fect patterne of all things in the Mount he makes the Mount the first draught and drawes the forme in the place of their standing as a throne of Majestie seates of Elderâ— and a boundarie for the people and the blessed Angells to keepe their rounds and gaurds of attendance in all places as God appoints them Exod. 24 10.17 Majestie is in the pavement and where the feete of the Almightie plant themselves there is as the body of heaven in his clearenesse the 〈◊〉 of the Maunt was like devouring fire and all to set forth his glorie that is most invisible No picture of God but passing signes of his presence and warnings which way they were to worship him and be wrought into an holy feare of so dreadfull a God as hee shewed himselfe to be iâ— the said expressions God is farre more milde in the Christian Church and his Sanctuarie is set upon Mount Sion which may be approached and from whence God speaketh more mildly unto us and in which the innumerable company of Angells keepe their watch I see not out the holy Table may be set as a signe to distinguish the place of Majestie from all the rest Our Antients made that Regall which was in the steppings and degrees of the Altar and therefore the Altar much more may expresse Majestie If any aske me why is God in one part of the Church more than an other and why is one part more holy than another I answer it is not from any inhession or inclusion of God and holinesse in that place as Pagans imagine in their Temples where they include their Gods Against these Saint Paul disputes at Athens and so doe Origen Minutiâ—â— Felix Arnobâ—us and Laâ—tantius and are 〈…〉 as iâ— they â—ried downe Temples and Altars for such Temples Altâ—â—â— and Images as they confute are impious and forbidden to Christians because the Heathen did Revocaâ—◠〈◊〉 mortuorum ad Templa Altaria Imagines revoke â—he soules of the dead to Temples Altars Images and putâ—n them Divinas virtutâ—s c. they placed divine vertâ—â—â— in their Temples Altars and Images and sought for 〈◊〉 by their presence as being filled with Celestiall power to do them good but we beleeve of our Temples and 〈…〉 Salomon did that God is in them of grace â—nd 〈◊〉 to his people and that they are holy in relation to him as the House is his the Table his where he will feede his people and fill them with his favours It pleaseth him to have his Throne and as ever so 〈◊〉 a Coâ—â—t of Majestie which he daily opens to his people whâ—n 〈◊〉 them to his heavenly Table His Table is enough to make it holy and separate from common use and to be the dayly monument of divine benediction where Church Prayers have beene said nay have the preferment and be counted the most sacred place in Gods House in which hee offers himselfe to his people and they take him as truely present for reall presence is not demed when transubstantiation is rejected but Christ really present iâ— the holy Sacrament is an object of our faith not of our sight or seene as Gods House and Honour goe together so the chiefe place invites the worship of God towards it according to the decencie of Religion Secondly Saint Iohn alludes to the Tabernacle in the Wildernesse and Temple in Canaan as may appeare by the Lampes of fire and Sea of Glasse Now that in both these were distinctions as the Court of Majestie Court of Ministry and Court of Auditory it needes not inquâ—â—ing The Tabernacle in the Wildernesse which in the whole is often called Gods Throne was pitched about in that goodly order that the Priests and Levites encamped next to the whole
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