of Gods service and may not be neglected without scandal THE Apostle establishing our Christian liberty doth much more establish our Christian Piety Rom. 14. He establisheth our liberty ver 6. placing daies and meats in the same rank of indifferency neither of them in it self ought to be reputed a matter of Religion But withal he doth much more establish our Christian Piety ver 7. 8. That both daies and meats daies wherein and meats whereby we live are to be observed or not observed as shall most conduce to his Glory by whom we do and to whom we should all live He overthrows a legal or Iewish observation of daies for themselves because that was a typical worship But he establisheth an evangelical or Christian observation of daies for duties because that is a real and moral part of Gods service For he that so regardeth a day regardeth not it but the Lord And he that so regardeth it not being thereunto called by that authority which God hath set over him were best take heed lest it be thought that he regardeth not the Lord He was best take heed lest he give occasion of scandal or spiritual ruine to his brother whilst he gives him occasion to think that God is not worth the regarding or that those are given to superstition who do most zealously regard him For he that doth this may chance have the milstone in his heart to harden him but sure he must have the milstone about his neck to drown him SECT VIII To oppose the celebration of Christs Nativity is a scandal to Christians and a stumbling block to the Jews keeping them from Christianity PER scandalum laeditur proximus in mente ut per homicidium in corpore per furtum in possessione saith the School-man Alensis par 2. qu. ibi m. 1. Scandal wrongs my neighbour in his mind as murder wrongs him in his body and theft wrongs him in his possession and therefore I have great reason to take heed of being scandalous as to take heed of being a murderer or a thief And truly I cannot see but that our Saviours determination concerning scandal reacheth this very case Mat. 18. 6. Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me it were better a mill-stone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea For tell me do they not believe in Christ who set apart a time of purpose to make Profession of their Belief in him And if they do believe in him how will you answer your scandalizing and offending them whiles they are professing or rather indeed practising that their belief or your scandalizing others whiles you keep them from the same Christian Practice and Profession Wherefore it can hardly be denyed but this is really a scandal or an offence to Christians because it is a way to cause some of them to forget or to forsake our Saviour Christ But surely it is a down-right stumbling-block to the Jews to keep them from embracing the Christian Religion For the main thing needful to their conversion is to prove the Messiah is already come in the flesh which the Jews will take for granted is denyed if not disproved by them who will not allow themselves nor others to celebrate the memorial of his coming for the whole course of their Religion taught them to acknowledge the receipt of far lesser blessings with much more solemn memorials as the receipt of the Law with the celebration of Pentecost So that whatsoever may be urged for serving God in Spirit in Truth to make Christians become sincere worshippers yet we had need keep up an outward solemn service and worship of Christ to make Jews become Christians For it is not imaginable they should leave the outward decency and order that they are bound to use in their own Synagogues according to the whole purport of their own Law to come to the slovenliness and Indecency that may be found in some Christian Churches under the pretence of the purity of our Gospel SECT IX The Jews equally scandalized by Idolatry and by Profaness especially that Profaness or Irreligion which immediately dishonoureth our Saviour Christ IT is much to be lamented that Christians who are bound to do what is in them to convert the Jews should so far scandalize them either by Idolatry or by Profaness as to hinder their conversion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Jew in his Disputation with the Christian in the second Nicen Council in the sift Action I am scandalized at you O ye Christians that you worship Images And is it not as great a scandal if they shall be able to say I am scandalized at you O ye Christians that you do not worship God or at least do not worship him with fear and reverence as God Or That you refuse to worship Christ whom you would have me believe to be the Son of God For is it not an act of Religious worship in Moses his Law to dedicate daies to the worship of God If then we deny the Dedication of daies to the worship of Christ How shall we perswade the Jews that we do indeed worship him as our God It is to be feared if we shall do so they will rather think us turning Jews then that themselves will think of turning Christians SECT X. That those Christians who oppose Christmas-Day do give occasion to other Good Christians to suspect them as not well grounded in the Christian Religion SInce it is the ground of our Christian Religion That all Gods gifts and mercies to mankind do concenter together in Christ it is scarce possible those Christians should be thought truly religious who make it their work to oppose the publick worship of Christ on that very day wherein as Christ he was first capable of being publickly worshipped They that are Jews may think well of this for they denying him to be the Son of God will easily deny that he is to be worshipped But sure good Christians cannot think well of it who are taught to glorifie God in Christ and much more for Christ To glorifie God in Christ is our Religion To glorifie God for Christ is our salvation Religio est motus creaturae rationalis ad Deum ut ad primum principium ultimum finem Christus autem ut Homo est via per quam fit hic motus saith Aquinas 22â— qu. 81. Religion is a motion of the reasonable creature to God as to its first beginning and to its last end But Christ as man is the way wheâ—ein the reasonable creature thus moveth so that once forget Christ as man and you shall soon forget all religion Saint Bernard tells us of a threefold coming of Christ the first was in the infirmity of his flesh to redeem us the second in the power of his spirit to sanctifie us the third in the glory of his majesty to judge us I will thankfully receive him as my Redeemer that I may securely
Roman Souldiers would not do but also his body raising factions and schisms in the Church not only against the decency and order which are as it were the coat or cloathing but also against the very substance of worship which is in some sort the body of Christ So then the Church may still in this regard claim and continue the power of Exorcism saying with Saint Paul I exhort or command you by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ or we adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth And if the evil spirit of Schism being thus adjured shall answer Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are yâ— making no more account of the Ministers of Christ then if they were indeed so many vagabond Jews it will shew it self not only a factious but also a lying spirit saying It knows Christ when it doth not know him They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Tit. 1. 16. Such a lying spirit deserves not to be confuted by the spirit of Truth which saith Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. 5. shewing that the societies or corporations of Christians may no more take their spiritual food together without their ministers then other Corporations do usually take their corporal food without their Stewards I say such a lying spirit as this which pretends to know both Jesus and Paul but indeed knows neither deserves not to be confuted by the spirit of Truth but by the spirit errour and indeed hath found such a confutation For Satan in this foul affront of Christ is devided against himself and one of his own most false and wicked spirits could not but say of Gods Stewards or Ministers These men are the Servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation Acts 16. 17. This truth when some men did gainsay after the father of lyes himself durst not deny could not dissemble it they gave occasion to Luther of falling into these bitter expressions As hitherto men have seemed possessed with Devils even so now the Devils themselves do seem to be possessed of far worse Devils and so rage above the fury of Devils and again For who ever heard to pass over the abominations of the Pope so many monsters to burst out at once in the world as we see at this day in the Anabaptists alone in whom Satan breatheth out as it were the last blast of his kingdom through horrible uproars as if he would by them suddenly not only destroy the whole world with Seditions but also by innumerable Sects swallow up and devour Christ wholly with his Church Prefat in Gal. So Luther in his zeal to Christ and his Church for he saw the one could not be devoured without the other he saw the Church could be thrown down but Christ would also be involved in the downfall Without doubt it is a most horrid sin for men to cry up the shadow that they may beat down the substance of the Law and yet this is the sin of many men who cry up the Sabbath in the Day that they may throw it down in the Duty making it their business to discountenance the solemn exercise of Religion in common Prayer to disadvantage Gods publike worship and service to disgrace his Ministers to defile his ordinances to revile and contemn and pollute his Sanctuaries whereas in truth these are all alike sanctified to the hallowing of Gods name by vertue of the fourth Commandment and if we will needs make a separation betwixt the letter and the end or reason of that commandment where God hath made a most strict conjunction we must give the pre-eminence and superiority not to the circumstances or adjuncts but to the substance of Religion The Jew in his typical worship was first to look after the Time the Place the Person as the Sabbath the Temple the Priest which were the adjuncts of his worship and then to offer his sacrifice which was the substance of it But the Christian in his moral worship is first to look after substance then after circumstances though he hath commission to neglect neither but rather hath express command to look after both Nay indeed the Jew himself was to do this in his moral worship even to prefer the Substance before the circumstance for we find that Ezra did read in the book of the Law and blessed the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen Amen with lifting up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground Ezra 8. 5 6. All these were acts of moral worship and accordingly we find them not confined to the Temple for its evident They were all performed before the Street that was before the water-gate verse 3. And it is as evident that the duties of Preaching and Praying were exercised by the Jews in their Synagogues whereas their sacrifices were offered only in the Temple The reason we may conceive was this Because their Typical worship was to continue but for a time and to shew it deserved not to continue for ever there was in it this kind of absurdity that the accessory did draw the Principal the Temple the Sacrifice the Circumstance the Substance But their moral worship was to continue for ever and therefore in that the Principall was to draw the accessories the substance the circumstances blessing the Lord the great God bowing the head and worshipping the Lord reading the Law and giving the sense of it that the People might understand the reading these being all duties of moral worship were unconfinable either to place or time either to the Temple or Sabbath to shew they were above them both and were to remain after them as they had been before them This was the main subject of Saint Stephens Sermon Acts 7. That Abraham and the Fathers worshipped God rightly long before Moses was born to give them any Laws either about the Tabernacle or the Temple and consequently about the Sabbath and that all those outward ceremonies which were afterwards ordained by Moses were to last but for a time but till the coming of Christ And the Jews themselves who call the Sabbath the foundation of the Decalogue because the precept of the sabbath was given before the rest for that was certainly given in the wilderness of Zin Exod. 16. where as the rest were not given till they came to Mount Sinai Exod. 20. yet do ingenuously confess that Abraham did not keep the Sabbath so saith Hospinian who yet was very zealous for the Sabbath Judaei ipsi in minori expositione in Genesin arbitrantur Abrahamum non observasse Sabbatum The Jews themselves in the lesser exposition upon Genesis do think that Abraham did not keep the Sabbath Nay the Fathers do plainly say they know he did not For Tertullian proves against the Jews that
the Sabbath was temporary and to be abrogated because their Antientest and first fathers Adam Enoch Noah and Abraham did not keep the Sabbath And lest we should mince the matter by a distinction and say that he denied not Abraham to have kept the Sabbath but only to have kept it so rigidly and severely as the Jews did which is Hospinians opinion Justine Martyr makes it his business in a great part of his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew wherein he excellently asserts the Truth of the Christian Religion To prove that neither circumcision was before Abraham nor the Sabbath before Moses and so refutes Trypho's objection That the Christians did slight the commandments of God in the Old Testament concerning the Sabbath and Circumcision and other outward observations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If before Abraham there was no need of circumcision nor before Moses of the Sabbath and Festivals and Oblations neither now is there any need of them Nor is it easie for any man to answer the force of this argument which he useth amongst many others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To say that any of these outward ordinances is righteous in and for it self were in effect to calumniate God as if he had not at all times taught one and the same Righteousness which must follow if there be granted any intrinsecal or inherent holiness either in the Jewish or in the Christian Sabbath since we cannot prove that the one was established before Moses and we are sure the other was not established till after Christ So that by confequent there was one moral Righteousness before the Law another under the Law a third under the Gospel and we whose salvation it is to sit in Abrahams bosome shall be saved by a righteousness unknown to Abraham which cannot be allowed without setting up two several distinct communions of Saints and two several distinct Religions that made them so and how can we acknowledge two Religions and acknowledge but one God We must therefore put a distinction between circumstances and substances in Religion for though both are to go hand in hand to do their homage to Almighty God yet substances are to have the upper hand And this appears plainly by our Saviours own determination in the like case even concerning Tithes for Tithes and the Sabbath are alike moral if what is numeral be moral in the one how can it be less then moral in the other Nay Abraham paying Tythes before Moses is undisputable not so his keeping the Sabbath whence it appears God took care for the Priest before the Sabbath for the person before the day of his worship I say this appears plainly by our Saviours own determination concerning Tythes Mat. 23. 23. which he will not have put in the ballance against Mercy and Judgement calling in effect these and the like ceremonial institutions the lighter whiles he plainly calleth those moral duties the weightier matters of the Law And denouncing a woe against those as Hypocrites who magnified the one that they might vilifie the other Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites For ye pay tithe of mint and annise and cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law Judgement Mercy and Faith This woe was denounced against them not for what they payed but for what they omitted not for paying Tythe of mint and annise and cummin but for omitting Judgement mercy and faith whiles they were over zealous and over scrupulous about those payments for so it follows These ought ye to have done that is the moral duties and not to leave the other undone that is the ceremonial institutions To prefer circumstances above substances and consequently to be more zealous and scrupulous about the day or other adjuncts then about the duty of publike worship is to incur this woe and it is too too plain that since tything of mint and annise and cummin have been much in fashion in regard of God for in regard of his poor Ministers Tythes were never less in fashion Mercy and Judgement and Faith have been quite out of request Since we have been so scrupulous about the Rue and all manner of herbs we have quite passed over judgement and the love of God Luke 11. 42. since the Sabbath day hath been so much cryed up the Sabbath Duty hath been quite beaten down In the name of God let us set up both together and know that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tempori Servientes Applying our selves to the Time is not good Divinity if it exclude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Domino Servientes Applying our selves to the Lord Though Erasmus hath given us that interpretation on Rom. 12. 11. and our Church in the Epistle for the second Sunday after Epiphany hath followed him and Vorstius would fain justifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the truer lection against the authority of the Text commonly received both in Greek and Latine Churches This may seem a dangerous assertion in him to make the letter of the Text come under our Disputes which God hath set over our Obedience But yet the other assertion would be more dangerous in us to make the end and reason of the Text come under the letter of it We all know this is the end of the Text That God may be glorified in Christ and we saved by him Let us gloss the fourth commandment according to this end and we shall neither be Hereticks nor Schismaticks by our gloss neither sin against Religion by having a corrupt Liturgie nor sin against communion by having no Liturgie which are both peccancies against the end of this commandment And consequently we shall neither Idolize nor prophane much less rob either Times or Places or Persons consecrated to Gods publick worship which are both peccancies against the letter of this Commandment Christ is the end of the Law saith Saint Paul Rom. 10. 4. shewing that the letter of the Law was to look to the end and the end of the Law was to look to Christ let us say so too and we shall not easily sin against the principal end of this Commandment which is the glory of God in Christ we shall not sin against the Christian Religion by having a corrupt Liturgie Again the same Saint Paul saith the end of the commandment is charity 1 Tim. 1. 5. not excluding what he had said before of Christ but including it Let us say so too and we shall not easily sin against the subordinate end of this Commandment which is the salvation of man by Christ we shall not sin against Christian communion by having no Liturgie For what Saint Paul hath said of the Law or Commandment in general that must we say of this Law of this Commandment in particular The end of it is Christ and the end of it is charity For the end of it is twofold First the exercise of the true Christian Religion that God may be glorified in Christ for our redemption Secondly the establishment of
will-wil-worship and superstition That the general equity of the Levtical Law as far as it was not Typical is still in force concerning the solemnities of Religion and that approves Anniversary as well as weekly Festivals Sect. 4. Of the antient contention about the observation of Easter That the Apostles zeal more about duties then about days doth not overthrow the observing of particular days in the service of God And that those days ought to be observed by Preaching Praying Administring the Sacraments and also by Alms-deeds so that false administration sc of the Holy Eucharist in one kind and false devotions and false doctrine and sordid illiberality in not relieving the poor are all alike profanations of a Festival Sect. 5. The practice of the Primitive Christians in observing the Feast of Easter and that there was no superstition in that practice Sect. 6. That the Lords day which is observed weekly is to be observed in memory of our Saviours Resurrection And hath a double sanctification one by relation to its duty which is publickly to serve God and to give him thanks for our redemption by Christ and is the Principal The other by institution as consecrated to this duty and is the less principal That the Antisabbatarian Doctrine which advanceth duties above days is not only of Christs but also of Moses his own teaching and makes most for the true observation of the Sabbath which yet is more properly called the Lords day then the Sabbath Sect. 7. That Sunday hath a better Title to holiness and unchangeableness as the Lords Day then as the Sabbath And that the Lords Day and the Lords labourers or Ministers are both to continue to the worlds end by virtue of Gods command in general and of Christs determination and institution in particular Sect. 8. That Sunday as the Lords Day is most truly a Christian Festival and ought to be most religiously observed and so ought also other Festivals instituted in honour of Christ as being likewise our Christian Sabbaths Sect. 9. The fourth Commandment was not given to limit the First and therefore excludes not other Festivals shewing our true love of Christ but rather commands them The true manner of observing any Christian Festival particularly Easter is to account and make it a day of observations by observing our selves and our Saviour Our selves what we have been what we are what we desire to be Our Saviour what he was in his humiliation what he is in his exaltation what he will be in his Retribution Sect. 10. That the end of this and of all other Christian Festivals is our spiritual Communion with Christ and therefore they ought to be celebrated more with spiritual then with carnal joys that though our carnal joys are greater in their proportion yet our spiritual joys are greater in their foundation Sect. 11. A zealous observation of this Christian Festival proceedeth from the true love of our Redeemer and thankfulness for our redemption A set form of praise fittest to express that thankfulness CAA. 2. That God is to be adored only in Christ Hath four Sections Sect. 1. THat no man whilst he is in the state of sin cares to come neer God and that Adam after his sin could not have adored God rightly if Christ had not been revealed to him as the propitiation for his sins Sect. 2. That no Religion adoreth God rightly which adoreth him not in Christ and of the excellencies of the Christian Religion That no other Religion teacheth such conformable truths to right reason declareth an expiation for sin promiseth so great a reward sheweth so pure a worship or so innocent a conversation Sect. 3. The reason why God cannot be rightly adored but only by Christians is because he cannot be truly known and loved but only by those who know and love him in Christ The true way to gain that knowledge and to shew and keep that love is universal obedience both to his affirmative and negative precepts without which there can be no saving knowledge of God That the Christians do know and worship God in Christ cleerly and substantially and that the Jews did so know and worship him in Types and Figures so that the Jewish and the Christian Religion differ not in substance but only in degrees of perfection Sect. 4. 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 Christ glorified in his Ascension Hath a Prooem and three Chapters The Proeem That our blessed Saviours Ascension is not so truly observed by our Commemoration as by our imitation and the manner how to consider the history of his Ascension The first Chapter is Christ considered before his Ascension The second Chapter is Christ considered whilst he was Ascending The third Chapter is Christ considered after he was Ascended CAP. 1. Christ considered before his Ascension Hath three Sections Sect. 1. 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 Sect. 2. The Apparition to above five hundred at once cleared And Christ considered in his instructions before he Ascended That those instructions are more particularly to be observed as more directly conducing to the Constitution and the conservation of his Church Those instructions briefly explained as they are set down Mat. 28. 19 20. Sect. 3. That the words which our Saviour Christ spake to his Apostles before he ascended may be reduced to these three heads Words of instruction consolation benediction That the effect of them all is registred in the Text not left to unwritten Tradition That the Apostles though thus instructed comforted and blessed yet preached not the Gospel till the coming of the Holy Ghost upon them whereby they had not only ability but also authority or Mission and Commission in a full degree CAP. 2. Christ considered whilst he was ascending Hath three Sections Sect. 1. THat the words used to express Christs ascension did manifest his twofold claim or title to heaven the one by inheritance as God the other by merit or purchase as man And that Christ in his ascension wrought a twofold miracle one in the conquest of Earth the other in the conquest of Heaven and what comfort and benefit redounds to us Christians from these Titles and these Miracles Sect. 2. The time of Christs ascension particularly named in the Text and the observation of that Day is founded upon the practise of the Apostles which in the exercise of Religion is to be embraced as precept why the Apostles left not many precepts concerning circumstances of worship to the Christian Church The place of the ascension was Bethany in Mount Olivet and what considerations arise from thence Sect. 3. The persons before whom our Saviour Christ ascended
end a more perfect establishment of Christianity which before was not rightly practised This was truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a time of rectification or direction for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly said of them who are directed immediately to their journeys end whereas before they were going the farthest way about and such indeed was the Jews way to heaven God leading them about through the wilderness into Canaan as well in the Mysterie as in the History as well in regard of the Coelestial as of the Terrestrial Hierusalem SECT VII A particular time appointed for rejoycing in Christ not by way of restriction but by way of Application The Christians Joy far above the Jews both for his Redemption and for his Adoption The priviledge of true Faith And how the Redemption by Christ is larger then the Adoption by him And the Adoption greater in his giving then in our receiving TO be glad in the Lord and to rejoyce in him makes Christmass last all the year yet is that no better reason why we should not keep Christmass-Day then our rest and contentation in God which we have or may have all the week is a reason why we should not keep the Sabbath or the Lords own day for it is very bad Logick and worse Divinity which argues from the position of the Duty to the eversion of the Day wherein we ought to exercise it for if the Duty must be exercised how can we reasonably deny the time of its exercise Yet do I not think that a particular time is to be allotted to rejoyce in Christ by way of restriction or limitation as if we should not rejoyce in him at other times for that is the malignant gloss which some of late have put upon the fourth Commandement confining Gods solemn publick worship only to the Sabbath not considering that the Jews had other grand festivals not prescribed in the Law and yet were more strictly bound to the letter of that Commandment then we Christians but I say that a particular Time ought to be allotted to rejoyce in Christ by way of application or of specification that we may more eminently and notoriously rejoyce in him at some time though our joy in him is to be confined to no time For the spiritual joy of the Jew was unconfined and much more the spiritual joy of the Christian who in a larger proportion hath received the Spirit of joy And therefore its observable that though in the Old Testament we are earnestly called upon to rejoyce in God yet are we not called upon for so much joy as in the New Testament let this one instance serve for all Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart so the Prophet concludeth the 32. Psalm and in the same strain beginneth the 33. saying Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright calling for a very great proportion of Joy from the Jew but yet the Apostle in saying Rejoyce in the Lord alway again I say rejoyce Phil. 4. 4. hath called for a far greater proportion of joy from the Christian For here is not only the same joy that was before to wit joy in the Lord but here is the same joy in a greater degree of extension for he saith rejoyce in the Lord alway and in a greater degree of intension for he saith again I say rejoyce And if we further consider who are called the just and righteous and upon what terms they are called so we shall find also a greater degree of extension for that where is the greatest measure and diffusion of righteousness there must needs be the greatest measure and diffusion of joy And it is evident that they who trust in the Lord not in themselves are by the Psalmist called the just and the righteous or the upright For it is the priviledge of true faith not only to make us just but also to make us upright not only to justifie us but also to rectifie us it justifies us in that it absolves from sin it rectifies us in that it directs in righteousness and therefore the disobedient as well as the unbelieving heart the stubborn as well as the faithless generation is said not to trust in God Psal 78. 7 8 and the faithless generation is there known as well by this Character that set not their heart aright as by this whose spirit was not stedfast with God For true faith hath the priviledge first to set the heart to God then to settle it in God first to make the spirit right then to make it stedfast The heart is made right when it points directly towards God moving as a line from the circumference to the Center and the heart is thus made right or set towards God by the same faith that it is made stedfast or settled in God Wherefore since true faith at the same time both Rectifies and Justifies the soul of man it is no wonder if it cause its unspeakable as well as its unmoveable joy And where shall we look for this true faith if not in Christians for though the act of faith is as expresly set down in the Old Testament as in the New yet the object of faith is much more plainly declared in the New Testament So that Christians having a more perfect faith in Christ then had the Jews must needs have a greater joy in Christ then they could have And indeed what joy like the joy of the Redeemed by Christ or rather what joy like the joy of the adopted in Christ Since the joy of the Redemption is not to be had without the joy of the Adoption For many more have been Redeemed by Christ then do truly rejoyce in him because many more have been Redeemed then are adopted For the Redemption which man hath by Christ is of a greater latitude then is the Adoption because the Redemption concerns all mankind in general but the Adoption is restrained to some particular persons sc to those only within the Pale of the Church and that not only in their number and outward profession but also in their merit or inward affection as Aquinas hath laid the ground of that distinction 22◠qu. 1. art 9. ad tertium in these words Talis enim fides sc formata invenitur in omnibus illis qui sunt numero merito de Ecclesia A true and lively faith is found in all those who are meritoriously as well as numerically members of the Church And where the true faith is found there and there only is the true joy in Christ or the joy of adoption And these two may very well agree that the Redemption it selfe should be universal and concern the whole nature of man which Christ assumed and therefore redeemed but yet the benefit thereof in the adoption of sons should be onely particular that is concerne those alone to whom God doth give special grace to make a right
fear least the earth should open under him and heaven should be shut above him and against him for that he is a sinner against his own soul Numb 16. 38. and doth provoke God to make him as Corah and his company In this one case we have a memorable example of Gods justice and as exemplary a memorial thereof and we have scarce any other such as this but we find very many exemplary memorials of his mercy Scarce any singular blessing bestowed upon the Iews but there was a special feast appointed in the Church to propagate and to perpetuate its remembrance Thus was the feast of tabernacles instituted that your generations may know that I made Israel to dwell in bothes when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt Levit 23. 43. Thus without Gods immediate command was ordained the feast of Purim Esther 9. which yet was faithfully observed and the observation thereof looked on as a religious not as a superstitious practise by God and man Nay yet more we find another feast after this not mentioned in the Canonical Scripture but only in the Apocrypha the feast of the Dedication of the Altar 1 Macchab. 4. 59. and yet this feast was not only carefully observed by the Iews but the observation of it was also approved by our Saviour himself John 10. 22 23. which is warrant more then enough both for the Church to constitute still such festivals to the honour of God and for us to observe the Festivals that are so constituted And it is also check more then enough to their insolency and perversness if they would take notice of it who in matters of the Christian Religion will pretend to be wiser not only then Christs Church but also then Christ himself For if the argument be undenyable concerning marriage from John 2. 1 2. which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee Then it is as undenyable concerning Festivals from Iohn 10. 22 23. which holy institution Christ himself adorned and beautified with his presence in that he went to the Temple at the feast of the Dedication as well as at other feasts which were immediately commanded in the text In a word Thus the feast of the Passover was instituted to commemorate to the Jews how God had passed over them when he slew the Egyptians Exod. 12. 12. And the Christian Church hath appointed this Gospel Anniversary feast of Easter to succeed that legal Anniverâ—…y feast of the Passeover not so much to shew her Authority which however cannot be denyed without Heresie nor resisted without Schism as to discharge her trust For the Apostle 1 Cor. 9 10. saying that those words Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn were written no doubt for our sakes hath laid it for an immoveable grouud of our Christian faith that the general equity even of the Levitical Law as far as it was not typical is still in force among Christians concerning the solemnities of Religion and must be so till the worlds end And if we will stick fast to this ground All our late contests about the times places and persons belonging to Gods publick worship will soon be determined if we will not stick to it we shall in effect put aside the Apostles Divinity that we may bring in our own By this ground Aerius his Heresie will soon be ejected out of the Church who taught That Imparity of the Ministry was condemned and Parity commended in the word of God as saith Saint August lib. de haeres haeres 53. Dicebat Presbyterum ab Episcopo nullâ differentiâ debere discerni For it is evident out of the Levitical Law alone That God himself ordained and instituted an Imparity in the Priesthood and as evident That he hath since not reversed but plainly approved if not established an imparity in the Ministers of the Gospel as appears by the power of Jurisdiction given by Saint Paul to Timothy over Presbyters 1 Tim. 5. 19. unless we will say That he might receive accusations against Presbyters pass sentence upon them without having jurisdiction over them Again By this ground tithes and all other provisions made for the Ministry will rather be encreased then diminished for the Gospel being so much above the Law doth rather call for a greater then for a lesser maintenance so that if the Ox that trod out the corn might not be muzzled then much less now Churches will no longer be nick-named much less unfrequented or profaned and the Sabbath will no more afford us matter of Disputation but of Devotion if we will stick to this ground for that God himself hath said Keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary Levit. 19. 30. and the same God that hath forbad us to profane the time hath also forbad us to profane the place of his worship Levit. 21. 23. that ye profane not my sanctuaries for I the Lord 〈…〉 sanctifie them I say by this ground all our late contests about the times places and persons belonging to Gods publick worship may easily be determined â—nless we will needs say for wilful men will say any thing That Gods commands about Oxen contain in them matter of precept for our Christian conversation and obedience though the Apostle plainly telleth us That God careth not for Oxen But not so his commands about the time and place and persons of his own worship concerning which God himself hath professed that he is solicitous and careful even to a jealousie And by this same ground it is evident That as the Jew under the Law â—as so the Christian under the Gospel is obliged to commemorate Gods extraordinary benefits to his Church with extraordinary thanksgivings And as God prescribed the Jews a set form of Catechism to instruct their children in the reasons of this solemn festival Exod. 12. 24 25 26. which Solomon Jarchi calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon Exod. 13. 8. that is to say The Annuntiation of the Passeover so did the Christian Church think fit to require catechizing specially against Easter and more particularly because of those who addressed themselves to the Holy Communion which never failed heretofore to be administred at that time and is our true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most full and exact Annuntiation of our spiritual deliverance nor is it improbable that Saint Paul alluded to this very Text of Exod. 13. 8. Annuntiabis filio tuo and to this very custom of the Jews grounded thereon of making their Catechetical annuntiations when he used the very same word concerning the blessed Sacrament saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Annuntiatis mortem Domini 1 Cor. 11. 26. thereby himself calling or at least licencing us to call the holy Eucharist the annuntiation of the death of Christ And it is remarkable that the Jews used this manner of Catechizing only at this feast and their Catechism consisted of these three heads 〈◊〉
soul a Sabbath or make it truly to rest in God And indeed iâ— our Sabbath be grounded on this foundation the gates of hell will not be able to prevail against it because on it our Lord and Saviour prevailed against the gates of hell And all Christians will see cause enough to observe it not only religiously but also joyfully because as many as are in the communion of the blessing ought also to be in the communion of the Joy and thanksgiving and wholly devote themselves to the publike profession and acknowledgement of Gods infinite and undeserved mercies and as undeserved as infinite mercies conveyed unto us in and by our blessed Saviours Resurrection If we keep the Sunday or Sabbath upon this ground we shall find a double reason of strictly keeping it one from the duty which is to serve God and to praise him for our Redemption by his Son the other from the day it self which by his own Apostles if not by his own Son htah been consecrated to this duty But we must be sure to take the duty for the principal the day for the less principal unless we will prefer accidents before substances For the worship of God belongs to the substance of Religion but the time of worshipping is meerly an accident of it though being consecrated thereunto by God himself we may well admit it for an inseparable accident Wherefore men had need take heed of that Sabbatarian Doctrine which seeks to advance the day above the duty as if the publike exercise of Religion had been appointed for the Sabbath and not rather the Sabbath for the publick exercise of Religion for this is not in truth to alledge the fourth Commandment but to mistake it For the moral or substantial and eternal part of the fourth Commandment consists of these two particulars 1. That there be a publike solemn worship of God or exercise of Religion for our souls to rest in God And this is morale naturae moral by the Law of Nature that man should desire and declare his rest to be only in God 2. That some certain dayes and consequently other requisites or adjuncts be consecrated or made holy for that publike worship and in relation thereto be esteemed holy and religious as set apart to serve our God not to serve our selves And this is Morale Disciplinae as saith Halensis or ex instituto moral by way of Discipline or by way of institution and is also a substantial part of the fourth Commandment belonging not only to the Jew but also to the Christian But the determination of those dayes to the seventh was meerly ceremonial as a sign to the Jew and to a seventh cannot be moral as a duty to Christians by virtue of this commandment save only according to the rule of general equity that Gods proportion is the best proportion and that if one of seven were apportioned for the lesser how much more for the greater blessing Yet still in asserting thus much we must take heed that the institution of the day which belongs to the letter be not alledged to confine the obligation of the duty which belongs to the end of this commandment for that were to set up the second and lesser against the first and greater morality of the Sabbath In which respect t is probable that Damascene so plainly averreth That whiles there was no Law no Scriptures there was no Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. lib. 4 de orth fide cap. 24. But after the holy Scripture was given by inspiration from God to Moses then was the sabbath consecrated to God for men to exercise themselves in his holy Scriptures So that according to Gods own example if this author say true we are first to provide for the duty then for the solemnity of Religion And we may the better believe him because his saying is according to Gods command For the fourth commandment being the commandment of consecrations yet first requires a worship intrisically and essentially holy before it requires the adjuncts of that worship to be made extrinsically or accidentally holy So that clearly by the fourth commandment it self rightly understood the duty is above the day and the exercise of Religion is to be preferred above the Solemnities of time and place wherein it is exercised and consequently if the publike exercise of Religon that is in use doth not truly glorifie God a man may better keep the sabbath in his own then in Gods house supposing he worship God better in his own house then he can in the Church So neerly doth it concern us all to be sure of the substance of our worship before we can pretend to be true keepers of the sabbath for if the Prayers or Administrations wherein we communicate do not in very deed rightly glorifie God t is not going to Church can make us keep the sabbath for infidels and heriticks may do that as well as the best Christians and the best Christians may be kept from doing it because what we get of the day we lose of the duty â—â—t is not possible that any thing of superstition or of irreligion should afford the soul of man any true rest in God which is the end of the sabbath And this seems to be our Saviour own doctrine at that same time when he reproved the blindness of the Pharisees about the observation of the sabbath by scripture by reason and by a miracle Mathew 12. three such arguments as were sure to leave none of them unconfuted for if they had judgement reason would be their confutation If they had Faith the Scriptures But though they had neither judgement nor faith yet a miracle was able to do the work and we may well suppose the error was very dangerous which our blessed Saviour did confute with so much industry and so many arguments as he did scarce any other in all the Gospel In this case he said to the ruler of the Synagogue Thon Hypocrite Luke 13. 15. In this case he looked round about on the Pharisees with anger being grieved for the hardness of their hearts Mar. 3. 5. He imployed his tongue his eyes his heart his head all to beat down this Heresie or rather this Hypocrisie which under pretence of being zealous for Gods commandments did in truth not only secretly undermine but also openly oppose them Accordingly our blessed Saviour and Master hath in one chapter Mat. 12. fortified us with no less then four limitations of this or any other positive or Ceremonial Law wherein it doth not bind and oblige or at least four interpretations to mitigate the rigour of its obligation The first is Lex naturae or necessitatis it must give place to the Law of nature or of necessity as in the case of Davids Hunger ver 3 4. The Second is Lex cultus it must give place to the Law of Religion as in the case of the Priests working about the sacrifices on the Sabbath and yet they were blameless ver 5.
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
of Religion to be true doth require my assent by the authority of the first truth and whatsoever appears to me to be good doth require my love and obedience by the authority of the cheifest good So that if I cannot but confess my Churches sincerity woe will be unto me if I deny much more if I withstand her authority For if I cannot justly find fault with her Religion I must be irreligious if I forsake her communion God have mercy upon those Christians who on the one side are so zealous for their Church as not to be scrupulous about their Religion or who on the other side are so scrupulous about their religion as not to be zealous for their Church the one sinning against the verity the other against the unity of faith and therefore neither but hath a spice of infidelity in their sin and since God hath made me a Christian why should I make my self an Infidel either by superstition sinning against my God or by faction sinning against his Church I will therefore take the best care I can both about my Religion and about my communion though I will first take care of my Religion and then of my communion SECT III. The sincerity of Christian communion comprehendeth both the purity and the solemnity of Religion And is the whole duty of the first table The purity and substance of Religion being enjoynd in the three first commandments The solemnity and publick exercise of it with the adjuncts thereto belonging being enjoyned in the Fourth the one from the end the other from the letter of the Law The Sabbatarian the greatest opposer of the fourth Commandment who cryes up the day but beats down the other adjuncts and also the very duty of the Sabbath That duty being to glorifie God in Christ by publick worship for the Redemption of the world whereas they discountenance Liturgie and Festivals though both instituted in honour of our Redeemer EVery man is born an enemy to the true Christian communion because his corrupt nature filleth him with vain fears to make him superstitious and with outragious malice to make him factious And the true Christian communion is equally opposed by superstition which corrupts the sincerity and by faction which destroys the solemnity of Gods publick worship Wherefore God hath given us a Law which taketh care not only for the Religion of his Church against superstition but also for the Communion of his Church against faction though it first take care for the Religion and after that for the communion For Religion knits and unites us immediately to God But communion knits and unites us one to the other Religion is the very knowledge and worship of God communion is only the agreement in that knowledge and worship Religion makes the Saints communion only shews and declares them Religion makes true worship communion makes publick worship Accordingly God first provided for the duty then for the solemnity first for the Religion then for the communion Thus in the three first precepts of the decalogue he requires the true knowledge and worship of God which constitute our Religion and in the fourth he requires the publick profession of that knowledge and exercise of that worship which constitute our communion For the first commandment requires us to have right apprehensions and affections concerning God by the internal acts of our souls in trusting believing loving him above all things The second and third require us to testifie those our inward apprehensions and affections concerning him by our outward adoration or reverence and by our outward confessing or glorifying his holy name Then follows the fourth requiring us to muster up our apprehensions and affections adorations and glorifications altogether in one publick entire and holy communion So that the fourth Commandment is little other then a new ratification or establishment of the three first all in one to be observed or performed solemnly and publickly enjoyning us to do those holy duties on some set dayes openly and joyntly in one communion which were before enjoyned every day severally and privately in one Religion And consequent the 4th Commandment is in effect an establishment of the Church as the three first are an establishment of Religion For the consecration of times places persons maintenance and forms of worship is here commanded though time only be named and all for this end that God may be publickly glorified and our souls edified in the communion of Saint Wherefore those that prophane the places oppose the persons rob the maintenance and reproach the forms consecrated to the publick worship of God are as great Sabbath-breakers as those that prophane the time nor is there in truth a greater enemy to the Sabbath then the Sabbatarian as not a greater enemy to faith then the Solifidean the one crying up the Sabbath in the day but beating it down in the duty advancing the circumstance of time but depressing and debasing not only other circumstances but also the very substance of worship The other making a noise of faith which fils the phansie with strong perswasions but neglecting the work of faith which fils the soul with holy affections What do we think our Saviour Christ said in vain Father glorifie thy name or that God himself answered in vain by a voyce from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again John 12. 28. If not let us acknowledge this to be the main end of our Christian Religion to glorifie the name of God and then we shall be afraid to oppose any thing directly conducing to his praise and glory For certainly those words are never to grow out of date This voice came not because of me but for your sakes John 12. 30. We know it was the whole work of Christ to glorifie God and what else can we think is the work of the Christian Religion Let this then I mean the glory of God be taken for the ballance of the Sanctuary wherein to weigh all our Tenents and all our practices and we shall never put a parsimonious much less an envious gloss upon the fourth Commandment as if it had taken care only for one circumstance of publick worship but neglected all the rest that 's a parsimonious gloss or as if it had provided for the circumstances alone and not much more for the substance of Gods publick worship and service that 's an envious irreligious gloss For in truth as in the Creed every subsequent Article of faith presupposeth the belief of all before it that it self may be rightly believed the same truth being first in the order of nature which is there put first in the order of Revelation So also in the decalogue especially in the first table every subsequent commandment presupposeth the obedience of all before it that it self may be rightly obeyed the same duty being first in the order of nature which is there put first in the order of injunction God in his very Method of revealing truths and
true Christian communion that man may be edified and brought to the knowledge and enjoyment of his Redeemer And all those Texts in the Old and New Testament which concern the publick worship of God are so many interpretations of the twofold end of this commandment as for example in the Old Testament Psalm 95 which was made to be used in publick assemblies according to Aben Ezra's gloss commandeth singing to the Lord and worshipping of him there 's the exercise of Religion q. d. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day and commandeth us to sing and worship there 's the establishment of communion q. d. Thou and thy son and thy daughter c. and gives this reason of those commands The Lord our maker q. d. For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth So again Psalm 100. O be joyful in the Lord serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song there 's the Religion All ye lands or as it is in the Hebrew all the earth there 's the communion It is he that hath made us and not we our selves there 's the reason of both from our Creation For the Lord is gracious his mercy is everlasting c. there 's that reason further enlarged to us Christians from our redemption who are taught that God by his son both made the worlds and also purged our sins Heb. 1. 2 3. So again in the New Testament Mat. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together there 's the communion In my name there 's the Religion I am in the midst of them there 's the reason of both so Heb. 10. 22 23. Let us draw neer with a true heart let us hold fast the profession of our faith there 's the exercise of Religion for he is faithful that promised there 's the reason of that exercise And ver 24 25. Let us consider one another not forsaking the assembling of our selves together there 's the establishment of communion To provoke unto love and to good works there 's the reason of that establishment If we be sure of Christs name we cannot be too zealous of our gathering together if we be sure of the Religion we cannot be too zealous of the Communion but if we be not sure of the name which cannot well be without a set and known Liturgie every good Christian must be contented to say with Joshua I and my house will serve the Lord and mouâ—n that he cannot say with David I was glad when they said unto me we will go into the house of the Lord for it is more agreeable with the end of the fourth Commandment that men have the right Religion in their own houses without a publick visible communion then that they have a publick visible communion in Gods house without the right Religion They must first say Let us hold fast the profession of our faith and after that Let us consider one another not forsaking the assembling of our selves together For if the Assemblies have forsaken the faith it can be no sin to forsake the Assemblies since the end of the Commandment is without doubt above the letter of it the substance of worship above the adjunct of it or to speak in one word since Christian Religion doth challenge precedency before and preeminency above Christian communion So then without question the end of the Commandment is the first thing to be considered for if the end be rightly understood the letter will not easily be mistaken for the letter of the Law is subservient to the end of it and therefore may not have so scanty an interpretation as will not reach the end And such is that interpretation of the fourth Commandment which would have the letter mean no more then it mentions that is the bare circumstance of time and leaves men at liberty to do what they please with the other adjuncts of publick worship to wit the persons by whom and the places in which it is to be performed and regards not the end or reason of the command at all This was the fault which our blessed Saviour did find with the Scribes and Pharisees interpretations of the Law that they interpreted it not in its full extent or latitude and this made him so often in one Chapter use these words Ye have heard it hath been said of old But I say unto you c. not opposing his authority against the authority of God who gave the Law but against the authority of the Scribes and Pharisees who misinterpreted it As for example God had said thou shalt not kill they intepreted this Law only of the act of murder our Saviour interprets it also of the intent or occasion of it of hatred in the heart and of calumny in the tongue Again God had said thou shalt not commit adultery this the Scribes and Pharisees restrained to the act of fornication or adultery but our Saviour tells us plainly that God meant otherwise and forbad not only the act but also the inclination thereto lusting nay the occasion thereof looking on a woman to lust after her Mat. 5. 28. The like interpretation have some of late given of the fourth Commandment as if the day were all that God required whereas questionless he requireth also the other adjuncts of publick worship as much as the day and he requireth the worship it self much more For publick worship must first be publick in its substance then in its adjuncts first in its substance by having such prayers as are of publick concernment to all good Christians according to the pattern given us in the Mount that is to say in Gods most holy word wherein we find the Spirit of God himself the first author of Liturgie or of common prayer having taught us such prayers whose matter and form is common alike to all good men and taught them not only for our direction but also for our use as plainly appears by the Hebrew inscription on the ninty second Psalm A Psalm for the Sabbath because saith Jarchi and Ezra both they were to say that Psalm on the Sabbath And Musculus saith the same after them concinendus in Ecclesia die Sabbathi this Psalm was to be sung in the assemblies on the Sabbath Nay the Psalmist saith as much being nothing else but an invitation to praise the name of God for all his works most especially for the wonderful dispensations of his power in pulling down his enemies and of his mercy in relieving and upholding his servants So again Psalm 102. hath this inscription A prayer for the afflicted when he is over-whelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord which plainly sheweth that the Psalms were made to be used not only as publick but also as private devotions and consequently that set forms do not confine the Spirit of prayer because the Holy Ghost commandeth the use of this Psalm to the afflicted not for the hinderance but for the furtherance of his devotion not only as a prayer
but also as a prayer fit to pour out his complaint before the Lord And t is clear our blessed Saviour hath said concerning his own most holy prayer not only after this manner therefore pray Mat. 6. 9. commending it for our direction but also when ye pray say Our Father Luke 11. 2. commanding it for our use not only giving this prayer to his Church as a pattern for Liturgie or publick worship but also as a part of it which is also true of the whole Book of God since those words being a part of the Scripture cannot be of any private interpretation 2 Pet. 1. 20. So that God hath provided for himself a Lamb for a burnt offering in giving his Scriptures to his Church for in them are not only rules of worshipping but also forms of worship such rules as equally oblige all such forms as equally concern all the Christians in the world Secondly publick worship must also be publick in its adjuncts not only in one adjunct of Time though that happily be more particularly named because it is the most universal or common adjunct wherein all the habitable world can at once communicate together but also in the other adjuncts of place and person God will have his publick places to be worshipped in his publick persons to be worshipded by as well as his publick day and all those Texts in the Old and New Testament which speak of places or persons deputed to Gods publick worship do belong to the letter of this fourth Commandment as well as those which speak of the day Thus hath God himself said Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary I am the Lord Lev. 19. 30. Here is the same reason given for reverencing the Sanctuary as for keeping the Sabbath and not to do the one as well as the other is a contempt of God And lest we should think this injunction did only concern the Tabernacle or the Temple of the Jews the reverence is evidently communicated to more then one Sanctuary Lev. 21. 23. That he prophane not my Sanctuaries for I the Lord do sanctifie them God owns the sanctification of Place as well as of time for his worship and forbids us to prophane the one as well as the other Thus as we find many complaints in the Prophets against those that prophaned the Day so we find many in the Psalms against those that prophaned the place of Gods publick worship as Psalm 74. 8. They have set fire upon thy holy places and have defiled the dwelling place of thy name and ver 9. They have burnt up all the houses of God in the land and they that did this are called Gods enemies foolish people and blasphemers verse 19. Remember this O Lord how the enemy hath rebuked and how the foolish people have blasphemed thy name God owneth to have houses as well as days and if our Saviours example may prevail with us we shall be as zealous for his Houses as for his Days He would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the Temple Mark 11. 16. and yet he here excused his Disciples for plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath day Mark 2. and he gives a reason for it that concerns Christians who are of all Nations and not only Jews who were but of one Nation for he saith Is it not written my house shall be called of all Nations the house of prayer Which words plainly shew that all Nations are to set apart Houses of prayer and that God hath an interest or propriety in those Houses so set apart they are his houses which caused Saint Paul to say to the Corinthians What have ye not houses to eat and to drink or despise ye the Church of God 1 Cor. 11. 22. Where is a plain contradistinction betwixt mens houses and Gods House they may not do the same offices in both Their corporal food they must take in their own houses their spiritual food only in Gods house and they who do otherwise are said to despise the Church of God which is here put as a term convertible with the House of God or is imporperly opposed to their own houses And indeed the context requires this exposition when ye come together in the Church ver 18. Is thus afterwards explained when ye come together in one place ver 20. For it is evident that if the place of their meeting had not been first determined and known they could never have met together and what is the determining of a place to holy meetings but the exempting or separating it from prophane or common uses Therefore the Canon Law saith expresly that all men know there was a consecration of places from the beginning who know the precepts of the Old and New Testament de consecr dist 1. cap. 1. and accordingly proves it was so among the Jews and ought to be so among the Christians Iudaei ergo loca in quibus sacrificabant Domino Divinis habebant supplicationibus consecrata nec in aliis quam Deo dicatis locis munera Domino offerebant si enim Iudaei qui nmbrae legis deserviebant haec faciebant multo magis nos c. The Jews did consecrate those places by prayers and supplications in which they offered their sacrifices And if they who had only the shadow of the Law were so zealous and carefull about the places of their worship how much more ought we so to be who enjoy the substance of the Gospel and the very Sun-shine of Grace For sure our worship being more holy then theirs cannot have less claim to the beauty of holiness And the same was also the Judgement of the Greek Church in the purest ages of it as appears by Athanasius his Apology to the Emperour Constantius making many excuses for himself that he had held a religious Assembly in the great Church newly builded by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before it had been consecrated And the Council of Gangre saith expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we honour and highly esteem the Houses of God not speaking of his spiritual but of his material Temples which this prophane age blasphemously nick-nameth steeple-houses for so it follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. 21. Honouring every place that is built to the name or for the worship of God But why should we insist upon the practice of the servants when the master himself did no less who honoured the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple with his own presence John 10. 22. Thereby shewing it was not superstition but true Religion which first taught men to perform holy duties not only on Holy-days but also in holy Places And yet we have not quite explained the letter of this Commandment for it also requires holy persons as well as times and places for a holy worship Nay we find Gods publick worship performed in a common or unholy place Nehem. 8. 1. In the street before the water-gate but not by a common or unholy person for it
Thus hath holy Zachary taught us to sing Blessed be the Lord God of Israel and hath given this reason of that song For he hath visited and redeemed his people Luke 1. 68. That we may assure our selves it is not superstition but good Religion agreeable with the end of the fourth Commandment which teacheth us to celebrate the memorials both of his Visitation that he came to visit us in great humility and of his redemption that he hath redeemed us in great mercy and will consummate that Redemption in greater glory nor may we think that the letter of this Commandment was to restrain the end of it or the Sabbath was to confine the publike worship of Christ no more then we may think that God gave the Law to restrain the Gospel or set up the practice of Judaism for a time to confine the practice of Christianity for ever we may not so put our necks under the yoke of Jewish bondage in the Circumstances and much less in the substance of our Religion The proportion of time allotted the Jew for his publike worship may admonish the Christian to give no less must not regulate him to give no more to God For Religion first brings men to God then binds them to God and that Religion which brings them neerest binds them fastest The Jews Religion brought and bound him to God as to the author of nature and called for much praise The Christians Religion brings and binds him to God as to the Author of Grace and calleth for more praise The Angels Religion brings and binds them to God as the author of glory and calleth for all Praises The Christians Religion though betwixt that of the Jews and that of the Angels yet comes neerer to that of the Angels and therefore may not look backwards to Nature but must look forwards to glory The Author of nature did bid the Jews first number dayes saying For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it There the day called for the duty But the Author of Grace hath bid the Christian first number Duties teaching him to say I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 7. 25. Here the Duty calleth for the Day and bidding us think God will not let us be stiâ—ted to one day in seven for our thanksgivings For though nature be under the measure and government of Time yet Grace is only under the measure and government of Eternity Wherefore any day that tells me of the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God in him shall tell me also of the Communion of the Holy Ghost to give thanks to God the Son for his Grace and to God the Father for his love nor dare I so undervalue the duty of thankfullness which I owe to my blessed Saviour for my redemption from sin and death as to tarry till the next Sabbath before I say I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord And this I am sure though men may deny me thus to keep the Sabbath on earth yet God will not deny me thus to keep the Sabbath in Heaven and the more they may hinder me thus to keep it in earth the more should my soul be filled with desires and longings to keep it so in Heaven SECT IV. The sincerity of Christian communion may be broken either causally by a false Religion or formally by an unjust separation Both breaches are abominable The care which the Primitive Christians used to avoid both by cleaving to the ancient Creeds and the Gloria Patri and also by their communicatory letters The reason of that care was that both Priest and People laboured only to serve Christ not to serve themselves of him The Touchstone to try all Churches is from advancing the glory of Christ both in their Religion and in their communion AS the Communion of Saints is commanded in the fourth Commandment which requires all men to communicate in those doctrines of faith and duties of life which God hath called them to profess and practise in and by his Church So the Religion of Saints is commanded in the three first Commandments which do teach the Doctrines and Duties of that communion For as God hath not left his people to make their own communion so neither hath he left his Church to make her own Religion He first saith Let all things be done then let all things be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14. 40. He first provides the doctrines then regulates the Prophets or the Preachers first takes care for the order of Religion then takes care for the order of Communion He first taught his Church how to invocate and implore his mercy how to reverence and adore his Majesty how to acknowledge his Authority and glorifie his holy name in worship in word in Sacraments and after that how to order assemblies and publick meetings for these Invocations for these adorations for these acknowledgements or glorifications And hence it is that Christian Religion bids all men first look after Gods authority in his word then after Gods authority in his Church So that no Church can be obliged by the obedience which she oweth to the Christian Faith to communicate with that Church which absolutely refuseth to have the doctrines and duties of its communion regulated and ordered by the known and undoubted written word of God because every man ought first to choose his Religion whereby to have communion with Christ then the Profession or exercise of it whereby to have communion with Christs Church And by consequent for any company of men to advance themselves against the word is to incurre Saint Pauls censure If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness he is proud knowing nothing but dâ—ating about questions and strifes of words And those men which have incurred Saint Pauls censure cannot be acquitted from Saint Pauls sentence From such withdraw thy self 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5. In such a case the breach of Christian communion is to be imputed to those who consent not to the words of Christ for if they break off from Christ it is no sin can be no shame in others to break off from them For the Apostle saith expresly from such withdraw thy self So that it is evident the breach of Christian Communion may be causal in a false Religion as well as formal in an unjust separation And all the world is not able to excuse the formal unless it be from the causal breach since no man can have a pretence to leave the Church unless it be to cleave to Christ to forsake the Christian communion unless it be to follow the Christian Religion Therefore where Religion is most sincerely kept there communion is most sinfully and most shamefully broken For if the Church hath indeed taught us the right Invocation
that before they came to this Psalm their voices were at a very high pitch God not permitting them to dissemble their danger who would needs oppose his Church though by denouncing and divulging it they incurred their own They were therefore to sing those words in a high and loud tone The righteous Lord hath hewn the snares of the ungodly in pieces ver 4. or rather as it is in the orher translation hath cut asunder the cords of the wickd even those cords whereby they drew the Plow to make long furrows upon the Churches back saith Junius densos funes quibus aratrum trahebant in dorso Ecclesiae And he borrowed this gloss from Aben Ezra who thus expoundeth the place The Lord will cut asunder their cords that they shall not be able to plow upon my back and the meaning is that the Lord will take away their burdens sc who had led Israel captive from off the shoulders of Israel by destroying their Dominion Again ver 5. 6. Let them be confounded and turned backward as many as have evil will at Sion Let them be even as the grass growing upon the housetops which withereth before it be plucked up If they be not confounded and turned backward in this world they will in the next for this curse cannot fall to the ground and to be turned backward in the next world is nothing less then to be turned into Hell as the grass that is withered is good for nothing but to be thrown into the fire And this is the very doom that Saint Paul hath denounced against them Rom. 2. 8 9. But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish c. What is there more in Hell then indignation and wrath tormenting the soul then tribulation and anguish afflicting the body And this will be the punishment of those who are contentious and meerly out of contention at first do not obey the truth and at last do obey unrighteousness Therefore the Apostle useth an Emphatical expression to set forth their contentiousness saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lis autem qui sunt ex contentione as the Vulgar Latine hath rendred it But to them that are of contention that is so contentious as if they were born or made of contention this preposition Ex doth here note the material cause as if contention were the very matter of which such men were made Aquinas ingeniously maintains that Position Creare est aliquid ex nihilo facere To create is to make something out of nothing mainly by this distinction Quum Praepositio Ex due importet habitudinem causae materialis ordinem hic non designat causam materialem sed ordinem tantùm sicut quum dicitur Ex mane fit meridies id est post mane fit meridies Where the preposition Ex doth import two things either the material cause out of which the thing is made or the Order of its making here it doth not import the material cause but only the Order as when we say that the noon is made out of the morning we mean after the morning so when we say to create is to make something out of nothing we only mean it is to make that something which before was meerly nothing 1. Par. qu. 45. art 1. But we cannot fasten such an exposition upon these words of Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iis autem qui sunt ex contentione But those that are of contention for this Of cannot import their beginning as if they had been such but now were not and therefore it must import their constitution that they are such and made of such principles that they are so of contention as of that which is the chief ingredient in their composition And according to this interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They which are of contention will signifie those who make contention their study and delight as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3. 7 9. They whch are of Faith doth signifie those which wholly depend and relie upon faith in Christ contrary to whom are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 10. As many as are of the works of the Law that is As many as place their hope and confidence in the works of the Law And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They which were of the circumcision Gal. 2. 12. doth signifie those which did glory or boast of their circumcision and made it their business to be zealous for those kind of outward and carnal Ordinances And this is agreeable with Saint Hieroms criticism upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he thus explaineth Est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quum qui semper ad contradâ—cendum paratus stomacho delectatur alieno muliebri jurgio contendit provocat contendentem alio nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hier. in 5. ad Galat. The spirit of contradiction and of contention both are according to this gloss in those men of whom Saint Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But unto them that are contentious None can be a formal Separatist from the communion of his Church rightly established but he must have the Spirit of contention to make him a Schismatick and the Spirit of contradiction to make him labour to justifie or at least to continue and prolong his Schism So that indeed such a man hath indignation and wrath though unjustly in his sin and therefore may expect to have them both but very justly in his Punishment But unto them that are contentious indignation and wrath saith the Text They unjustly had indignation and wrath against their Church that they might be contentious And God will justly have indignation and wrath against them that they may be punished for their contention All which considered we have reason to believe that external Christian communion as far as it is truly Christian is to be carefully followed maintained and preserved in all Churches to be forsaken persecuted and destroyed in no Church For God hath not left it to the disposal of the Kings and Potentates of this world whether he shall be publickly served or not only hath given them a strict command to promote and advance his publick worship and service He gave not power to his Apostles for destruction but only for edisication and therefore that power that tends only to destruction cannot be of his giving What shall we say of those who commanded the Apostles not to speak at all in the name of Jesus Acts 4. 18. Shall we say they had power from God so to do God forbid for then the Christian Religion could not have been planted without Rebellion and so should not have been planted at all For the Text is plain which forbiddeth to do evil that good may come Gods power doth no thwart it self nor put men upon contradictions Therefore in that the Apostles were commanded to pray and preach in the name of Jesus the Rulers of the Jews were commanded not to
utriusque Tabulae that the Prince is entrusted with the keeping of both the Tables of the Decalogue is easily to be proved concerning each Table by it self For the words forecited out of the fourth commandment prove it sufficiently concerning the first table as that takes care for the external worship And as for the Duties of Religion that belong to the Second Table all the world agrees that the Prince is immediately and directly entrusted with them by vertue of the Fift Commandment And since the old Testament as far as it concerns Moral duties is no other then a various Paraphrase or Exposition upon the Decalogue we may not unfitly apply all those Texts that enjoyn or approve the supream Magistrates care of Gods publick worship as so many glosses upon this Text of the fourth commandment Particularly that signal Injunction of God to Joshuah This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou maist observe to do according to all that is written therein For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success Josh 1. 8. In that he saith This book of the Law we may not any more leave out the first Table of the Decalogue out of Joshuahs commission then out of Gods book in that he saith Thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou maist observe to do according to all that is written therein we must infer unless we will say that God spake to Joshua as to a private man at that very time when he made him a publick person and governour of his people in Moses his stead That this is a full precept both for his knowledge and for his practice concerning Religion as it was established for Prince and Priest and People Lastly in that he saith For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and ther thou shalt have good success We have a Promise answerable to that precept And what can be brought more for the proof of any duty then Gods precept and Gods promise His Precept commanding it his promise rewarding it the one to direct the other to encourage our obedience We need not doubt of our work if we have a Precept we cannot doubt of his acceptance if we have a promise Quae faciunt divisa beatos in te mista fluunt Those two things either of which severally and by it self were enough to authorize the Civil Magistrate to have a special care of and regard to Religion are here joyntly and both together in Joshuahs Commission to wit Precept and Promise So that to deny him the Precept concerning the Piety is in effect to deny him the Promise concerning the Prosperity And by the same reason If we will not have Christian Princes Religious we must have them improsperous If they will not take care of Religion God will not take care of them unless we dare say that our Saviour Christ came to defalcate from the power and trust which God had given to Princes by Legacy in the Old Testament because that being made Christian either they would deserve it less or abuse it more But in all the New Testament we find not the least hint of any such defalcation either by Christ or by his Apostles 1. Not by Christ he never diminished but altogether established the right of Princes for he withdrew himself when the Jews would have made him King John 6. 15. and professed openly before Pilate saying My Kingdom is not of this world John 18. 36. And acknowledged Pilates power over him John 19. 11. So far was he either from leaving a Vice-Roy behind him as an universal Monarch of the whole world to give some Princes a faculty to act and take away from others their power of acting or from leaving his Kingly office among a company of inferiour Presbyters with power to controul and subvert the government of Churches and States under pretence of setting up his Kingdom 2. Not by Christs Apostles they never diminished or debased the rights of Princes but rather advanced and extolled them So Saint Paul calleth them Gods Ministers and writeeth to the Clergy of Rome in the first place and to the people of Rome by and after them saying Ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake Rom. 13. 4 5. What ye even Omnis Anima every soul ver 1. Nec animam Papae excipit He excepteth not the soul of the Pope said Aeneas Silvius whilst he was the Popes Scribe in the Council of Basil though when himself was afterwards Pope under the name of Pius the second he was of another mind whence that scoff was put upon him Quod Aeneas probavit Pius damnavit what Aeneas did piously approve that Pius did impiously condemn And t is possible that in the first place he condemned himself t is probable he thought some others might justly condemn him imputing the change of this opinion rather to his preferment then to his Judgement for so himself doth say in his Bulla Retractationum as t is recorded by Binius Dicent fortasse aliqui cum Pontificatu hanc nobis opinionem advenisse cum dignitate mutatam esse sententiam But t is certain there was reason enough for this condemnation because he shewed the greater Truth while he had the lesser Trust was a truer interpreter of the Text as a private man then as a Pope was more faithful whilst he was yet less powerful for surely Saint Paul that saith Every soul excepteth none Even Christs Vicar is by this precept Let every soul be subject himself made a subject to Gods Minister So likewise Saint Peter willeth those whom he calleth a chosen generation a royal Priesthood to submit themselves to Kings and Governours for the Lords sake saying For so is the will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 1 Pet. 2. 13 15. If they are a chosen generation that do submit then are they a reprobate generation that do rebell and if they submit for the Lords sake they who will not submit regard not the Lord If the one be well doing the other surely is ill doing and if the one silence the ignorance of foolish men then the other may be ashamed not to silence it self and all its presumptuous advocates In this strain of alleageance and obedience writ all the antient Divines whilst yet their interest had not corrupted their Divinity So Saint Augustine Reges quum in errore sunt pro ipso errore leges contra veritatem ferunt quum in veritate sunt similiter contra errorem pro ipsa veritate decernunt Ita legibus malis probantur boni legibus bonis emendantur mali Rex Nebuchodonosor perversus legem saevam dedit ut simulachrum adoraretur idem correctus severam ne Deus verus blasphemaretur In hoc enim Reges sicut divinitus eis praecipitur Deo serviunt in
admit the stamp and impression of Christ upon our stony hearts t is because we have been as Iron when we should have been as wax and not having received nor desirous to receive the seal of our Lord do question the authority of his Embassadour of his Apostle not having in us the image of Christ do contemn the authority and forsake the communion of his Church For as the want of natural affection discovered the harlot not to have been the true mother of the child 1 King 3. 26. So the want of filial obedience discovereth us not to have been true children but by no means our Church to have been a false mother There is great reason and greater necessity why all true sons of this distressed and despised Church should now especially insist upon this Doctrine since at this time the contumacy of the children hath made disputable nay almost desperate the authority of the Mother Wherein as we have S. Pauls example to invite us so we have his authority to justifie us for questionless he did therefore so much magnifie his own Apostleship that we should learn to magnifie it much more Thus we find in the beginning of every Epistle so many large Encomiums and high commendations of his office as if he had taken that for his Text Rom. 11. 13. Quamdiu quidem ego sum gentium Apostolus ministerium meum honorificabo As long as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles I will magnifie mine office There needs but one instance for all Gal. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle not of man neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead where Saint Chrysostome gives us this remarkable gloss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because they sc who went about to pervert the Galatians did undervalue his Doctrine saying it was from men but that S. Peters Doctrine was from Christ therefore in the first place he withstands that objection viz. by affirming that he was an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father as well as S. Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In that he saith he was not an Apostle of men he saith what was common to all the Ministers of the Gospel for both their authority of preaching and the doctrine which they preached was from heaven But in that he saith neither by man he saith what was proper only to the Apostles for our blessed Saviour did not call them by other men but only by himself We do not seek now for such an Apostleship in any Christian Church as is not by man we only say it is not of man and that is enough to procure sober mens attention and conscientious mens obedience for in that it is not of men it is clearly of God And as it was not arrogancy but necessity in Saint Paul which made him stand so much upon his authority so is it not the pride of the Clergy a string which they most harp upon who are most guilty of it but their duty which maketh them stand so stiffly for the authority of the Church Let him speak for both whose modesty and humility was greater then his learning and yet whose learning was greater in reality then our new Divines is now in shew or pretence and that was the late Bishop of Salisbury Bishop Davenant in his most excellent Commentary upon the Colossians where almost at the beginning sc in the fifth page you shall find these words Paulus non arrogantiae causa sed ne in detrimentum Ecclesiae vilesceret illius autoritas Apostolicam dignitatem sibi vendicat Ita etiam oportet in Ecclesiastica dignitate constitutos officii sui autoritatem atque existimationem tueri contra contemptores schismaticos Saint Paul doth not out of arrogancy challenge to himself the dignity and honour of an Apostle but for fear lest otherwise the Church of God should suffer detriment or loss by the contempt of his authority And so likewise it still behoveth those who are placed in Ecclesiastical dignity to maintain the repute and authority of their office against despisers and schismaticks And truly this is but a reasonable position both in regard of those in authority who do only maintain their own unless we will deny that to be their own which God hath so manifestly given them and in regard of those under authority who cannot be willing to obey what they are not desirous to maintain and yet must either obey or be guilty of hainous impiety such as now joyns them in communion with the Devil by their sin for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft 1 Sam. 15. 23. and without doubt all witches are the Devils communicants and such as will hereafter keep them in communion with the Devil by their punishment They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13. 2. And questionless it is a most reasonable probleme What communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6. 15 16. And yet a more reasonable demand I would not that ye who are Christians should have fellowship with Devils 1 Cor. 10. 20. Not in their sin for Christs sake not in their punishment for your own sakes Again there may be yet further alledged these reasons why we should zealously maintain and carefully obey the power and authority of our own particular Church 1. Because reverence and suspition cannot consist together and therefore I may not lightly suspect those whom I am bound to reverence such as are my spiritual Pastors and Teachers whom for this reason I may not lightly suspect in respect of their integrity much less of their authority 2. Because else there must be perplexitas facti a perplexity in point of fact that private men will not easily know with whom they are bound to keep their Christian Communion in the publick worship and service of God which yet is an undeniable and should be an undoubted duty of the Text. 3. Because else there must be perplexitas juris a perplexity in point of Law which is such a perplexity as God will not endure and man may not endure for then the conscience can never be at quiet when it must so keep one Law as to break another And that perplexity cannot be avoided if we allow two several Churches to have power from God to order and command the duties of our Religion for then they may lay upon us at the same time quite contrary commands and consequently whilst we are obeying the one we must be disobeying the other But it is past all dispute that our own Church hath power from God over us in matters of Religion because the Apostle saith expresly Obey them that have the rule over you Heb. 13. 17. Which cannot be understood of those who are at a distance from us in another Country because it follows For they watch for your souls as they that must give an account But t is against reason to say or think that
Christians in their protestations There is a great distance betwixt superstition and Atheism False-Liturgy is Superstitious but no Liturgy is Atheistical For it must bring Religion to uncertainties may bring it to impieties Uncertainties are as nothing Impieties are worse then nothing Uncertainties cannot honour God as God Impieties must dishonour him may defie him tell me what can Atheism do more No Liturgy in effect bids Christians do like the Mariners in Jonah Cry every man unto his God nay it leaves every man to make his God for it leaves every man to make his Religion and he that hath a Religion of his own making must also have a God of his own making For the true God cannot be worshipped as men please to phansie him but as he hath revealed himself And therefore it is the high way to Atheism for men to be left to their own phansies in the exercise of Religion which must needs be where the exercise of Religion is not under a set form that so it may be compared with the word of God and accordingly not embraced till it be found agreeable with his word Will you think to convert a Papist by inviting him to no Liturgy you may as well think to convert him by inviting him to no Religion for with him t is No Liturgy no Religion Will you think to confirm a Protestant by inviting him to no Liturgy you may as well think to confirm him by inviting him to no Communion for with him it must be No Liturgy no Communion since he did not depart from a corrupt Liturgy to have none but to have a better and justifies his departure from the Church of Rome that leaving her he might come to the Catholick Church so his business was not only to protest against a false but also to protest for a true publick worship unless you will say he was only careful not to be a Schismatick in having good grounds of his separation but not careful not to be a Heretick in not having as good grounds of his Communion Some things were in the Church of Rome as a local or national Church some things were in it as a member of the Catholick Church There is no wilfull receding from these without being Anti-Catholick and that is all one with being Anti Christian Liturgy was one of these so truly and undoubtedly Christian that Hâ—ppolytus an antient Bishop and Martyr saith of Antichrist In those days shall be no Liturgy In diebus illis Liturgia extinguetur Orat de consummatione mundi ac de Antichristo in Bibliotheca Patrum Tom. 2. And sure we are that there was never yet any Christian Church in the world either national or provincial which had not its Liturgy which Cassanders Liturgicks doth sufficiently manifest without any other tedious way of proof the whole business whereof is to shew the several forms and rites of administring in several Churches So that to deny Liturgy to be Christian is in effect to deny the Catholick Church to be Christian and to blot a whole article of faith out of the Apostles Creed as also to affirm that there is will-worship in having Liturgy is in effect to affirm that the whole Catholick Church hath for 1500. years together been guilty of wil-worship and consequently hath not had the true Religion such a negative must needs be dangerous which thrusts the Catholick Church out of the Creed But such an affirmative must needs be damnable which thrusts the Christian Religion out of the Catholick Church For the whole Church having placed the publick practice of Religion in Liturgy if that be indeed wil-worship t is palpable Religion as to its publick practice or exercise hath been hitherto out of the Church unless we will allow wil-worship to be Religion However sure we are that God hath not given any Church power to abolish Liturgy because the power God hath given his Church is for edification and not for destruction 2 Cor. 10. 8. But the abolishing of Liturgy is nothing at all for edification but wholly for destruction T is nothing at all for edification neither in regard of the weak for it helps not their infirmities but takes away those helps God in mercy hath afforded them neither in regard of the strong for it must put them upon uncertainties may put them upon impieties And t is altogether for destruction because it destroyes Religion because it destroyes Communion It destroyes Religion in the learned making a way for them to run into any heresies in the unlearned not making a way for them to come out of Ignorance It destroyes Communion in the most setled times of the Church by disturbing it but in unsetled times by distracting it teaching men when they are at best not to be of one Communion but when they are at worst to be of many divisions of as many divisions as of interests of as many interests as of minds and of as many minds as men This is proof enough that God hath not given any Church power to abolish Liturgy It remains in the next place to be proved that no Church ought to assume that power For it is not for any Christian Church to assume such a power as directly tends to the destruction either of Christian Religion or of Christian Communion and abolishing of Liturgy directly tends to both these as hath been said Again It is not for any Christian Church to assume such a power as to abolish any thing which directly tends to the fulfilling of any of Gods Commandments for our Saviour Christ hath said If ye love me keep my Commandments John 14. 15. But a true laudable form of prayer directly tends to the fulfilling of two of Gods Commandments to wit the third and the fourth It directly tends to the fulfilling of the third Commandment in that it keeps some from taking Gods name in vain and teaches others truly to glorifie his name And it directly tends to the fulfilling of the fourth Commandment in that it provides for the duty of the Sabbath to wit the service of the Sanctuary the publick worship of God which is the end of the fourth Commandment and therefore the fittest rule by which to expound and observe the letter of it For the letter of the Law being subservient to the end of the Law we cannot rightly observe the day according to the letter unless we rightly observe the duty according to the end of this Commandment For by the reason of our blessed Saviours own Logick Mat. 23. If the Altar sanctifie the gift then much more the service sanctifies the Altar If the Temple sanctifie the Gold then much more the Glory of God sanctifies the Temple If the Day was appointed for the sanctification of man much more was the Duty appointed for the sanctification of the Day The Jews were commanded to keep the Sabbath that they might remember God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Justine Martyr to Trypho so that the end wherefore the Sabbath was