behold him as my Judge For if I be ashamed of him in his infirmity how shall he not be ashamed of me in his glory Therefore I dare not be ashamed of this day least I should seem to be ashamed of him also no nor of his prayer least I should seem to be ashamed of his words since himself hath said Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son ef man be ashamed when â—e cometh in the glory of his Father with the Holy Angel Mar. 8. 38. SECT XI The first Christmas-day was kept by the Holy Angels therefore no will-worship in keeping Christmas but rather a necessity to keep it from Heb. 1. 6. The Kingdom of Christ as Creator and as Redeemer IN keeping of Christmas the Church militant follows the example of the Church Triumphant for the First Christmas-Day that was ever kept on Earth was kept by the Holy Angels that came of purpose from Heaven to keep it Luk. 2. 13 14 And suddenly there was with the Angel A multitude of the Heavenly Host Praising God and saying Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth Peace good will towards men Shall that be accounted Superstition in men which was undoubted Religion in the Angels or can we be called will-worshippers for doing no more then they did unless you will first call them so Let will-worship go in Epiphanius his language for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for wilful and for superfluous worship for what it hath of mans will or wilfulness it cannot but have of superfluity But let us take heed of calling that will-worship for which there is a Precedent in the Text and so great a reason for that Precedent for it is most certain that the blessed Angels in Heaven had great reason to joy for the incarnation of Christ since he was the Repairer of their ruine in their fellows and the confirmer of their â—â—ay or standing in themselves whence Alensis tels us plainly that the Angels joy and bliss was greater after the incarnation of Christ then it had been before For though the substantial Joy of the Angels consist in the contemplation of the Divinity yet their accidental joy consists in the contemplation of the Humanity of our blessed Saviour as it is united to his Divinity Accrevit igitur gaudium Angelorum licet non quod substantiam tamen quantum ad multitudinem quia pluribus modis habent modò gaudium in beatitudine quà m ante Incarnationem Par. 3. q. 12. Therefore the Joy of the Angels is increased by the Nativity of Christ though not in its substance yet in its Variety for that now they rejoyce more several wayes then before for whereas before the Incarnation they rejoyced to see God in God now since it They rejoyce to see God in man And we find that they did sing and triumph that they might express their joy surely not to teach us Christians who in that we are men have much greater cause of joy from thence then the Angels could have I say surely not to teach us men a lesson of silence and of fullenss But if we will not regard Precedent yet we must regard Precept And the Angels seem to have a Precept to worship our Saviour Christ at his Nativity For the Apostles words seem to look towards a Precept Heb. 1. 6. When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world He saith And let all the Angels of God worship him I know this Text chiefly aims at the Proof of Christs Divinity but if the Holy Spirit thought he had sufficiently proved the first-begotten of the Father though brought into the world in the form of a servant to be no less then God when he had said And let all the Angels of God worship him It is evident they do what is in them to invalidate this Proof who at the very time that he was thus brought into the world do cry out as loud as they can let not the the sons of men worship him But where doth the Holy Ghost say this Epiphanius in his Ancorate plainly cites Moses's song for this Text which is in Deut. 32. where v. 42. The Greek interpretation hath these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all the Angels of God worship him but with some various lections to make the Interpretation disputable at least if not questionable However since no such thing is to be found in the Hebrew and we are not assured that the Holy Ghost spake in Greek by the Septuagint supposing their Translation hath been preserved incorruptible we may not ascribe this Greek Translation to the saying of the Holy Ghost we must therefore appeal to the Hebrew Original which we are sure came immediately from Gods holy Spirit and then we shall find this Injunction Worship him all ye Angels of God in Psal 97. 7. And indeed the whole Argument of that Psalm is nothing else but a Prophecy of the Kingdom of Christ and an exhortation both to Angels and men Joyfully to celebrate the magnificence and thankfully to acknowledge the power of his Kingdom For the Kingdom of Christ may be considered either as he is Creator Eternal God with the Father and the Holy Ghost and so the Jews themselves will not deny him to be their King or As Redeemer God and man in one Person and and so the Jews do stiffly deny his Kingdom and we Christians had need beware least we may seem to encourage or at least to confirm and Harden them in that Denial SECT XII We must embrace all opportunities of glorifying Christ that we may not be thought to desert either our Saviour or our selves whiles we are defective in our Devotions either for want of Preparation before which hath hitherto made us so bad Christians in so good a Church or of Affection in them which will keep us from being good Christians or of Thankfulness after them which wil keep us from worthily magnifying the name of Christ THe best course I know to prevent the hardening either of our own or of others Hearts is to take all the opportunities that are offered us of glorifying our blessed Saviour for he that is willing to neglect an opportunity can scarce be zealously inclined to lay hold of another time he that will not Honour Christ on his own Day will scarce pick out another Day to honour him though he may pretend to keep Christmass all the year or if he be indeed zealously inclined to honour Christ yet other Christians cannot be easily inclined to think him so and Jews must necessarily think him not so And though we ought not to judge them also that are without 1 Cor. 5. 12. yet we ought not to offend them and much less them that are within for this is the way to cause God to judge us we will therefore take that for granted which cannot be denied that we have all great need to imploy very much and cannot imploy
to man in teaching him how to rejoyce for his Redemption Hymns expressing that joy may be only to the honour of God and directed to him The evil spirit silenced at the coming of Christ but the mouth of the good Spirit was opened THere is no man but naturally desires joy and delight as a remedy against his labours naturaliter appetit delectationes medicinas contra labores sensuum motuum saith Aquinas The reason why the natural man looks so much after his delights is because he looks upon them as medicines to heal his sicknesses or as remedies against the continual labours of his sense and of his motion And for this reason the spiritual man ought much more to look after his spiritual delights because he is much more under the labours of sense and motion then is the natural man for there is no sense so irksom as the sense of Gods wrath and of mans unworthiness and no motion so toilsom as that which seeks to climb up from earth to heaven and this is the sense this is the motion of the spiritual man he is continually feeling the burden of flesh and much more of sin upon his soul there 's his sense He is continually panting and â—ighing after God for rest there 's his motion In so great a labour both of his sense and of his motion how should he be able to subsist if it were not for the comfort of spiritual delight which proceeds only from Gods Holy Spirit For delight cannot be but from some good that is convenient and present and known to be so Ad delectationem duo requiruntur conjunctio boni convenientis cognitio hujus conjunctionis saith the same Aquinas A man cannot have delight without two things first the conjunction or acquisition of some convenient good then the knowledge of that conjunction so is it in this case The Redemption of our souls from death is undoubtedly both a convenient and a present good and yet few men have true joy and delight from it because few apprehend it as actually present Wherefore it is the singular gift and love of God the Holy Ghost to any man to give him the true knowledge of his Saviour that he may give him the true joy of his salvation For this indeed is the joy in the Holy Ghost and comes only from him It is he that teacheth the Church Militant to sing a new song on earth for her joy in Christ it is he that teacheth the Church Triumphant to sing a new song in heaven for the same joy O sing unto the Lord a new song saith the Psalmist Psal 98. and that Psalm is nothing else but a song of Joy and Thanksgiving for the Redemption of mankind by Jesus Christ there 's the new song on earth and again Rev. 5. 9. They sung a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood there 's the new song in heaven to express the joy of the same Redemption For the Holy Spirit teacheth them to practise this new song in earth who are to sing their part of it in heaven For those men are not like to come to Abrahams bosom who are not Abrahams sons and those men are not yet Abrahams sons who have not his faith and do not his works Now this was the Faith of Abraham to see the day of Christ and this was his work to joy in that sight John 8. 56. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exultavit gestivit He rejoyced and he desired to express his joy His desire encreased his joy and his joy inflamed his desire He did see it a far off by faith the eye of his soul and he desired to see it nearer by sense with the eye of his body the joy of the one did not hinder but advance the joy of the other for if the heart of them must rejoice that seeke the Lord Psal 105. 3. then much more must the heart of them rejoce that have found him Accordingly good Christians do indeede shew no other then Abrahams faith by desiring to looke on Christ and no other then Abrahams worke by rejoycing in that vision which we may well suppose was the cause that the Latine Church antiently used and still useth some such peculiar hymns before the nativity of Christ as it is hard to determine whether they have more of desire in them to see his day comming or of joy to see it come our Calander still retains the memory of the first of those hymns which was O sapientia on the 17 of December but the hymns themselves in the Latine Church hold out till Christmas eve I will give you a short scheme of them 1. O Sapientia veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae O Thou who art the eternal wisdom of God come and Teach us the way of true wisedom 2. O Adonai veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento O thou who art the Lord of might come and redeem us by thy mighty hand 3. O radix Jesse veni ad liberandum nos O thou root of Jesse come and deliver us 4. O Clavis David veni educ vinctum de domo carceris O thou Key of David come and open the prison doors and let out the Prisoners 5. O oriens splendor lucis aeternae veni illumina sedentes in tenebris umbrâ mortis O thou Day-spring of eternal light come and enlighten us who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death 6. O Rex gentium salva hominem quem de limo formasti O thou who art the King of the Nations come and save man whom thou hast formed of the dust of the earth 7. O Emanuel veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster O thou who art God with us be also a God to us and save us O Lord our God These greater and more solemn hymns called Antiphone majores were at first made only in the honour of Christ though in process of time after the Invocation of Saints had crept into the Church there were two more added to them O Thoma Didyme and O virgo Virginum as Hugo testifieth in his Commentary upon the 38. Psalm which now the office it self of the blessed Virgin blusheth at and taketh no notice of at all and it were to be wished it had left out other prayers to the Blsseed Virgin which are as grosly superstitious as were those Hymns For they that believe Christ to be God must confess him to be a jealous God and that he hath said I am the Lord that is my name and my glory will I not give to another Isa 42. 8. and what is his glory but that of Prayer and of Praise Accordingly it is observable that at the time of his coming in the flesh the Oracles of Jupiter Apollo Hecate were
their prayers which they offered to his Divine Majesty But our charity and our devotion are both grown cold and our charity so cold that it hath quite chilled our devotion we are loth to be at the charges to honour Christ with set anniversary Festivals for fear of continuing or reviving the formerly accustomed alms to his poor members for we cannot deny but giving something to the poor is a most fitting Concomitant or proper adjunct of a Festival being so taught John 13. 29. where our Saviours words to Judas That thou dost do quickly being spoken against the feast arâ— thus interpreted that he should give something to the poor And indeed they are so rightly interpreted For since our Saviour hath suffered so much for us we connot do enough for him and our doings for him must needs then be most seasonable when we record his sufferings for us And as he was so willing to suffer for our sakes that he called upon the Traytor to dispatch quickly so we should be as willing to do for his sake and in all matters of charity that may be helpful unto our brethren every man say to himself what thou dost do quickly Wherefore let me seriously and constantly pour out my soul to God in unquestionable devotion meditate on Gods holy word hunger after his body thirst after his blood and willingly and frequently releive and refresh his poor members and though I may be able to keep nothing else yet I shall be sure to keep a good conscience which will be to me a continual Feast yea though all the Holy Dayes that are instituted in the remembrance of Christ should be forbidden and forgotten by others yet the performance of these holy duties will never let me want my Christian Festivals SECT V. The practice of the Primitive Christians in observing the Feast of Easter and that there was no superstition in that practice THE Primitive Christians did exceedingly rejoyce at the Anniversary Feast of our Saviours Resurrection and did long continue that their rejoycing even till the day of his Ascension or rather till the day of his descending again in the gift of the Holy-Ghost so saith Balsamon of some in the Greek Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they accounted the whole time from Easter to Whitsontide but a one continual Lords day And it is evident that the first Council of Nice which hath but twenty Canons in the whole hath bestowed one of them and that is the last meerly upon the manner of celebrating this solemnity requiring all people to say their prayers standing on every day of the week betwixt Easter and Whitsontide no less then on the Lords days all the year after to proclaim their joy for as well as to profess their faith in their Saviours Resurrection Nor were they acquainted with any other salutation at that time of the year but only this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord is risen and the party thus saluted made answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true he is risen indeed they thought they could not wish one another any joy like the joy of Christ nor any joy of Christ like the joy of his Resurrection The like salutation was in the Latine Church Resurrexit Dominus the Lord is risen said he who saluted his neighbour and the other answered Deo gratias the Lord be thanked or Apparuit Simoni he hath appeared unto Simon This was all their Good morrow Good even one to the other in the more antient and more innocent times of the Church Nay yet more on every Sunday from the Resurrection to the Ascention did the Latine Church repeat the collect for Easter day Deus qui per Vnigenitum tuum aeternitatis nobis aditum reserâsti Almighty God which by thy only begotten Son hast opened unto us the gate of everlasting life leaving out only hodiernâ die on this day because they could not make one day hold out to forty And as they did so long continue the same prayer so did they as long continue the same praise singing three several Alleluiahs on every one of these Sundays for this infinite mercy and eternal consolation in our Saviour Christ for a heavenly comfort expressing a heavenly joy as if they had already passed from the Church militant to be of the Church triumphant would have no more to do with the earth since our Saviour was risen from it and going into Heaven Surely Saint Augustine cals the whole three days of our blessed Saviours passion death and Resurrection sacratissimum triduum the three most holy days in the circle of the whole year and the cheif of the three was that of his Resurrection which was therefore antiently accounted not only the first day of the week for so is any other Sunday but also the first day of the year that is to say the first in dignity as well as in order Veteris anni Ecclesiastici initium à Pascha Pascha dicebatur annus novus saith Scaliger lib. 1. de em tem The beginning of the Ecclesiastical year was antiently at Easter and that was called the new year And in the Greek Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 new years week was the same with Easter week and how this account came afterwards to be altered in the Church and the new year translated from Easter to Christmass the same Scaliger sheweth lib. 6. de emend temp in these words Institutum vetus in Ecclesiâ fuit in natali Domini Pascha proximum ejusque diem indiculis aut breviculis notare Ab hoc more fluxit ut à natali Domini anni passionis ejus numeraâ—entur hoc est ut annum passionis inciperent putare à natali Domini qui tamen putandus erat à sequenti Paschâ— Because at Christmas they did antiently give out the Calender for the ensuing Easter thence it came to pass that some began the account of the year of Christ at Christmas which they should not have begun till the Easter after But for a long time in the account of the Church Easter day was the first day and Easter week was the first week in the whole year which was the occasion that the common dayes of all the other weeks were by the Latine Church called feriae that is holy-dayes as feria secunda tertia quarta the second third and fourth holy-day instead of Munday Tuesday Wednesday because they followed the account of Easter week whereof every day was a holy-day So the same Scaliger lib. 7. de emend temp Quare prima secunda tertia quarta quinta Septimane dictae sunt feriae quum in omnibus hebdomadibus feriandi necessitas nulle incumbat haec ratio est quod annus Ecclesiasticus incipiat à Pascha septimana autem Paschatis erat immunis ab opere faciendo feriata unde quum sex illi dies post Pascha feriati esseâ—… ea esset prima anni hebdomas inde factum ut omnes diâ—s septimanae vocarentur feriae Lex
Sedere est judicantis stare vero pugnantis adjuvantis Stephanus ergo in labore certaminis positus stantem vidit quem adjutorem â—abuit sed tunc post ascensionem Marcus sedere describit qua post Ascensionis gloriam inde in â—iâ—e videbitur To sit belongs to one that judgeth to stand to one that helpeth Therefore Saint Stephen saw Christ standing when he needed his help though Saint Mark described him as sitting because after he was ascended he looked on him as ready to judge the quick and dead God grant all the persecuted Ministers and servants of Christ so to see their master standing as ready to help them nay indeed so they do see him or they could not contentedly undergo their persecutions Quo propiùs mortem accedunt martyres eo propiùs Christum intuentes in coelum assurgunt saith the same Beza in his short notes upon the place The Martyrs the nearer they approach to death the nearer they behold Christ and when they seem to fall lowest they do indeed rise highest when their head is nearest earth even upon the block their heart is nearest heaven when we most see their destruction they most see their own salvation we look on their destroyers standing over them ready to dispatch them but they look on their Saviour standing over their destroyers even at the right hand of God ready to receive them Most heavenly is that contemplation of Tertullian lib. de resur carn Quemadmodum nobis arrhabonem Spiritus reliquit ita à nobis arrhabonem carnis accepit vexiâ— in coelum pignus totius summae illuc quandoque redigendae Securi igitur estote caro sanguis usurpâstis enim coelum regnum in Christo Our blessed Saviour as he gave unto us the earnest of his Spirit so he took of us the earnest of our flesh and carried that with him into heaven as a pledge that all the rest should follow after it Be secure then O flesh and blood for ye have already ascended into heaven and do even now in Christ your head possess and enjoy the Kingdom of God CAP. III. Christ considered after he was ascended as sitting on the hand of God SECT I. What is meant by the right hand of God and by Christs sitting there SAint Augustine in his hundred and fifteenth Sermon de tempore ascribes this part of the Apostles Creed concerning Christs ascending into heaven and sitting on the right hand of God to Saint Bartholomew and the antient Fathers do generally make them both but one Article or at least joyn them so together as if they were bur one Wherein they speak much after the dialect of Saint Peter 1 Pet. 3. 22. Who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God But I have rather chosen to treat of them severally because though we should allow them to be but one article of our Faith yet they are two several mysteries of our Religion and indeed the one an effect and consequent of the other and therefore not the same with it For our blessed Saviour first ascended in his humane body and afterwards in that same humane body sate at the right hand of God But here we must be sure to observe Origens caution Ne tibi describas sensibiles sessiones duas cathedras sedentes super â—as humano Schemate Patrem Filium take heed you phansie not to your self any visible sitting as if there were two chairs in heaven the one for the Father to sit in the other for the Son to sit by him Nor may we think that God hath such a right hand for Christ to sit on as Solomon had for his mother Bathsheba 1 King 2. 19 He caused a seat to be set for the Kings Mother and she sate on his right hand We must have no such earthly and fleshly thoughts of the place and much less of the God of spirits but by the right hand of God We must understand the power and majesty and glory of the God head So Saint Basil in lib. desp S. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The right hand of God doth not signifie any relation of place but equality of power So Saint Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when you hear of Gods right hâ—nd you must thereby undeastand the glory honour and worship of God and nothing else is meant by Christs sitting at the right hand of God but his being in the same glory with the Father Excellently Damascence lib. 4. de orth fide cap. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was the more willing to transcribe the whole words because this piece of Damascen is scarce to be met with but in Colledge Libraries and is not like to be there very long if some men may have their wills who gaping after Colledge lands would force the poor Scholars to sell their books to buy bread but the meaning of them is this We say that Christ sitteth on the right hand of his father corporally or locally in his humane body But we do not say that the right hand of his Father is local or corporal confined to any place or situation for how can he that is uncircumscrîbed and unconfined have such a right hand But we call the right hand of the Father the glory honour of the Godhead in the which Christ as the Son of God was Copartner with his Father before all ages being coessential with him But now also as the Son of man in his humane flesh or body is he possessed of the same glory his humane nature being glorified together with his Divine nature and worshipped in the same person by all the Saints and Angels in heaven SECT II. That Christ as man sitteth on the right hand of God IT is not to be denyed but that our Saviour Christ doth as he is a man sit at the right hand of God For he doth sit there in his humane nature whether we take his sitting at the right hand of God for his resting in eternal blessedness after all the travails and labours of his sufferings as Saint Augustine doth in Expos Symb. or for being assumed and associated into the glory of the Divinity as Damascen expounds it For as in his Divine nature he sate at the right hand of God from all eternity being in the same power and glory and blessedness with him so also after his ascension he carried up his humane nature to sit there having taken the nature of man as into the unity so also into the glory and blessedness of his person and in it administring the Kingdom of his father as head of the Church both Militant and Triumphant King of Saints and governour of all things in heaven and in earth For so himself hath told us Mat. 28. 18. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Go therefore and teach all nations baptizng them or rather Go therefore and Disciple all nations baptizing them that is make them my Disciples by baptizing them in the
enjoyning duties shewing us that we cannot take any of either but we must take all And this is most evident in the present case for the fourth Commandment plâ—inly presupposeth all that is enjoyned in the three former commandments concerning holy duties or the whole substance of Religion both internal and external and then also farther addeth an obligation of consecrating time and other adjuncts for the publick exercise thereof that God may be the more solemnly glorified and men the more truely edified whilst the duties of Religion are all practised together in a full communion of Saints the Church Militant being obliged in this to imitate the Church Triumphant that it invite men on earth to glorifie God with one accord as the Angels do glorifie him in heaven And in this respect we may easily believe and readily confess the first Sabbath to have been both instituted and kept in Paradise for the Church was there founded and the Communion of Saints there first established That is the communion of holy men with the holy Angels and with themselves joyning together to sing Halleluiahs to God their blessed Creator which was indeed the principal end of their creation And accordingly men were at first enabled to the discharge of this great duty as well as the Angels having the right and acceptable forms of praising God imprinted in their hearts and when through transgression they had disabled themselves it pleased God of his infinite goodness to grant them as it were a new impression and to give them a second edition of those praises in his holy Scriptures which before had been written in their own hearts but were now very much slurred and defaced if not quite obliterated and blotted out This great and undeserved mercy of God those men either shamefully forget or ineffectually remember who cry up the Sabbath day but beat down the Sabbath Duty making little or no use of the written Word of God in their publick worship and making little or no account of those forms of praâ—er and praise which are either contained therein or agreeable thereto but setting up their own private gifts against that publick communion which should be in Gods house and service by virtue of this fourth Commandment discountenancing the exercise of Religion in known forms of heavenly prayers able to establish the heart and encouraging new-fangled devices which are only fit to busie and tickle the phansie By which ungodly practice for so it must be called though it pretend to the greatest measure of godliness they in effect throw the fourth Commandment out of the Church whilst they pretend to set it up over the Altar since not sitting still or keeping an outward rest but comming together that we may all labour inwardly in Hallowing the name of our Father which is in heaven is the cheif moral duty of the Sabbath For as in the promise of the fifth so in the precept of the fourth Commandment the Lawgivers expression containeth the least part of his intention and we may no more confine this precept in the duty then we may that promise in the reward Therefore as we would be loth to look no farther then the Land of Canaan for our inheritance so we should be wary how we assert that God looks no farther then the Sabbath day for our obedience Truth is it pleased God to train up the Jews in his fear by types and figures and as it were to wrap up heaven in earth spirituals in temporals morals in ceremonials substances in circumstances to them as well in his precepts as in his promises particularly in that precept which concerned his publick worship because that amongst the Jews was for the most part Ceremonial and figurative Wherefore if we desire rightly and fully to understand the fourth Commandment we must conceive it in so great a latitude as to comprize all those Commissions injunctions invitations and exhortations which we find in the Old and New Testament given either to Kings or Ministers or People concerning the ordering establishing reforming practicing professing or promoting the solemn publick worship of Almighty God which is in truth the principal end thereof unless we will say that all those moral duties are reducible to none of the ten commandments in the decalogue and consequently that all they were will-worshippers who either professed or promoted or practised them For as such duties of Religion are to be done publickly and solemnly by many together in one communion they are not reducible to any of the three first commandments which speak to single persons but only to the fourth which alone speaketh to whole families or to many persons joyned together in one community And therefore it is not amiss to say that Hallowed be thy name is that Petition which most directly prayes for Grace to perform the duty of the fourth Commandment since all other things are hallowed for his names sake God sanctifying times places persons and forms of prayers and praise unto us that he may sanctifie us unto himself nor is it amiss to say that the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints is that Article of faith which most directly professeth to believe the truth of the fourth Commandment for it is only the Catholick Church the Communion of Saints which doth rightly hallow and praise Gods holy name The Hallowing of Gods most holy name belonging equally to the decalogue and to the Creed and to the Lords most holy prayer belonging to the decalogue as it is a duty to be performed belonging to the Creed as it is a truth to be believed and belonging to the Lords Prayer as it is a good to be desired as we are all bound to pray that we may perform this duty and believe this truth For Faith Hope and Charity are not to be separated from one another but do alike belong to supernatural Truths and to religious or moral duties because both truths and duties do equally call for our faith to know and believe them and for our hope to crave and desire them and for our Charity to love and embrace them But if we take the outward sanctification of a day for the principal morality of the Sabbath we shall scarce find a Petition in the Lords most holy and most perfect prayer relating to such a Duty nor an Article in the Apostles Creed relating to such a Truth and so we shall phansie to our selves such a morality as is without a good to be desired and without a truth to be believed for without doubt The Lords Prayer briefly containeth all the good we are bound to desire and the Apostles Creed briefly containeth all the Truths we are bound to believe as well as the Decalogue briefly containeth all the Duties we are bound to practise and perform Whereas on the other side if we look upon hallowing the name of God in our publick worship as upon the principal moral duty that is enjoyned in the fourth Commandment we shall find the Decalogue and the Creed and
habits as by its instruments and therefore these have the least reason to boast of grace who least regard the virtuous habits whereby it worketh and so cry up Faith in Christ as in effect to beat down the cheifest duties of Christianity For grace is the beginning of spiritual actions by the mediation of virtuous habits even as the soul is the beginning of vital actions by the mediation of its powers and faculties And as the soul works not immediately from it self the actions of the natural life so neither doth grace work immediately of it self the actions of the spiritual life For grace indeed hath two acts in regard of the soul as the soul hath in regard of the body Primus ad esse Secundus ad operari The first act is to give life and that is immediate from it self the second act is to give the operations of life and that is mediate by virtuous qualities and dispositions so neerly doth it concern every Christian that desires to be under grace to lead his life in all Godliness and vertue for there can be no assurance of life but from the operations of life no assurance of the spiritual being but from the evidence of the spiritual working Excellently Aquinas Potest aliquis cognoscere se habere gratiam in quantum percipit se delectari in Deo contemnit res mundanas non est conscius sibi alicujus mortalis peccati 1a 2ae 112. 5. cap. A man may know himself to be in grace if he find that he delights in God and contemns this world and is not conscious to himself of any grievous or mortal sin There are but few signs or tokens but they are infallible And we must conclude that those men who care not what sins they commit against God their brethren and their own consciences either to get or to keep the advantages of this world as they shew but little contempt of the world so they shew a great contempt of God And they that contemn God cannot be said to delight in him and they that do not delight in him cannot receive comfort from him wherefore it is an evil spirit not the spirit of God which doth witness to such men that they are the Sons of God when their own consciences cannot but witness that they are his enemies SECT IV. The great joy of Christians for being under grace or for being adopted in Christ and how that joy is to be moderated by the consideration of our own frailty and of Gods impartial Justice in the judgement to come MAny men have a cheerful countenance that have but a sorrowful heart The yong man seems to be of this temper whom Solomon so sharply reproves or rather so plainly derides Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O yong man in thy youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes there is cheerfulness enough as to the outward man but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement There 's sorrowfulness more then enough as to the inward man whilst walking in his own wayes makes him lift up his face the thought of judgement cannot but cast down his heart therefore they alone do truly rejoyce who have such a joy as cannot end in sorrow not a joy for being the Lords over their Brethren but a joy for being the servants of their God not a joy for overcoming others but for overcoming themselves not a joy for having gained an inheritance on earth but a joy for being assured of an inheritance in heaven Our Saviour said to his own Disciple Notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven Luke 10. 20. If it be not the cause of a true Christians joy to have power and dominion over evil spirits which is the peculiar priviledge of Christs own Church much less can it be the cause of a true Christian joy to have dominion and power over good men which is the common priviledge of Christs enemies The joy then of a Christian is not for having his name far spread on earth but for having his name written in heaven not for overcoming his Brother but for overcoming his lusts And to him that thus overcometh will he that holdeth the seven Stars in his right hand and walketh in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks give to eat of the hidden Manna Rev. 2. which without doubt affords a marvellous sweetness to all those that eat of it But who can eat of this heavenly Manna save only they who have their names written in heaven for it is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it unto the dogs Mark 7 27. Nor can the dogs eat so much as the crumbs that fall from this heavenly table We must be children before we can eat of this bread and then may we not always expect to eat our fill of it least that Scripture be fulfilled of us the second time He that eateth bread with me hath lift up his heel against me John 13. 18. For Jesurun waxed fat and kicked then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation Deut. 32. 15. Therefore do the most judicious Divines advise us that though we stedfastly believe our selves to be Gods adopted Sons yet we may not too suddenly make sure of our inheritance but must work out our salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. And though we be indeed the called of Jesus Christ Rom. 1. 6. yet we must give diligence to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. Saint Peter is very zealous in this point as by his own sad experience having known the mischeif of too much confidence And therefore although in Saint Pauls words there be reason enough for our fear and trembling because our salvation is to be worked out before it can be enjoyed for no man but hath cause more then enough to suspect his own works and much more the continuance of his good working yet Saint Peter gives us another reason of our fear because we must all be judged before we can be saved 1 Pet. 1. 17. And if ye call on the Father who â—…hout respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear Here is supposed an adopted child for he cals on the Father but he is not supposed to be puffed up with his adoption for he is to pass his time of sojourning in fear and the reason is because his Father is to be his Judge and will judge him according to his works for which one reason are alledged three reasons by Aquinas when he saith Expedit quandoque praesentiam Dei in nobis per gratiam ignorare ut timor Divini judicii nos humiliet ne praesumpta securitas nos praecipitet ut desideranter Gratiam Dei expetamus It is expedient for us sometimes to be ignorant of Gods
in substance that we now have though not the same in manner nor in degree They knew him to be the Mediator between God and man as well as we but they know this confusedly and imperfectly we now know it clearly distinctly and perfectly The difference was not in the substance of the knowledge but in the manner and degrees only So that the Jews worshipped God in Christ as we Christians worship him for in all their sacrifices they did look upon the Messiah as the only propitiation for their sins Hence the 22. Psalm was a part of their dayly morning service which may not unfitly be called Christus Patiens for that it doth rather Historically then Prophetically set forth the passion of our blessed Saviour For Christ upon the Cross appropriated this Psalm unto himself by using the first words of it My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And Saint Matthew applieth it unto him in the eighth verse He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him Saint John in the eighteenth verse They parted my raiment among them and for my vesture they did cast lots And Saint Paul in the twenty second verse I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the Church will I praise thee Heb. 2. 12. Christ assumes this Psalm to himself whilst he is in his passion and the Apostles apply it to him whilst they are describing of it And this very Psalm amongst all the rest was chosen out by the Jews to be a part of their dayly morning service nay indeed it was composed of purpose by the Spirit of God that it might be so As plainly appears from the title or inscription thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad primordium aurorae for the dawning of the morning Sensus est Psalmum hunc sacerdotibus Levitis fuisse traditum ut singulo quoque mane in Ecclesia quamprimùm aurora erumperet caneretur Sic voluit Deus Ecclesiam veterem singulis diebus recolere fiduciam de expectatione Christi saith Junius The meaning of the title is That this Psalm was delivered to the Priests and Levites to be sung in the Congregation every morning at the break of day For so would God inure the Church of the Jews to have a daily recourse to Christ and to revive the hope they had of his comming in the flesh And indeed the Chaldee Paraphrase saith no less on the inscription of this twenty second Psalm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro robore seu virtute sacrificii jugis matutini For the virtue or strength of the dayly morning sacrifice or oblation for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprizeth both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both sacrifice and oblation The meaning of the gloss is this that this Psalm concerns him who is the virtue and strength of all their service or Religion And that all their sacrifices and oblations had their virtue only from the Messiah who was exhibited unto them in this Psalm as offered upon the Cross The Jews offered all their sacrifices in hopes of being accepted in this Mediator and what do we Christians more but believe and profess that our persons and our prayers are accepted in him Only here is the difference the Jews worshipped God in the Messiah that was to come the Christians worship him in the Messiah that is come The Religion is but one in substance though two in circumstances And we may say that the worship of the Jews was the inchoation of the Christian but the worship of the Christians is the perfection of the Jewish Religion For whom they worshipped implicitely in Types we do worship explicitely in spirit and in truth All the fault is they were more zealous in their typical then we are in our substantial and real worship For the Babylonian captivity could not make them forsake their Religion but we have captivated our Religion of purpose that we might forsake it and so are fallen under that severe reprehension 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Insensati quis vos fascinavit O ye that are mad and sensless who hath bewitched you not to obey the truth For we who could not be seduced not to receive the truth are little less then bewitched not to obey it SECT IV. That those Christians who adore God by any other Mediator then by Christ alone do not rightly adore him And that those who do rightly adore him ought not to be discouraged in their Religion and much less be deterred from it GOD never yet had never can have any true worship or glory but only in Christ Hence Saint Paul saith To God only wise be glory through Jesus Christ for ever Rom. 16. 27. Take away Christ from the glory and you were as good take away the glory from God And again unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Eph 3. 21. This is the true Catholick Religion or worship of God that obligeth all persons in the Church at all times throughout all ages and in all places in heaven as well as in earth world without end for no worship can be world without end but that which shall be in heaven And sure we are the worship whereby we Christians glorifie God in and by Jesus Christ shall be in heaven The Jews worship though in substance it was Christian yet the manner being figurative and typical in extent it was but National and in duration it was but temporal But the Christians worship being wholly in Spirit and in truth in the manner of it is angelical in the extent of it is universal in the continuance of it is eternal The same to all ages that it is in this the same in heaven that it is in earth It is not safe for Christians to worship God so now as they cannot worship him world without end If they worship him now by his Son they may so worship him for ever But if they worship him now by any other Mediator they are sure they must leave that worship behind them when they leave this world and therefore they are on the surer side who had rather not take it then be forced to leave it For the Angels and Saints in heaven do not go to God by one another but all go to him by his Son and why should we men on earth go to him by any other then by him by whom they do go with us now and we shall go with them hereafter Shall the Church Militant set up a Communion of Saints disagreeing in the worship of God from the Church Triumphant And why then doth the Canon of the Mass begin with an Illative particle that hints a conclusion rather than a beginning saying Te igitur clementissime Pater per Jesum Christum filium tuum Dominum nostrum supplices rogamus Therefore O most merciful Father we humbly beseech thee by Jesus Christ thy Son and our Lord that thou wilt accept
Disciples who were in Jerusalem at S. Peters first Sermon were but 120. He is afraid of an imaginary miscief but fals into a real inconveniency the mischif was meerly imaginary as if S. Paul to the Corinthians had clashed with S. Luke in the Acts whereas Saint Luke saith not there were then in Jerusalem but 120. disciples only there were but one hundred and twenty of such note as the Apostles had called together to consult about the election of a new Apostle accordingly he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the number of the names that is such as were notorious and eminent in the Church not denying but there might be many hundreds of the inferiour sort of people which are called by the Poet sine Nomine turba the common sort that are without a Name who were at that time reckoned among the disciples though they had not been called to the election of Saint Matthias Thus the mischief he feared was meerly imaginary but he fell into a real inconveniency For this supposition that it is possible there should have been such chopping and changing in the Text tends directly to the enervating of the Authority of the Scriptures and the fidelity and veracity of the Catholick Church for both Greek and Latine Churches do now read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 five hundred and if they read not now as they found it delivered to them they are defective in their Veracity if it was not delivered to them as it was at first written their forefathers were defective in their Fidelity for this is too great a change to come in by the mistake of a writer though it is very improbable that the whole Church should be so careless as to suffer any such mistakes However in this particuler Eusebius will justifie our present reading of the Text against all conjectures whatsoever for he lib. 1. Histor Eccles cap. 12. setteth down this very apparition of our blessed Saviour totidem verbis not by numeral letters but in so many several express words as Saint Paul had before saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an undeniable argument that these words were so writ at large from Saint Pauls own hand Having given this hint only out of zeal to Gods holy word which must sway my faith against the practice of whole Churches much more against the phansies of private men I pass to the words which our blessed Saviour spake immediately before he ascended for without all question he then again repeated them though he had spoken them several times before Saint Luke records them as spoken on the very day of his Resurrection Luke 24. 47. Saint John records them as spoken also on the very same day John 20. 19 20 21 22. Saint Mathew records them as spoken after that day sc on the mountain in Galilee Mat. 28. 16 19. And Saint Mark records them as spoken both on the day of his resurrection for so was the Apparition to which he annexeth them and also on the day of his Ascension for such is the manner of his annexion So then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into heaven For what was it that the Lord had spoken unto them but these words concerning the discharge of their Apostolical Office or Function Go ye therefore and teach all Nations c. which is yet more evidently attested by Saint Luke Acts 1. 9. where it is said when he had spoken these things that is those things which concerned their Function whiles they beheld he was taken up For Saint Matthew's Go ye therefore and teach all Nations And Saint Mâ—â—k's Go ye into all the world And Saint Lukes ye are witnesses of these things And Saint Johns As my Father sent me even so send I you do all of them concern one and the same office of preaching the Gospel and administring the Sacraments and whatever else the Apostles were bound to do in order to the gathering or preserving or governing the Church of Christ And we cannot deny but these same words or at least words to this effect were solemnly spoken at three several times by our blessed Saviour to his Apostles that is to say On the day of his Resurrection and afterwards again in Galilee and yet a third time also after that immediately before his Ascention to shew what a necessity was laid upon them to discharge that sacred function when he thought it necessary so often to repeat their charge as if it had been his only business from his Resurrection to his Ascention And doubtless if we seriously consier the words themselves we shall easily see and willingly confess that as they did concern the constitution of the Church at that time so they do concern the constitution of the Church at this day and will concern both its constitution and conservation to the worlds end I will accordingly explain them briefly as I find them in the Evangelists yet so as to make Saint Matthew the standard for the rest having already explained the words as they are recorded by Saint John And thus Saint Matthew records the words All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth our blessed Saviour had all the power of heaven and earth given to him from the Father both as he was the Son of God and as he was the Son of man as he was the Son of God so this power was given him by eternal generation as he was the Son of man so the same power was given him by free donation partly at his first conception by vertue of his union with the God-head but more fully after his resurrection for the merit of his death and passion So that though he exercised this power in his life time by choosing Apostles and instituting the Holy Sacraments yet after he was risen again he exercised the same much more eminently in a threesold respect Quoad modum quoad statum quoad usum First because he was possessed of it after a more excellent manner as having merited it by his death Secondly because he was possessed of it in a more excellent state as now being past all fear and danger of dying Thirdly because he was possessed of it for a more excellent end as being how to use it not for the conversion of one people but of all the world as it follows Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Go ye therefore relying upon my authority which is founded upon all power both in heaven and in earth whereas any authority that can forbid you to go is founded only upon the power in earth And teach all Nations This the Apostles could not do no more then they could continue to the end of the world in their own persons Therefore our Saviour Christ speaks these words to their Successors as well as to them And so this Precept was given to make good that Promise Mat. 24. 14. The Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all Nations and then shall
in their hearts And he dwelleth in their hearts by faith not a faith that commeth from their own Spirits but a faith that commeth from Gods Spirit A faith that cometh from our own spirits strengthneth only the outer man but a faith that cometh from Gods spirit strengthneth the inner man That faith is strong only in perswasion but this faith is strong in affection That faith is strong in phansie but this faith is strong in love even in that love which is the fulfilling of the Law loving the body for the heads sake loving the head for his own sake loving the Church for Christ and loving Christ for himself such a faith as this proceeding from the Spirit of God cannot but afford us a real communion with the Son of God and having a real communion with Christ as with our head we shall never delight in separations and divisions from the Church which is his body SECT IV. Christian communion beginneth with the Church but endeth with Christ both in the word and Sacraments and Prayers and that the Church is bound in all these to advance not to hinder our Communion with Christ either by denying the people the use of the Scriptures or by teaching them superstitious prayers as to Saints and Angels wherein Christ neither can nor will communicate with men The ready way to have communion with Christ is by peace and holiness and wherein that communion chiefly consisteth TRue Christian communion beginneth with the Church as with the body of Christ but endeth with Christ himself as with the head God hath joyned those two together let not man put them asunder Nor is it the intent of this discourse to divide this Christian communion into two several communions by reason determining or defining ratione ratiocinata because the body cannot subsist without the head but only by reason discussing or debating ratione ratiocinante because the head is different from the body And every good Christian is to take notice that though he may consider this communion severally yet he may not persue and embrace it so For he cannot have actual communion with Christ unless he have actual communion with his Church no more then he can have communion with the head unless he have also communion with the body yet may he not rest satisfied in his communion with the body the Church of Christ till they come thereby to have communion with the head even with Christ himself For our Christian communion is much like Jacobs ladder the lower part whereof was set upon the earth but the top of it reached up to heaven And behold the Lord stood above at the top of it Gen. 28. 12 13. So is our Christian communion The lower part of it is with the Church the body of Christ here on earth but the upper part or top of it is with Christ in heaven And we cannot say that our Christian communion is a true communion unless Christ be at the end of it as for example in hearing the word read and preached we at first communicate with the Church which speaketh to the outward man but we hear it not profitably to our salvation unless we at last communicate also with Christ speaking by his Spirit unto our souls or to the inward man Paedogogus est Jesus Our teacher is Jesus was thought by Clemens of Alexandria a fit subject both to fill and to name his books of Christian Institutions v. lib. 1. Paedag. cap. 9. For as the Church teacheth the people so also Christ teacheth them much more and the Churches paedagogy iâ— or should be to bring them unto Christ not to make them rest only upon their own teaching for soul-saving truths nor is this Doctrine any disparagement to the Church no more then Saint Pauls was to the Law when he said The Law was our School-Master to bring us unto Christ Gal. 3. 24. Nay indeed it is the greatest honour of the Church as it was of the Law that God is pleased to use her teaching as a means or instrument to bring us unto Christ That as the Church teacheth us by explaining saving truths to our understandings so Christ may teach us by imprinting the same truths in our wills and affections therefore the Church should above all things take heed of offering those truths in her explanations which she cannot believe nor wish that Christ should ratifie by his impressions such as are all those Doctrines which are the inventions of men and not the institutions of Christ And forasmuch as it cannot be denied that Christ teacheth more powerfully by his own word then by ours it is evident that the Holy Scriptures may not be denied to the people in their own tongue by that Church which will labour to advance their communion with Christ and as evident that the people are not bound to communicate with that Church which will not labour to advance this the highest and greatest part of their Christian communion Again in receiving the holy Eucharist we must not only communicate with the Priest exhibiting unto us the bread and wine but also and much rather with Christ himself exhibiting unto us his most precious body blood or we shall receive but half a Sacrament and enjoy but a half communion This is Saint Pauls Divinity The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ 1 Co. 10. 16. We bless the Cup and we break the bread therefore you must communicate with us which we could not say if we did refuse to do either for we could not desire you to relinquish your communion with Christs institution to follow ours But the Cup which we bless and the bread which we break is the communion of the blood and body of Christ therefore you must not communicate chiefly and much less only with us but also and much rather with Christ himself Lastly Thus is it also in our prayers we are bound in our praying to communicate not only with the Church as the body but also with Christ as the head and consequently the Church is bound to use no other prayers then such as may be agreeable with Christs communion and available by Christs intercession For if we pray out of his communion we cannot hope to obtain what we pray for by virtue of his intercession And this I conceive was one main reason why publick Liturgies were at first established in the Church that Christians might know before hand the terms of their communion and be assured in their own hearts that no other prayers should be offered unto them then such wherein Christ himself would joyn with them in intercession which assurance during the extraordinary effusions of the Spirit was grounded upon the infallibility of their persons who prayed but when it could no longer be grounded upon the infallibility of the persons that prayed then it was thought fit it should be
grounded upon the infallibility of the thing or of the prayer for that faith cannot rest but upon infallibility and the people as well as the Priest ought to pray in Faith wherefore this assurance is not only very just and reasonable but also very necessary and religious since we all know we must pray in the merit of Christs intercession if we hope our prayers should find admittance to God and acceptance with him and we are sure he will not intercede with us in such prayers as we have not learned from him For which cause the Church also teacheth us to conclude all our prayers after this manner Per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum through Jesus Christ our Lord as if we were bound to believe that Christ then prayeth for us when we are praying for our selves according to the rules of his word and that we have hopes to be heard not by virtue of our own but of his intercession And t is observable that Saint Paul saith of those who worshipped Angels that they held not the head Col. 2. 19. because in such worship Christ who is the head could not joyn with them nor they with him accorcordingly Saint Chrysostome thus expostulates with such a worshipper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why do you let go the head to lay hold on the members whilst you think to come to God by the Angels he might have put in Saints too by the same reason if that worship had been then in fashion and not immediately by Christ For if you fall from him you are certainly lost and the way to fall from him is not to lay immediate hold on him for he that layes not immediate hold of him cannot lay fast hold of him T is holding of the head not of the body that gives the nourishment whereby we encrease with the encrease of God and Angels are of the body no less then men Accordingly the Fathers of the Council of Laodicea give this reason why they accurse them who called upon Angels in their worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. 35. because such men have forsaken the Lord Jesus and are guilty of idolatry And it is a pitiful evasion of Baronius to say that the Council spake of false Angels which the Heathen called Genii for besides that no Christians ever worshipped them and the Canon only concerns Christians t is too great an absurdity to be pinned upon a Council to say they spake of Angels when they meant Divels For our parts we must conclude that praying to Saints and Angels is a very unwarrantable a very unsafe a very uncomfortable way of praying because we are sure we cannot have communion with Christ in such prayers For though he can doth and will join with us in saying Our Father yet he cannot will not saying Our Brother Though he doth join with us in our intercessions to the Creator God blessed for ever yet he doth not cannot joyn with us in our intercessions to any creature And therefore since the Church requires our communion only by authority from Christ it is evident that no Church can justly require our communion in this or any other practice wherein it self doth not communicate with Christ For in such prayers as these we can only hold of the body or rather some corrupted member of the body but we cannot hold of the head and consequently in such prayers as these there can be no true Christian communion for that so beginneth with the Church as that it endeth with Christ so beginneth in earth as that it endeth in heaven Saint Johns determination may best decide this controversie for some mens perversness hath made it so who in very few words thus sets forth to us our Christian communion That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 John 1. 3. Where we may see that God imparted not the knowledge of Christian truths to his Church that she might reserve them to her self but that she might publish and declare them to his people That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you God hath declared them to us that we should declare them to you And the reason why the Church is bound to declare these Christian truths to the people is to establish them in the true Christian communion that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ where we plainly see that Christian communion begins with the Church and ends with Christ nor would the Apostle seek to draw them to have fellowship with him but that with him they might also have fellowship with Christ he desires not to magnifie this communion from himself but from his Saviour He therefore exhorts them to have communion with the Church that they might have communion with Christ For indeed there are at least two degrees if not parts of our Christian communion the first is our communion with Christs Church as with the body that ye also may have fellowship with us The second is our communion with Christ himself as with the head and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ and this communion is or ought to be the end of all preaching that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship c. This is or should be the intent of all preaching even the communion of the people with the Priests and the communion both of Priests and people with Christ so likewise saith Saint Peter speaking of our blessed Saviour His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet 1. 3 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only partakers of but also communicants in or with the Divine nature as if he had said the end of your communion with us is that you may thereby have communion with God His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of himself And we are desirous to impart to you this knowledge that you may have part in the same life and godliness He hath given to us exceeding great and gracious promises and we desire to publish them ro you that by these you also with us might be partakers of the Divine nature But because this communion is or should be the only task of our whole life and is the only comfort of our death I will yet alledge one more testimony for it and that shall be his who was wrapt up into the third heavens that he might the better shew us the right and the straight way thither and he bids us Follow peace with
People and I must hear this Church as I would have the benefit of his Sons blood as I would have the instructions of his holy Spirit and as I would not forfeit the salvation of mine own Soul Wherefore though the whole world turn round to a meer spiritual diziness or reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man yet this shall be the sober resolution of my soul I will not sin against that authority which God hath set over me He hath called his Ministers his friends I will not call them mine enemies least I put my self out of his friendship I find that God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost hath set them over me and how shall I answer it to this blessed Trinity if I oppose my self against them or rather set my self over them T is St. Athanasius his observation Ath. lib. de communi essentiâ Patris Filii Sp. S. That the election of Ministers in Gods Church is in the book of God equally attributed to all three persons of the holy and blessed Trinity Saint Paul attributeth it to God the Father 1 Cor. 12. 28. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles Secundarily Prophets Thirdly Teachers c. Again The same S. Paul attributeth this work to God the Son Eph. 4. 11. And he gave some Apostles sc He that had descended into the lower parts of the earth and was now ascended into heaven and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers And lastly the same Saint Paul attributeth the choice of Ministers to God the Holy-Ghost Acts 20. 28. Take heed unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the Holy-Ghost hath made you Overseers God the Father Son and Holy Ghost hath made them my Overseers and shall I strive to make them my Underlings And what shall I answer at the last day to this God whose authority I have contemned and whose power I shall not be able to resist when he will call me to an account and pronounce against my soul and execute upon it the sentence of eternal dammnaton for my contempt He hath said expresly Obedite praepositis vestris subjacete eis Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you There are some certain men that have charge of the peoples souls and are accordingly to give an account of that charge Those are here called their Rulers or Leaders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their Captains to train and lead them under Christs banner A word of great humility in regard of their communion with them in the same Christian duties and combates but a word of great authority in regard of their command over them in so much that Gregor Nazian in the first of his steliteuticks calls the Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The order of those that govern and the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that are under that order of government or those who are to be governed The one are set over the other are set under by the power of God the Father by the wisdom of God the Son and by the goodness of God the Holy-Ghost so that to disturb and to destroy this order is little less then to proclaim enmity against the eternal power and wisdom and goodness of God This is reason enough why we should obey because God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost hath made them our Rulers but yet the words enforce another reason of our obedience because they watch for our souls And are accordingly called watch-men in the Text Son of man I have made thee a watch-man to the house of Israel therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me Ezek. 3. 17. Speculatorem dedi te speculator qui est aliis vice oculorum i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Calvin upon the place A watch-man is one who is to others instead of eyes that is an Overseer or a Bishop we find here God hath divolved to him a double trust here is verbum commissum Animae commissae Gods word is committed to his care and mens souls are committed to his cure He is entrusted with Gods word hear the word at my mouth and he is entrusted with his neighbours Souls Give them warning from me His office was instituted meerly for the glory of God and the salvation of men and I cannot oppose it but I must be an enemy both to God and Man And if I be an enemy to Gods glory here how shall I hope to enjoy it hereafter If I oppose the Salvation of others how shall he that came to be their Saviour take a care to save me For I do what is in me to trample his blood under my feet and how can I hope that he should sprinkle it upon my soul nor may I say that these Texts were only occasional or this trust was only temporal such as concerned the Prophets and Apostles but not others after them unless I will moreover say which in truth I am afraid to think That God hath now a less care then he had then both of his own glory and of our salvation both of his own word and of our souls These spiritual watch-men were as necessary in Saint Pauls time as in Ezekiels and in our times as then And consequently they are to us what the Prophets were to the Jews or the Apostles to the Primitive Christians saving only their extraordinary commission and endowments Ezekiel was to give warning to the Jews and Saint Paul was to give warning to the Gentiles for so himself saith whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1. 28. And our watch-men are now to give warning unto us by vertue of the same commissions and therefore Saint Paul speaketh in the plural number saying whom we preach comprizing the whole body of the Ministry wherefore also he saith warning every man and that we may present every man which was impossible for himself alone and indeed for all the Preachers of his time because there were to be infinite sucessions of men which could not be their auditors whereby it is evident that as long as there shall be men to be warned and taught and presented perfect in Christ Jesus so long there must be Preachers to warn and teach and to present them whose duty and office is accordingly here described 1. In the nature of it To warn and to teach not only to deliver sound doctrine which is teaching but also to apply it by particular exhortations according to the capacities or wants of theit auditors which is warning or admonishing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 putting your mind to theirs that they may understand what you say not soaring aloft in sublime speculations above their apprehensions or putting
is the signification of its name derived from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies joy and exaltation or our English word Glee That as the resurrection of Christ was the greatest joy that ever came to earth whose very dust by this new breathing of God the Son is the second time become a living body never to die again so the place wherein it was demonstrated and the time wherein it was celebrated should be to mankind both of them remembrancers of everlasting joy This was enough then to make all the world go to Hierusalem and Hierusalem it self to go to Galilee that they might be joyful spectators of this great blessing and more blessed partakers of this great joy accordingly providing their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their songs and hymns of triumph in honour of our blessed Saviour who had thus overcame death to open unto us the gate of everlasting life and let us in to an immortal Communion with himself the first-born of the dead and with his holy Angels the first-born of the living This is that communion the holy Apostle recommendeth to our desires and much more to our delights when he saith Ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Hierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels To the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Heb. 12. 22 23 24. As many words so many excellencies of our Christian communion which is inchoate here in earth and shall be consummate hereafter in heaven but I will reduce them all to three heads the proper place the company and the author of this Communion 1. The proper Place is the Church of God here specified by three most honourable titles or compellations Mount Sion The City of the living God The heavenly Hierusalem three such titles as will make every sober much more every Religious man in love with the Churches communion as he would be in love with the stedfastness of Mount Sion which cannot be removed with the holiness of the City of God which cannot be defiled and with the happiness of the heavenly Hierusalem which above all things is to be desired for without doubt this Christian communion with the Church of Christ is the safest and the plainest way to stedfastness to holiness and to happiness 2. The company and that is so good that we cannot hope for better in heaven for it consists of Angels and of the first-born in Christ whose names are written in heaven and of God the Maker Preserver and Rewarder of these and the Judge of all that hate and oppose them with all these do we actually communicate in Christs Church whiles we are here on earth with Angels as the assistants with good men as the members and with God as the president of this communion nay indeed we actually communicate with more then these for also with the spirits of just men made perfect so that if any just man go from hence out of our company yet he goes not out of our communion for we follow after him to heaven in our affections though we still continue and remain here on earth in our persons 3. The author of this Communion and he is no other then the eternal Son of God the hope of men and the joy of Angels the support of earth and the beauty of heaven even Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant who by his eternal Priesthood offering up himself hath fully expiated and taken away the sins of the whole world and by his own death hath ratified and confirmed that Testament in which he hath given us the Inheritance of heaven 'T is of his fulness we have all received grace for grace It is of his fulness we shall all receive glory for glory It is the sprinkling of his blood which washeth away our sins contracted from our earthly parents and which will present our souls without sin before our heavenly Father so that we have great necessity earnestly to desire and constantly to embrace his Communion by whom alone we can hope to attain the sanctification of our souls here and the salvation of our souls hereafter CAP. III. Of Christian Communion in its sincerity SECT I. The sincerity of Christian Communion consists in this that it gives all to Christ Those Christians justified that do so in their Festivals the Sabbatarians questioned for not so doing The Apostles new method of teaching Christian Divinity by interlining of prayers and praises that Christ might be the more glorified and the Christian Religion the less adulterated IN other communions every one is like Diotrephes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ready to challenge if not to engross the preheminence to himself But in the true Christian communion all are willing to give the preheminence wholly unto Christ And they have great reason so to do and greater Religion in so doing for they do but give unto him what they have received from him that like as they have the preheminence among other men in being members of his body so he may have the preheminence among them in being acknowledged for their Head For his humiliation was very great in stooping down so low as to be joyned to them and by the Apostles express rule Phil. 2. His exaltation is to be correspondent to his humiliation Saint Chrysostom thus expresseth his humiliation in that He descended to this communion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he who was above and above all things was pleased to joyn himself with those below that so he might be their Head It was the Psalmists admiration Who is like unto the Lord our God that hath his dwelling so high and yet humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth Psalm 113. 5. It must be our astonishment that he humbleth himself not to behold but to guide and manage them that he humbleth himself not to look but to come down to heaven to be the head of Angels not to look but to come down to earth to be the head of men Three great steps of humility in stepping down to this It was one great step for him to look down to heaven Another great step to look down to earth but the third was far greater then both to come down to earth that he might there incorporate himself with men in one body and so become their Head and inspirit men with himself as it were in one soul that they might become his members Wherefore our enquiry concerning this must needs begin in admiration that our admiration may the better end in thanksgiving according to Saint Pauls example who after his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depth of the riches concludes with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom be glory for ever Amen Nay indeed according to Saint Pauls Doctrine for so he expresly saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
men can establish a better Religion then Gods word hath established they cannot find they should not seek a better Church then such as most entirely professeth that Religion For a Church which hath the Religion God commands must needs have the Communion God approves This smal piece seeks to justifie such a Church and hopes to be the confirmation of your faith and not only the Account of mine Wherein I profess my self an Accountant not as a Politician but as a Divine For without doubt so many pious Ministers scandalous chiefly for this that they durst be true to their Oaths and to their Trust in such a perfidious and false age have not lost themselves for nothing in this present world But they have a good conscience to comfort them against their losses and a good cause to countenance them against the world However this can be no immodest assertion to say that he which values the Communion of his Church above his living is most likely to value the Religion of his Church above his life and God make me such a scandalous Minister For I may not forsake the true Christian Religion without being a againstâ—…y â—…y God nor the true Christian Communion without being a Separation from Him And if such a Religion and such a Communion be in the Church I seek to justifie I shall fall under the curse of Meroz if I do not my best to justifie it For this is not to come to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Judges 5. 23. unless we ought rather to say they have lost their might by opposing the Lord who have lost their Innocency by opposing his Church If you be Unchristian you may perchance think I seek to justifie a Church that is not to be regarded If Antichristian A Church that is to be oppressed But if truly Christian you know I seek to justifie a Church which conscience doth bid you to regard and God doth forbid others to oppress A Church which doth most entirely set forth Gods glory without the falsities of a superstitious or the novelties of a factious worship and in that it doth most entirely set forth Gods glory it cannot but most entirely promote Mans salvation And this being the proper End of Religion is also the proper work of a Church which though it may be a company from the multitude of worshippers yet is it not a Communion but from the verity and unity of worship O thou who art the way the truth and the life the way for us to walk in the truth to direct our goings the life to reward us at our journeys end forgive us our many strayings out of thy way our fierce oppositions against thy truth that thou mayst give us the happy enjoyments of thy life O thou eternal Sun of righteousness who hast enlightned the Christian Church by thy Holy word and holy example and multiplied illuminations of thy holy Spirit be pleased also to enlighten our wandring souls that thy holy word may instruct us thy holy example may guide us thy holy Spirit may rule and govern us that we may not love darkness more then light because our deeds are evil But may love thee who hast given us thy heavenly light may love thy Church to whom thou hast given it may love thy Ministers by whom thou hast given it may love our own souls for which thou hast given it and dost still continue it So shall we be preserved from that inner darkness which will not see thee here and from that outer darkness which shall not see thee hereafter and also be preserved in the unity of thy Church to be ever with thee by a Holy Communion in Earth and by a blessed fruition in Heaven Amen Amen The Justification of the Church of England according to the true principles of Christian Religion and Communion consisting of three Chapters CAP. I. That the Church of England is Gods Trustee for the Christian Religion as to the people of this Nation SECT I. Christ delivered the trust of his Word and Sacraments to his Apostles they delivered the same to Bishops and Presbyters their Successors but the Apostles had an illimited their Successors have a limited trust The necessity of the succession of these Trustees to the worlds end yet is the succession of Doctrine more necessary then the succession of Persons DID Christian Churches more consider the obligation and the charge then the priviledges and the honour of being God's Trustees none of them would arrogantly claim much less tyrannically invade anothers trust But each would timorously undertake carefully manage and conscionably discharge her own T is evident that our blessed Saviour trusted all his Apostles equally with the teaching of his Word Administring his Sacraments and governing of his People because he gave to each Apostle an infallible Judgement and an illimited commission the one enabling the other authorizing each of them to guide and govern the whole world though for the better expediting of their work every one of them betook himself as it were to his own peculiar Diocess according to that of Paul For we stretch not our selves beyond our measure 1 Cor. 10. 14. But t is easie to distinguish betwixt their Power and their use of it For surely if we consider the Power only of each Apostle none of them by taking care of all Christian People could usurp anothers authority or intrude himself into anothers Trust Thus that commission and command given to Saint Peter immediately by and from our blessed Saviours own mouth Feed my sheep Feed my lambs John 21. though we suppose those sheep and lambs did comprize all Christs Flock that then was or ever should be which is as much as the words can bear and more then they do claim or will justifie yet even that large Commission taken in a larger sense then it was given was no supersedeas to Saint Paul for taking care of all the Churches 2 Cor. 11. 28. Instantia mea quotidiana solicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum He calleth the care of all Churches his daily instance that is his daily work and labour even in the Judgement of the Latine Church at the time of the Vulgar Translation For Saint Paul as well as Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles as well as Saint Paul had an universal commission to teach and baptize all Nations Mat. 28. and by consequent an universal Trust concerning all those Nations who should be taught and baptized for else they might both teach and baptize in vain And this universal trust he that commanded them to undertake enabled them to discharge for the holy Spirit of God leading every one of them into all truth fitted every one of them to lead all the world besides But we dare not say it was so with the successors of the Apostles For they neither had an infallible Judgement that they might have an illimited authority nor had they an illimited authority that they might
Bishops and Presbyters in Italy shall give an account for souls in England and as much against reason to say or think that souls in England shall not give an account for their disobedience And as this Position concerning the Authority of our own particular Church is reasonable so is it also religious For this is Saint Pauls own argument to the Corinthians Though you have ten thousand instructers in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Wherefore I beseech you be ye followers of me 1 Cor. 4. 15 16. Whence we cannot but collect this dogmatical conclusion That this Church which hath begotten us in Christ claimeth our obedience in Christ and to renounce that obedience is in effect to renounce our being made Christians And as no other Church can truly say to us I have begotten you through the Gospel so no other Church can justly say unto us Wherefore I beseech you be ye followers of me To sum up all in one word This Doctrine concerning the acknowledging and obeying the authority of mine own Church being both rational and religious I dare not wilfully oppose it for fear of sinning against the God within me that is to say mine own conscience which will certainly by a most terrible and just remorse vindicate the violated dictates of Reason And much more for fear of sinning against the God without me Father Son and Holy Ghost which will certainly by a more terrible and just vengeance at the last day vindicate the violated dictates of Religion CAP. II. That the Church of England hath most carefully discharged her Trust concerning Religion as a most Christian or most Catholick Church SECT I. Gods intent in trusting his Church with Religion was her honour and happiness which should cause our thankfulness to God and our reverend esteem of his Church IT is a great honour to be trusted and as great a happiness to discharge a Trust Accordingly God entrusting his Church with Religion did intend her both honour and happiness Honour with men happiness with himself Honour in earth and happiness in heaven wherein we cannot but admire the goodness and Justice and liberality and mercy of God His Goodness in that he communicateth to his Church his own most excellent property even a will and desire that all men should be saved and come unto the knowledge of the Truth 1. Tim. 2. 4. His Justice in that he giveth abilities proportionable to that desire enabling his Church to promote the salvation of men and to bring them unto that heavenly knowledge his Liberality in that he giveth this desire and those abilities meerly of his free grace to enrich our souls not himself And lastly his Mercy in that by giving this desire these abilities and these riches he expelleth our natural defects arising from errour and ignorance whereby we do walk in the false and cannot find out the true way and prepareth us for that bliss and glory which is above nature who can think of this goodness of this Justice of this liberality of this mercy and not say with the Psalmist Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is withâ—n me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits which forgiveth all thy sin and healeth all thine infirmities which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness Psalm 103. 1 2 3 4. For it is his goodness that he forgiveth sin and healeth infirmities his Justice that he forgiveth only the penitent sinners and healeth only those who are broken in heart His mercy that he saveth our life from destruction and his liberality that he crowneth us with mercy and loving-kindness Accordingly he hath commanded his Church to teach especially the Doctrine of Faith to set forth his goodness by which he is reconciled The Doctrine of Repentance to set forth his Justice which hath been satisfied The Doctrine of Free Grace to set forth his mercy in saving us from destruction The Doctrine of eternal glory to set forth his liberality in crowning us with loving kindness O my soul consider the immortal comfort of these heavenly Truths and look upon thy Church which teacheth them as the daughter of immortality as the mother of comfort and as the Bride of the King of Heaven Then wilt thou no more be contentedly without thy Church then thou canst be comfortably without these Doctrines Then wilt thou say with the Psalmist I am fearfully and wonderfully made but with thy self I am more fearfully and wonderfully saved Marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well Psalm 139. 13. I am much amazed at thy great care and providence over my body but much more at thy great care and providence over my soul Thou madest use of my carnal Parents to make me communicating to them as far as they were capable the honour of my Creation Thou makest use of my spiritual Parents to save me communicating to them as far as they are capable the honour of my salvation should I be a monster of nature if I dishonoured the one and shall I not be a monster of grace if I dishonour the other Didst thou confer on them the Dignity of Causality by thy goodness that I should cast upon them the indignity of contumacy by my undutifulness Can I indeed truly honour thee the Principal and dishonour thy Church the instrumental cause of my salvation Thou laid'st thine hand upon me to make me but thou laid'st thine heart upon me to save me O make me wholly to fix my heart upon thee my Saviour and upon thy salvation Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book were all my members written wstilst thou madest my Body But thine eyes would not see my sinfulness nor my imperfections and thou didst blot all my transgressions out of thy Book that thou mightst save my soul Therefore I cannot but say How dear are thy counsels unto me O God Psalm 139. 17. Dear are thy counsels about my Creation much dearer are thy counsels about my Redemption Counsels they were till thou wert pleased to reveal them by thy Church Since therefore I cannot but say How dear are thy counsels I beseech thee suffer me not to say How cheap is thy Counsellor SECT II. The Churches Trust concerning Religion is to see there be right Preaching Praying and Administring the holy Sacraments That preaching belongs rather to the knowledge then to the worship of God and ought not to thrust out Praying which is the chiefest act of Gods worship and most regarded by him especially when many pray in one communion CHristian Religion teacheth us to know and worship God as is agreeable to his Glory and profitable for our salvation So that the Churches trust concerning the Christian Religion is reducible to these two heads the knowledge and the worship of God And because the Church is trusted with the
But they consider not that the way to follow Naaman in his wrath is to out goe him in his leprosie and that those Heathens who gave him the contrary advice have in that given judgement against such Christians My Father if the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing wouldest thou not have done it How much rather then when he saith unto thee Wash and be clean T is little less then madness to spend those precious minutes in cavilling disputations which would be much better spent in soul-saving devotions For after once Cain had expostulated with God saying Am I my brothers keeper Gen. 4. 9. he staid not long in his presence for so it is written ver 16. And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord What is it for a man to cavil at Religion instead of practising it but to expostulate with God as if he could quit that score by his objection which he is bound to pay by his obedience or as if it were for his advantage to be quarrelling with his Creditor whilst he should be saying Forgive us our debts Will he indeed not be so holy as to delight in the presence of Gods grace and shall he be so happy as to delight in the presence of his glory Is it our misery that we cannot be sufficiently joyful in the Lord and shall it also be our sin that we will needs be angry with him Tristitia de bono spirituali est peccatum prepinquum odio Deo saith the Casuist To be sorry for the overture of any Spiritual Good is a sin that comes neer the hatred of God and therefore to be maliciously bent against such a good must needs be to hate him This consideration may stop the mouths if not wound the hearts of those who make it their work to revile such heavenly prayers as cannot be received with too much admiration nor repeated with too much devotion for this is little other then to revile God and his Church in one and the same breath to revile God in his Religion and to revile Gods Church in her communion Whether a man think himself so perfect as to need no spiritual Guide to take care of him or think his Church so imperfect as to seek for his spiritual guide from some other place the case is all one as to the contempt though very different as to the cause of it For the Church calling him to the Practice of those duties which are truly Christian in the name and by the Authority of Christ T is not his cavilling against his Mother on earth can dispense with his Undutifulness against Her and much less against his Father in heaven If God be rightly invocated and adored and his name truly glorified according to the Duties of Religion He is no less then a Separatist from God who refuseth to joyn in that Invocation Adoration and Glorification according to the Duty of Communion For neither can an erroneous cnnscieâ—ce excuse him in point of Religion nor an erroneous conceit excuse him in point of Communion First an erroneous conscience cannot excuse him in point of Religion For an erroneous conscience cannot absolve or discharge any man from doing his bounden duty to God and therefore not from Invocating Adoring and Glorifying his holy name since it is unjust that errour should be a priviledge and impossible that a mans conscience should be above Gods command but here are no less then three of Gods Commandments that oblige him to the duties of Religion Secondly an ereoneous conceit cannot excuse him in point of Communion For an erroneous conceit hath much less power then an erroneous conscience to excuse him for disobeying Gods command and here are no less then two of Gods Commandments that oblige him to the duty of Communion to wit The fourth because the Communion concerns Gods publick worship and the fift because the publick worship is commanded by publick authority For the Communion being indeed with the eternal Son of God as it must be since the Religion is truly from him in all its performances of Invocation Adoration and Administration t is not his thinking or any mans saying That he may not Communicate with Hereticks or Schismaticks can excuse him for not communicating with his Brethren and much less with his Saviour whose Communion is ever to be desired with great earnestness and never to be deserted without great shame and greater sin According to that excellent exhortation of our Church But when you depart I beseech you ponder with your selves from whomye depart ye depart from the Lords Table ye depart from your Brethren and from the banquet of most heavenly food What greater sin then to depart from the Lords heavenly table and food What greater shame then to depart from your own Brethren and to be able to give no conscientious reason of your departure To depart from the Lord in his Religion is against the three first Commandments To depart from your Brethren in their Communion with the Lord is against the fourth and with his Church is against the fift Commandment Is it not then unfound and unsafe to alledge the fift Commandment for the apparent breach of it self and also of the other four And yet even that Commandment is unduely alledged for your departure For besides that such an allegation of it denyeth Paternal authority where God hath given it and which certainly doth oblige you and supposeth Paternal authority where God hath not given it and which cannot oblige you there is also a supposal of such an authority as God cannot give For God cannot deny himself and therefore he cannot given an authority to his Church against himself but only for himself and consequently not against Religion but only for Religion This is all the authority Saint Paul claimeth The Lord hath given us authority for edification not for destruction 2 Cor. 10. 8. Nay more This is all the authority the Church can claim and that in the judgement of Aquinas himself Quum Potestas Praelati spiritualis qui non est Dominus sed Dispensator in aedificationem sâ—t data non in destructionem ut patet 2. ad Cor. 10. Sicut Praelatus non potest imperare ea quae secundum se Deo displicent sc Peccata It a non potest prohibere ea quae secundum se Deo placent sc Virtutis opera 22 ae quest 88. art 12. ad secundum When the Power of a spiritual Prelate who is not a Lord but only a Dispencer of the Word and Sacraments is given for edification and not for destruction as it is manifest 2 Cor. 10. Even as a Prelate cannot command those things which in themselves are displeasing to God to wit the committing of any sin So he cannot forbid those things which in themselves are pleasing unto God to wit the working of any vertue How much less can he forbid the works of many vertues together by forbidding the exercise of true Religion Therefore let me alwaies
satisfies his conscience unless he be sure and certain of the terms of his Communion for the conscience cannot be satisfied and much less can God be served upon uncertainties And since the Apostle hath expresly said That whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 13. 23. Those men do very indiscreetly who in their publick worship do rather exercise their Phansies then their Faith and those do very irreligiously who labour all they can to spread and to promote that exercise For in the work of serving God above all other works it is evident That the diminution of Faith is the addition of sin wherefore men have little reason to bring themselves and less Religion to seek to bring others to any the least diminution of their Faith in Gods service for that is to come under the hazard of Judas his curse Let his prayer be turned into sin Psalm 109. v. 6. We must then take it for an argument of true love even the love of our souls and of our salvation that the Christian Church did in imitation of the Church of the Jews offer up daily Prayers and Praises unto Almighty God for us and also teach us to offer up daily Prayers and Praises for our selves And it is to be feared That men have rewarded the Church of Christ evil for good hatred for her good will in that the dismal curse which follows in the next verses hath fallen upon so many Nations of the Christian world For it is evident that this curse set thou an ungodly man to rule over him and let Satan stand at his right hand let his days be few and his children be vagabonds c. is ushered in with this sin For the love that I had unto them loe they take now my contrary part ver 3. and is continued and confirmed for it is because his mind was not to do good but persecuted the poor helpless man that he might slay him that was vexed at the heart and ver 16. His delight was in cursing and it shall happen unto him he loved not blessing therefore shall it be far from him For nothing is more offensive to God then that men will not return love for love And yet this hath been always the portion of his Church she hath still found returns of hatred for love For there is no true Christian Church but may truely say with Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12. 15. I will very gladly spend and be spent for you it is in the Original Greek for your souls though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved No love affectionate like this which loves the soul no love abundant like this which makes the lover spend and be spent for his affection and such is the love of every true Christian Church which is the grand Apostle of its nation it loves affectionately it loves abundantly for what it wants of this charity it wants of true Christianity but doth seldome receive back again love for love It was Luthers complaint that whilst he Preached and practised mans Inventions he found too much love but after he preached Gods truth the Gospel in its own sincerity he found too little so hath it been ever since his time with Protestant Churches for those which have most deserved the peoples thanks for teaching them the true and the right way to heaven have least found their love Thus we see to our grief no less then to our mischief that the best of men may love in vain but God never loves in vain For he never loves but he is beloved again so saith the beloved Disciple 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us As he loves us so we love him again though he love first we afterwards and therefore if we love not him the reason is because he hath not loved us in the Son of his love I say not if we love not God in himself for that 's impossible acccording to that excellent position of Aquinas Deus secundum essentiam suam à nullo potest odio haberi sicut neque bonitas At secundum quosdam Justitiae suae effectus potest 22. qu. 34. God cannot be hated by any man as he is in himself no more then goodness can be hated but he is hated only for some effects of his Justice therefore I say not if we love not God in himself but if we love not God in his Vice-gerency or Authority whether Civil or Ecclesiastical by our dutifulness and fidelity If we love not God in his Commands and Ordinances by our Obedience and Piety Lastly If we love not God in his image and likeness by our brotherly and Christian Charity we do indeed not love God for himself hath said I ye love me keep my commandments Joh. 14 15. And if we do not love God the reason can be no other but this because he hath not loved us And it were to be wished that some men who most think themselves the darlings of heaven would try their spiritual estate by this touchstone for if we are indeed in the love of God and in the Son of his love it will appear by our returning love back again to him And the Apostles consequence being as good for the Negative as for the Affirmative it must needs follow that if we love not God it is because he first loved not us SECT V. Gods love to us in Christ was not vain or without a cause for as much as Christ was the ground of our Election as well as the Author of our reconciliation More men reconciled by Christ to God then recommened by him or more men reconciled potentially then actually GOD had a good reason of his love to us thoug not in our selves yet in our Saviour the Son of his love For he began his first Epistle or message of love unto our souls as Saint John began his second and third Epistles Vnto the elect and welbeloved whom I love in the truth the same in effect with salutem in Christo or dearly beloved in the Lord which salutations have since been used by the Church God loves us in the truth that is in our Saviour Christ who is called the truth John 14. 6. And as no man cometh to the Father but by him so no man abideth with the Father but in him so saith Saint Paul 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them where is punctually set down both the meritorious cause of our reconciliation Christ and the formal cause of it Gods not imputing our sins to us for Christs sake For God cannot be reconciled to a sinner whilst he looks upon him as a sinner because sin is directly opposite to his own goodness and therefore he cannot but hate sin as he cannot but love himself and God cannot but look upon a sinner as a sinner whilst he looks upon him in himself not in his Saviour who hath expiated his sin Hence Scotus tels us
it and our greatest contentedness when we have gained it because this knowledge doth most procure our salvation most enflame our affections most conduce to our edification Therefore Saint Paul said to the Corinthians that he determined not to know any thing among them save Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. That is to say 1. Not to know any thing before Christ crucified for he would have that knowledge first in order which was most necessary to their salvation that is the knowledge of God not in himself but in his Son not as our maker but as our redeemer 2. Not to know any thing with the same activity and fervency of spirit as Christ crucified for he would have that knowledge most predominant in their hearts which most inflamed their affections and that was the knowledge of Christ upon the Cross overcoming the power of hell and opening the gates of heaven which cannot but beget an immortal love of Christ in all those souls which truly consider what it was to be under the fear of death what it is to have an assured hope of everlasting life 3. And lastly not to know any thing but with relation and subordination to Christ crucified for he would have that knowledge chiefest in their aims and intentions which alone could make all other knowledge tend to theit edification And such was the knowledge of Christ crucified for if Christs Cross pass not through the whole Alphabet of our Divinity all the words we can use will signifie nothing to a sin-sick soul which must first be healed and what balm can heal a wounded Spirit but only the blood of Christ before it can be saved yea though we speak with the tongues of men and Angels and shew not this charity this love of our Saviour to our perishing souls we shall become but as sounding brass or as tinkling Cymbals make a great noise to very little or small purpose Therefore doth an excellent late Divine Zanchys by name advise all men when they go to read the Scriptures to have Christ in their thoughts if they desire to profit by their reading for so they will be sure to find nothing in the Text to make them either Hereticks or Schismaticks but very much to make them good Christians and zealous in the love and practise of good Christianity Aedificat ad gehennam was an improper speech of the Canonist yet we find it in Gratian in his decree for to edifie to damnation is to build downwards that is indeed to destroy and raze all building but aedificat ad salutem is properly spoken to edifie to salvation for that building still rises upwards till it come to the heavenly Jerusalem And the reading of the Scriptures with Christ crucified before our eyes will thus edifie us SECT II. Christ set down in the Scripture as our Propitiation under the Title of our Passeover And what that signifies to our souls SAint Paul calleth Christ our Passeover 1 Cor. 5. 7. Pascha nostrum the word in the Hebrew from whence this Pascha is derived is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transitus and Christ is called Pascha i. e. Transitus Quia per eum transimus ab hostè ad partrem à Tenebris ad lucem à reatu ad gratiam à Poenâ ad gloriam à pugnà ad victoriam saith Durand Christ is called our Pass or Passover in five respects because by him we have passed from our Enemy to our Father from darkness to light from sin to righteousness from misery to glory from a combate to victory The enemy was implacable the darkness was uncomfortable the sin was full of deformity the misery was full of vengeance the combat was full of danger wherefore it was surely a most blessed Passage whereby we passed from this enemy to our Father to be reconciled and beloved from this darkness to light to be rejoyced and comforted from this deformity and vengeance and danger to a state of glory of peace and of security And hence the Latine Church hath turned these words of Saint Paul forecited into an Hymn and appointed that Hymn to be sung for the first Hallelujah on every Lords day from the Resurrection to the Ascention of our blessed Saviour who was this our Passeover saying Pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus Alleluja it aque epulemur in Azymis sinceritatis veritatis alleluja alleluja alleluja Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us allelujah therefore let us keep the feast with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth alleluja alleluja alleluja There is certainly no superstition but there is a very great obligation for all Christians to sing such an Alleluja as this for which we have so excellent a precedent Rev. 19. 1. I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying Allelujah salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God so say we that the Church Militant may joyn with the Church Triumphant in one and the same Communion of praise and thanksgiving to our Almighty and most Merciful Father not only for that true and righteous are his judgements but also and much rather for that great and many are his mercies his inestimable and undeserved mercies in providing for us such a Passeover whereby we might pass from sin and misery to righteousness and bliss and eternal glory and for causing us to pass to himself through his only begotten Son for as much as there was no other way for men to come to God but through that man who came from God SECT III. Christ set down in the Scripture as our Propitiation under the title of the Paschal Lamb and how many excellent Doctrines and Comforts of Christianity are to be learned from that title MEN and Angels might stand amazed to see so much mercy where they had seen so little innocency were it not that they could not but see so much merit where they had seen so much mercy No wonder then if this mercy was contrary to our doings when the merit was according to his doings and sufferings who died for our sins and rose again to make us righteous He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter said the Prophet Isaiah some hundred of years before he was actually slain Isa 53. 7. But he comes nearer the fountain-head of this mercy who telleth us of the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1. 20. Wherefore we must needs confess that the Church of Christ well knew the powerful invocation and desired we should find the comfortable perswasion of this mercy thus purchased for us when it thus taught us to pray for it O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us For the Son of God was called the Lamb of God for no other reason but because he was slain as a sacrifice to take away the sins of men And if we shall compare the Paschal Lamb and our Saviour Christ both together in the most
the eternal Spirit be all honour and glory now and for ever Amen Christ glorified in his Ascention The Prooeme That our blessed Saviours Ascention is not so truly observed by our commemoration as by our imitation and the manner how to consider the History of his Ascention THere is no blessing of Christ but imposeth upon a Christian the necessity of commemorating it and withall affords him exceeding great joy in its commemoration if he so observe it with other Christians as also to imitate it with good Christians For at Saint Luke gives a full definition of Christs Gospel when he calleth it a Treatise of those things which Jesus did do and teach Acts 1. 1. as if he had said A Book that containeth Christs sayings and doings so may we give this definition of a true Gospeller or of a good Christian He is a lively representer of the sayings and doings of Christ of the sayings of Christ by his profession of the doings of Christ by his practise and imitation For that man alone hath a true faith in the Passion Resurrection and Ascention of Christ who sheweth his faith by his works dying with Christ that he may live to him rising with Christ that he may live with him and ascending to Christ that he may live in him who sheweth his faith in Christs Cross by crucifying his own sinful lusts in Christs resurrection by rising to newness of life and in Christs ascention by ascending thither in heart and mind whiher his Saviour is gone before him Thus did the holy Apostles follow their Master with their eyes and with their hearts when they could not follow him with their bodies They looked stedfastly towards heaven as he went up Acts 1. 10. Surely the more to fix their hearts on him when he was above And so must we too we must go up with him thither that we may tarry with him there accordingly as Christs own Church hath taught us to pray Grant we beseech thee Almighty God that like as we do believe thine only begotten Son our Lord to have ascended into the heavens so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend and with him continually dwell who liveth and raigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost one God world without end which is such an heavenly prayer That we are infinitely bound to bless God for putting it into our devotions but yet more bound to beseech him that he will also put it into our lives and conversations For which cause I will enlarge my considerations concerning the ascention of our blessed Saviour And as Binius in setting down that vast and voluminous Council of Ephesus digesteth his work into three Tomes in the first tome reciting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the acts before the Council in the second Tome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the acts done in the Council in the third Tome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the acts done after the Council So will I consider the history of our blessed Saviours Ascention first insisting upon those things which are recorded before it His apparitions his instructions his consolations and his benedictions Secondly insisting upon those things which are recorded concerning the manner of his ascending And lastly insisting upon that one thing which is recorded of him after he was ascended viz. his sitting at the right hand of God And I have warrant enough so to do from the two Pen-men of that very History For Saint Mark describeth the Ascention with reference to Christs Apparitions upon the very day of his resurrection though that was full fourty daies before he ascended for so we read Mar. 16. 14. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sate at meat and upbraided their unbelief and hardness of heart which apparition was clearly on the very day of his Resurrection unless we will say that unbelief and hardness of heart remained in the Apostles when it scarce remained in any of the other Disciples for he had appeared unto them no less then five several times on that very day for the confirmation of their faith And yet without any mention of more apparitions it followeth v. 19. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into heaven But Saint Luke describeth the Ascention with the sending down of the Holy Ghost which was not till ten daies after our Saviour Christ was actually ascended as appears Acts 1. 8 9. But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you And when he had spoken these things he was taken up The Ascention is so placed in the narrations of these Evangelists as both to look backward to the Feast of Easter and forward to the Feast of Pentecost To look backward upon the Resurrection of God the Son to look forward upon the Descention of God the Holy Ghost Happily to teach all Christians That they must first arise from sin before they can ascend up to God there 's the Resurrection before the Ascention And that they must ascend up to God before they can receive the gifts and graces of his Holy Spirit there 's the Ascention before the coming of the Holy Ghost However this is ground enough for me to look a little backward and a little forward in my considerations of the Ascention because the Evangelists have thus related it with its antecedent apparitions and words and with its consequent exaltation or sitting on the right hand of God CAP. I. Christ Considered before his Ascention SECT I. Christ considered in his Apparitions before he ascended as to Mary Magdalen and to Saint Peter c. The wrong use that hath been made the right use that may be made of those Apparitions IT is much to be observed That since in the Gospel are mentioned but ten apparitions of Christ between his Resurrection and his Ascention yet no less then five of them are recorded on the very day of his Resurrection For he appeared five several times to several persons on that same day which Durand would perswade us the Latine Church did intimate in her very Church musick of that day singing that Invitatory Hymn The Lord is risen indeed in the fift musical tone Et est quinti toni propter quinque apparitiones Domini in ill◠die saith he This Anthymne Surrexit Dominus verè The Lord is risen indeed is sung in the fift Tone because the Lord appeared five times on that very day This is an elegant way of teaching mysteries by musical tones somewhat above that gross invention of turning pictures into Lay-mens books but yet whatsoever is to be said of the musick we are sure the thing it self is consonant to the Truth For our blessed Saviour did appear five several times on the very day of his resurrection that as soon as he had raised his own body from the Grave he might raise his Apostles souls from incredulity and prepare them to receive those Heavenly doctrines pertaining to the kingdom of God concerning which he resolved to speak with them
ascended And to this purpose we may not unfitly reduce all the words which he spake from his Resurrection till his Ascension to these three heads verba instructionis verba consolationis verba benedictionis words of instruction words of consolation and words of benediction or words of grace mercy and peace For like as Saint Paul said to Saint Timothy whom he called his own son in the Faith Grace Mercy and Peace so did God from the beginning speak to his Apostles and so doth he still speak to all those whom he accepteth as his sons though unworthy to be his servants the words of grace by instruction the words of mercy by consolation and the words of peace by benediction Saint Luke saith our Saviour was full forty dayes with his Apostles after his Resurrection speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Act. 1. 3. He had so fervent a desire of teaching them and in them us the right way of salvation that he differred to enter into his own glory which he had so dearly earned by his sufferings till he had fully instructed and confirmed them in that way He was willing to leave the impression of heaven in their hearts before he was willing to take possession of it in his own body Oh that we did imitate our Master in this his unspeakable charity for though it be above our expression yet may it in some sort come under our imitation by truly desiring and zealously promoting one anothers Salvation This would be indeed to shew not to speak our selves Christians This would be indeed not Verbally but Really to put on the Lord Jesus Christ He was unwilling to leave his Apostles before he had given them all manner of Instructions both how to teach and how to govern his Church the one that he might keep all after-ages from heresie the other that he might keep them from schism Oh that all Christians would accordingly consider what a grievous sin it is not to hearken to Christs own Teaching not to obey Christs own Government And what a Severe account he will call them to when he shall come again as Judge of quick and dead for being hereticks against his doctrine put afterwards in writing in his word or for being Schismaticks against his discipline put immediately in practice in his Church For if he kept himself forty dayes from heaven to settle his Church how shall any that is called a Christian think the best way thither is to unsettle it Our blessed Saviour gave instructions and not only so least we should think any thing of Religion to be arbitrary but he also gave commands That we should know and acknowledge all matters of Religion to be necessary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After he had given commandments unto the Apostles Acts 1. 2. But where are these commands Are they or any of them devolved down unto us only by unwritten Tradition we dare not say so for that were to make the holy Apostles so regardless of Christs instructions as to care to teach them only to those men who had the happiness to live in their dayes since verbal Tradition is as changable as the breath that derives it whereas what is spoken of Abel is much more to be verified of Saint Peter or Saint John God testifying of his gifts and by it that is by his faith he being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11. 4. Nay more yet Preacheth for the reading of the law of Moses is called Preaching Acts 15. 21. For Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day and if reading in the Law of Moses was Preaching who dares deny it to be so in the Law of Christ Therefore the books of the New Testament do certainly contain the Instructions and commands which Christ gave to his Apostles by word of mouth during those forty dayes he abode with them And we need go no farther then the written word to know our Saviours mind for it is therein taught us either by Precept or by Promise or by Precedent And consequently what we find not there written for our instruction in one of these three wayes that we must not ascribe either to his dictating or to their Preaching unless we will impute gross forgetfullness to the Registers of Christ as not remembring all things necessary when as our Saviour himself promised them such a Comforter as should bring all things to their remembrance Joh. 14. 26. or supine negligence to the Pen-men of the Holy-Ghost as not writing what was necessary to be remembred For if the words which Job spake concerning Christ were to be engraven with an yron pen lead in a rock for ever Joh. 19. 24. then much more were those words to be so engraven which Christ himself spake to his Apostles words ingraven in a rock with an yron pen are lasting but they are not so legible unless they be also drawn over or coloured with lead to make them conspicuous So Salomon Iarchi glosseth this Text he would have the Characters of his Letters engraven with yron to make a deep impression but after that he would have those same Characters coloured or died with lead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dare litteris aspectum nigrum ut cognoscantur That their black tincture might make them the more legible And without doubt our blessed Saviour took such a course that the main effect of his words should be so engraven as to be both lasting and legible to the worlds end when himself hath said that heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away Mat. 24. 35. and amongst the rest sure not his last words Saint Luke records this for one of them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the father Acts 1. 4. And this word doth our Saviour Christ still speak to every good Christian saying unto him depart not from Jerusalem though it were in truth what some have made it reputed by their false clamours prophane unclean impure Ierusalem For you may not hope to fare better then Christ and his Apostles whereever you stay and you are sure not to fare worse then they did though you stay in Jerusalem Jerusalem the City of God had been turned into Sodom a cage of unclean birds for its impurity into an Aceldama a field of blood for its cruelty yet here is such a promise annexed to it as makes Christs Disciples willing to bear with the impurities and to bear the cruelties For it is an Elisha promise which signifieth My God saveth And no wonder then if it hath the power of reviving the Soul as Elisha's bones did revive a dead body And when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood upon his feet 2 Kings 13. 21. So if the soul be let down never so low into the pit of destruction yet if it touch this Elisha this promise of My God saveth with
Domino crucifixo mortuo discipulis fugientibus de resurrectione desperantibus in illâ solâ tota fides remansit Because the Disciples being fled and despairing of the Resurrection when they saw their master was dead the whole Christian faith remained in the blessed Virgin alone specially that day wherein Christ himself lay in the grave that was the Sabbath day or Saturday as if he had been captivated under death The foundation is unsound and so is the superstruction But we are sure whatever the Disciples frailty was in our Saviours Passion yet their zeal and constancy were both very eminent after his resurrection For then they attended diligently and constantly upon their master till they saw him taken up from them and they lost nothing by their diligent and their constant attendance For his Valediction was a Benediction as he left them he blessed them A good example for us how we ought to leave this world though never so injurious to us never so oppressive of us for a Benediction is the only true Christian Valediction and there is no ascending into heaven without that They who part and go away hence in discontents and grudgings which are but secret curses of the heart against God or man can scarce go to heaven by Christs assistance because they desire not to go thither after his example But let their names be enrolled in the records of eternity who notwithstanding all the provocations and insolencies of unjust and unrighteous men have died with more patience and contentedness then we dare live Sure even they also did see Christ in his Ascention though so many hundred years after it or they could not so exactly have followed his pattern But whatever we may think or say of them sure we cannot deny but some others did see it full as many hundred years before as Moses Deut. 33. 26. Ascensor coeli auxiliator tuus He that ascendeth the heavens iâ— thy helper for not only Saint Hierom but also Jarchi so expounds those words And David Psal 47. 7. Ascendit Deus in jubilatione God is ascended with a shout Nay many more it seems did see this Ascention together with him upon whom he calls earnestly to glorifie God for it Psalm 68. 4. O sing unto God and sing praises unto his name magnifie him that rideth upon the heavens as it were upon an horse what could the Apostles say more when they saw our Saviour triumphantly sitting upon the cloud and so ascending up Praise him in his name yea and rejoyce before him Concerning which places the Angelical Doctor hath thus determined Quòd autoritates illae propheticè dicuntur de Deo secundum quod erat incarnandus 3. p. qu 57. art 2. ad 1m Those authorities were spoken prophetically of God the Son in respect to his Incarnation And a more truly Angelical Doctor did in effect so determine long before him and that was Saint Paul when he applyed those words of Psalm 68. 18. Thou art gone up on high thou hast led captivity captive c. directly and expresly to the ascension of our Saviour Christ Thus were there many witnesses of our blessed Saviours Ascension long before it come to pass and therefore certainly that truth and consquently the rest tending to it may not want its witnesses to the worlds end This is clearly evidenced from Saint Pauls words who saith that when he ascended he gave gifts unto men that there should be a succession of witnesses to testifie of him till his coming again for this is the effect of those words Eph. 4. 11 12. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ The meaning is that the testimony of his Truth should not expire with the first witnesses of it but should continue by a succession of other witnesses to the worlds end even as long as there should be a Church to be edified or Saints to be perfected or the work of the Ministry to be performed Let these men consider whether they come not near denying Christs Ascension who do in effect deny the Apostles proof it He proves that Christ was ascended because he had established a Ministry they say there is no no need of a Ministry they were as good say That Christ is not ascended Again others there are that will have a Ministry but yet set up new officers in it or with it for the edifying of the body of Christ which Christ himself never instituted at his ascension and reject those which were of his own undoubted institution These men ought not to obtrude upon the Church any office as of Christs erecting that is not comprehended among those in this Text since they cannot shew us another Ascension much less ought they to disturb some of those which Christ himself then erected and his Church hath ever since acknowledged and retained unless they will be thought disturbers of this Article of their Christian faith He ascended into heaven For that institution cannot be only for a time which hath a reason that continues for ever And such is the reason here given by Saint Paul for instituting these Church-officers to wit The perfecting of the Saints the work of the Ministry and the edifying of the body of Christ A reason which is to hold till the end of the world and therefore doubtless so also must the Institution But we may â—ot stray away from our Mount Gerizim on which not the Sons of men but the eternal Son of God hath blessed us to follow after those whose delight is to be upon Mount Ebal to revile and to curse their Brethren nay their Mother the Church Let us then fix our eyes and our hearts upon our blessed Saviour for though one cloud received him out of his Disciples sight whiles he was ascending yet not all the clouds nor the whole body of heaven was able to keep Saint Stephen from seeing him after he was ascended for so we read Acts 7. 55. But he being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God what he did then see with the eye of flesh we may still see with the eye of faith especially if with him we suffer couragiously and contentedly and not only so but also thankfully for Jesus sake we shall with him likewise see Jesus standing on the right hand of God Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God v. 56. Adstantem ad dexteram Dei i. e. Paratum ad me confirmandum in veritatis confessione recipiendum ad sese saith Beza I see him standing that is ready to confirm me in the confession of his truth and as ready to receive me for confessing it And he borrowed this his gloss from Saint Gregory in his Sermon upon the Ascension
must needs be controverted to the worlds end unless it could be proved that not only Christ but also the blessed Virgin doth indeed sit at the right hand of God being joyned with Christ in the government of his Kingdom which is altogether impossible for that Christ himself sits there in his humane nature only by vertue of the personal union to and with the eternal Son of God whose property alone it is to sit at the right hand of his Father For though the Holy Ghost be also equal with the Father in the same power and glory and therefore together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified yet he is not said to sit at his right hand that 's a phrase spoken peculiarly of the Son in whom the Divine nature was as it were ecclipsed for a while in the state of his humiliation and in whom the humane nature now shineth most gloriously in the state of exaltation And besides for that the Son alone doth administer the Kingdom of the Father immediately from the Father but the Holy Ghost administreth the same Kingdom not only from the Father but also from the Son For although God the Father Son and Holy Ghost do equally govern the Church both militant and triumphant that is do equally administer one and the same Kingdom in heaven and earth yet the Father administreth it of himself not by himself for he is of none as in being so in working The Son administreth the same Kingdom by himself not of himself for as his being so his working is of the Father The holy Ghost administreth the same Kingdom by himself not of himself for he is of the â—ather and of the Son so that God the Father administreth his Kingdom immediately by God the Son who is next him in order and mediately by God the Holy Ghost who so administreth from the Father as also from the Son and therefore is not said to sit at the right hand of the Father because he hath the administration of the Kingdom of God not of the Father alone but of the Father and of the Son whereas the Son hath it immediately and only of the Father So that our blessed Saviour did administer the Kingdom of his Father from all eternity as God But now since his Ascension he doth also administer the same as God in man or as God manifest in the flesh And it is his property alone to sit at the right hand of God because it is his property alone to govern all things in heaven and in earth immediately from the Father Laus Deo will reflect directly on him no less then on the Father and the Holy Ghost for the blessed administration of his Kingdom but Virginique Matri Mariae may securely be left out and is blasphemously and idolatrously put in since the blessed Virgin her self must needs think it robbery to be equal with her Son when her Son thinks it no robbery to be equal with God And certainly if the Fathers in the first Council of Constantinople thought it enough to prove the Holy Ghost coequal with the Father and the Son by saying Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified Then we cannot but think it too much that the blessed Virgin is worshipped and glorified with all three persons of the Trinity as if she were to be thought coequal with Father Son and Holy Ghost But perchance Bellarmine was resolved to gratifie the present practise of his Church with a doxology answerable to that Antiphona Gaude Maria Virgo cunctas haereses sola interemisti in universo mundo Rejoyce O Virgin Mary thou alone hast taken away all heresies in the universal world And he having made it his work to confute all for hereticks who were not of his own gan gives thanks to the blessed Virgin as if by her help he had perfected this great confutation whereas without doubt it is no more in the power of any creature to take away a heresie then it is to change the heart or will of the heritick nor is it in the power of all the Jesuites in the world to prove us poor protestants guilty of heresie because we dare not be guilty of blasphemy nor of Idolatry For it is blasphemy to ascribe that perfection and it is Idolatry to give that honour to the creature which is proper only to the Creator And t is a wonder that Baronius who is pleased to say that our Church of England is wholly drowned in heresie would not impute the cause of that mischeif to our rejecting this and the like Hymns or prayers to the blessed Virgin and say she would not take away our heresies because we had taken away her worship for this reason had certainly been more ingenuous in one of that perswasion then to tell us that we were therefore given over to our delusions because we denyed to pay the Peter pence For that is his observation in his Annals Anno Christi 740. That Ina King of the West Saxons appointed every house in his Dominions to pay a penny to Saint Peter every year that his subjects knowing Saint Peter to be their Lord should more zealously addict themselves to his service and call upon him in their necessities â—t annui census pensitatione cognosceret se subditum S. Petro quem scientes omnes Dominum esse suum propensiori studio colerent in opportunitatibus invocarent But that when this yearly revenue did cease to be payed the Church of England was swallowed up by an inundation of heresies Vbi cessavit pendi vectigal istud utcunque mali redemptum haeresum alluvione Anglicana Ecclesia absorbetur whereas if the mony were paid upon that reason of Invocating Saint Peter it could not be excused from heresie to have continued that payment However this reason is more for the Penny then for the Pater noster and sure the Church of England had more heresies whilst it paid the Peter pence then it hath had ever since unless we look upon these few late years wherein the poor woman cloathed with the Sun hath been distressed by a great red Dragon and forced to flee into the wilderness Rev. 12. But Gods truth is never the worse for being persecuted and Gods faithfull servants will not fall from his truth because of persecution For they know they serve a Master who himself hath said My Kingdom is not of this world John 18. 36. and therefore they who profess themselves subjects of his Kingdom will not change with the world For though our Saviours Kingdom be not of this world yet hath he subjects on earth as well as in hâ—…en And therefore in his Ascension whereby he took possession of his Kingdom he provided for them both For those on earth by the diffusion of his grace called by the Apostle Receiving gifts for men for those in heaven by the diffusion of his glory expressed by this phrase And sate on the right hand of God By
God but by love we must dwell in love or he will not dwel in us And therefore it was most Christian Doctrine which was delivered by Saint Augustine lib. 1. de Doctrina Christiana when he said Quatuor sunt diligenda unum quod est supra nos Sc. Deus Alterum quod nos sumus Tertium quod juxta nos i. e. proximus Quartum quod infra nos i. e. corpus There are four things which every man is bound to love that he may be a good Christian or in the state of true Christianity his God that is above him His neighbour that is about him His soul that is within him and His body that is without him for as the body is capable of eternal bliss by redundancy from the soul so is it also capable of true Christian charity which is not a momentary or temporal but an eternal and everlasting love grounded upon the communication and the communion of a blessed eternity So that in truth the love of God doth not only produce but also comprize and contain all those three other loves man loving his body and his soul and his neighbour with Christian charity only in relation to Christ and as they belong to his communion For undeniable if not indisputable is that position of the Angelical Doctor Amicitia charitatis super communicatione beatitudinis fundatur The friendship of Christian charity is founded upon the communication of eternal blessedness Aquin. 22â— qu. 25. art 5. and by consequent is to be extended according to the extent of that communication Therefore it beginneth with our Saviour Christ and goeth on to every one of his members this spiritual unction of the Holy Ghost being like to that holy ointment poured upon Aaron which ran from his head down to the skirts of his cloathing Psal 133. 2. And yet even from this excellent ground of charity do many men find a pretence for gross uncharitableness whilst those that are of divers perswasions in matters of Religion will needs deny to one another the hopes of salvation every one being resolved to maintain that his own Religion is the only true Christian though it be no more then a profession of it and all agreeing that t is only the true Christian Religion wherein and whereby we can attain eternal blessedness Hence it is that we commonly receive those very faintly whom we suspect God hath not received and those not at all whom we are perswaded he will not receive So that we do little less then invade Christs Judgement seat that we may discard true Christian charity and if we now invade his seat we shall hereafter tremble at his bar Why should we so grosly abuse the very ground of Christian charity to a most unchristian uncharitableness Why should we be so hasty to exclude out of the communion of eternal blessedness those whom our Saviour Christ hath called to it Surely if it be not in our power to give heaven by our charity t is not in power to deny heaven by our uncharitableness unless it be only to our selves True Christian charity is of as large an extent as heaven it self and embraceth all those who have any probability of getting thither For it is grounded upon the communion of eternal bliss and therefore as it loves Christ the head so it cannot but love all Christians as members of that communion It first loves Christ for his own sake by whom we have the communication it afterwards loves our Christian brethren for Christs sake with whom we have inchoately and hope to have consumâ—… of eternal blessedness O Christ let me love as a Christian that I may live as a Christian for I cannot live as a Christian unless I live in thee and I cannot live in thee unless I live in love Let me rather mistake my charity in believing their salvation who have gross errors mixed with their profession then not maintain my charity by denying them salvation who are not of mine own profession For thou wilt sooner pardon their errors which may proceed from ignorance or infirmity then my uncharitableness which can proceed from nothing else but pride and presumption SECT III. That the state of true Christianity is best taught by our Saviour Christ and best learned of him how far the Jews may be said to have known Christ and Christianity That Christ teacheth us by his voice in the holy Scriptures more certainly then by his voice in holy Church the Scripture is to teach the Church as the Church is to teach the people THere is not in all the world any thing taught by a Preacher from heaven but only the Christian Religion And the Son of God came from heaven to teach that and his Fathers voice came from heaven to bid us observe and follow his teaching Behold a voice out of the cloud which said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Mat. 17. 5. And we may very well be not only contented but also desirous to hear him for the state of true Christianity is without all doubt best taught by Christ himself and is therefore best learned of him Moses was faithful in Gods house as a servant and the best teachers amongst men can but sit in Moses chair Mat. 23. 2. but Christ was faithful as a Son Heb. 3. 5 6. The servant was appointed and ordained for the Son and so was Moses for Christ but the Son came only for himself The servant was faithful in his Masters house but the Son in his own house Christ as a Son over his own house ver 6. Moses his faithfulness was by way of introduction for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after ver 5. sc by Christ But Christs faithfulness was by way of perfection to speak those things plainly of which Moses had testified obscurely and to accomplish or perform whatsoever Moses his testimony had either prophesied or promised concerning him For Moses in his writings spake of Christ and directed these Jews unto him in so much that our Saviour telleth the Jews that they needed no other then Moses to accuse them of unbelief for not turning Christians Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust For had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me But if ye believe not his writings How shall ye believe my words John 5. 45 46 47. We may put the whole sense of those three verses into these two propositions 1. That Moses writ so much of Christ as to leave the Jews inexcusable if they did not from his writings look after Christ and believe in him which more particularly appears from Deut. 18. 15. where Moses saith The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren like unto me unto him ye shall hearken which words we find Saint Peter and Saint Stephen both
the Jews in their own Moral Law whilst we establish not our own righteousness but submit our selves to the rightâ—â—usness of God acknowledging that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. but by no means for unrighteousness that is for the acceptance of our obedience but not for the abolition of it Thus we Christians still keep communion with the Jews in all Moral duties and as for Ceremonials the Jews themselves cannot deny but they are bound to alter their own communion For the abolition of all ceremonial or typical worship was foretold to them even at the first institution of it by Moses himself saying And the Lord said I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him Deut. 18. 18 19. And as this abolition of the Ceremonial worship was foretold to the Jews at the first institution so was it also believed by them at the first reception thereof For hence alone was it that they found no fault with their Prophets after Moses though they found them dispensing with the Law of Moses nay plainly acting against it in the exercise of their typical or ceremonial worship as for example neither they of Hierusalem nor of Samaria quarrelled with Eliah for gathering Israel together to offer sacrifice upon Mount Carmel 1 King 18. 19. Though Moses had flatly commanded That all should bring their offerings to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation Levit. 17. 2 3 4. Here it is plain the Ceremonial worship was changed without any quarrel at all in that backsliding and therefore quarrelsome and contentious age of the Church of the Jews which could scarce have been had they not received that same worship with some belief of its future change and had not their Prophets confirmed them in that belief foreshewing as it were by particular changes introduced by them the universal change that should one day be introduced by the Messiah their last and greatest Prophet And this general change wrought by our Saviour Christ is so proved to us Christians that we cannot so much as doubt it and much less deny it For those very words of Moses that foreshewed the change A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall you hear in all things are quoted by Saint Peter as fulfilled in Christ Acts 3. 22. And again he saith v. 24. That all the Prophets from Samuel and those that follow after which words justifie the Jews division of the Prophets into the former and latter Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and put the latter Prophets in as good credit as the former against the Samaritanes and as many have spoken have likewise foretold of these dayes All the Prophets like so many lines from the circumference in the centre meet together in Christ so that the written word of God not only is the undoubted and therefore should be the undeniable ground of all Religion but also of the very Christian Religion nor may we endeavour to prove the establishment of the Christian Religion by unwritten Traditions no more then the Apostles did prove the change of the Jewish Religion by them They alledged the written word for the introduction we for the establishment of our Christian Religion The old Testament so exactly agreeing with the new and both old and new so exactly agreeing and corresponding in Christ that there can be no doubt left of the truth of Christianity Hence Saint Paul will have us make so sure of our Religion that though an Angel from heaven should preach another Gospel we should not be ready to believe but to accurse him Gal. 1 8. And Saint John saith the same in effect If there come any to you and bring not this doctrine sc that whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed 2 John 9 10. Si quis venit ad vos If any come unto you t is all one whether the substantive be an Angel or a man for that divinity was not yet in fashion Si Papa erraret praecipiendo vitia vel prohibendo virtutes teneretur Ecclesia credere vitia esse bona virtutes malas nisi velit contra conscientiam peccare Bellar. lib. 4. de Pontif. cap. 5. That if the Pope should err by commanding sins and forbidding vertues The Church were bound to believe that sins were good and vertues were evil unless she would sin against her conscience Op. Ac ne forte contra conscientiam agat tenetur credere bonum esse quod ille praecipit malum quod ille prohibet And least the Church should do any thing against her conscience she is bound to believe that to be good which the Pope commandeth and that to be evil which he forbiddeth A strange assertion as if God had put all his Divine Truths whether speculative or practical for if the one the other also under the possibility of mans lawfull contradiction and all our consciences under the power of his controul nor is there any remedy for this mischeivous consequence by translating this pretended Infallibility from his person to his chair nor from his chair to his Church for we may justly suppose or rather must necessarily believe that Saint Johns words are as well to be understood and interpreted of a whole Church as of single man since there is the same reason of both for a Church is but a congregation of men and false doctrine hath no less of falsity though it hath less of excuse in a Church then in any particular man But we must more then believe this Truth if it be possible That the Gospel is to sway our faith above and against all authorities to the contrary whatsoever by the force of Saint Pauls reason For if not the authority of the Church triumphant then surely not of the Church militant may be allowed to weaken our faith in the doctrine or in the Gospel of Christ If not an Angel from heaven then sure not a man upon the earth And great pity it is but greater shame that the faction and humour of some men should endeavour to shake not only the dictates of nature in putting vertue and vice under mans determination but also the very foundation of supernatural Truth the written Word of God thereby thinking the more to establish the pillar of supernatural truth the Church of God whereas indeed they do the more shake that too For we are all most sure that the Scriptures came incorrupt from the mouth of God and therefore if there be now any corruptions in them they are of mans not of Gods creating And
he gave his mind to the holiness of the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and would not let Uzziah offer incense therefore it is said he it is that executed the Priests office because he was most zealous for the glory of the Priest-hood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Kimchi it seems by the Text that officiating in the Priests office without being a Priest was a profanation under the Law and why should we think otherwise under the Gospel since those who now succeed them in the administration of publick worship have obtained a more excellent ministry by how much they are the Mediators of a better Covenant Heb. 8. 6. For those words though spoken directly of Christ yet are proportionably true of the Ministry instituted by him who are surely the Mediators of a better Covenant therefore have obtained a more excellent Ministry consequently to invade their office must needs be a more dangerous profanation and we see those who are guilty of it are commonly even to this day struck as Vzziah was though not with a corporal yet with a spiritual leprosie that infects more dangerously though less discernably And if their office may not be invaded without profanation then much less may it be despised opposed without irreligion For God gave all the authority belonging to the Ministry of the New Testament to our Saviour Christ and he gave the same to his Apostles with power and command of giving it to others after them to the worlds end so saith the Text John 20. 24. As my father hath sent me Therrs the authority of the Ministry given unto Christ even so I send you there 's the same authority given by him to his Apostles not only for themselves but also for others for as Christ was sent that he might send them so were they sent that they might send others after them Thus Saint Paul saith for himself According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust 1 Tim. 1. 11. And he saith no less for Saint Timothy I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other Doctrine And again This charge I commit unto thee 1 Tim 1. 3. 18. Thereby acknowledging that he had received this trust not only to discharge it himself but also to commit it to others that should discharge it after him For this calling of Ministers having been instituted for the perfection of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4. 12. t is evident it must be continued as long as there shall be any Saints to be perfected or the work of the Ministry to be performed or the body of Christ to be edified and as evident that it may not be despised or opposed by any who will not put himself out of the communion of Saints or cut himself off from the body of Christ For the Text is as plain as if it had been written with a Sun beam which saith He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you dispiseth me and he that despiseth me dispiseth him that sent me Luke 10. 16. He that despiseth you that are sent by me despiseth me that sent you and he that despiseth me that am sent of my Father despiseth him that sent me nor may we say that our Ministers are not sent of God for how shall they preach except they be sent doth now infer as well as then that if there be no sending there can be no preaching either we must say that preaching and consequently praying and administring the Sacraments for there is the same reason of all is not Gods work or that those who lawfully do it have Gods authority for what they do And if they have Gods authority how shall they not have my obedience Saint Pauls saith not only for himself and his assistants but also for all that were to succeed him in his Ministry We were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel 1 Thes 2. 4. They have Gods allowance or approbation and may lawfully undertake the Ministry of the Gospel nay more they have Gods command or trust and must necessarily discharge what they have undertaken so the same Saint Paul Necessity is laid upon me yea woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9 16. Not speaking the words occasionally concerning his person we must betray the authority of the Scripture to say so making it an imperfect rule to give us only momentary or occasional directions but doctrinally concerning his calling and therefore this woe lieth upon all those that succeed him in the Ministry binding them to use their utmost endeavours both by their preaching and by their living and by their dying to advance the Gospel of Christ or if they do not their duty this woe lieth upon them and consequently if they do it lâ—eeth upon those that oppose or hinder them For it is a clear case that our Saviour Christ hath in every Nation of Christendom entrusted his worship and Word and Sacraments and what ever else directly concerns the salvation of souls with some peculiar men who must rather forgoe their lives then forsake their trust to whom he still saith as he did to his Apostles when he first gave them his commission Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Mat. 10. 28. They were not to fear mens killing if they did their duty but Gods killing if they did it not And least the world should think them hated of God because they were by him exposed to all dangers in another place where he still deterreth them from fearfulness in discharging this trust he calleth them his friends And I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will fore-warn you whom you shall fear fear him that after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you fear him Luke 12. 4 5. They are to prefer the discharge of their Trust above their lives and shall not I prefer it above my humour Shall I think that my Saviour who hath bid me take him for an heathen or a publican that neglects to hear the Church will take me for a good Christian if I my self be guilty of that neglect Mat. 18. 17. I will then willingly acknowledge that those only to whom Christ hath given the power of loosing and binding in heaven are in this respect called the Church for so the sequele of the context there requires and that if I hear not these I shall be in his account but as a heathen or a publican For this is the Church which God hath in this Nation entrusted with the blood of his Son with the dictates of his Spirit and with the souls of his
bind If we break one of those bonds asunder how shall we be held by the other If we cast away Religion what do we talk of communion it is more just to call it a conspiracy If we cast away communion what do we pretend Religion it is more just to call it an apostacy Let both Religion and Communion be truely for the honour of Christ or let neither be called Christian For indeed this is the only true touchstone whereby we may try which Churches are the dross of Christendom and which are the gold of it they who most labour to glorifie Christ are the best Christians according that short but pithy prayer of the Latine Church Et quia tuum est quod credimus tuum sit omne quod vivimus Orat. in Sabbato quatuor temporum quadragesimae And because that all our Faith is from thee grant that all our Life may be for thee and to thee All our faith is from Christ all our life must be to Christ or we shall live infidels though in belief Christians Therefore they who most labour to glorifie Christ both by their Faith and by their life are undoubtedly the best Christians They who most labour to glorifie him as King to be ruled by his government as Prophet to be guided by his Word as Priest to be reconciled by his satisfaction they are clearly the best Christians and they who are defective in any of these as they less glorifie Christ so have they less the purity and truth of Christianity Great is the preeminence of Christians above other men that they know Christ but greater is their preeminence above other Christians that they glorifie him agreeably to their knowledge such are truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The faithful in Saint Chrysostomes sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christians are called the Faithful not only for trusting in God but also for being trusted by him in that they have been entrusted with those mysteries of Christ which not the Angels themselves did know before them They were accordingly best take heed they do not betray that trust which they did not could not deserve and they will certainly betray it if once they seek to take the preeminence to themselves and not give it to their Saviour We may not judge some of the antient Churches for so doing because they were swallowed up by an Earth-quake soon after they had received Christianity as Coloss Laodicea and Hâ—erapolis in the reign of Nero saith Orasius But we most look carefully to our selves that we may not do so who dayly hear many amongst us saying We are of Paul others we are of Cephas others we are of Apollos meerly to divide the Church and others saying We are of Christ meerly to contemn it For they intend not to advance our Saviour but to debase his Ministers not to come neerer Christ but only to run further from his Church I say we must look carefully to our selves leâ—t some such dreadful Earthquake swallow us up also who have provoked heaven wearied earth and therefore may justly go down quick into hell or lest we be swallowed up by the Earth without an Earth quake as were Corah Dathan and Abiram who were the first notorious authors of divisions in the people of God and themselves perished by a strange division for saith the Text The ground clave asunder that was under them Numb 16. 31. And the ground is still cleaving asunder under us in so much that it is to be feared That the Earth the sons of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filii terrae as the Text calls them Psalm 49. 2. the lowest and meanest of the people will at last quite swallow up both Moses and Aaron that is all authority and preeminence both Civil and Ecclesiastical This we are sure of the only way for the Kings and Potentates of this world to keep their own authority is by it to defend and maintain the authority of Christ who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6. 15. nor is it just they should look to have any preeminence without and much less against him whose proper right it is in all things to have the preeminence Col. 1. 18. Therefore give glory to the Lord your God before he cause darkness in despite of all your new lights and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains and while ye look for light he turn it into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness But if ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride and mine eye shall weep sore and run down with tears because the Lords flock is carried away captive Jer. 13. 16 17. Carried away captive from the communion of the Lord to the divisions and distractions of his enemies A captivity beyond that of Babylon because of a confusion beyond that of Babel for there only tongues but here minds and spirits also are confounded O sweet Jesus restore again to thy communion those that have departed from it retain and confirm those that still abide and continue in it Thou blessed Mediator betwixt God and Angels and men and by that thy mediation the blessed author to the Angels of union to men of reunion to both Angels and men of communion with the everliving God be pleased so to joyn all Christians in one communion here on earth that thou mayst joyn them all in one communion hereafter in heaven even that eternal and most blessed communion wherein thou our Head now livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God world without end Amen Deo Trin-uni gloria THE IVSTIFICATION OF THE Church of England According to the true principles of Christian Religion and Communion consisting of three Chapters The first Chapter sheweth that the Church of England is Gods Trustee for the Christian Religion as to the people of this Nation The second Chapter sheweth that the same Church of England hath carefully discharged that Trust as a most Christian or most Catholick Church The third Chapter sheweth that the Communion of the said Church of England is conscionably embraced and reteined by all the people of that Nation but unconscionably declined or deserted by any of them I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the Grace of Christ unto another Gospel which is not another but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ Gal. 1. 6 7. I would they were even cut off which trouble you Gal. 5. 12. LONDON Printed Anno Domini 1658. The Preface to the Iudicious and unprejudicate Reader I Hope it will not be said I seek to justifie a Church which is not for the truth and righteousness whereby it was a Church are the same they ever were or that I seek to justifie a Church which ought not to be for no man can shew a better truth and righteousness whereby to make a better Church Till
it or potentially in our spiritual vote and desire though we live never so far from them And it is to be noted in Gods Method that he first makes provision for the Truth of his worship in the three first then afterwards for the publike exercise of it in the fourth Commandment he first takes care that we be not faulty in the object of our worship saying Thou shalt have no other Gods but me then not in the outward manner of it either in deed or in word not in deed saying Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image thou shalt not how down to them nor worship them not in word saying Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain After this order taken for the truth of his worship both in the object and in the manner then he proceeds to command the publick exercise thereof saying Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day Certainly this Method was not in vain but to shew that as the Truth was to go before the exercise so the exercise was to follow the Truths of Religion And therefore wheresoever the Church did worship God according to the dictates of the three first commandments there every man was bound to be a communicant with the Church by vertue of the fourth and not only by vertue of the fifth Commandment For Christian communion as an act of Religion belongs to the first though as an act of obedience it belong to the second Table Therefore if another man saith Our Father which art in heaven how shall I not say with him Hallowed be thy name Doth it beseem me to be angry with the Lords most holy prayer for his sake that saith it as if what Christs lips had sanctified his lips could prophane for my devotion Or can I be angry with any of Christs words wheresoever I find them and not be guilty of anger against Christ and against Christianity Is the love of my God to be over-ruled by the hatred of my neighbour or may I indeed hate my God for my neighbours sake who am bound to love mine enemy for Gods sake The argument then will proceed à minori ad majus that if I may not in a true worship deny my communion to a stranger much less to a brother if not to a brother then much less to a mother If not to one single Minister much less to a whole Church which God hath entrusted with his own worship and with my soul For if I must look on that particular Minister whom God hath set over me as one that directeth me in his worship by his authority then much more must I so look upon my Church which God first set over that Minister before he set that Minister over me And if every particular Minister amongst us would as conscionably acknowledge and as couragiously vindicate his Churches Trust as he confidently assumes and diligently performs his own we should soon have much less faction in the Church and much more Religion in the people SECT V. The Prince as the supream governour of the particular Church in his own Dominions is Gods Trustee concerning the outward exercise of Religion not to manage or perform but to propagate and to protect it The antient Divines acknowledged this Trust and the antient Princes discharged it and Princes were bound so to do because it is their right by the Law of nature and because without the discharge of this Trust there can neither be the face nor the order of Religion among any People IT was the singular providence of God to commit the care and trust of man in matters of Religion only to men for since the devil can transform himself into an Angel of light if in this case we had been entrusted with the Angels we might have been deluded by the Devils But now having a more sure word of prophesie then can be any voice from heaven whosoever be the speaker or the messenger 2 Pet. 1. 19. there is no true Christian Church but may with confidence and must with courage say unto the people committed to her Trust as Saint Paul said to the Galatians Though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Gal. 1. 8. God hath not trusted Angels but men with preaching his Gospel nor hath he trusted men to preach a new Gospel but that only which the Apostles at first preached and what he hath given some men spiritual power to preach that he hath given other men temporal power to maintain The Priest is to preach it the Prince is to maintain it and the same God who in the affairs of the body hath given his Angels charge over men hath in the affairs of the soul given men charge over Angels for though an Angel from heaven should preach any other Gospel yet neither might the Priest publish it nor the Prince protect it It being a priviledge of men above Angels since the eternal truth took on him not the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham that as Angels are the guardians of men so men should be the guardians of Gods truth And happily in this regard we find two sorts of men especially in the holy Scriptures called Angels to wit Kings and Priests because God hath most especially trusted them with his truth T is sure this reason is given why the King is so called 2 Sam. 14. 17. For as an Angel of God so is my Lord the King to discern good and bad And t is very probable the same reason is meant though it be not given why the Priests are so called Revel 2. For we find the Angels of those several Churches strictly examined if not severely blamed for the neglect of this Trust God hath made Kings and Priests guardians of his truth as he hath made the Angels guardians of our persons that we should admire his infinite power whereby he is able and adore his infinite goodness whereby he is willing not only to send down from heaven his Ministring Spirits but also to raise up from earth his Ministring flesh to be our guardian Angels Nor can we now without unthankfulness to God injury to the Truth and injustice if not uncharitableness to our selves deny either King or Priest his part in this guardianship And God he knows we have great need of both It hath been the Devils cheifest policy to sow seeds of jealousie and dissension between these two Trustees that so he might make himself the greater harvest either by depraving the purity or by disturbing the peace of Religion In some Churches the Priest hath almost expelled the King in other Churches the King hath almost expelled the Priest The one extending his spirituals even to temporals the other extending his temporals even to spirituals neither but cometh short of his duty whiles both go beyond their Trust God make both truly to see the danger and the burden of their own
knowledge of God she is trusted with preaching which teacheth that knowledge And because she is trusted with the worship of God she is trusted with praying and with administring the holy Sacraments which constitute that worship So that we may see how incongruously some men do seek to turn all the worship of God into preaching when as in truth that more properly belongs to the knowledge then to the worship of God and though knowledge may direct our worship yet it cannot constitute it Wherefore God himself speaking of his publick worship as it was exercised among the Jews on their Sabbath calleth the Temple wherein it was exercised the house of Prayer I will make them joyful in my house of Prayer Isa 56. 7. And our blessed Saviour speaking of the same worship as it should be exercised among Christians calleth the place of its exercise the House of prayer My house shall be called of all Nations the house of prayer Mark 11. 17. In that he saith of all Nations he includeth the Christians who were so to be whereas the Jewish worshippers were but only of one Nation and in that he alloweth the Christians to have amongst them Gods house as well as the Jews t is evident he calleth not only the Temple at Hierusalem Gods house but also all other Temples or Churches which should ever after be set apart for Gods worship plainly sheweth that his zeal was not so much for that house whereof in few years after not one stone was to be left upon another as for those houses which were to continue to the worlds end And lastly in that he calleth the Temple though set apart for all the acts of Gods worship The house of prayer that whilst sacrifices were not yet abolished t is evident he would have prayer looked upon as the chiefest act of Gods worship as chiefly belonging to Gods house and that therefore no act of Religion should cast prayer out of Gods house which is the house of prayer as no act of irreligion should cast Gods house out of any Nation which is the house of prayer for All Nations Preaching was ordained for Praying not against it to teach us how to make our supplications to God not to exclude our making them Which truth is either so palpable as to obtain all mens consent or so powerful as to extort it for even they who are most zealous for preaching do not think fit to preach without praying nay they commonly turn their Sermons into prayers as if the one without the other were either an ineffectual or an incompleat act of Religion whereas prayer alone is neither thought ineffectual nor incompleat thereby giving that pre-eminence to prayer in the truth of their Judgements which they arrogate to preaching in the perversness of their practice that is To be the chiefest act of Religious worship No Christian Divine ought so to betray his own Vocation much less his Religion as to undervalue preaching nor yet so to betray his Trust as to overvalue it above Prayer either of them is the publick manifestation of Gods excellency which to do according to Gods command is both the greatest duty of a Christian and the greatest glory of Christianity But whereas Gods excellency may be manifested three wayes First by way of Enuntiation as in that of the Psalmist Great is the Lord and marvellous worthy to be praised Psal 145. 3. Secondly by way of admiration as O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy name in all the world or What is man that thou art mindful of him Psalm 8. 1 4. Thirdly by way of invocation as In thee O Lord have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion Psalm 71. 1. T is evident that preaching can magnifie God only by way of enuntiation declaring his greatness and goodness or by way of admiration extolling it and I wish from my heart that our preaching did truly hit either of these marks which ought to aim at both But t is only praying which can magnifie him by way of invocation not only declaring and admiring his greatness and goodness but also Trusting it Therefore is this the highest degree of glory which man can give to God and t is as great a shame to give it to any else as not to give it him because this comprizeth as well as the other the act of enuntiation which is the work of the tongue and the act of admiration which is the work of the head but moreover addeth a most holy Affection which is the work of the heart and then is God most truly glorified as to the manifestation of his excellency when he is glorified both with tongue and head and heart How much more when all these meet together not only in one man but also in many millions which joyn together in one heavenly form of prayer whom though their number may make many Congregations yet their uniformity in prayer will not let make any more then one Communion These Congregations as they give most glory to God so they have most power with him and most blessings from him amongst the rest the blessings of Charity and concord which others who more delight in variety of Prayers as they do not so truly desire so they cannot so firmly enjoy according to the excellent gloss upon Rom. 15. Benè rogat Apostolus minores pro se orar◠multi enim minimi dum congregantur unanimes fiunt magni multorum preces impossibile est non impetrare illud quod est impetrabile If the effectual fervent prayer of one righteous man availeth much then of many righteous men much more especially when they all pray as one man with one heart and with one mouth and though many in speaking yet but one in Praying though many as men yet but one as Christians unanimously beseeching for the Grace and mercy of Christ who having joined two natures in one person loves to see us joyn many persons in one communion SECT III. Preaching is twofold either by Translating and Reading or by Expounding the Holy Scriptures The great excellency and necessity of both and that our Church is entrusted with both and cannot justly be charged as defective in either GOD first instructed men in his own person till their wickedness made them unworthy of so good company then withdrawing himself to heaven he instructed them by his Prophets because though their sin had made them destitute of his good company yet his mercy would no let them be destitute of his good instruction Thus was God pleased to preach unto those under the Law by himself and by his Prophets And after the same manner was he also pleased to preach to us under the Gospel by his Son and by his Apostles So that all Preaching hath in Truth its beginning from God should have its continuance with him its end in him For those Doctrines which are now Preached by his ordinary Ministers may not differ the least tittle from those
in relation to the people to those who have a great number to countenance any insolency and as great a power to continue it and to say it in the name of God is to say that which if it doth not make the people tractable will certainly make them inexcusable And this Saint Paul saith so frequently that we are bound to look upon it as his common dialect and therefore as our own special duty I will instance only in that Text which as it allows the necessity of Ecclesiastical Discipline so it allayes the severity of it for these times though they most shew the want or necessity of Church government yet will they least endure the severity of the same And that Text is in the second Epistle to the Thessalonians the third Chapter 14. and 15. Verses And if any men obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother T is without all doubt and therefore should be without all dispute that these words were not written occasionally but âoctrinally and consequently contain in them such a precept as now at this time concerns us no less then it did at that time concern the Thessalonians And our Church is no less intrusted with this precept then theirs was and as much bound to execute this command of observing admonishing avoiding such as obey not the Apostles Word or Doctrine whether by his own Epistles or by the Churches Sermons Whether by his writing or by her speaking whether by his Hand or by her mouth What remains then if I obey not but wilfully persist in disobeying the Apostles Doctrine taught me by this Church which God hath set over me but that I look upon my self as one excommunicated by this Canon of the Holy Ghost and consequently as one whose sins are bound and retained in heaven though possibly not so much as taken notice of here on Earth And therefore I have great reason to fear that sentence which a Bishop of this Church hath recorded upon this very Text though now I see no visible Judge to pronounce it In nomine Dei c. In the name of the living God and of Jesus Christ before whom I stand and before whom all flesh shall appear by the authority of his word and by the power of the Holy Ghost I divide thee from the fellowship of the Gospel and declare that thou art no more a member of the body of Christ Thy name is put out of the book of life Thou hast no part in the life to come thou art not in Christ and Christ is departed from thee I deliver thee to Satan the Prince of darkness thy reward shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Thou shalt starve and wither and not abide The Grace of God is taken out of thy Heart The face of the Lord is against all them that do evil they shall not taste of his mercy Bishop Jewel in his Commentary on 2 Thes 3. This is a sentence that I have reason to fear if I be disobedient to the Doctrine and bid defiance to the worship of Almighty God which I have learned in this Church For rather then the Synagogue of Satan shall be confounded with the Church of God Christ himself will re-assume that Power which he hath given to his Ministers he will become the judge rather then obstinate sinners shall want the sentence of condemnation Nay it is to be feared that he is become the Judge already and hath moreover ratified his own sentence for surely men are divided from the fellowship of the Gospel Christ is departed from them and the grace of God is taken out of their hearts when they altogether delight in divisions and are as children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine nay carried away with all deceivableness of unrighteousnesness because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved And indeed men are first generally carried away by the deceivableness of unrighteousness and after that by the deceivableness of untruth The deceivableness of unrighteousness will not let them receive the love of the truth and then the deceivableness of untruth will not let them retein the Doctrine of it as it follows For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes 2. 11 12. They first have pleasure in unrighteousness and will not believe the truth and from thence proceed to have pleasure in untruth that they may defend and maintain their unrighteousness First they will not give themselves to believe the truth then God gives them to belielieve a lye First they contemn those whom God hath sent then God sends them strong delusions First they believe not the truth because they have pleasure in their sins then they believe a lye that they may perish in their sins O the unspeakable mercy of God who hath given us this warning to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts O the impartial Justice of God who hath given us this doom that if we hear not his voice to day we shall harden our hearts to morrow Let us consider how the Primitive Christians obeyed their spiritual guides and we shall never want the Method and much less lose the zeal of our obedience We will never let it be said that we have lived so many years to understand our Religion now mean to live the rest of our dayes to abandon it alwayes remembring that heavenly contemplation of the Angelical Doctor Ratio Aeternitatis consequitur Immutabilitatem sicut ratio temporis consequitur motum 1 par qu. 10. art 2. Eternity is founded upon unchangeableness as time is founded upon change Therefore we cannot lay a greater reproach upon Religion then to think or to shew it changeable as if it rather belonged to time then to eternity Secondly this obligation which binds us to our spiritual Pastors and Guides hath not lost its force of binding us because of the duty to which we are bound which is the publick practice of Religion A duty which we cannot perform without the direction of the Church for without that when we come together every one will have a Psalm a Doctrine a tongue a revelation an interpretation 1 Cor. 14 26. yet a duty which we cannot wilfully neglect without the danger if not the damnation of our souls For this comes neer that damnable sin of spiritual slothfulness which regards not Communion with God and he that regards not communion with God here how can he hope for the fruition of God hereafter T is the common course of men now to say are not Abana and Pharphar Rivers of Damascus better then all the Waters of Israel may I not wash in them aud be clean
Apostolical practice recorded in the Text was therefore imbraced by the Catholike Church as if it had been Precept for the time and place and persons of Religious worship because that Practice in all these respects was founded upon the precepts of the old Testament not as they were typical and figurative but as they were solemn and positive and did no less concern the Christian in the publike exercise of his moral then they did concern the Jew in the publike exercise of his ceremonial Worship For publike worship requires the same publike adjuncts of time place and person no less in the Christians then it did in the Jews Religion And therefore we cannot deny but all those precepts in the old Testament that were given about those publike adjuncts do still remain in force as to that intent of the publike exercise of Religion unless we will deny that Christians are obliged to the exercise of Gods publike worship we must then still have our set dayes as Sabbaths our set places as Churches our set Persons as Ministers for the solemn publike worship of God And consequently they who go about to abolish any of these adjuncts or circumstances of publike worship do in effect go about to expunge the fourth commandment out of the Decalogue which was written with Gods own finger as well as the rest commandeth the solemn benediction consecration and conservation of all those adjuncts of time place person as conducing to the Publike service of God and exercise of Religion And as for times and persons they have been since in many respects determined by Apostolical Practice and particularly the Day of our Saviours Ascension seems to have been Annually observed by them as the day of his Resurrection was observed weekly since we find that Festival universally received by the Catholike Church and the Fathers made many admirable Sermons or Homilies upon it long before superstition had infected or Popery had invaded the Church of Christ in so much as Saint Augustine tells us plainly that the feast of the Ascension was observed in the Catholike Church even from the Apostles times Sure we are those primitive Christians well understood that God did not intend to confine but to enlarge his own worship by the fourth Commandment to wit to make that exercise of Religion solemn and publike in the fourth which was private in the other three Commandments not to make that to be only on one day which was before commanded to be all the week For he that saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart supposeth that as no day thou canst be without thy heart so no day thy heart may be without his love And therefore when we have a publike day set apart to make this our love publikely known if we do wilfully neglect the same we are grievous transgressors and downright plain Sabbath-breakers though not on the Sabbath day and consequently twice sinners in one contempt or profanation for omitting the substance of the duty and for contemning the circumstance of the day Another circumstance in our blessed Saviours Ascension is the place from which he was received up and that was not Hierusalem but Bethany For although the Apostles had been with him in Galilee many dayes where he conversed with them after the first day of his Resurrection yet now they were again returned back to Hierusalem waiting there for the promise of the Father as they had been commanded Act. 1. 4. And he led them out from thence as far as Bethany Luk 24. 50. before he was pleased to ascend into heaven partly because he would not have the people see but rather believe the Mysterie of his Ascension and partly because he would not expose his Apostles to the outrages of those who though they had seen it yet were resolved not to believe but to persecute the true believers And yet in that he led his Apostles out to Bethany he shewed them what was the right use they were to make of this worlds afflictions or persecutions even to have their conversation with him in heaven For Bethany is by interpretation the house of sorrow or affliction and our blessed Saviour Ascending to heaven from thence hath shewed us that then do we make a right use of of our afflictions on earth when they do make our souls ascend up to heaven This is to turn Bethany into Bethel the house of sorrow into the house of God But the place from which our blessed Saviour ascended into heaven is called Mount Olivet Act. 1. 12. And indeed these two were but one and the same place for Bethany stood upon Mount Olivet Christ ascended from a Mount and from this Mount Olivet He ascended from a Mount to shew it was not an easie step from earth to heaven there must be three ladders joyned together to accomplish this ascent scala mentis scala voluntatis scala vitae one ladder of the mind by contemplation another ladder of the will by affection a third ladder of the life by action All three have several rongs or degrees as Jacobs ladder had and God is only at the top Again he ascended from this Mount Olivet where he begun his passion by sweating blood Luk. 22. to shew us the necessity of passive obedience if we desire to go to heaven Moses his Mount Sinai which teacheth the rule of active obedience will not serve the turn we must also go up to Christs Mount Olivet and there learn his passive obedience that by suffering with him we may also reign with him for he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross and therefore God highly exalted him Phil. 2. Can you drink of his cup without fear it may overcome your weak Stomack since the fear of it made him offer up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears Heb. 5. 7. If you can then may you find some pretence though little cause to take that for granted to you which the sons of Zebedee only requested for themselves to sit with him in his Kingdom But if your frailty and humility bid you fear you may stick at the dregs in drinking of his cup much more should your frailty and modesty bid you blush that you are so exceeding unworthy of comming to his Kingdom and of sitting in it together with him that so you may not turn your own Churchwarden to appoint your own place in heaven but may wholly relie upon him for your place upon whom you must relie for your worthiness SECT III. The persons before whom our Saviour Christ ascended were 1. Angels 2. Men yet men only not Angels appointed by him as witnesses of his ascension though not all men And that the disturbers of these witnesses that is of the orders of Christs Ministers in his Church do sin against this article of Christs ascension which however is it self and puts all true believers above all disturbances THE persons before whom or in whose
presence our blessed Saviour was received up into heaven will afford us several considerations for they were of two different kinds Angels and men The one were Citizens of heaven in their Pilgrimage to earth the other were inhabitants of earth in their Pilgrimage to heaven He was taken up before some Angels that were newly come down from heaven and before some men that were in their journey thither none is accounted by him a fit witness of his ascension into heaven but such a one as is already there either by the excellency of his condition or by the purity of his affection either an Angel or an Apostle The Angels are mentioned Act. 1. 10. Behold two men stood by them in white apparel that is Two Angels in the shape and appearance of men They had been witnesses of his humiliation to their astonishment and were now of his exaltation to their joy He is going up and they are coming down He seems to carry away Heaven from his Apostles they seem to bring it back again God never leaves his servants destitute of all comfort If not Christ yet an Angel is still with them till at last comes the Comforter himself Nor did our blessed Saviour account a bare promise of the Comforter to be enough but here he also gives a pledge of that promise Those Ministring spirits being as it were so many harbingers sent before hand to be speak and provide lodging for God the Holy-Ghost against his comming and so many sureties or pledges that he would now very shortly come Yet our blessed Saviour appointed not Angels for witnesses of his ascension to the world lest the Divels which can transform themselves into Angels of light might also have been witnesses of the same without his appointment not to the confirmation but the utter depravation and subversion of the true Christian Faith Therefore hath God flatly bound us up to be guided and governed only by those things which his Apostles have preached unto us that our faith should be wholly grounded and fixed upon certainties so that though an Angel from heaven should preach any other Gospel we should not hear him but curse him Gal. 1. 8. But Aquinas in 3. 64 7. upon this question Vtrum Angeli possint Sacramenta Ministrare whether Angels may administer the Sacraments concludes they may not upon such demonstrative reasons which will also prove that they may not preach the Gospel one of his reasons is this Tota virtus Sacramentorum à passione Christi derivatur cui in naturâ conformantur homines non autem Angeli ideo ad homines pertinet dispensare Sacramenta non autem ad Angelos All the vertue of the Sacraments is derived from the passion of Christ who took not on him the nature of Angels but of man and therefore it belongs to men not to Angels to be the Ministers of the Sacraments We may say the same concerning the word for the Word and Sacraments were both ordained by the same Author and for the same end and are both under the same trust That Christ became man to the intent that he might himself preach the Gospel and therefore would nor make use of any but of men to preach it after him That like as the Son of God had priviledged the nature of man not of Angels by taking it into the Unity of his person so he might priviledge the persons of men not of Angels by taking them into the society of his office The other of his reasons is indeed above all reason because it is founded upon Gods Authority and therefore serves him for an Argument to be opposed against all the contrary objections Sed contra est quod dicitur Heb. 5. Omnis pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in his que sunt ad Deum sed Angeli boni vel mali non sunt ex hominibus ergo ipsi non constituuntur ministri in his quae sunt ad Deum 1. in Sacramentis The Apostle saith That every high Priest is taken from men and is ordained for men in things pertaining to God but Angels are not taken from men Therefore they are not ordained Ministers for men in things pertaining to God doubtless the word and Sacraments are things pertaining to God the argument concerns the whole discharge of a Priests office That an Angel may discharge no part of it For the Apostles intent is to clear the Priest-hood of Christ against all objections of the Jews and accordingly he proves out of their own Law that God had absolutely circumscribed and limited the Priest-hood in three respects 1. In regard of the person of the Priest for that none could be a Priest who was not a man because none else was fit to intercede for men none else would have compassion of men 2. In regard of the office of the Priesthood which was to reconcile the sinners and expiate the sin 3. In regard of the outward calling to that office for no man might take that honour to himself but he that was called of God as was Aaron Accordingly our Saviour Christ was pleased to be made man that he might be capable of being our high Priest to intercede for us and to have compassion on us And he did actually undertake this office of the Priest-hood in reconciling sinners and in expiating sin nor did he undertake this office without being thereunto called of God as was Aaron From this Argument we may deduce these two conclusions 1. That Angels cannot be Priests nor discharge those duties which belong only to Priests as Preaching the word and ministring the Sacraments because they are not men and every Priest is to be taken from among men 2. That all men may not be Priests to discharge these same duties but only those who are called of God as was Aaron that is who are set apart by an outward calling for that discharge And they that are not so called and yet will needs be either Preaching the Gospel or Ministring the Sacraments do affront our Saviour Christ in his Priest-hood opposing him in his office rejecting him in his example and contemning him in his Authority For as an Angel may not do the office of a Priest propter impedimentum personae for the impediment of his person because he is not a man not taken from among men So that man who is not called of God as was Aaron may not do the office of a Priest propter impedimentum causae for the impediment of the cause or office it self because he is not ordained for men in things pertaining to God and unless God ordain him sure God will not accept him Let him meddle only with things pertaining to men let him not meddle with things pertaining to God For he that struck Vzzah dead for rashly going to uphold his Ark when it was shaken 2 Sam. 6. 7. because not having Commission to touch it he had profaned it with his touch hath plainly shewed how much he hateth