well be for we who live in this age cannot be ignorant how many good Laws have been made for the correcting of vice and how few executed either we love vice so well that we will not or we have indulged it so much that we dare not bring it to open Penance But God who was neither pleased with it nor afraid of it did for when Adam the first of Man-kind and King of the whole World under God had transgressed his positive Law and committed a great sin in breaking an easie Commandement he brought him to his confession his open and full confession though he came unwillingly to it and used many evasions and equivocations which the Tempter taught him to use who first taught him to sin he gave him an Ash-Wednesday Lecture for the Ceremony of Ashes from whence this Day derives the name came from his Pulvis es Dust thou art Gen. 3.19 and he put him to his Penance In moerore in sudore In sorrow shalt thou eat and in sweat He who abused his indulged innocent pleasures should live with afflictions thorns and thistles Gen. 3.17 18 19. The promised Seed gave him hopes of pardon Gen. 3.15 but he must pass this Penance first and that he might pass it he must quit his Paradise be driven for a time from the presence of the Lord. So He drove out the Man c. This was the first great Specimen of Church Discipline it is Primitive and ancient enough as ancient as the Church it self and it is authentick and authoritative enough for God himself was the author of it and it was practised in the Church before the Law till sin was so imperious that nothing could reform it but a Deluge and under the Law till wickedness was so predominant that nothing could quell its power but a Babylonian captivity in the time of the Messias till Vice was so prevalent amongst the Jews that nothing could check the rage of it till the Roman Eagles fell upon Jerusalem like Birds of Prey upon a Carkass and in the Christian Churches of the Apostles planting till sin was grown so much in defiance of the light that God was pleased not only in Justice but in Mercy too to withdraw the Candlestick and in all Churches of the Christian World was this Christian Discipline used this godly Discipline and where it was most used there Christianity most flourished till corruption had gotten the start of Christianity and Christianity and Covetousness or something worse had made a match But now it is every where either too much abased or else almost totally abandoned so that it is no wonder Christians in name should be worse than Heathens in manners when the Christian Church is without Discipline when the Tares and the Wheat the Goats and the Sheep the Chaff and the good Corn the Dross and the Gold the Unclean and the Clean the Vile and the Precious must all promiscuously make up one communion in the participation of most holy things and no Judicial Discipline is used to make so much as a tolerable separation so that in the Church Militant here on Earth sin is only the Triumphant part But in Heaven where no unclean thing shall ever enter it shall not be so For flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither corruption inherit incorruption 1 Cor. 15.50 God hath here in the History of the first original of all our humane race opened to us this great truth wherein there is a History as well as a Mystery what is spoken of Adam and Paradise of Adam placed in Paradise whilst he remained innocent and of Adam brought to confession penance and removed out of Paradise when he became notoriously criminal is historical but it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of a type and ensample in respect of us and so is mystical shewing that all notorious criminals who live in the bosom and bowels of the Christian Church and are a reproach to the Christian name and a scandal to Christian profession are to be removed are to be brought to their confession penance and to remain sometime separate from the community of Christians whose holy Laws and Lives they will not conform to This was God's Law and this was Gods practice but as godly as we pretend our selves to be I do not see that we transcribe God's Copy and draw his practise into imitation We suffer many scandals in the Church seek no removing of them suffer Vice to be accounted Vertue and Vertue to be accounted criminal and seek no redressing of it Adam innocent and Adam a transgressor is all one to us he shall remain in Paradise though the curse of briars and thorns grow up and remain with him he may eat of the tree of sin and when he hath done so come without any controul to the Tree of Life if it was possible without doing his penance so little do we regard who comes or what is done in the Church which is the Paradise of God Church Officers are much to be blamed as to this particular who do not duly and truly present such Criminals But God would not have it so would not suffer it to be so For He drove out the Man c. That I may give you an exact model of the godly Discipline which the Primitive Christian Church used at the beginning of Lent or much about this time of the Year I shall take my Scheme from this first pattern of it set by God himself in his severe dealings with lapsed Adam 1. Adam so long as he kept his integrity remained innocent and had done nothing notoriously criminal to deface that divine and glorious Image which God his Maker had stamped upon him had all Paradise at his command he might freely take the fruition of God's Creation and enjoy his Creator in a happy and a contemplative life Thus he was In statu instituto in his first and innocent estate but when he became a delinquent and a Transgressor and stood convicted of a notorious sin against his Maker when the Serpent in subtilty had beguiled Eve and Eve in simplicity had deceived Adam and under the specious pretence of being like unto God and wise in knowing good and evil he made himself a sinner against God lost that wisdom which he had by refusing the good and choosing the evil then God took a severe course with him to humble him for his pride and to mortify him for his presumption Paradise the Garden of his pleasure was turned into a place of his penance and punishment and he lost the liberty of those fruitions which he had made a forfeiture of by a too great licentiousness God put upon him his Penance Robes cloathed him in skins the badges of his sin and the covers of his shame Gen. 3.21 So in imitation of this practise of God the Church in the Primitive times did deal with her criminals such as apostatized from Christianity in times of Persecution or such as
Persons any way visited or afflicted in mind body or estate that I cannot conceive them liable to any the least exception they are most what taken out of the Psalter which is a rich Magazine of Devotions furnishing all sorts of Men in all conditions both to praise God and to pray unto him Psal 20. vers 1 2 3 4. Psal 25. vers 15 16 17 18 19. and other places out of the Book of Psalms will furnish us not only with the materials but also with the very phrase and manner of expressions whereof the forementioned Prayers are made and composed Rubrick Then shall the Minister exhort the sick Person after this form or other like Note The Exhortation is left arbitrary for the Priest to use this or some other at his own choice as he sees occasion administred to him from the Sick Person for he is to apply his spiritual aids according to the Sick parties needs yet this Exhortation framed by the Church is so formed that a better cannot be devised to suit with all Mens conditions however visited and afflicted and it is grounded upon these and the like places of Scripture 1 Sam. 2.6 Job 5.17 18. Job 12.9 10. Job 12.14 Job 13.15 Job 13.26 Job 14.16 17. Job 16.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Job 19.21 Job 19.25 26 27. Job 23.12 13 14. Job 27.5 6. Psal 39.7 8 9 11 12 13. 1 Sam. 3.18 Jam. 1.2 3. Jam. 1.12 1 Thess 3.3 4. Jam. 4.10 Jam. 5.11 1 Pet. 1.5 6 7. 1 Pet. 4.1 2. 1 Pet. 4.12 13. Rubrick If the Person visited be very Sick then the Curate may end his Exhortation in this Place or else procéed Note By Curate in this Place is not meant only a stipendiary Minister but every Rector and spiritual Incumbant who hath Curam animarum He is left to use his discretion either in lengthning out or cutting short his Exhortation as he sees the sick party in a capacity to admit of any longer or shorter discourse The following part of the Exhortation is grounded upon these places of Scripture Heb. 12.6 7 8 9 10 11. Heb. 12.2 3. Rom. 6.3 4 5. Rom. 8.29 Luk. 24.26 2 Tim. 2.11 12 13. 1 Pet. 4.13 1 Thes 4.14 15 16 17. Heb. 10.23 Heb. 9.27 2 Cor. 5.10 Rom. 14.10 1 Cor. 11.31 32. After this Exhortation the Minister is to rehearse to the sick party the Articles of our faith that the party may know whether he believes as a Christian Man should or no. Admirable is that saying of St. Augustine Male vivitur si de Deo non recte creditur we live ill and dye so too if we believe amiss of God Heaven Gates are shut up against Male-fidians as well as Nulli-fidians and Soli-fidians If our faith be wrong all is wrong Christian Religion is made up of these two constituent parts a right faith and a righteous life as a right faith without a righteous life will not save us so neither will a righteous life without a right belief He who lives justly but blasphemes impiously cannot be safe Vid. Haman Lestrange Alliance of Divine Offices pag. 297. Dr. Sparrow Rational pag. 327. Therefore this is a very considerable question put to the sick Person whether he believes as a Christian ought to do and there can be no better rule to try his faith by than the Creed which is the summary of all contained in both Testaments touching God the Father Son and Holy Ghost August Serm. de Temp. 137. Ruffin in Symbol Tertull. de praescript Irenaeus lib. 1. c. 3. 19. Here I have assumed to my self a liberty of inserting this short Exposition following upon the Apostles Creed The Apostles Creed or Rule of Faith Creed So called from the Latin word Credo because it contains our Credenda it is Lex credendorum all necessary points of faith are comprized in it To believe what is laid down there is necessary for all points in it are fundamentals but to believe all deductions drawn from thence is not so absolutely necessary in regard they are but superstructures in the fundamentals we should all agree and it were to be wished we could agree also in the explication and application of the superstructures Lis de nugis ha tamen nugae ad seria ducant The Apostles Creed So called 1. Because they or their Disciples made it Tertul. Apolog. cont gent. c. 47. August Serm. 5. de Temp. c. 2. Cyprian in Exposit Symbol Ruffin in Symbol n. 10. It is very ancient in use before the Epistle to the Hebrews was written Calvin in Heb. 6.1 It was in use before any part of the New Testament Irenaeus lib. 3. c. 4. 2. Because it contains the chief heads of the Apostles Doctrine It is as a rich Treasure digg'd out of the Golden Mines of the Apostles The Object of the Creed 1. God Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. The Church of God The general Heads of it 1. Touching God the Father and the Worlds Creation 2. Touching God the Son and Mankinds Redemption 3. Touching God the Holy Ghost and the Churches Sanctification As concerning the Church it treats 1. Of her signal properties 2. Of her sublime priviledges The particular Heads of it Twelve Articles or Joynts knitting together the whole Body of Christian saith Fides una copulativa The 1. Article I believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth Where Note 1. The Act Believe The Christian Religion is a Religion of faith wherein Reason is not so properly contradicted Rom. 1.16 Hebrews 11. 1 John 5.4 Hebr. 10.23 1 Tim. 3.9 1 Tim. 3.16 as raised up to a higher pitch and supernaturaliz'd Our Saviour did not clear Nicodemus his Quomodo by any Arguments of Reason but resolved the great mystery of Regeneration into a principle of faith John 3. Tertullian's answer to Marcion was I deo verum quia impossibile This honour hath the Christian Religion above others that it rests upon surer Principles than carnal Arguments 1 Cor. 1.20 Luc. 5.22 The first Lesson taught in Socrates School was silence and in Aristotles to rest in the judgment of their Master So in Christs School Oportet discentem credere We must not reason much about matters of Religion but piously rest in them Pruritus disputandi scabies ecclesiae it would be more for the honour of our Christian Religion did we practise more and dispute less Minus Scientiae might be allowed as to unnecessaries had we Plus Conscientiae as to necessaries 2. The Personality I we must pray for others but believe for our selves We may put others into our Pater-noster Habak 2.4 we must put only our selves into our Creed Matth. 9.22 No Mans saith can do us good but our own we cannot believe by an Atturney Luke 7.50 nor be saved by a Proxie We are received into the bosom of the Church upon the faith of the Church but when we are arrived up to the use of our reason we must make confession with our
of our deceased friends unto the Grave we do not lay up these precious Reliques in the Wardrobe of the Earth as Carkasses lost and perished but as having in them a seed of Eternity in sure and certain hope of a Resurrection to Eternal Life this is to bury Christianly the hope of the Resurrection being the proper hope of Christians Vid. August de Civit. Dei lib. 1. c. 13. Now this hope is grounded upon Christ's Resurrection who is our Resurrection and Life John 11.25 He is Primogenitus mortuorum Colos 1.18 As he rose in se so he rose Pro aliis As an Angel proclaimed at his Grave Resurrexit non est hic Mat. 28.6 So from his Resurrection we have added on our Tomb-stones to Hic jacet this happy clause Spe Resurgendi What is gone before in the Head shall follow in the Members if the Head be above there is hope for the whole Body if the Root have Life the Branches shall not long be without Christ the first fruits being restored to life all the rest of the dead who die in him are in him entitled to the same hope Rubrick Then shall be said or sung Note This following is another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or triumphant Hymn to be sung by Priest and People or said by the Priest alone to show our expressions of joy over our deceased friends whereby we do in a holy valour laugh at death I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me write From henceforth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours Note This place of Scripture is primarily applied to the great Trials and Persecutions which were then to fall upon the Church within a short time which should be so great that they should be counted happy who were well dead before and were gone to enjoy their reward of peace and bliss being taken away from the Earth before such combats and storms as these should fall The holy Divine accounts those happiest who should die soonest and be taken out of this life from having their parts in the evil to come Isay 57.1 So upon mention of oppressors and strength on their side and the no comforter the Preacher tells us that he praised the dead which are already dead Eccles 4.1 2. And to this belongs the answer of the Spirit in the words following they shall have rest from their labours that is from those Persecutions which attend them here and which only death can put an end to But our Church very fitly applies it to all the Saints and Servants of God departing this life as finishing their warfare and going out of the World to receive the reward both of their Christian combat and conquest Rubrick Then the Priest shall say Note Here the Priest is Vox Populi the Peoples Mouth to God-ward Luk. 18.13 Lord have mercy upon us To God the Father Mat. 15.22 Christ have mercy upon us To God the Son Mark 10.48 Lord have mercy upon us To God the Holy Ghost Note This is thrice repeated to shew our faith in the Trinity This was called the lesser Litany and was of very early usage in Church Offices Clem. constit lib. 8. cap. 5. 6. Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Our Father Great in our Creation Good in our Redemption Rich in Goodness and good in the riches of thy mercy sweet in love and slow to wrath willing to hear us for our Father able to help us for in Heaven Which art in Heaven The Glass of Eternity the Crown of Felicity the Treasure of all Complacency In Heaven Eminenter chiefly there but not only there in Heaven the Throne of thy Glory the Place of thy Majesty teaching us both whither to direct our Prayers and where to setle our affections when we pray Hallowed be thy Name in us by us upon us thy Kingdom come That it may be as Hony in the Mouth Melody in the Ear Jubily in the heart as Holiness is chief in Thee so let it be chief in our account and esteem of Thee May thy Name of Father be so hallowed in us and by us in our words lives and actions that we may deserve the title of Sons Thy Kingdom come Thy Kingdom of Grace come to us that we may come to thy Kingdom of Glory Thy Kingdom come that the Kingdom of Sin Satan and Death may be destroyed Thy Kingdom of Power to defend us Thy Kingdom of Grace to Sanctifie us Thy Kingdom of Glory to establish us in all bliss and happiness We are in this World but thy Kingdom is not of this World call us out of the one into the other Here thy Kingdom is begun in us by grace hereafter it must be perfected in us by glory Here is truth mixed with error here is joy mixed with grief here is tranquility mixed with trouble Here thy Kingdom thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven hath many enemies who seek the division of it labour the ruine of it malice the glory of it though avert it they may evert it they cannot The gates of Hell cannot prevail against the gates of Sion nor the kingdom of Satan against the Kingdom of Christ But O Lord let it come in its power and full glory that there may be in it Truth not mixed with errour Joy not mixed with sorrow Peace without trouble Glory without shame and a Kingdom so setled it upon us and we in it that there may be no more fear of losing it Thy will be done c. Thy will not ours be done in us and by us Freely without coaction fully without imperfection faithfully without fraud or hypocrisie In us that is in us men as it is done in Heaven that is in and by the holy Angels So that we may love those things which thou lovest hate those things which thou hatest shun those things which thou forbidest and do those things which thou commandest Give us this day and suffer those things with patience which thou art pleased in thy wise providence to inflict upon us Give us this day c. Give for we cannot have it except thou give it Dicimus da nobis ne putetur esse a nobis We are taught to ask it of God to shew that we have it not of our selves Us thou teacheth us that we are not to pray for our selves alone but that we are to seek the good one of another Pro se orat necessitas pro aliis charitas This day Day is here taken for life so long as we live so long shall we stand in need of God's givings and may say this Prayer Give us c. This day should teach us moderation in the pursuit of earthly things They are Utenda not Fruenda things to use not to enjoy Like Israel's Manna we are to feed upon them only till we come to the borders of our Canaan This life is Via the way Daily bread is