with fire and sword fire of zâ—ale and sword of Gods word having the lawes of God and the King on our side As it is said in the 7. Apoc. 16. ver. The 10 Hornes that is the 10 Nations shall hate the Whore of Babylon the Church of Rome and shall make herâ— desolate and naked and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire But what are those vaine superstitions the holders whereof ought to be hated Some thinke Magicall arts are meant therâ—by to which saith Pliny Orientales populi ad insaniam usque addicti sunt The Easterne people ranne mad after Magickâ— which Gods law vtterly condemnes But the superstitious vanities in my text are more generall Vanity of vanities saith Sâ—lomon all is vanity beside the feare of God and keeping of his commandements Those vanities saith a learned interpreter are humane traditions superstitious Ceremonies which vndermine and overthrow both the Law and the Gospell after which Ceremonies Orientales our East-worshippers runne mad in a manner And what are Ceremonies are all vaine are all superstitious God forbid Many are tolerable a few necessary Most are ridiculous and some abhominable Indeed in the beginning when the law was first published it pleased almighty God to traine vp the people of Israell vnder a multitude of Câ—remonies to keepe them in exercise and helpe their infirmity By the externall observation of which he would accustome them to his spirituall worship and nurture them in his feare and obedience till the comming of Christ who was the end the complement the consummation of Ceremonies For when Christ had appeared who was the truth and substance the Shadowes departed neither would he burden his Church with â—raditions and rudiments any longer Onely to preserve the memory of his benefits he ordained two Sacraments left to his Church liberty to mâ—ke lawes and Canons for order and comelinesse agreeable to his word For Ceremoniarum anima saith one est verbum Dei The life and soule of evâ—ry Ceremony is the word of God without which it is dead and damned But Popes and papall Prelates not content with that simplicity which pleased the Apostles and primitive Church would needes adde Ceremony to Ceremony increasing their number in infinitum till they had heapt up a world of Ceremonies which they adorn'd with worldly splendor and bravery Adeo ut Gentes Iudaeos externi cultus superstitione Christiani vicerint saith Szegeâ—ine Insomuch as Christians have surpassed both Iewes and Gentiles in the superstition of externall worship Which malady or plague rather of the Church began then to prevaile saith he Quando relicto verbo Dei mundana sapientia administrari caepit religio Christi When the government of Christs religion began to bee managed nay mard and mangled with worldly wisdome Gods word being abandoned For now saith he not one among a thousand can 〈◊〉 content to serve God in spirit and truth but he will affect some superstitious Ceremonie to worship God therewith Whereas Christs Church in stead of many rites and signes of which the â—ewish religion consisted A Chrisâ—o acceperit paucam saith he eademque factio facillima intellectu augustissima observatione â—astissima The Church hath received of Christ but a few and those most easie to be done majesticall for contemplation chast and vndefiled in observation Quid haec ad insulsas Caerimoniarum nugas Quid ad superstitionem plusquam Iudalcam Quid ad Philaricam tyrannidem quae excruciaâ— miseras conscientâ—as Quid ad tot Idolatriae portenta What are these to the trifles of vnfavoury Ceremonies To superstition more then Iudaicall To their divelish tyrannie in tormenting wretched consciences Nay what are they to the prodigious monsters of Popish Idolatry Whereupon hee concludeth Non esse Caeremoniarum multitudine oâ—erandum Ecclesiam Christâ— Church may not be overwhelmed with an Ocean Sea of Ceremonies It must â—lye the supersâ—uous furniture of pompous â—ites and Papall Pageants devised onely to astonish simple people to ravish their eyes and mindes and to amaze them with admiration Now indeed the originall cause of most of our superstitious Ceremonies is that Popish opinion that Christs Church hath yet Priests Sacrifices and altars Whereas in truth Christ was sent of God to be the last Priest which should offer the last Sacrifice vpon the last altar that ever the world should have He had saith Paul Hebr. 7. Aparobaton jerosunâ—â— a Priesâ—hood which could not passe or be resignâ—d to any other He was not to have any successor being a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedeck Having neither beginning of dayes nor end of life but made like unto the Sonne of God abideth a Priest continually Not made as the sonnes of Aaron were after the law of a carnall commandement but after the power of an endlesse life saith he in the 16. verse For they being mortall men could not otherwise continue but by their lineall succeeding of their dying fathers one after another till the passion of Christ After whose Sacrifice offered on the Crosse which was the conclusion and consummation of all Sacrifices the whole Ceremoniall Law Mosaicall Sacrifices and Priesthood were to end with the beautifull Temple and altar therein Onely the Sacrifice of prayer of praise thanksgiving which every faithfull man and woman must offer to God vpon the most holy altar Christ is left to the Church So Ireneus cals him lib. 4. Altare nostrâ—m Christus Christ is our altar And Epiphanius saith Christus est Victima Sacerdos altare Deus homo omnia in omnibus pronobis factus Christ is the Sacrifice the Priest the altar both God and man made all in all for our sakes To revive therefore and raise vp againe Iâ—wish types and figures long since dead and buried in bringing in altars in stead of Tables Priests in stead of Ministers propitiatory Sacrifices in stead of Sacraments It is not Antichristian pâ—esumpâ—ion and sacrilegious impiety robbing Christ of his honour and vs of our salvation What is it else but an apostacy a publike protestation to renounce the onely sacrifice and the onely sacrificer Christ Iesus It is the reiteration saith a learned writer of the expiatory sacrifice offered by Christ vpon the altar of the crosse and the surrogation of an vpstart Priest for Christ the eternall Sacrificer and Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck The ordinary Glosse saith well Externi ritus ceremoniae Legis quia fuerunt vmbra Christi tum venturi mysteriorum ideo adveniente veritate Evangelica illicita facta sunt evanuerunt The externall rites and Ceremonies of the Law because they were shadowes of Christ to come and of his mysteries therefore the truth of the Gospell being once come they are made vnlawfull and have vanished out of sight They ought not then to be patternes or presidents for Christians to follow since the comming of Christ who hath accomplished all And the renewing of â—hem derogâ—teth
Idols and bowing to them But the Lords table is no Idoll no nor altar if it be the Lords boord as the Communion booke rightly names it For which Stephen Gardener scoâ—fingly accuseth us that wee have no altars but Tables or Boords ad comedendum bibendum to eate and drink at To which Peter Martyr answereth very well Quid opus est altarâ— vbi nec ignis ardeat nec victimae caedanâ—ur what vse is there of an altar where no fire burnes â—or beasts are slaine for sacrifice Shew me either out of the words of Câ—rst or the Apostles doctrine any commandement for the erecting of altars Wee have tables as St. Paul in his Epistles calls them who knew well enough that Christ did institute the mystery of the Eucharist at his last Supper not an altar but a table There hee supt there hee brake bread and wee know men use to sup and breake bread not upon altars but at tables Origen and Arnobius testifie that the Gentiles in their time 1400. years since made the same objection against Christians that they had not altars If therefore there were none in the primitive Church which was most pure why should we borrow them now of the corrupt Popish Church But what say you saith one of our Ceremony-masters are nat Altars mentioned in the new Testament we have an Altar whereof they have no right to eate which serve the Tabernacle Heb. 13. And in the 6. of the Revel. 9. v. I saw vnder the altar the soules of them that were slaine for the word of God Loâ— here altars are plainly named Is not this a substantiall proofe that our Church now hath Altars O learned heaâ— Thinkes hee indeed that all the Martyrs soules which since Christs time have suffered for the testimony of Jesus are lodged so coldly under an altar stone wailing and crying some of them sixteene hundred yeeres How long Lord how long wilt thou avenge our blood and yet poore soules there must abide till doomes day A damnable heresie I would faine learne of such a dreaming Divine there being so many Altars in the Christian world vnder which of them lie so many millions oâ— souls for St. Iâ—hn speâ—kâ—s but of one Altar I saw vnder the Altar I pâ—ay you is not this Altar Christ the Altar of the faithfull Eâ—a 56. So it is expounded by all learned Divines boâ—h Papists and Protestanâ—s And among the rest by one whose authority the proudâ—st alâ—ar worshâ—ppâ—r dare not gainsay I mean the King Theologus Rexâ— that divine Prince King Iames who in his paraphâ—asâ— on the Revelation hath these words interpreting the â—ext I saw vnder the Altar the soules of the Maâ—tâ—rs which cyred with a loud voyce how long wilt thou dâ—lay ô Lord since thou art holy and truâ— to revenge our blood For persecution it makes so great a â—umbâ—r of Martyrs that the soules lying vnder the Altar to wit in the safegard of Iesus Christ who is the onely Altar wherâ—upon and by whom it is onely lawfull for vs to offer the sacrifice of hearts and lipps to wit our humble prayers to God the Father They did pray and their blood did cry to heaven and crave at the hands of their Father a just revenge of their â—orments vpon the wicked Then white robes were given to every one of them Which saith hee ought to be a wonderfull comfort to all the Church militant Since by this they be assured that the soules of the Martyrs so soone as their bodies are killed shall immediately be rewarded with bright glory in heavâ—n not going into any other place by the way which is â—ignifiâ—d by the white robes Thus for his Majesties royall pen by whom we are taught that Christ is our one and onely Altar and that the soules of the Saints being presently rewarded with glory in heayâ—n not going to any other plâ—ce by the way none of them are under our Alâ—ar though it be a brave one for it is â—ut of their way to heaveâ— from the place where they â—uffered Martyrdome As for that placâ— Hebr. 13. Wâ— have an Altarâ— c. Sâ— Paul himselfe â—xpounâ—s â—â—â—â—â—â—rwards in the â—5 v â—o be Christ saying by him therefore let vs offer the sacrâ—fice of praise to God continually that is the fâ—uit of ouâ— lips giving thankes to his name Which saith Aquinasâ— cannot be vnderstood of a maâ—eriall â—ltar in the Church and whosoever thinks it to be so he is therein more popish then Fryer Thomas himselfe But now I come to their maine argument which they thinke quiâ—e overthrowes all that I have said concerning Altars and Ceremonies The Kings Chappell say they hath an Altar and all â—urniture belonging thereunto Daâ—e you disallow in ours what the King hath in his It is little better then treason as one â—aidâ— â— answer It was never out of the Kings Chappel at least the name of an altar since the first reformation in King Edwards time if it had I suppose it had never come in againâ— in his râ—ligioâ—s successors raigne Bâ—t it hath bin by Law â—jâ—cted out of this Church â—nd changed into â— sacred Table â—ieran trapezan as Chrysostome calls it I marvell therefore what lawlesse man could restore it without law Againe what have we to doe with imitation of the court May we be so sawâ—y as to imitate the King in all things Is it not treasoÌ„ Is it not rebellioÌ„ so to doâ— What bold presumption is this in a Priest or Prelate to take vpon him to be like the King without his leave and not to suffer for his Mâ—jâ—sty to have something extraordinary above the vulgar sort in magnificence and state The King commâ—nds us to obey his Lâ—wes not imitate his Chappell contrary to his lawes which bind Cathedrall Churches as well as the rest none are exempted none can be dispenst withall The law is this The Communion Table not Altar shall stand in the body of the Church or Chancell where morning and evening prayer be appointed to be said and the Minister shall stand at the north side of the Table Therefore our Communion table must stand as it had wont to doe in the midst of the quire not at the east end as farre as is possible froÌ„ the people where no part at all of evening prayer is ever saidâ— and but a peece of the morning and that never till of late Neither must the table be placed along from north to south as the Altar is seâ— but from Eâ—st to Wâ—st as the custome is of all reformed Churches otherwise the Minister cannot stand at the north side there being neither side toward the North And I trow there are but two â—â—des of a long tableâ— and two ends making it square and then it will have foure sides and no end or foure ends and no side at which any Minister can stand to celebrate I confesse it is not maâ—eriall which way a man turne his face when he
ministers and prayeth if it be left as a thing inâ—ifferâ—nt without superstition As St. Augustine saithâ— Cum quis quaerit orare collocat membra â—icut ei occurrit wheÌ„ any man goes about to prâ—y â—e placeth his body as occasion serveth And St. Paul exhorteth every man to lift up pure hands whether towards the East or West it makes no matter Yet indeed it is more dangerous to pray toward the east because the idolatrous Heathen which worshipped the Sun rising did so And it was the custome of the Jewes to pray westward leâ—t they should be entised to worship the Orienâ—all Sunne as the Heathen did Which God himselfe in the 8 chaâ—p of Ezek. 16. v. reckoneth among the abominatioÌ„s of the idolatrous Israelites who turning their backs towards the Temâ—le worshipped the Sunne towards the East But the Iewes saith Bellarmine which served the Lord prayed towards the West Therefore Christians must turne them toward the Eâ—st A bold reason The Iewes did well in avoiding all occasion of Idolatry vnto which the vulgar sort is too prone as appeareth by the people of this place how soone learned they to bow down to the Altar worship it The Jews I say did well therfore may Christians doe ill in imitating the idolatrous Gentilâ—s in thâ—t foolish popish superstitious observatioÌ„ of turning their faces eastward when they pray And why may wee not imitate the Jewes in the tâ—ing they did wâ—ll the reason of their so doing being not ceremoniall but morall The ceremoniall law is indeed abrogated therfore we may not retaine it but the morall law is still in fâ—rce binding both Jewes and Christians to avoid Idolatâ—y But see the shamelesnesse of a doâ—ing Iesuite he is content we should imitate the Iewes in their ceremonies long since disanulled and ended in having Altaâ—s Sacrifices Priests priestly vestiments oyntments incense But he will not have us be like the Iewes in casting Idols out of our Churches and in shunning all occasions of idolâ—try by â—urning our backes on the East when we pray as they did Our good Princes and learned Bishops when they bâ—gan to reforme the Church of England were carefull that we should be like the Jewes rather in this point then the idolatrous Papists or Gentiles And therefore they ordained by Law that the Communion Table should not stand Altar-wise the two ends looking to the South and North as of purpose Altars were set in Popery that the Masse priest might stand on the West side with his face toward the East and his backe to the people But contrariwise they appointed the table to bee placed in the midst of the Church to be moveable fastned neither to wall nor floore the ends standing from East to West as I said before And they precisely injoyned the Minister to stand at the celebration of the Lords Supper on the north side of the Table to the intent they should not bee like superstitious shavelings Which makes me to wonder at the presumptuous â—oldnâ—s of him or theÌ„ which immediatly after the death of our last learned Bishop before we had another about 11. yeares â—goe tooke upon him I know not by what authority to alter the situation of the Communion table from the old manner of standing which it had kept in all Bishops times from the beginning of Qâ—een Elizabeths raign save onely when the Rebels possâ—st this churchâ— sang Masse thereinâ— The Lords table J say eleven years agoe was turned into an altar and so placed that the Minister cannot stand to do his office on the north side as the law expresly chargeth him to doe because there is no side of the table stâ—nding Northwâ—rd He J say that contrary to law durst doe this in imitation of Papists and Rebels deserves he not to bee sharply câ—nsured Why doe I say durst he doe it Non audet sâ—ygiâ—s Pluto tentare quod audeâ— Eâ—frenis Monachus The Divell in hell dare not attempt more then an vnrâ—ly Monke or Frier dare doe A Divell a Frier will adventure strangely J have heard of a Divell that preacht I have heard of a Frier that preacht in a rope but J never heard of either Divell or Fryer that preached in a Cape But why is the Communion table set in the Eâ—st end of the Church and not in the West end or middle raâ—her whereas Socrates saith in his 5 booke 21. chap. that in a Temple at Antioch the Altar was placed at the west end And Gentean Hervâ—t a popish writer describing the fashion of the Greeke Church aâ— this time saith In â—raecorum Templis vnicum est Altare idque in medio Choro The Graecians have but one Altar in a Church and that in the middle of the Quire Therefore neither the Graecians nor the people of Antioch looked eastward but rather westward when thâ—y prayed Biâ—ius also and Bawnius say that because the Manichees which did worship the Sunne prayed towards the East Lâ—o the first ordained that to discerne Catholikes from Heâ—etickt Ad Occidenâ—em converâ—i Deum colerent The Catholikâ— should worship toward the Wâ—st Afterward by the constitution of Pâ—pâ—Vigiliuâ— it was ordainâ—d that the Minister sâ—anâ—ing at the Alâ—ar â—hould pray toward the West It came thâ—â—efore â—â—om Antichrist to râ—straine Christian liberty by commanâ—ing will-wâ—â—ship the doctrine of men without any warrant out of Gods word Againe Necromancers and Sorcerers turne their faces to the Eâ—st when they act their enchanâ—ments and it liâ—â—lâ— bâ—comes Christians to follow Wiâ—ches and Coâ—jurers in their supeâ—stitious and divellish devotions by preferring Eâ—st before West It being a Ceremony of all other most fooliâ—h hereticall Papisticall Paganicall and Magicall Let us therefore in the name of God hate with the Prophet David the abomiâ—ations and superstitious vanities If we hate thâ—m not God will hate vs and abhorre our festivities with all the pomp and glory of our Church As he told the Israelites in the fifth of Amos v. 21. I hate and abhorre yoâ—r feast dayes I will not smell your solemne assemblies Take away from me the noyse of thy songs I will not heare the melody of thy instruments fâ—r ye have born the Tabernacle of Molock and Chiun your Images the starre of your God which you made to your selves Such Molocks such Chiunâ— such Images and stars some of us heere have made to themselves lift â—p your eyes you praised â—hem set up aloâ—t roâ—nd this Church Harke then what Christ saith to the Angell of the Church of Ephesus Revel. 2. Remember from whence thou art fallen and repeâ—t and doe thy first workes else I will come quickly and remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent This is done their Candlesticke is removed that pretious pearle the Gospell is taken from the Ephâ—sians and in stead thereoâ— Mahometisme raigns there So if wâ— remâ—mber not from whence we are fallen and doe the first works and worship our God sincerely abandoning Idolatrous and supersâ—itious vanities Our Candlesticke will be removed and the light of Gods truth will be taken from us Then shall we be overwhelmed againe with Anti-christian clouds of AEgyptian darknesse which God for his merciâ—s sake give us grace to avoid By repenting by amending our lives by forsaking our Idols and by hating all manner of superstitious vanities To God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost three persons in Trinity one God in unity be â—scribed all honour and glory all might and majâ—sty all power and dominion now and evermore Amen FINIS