I and my House and the Sons of Aaron thy holy people have sinned and done wickedly c. I beseech thee now O Lord be merciful c. as in the other forms before delivered Finally as there was a form prescribed the Priests in which to make Confession of their own and the peoples sins to the Lord their God so if the people were Impenitent and neither would be brought unto repentance or amendment of life they had their forms of Excommunication also Witness the solemn form in use amongst them in Excommunicating the Samaritans In the denouncing of which censure they brought together 300 Priests and 300 Trumpets and 300 Books of the Law and 300 Boys and they blew with the Trumpets and the Levites singing accursed the Cuttbaeans or Samaritans in the name of Tetragrammaton or JEHOVAH and with the curses both of the higher and lower House of judicature and said Cursed is he who eats the bread of the Cutthaean and let no Cutthaean be a Proselyte in Israel Drusius in Seph Tanhuma neither have any part in the resurrection of the just Which Curse being wrote on Tables and sealed up was published over all the Coasts of Israel who multiplied this great Anathema or Curse upon them Nothing can be more plain than this that in almost all sacred and religious duties which were to be performed in publick the Jews had anciently their appointed and determinate forms as well as their appointed and determinate either times or places But against this it is objected out of Rabbi Maimony that from the time of Moses unto Ezra there was no stinted form of Prayer heard of in the Jewish Church but every man prayed according unto his ability Smectymn Vindicat. p. 25. To which the Answer is in brief that they who have produced this place out of Rabbi Maimony dare not stand upon it conceiving it to be no testimony to command belief Secondly that the Rabbi in the place alledged speaks not of publick but of private prayers And thirdly that the place is curtalled to make it serve the turn the better For look upon the place at large and we find it thus We are commanded to pray every day as it is written And ye shall serve the Lord your God Exod. xxiii 25. We have been taught that this Service is Prayer as it is written And to serve him with all your heart Our wise men have said what Service is this with the heart It is Prayer And there is no number of Prayers by the Law neither is there any set form of this Prayer by the Law nor any appointed time for prayer by the Law And therefore Women and Servants are bound to pray because it is a Commandment the time whereof is not determined But the duty of this Commandment is thus that a Man make Supplication and Prayer every day and shew forth the praise of the holy blessed God and afterward ask such things as be needful for him by request and by supplication and afterward give praise and thanks unto the Lord for his goodness which he abundantly ministreth unto him every one according to his might If he be accustomed unto it let him use such Supplication and Prayer and if he be of uncircumcised lips let him speak according as he is able at any time when he will and so they make Prayers every one according unto his ability This is the place at large in Rabbi Maimony Maymoni cited by Ayns Deut. 6.13 And who sees not that this must be interpreted of private prayer or else it will conclude as strongly against appointed times and places for the performance of this holy exercise as against the forms and then what will become of the blessed Sabbath the day of Prayer or of the holy Temple the House of Prayer Must not they also be discharged on the self-same grounds Or were it meant of publick Prayer as it cannot be all that can be inferred is no more than this that God prescribed no set form or number of prayers in the Book of the Law which makes but little to the purpose For it was said and shewed before that Moses was more punctual and precise in laying down the form and matter of the legal Sacrifices by which the Jews were to be nourished in the faith of Christ and with the which they had not been acquainted in the former times than in prescribing forms of Prayer and Praises being moral duties in which they had been trained from their very infancy Now to this argument derived from the Authority of the Jewish Rabbins we must needs add another which is made against them and that is that the evidence of all this as also of much of that which followeth comes from no better Author than Maimonides Smectymn in Vindicat. p. 23. who wrote not till above a thousand years after Christ Against which weak objection for it is no other we have a very strong respondent even the famous Scaliger Who having made a full description of those rites and forms wherewith the Passeover was solemnized in the former times collected from the Writings of the Jewish Rabbins thinks it as idle and ridiculous to except against them because observed by Writers of a later date though from the best Records and Monuments of that scattered Nation as if a man reading the Pandects of the Civil Law composed in Justinians time should make a question whether those judgments and opinions ascribed unto Paepinian Paulus Vlpianus were theirs or not Quod nemo sanus dixerit Scaliger de emendat Temp. l. 6. Quod nemo sanus dixerit which none saith he except a mad-man would make question of And so these rubs being thus removed and in part anticipated we will go forwards with our search in the Name of God But first before we end this Chapter considering that there were set forms of Marriages and set rites of Burial and those of great Antiquity in the Jewish Church I will here put them down in the way of Corollary For though they were no part of the publick worship yet doubtless they were parts of the publick Liturgy and being performed with Prayer and Invocation of Gods holy Name they deserve place here And first for Marriage in the solemnities thereof they observed this form The time appointed being come the Bride and Bridegroom were conducted by their special Friends who are styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children of the Bride-Chamber Mat. 9.15 in S. Matthews Gospel to the Marriage-house which from the Blessings and Thanksgivings which were used therein on these occasions was called Beth Hillula the House of Praise There in an Assembly of ten men at the least the Writing or Bill of Dowry being ratied before a Scrivener or publick Notary the Man thus said unto the Woman Esto mihi in uxorem secundum legem Mosis Israel Ego juxta verbum Dei colam te honorabo te With my body I thee worship alam
regam juxta morem qui colunt honorant regunt uxores fideliter Do autem tibi dotem virginitatis tuae ducentos aureos i.e. 50 siclos quin etiam alimentum tuum vestitum atque sufficientem necessitatem tuam Cornel. Bertram item cognitionem tui juxta consuetudinem universae terrae That is to say Be thou a Wife to me according to the Law of Moses and Israel and I shall worship and honour thee according to the Word of God I shall seed and govern thee according to the custom of those who worship honour and govern their Wives faithfully I give thee for the Dowry of thy Virginity two hundred pence i. e. 50 Shekels as also thy food cloathing and all sufficient necessaries and knowledge of thee according to the custom of the whole earth A Shekel was a piece of money among the Jews amounting in our coyn to 1 s. 3 d. Judg. 14.11 1 Sam. 18.25 Ruth 4.2 Much of which form as to the main and substance of it is exceeding Ancient For in the Marriage of Sampson we find the Children of the Bride-Chamber being the thirty young men his Companions as they are there called in that of David unto Michael the Daughter of Saul the bringing in of an hundred Foreskins of the Philistins in loco dotis as the Dowry-money in that of Ruth the presence of ten men to bear witness to it Nor was this done being a business of such moment without a special Benediction For at the Marriage of Boaz to Ruth the People and the Elders said The Lord make the Woman which is come into thine House like Rachel and like Leah which two did build the House of Israel and do thou worthily in Ephrata and be famous in Bethlehem and let thy House be like the House of Pharez of the Seed which the Lord will give thee of this young Woman Ruth 4.11 12. Upon this ground it was that Marriage was not solemnized amonst them without Prayers and Blessings the form whereof in the ensuing times was this as followeth Benedictus sis Domine Deus noster Rex universi c. Blessed be the Lord our God the King of the World who hath Created Man after his own Image according to the Image of his own likeness and hath thereby prepared unto himself an everlasting building Blessed be thou O Lord God who hast Created him Moses Aaron l. 6. cap. 4. Then followeth again Blessed be thou O Lord our God who hast Created joy and gladness the Bridegroom and the Bride Charity and Brotherly love Rejoycing and Pleasure Peace and Society I beseech thee O Lord let there be suddenly heard in the Cities of Judah and the Streets of Hierusalem the voice of joy and gladness the voice of the Bridegroom and the Bride the voice of exaltation in the Bride-Chamber is sweeter than any Feast and Children sweeter than the sweetness of a song Which Prayer thus ended one of the Bride-men or Companions took a cup having before been blessed in the wonted form and drinks unto the Married-couple As for the form and rites of Burial not to say any thing either of the washing or embalming of the Corps which was common unto them with other Nations Chiristan Synagogue l. 1. cap. 6. sict 8. Paraph. 15. Diat 1. their custom was after the body was interred to speak something of the justice of God and of mans sin which meriteth death and they prayed God in justice to remember mercy This said they gave a Cup of Consolation to the sad-hearted Finally on the grave or Tombstone they caused these words ensuing to be written Sit anima ejus in fasciculo vitae cum caeteris justis Amen Amen Selah That is to say let his soul be in the bundle of life with the rest of the just Amen Amen So be it These as they were the ancient forms and ceremonies used in their Marriages and Burials so after when they had erected Synagogues in convenient places they solemnized their Marriages in a Tent Maymon cited in Fishter's defence cap. 17. set upon four Pillars near their Synagogue which shews that there was something in it wherewith the Priest or Prophet was to intermeddle and that they did esteem it of a nature not so meerly civil but that the blessing of the Minister was required unto it But it is time I now go forward to the Ages following CHAP. III. Of the condition and estate of the Jewish Liturgy from the time of David unto Christ 1. Several hours of prayer used amongst the Jews and that the prayers then used were of prescribed forms 2. The great improvement of the Jewish Liturgie in the time of David by the addition of Psalms and Instruments of Musick 3. The form of Celebrating Gods publick Service according unto Davids Institutions described by the Jewish Rabbins 4. The solemn form used in the dedicating of the first and second Temples 5. The Temple principally built for an House of Prayer 6. The several and accustomed gestures used among the Jews in the performance of Gods publick worship 7. The weekly reading of the Law on the Sabbath days not used until the time of Ezra 8. The reading of the Law prescribed and regulated according to the number of the Sections by the care of Ezra and of the 18 Benedictions by him composed 9. The Exposition of the Law prescribed and ordered by the Authority of the Church 10. The first foundation of Synagogues and Oratories and for what employments 11. The Church of Jewry ordained Holy-days and prescribed forms of prayer to be used thereon 12. Set days for publick annual Feasts appointed by the Jewish Church with a set form of prayer agreeable to the occasion 13. The form of Celebrating Gods publick Service according as it is described by Jesus the Son of Syrac 14. Jesus the Son of God conforms himself unto the forms established in the Jewish Church 15. A transition from the forms received in the Jewish Church to those in Vse amongst the Gentiles THE Nation of the Jews being thus setled into an established Church by the hand of Moses and several forms of Prayer and Praise and Benediction prescribed unto them either immediately by the Lord himself or by the Church directed by the wisdom of Almighty God it was not long before that divers other points were added by the like Authority until the Liturgy thereof became full and absolute Of these the first in course of time was the deputing of certain and determinate hours in every day for the performance of those moral duties of Prayer and Praises in which Gods publick worship did consist especially which were the third the sixth and the ninth For clearer knowledge of the which we shall add thus much that the Jews did usually divide their day into four great parts hours of the Temple they were called that is to say the third hour which began at six of the Clock in the Morning and held on
was one hundred in the total Out of the residue being 5900 bushels the first Tithe payable to the Levites which lived dispersed and intermingled in the rest of the Tribes came to 590 bushels and of the residue being 5310 bushels 531 were paid for the second Tithe unto the Priests which ministred before the Lord in his holy Temple yet so that such as would decline the trouble of carrying it in kind unto Hierusalem might pay the price thereof in money according to the estimate which the Priests made of it To which a fift part being added as in other cases did so improve this Tithe to the Priests advantage as that which being paid in kind was but ten in the hundred being thus altered into money made no less than twelve Now lay these several sums together and of 6000 bushels as before was said there will accrew 1121 to the Priest and Levite and but 4779 to the Lord or Tenant By which accompt the Priests and Levites in the tithing of 6000 bushels received twice as much within a little as is possessed or claimed by the English Clergy even where the Tithes are best paid without any exemptions which are so frequent in this Kingdom But then perhaps it will be said that the Levites made up one of the twelve Tribes of Israel and having no inheritance amongst the rest but the Tithes and Offerings besides the 48 Cities before mentioned were to be settled in way of maintenance correspondent unto that proportion But so they say it is not in the case of the English Clergy who are so far from being one of twelve or thirteen at most that they are hardly one for an hundred or as a late Pamphlet doth infer not one for five hundred Who on this supposition Tithe-gatherers no Gospel-Ministers that there are 500 Men and Women in a Country Parish the Lands whereof are worth 2000 l. per annum and that the Minister goeth away with 400 l. a year of the said two thousand concludeth that he hath as much for his own particular as any Sixscore of the Parish supposing them to be all poor or all rich alike and then cries out against it as the greatest Cheat and Robbery that was ever practised But the answer unto this is easie I would there were no greater difficulties to perplex the Church First for the Tribe of Levi it is plain and evident that though it pass commonly by the name of a Tribe yet was it none of the twelve Tribes of Israel the House of Joseph being sub-divided into two whole Tribes those namely of Ephraim and Manasses which made up the Twelve And secondly it is as evident that it fell so short of the proportion of the other Tribes as not to make a Sixtieth part of the House of Jacob. For in the general muster which was made of the other Tribes of men of 20 years and upwards such only as were fit for arms and such publick services the number of them came unto 635500 fighting men to which if we should add all those which were under 20 years and unfit for service the number would at least be doubled But the Levites being all reckoned from a month old and above their number was but 22000 in all of which see Numb 1.46 3.39 which came not to so many by 273. as the only First-born of the other Tribes And therefore when the Lord took the Levites for the First-born of Israel the odd 273 were redeemed according to the Law at five Shekels a man and the money which amounted to 1365 Shekels was given to Aaron and his Sons Numb 7.47 48. Which ground so laid according to the holy Scriptures let us next take a view of the English Clergy and allowing but one for every Parish there must be 9725. according to the number of the parish Churches or say ten thousand in the total the residue being made up of Curates officiating in the Chappels of Ease throughout the Kingdom and reckoning in all their Male-children from a month old and upwards the number must be more than trebled For although many of the dignified and beneficed Clergy do lead single lives yet that defect is liberally supplied by such Married Curates as do officiate under them in their several Churches And then as to the disproportion which is said to be between the Clergy and the rest of the people one to five hundred at the least the computation is ill grounded the collection worse For first the computation ought not to be made between the Minister and all the rest of the Parish Men Women and Children Masters and Dames Men-servants and Maid-servants and the Stranger which is within the gates but between him and such whose Estates are Titheable and they in most Parishes are the smallest number For setting by all Children which live under their Parents Servants Apprentices Artificers Day-labourers and Poor indigent people none of all which have any interest in the Tithable Lands The number of the residue will be found so small that probably the Minister may make one of the ten and so possess no more than his own share comes to And then how miserably weak is the Collection which is made from thence that this one man should have as much as any Sixscore of the rest of the Parish supposing that the Parish did contain 500 persons or that his having of so much were a Cheat and Robbery And as for that objection which I find much stood on that the Levites had no other Inheritance but the Tithes and Offerings Numb 18.23 whereas the English Clergy are permitted to purchase Lands and to Inherit such as descend unto them the Answer is so easie it will make it self For let the Tithes enjoyed by the English Clergy descend from them to their Posterity from one Generation to another as did the Tithes and Offerings on the Tribe of Levi And I persuade my self that none of them will be busied about Purchasing Lands or be an eye-sore to the people in having more to live on than their Tithes and Offerings Till that be done excuse them if they do provide for their Wives and Children according to the Laws both of God and Nature And so much for the Parallel in point of maintenance between the Clergy of this Church and the Tribe of Levi. Proceed we next unto the Ministers of the Gospel at the first Plantation during the lives of the Apostles and the times next following and we shall find that though they did not actually receive Tithes of the people yet they still kept on foot their right and in the mean time till they could enjoy them in a peaceable way were so provided for of all kind of necessaries that there was nothing wanting to their contentation First that they kept on foot their Right and thought that Tithes belonged as properly to the Evangelical Priesthood as unto the Legal seems evident unto me by S. Pauls discourse who proves Melchisedechs Priesthood by
is in respect that the Lord passed over the Houses of our Fathers in Egypt Then holdeth be up the bitter herbs in his hand and saith These bitter herbs which we eat are in respect that the Egyptians made the lives of our Fathers bitter in Egypt Then he holdeth up the unleavened bread in his hand and saith This unleavened bread which we eat is in respect that the dough of our Fathers had not time to be leavened when the Lord appeared unto them and redeemed them out of the hand of the Enemy and they baked unleavened Cakes of the dough which they brought out of Egypt Then be saith Therefore are we bound to Confess to Praise to Laud to Celebrate to Glorifie to Honour to Extol to Magnifie and to Ascribe Victory unto him that did unfreedom from sorrow to joy from darkness to great light and we say before him Hallelujah Hallelujab Praise O ye Servants of the Lord c. unto the end of the cxiv Psalm Then they bless the Lord which redeemed them and their Fathers out of Egypt and hath brought them unto that night to eat unleavened bread therein and bitter herbs And he blesseth God who Created the fruit of the Vine and drinketh the second Cup. After this he blesseth for the washing of hands and washeth his hands the second time and taketh two Cakes parteth one of them c. and blesseth God that bringeth bread out of the Earth Because it is said the Bread of Affliction or of Poverty Deut. xvi 3. As it is the manner of the Poor to have broken meat so here is a broken part Afterwards he wrappeth up of the unleavened bread and of the bitter herbs together and dippeth them in the sawce and blesseth God which commanded to eat unleavened bread and bitter herbs and they eat Then he blesseth God which commanded the eating of the Sacrifice and he eateth the flesh of the Feast-offering and again blesseth God which commanded the eating of the Passeover and then he eateth of the body of the Passeover After this they sit long at Supper and eat every one so much as he will and drink as much as they will drink Afterward he eateth of the flesh of the Passeover though it be but so much as an Olive and tasteth nothing at all after it that it may be the end of his supper and that the taste of the flesh of the Passeover may remain in his mouth After this he lifteth up his bands and blesseth for the third cup of Wine and drinketh it Then filleth he the fourth cup and accomplisheth for it the Praise or hymn and saith for it the blessing of the song which is All thy works praise thee O Lord c. Psal cxlv 10. and blesseth God that Created the fruit of the Vine and tasteth nothing at all after it all the night except water And he may fill the fifth cup saying for it is the great Hymn viz. Confess ye to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Psal cxxxvi unto the end of that Psalm But he is not bound they say to that cup as to the four farmer cups For this he citeth Rabbi Maymoni and after addeth from the said Author but from another work of his That at the breaking and delivering of the unleavened bread they do use these words This is the Bread of Affliction which our Fathers did eat in the Land of Egypt Whosoever is hungry let him come and eat whosoever hath need let him come and keep the Passeover c. Compare the words which follow after viz. These observations of the Jews whilst their Common-wealth stood c. with those of Beza formerly remembred à primo in Chananitidem ingressu and then we have an Answer to the doubt which might be raised from the first words of Aynsworth in these observations which seem to intimate that this Order was not used by the Jews till the Ages following The Prayers the Praises and the Benedictions which are the points which Beza speaks of might be and were used by them at their first entrance on the Land of Canaan their frequent washings and reiterating of the Cup so often might not be introduced till the Ages following Here then we have set forms of Prayer and Praise and Benediction used at the Celebrating of the Jewish Sacrifices the Song of Moses made a part of the Jewish Liturgy the several rites and prescribed duties observed in the solemnity of the Jewish Passover and all of very great Antiquity even from the time of Moses saith the old Samaritan Chronicle à primo in Chananitidemingressu from their first entrance into the Promised Land as it is in Beza And for the instituting of these forms besides the power that God hath given unto his Church on the like occasions they had the president and example of the Lord himself who had prescribed in one kind binding the Priests unto a certain form of Benediction when he blessed the people and in a second place of Moses who had tied himself unto a certain form of words as often as he setled or removed the Ark. For we are told in holy Scripture that whensoever the Ark set forwards Moses said Rise up Lord and let thine Enemies he scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee And when it rested he said Return O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel Numb 10.35 And for the blessing of the people we find the form thereof prescribed by the Lord himself saying unto Aaron and his Sons On this wise shall ye bless the Children of Israel saying unto them The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his Face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his Countenance upon thee and give thee peace Numb 10.23 24 25 26. And to this form the Priests were so precifely tied that they durst not vary from the same the Hebrew Doctors understanding the word thus or in this wise to imply both the matter and the manner as viz. Thus shall ye bless i.e. standing thus with the lifting up of hands thus in the holy tongue thus with your faces towards the faces of the people thus with an high voice thus by Gods expressed Name JEHOVAH if ye bless in the Sanctuary So that it was not lawful to the Priest in any place to add any blessing unto these three verses as to say like that of Deut. 1.11 The Lord God of your Fathers make you a thousand times so many more as you are or any the like Maymoni cited by Aynsw in Numb 6. Now for the manner wherewithal the Priests performed this office it was briefly thus The Priests went up unto the bank or stage after that they had finished the daily morning Service and lifted up their hands on high above their heads and their fingers spread abroad except the High-Priest who might not lift his hands higher than the Plate whereof see Exod. xxviii 36. and
in the time of Moses 3. The prescribed rites and form of the legal Sacrifices 4. Set forms of Prayer and Benediction used at the offering of the Sacrifices in the time of Moses 5. The Song of Moses made a part of the Jewish Liturgie 6. The form and rites used in the Celebration of the Passeover according unto Joseph Scaliger 7. The same together with the Hymnes then used described by Beza 8. The several Prayers and Benedictions which were used therein according to the Jewish Rabbins 9. A form of Blessing of the People prescribed by God unto the Priests A prescribed form used by the People at the offering of their first fruits and tithes 10. The like in burning of their Leaven and in confessing of their Sins to Almighty God as also in the Excommunicating of Impenitent persons 11. An Answer to two main objections from and against the Jewish Rabbins 12. The form of Marriage and rites of Burial used amongst the Jews HItherto we have looked into the Actions and devotions of the blessed Patriarchs during the time they sojourned in the Land of Canaan in which we find not any apparent footstep either of appointed times or determinate places or set forms of worship more than the Consecrating of Jacobs Pillar and giving to the place the name of Bethel Follow them in their journey towards the Land of Egypt and we find Israel offering Sacrifices at Beersheba being in his way upon the rode unto the God of his Father Isaac Gen. xlvi 1. Which Sacrifice if we observe it as we ought Bersabe fuit ultima villa terra Chanaan eundi versus Aegyptum Lyran in Gen. 46. Ayns Annot. in Gen. 46.1 will prove to be as much occasional as any of the rest which we saw before It being very well observed by Aynsworth that Jacob in his Sacrifice upon the way did both give thanks to God for the good tidings which he heard of Joseph and also consulted with the Lord about his going into Egypt whither his Father Isaac had been forbidden to go in a time of Famine as this was Gen. xxvi Besides Beersheba being the last Town of the Land of Canaan in the way of Egypt this might be the last time for ought he could tell wherein he might have opportunity of offering Sacrifice to the Lord his God or tendring to him any publick testimony of his faith and duty And so it proved in the event nor he nor any one of his Posterity being permitted whilst they were in Egypt to offer any Sacrifice unto the Lord as before they used to do And this appears by the request which Moses made to Pharaoh in behalf of the House of Israel that he would suffer them to go three days journey into the Wilderness to offer Sacrifice therein to the Lord their God To which when Pharaoh made reply Exod. 5.3 that rather than let the People go he would permit them for that once to offer Sacrifice unto the Lord in the Land of Egypt Not so said Moses it is not meet we should do so for we shall Sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes and they will stone us Exod. 8.26 His reason was because the Gods of the Egyptians were Bulls and Rams and Sheep and Oxen as Lyra notes upon the place Talia vero animalia ab Hebraeis erailt immolanda Lyran. in Exod cap. 8. quod non permisissent Aegyptii in terrasua And certainly the Egyptians could not well endure to see their gods knocked down before their faces So that for all the time that they lived in Egypt the piety and devotion of Gods people did consist especially in the integrity and honesty of their conversation and in those private exercises of Religion which might be done within their own walls in their several Families Nothing to make it known that they were Gods Servants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is observed by Epiphanius but that they feared the Lord and were Circumcised Epiphan adv haeres l. 1. haer 5. nothing but that they did acknowledge one only God and exercised themselves in justice and in modesty in patience and long-suffering both towards one another and amongst the Egyptians framing their lives agreeably unto the will of God and the law of Nature But no sooner by a mighty hand and an out-stretched arm had God delivered them from thence but he disposed them being now grown numerous like to the Stars in Heaven for numbers into a constituted Church appointing them set times and places for Religious Worship ordaining a peculiar Priesthood for his publick service prescribing with what Rites and Ceremonies that publick service that religious worship was to be performed And first the time appointed for this purpose was the Sabbath-day Exod. 16.23 the keeping of the which was the first of the Commandments which God gave by Moses from whence the Hebrew Doctors say that the Commandment of the Sabath is the foundation and ground of all the rest quod ante alia praecepta hoc datum sit quando Manna acceperunt as being given before them all in the fall of Manna Hospini de Fest Judaeorum cap. 3. A day to be observed and sanctified both by Priest and People by the Priest in adding to the daily Sacrifice an offering of two Lambs of an year old without blemish one in the morning and the other in the evening and by the people in an absolute resting from the works of labour that they might give themselves the better to divine contemplation Unto which day it pleased God afterwards to adde divers solemn Festivals to be observed in their several and appointed seasons viz. the New-moons Lev. 1.23 the Feasts of Trumpets and of Tabernacles the Feasts of Pentecost and of the Passeover although this last had the precedency indeed both in regard of institution and of observation over all the rest this being both ordained and kept at their departure out of Egypt the other not enjoyned till they were come unto mount Sinai even in the bowels of the Wilderness The times being thus appointed and determined Exod. 12. per tot the next particular we meet withal is the designation of the place which was contrived by the direction of Almighty God according to the present condition of his People For being they were then in motion towards Canaan not yet setled there they were to be provided of a portable Temple if I may so call it which might be carried and removed according to the stations and removes of Israel This we find called in holy Scripture by the name of the Tabernacle the Tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 26. 31. 35. and by way of eminency the making and materials of the which are layed down at large in the xxvi Chapter of the Book of Exodus And it continued a long time the place of publick Worship for the Tribes of Israel not only when they were in their way or journeys
them which is the moral part thereof A thing which God might please to leave unto the wisdom of his Church and the Rulers of it in that being moral duties and so by consequence imprinted in the minds of men by the stamp of nature there needed not so punctual and precise a prescription of them as of the outward ceremonies which were meerly legal Now that there were set forms of Prayers and Praises used in the celebratien of these legal Sacrifices even from the very times of Moses appeareth by a memorable passage in an old Samaritan Chronicle belonging once unto the Library of Joseph Scaliger now in the custody of the Learned Primate of Armagh In which Book after relation of the death of Adrian the Emperour whom the Jews curse with Conterat Deus ossa ejus as certainly he was a deadly enemy of theirs it followeth thus Quo tempore abstulit librum optimum qui penes illos fuit Clted by the L. B. of Exeter now B. of Norwich in his Answer to the Vindication jam inde à diebus illis tranquillis pacificis qui continebat cantiones preces sacrificiis praemissas Singulis enim Sacrificiis singulas praemiserunt cantiones jam tum diebus pacis usitatas quae omnia acourato conscripta in singulas transmissa subsequentes generationes à tempore Legati Mosis sc ad hunc usque diem per ministerium Pontificum Maximorum These are the words at large as I find them cited the substance of the which is this That after the decease of Adrian the High Priest then being took away that most excellent Book which had been kept amongst them ever since the calm and peaceable times of the Israelites which contained those Songs and Prayers which were ever used before their Sacrifices there being before every several Sacrifice some several Song or Hymn still used in those times of peace all which being accurately written had been transmitted to the subsequent generations from the time of Moses the Legat or Ambassador of God to that very time by the Ministry of the High Priests of the Jewish Nation A book to which the Chronicle aforesaid gives this ample testimony Eo libro historia nulla praeter Pentateuchum Mosis antiquior invenitur that there was not to be found a more antient piece except the Pentateuch of Moses And though some men no friends to Liturgy out of a mind and purpose to disgrace the evidence have told us that the most contained in the aforesaid book Smectymn Vindicat. p. 24. were only divine Hymns wherein there was always something of Prayer In saying so they have given up their verdict for us and confirmed our evidence For if there were set Hymns or Songs premised before every Sacrifice and if that every Hymn had somewhat in it of a Prayer there must be then set forms of Hymns and Prayers used at every Sacrifice which was the matter to be proved and by them denied But to descend unto particulars there was a Song composed and sung by Moses Exod. 15. on the defeat of Pharoah and the host of Egypt which is still extant in Gods book A song sung Quire-wise as it seemeth Moses as Chanter in that holy Anthem singing verse by verse and Mary the Prophetess Aaron's Sister and all the residue of the Women with Instruments of Musick in their hands saying or singing at each verses end CANTATE DOMINO Sing ye to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and the rider hath he thrown into the Sea vers 21. Aynsworth doth so conceive it in his Notes on Exodus and Lyra on the place differs little from it Egressae sunt mulieres quibus Maria praecinebat sec quod oportebat fieri aliae respondebant sicut solet fieri in tympanis choris eodem modo fecit Moyses respecu virorum Cajetan though he differ from them both in the manner of it yet he agrees upon the matter that this Hymn or Anthem was sung Quire-wise or alternatim it being his opinion that the Women singing some spiritual song to the praise of God Cajetan in Exod. c. 15.21 Mary to every verse made answer CANTATE DOMINO Innuitur saith he quod tot choris mulierum tanquam ex una parte canentibus aliquid in divinam laudem Maria sola tanquam ex altera parte canebat initium supra scripti Cantici that viz. which was sung by Moses But whatsoever manner there was used in the singing of it it seems the Jews did afterwards make Use thereof in their publick Liturgy For thus saith Hooker in his Book of Ecclesiastical Polity Hook Eccl. Pol. lib. 5. n. 26. That very Hymn of Moses whereof now we speak grew afterwards to be a part of the ordinary Jewish Liturgie and not that only but sundry others since invented their Books of Common prayer containing partly Hymns taken out of the holy Scriptures partly Thanksgivings Benedictions and Supplications penned by such as were from time to time the Governors of that Synagogue All which were sorted into several times and places some to begin the Service of God withal and some to end some to go before and some to follow after and some to be interlaced between the divine readings of the Law and Prophets Nor is there any thing more probable than that unto their custom of finishing the Passeover with certain Psalms the holy Evangelist doth evidently allude saying That after the Cup delivered by our Saviour unto his Apostles they sung and so went forth to the Mount of Olives What ground that eminent and learned man had for the first part of his Assertion viz That the song of Moses grew afterwards to be a part of the Jewish Liturgy although he hath not pleased to let us know yet I am confident he had good ground for what he said But for the latter part thereof that the Evangelist doth allude unto certain Psalms used at the finishing of the Jewish Passeover I think there is not any thing more clear and evident For proof whereof and that we may the better see with what set form of Prayers and Praises the Passeover was celebrated by the Jews of old Joseph Scalig. de emend Temp. 1.6 we will make bold to use the words of Joseph Scaliger who describes it thus All things being readily prepared and the guests assembled Offam azymam in Embamma intingebat Paterfamilias c. The Father of the Family or Master of the House dipped the unleavened bread into the sawce which was forthwith eaten Another part thereof being carefully reserved under a napkin was broke into as many pieces as there were several guests in the Paschal Chamber each piece being of the bigness of an Olive and each delivered severally to the guests as they sate in order That done he takes the Cup and having drank thereof gives it to the next he to a second and so in order to the rest till they all had
in the general that after Absaloms rebelling was suppressed Joseph Antiq. Jud. l. 7. cap. 10. and the Kingdom setled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he composed Odes and Hymns to the praise of God as also that he made divers kinds of Instruments and that he taught the Levites to praise Gods Name upon the same both on the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and on other the appointed Festivals And this we may observe also in the holy Scripture by the style and title of those Psalms which were then made by him for that end and purpose For if we look upon the xcii Psalm we find it styled A Song or Psalm for the Sabbath day i. e. as it is generally expounded a Song made to be sung on the Sabbath day Docet inscriptio Sabbatis praecipuè cantatum fuisse hunc Psalmum Ap. Marlorat in Psalm 92. saith Mart. Bucer Which Calvin seconds and approves To the same purpose also Lyra save that he makes the Author of it to be Moses Lyr. in Psal following therein the old tradition of the Hebrew Secundum Hebraeos Moyses feeit hunc Psalmum decantandum in die Sabbati as he notes it there Of the same nature are those Psalms which in S. Hieroms Bible and the Vulgar Latine are entituled Laus cantici Davidis in die ante Sabbatum Psalmus David quarta Sabbati being the 93 94 of our English Bibles Which what else were they but some Psalms by him intended to be sung in the Congregation upon the Wednesday and the Friday Besides it is observed by Junius that from the times of David forwards they sung the 22 Psalm ante alias omnes actiones sacras before they did begin the Morning Sacrifice and that they sung each day as they did the former and 136 Psalm at the conclusion of the Evening Service For which consult him in his Notes on Exod. xxix As for the fifteen Psalms called in the holy Scriptures Cantica graduum Psalms or Songs of degrees being the 120 Psalm and the fourteen following according to the Hebrew Calculation and the English Bibles they are conceived to be made for a perpetual and constant part of Gods daily Service For though I find amongst Interpreters no little difference about the reason of these titles yet that to me seems most agreeable to the truth thereof which is most generall agreed both by the Latine Writers and the Hebrew DOctors And amongst them secundum Doctores Hebraeos Latinos it is resolved saith Lyra that they were so called eo quod in ascensu Templi qui erat per quindecim gradus cantabantur à Sacerdotibus Levitis primus Psalmus in primo gradu secundus in secundo sic de aliis Lyr. in Psal 91. because they were sung by the Priests and Levites upon the fifteen Stairs or degrees that went up to the Temple And this of Lyra is favoured by the Chaldee Paraphrase as is said by Aynsworth in his short notes upon the Psalms And here that divers of the Psalms are such as seem to b e composed of purpose for stirring up the affections of the Congregation as viz. Psal xxxiv O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together And Psal xcv Venite Adoremus O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker And Psal cxlix O sing unto the Lord a new song and his praise in the Congregation of the Saints with many others of that stamp and then I doubt not but it will appear to any apprehensive Reader that those and divers of the rest were made of purpose to be sung daily in the Celebrating of Gods publick Service and so by consequence to be a principal and constant part of the publick Liturgy And it was usual with the Jews Christ Synag l. 1. c. 6. §. 6. when they carried their first fruits to Hierusalem to sing upon the way the 122 Psalm when they came into the Sanctuary with every mans Basket on his shoulder to sing the last in all the book and when they were in the Court-yard to sing the 30. So that it seems they had set Psalms for every duty which was to be discharged in publick and more than so set parts and parcels of some Psalms for the beginning and conclusion of all publick offices For for the Introduction to their Prayers they used always this O Lord open our lips and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise Psal li. 15. and for the close thereof this clause Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be always acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer Psal xix ult Now unto these collections from the holy Scripture it will not be amiss to add from the Jewish Rabbins the form and manner in which Gods publick Service was performed after the setling and establishing of the same by David Maim ap Aynsw in the end of his notes upon the Psalms The Priests and Levites say the Rabbins do sing the song over all the Burnt-offerings of the Congregation which they were bound to offer and over all the Peace-offerings of the solemn Assembly at the time when the wine i. e. the Drink-offering was poured out But over the voluntary Burnt-offerings which the Congregation offered and the drink-offerings which were brought for them they said not the song A Levite that mourned might not serve nor sing and there might not be fewer than twelve Levites standing on the bank or stage everyday to say the song over the Sacrifice but they might always have as many as they would And they said not the song but by mouth without Instrument for the foundation of the Musick is that it be a Service by mouth And there were others standing there playing with Instruments of Musick and they played on Pipes and Psalteries and Harps and Trumpets and Cymbals There might not be fewer than two Psalteries nor more than six nor fewer than two Pipes or Flutes nor more than twelve nor fewer than two Trumpets or more than an hundred and twenty nor fewer than nine Harps but as many as they would and one Cymbal only In all the days of the solemn Feasts and at the new Maons there were Priests blowing with Trumpets at the hour of the Sacrifice Numb x. 10. and the Levites said the song The Trumpets were of silver and it was not lawful to have them of other metal The Pipes which they played on were of Cane or Reed the Psaltery was an Instrument like a Bottle and they played thereon Twelve days in the year they played on the Pipe or Flute before the Altar viz. at the killing of the first Passeover and at the killing of the second Passeover and in the first good day of the Passeover and in the first good day of Pentecost and in the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles No Service almost celebrated without Songs or Musick and that ordained after
the Law Levitical was given to Moses and all the Rites and ceremonies of the same prescribed and limited which plainly shews that Instrumental Musick in the celebrating of Gods publick worship is not derived at any hand from the Law of Moses or to be reckoned as a part of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Levitical Sacrifices And lest this intermixture of Songs and Musick in the officiating of the Moral worship of God might either be conceived to have been introduced by the Jews in the declining times of their zeal and piety or else ordained by David without good Authority and never practised in the purer times of the Jewish Church we will look into the Acts of Solomon Hezekiah Ezra Of Solomon and Ezra more anon Of Hezekiah this at present of whom it is recorded in the Book of Chronicles that in the restauration of Gods worship being much corrupted When the Burnt-offering began the Song of the Lord began also with Trumpets and with the Instruments ordained by David king of Israel And all the Congregation worshipped and the Singers sang and the Trumpeters sounded 2 Chron. 29.27 28. and all this continued till the Burnt-offering was finished Where note that this was some appointed and determinate song which had been formerly set out for the like occasions that which is here entituled the Song of the Lord or canticum Traditum as the word is rendred by Tremelius as also that the intermixture of Musical Instruments in Gods holy Service is referred to David And so 't is also in the Book of Nehemiah Neh. 12.46 where both the Singers and the songs are referred to him For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the Singers and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God saith the holy Scripture Of Solomon and Ezra next the greatest and most memorable action of whose times was the building of the first and second Temples immensae opulentiae Templum Tacit. hist l. 5. as the last is called by the Historian For that of Solomon as soon as it was fitted and prepared for the Service of God that godly and religious Prince to whom the Lord had given a large and understanding heart as the Scripture tells us did not think fit to put it unto publick Use till he had dedicated the same to the Lord his God by Prayer and Sacrifice The pomp and order of the Dedication we may see at large 1 King viii To which add this considerable passage from the Book of Chronicles where it is said 2 Chron. 5.12 13. with reverence unto Davids Institution that the Levites which were the Singers all of them of Asaph of Heman of Jeduthun with their Sons and their Brethren being arayed in white linen having Cymbals and Psalteries and Harps stood at the East end of the Altar and with them an hundred and twenty Priests sounding with Trumpets And that it came to pass as the Trumpeters and Singers were as one to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord that they lift vp their voice with the Trumpets and Cymbals and Instruments of Musick and praised the Lord saying For he is good for his mercy endureth for ever In which we may observe two things first that in Celebrating Gods publick worship and in that part thereof which was meerly moral the Levites were arayed in a white linnen Rayment such as the Surplice now in Use in the Church of England And secondly that they were prescribed what song or Psalm they were to sing being the 136. of Davids Psalms beginning with Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus quoniam in aeternum misericordia ejus And this we may the rather think to be a certain and prescribed Hymn not taken up at the discretion of the Priests and Levites because we find the same expresly in laying the foundation of the second Temple For we are told in the book of Ezra Ezr. 3.10 11. that when the Builders laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord they set the Priests in their Apparel with Trumpets and the Levites the Sons of Asaph with Cymbals to praise the Lord after the Ordinance of David the King of Israel where not that still this Institution is referred to David And they sung together by course Quire-wise in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord because he is good for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel Lyra observes upon the place that the Psalm here sung ab ipso Davide factum ad hoc ordinatum was made by David for this very purpose Lyr. in Ezr. cap. 3. v. 1. 1 Chron. 28. who had not only left command to Solomon about the building of the Temple but gave him patterns of the work and much of the materials for the same Add finally that at the Dedication of each Temple there was a great and sumptuous Feast provided for the People of God whereof see 1 King viii 65. and Ezra vi 16. Which as it was the ground of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Feast of Dedication established after by the Maccabees so gave it no small hint unto the Christians to institute the like Feasts on the like occasions whereof more hereafter In the mean time to look a little back on Solomon if question should be made to what particular end he did erect that magnificent Structure I answer that it was most specially for an House of Prayer The legal Sacrifices were all of them performed in the outward Courts and there were all the utensils and vessels which did pertain unto the same The Priest that offered Sacrifice came not thither he had no place nor portion in it 'T is true there was an Altar in it but 't was the Altar of Incense not the Altar for Sacrifices That stood indeed within the Temple as at the first by Gods own Ordinance and appointment within the Tabernacle where it was placed before the Veil Exod. 30.6 7 8. And it was placed there to this end and purpose that Aaron might burn Incense on it every morning when he dressed the lamps and when he lighted them at even By this was figured the offering up of the Prayers of the Saints to the Lord their God We find it so expresly in the Revelation Apocal. 8.3 4. And another Angel saith the Text came and stood at the Altar having a golden Censer and there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer is with the Prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar that was before the Throne and the smoak of the Incense which came with the Prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand And hereto David doth allude in the book of Psalms Let my prayer saith he be set forth before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hand as the Evening Sacrifice Psal 141.2 1 King 8. But that which makes the matter most clear and evident is the whole scope of Solomons
prayer made by him at the Dedication of it The substance and effect whereof is no more than this that in what misery or distress soever the people of the Lord should fall into either by temporal plauges and punishments which assault without or on the apprehension of their sins which assails within If they poured forth their souls to God either in or towards his holy Temple the Lord would hear them and deliver them out of all their troubles And so much is summed up by Josephus briefly Joseph Judaic Antiq. l. 8. c. 2. briefly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If it shall so fall out saith he that thy People go astray and that afterwards being punished by thee with death pestilence or any such chastisement wherewithal thou reclaimest those that offend against thee to the observance of thy Laws if then they have recourse unto this Temple beseeching and requiring thee of mercy that thou wouldest please to hear them and have mercy on them and deliver them from their Adversities Nor was it without special reason that God amongst so many Ministeries as were performed in and about his Temple should single out the exercise of prayer by which to give denomination to this holy place for by that name the House of Prayer he hath been pleased to call it twice in one verse of Esay Isa 56.7 Or that our Saviour Christ should be so scandalized at those which sold Doves in the verge thereof or at the Tables of the Money-changers Mat. 21. being so necessary or at least convenient for those who came from remote places that they might easily provide their offerings there and dispatch their business with the greater speed Why else was this but that our Saviour looked on it as a place for Sacrifice wherein his legal worship was to be performed in the Oblations of Bulls and Goats Turtles and Pidgeons and the like but as a place intended for his moral worship wherein his People were to offer the calves of their lips or at the least as on a place which was more grateful to him as an House for Prayer than as a Slaughter-house for Sacrifice His saying that he would have mercy and not sacrifice shews us how little he esteemed of the legal duties in respect of moral So then the Temple was an House of Prayer and built most chiefly for the Use Which being an action meerly moral was notwithstanding to be waited on with such rites and gestures wherewith the earnestness of their Petitions and the humility of the Petitioners might be at once presented to the Lord their God Not that these outward rites and gestures have in all times and places been the same alike for I know well they have been may be varied according unto times and seasons the customs and conditions of several Nations but that in many of them and those the principal there hath been an unanimous agreement over all the world The first of those which we shall speak of in this place is that which was first used in this holy Temple which was the kneeling on the knee and then the lifting up of the hands to God For so we find it of K. Solomon at the first Consecration of it and in the prayer of Consecration that he kneeled on his knees before the Altar and his hands spread up unto the Heavens 1 King 8.54 But behold a greater than Solomon is here for Christ our Saviour when he prayed to God that that Cup if it were possible might pass from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he fell upon his knees and prayed as S. Luke procidit super terram He fell upon the ground and prayed Luk. 22.41 Mark 14.31 Mat. 26.35 Psalm 95. as S. Mark procidit super faciem suam He fell upon his face and prayed as S. Matthew hath it Our Saviour being both the Lord and the Son of David was not to seek in David's lesson where he doth call upon the people and invite them saying O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker He which is all in all did all this and more I know it is conceived that commonly the Jews did stand upon their feet in the act of Prayer and for the proof thereof is brought as well the instance of the Pharisee and the Publican of both whom it is said that they stood and prayed as also an old Saying used amongst that people Sine stationibus non subsisteret mundus Christ Synag l. 1. c. 6. § 5. But clearly this is to be understood of private Prayers whether made in the Temple as that of the Publican and the Pharisee before instanced in or in the fields the ways a mans secret closet which cannot but be much subservient unto the general subsistence of the Universe in which they were at liberty to stand or kneel and did stand most commonly not of the publick acts of worship in the Congregation Davids Venite adoremus makes this sure enough Yet we will make it somewhat surer if it may be possible by adding to this Text of David the Gloss or Commentary of the Jewish Rabbins and they t ell us this that in the place of David there are three several gestures of humiliation in the sight of God and that they all differed from one another The bending of the body spoken of in any place is towards the knees the bowing of all the joynts of the back-bone so that he makes his body as a bow the bending of the head is with the face or countenance downward the bowing of ones self or worshipping is the displaying of hands and feet till he be prostrate with his face on the earth And they conceived that every one of these had its several Use it being noted by them that the bending of the head with the face to the ground was to escape judgement the bowing of themselves or worshipping to obtain mercy and that the bending of the head was before the worshipping according to the mystery of the Sin-offering before the Burnt-offering This is observed by Maimony in his book of Prayer Cited by Aynsworth Exod. 4.31 and so most like to be the usual gestures in the Act of prayer In those particulars of kneeling and spreading of the hands to Heaven the Jews and Gentiles hold good correspondence with one another In other rites concerning Prayer they extreamly differed the Gentiles looking towards the East whereof more hereafter and the Jews praying towards the West if in the Temple because the Ark by Gods appointment was placed in the West end thereof Otherwise when they were abroad or in foreign Countreys they turned their faces toward Hierusalem from what Coast soever as appears evidently by Daniel's practice when he was a Prisoner in the Land of Babylon Dan. 6.10 It is reported also out of Drusius a man exceedingly well skilled in all the knowledge of the Hebrews that when they prayed their heads were covered
as he makes very ancient Joseph Scaliger de emendat Temp. 1.7 cujus cultus institutio vetustissima est as his own words are grounding the same upon the reading of the Law in the time of Ezra So I conceive their form of worship on the same was no less ancient than those times For whereas Ezra is confessed by those who approve not Liturgies to be the Author of those 18 Benedictions Smectymn Vindicat. p. 26. so much in Use amongst the Jews of the second Temple some of those Benedictions seem to me to be composed for the Meridian of this feast though they might elso serve at other times as occasion was Of which take this as most agreeable to the intention of the festival Cited by H. Thorndike c. 10 of his Religious Assembl Blessed art thou O Lord our God the King of the world that hast sanctified us with thy Precepts and given us command concerning the matters of the Law And sweeten O Lord the words of the Law in our mouths and in the mouth of thy people the house of Israel and make us all and our Children and our Childrens Children knowers of thy Name and learners of thy Law for it self Blessed art thou O Lord which teachest thy people Israel the Law So far the very words of the Benediction a Benediction made by the self same Author who as it is conceived by Scaliger did ordain the Festival The like Authority was exercised by the Jewish Church in Instituting set and appointed Fasts for the chastising of the body and the afflicting of the soul that so Gods worship might go forward with the greater fervour Of these we find some mentioned in the Prophecy of the Prophet Zachary as viz. the Fasts of the fifth and seventh moneth cap. vii v. 5. The Fasts of the fourth and tenth moneths cap. viii v. 19. The several occasions of the which you may see elsewhere Besides which Annual Fasts they used to fast upon the Monday and the Thursday Jejuno his in Sabbato said the Vain-glorious Pharisee in S. Lukes Gospel and many times they did impose upon themselves a seven days Fast the better to profess their sorrow and bewail their sins Luk. 18.12 For which consult 1 Sam. xxxi 13. 1 Chron. x. 12. 2 Esdras v. 13 20. And we have reason to believe that there were certain and determinate forms of publick worship for all the residue because we find them on those last What was the course observed in reading of the Law upon the second and fifth days of the week we have seen before and shall add only this at present that they Assembled in those days in their several Synagogues not only in the greater Towns but the smaller Villages Maimon in Megillah c. 1. n. 6. ap H. Thorndike as the Rabbins tell us But for the seven days Fast the form and order of the same according as it was performed by those which dwelt in Hierusalem was this as followeth When they prayed after this order in Hierusalem they went into the Mountain of the Temple against the East gate And when the Apostle of the Congregation the same who in S. Luke is called the Minister cap. iv 20. was come unto the prayer which began with this He that heard Abraham c. and ended with these words viz. Blessed be thou O Lord God our God the God of Israel from generation to generation The People answered Blessed be the name of his glorious Kingdom to all generations and for evermore Then said the Officer of the Synagogue unto the Priests which blew the Trumpets Sound ye the Sons of Aaron sound and then prayed again And though it seemeth by the Rabbin Id. in Tanaioth c. 4. n. 14. cited by Mr. Thorndike cap. of his Religious Assemblies c. that this prescribed form was fitted only to the Meridian of Hierusalem yet there is little question to be made but that it served also for all the Synagogues about Judaea there being no imaginable reason why a prescript form of publick worship conceive me in the moral parts thereof which was observed in the Temple should not be used in the Synagogues which in performance of Gods service was to take pattern from the Temple Only some difference there was in the present case but such a difference as is a matter of meer nicety not of any moment For when this form was used in the Synagogue the People answered Amen at the end of the Prayer But when they used it in the Mountain of the Temple that is within the outmost compass of it their Answer was Blessed be the name of his glorious Kingdom c. as before was said it being not usual with the People as the Rabbins note cited ibid. c. 7. to answer Amen within the Mountain of the Temple So punctual were they in their forms as not to vary in a word or title from that which was prescribed in their publick Liturgies And finally that they had a prescribed form of words for their solemn and occasional Feasts is evident by that of Abel cap. ii 17. where the words occur But to look back upon the Celebration of the daily Sacrifices besides the testimonies of the Rabbins and that of the Samaritan Chronicle produced before we have it thus described by Jesus the Son of Syrac an Author of unquestionable credit to the point in hand Speaking of Simon the Son of Onias who was the High Priest at the time and his officiating at the Altar he proceeds as followeth Ecclus. 50.14 And finishing the Service at the Altar that he might adorn the Offering of the most high Almighty he stretched out his hand to the Cup wherewith the Drink-offering was to be made and poured of the blood of the Grape he poured out at the foot of the Altar a sweet smelling savour unto the most high King of all Then shouted the Sons of Aaron and sounded the silver Trumpets and made a great noise to be heard for a remembrance before the most High Then all the People hasted together and fell down to the Earth upon their faces towards the Lord God Almighty the most High The Singers also sung praises with their voices with great variety of sounds was there made sweet melody And the People besought the Lord most High by prayer before him that is merciful till the Solemnity of the Lord was ended and they had finished his Service Then went he down and lifted up his hands over the whole Congregation of the Children of Israel to give the blessing of the Lord with his lips and to rejoyce in his Name And they bowed themselves down to worship the second time that they might receive a blessing from the most High So far the Author of Ecclesiasticus who lived in the latter end of Ptolemy Euergetes King of Egypt as himself tells us in his Preface Now in these words of his if we mark them well we find particularly all the parts
but also for the Cement of Baptism I find it thus in Justin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Whosoever is perssaded Justin Martyr in Apol. secunda p. 93. edit gr lat and doth believe that those things which we teach are true and doth resolve to live accordingly are taught to fast and pray and call on God for the remission of their sins the whole Church also fasting and praying with them then are they brought by us to a certain place in which water is and are regenerated in the same manner as we were before being Baptized in the Name of the Lord God Father of all things and of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Ghost This laver as he after tells us is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illumination because the minds of those who dispose themselves to learn those things are enlightned by it Then he proceeds and lets us know Ibid. p. 94. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That after the party was Baptized Id. ibid. p. 97. they brought him to the place of the Congregation whither the Brethren were Assembled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animo intento saith the Latine with all the earnestness they could that they might all be found fit and worthy to know the truth and become fruitful of good works that so they might be found to have been faithful keepers of Gods Commandments and finally enjoy everlasting life Which prayers being ended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We salute one another with an holy kiss This is the Form summed up in brief by Justin Martyr in which if we find not any thing of the Cross the several Abrenuntiations nor any of the other Ceremonies spoken of before It was not that they were not then in use as we shall shew very shortly but that the Father purposed to express no more concerning Baptism than the very substance of that Sacrament And now being fallen on Justin Martyr we will from him before we leave him describe the Form used in t he Celebration of the blessed Eucharist together with the course and order of the Sundays service First for the Sundays Service it was thus as followeth Id. p. â—8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vpon the Sunday all which Inhabit in the Towns or Villages do meet together in one place and there the Commentaries of the Apostles and Writings of the Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as serveth for that time are read unto us The Reader having done the Bishop or President of the Congregation maketh an Oration exhorting the people to the following of those godly lessons and instructions which are laid before them Then we rise all together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and send our prayers up to the Lord. Our prayers being finished and Bread and Wine and Water being offered or presented in a readiness the Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or if you will the President of the Congregation did offer up prayers and thanks giving to the Lord with all his might Where by the way the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which howsoever it be turned by Langius into quantum pro virili sua potest Smectymn p. 1. and that by some translated thus according unto his ability as if the Bishop did not pray by a present Liturgy but according to his own abilities in the gift of prayer yet plainly here it means more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the former place to shew the earnestness he used in the performance of his office Now for the ministration of the Eucharist Justin Martyr Apol. 2. p. 97. he describes it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Prayers being done we salute one another with an holy kiss then is presented to the President Bread with a cup of Water and Wine who receiving them gives praise and glory unto God the Father of all things in the name of the Son and Holy Ghost and rendereth thanks unto the Lord in that be doth vouchsafe these his Creatures to us which prayers and giving of thanks being ended the people which are present do with a joyful acclamation say Amen The President having thus Consecrated the Eucharist for so I take it is the meaning of these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the people having testified their assent thereto those who are called Deacons distribute unto every one there present the Consecrated Bread and Wine and carry it to those who are absent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This nourishment saith he is called by us Eucharist whereof it is not lawful unto any to be partakers but such as do believe our Doctrine and have been Baptized for the remission of their sins and purpose to form their lives according unto their profession This was the course or order of divine service in the time of this holy Martyr in which we have an intermixture of prayers and praises the reading of the holy Scriptures and then the Sermon as now the Sermon followeth on the reading of the Epistle and Gospel and after all the Celebration of the Eucharist the whole being shut up with thanksgiving to the Lord our God A clearer illustration of this course we shall see anon Mean while proceed we to Tertullian and see how he describes the Rites of Baptism as in his time used Aquam adituri ibidem sed aliquanto prius in Ecclesia sub Antistitis manu contestamur nos renuntiare Diabolo pompae Angelis ejus Dehinc ter mergitamur Tertul. de Corona Militis amplius aliquid respondentes quam Dominus Evangelio determinavit We go saith he unto the water and there as not long time before we promise in the hands of the Bishop that we will renounce the Devil and his pomps and his Angels Then are we thrice dipped into the water making more answers to the Interrogatories proposed unto us than the Lord prescribed in his holy Gospel And for the Cross though we find nothing in this place we have it surely in another viz. in that so celebrated speech of his Id. de resurrectione Carnis Caro signature ut anima muniatur that is to say the flesh is marked or signed with the sign of the Cross for of that he speaketh that the soul may be defended and fortified against all assaults Next let us look on their Assemblies their customs and behaviour there and he makes this relation of the course or order used by the Christians of his time in the Congregation Coimus in coetum congregationem ut ad Deum quasi manu fact a precationibus ambiamus orantes Ea vis Deo grata est Oramus etiam pro Imperatoribus pro Ministris eorum potestaibus pro statu seculi pro rerum quiete pro mora finis Cogimur ad sacrarum literarum commemorationem si quid praesentium rerum qualitas aut praemonere cogit aut recognoscere Certe fidem sanctis vocibus poscimus spem erigimus fiduicam figimus Tertullian
publick end For if he should it must needs sound exceeding harshly that every Member in the Congregation should be left unto the liberty of his own expression and their Devotions if so ordered could be entituled nothing less than Common-prayers by which name Justin Martyr calls them as before was shewn But that we may the better understand Tertullians meaning we will first take the words at large Tertullian Apologet c. 30. and then conjecture at the sense The words are these Illuc suspicientes Christiani manibus expansis quia innocuis capite nudo quia non erubescimus sine monitore quia de pectore oramus precantes summs omnes semper pro omnibus Imperatoribus vitam illis prolixam imperium securum domum tutam exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum orbem quietum quaecunque hominis vel Caesaris vota sunt We Christians looking towards Heaven pray with our hands stretched out to protest our innocence bare-headed because not ashamed without a Monitor because by heart an happy Reign a secure House valiant Souldiers faithful Counsellors an industrious People and whatsoever else the Prayers of a private man for it is hominis not hominum or those even of the Emperor himself can extend unto And this he sheweth to be the subject of those Prayers which he himself did use to make for the Roman Emperors in the words next following Haec ab alio orare non possum quam à quo me scio consecuturum I pray for all this to no other than to him alone of whom only I am certain to obtain the same And sure Tertullian was a private person nor de we find that he prayed thus with others in the Congregation or if he did yet being the heads are certain which are spoke of here the Form may also be prescribed for ought appears unto the contrary which was used there And for the Monitor 't is true the Gentiles had of old their Monitors not only to direct them in what words but to what God also they should make their Prayers Which thing the Christians needed not who knew they were to make their Prayers unto God alone and being accustomed to pray in the Congregation according to the Form prescribed for the Emperors safety and the prosperity of his affairs could without any Monitor or Prompter pray by heart for those things which concerned the weal and safety of the Emperors and those who were in Office and Authority by and under them What the Prayers were used by the Christians of those times it is hard to say there being so little of them extant in Authors of unquestioned credit but that they used set Forms of prayer is not hard to prove as we shall see in the next Century when we have looked into the works of Origen and spent a little time in S. Cyprians writings If in their Books one of which was cotemporary with Tertullian the other living very near him if not with him also we find prescribed Forms of prayer I hope it will be granted without great difficulty that in Tertullians time they had prescribed Forms although those Forms appear not upon good record But first before we come to that we will lay down the course and order of the ministration according as I find it in the Constitutions ascribed to Clemens The Author of the which whosoever he was lived about these times and may perhaps be credited in a matter of fact although of no Authority with the Learned in a point of Doctrine Now he describeth both the Churches and the service thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constitut Clement l. 2. c. 57. c. When thou he speaks unto the Bishop doest call the Congregation to Assemble as being the Master of the Ship command thy Deacons as the Mariners that places be provided for the Brethren who are as passengers therein First let the Church be built in form of an Oblongum looking towards the East and let the Bishops Throne or Chair be placed in the midst thereof the Presbyters sitting on each side of him and the Deacons ready and prepared to attend the Ministry to whom it appertaineth to place the lay-people in their ranks and seats and set the Women by themselves Then let the Reader from the Desk or Pulpit placed in the middle of the people read the Books of Moss as also those of Josuah Judges Kings and Chronicles and that of Ezra touching the return from Babylon as also those of Job and Solomon and the sixteen Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Two Chapters being read let one begin the Psalms of David and let the people answer the Acrosticks i. e. the closes or the burden of the song as we use to say Then let the Acts be read and the Epistles of S. Paul which he inscribed to several Churches by the suggestion of the Holy Ghost Afterwards let the Presbyter or Dacon read the Gospels which Matthew Mark Luke and John have left behind them And whilst they read the Gospel let the people stand and hearken to the same with silence For it is written Take heed and hearken O Israel and in another place Stand thou there and hearken Then let the Presbyters speak a word of Exhortation to the people not all at once but one by one and the Bishop last This done all of them rising up and turning towards the East the Catechumeni and those which are under Penance being first departed let them direct their Prayers to God after which some of the Deacons are to attend upon the Sacrifice of the holy Eucharist others to have an eye on the Congregation and to see that silence be well kept Then let the Deacon which assists the Bishops thus bespeak the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man here have malice against his Brother let no man harbour any dissimulation Which said the men salute the men the women those of their own Sex with an holy kiss After the Deacon saith the Prayer for the whole Church the universal World and the parts thereof as also for fertility for the Priests the Magistrates for the Bishop and King and the peace of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This done Id. l. 8. c. 22. the Deacons are to bring the offerings to the Bishop laying the same upon the Altar the Priests assisting on each side as the Disciples do their Master Then the Bishop praying to himself together with the Priests or Presbyters and being arrayed in a white Vesture standing at the Altar and maing the sign of the Cross upon his forehead shall say The Grace of God Almighty and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you all and all the people shall return this Answer And with thy spirit Then shall the Bishop say Lift up your hearts and they reply We lift them up unto the Lord. The Bishop thus Let us give thanks unto the Lord the people
next It is meet and right so to do And then the Bishop It is meet right and our bounden duty above all things to praise thee the true God who wast from all eternity before the foundation of the world was laid Finally this being done let the Bishop give unto the people the blessing of peace Id. l. 2. c. 57. And as Moses did command the Priests to bless the people in these words The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his Face to shine upon thee and grant thee peace So shall the Bishop use this Form Conserva Domine populum tuum incolumen c. Preserve O Lord thy people in safety and bless thine inheritance which thou possessest and hast purchased with the Blood of Christ and callest a Royal Priesthood and holy Nation Afterwards let him go to the Consecration all the people standing and praying softly to themselves and the Oblation being made let every one severally receive the Body and Blood of our Lord and Saviour coming in order thereunto and with fear and reverence the Women being also veiled or covered as becomes their Sex And whilst that this is doing let the doors of the Church be shut that neither any Infidel or Vnbaptized person be present at it So far and to this purpose Clemens or whosoever was the Author of the Constitutions which how it doth agree with the publick Forms still extant on record in the works and monuments of such Ancient Writers of whom there is no question amongst Learned men we shall see anon One thing must first be taken into consideration and that is whether in the reading of the holy Scripture the Minister was left to his own Election although not for the number of the Sections or Chapters as we call them now yet to read what and where he would without appointment of the Church A point which hath already been resolved by the Church of England declaring The Preface to the Book of Common Prayer How it was so ordered by the ancient Fathers that all the whole Bible or the greatest part thereof should be read over once every year intending thereby that the Clergy and especially such as were Ministers of the Congregation should by often reading and meditation of Gods words be stirred up to godliness themselves and be more ale to exhort others by wholesome Doctrine and to confute them that were Adversaries to the truth And further that the people by daily hearing of holy Scripture read in the Church should copntinually profit more and more in the knowledge of God and be the more inflamed with the love of his true Religion And certainly it was a good and godly institution savouring most abundantly of the primitive wisdom though now I know not how it comes to pass it be made a matter of no moment sive biennio sive triennio absolvatur lectio sacrae Scripturae Altare Damasc c. 10. p. 633. whether the Scriptures be read over in two years or three so it be read at all in the Congregation So little thanks or commendations hath this unhappy Church of England for labouring to revive the ancient orders of the Primitive times and to bring the people of the Lord to be acquainted with his holy Word But it is said that in the Primitive times there was no such custom but all was left both for the choice and number of the Lessons arbitrio Ecclesiae * Id. Ibid. to the discretion of the Church that is to say for nothing else can be the meaning to the discretion of the Minister And this they prove from that of Justin Martyr produced before where it is said that they did read the writings of the Prophets and Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. as they translate it quoad tempus fert as the time would bear But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if translated rightly is indeed quantum licet as much as is lawful and permitted which quite destroyeth their meaning and confirms the Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concedo admitto Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impersonaliter exponitur licet locus est facultas est in the common Lexicon * v. Stephant Thesaurum And this appears further by the best classick Authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non licebat manere in Xenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quam primum licuerit in Herodotus so in others also And that it was thus in the antient practice appeareth very plainly by that of Austin though of a later standing than the times we speak of where it is said that in the meeting or assembly for religious Worship scripturarum divinarum lecta sunt solennia †Augustin de civit Dei l. 22. cap. 8. the solemn and appointed Lessons out of holy Scripture were read unto the Congregation And if they were solennia then that is set out determined and appointed for times and seasons I cannot think thatthey were otherwise in these former days unless it were on extraordinary and great occasions in which that course might possibly be dispensed withal as in the times of persecution and the like extremities And so we come unto the third age of the Church and there we shall begin with Origen who grew into esteem and credit in the beginning of this Century and so continued till the midst By him it is observed and exceeding rightly in Ecclesiasticis observationibus nonnulla esse hujusmodi quae omnibus quidem facere necesse est nec tamen rationem eorum omnibus patere that in the usages of the Church there are many things which of necessary are to be done by every man although the reason of them be not known to all * Origen in Numer cap. 4. Homil 5. Which said in general he thus descends unto particulars Nam quod genua flectimus orantes quod ex omnibus coeli plagis ad solam Orientis partem conversi orationem fundimus non facile cuique puto ratione compertum Sed Eucharistiae sive percipiendae sive eo ritus quo geritur explicandae vel eorum quae geruntur in baptismo verborum gestorumque ordinum atuqe interrogationum ac responsionum quis facile explicet rationem Et tamen omnia haec operta relata portamus super humeros nostros cum ita implemus ea exequimur ut à magno Pontifice ab ejus filiis tradita commendata suscepimus For when we kneel saith he in the time of Prayer and that of all the points in Heaven we turn unto the East when we make our prayers I think the reason why we do so is not known to any Or who can readily assign a reason of those Rites and Ceremonies used both in the receiving of the Eucharist or at the consecrating of the same or of those many things which are done in baptism the words and gestures the order there observed the Interrogatories and the Answers And yet all these we undergo whether revealed
Concil Laodicen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to name the Psalm and to begin it as some about this time had presumed to do it being permitted as he noteth after the Psalm was so begun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Lay-men of what rank soever if they had tuneable voices or could sing their parts might then joyn with them asin consort to make up the Harmony The next care taken by this Council was that the Gospels and other parts of the holy Scripture might be read upon the Saturday or the old Jewish Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereof the reason is thus given by Balsamon Concil Ladoic Can. 15. because that day had been formerly spent in Feasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the people used not to assemble on it Balsamon in Can. 16. Laodicen for religious offices which to redress it was determined by this Canon that on that day as well as others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all sorts of Ecclesiastical ministrations were to be performed The last was for the ordering of the Psalms concerning which it was ordained that between every portion of the Psalms for they divided the whole Psalter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. in Canon 17. Concil Laodic Can. 17. into several portions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some part of holy Scripture should be intermingled lest else the people might be tyred with continual singing Here then we have certain prescribed Rules and Orders for the officiating of Gods publick Service the Palms divided into Portions those Portions intermingled with the reading of the holy Scripture a prescribed office ordered for the Saturday and finaly a punctual direction not only who should name or begin the Psalm but from what Book it should be read But there 's another Canon of this Council which looks more backward and did not so much introduce any new Orders into the Church as confirm the old and doth indeed give as full a view of the several parts and Offices of the publick Service as any other of that time whatever The first part of the Service we have seen before in Justin Martyr that which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Common-prayers of the Church at which all sorts of people were and might be present This ended with the Sernion as we saw before And we shall see now more particularly what they had to do after that was done For howsoever it may seem in that place of Justin that presently upon the conclusion of the Sermon they went unto the Celebration of the blessed Eucharist yet that is on a supposition that there were none present but Believers only and such as were prepared to Communicate But being that in those severe Ages of the Church they had not only Catechumeni such as desired to be admitted into the bosom of the Church and had not yet received that Sacrament of Baptism but such as having been Baptized were for their lapses and offences put to open Penance as well as godly and religious persons against whom no bar could be pretended the Offices of the Church were to be so fitted that every one of these conditions might not want his part And this is that which we find described in this Canon thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Laodicen Can. 19. c. After the Bishop hath done his Sermon let first the prayer be said for the Catechumeni they being gone the prayers for such who are under penance are to be dispatched and when they have received Imposition of hands and are also gone then let the prayers for the faithful be thrice made thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the first softly every man secretly to himself the second and the third aloud which done the Peace or kiss of peace is to be given and so they are to go to the Oblation And let none but such as be in Orders enter within the rail 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or come within the place where the Altar stands to receive the Sacrament So far the Canon of the Council by which it is apparent that each sort of Auditors had a peculiar course or Office besides that part of publick Service in which they joyned all together as before was said But whether the prayers here spoken of were left at liberty to the discretion of the Minister or in a prescribed and determinate Form we must see elsewhere And in my mind we cannot see it at a fuller view than in the Constitutions ascribed to Clemens undoubtedly more ancient than the times we speak of where we find it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. All rising up let the Deacon go into some eminent place and say Constitut Apost lib. 8. c. 5. None of the hearers none of the unbelievers depart the place And silence being made he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray ye hearers And all the faithful shall pray for them with a good devotion saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord have mercy upon them Then let the Dacon thus proceed Id. cap. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let us all pray to God for the Catechumeni that our good God of his abundant love to man-kind would graciously hear their prayers and give them help minate their understandings instruct them in knowledge and teach them his Commandments c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Moreover let us beseech God for them that having obtained remission of their sins by Baptism they may be meet partakers of the holy Eucharist and dwell for ever with the Saints c. Now unto every point or period contained in this solemn prayer the people answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lod have mercy on them after the manner of the Litany and the whole prayer being ended they bowed their heads under the Bishops hands by whom they were dismissed with a Benediction conform unto the Canon of the Laodicean Council which before we spake of Which done the Deacon standing as before said thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Depart ye Catechumeni in peace The Ite missa est in the Western Churches is the same with this Then follow prayers for the Engergumeni or such as were possessed with unclean spirits And that being ended together with another for the Baptized or Illuminati the Deacon said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray ye devoutly which be under Penance and then goeth on Id. ibid. cap. 8. Pray we for those which be under Penance that God would shew them the way of repentance accept their Recantation and Confession and finally beat down Satan under their feet c. the people still subjoyning unto every clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord have mercy on them Thus much and more unto this purpose in the Constitutions And I the rather am inclined to admit these Forms or to resolve it at the least that set Forms they had for these several Offices because the Minister by whom they were performed was of no higher Order than a Deacon For had the
prayers been left to the discretion or ability of him that made them assuredly the Bishop or the Presbyters being men of greater gifts and more practised in them than the Deacons were supposed to be would not have left a business of that weight and moment to be discharged by men of the lowest Order themselves attending on the service as if not concerned And so much for and on occasion of the so Celebrated Council of Laodicea one of the ancientest upon true record in the Church of Christ You see by this that in the time of the renowned Constantine and long time before the Church was sorted and disposed into ranks and files and every sort of men had a particular Form of Service fitted and framed thereunto besides those Common-prayers wherein all did joyn We will next see whether they were not in condition as well to amplifie the times and beautifie the places of Gods publick worship as to agree upon the Forms and then we will go forwards in our purposed search till we have set the business above all gain-saying And for the times we shewed before with what a general consent they had transferred the Jewish Sabbath on the which God rested unto the first day of the week on the which Christ rose Nor was it long before they had their daily meetings and thereon their set hours of Prayer Morning and Evening as was proved before from S. Cyprians words To which was after added as appeareth by the Council of Laodicea before remembred an hour of prayer at nine of the Clock Concil Laodicen Can. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Text which hours are still observed at nine of the Clock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Text which hours are still observed in all the Cathedrals of this Kingdom Besides these as their numbers multiplied and their affairs were crowned by God with peace and happiness they instituted several Annual Festivals to be observed with greater solemnity and concourse of people than any of their ordinary Assemblies in memory of especial blessings which God had given them by his Son or conferred on them by his Saints Of these the Feasts of Easter and Whitsontide as they are most eminent so they are most antient as being instituted in the times of the Lords Apostles to which were added in short time the two days next following that so those seacred Festivals might be solemnized with the greater measure of devotion in which regard Easter is called by Gregory Nyssen Gregor Nyssen Homil. 1. de Paschat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the three days Feast See of this also Augustin de Civitate Dei l. 22. cap. 8. The Feast of Christis Nativity began if not before in the second Age. Theophilus Caesariensis who lived about the times of Commodus and Severus makes mention of it and placeth it on the 25th of December quocunque die 8. Calend. Januar. venerit so his own words are as we still observe it A Festival of so great erninency that Chrysostom entituleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother or Metropolis of all other Feasts Chrysost Orat. de Phalagon See for this also in Nicephorus where it will be found to have been universally received before the time of Dioclesians persecution who burnt many eminent Christians at Nicomedia whilst they were Celebrating this great Festival in the House God Niceph. histor Eccl. l. 7. c. 6. That of the Incarnation was ordained in the beginning of the third Century there being an Homily of Gregory surnamed Thaumaturgus who lived An. 230. entituled de Annunciatione B. Virginis another for of this there is made some question writ by Athanasius who lived in the beginning of the following Age whereof there is no doubt amongst Learned men That of the Passion or Good-Friday as we call it now is of the same Antiquity as the other was for we find mention of it in the Books of Origen Origen contra Celsum l. 4. And for the Feasts of the Apostles Evangelists and other blessed Saints of God they took beginning most of them in the time of Constantine who by his Edict gave command to all the Deputies and Lieutenants of the Roman Empire that the memorials of the Martyrs should be duely honoured Euseb de vita Constat l. 4. c. 23 and solemn Feasts to be appointed for that end and purpose most of which brought their Fasts or Vigils along with them The Church lost nothing of that power by our Saviours coming which she enjoyed and practised in the times before but did ordain both Feasts and Fasts too if she saw occasion and as she found it might conduce to the advantage of Gods publique worship Now as the Christians of these two Ages did augment the Times so they increased the places also of Gods publique worship In the first Age they had their meeting or Assemblies in some privage Houses which being separated from all profane and common use were by the Owners dedicated to Religious exercises and therefore honoured in the Scriptures with the name of Churches But as they grew in numbers so they grew in confidence and in these Ages had their Churches visible and obvious to the eyes of all men Witness hereto Ignatius the Apostles Scholar and Successor to St. Peter in the See of Antioch who lived in the beginning of the second Century and writing to the Magnesians an Epistle hitherto unquestioned by our modern Criticks doth exhort them thus Omnes ad orandum in idem loci convenite Ignat. Epist ad Magnes una sit communis precatio una mens una spes in charitate c. That is to say Assemble all together in the same place to pour fourth your prayers unto the Lord let there be one Common-prayer amongst you one mind one onely hope in love and an unblamable faith in Jesus Christ run all together as one man to the Temple of God as to one Altar as to Jesus Christ the High Priest of the uncreated and immortal God Witness hereto for the middle of this second Century two several Epistles of Pope Pius the first and those unquestioned hitherto which we shall have occasion to make use of in the last Chapter of this Tract and the sixth Section of that Chapter And finally witness hereunto for the close thereof these words of Clemens Alexandrinus where speaking of the spiritual Church or the Congregation of Gods Elect he doth phrase it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem Alex. Strom. lib. 7. I call not now saith he the place but the Congregation of Gods Elect by the name of the Church By which it is mosT plain and evident that the word Ecclesia or the Church signified in his time as well the place of the Assembly as the general body of the Congregation or Elect of God Now that these Churches mentioned by Ignatius in the first beginning and specially by Clemens in the latter end of this second Century were not only some rooms
having made confession of thehir faith according as we saw before from the Constitutions they were thrice dipped into the water in memory of our Saviours lying in the grace three days the formal words of Baptism being therewithal pronounced though not here expressed Which done the party is again anointed on the forehead nostrils Id. Catech. 3. ears and breasts upon the reasons there declared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and cloathed in white garments Id. Catech. 4. which concludes the action But here it is to be observed that this last anointing was in the way of confirmation it being the custom of those times in the baptizing of all such as were Adulti or of riper years to minister both Baptism and Confirmation at the same time as our incomparable Hooke rightly noteth And note withal that in the anointing of the forehead in his later Unction Hooker Eccles Politic. l. 5. § 66. Cyril Catech. mystagog 4. Tertull. de resurrect carnis the party baptized was signed with the sign of the Cross 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Father there Which is no more than that so celebrated passage of Tertullian Caro signatur ut anims muniatur declares to be the antient and unquestionable practice of the Church of CHRIST Next for the celebration of the Eucharist he describes it thus Things being in readiness the Deacon bringeth water for the hands to the chief Minister Cyril Catechis mystagog 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to the Priests that stand about the Altar and then saith aloud Complectimini osculemini vos invicem embrace and kiss ye one another which is done accordingly and this in token of that Vnion both of hearts and souls which is and ought to be between them Then saith the Priests Sursum corda or Lift up your hearts the people answer We lift them up unto the Lord The Priest again Let us give thanks unto the Lord the people say Dignum justum est or It is meet and right so to do And by this place I note this only by the way we make up the breach in S. James his Liturgy being the antient Liturgy of the Church of Hierusalem as before was said which breach we shewed and touched at obiter in the former Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Then saith he we make mention of Heaven Earth and Sea and all the Creatures reasonable and unreasonable and also of the Angels and Archangels and the Powers of Heaven praising God and saying Sanctus sanctus sanctus Dominus Deus Sabbati By which celestial Hymns we do not only sanctifie our selves but beseech our good and gracious God that he would send his holy Spirit on the gifts presented that is to say the Bread and Wine that so the Bread may be made the Body of Christ and the Wine his Blood Then do we call upon the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the general peace of all the Churches the tranquillity of all the World for Princes and their Armies for our Friends and Brethren for all that be in need sickness or any other adversity and in a word for every one that wanteth help from the hands of God The rest that followeth as a part of this general Prayer upon the alteration of the Form and Person viz. from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We call upon the Lord in the third person unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the second person is most judiciously concluded by Dr. Rivet Rivet Critici sacri l. 3. c. 10. to be the fraud and forgery of some Impostor whose judgment in the same I heartily both applaud and follow But to proceed with that which is received for true and genuine and of unquestionble credit This general Prayer being thus concluded followe tht at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Cateches mystagog 5. which Christ our Saviour gave unto his Disciples the Lords Prayer he means and meaning so shews plainly that the Church conceived how the Lords Prayer was given to be said and used not to be imitated only Then saith the Priest thus Sancta Sanctis unto the holy all things are holy or holy things are for holy persons the people answering Unus sanctus unus Dominus JESUS CHRISTUS That is to say there is but one Holy one Lord JESVS CHRIST Then sangt the Priest the divine Hymns exhorting you to the communion of the holy Mysteries and saying Gustate videte quam fuavis est Dominus O taste and see how good the Lord is This said they came to the Communion not with their hands spread out nor disjoyned singers but with the left hand placed under the right receiving the Lord's body in the palms of their hands lest any of the consecrated Bread should fall to the ground and therewith viz. to the Priests prayer when he gave the same each one said AMEN After they had received the Communion of the Body of CHRIST they received the Cup also of his Blood where still we have the whole Communion sub utraque specie what ever new Doctrines have been coyned at Rome not stretching out the hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but falling down as when Men are in the Act of Worship or Adoration they said AMEN as formerly at the receiving of the Bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Last of all tarrying for the parting or concluding Prayers they gave thanks to God who had vouchsafed to make them worthy of his holy Mysteries This was the course and these the footsteps of the Forms observed of old times in the Mother Church the holy City of Hierusalem And if we may conjecture ex pede Herculem what the dimensions were of the body of Hercules by the proportion of his foot we may be well conjecture by these evident footsteps what the whole bodies were of the antient Liturgies From Cyril on unto St. Basil another famous Bishop of the Eastern Churches Who having made some Rules for the better order of those who did intend to lead a Monastick life and being accused that in the singing of the Psalms and regulating the manner of that Melody he had somewhat innovated contrary to the received custom of the Church was forced to make his own Apology and send it to the Clergy of Neo-Caesarea * Basil Ep. 63. Thus then saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Rites saith he which we observe amongst us are such as are agreeable and consonant to all the Churches of God Our people rising in the night do before day repair unto the Chappel or house of Prayer and having made confession of their sins to God in sorrow tears and great compunction of the Soul they rise at last from Prayer and take themselves unto the Psalms Being divided into two parts they sing as it were in turns one second another or Quire-wise as is used in our Cathedrals so taking time to meditate on the words of God and therewithal making our hearts and minds more attent thereto Then
Patriarch Jacob there being otherwise many places in his new gotten Kingdom of more convenience for his Subjects and less obnoxious to the Power of the Kings of Judah than this Bethel was The Act of Jacob in consecrating the Stone at Bethel gave the same hint to Jeroboam to profane the place by setting up his Golden Calves as Abrahams Grove gave to the Idolatrous Jews and Gentiles for polluting the like places with as impure abominations And probable enough it is that by these Acts of Abraham and Jacob the Macchabees proceeded to the Dedication of the Altar when profaned by Antiochus though they made use only of their own Authority in honouring that work and the celebration of it with an Annual Feast of which see Macc. 1. Chap. 4. v. 59 c. Which Feast being countenanced by our Saviour as is elsewhere said gave the first ground unto the Anniversary Feasts of Dedication used in the best and happiest times of Christianity De Eccles Officiis l. 1. c. 3. of which thus Isidore of Sivil Annuas Festivitates dedicationis Ecclesiarum ex more veterum celebrari in Evangelio legimus ubi dicitur facta sunt Encoenia c. Where we have both the custom and the reasons of it that is to say the antient practice of Gods people amongst the Jews occasionally mentioned and related too in the holy Gospel This being repeated and applyed we must next see by what Authority Gods people afterward proceeded on the like occasions Greater Authority we find for the Dedication of the Tabernacle than for the consecrating the Grove or Pillar which before we spake of even the command of God himself who though he had appointed it to be made prescribed as well the matter as the Form thereof descending even unto the nomination of the Workmen that were to take care of the Embroydery of it did not think fit it should be used in his publick Worship till it had first been dedicated to that end and purpose For thus saith God to Moses in the way of Precept And thou shalt take the anointing Oyl and anoint the Tabernacle and all that is therein and shalt hallow it and all the Vessels thereof and it shall be holy and thou shalt anoint the Altar of the Burnt-offering and all his Vessels and sanctifie the Altar Exod. 40.9 1. and it shall be an Altar most holy c. And thus did Moses in conformity to the Lords Commandment of whom it is affirmed Thus did Moses according to all that the Lord commanded him so did he That is to say he reared up the Tabernacle Verse 16 and disposed of every thing therein in its proper place hallowing the Tabernacle and the Altar and the Vessels of it as the Lord commanded and then and not till then was it thought fit for the Acts of Sacrifice and to be honoured with the presence of the Lord their God For as it followeth in that Chapter first Moses offered on the Altar so prepared and consecrated a Burnt-Offering and a Meat-Offering as the Lord commanded ver 29. And secondly A Cloud then covered the tent of the Congregation and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle v. 34. No Fathers need be called in here to explain these Scriptures which every one can understand who is able to read them and every one who understandeth them may conclude from hence that God had never took such order for consecrating of the Tabernacle the Altars and other Vessels of it had he not meant to leave it for a Document and Example to succeeding times that no place should be used for his publick Worship till it was sanctified with Prayer and set apart by some Religious Ceremonies for that holy purpose According to which great Example we find a solemn dedication of the Temple when first built by Solomon performed by Prayer and Sacrifices in most solemn manner 1 Kings 8. A second Dedication of it when first restored by Zorobabel in the time of Ezra where it is said That the children of Israel Ezra 6.16 the Priests and the Levites and the rest of the children of the Captivity kept the Dedication of this House of God with joy And finally Josephus telleth us Antiq. Juda. l. 15. c. 14. that when Zorobabels Temple was pulled down by Herod and built again after a more magnificent manner than before it was with what alacrity and pomp the Jews did celebrate the Dedication of the same A Temple gloriously set out to the outward view immensae opulentiae Templum it is called by Tacitus as before was said and dedicated by the Founder with as great magnificence of which more hereafter Sufficient evidence to prove that whether the Temple be considered as a House of prayer or a place for Sacrifice it was not to be used for either not sanctified and set apart for those holy Actions Having thus seen what was done in those solemn Acts of Dedication by the Lords own people as well before as under the Law of Moses let us next see how far those Actions of Gods people have been followed by the antient Gentiles who though without the Law of Moses yet were instructed well enough by the light of Nature that Sacred Actions were not to be used in unhallowed places And here to go no further than the Roman story being the best compacted and most flourishing estate among the Gentiles we have in the first Infancy thereof a Temple dedicated by Romulus unto Jupiter Feretrius of which thus Livy Jupiter Feretri inquit Romulus haec tibi victor Rex Regia arma fero Templumque iis Regionibus quas meo animo metatus sum dedico sedem opimis spoliis quae Regibus Ducibusque hostium caesis me Autorem sequentes posteri ferent Unto which words of Romulus being the formal words of the Dedication Livy adds his own Hist Rom. Dec. 1. l. 1. Haec Templi est origo quod omnium primum Romae sacratum est That is to say this is the Original of that Temple which first of all was dedicated in the City of Rome Concerning which we are to know that Romulus having vanquished Tolumnius a poor neighbouring King in the head of his Army and brought his Armour into Rome in triumphant manner designed a Temple unto Jupiter from hence named Feretrius for the safe keeping and preserving of those glorious Spoils And having so designed the Temple thus bespeaks the gold viz. O Jupiter Feretrius I by this favour made a Conquerour do here present unto thee these Royal Arms and dedicate or design a Temple to thee in those Regions which in my mind I have marked out for that great purpose to be a seat for those rich Spoils which Posterity following my example having slain Kings or such as do command in chief shall present unto thee Which formal words did so appropriate that place to the service of Jupiter that afterwards it was not to be put unto other uses This done by Romulus
Epist ad Corinth p. 62. There find we the good man complaining that the Church of Corinth so ancient and well grounded in the faith of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should for the sake of one or two contentious persons tumultuate against their Presbyters and that the scandal of their functions should come unto the ears of Infidels to the dishonour of the Lord. Nor did the faction rest in the people only Ibid. p. 58. though it proceeded to that height as the ejecting of those Presbyters whom they had distasted but it had taken too deep sooting amongst the Presbyters themselves encroaching with too high an hand on the Bishops Office or wilfully neglecting his authority Part. 1. ch 5. For whereas in those times as before was shewn the blessed Eucharist regularly and according to the Churches Orders could not be celebrated but by the Bishop by his leave at least and that it did pertain to him to appoint the Presbyters what turns and courses they should have in that ministration these men perverting all good order neither observed the time and place appointed for that sacred Action nor kept themselves unto those turns and courses in the performance of the same which were assigned them by their Bishop Certain I am that the discourse of Clemens in the said Epistle doth militate as well against the one as against the other blaming as well the Presbyters for their irregular proceeding in their ministration as censuring the People for their insolency in the ejecting of their Presbyters So that we have two factions at this time in the Church of Corinth one of some inconformable Presbyters so far averse from being regulated by their Bishop as they ought to be Clem. p. 57. that they opposed the very Calling raising contentions and disputes about the Name and Office of Episcopacy another of the people against the Presbyters and that pursued with no less acrimony and despite than the former was For the repressing of these factions at this present time and the preventing of the like in the times to come the good old man doth thus proceed Beginning with the Presbyters Id. p. 48. he first presents unto them the obedience that Souldiers yield to their Commanders shewing them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how orderly how readily and with what subjection they execute the several Commands imposed upon them by their Leaders that since all of them are not Generals Collonels Captains or in other Office every one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his rank or station is to obey the charge imposed upon him by the King or Emperour and his Commanders in the Field Then represents he to them the condition of the natural Body Id. 49. in which the Head can do but little without the ministery of the Feet the Feet as little out of question without direction from the Head that even the least parts of the body are not only profitable but also necessary concurring all of them together to the preservation of the whole Which ground so laid he thus proceeds in his Discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Id. p. 52 c. These things being thus declared and manifested looking into the depth of heavenly knowledg we ought to do those things in their proper order the People in the tendring of their Oblations the Presbyters in the celebrating of the Liturgy according to the times and seasons by the Lord appointed who would not have these sacred Matters done either rashly or disorderly but at appointed times and hours and by such Persons as he hath thereunto designed by his supream Will that being done devoutly and Religiously they might be the more grateful to him They therefore who upon the times presixed make their Oblations to the Lord are blessed and very welcom unto him from whose commands they do not vary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For to the High-Priest was assigned his particular function the Priest had his peculiar ministery prescribed unto him and the Levites theirs the Laymen being left unto Lay-imployments Therefore let every one of you my brethren in his Rank and Station offer to God the blessed Eucharist with a good Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 53. keeping within the bounds of his ministration appointed to him by the Canon For so I take it is his meaning For not in every place was it permitted to the Jews to offer up the daily and perpetual Sacrifices whether they were Sin-offerings or Eucharistical Oblations but at Hierusalem alone nor there in any place indifferently but only in the Court of the Temple at the Altar the Sacrifice being first viewed and approved of both by the High Priest and the foresaid Ministers They that did any thing herein otherwise than agreeable to his will and pleasure were to die the Death you see my brethren that as we are endued with a greater knowledg so are we made obnoxious to the greater danger The Apostles have Preached the Gospel unto us from Christ JESUS Christ from God Christ being sent by God as the Apostles were by Christ and both proceeding orderly therein according to his holy Will For having received his Commands and being strengthened by the Resurrection of our Lord JESUS Christ and confirmed by the Word of God they spread themselves abroad in full assurance of the Holy Ghost publishing the coming of the Kingdom of God and having Preached the Word throughout many Regions and several Cities they constituted and ordained the first fruits of their labours such whom in spirit they approved of to be Bishops and Deacons unto those that afterwards were to believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. p. 54.55 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 55. Nor was this any new device it being written many ages since in the book of God Esay 60. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. I will appoint them Bishops in Righteousness and Deacons in Faith Afterwards laying down the History of Aarons Rod budding and thereby the miraculous confirmation of his Election he adds that the Apostles knowing by our Lord JESUS Christ the contention that would arise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about the name or function of Episcopacy Id. p. 57. take it which you will and being for this very cause endued with a perfect foresight of that which afterwards should happen ordained the aforesaid Ministers and left to every one their appointed Offices that whensoever they should die other approved men should succeed in their several places and execute their several parts in the Ministration Those therefore which were either ordained by them or by those famous and renowned men that followed after them with the consent and approbation of the Church and have accordingly served unblameably in the fold of Christ with all humility and meekness and kept themselves from baseness and corruption and have a long time carried a good testimony from all men those we conceive cannot without much injury be deprived of their place and service it being
Platina in vita Eleutheril inito pontificatu at his first entrance on the place wherein Philippus Bergomensis in Supplemento Chronicorum l. 8. and Cocc Sabellicus Ennead 7. l. 5. do either follow him Harpsfield in Ec. hist Angl. c. 3. or concur with him How Lucius came to be inflamed with this holy zeal is related diversly Nicolas Harpsfield doth conceive it to be on occasion of the great Miracle then lately done by the Christian Legion obtaining rain from Heaven by their fervent prayers on the Imperial Army much distressed with drought by means whereof the Emperors dealt very favourably with the Christians adjecta etiam accusatoribus damnatione even to the condemnation of their false Accusers Tertull. Apol. cap. 5. Others conceive that being in himself of a sweet and gratious disposition he was much taken with the reports that had come unto him de miraculis Christi Chron. Gisebur cit ap Armacan de Primordiis praedicatione Apostolorum touching the miracles of Christ and the preaching of his holy Apostles And possibly it might be both one adding help and strength unto the other But whichsoever it was it seemeth he was not very forward at the first to imbrace the Gospel being retarded from the same by the obscure and poor condition of the Christians But when he had been well informed by Pertinax and Trebellius Balaeus de scrip Brit. cent 1. Lieutenants in this Island for the Roman Emperors Romanorum illustres aliquot illam admifisse that many men of mark amongst the Romans had received the faith he then resolved to go through with his good intentions And being so resolved Lib. de primo statu Landanen eccl citat apud Armacan c. 4. he dispatched away Eluanus and Maduinus Britans both and both initiated in the faith to Pope Eleutherius who giving thanks to God for so great a blessing did first of all Baptize the Legates or Ambassadors and having Consecrated Eluanus Bishop and fitted Meduinus for a Doctor or an instructer of the people or made him Presbyter as I conceive the meaning of the place to be he sent them back again to Lucius The issue of the business was eorum praedicatione Lucius totius Britanniae primates baptismum susceperunt that by their preaching both Lucius and all the Noblemen of Britain received the Sacrament of Baptism and that according to the order of the said Eleutherius the State Ecclesiastical was established Bishops ordained and the rules of godly living shewed unto the people Nor did he trust this work to those two alone but he sent with them others also Faganus Platina in vita Eleuther alii and Deruvianus or Damianus as some call him to assist the work and contribute their best endeavours to so great a business as most of our Historians witness This though it were a notable and signal work and that we stand indebted for it unto the piety and zeal of that holy Pope yet was not this the planting of the Gospel here but the watering of it The planting of it was before perhaps before it had been planted even in Rome it self Gildas Gildas de excidio Brit. initio one of the notedst Antiquaries of the British Nation doth affirm expresly Tempore ut scimus summo Tiberii Caesaris that in the latter days of Tiberius Caesar our Saviour Christ the Sun of righteousness had with his beams enlightened this frozen Island and that his Gospel was here propagated without let or hinderance Now Christ our Saviour suffered in the 18th year of this Tiberius and he again deceased in the 39th of our Saviour so that the faith of Christ was at the furthest preached unto the Britains within five years after the bitter passion of our Lord Christ Jesus Whether at Rome so soon or not let them prove that can That it was here so early we have shewed a proof above all exception and yet we have one more to come as little liable to exception in the opinion of the Romanists as that before It is a passage extant in Baronius Baron in Annal an 25. n. 5. and by him borrowed from the Acts or History of Mary Magdalen and her Associats which tells us this that after the dispersion of the Disciples on the death of Steven Lazarus Mary Magdalen Martha and Marcella in quos Judaei majori odio exardescebant against whom the Jews were more incensed than against any of the rest were not only thrust out of Hierusalem but together with one Maximinus one of the Disciples put into a Boat without Oars and so committed unto the mercy or the fury rather of the Sea but were at last by Gods great providence brought unto Marseilles in safety together with Joseph of Arimathea who made himself a partner in the danger with them and after went from Gaul to Britain illicque post praedicatum Evangelium diem clausit extremum where having Preached the Gospel he did end his days With this as for the time of Josephs coming into Britain agreeth the argument made by the English Ambassadors at the Council of Constance Citat ap Armacan de Primordiis Brit. eccles c. 2. upon occasion of a controversie therein agitated touching the dignity and greatness of the Kingdoms of England and France In which it was thus pleaded by the English Advocates statim post passionem Christi that presently on the passion of Christ Joseph of Arimathea that noble Counsellor who took our Saviour from the Cross that he might early in the morning apply himself unto the dressing of the Lords Vineyard came with his twelve Associates into England i.e. that part of Britain which was then called England and converted the People of it to the Faith And this I take Malmesbur in hist Monast Glaston Joh. Capgrave alii building upon the words of Gildas to be more consonant to the truth of story than to put off his coming hither unto the 63. year after Christs Nativity or the 20. after his Ascension as some of our Historians do on far less Authority But being come and having Preached the Gospel here as it is generally delivered by our ancient writers he retired himself unto the Isle of Avalonia Polyd. Virg. hist Ang. l. 2. alii multi Vide c. 3. 4. which we now call Glassenbury and there applyed himself unto his devotions leaving the work by him begun to receive a further measure of perfection both from S. Peter who was here in person and from Aristobulus whom Saint Paul sent hither as before was said And though we do not find any evident footstep that either Aristobulus being ordained Bishop of the Britains or that those Bishops who are said to have been ordained by Saint Peter left any to succeed them in that sacred office or that Religion had gained much upon the People of this Island being then hardly civilized and almost continually in wars and troubles Yet did the Sceleton or carkass of
should be sanctified when it was ordered and appointed by the Law of Moses And this he calls Commentum ineptum contra literam ipsam contra ipsius Moseos declarationem A foolish and absurd conceit contrary unto Moses words and to his meaning Yet the same Catharin doth affirm in the self-same Book Scripturis frequentissimum esse multa per anticipationem narrare that nothing is more frequent in the holy Scriptures than these anticipations And in particular that whereas it is said in the former Chapter male and female created he them per anticipationem dictum esse non est dubitandum that without doubt it is so said by anticipation the Woman not being made as he is of opinion till the next day after which was the Sabbath For the Anticipation he cites St. Chrysostom who indeed tells us on that Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold saith he how that which was not done as yet is here related as if done already He might have added for that purpose Origen on the first of Genesis and Gregory the Great Moral lib. 32. cap. 9. both which take notice of a Prolepsis or Anticipation in that place of Moses For the creation of the Woman he brings in St. Jerom who in his Tract against the Jews expresly saith mulierem conditam fuisse die septimo that the Woman was created on the seventh day or Sabbath to which this Catharin assents and thinks that thereupon the Lord is said to have finished all his works on the seventh day that being the last that he created This seems indeed to be the old Tradition if it be lawful for me to digress a little it being supposed that Adam being wearied in giving names unto all creatures on the sixth day in the end whereof he was created did fall that night into a deep and heavy sleep and that upon the Sabbath or the seventh day morning his side was opened and a rib took thence for the creation of the Woman Aug. Steuchius in Gen. 2. So Augustinus Steuchius reports the Legend And this I have the rather noted to meet with Catharinus at his own weapon For whereas he concludes from the rest of God that without doubt the institution of the Sabbath began upon that very day wherein God rested it seems by him God did not rest on that day and so we either must have no Sabbath to be kept at all or else it will be lawful for us by the Lords example to do whatever works we have to do upon that day and after sanctifie the remainder And yet I needs must say withal that Catharinus was not the only he that thought God wrought upon the Sabbath Aretius also so conceived it Dies itaque tota non fuit quiete transacta Problem loc 55. sed perfecto opere ejus deinceps quievit ut Hebraeus contextus habet Mercer a man well skilled in Hebrew denieth not but the Hebrew Text will bear that meaning Who thereupon conceives that the seventy Elders in the translation of that place did purposely translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that on the sixth day God finished all the work that he had made and after rested on the seventh And this they did saith he ut omnem dubitandi occasionem tollerent to take away all hint of collecting thence that God did any kind of work upon that day For if he finished all his works on the seventh day it may be thought faith he that God wrought upon it Saint Hierom noted this before that the Greek Text was herein different from the Hebrew and turns it as an argument against the Jews and their rigid keeping of the Sabbath Artabimus igitur Judaeos qui de ocio Sabbati gloriantur Q◠Hebraicae in Gen. quod jam tunc in principio Sabbatum dissolutum sit dum Deus operatur in Sabbato complens opera sua in eo benedicens ipst diei quia in ipso universa compleverat If so if God himself did break the Sabbath as St. Hierom turns upon the Jews we have small cause to think that he should at that very time impose the Sabbath as a Law upon his creatures But to proceed Others that have took part with Catharinus against Tostatus have had as ill success as he in being forced either to grant the use of Anticipation in the holy Scripture or else to run upon a Tenet wherein they are not like to have any seconds I will instance only in two particulars both Englishmen and both exceeding zealous in the present cause The first is Doctor Bound who first of all did set afoot these sabbatarian speculations in the Church of England 2. Edit p. 10. wherewith the Church is still disquieted He determines thus I deny not saith he but that the Scripture speaketh often of things as though they had been so before because they were so then when the things were written As when it is said of Abraham that he removed unto a Mountain Eastward of Bethel whereas it was not called Bethel till above a hundred years after The like may be said of another place in the Book of Judges called Bochin c. yet in this place of Genesis it is not so And why not so in this as well as those Because saith he Moses entreateth there of the sanctification of the Sabbath not only because it was so then when he wrote that Book but specially because it was so even from the Creation Medulla Theol. l. 2. c. 15. § 9. Which by his leave is not so much a reason of his opinion as a plain begging of the question The second Doctor Ames the first I take it that sowed Bounds doctrine of the Sabbath in the Netherlands Who saith expresly first and in general terms hujusmodi prolepseos exemplum nullum in tota scriptura dari posse that no example of the like anticipation can be found in Scripture the contrary whereof is already proved After more warily and in particular de hujusmodi institutione Proleptica that no such institution is set down in Scripture by way of a Prolepsis or Anticipation either in that Book or in any other And herein as before I said he is not like to find any seconds We find it in the sixteenth of Exodus that thus Moses said This is the thing which the Lord commandeth Verse 32 Fill an Omer of it of the Mannah to be kept for your generations that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the Wilderness when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt It followeth in the Text that as the Lord commanded Moses Verse 34 so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony to be kept Here is an Ordinance of Gods an institution of the Lords and this related in the same manner by anticipation as the former was Lyra upon the place affirms expresly that it is spoken there per anticipationem and so doth Vatablus too in his Annotations on that Scripture But
do of this In Gen. 6. n. 17. The Jesuit Pererius shall stand up to make good the first and Doctor Cracanthorp to avow the second Pererius first resolves it clearly numerum Septenarium etiam in rebus pessimis execrandis saepenumero positum esse in Scriptura sacra As for example The evil spirit saith St. Luke brought with him seven spirits worse than himself and out of Mary Magdalen did Christ cast out seven Devils as St Mark tells us So in the Revelation St. John informs us of a Dragon that had seven Heads and seven Crowns as also of seven Plagues sent into the Earth and seven Viols of Gods wrath poured out upon it He might have told us had he listed that the purple Beast whereon the great Whore rid had seven Heads also and that she sat upon seven Mountains It 's true saith he which David tells us that he did praise God seven times a day but then as true it is which Solomon hath told us that the just man falleth seven times a day So in the Book of Genesis we have seven lean Kine and seven thin ears of Corn as well as seven fat Kine and seven full Ears To proceed no further Pererius hereupon makes this general resolution of the case Apparet igitur eosdem numeros aeque in bonis malis poni usurpari in sacra scriptura Next whereas those of Rome as before I noted have gone the same way to find out seven Sacraments Contra Spalat cap. 30. our Cracanthorpe to shew the vanity of that Argument doth the like for the proof of two Quod si nobis fas esset c. If it were lawful for us to take this course we could produce more for the number of two than they can for seven As for example God made two great lights in the Firmament and gave to man two Eys two Ears two Feet two Hands two Arms. There were two Nations in the womb of Rebecca two Tables of the Law two Cherubins two Sardonich stones in which were written the names of the sons of Israel Thou shalt offer to the Lord two Rams two Turtles two Lambs of an year old two young Pigeons two Hee-goats two Oxen for a Peace-Offering Let us make two Trumpets two Doors of the wood of Olives two Nets two Pillars There were two Horns of the Lamb two Candlesticks two Olive-branches two Witnesses two Prophets two Testaments and upon two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets saith our Saviour Congruentiis facile vinceremus si nobis in hunc campum descendere libet c. We should saith he presume of an easie victory should we thus dally with congruities as do those of Rome Hence we conclude that by the light of Scripture we find not any thing in Nature why either every seventh day should or every second day should not be a Sabbath Not to say any thing of the other Numbers of which the like might be affirmed if we would trouble our selves about it It 's true this Trick of trading in the mysteries of Numbers is of long standing in the Church and of no less danger first borrowed from the Platonists and the Pythagoreans by the ancient Hereticks Marcion Valentinus Basilides and the rest of that damned crew the better to disguise their errours and palliate their impieties Some of the Fathers afterwards took up the device perhaps to foil the Hereticks at their own weapons though many of them purposely declined it Sure I am Chrysostom dislikes it In Gen. hom 24. Who on those words in the 7th of Genesis by seven and by seven which is the Number now debated doth instruct us thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Many saith he do tell strange matters of this fact and taking an occasion hence make many observations out of several Numbers Whereas not observation but only an unseasonable curiosity hath produced those fictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence so many Heresies had their first original For oftentimes that out of our abundance we may fit their fancies we find the even or equal number no less commemorated in holy Scripture as when God sent out his Disciples by two and two when he chose twelve Apostles and left four Evangelists But these things it were needless to suggest to you who have so many times been lessoned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stop your Ears against such follies Saint Augustine also though he had descanted a while upon the mysteries of this Number yet he cuts off himself in the very middle De Civit. Dei l. 11. c. 31. as it were Ne scientiolam suam leviter magis quam utiliter jactare velle videatur lest he should seem to shew his reading with more pride than profit And thereupon he gives this excellent Rule which I could wish had been more practised in this case Habenda est itaque ratio moderationis gravitatis ne forte cum de numero multum loquimur mensuram pondus negligere judicemus We must not take saith he so much heed of Numbers that we forget at the last both weight and measure And this we should the rather do because that generally there is no Rule laid down or any reason to be given in Nature why some particular numbers have been set apart for particular uses when other numbers might have served why Hiericho should be rather compassed seven times than six or eight why Abraham rather trained three hundred and eighteen of his servants than three hundred and twenty or why his servant took ten Camels with him into Padan Aram and not more or less with infinite others of this kind in the Law Levitical Yet I deny not but that some reason may be given why in the Scripture things are so often ordered by sevens and sevens Respons ad qu. 69. viz. as Justin Martyr tells 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the better to preserve the memory or the Worlds Creation Another reason may be added which is by this inculcating of the number of seven unto the Jews to make that people who otherwise were at first averse from it as before I noted continually mindful of the Sabbath In Isaia 4. Numerum septenarium propter Sabbatum Judaeis familiarem esse was the observation of S. Hierom. To draw this point unto an end It is apparent by what hath before heen spoken that there is no Sabbath to be found in the beginning of the World or mentioned as a thing done in the second of Genesis either on any strength of the Text it self or by immediate Ordinance and command from God collected from it or by the law and light of nature imprinted in the soul of man at his first Creation much less by any natural fitness in the number of seven whereby it was most capable in it self of so high an honour which first premised we shall the easier see what hath been done in point of practice CHAP. II. That there was no Sabbath
to set apart the seventh day to his holy worship that if by chance they should forget the Lord their God that day might call him back unto their remembrances where note it was commanded to the Jews alone Add that Josephus calls the Sabbath in many places a national or local custom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a law peculiar to that People as Antiue l. 14. c. 18. de bello l. 2. c. 16. as we shall see hereafter more at large Lastly so given to the Jews alone that it became a difference between them and all other People Saint Cyril hath resolved it so In Ezech. 20. God saith he gave the Jews a Sabbath not that the keeping of the same should be sufficient to conduct them to eternal life Sed ut haec civilis administration is ratio peculiaris à gentium institutis distinguat eos but that so different a form of civil government should put a difference between them and all Nations else Theodoret more fully that the Jews being in other things like to other People in observatione sabbati propriam videbantur obtinere rempublicam In Ezech. 20. seemed in keeping of the Sabbath to have a custom by themselves And which is more saith he their Sabbath put a greater difference between the Jews and other People than their Circumcision For Circumcision had been used by the Idumaeans and Aegyptians Sabbati verò observation 〈◊〉 a Judaeorum natio custodiebat but the observation of the Sabbath was peculiar only to the Jews Nay even the very Gentiles took it for a Jewish Ceremony sufficient proof whereof we shall see ere long But what need more be said in this either that this was one of the Laws of Moses or that it was peculiar to the Jews alone seeing the same is testified by the holy Scripture Thou camest down upon Mount Sinai saith Nehemiah Cap. 19.13 Vers 14. and spakest with them the house of Israel from Heaven and gavest them right judgments and true Laws good Statutes and Commandments what more It followeth And madest known unto them thy holy Sabbaths and commandest them Precepts Statutes and Laws by the hand of thy Servant Moses Now on what motives God was pleased to prescribe a Sabbath to the Jews more at this time than any of the former Ages the Fathers severally have told us yea and the Scriptures too in several places Justin Martyr as before we noted gives this general reason Qu. ex Nov. Test 69. because of their hard-heartedness and irregular courses wherein Saint Austin closeth with him Cessarunt onera legis quae ad duritiem cordis Judaici fuerunt data in escis sabbatis neomeniis Where note how he hath joyned together New-moons and Sabbaths and the Jewish difference between meat and meat Particularly Gregory Nyssen makes the special motive to be this Testim adventus Dei in carne ad sedandum nimium eorum pecuniae studium so to restrain the People from the love of money For coming out of Egypt very poor and bare and having almost nothing but what they borrowed of the Egyptians they gave themselves saith he unto continual and incessant labour the sooner to attain to riches Therefore said God that they should labour six days and rest the seventh Damascen somewhat to this purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. God De side Orth. l. 4. c. 24 saith he seeing the carnal and the covetous disposition of the Israelites appointed them to keep a Sabbath that so their Servants and their Cattel might partake of rest And then he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as also that thus resting from their worldly businesses they might repair unto the Lord in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs and meditation of the Scriptures Rupertus harps on the same string that the others did L 5. in Joh c. 5. save that he thinks the Sabbath given for no other cause than that the labouring man being wearied with his weekly toyl might have some time to refresh his spirits Sabbatum nihil aliud est nisi requies vel quam ab causam data est nisi ut operarius fessus caeteris septimanae diebus uno die requiesceret Gaudentius Brixianus in his twelfth Homily or Sermon is of the same mind also that the others were These seem to ground themselves on the fifth of Deuteronomy where God commands his People to observe his Sabbaths Vers 14 that thy Man servant and thy Maid servant may rest as well as thou And then it followeth Remember that thou wast a Servant in the Land of Egypt Vers 15 and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence though with a mighty hand and an out-stretched arm therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day The force of which illation is no more than this that as God brought them out of Egypt wherein they were Servants so he commands them to take pity on their Servants and let them rest upon the Sabbath considering that they themselves would willingly have had some time of rest had they been permitted A second motive might be this to make them always mindful of that spiritual rest which they were to keep from the acts of sin and that eternal rest that they did expect from all toyl and misery In reference unto this eternal rest Saint Augustine tells us that the Sabbath was commanded to the Jews in umbra suturi De Gen. ad lit l. 4. c. 11. quae spiritalem requiem figuraret as a shadow of the things to come in S. Pauls Language which God doth promise unto those that do the works of Righteousness And in relation to the other the Lord himself hath told us that he had given his Sabbath unto the Jews to be a sign between him and them that they might know that he was the Lord that sanctified them Exod. 31.13 which is again repeated by Ezech. cap. 20.12 That they may know that I am the Lord which sanctifieth them For God as Gregory Nyssen notes it seems only to propose this unto himself that by all means he might at least destroy in man his inbred corruption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was his aim in Circumcision and in the Sabbath De resurrect Chr. Orat. 1. and in forbidding them some kind of meats 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For by the Sabbath he informed them of a rest from sin To cite more Fathers to this purpose were a thing unnecessary and indeed sensibile super sensum This yet confirms us further that the Sabbath was intended for the Jews alone For had God given the Sabbath to all other People as he did to them it must have also been a sign that the Lord had sanctified all People as he did the Jews There is another motive yet to be considered and that concerns as well the day as the Institution God might have given the Jews a Sabbath and yet not tied the Sabbath to one day of seven
so many manners of work as that day they did However as it was our blessed Saviour did account these works of theirs to be a publick prophanation of the Sabbath day Read ye not in the Law saith he Math. 12.5 how that upon the Sabbath days the Priests in the Temple do prophane the Sabbath Yet he deelared withal that the Priests were blameless in that they did it by direction from the God of Heaven The Sabbath then was daily broken but the Priest excusable For Fathers that affirm the same see Justin Martyr dial qu. 27. ad Orthod Epiphan l. 1. haer 19. n. 5. Hierom. in Psal 92. Athanas de Sabb. Circumcis Aust in Qu. ex N. Test 61. Isidore Pelusiot Epl. 72. l. 1. and divers others These were the Offices of the Priest on the Sabbath day and questionless they were sufficient to take up the time Of any other Sabbath duties by them performed at this present time there is no Constat in the Scripture no nor of any place as yet designed for the performance of such other duties as some conceive to appertain unto the Levites That they were scattered and dispersed over all the Tribes is indeed most true The Curse of Jacob now was become ' a blessing to them Forty-eight Cities had they given them for their inheritance whereof thirteen were proper only to the Priests besides their several sorts of Tithes and what accrewed unto them from the publick sacrifices to an infinite value Yet was not this dispersion of the Tribe of Levi in reference to any Sabbath duties that so they might the better assist the People in the solemnities and sanctifying of that day The Scripture tells us no such matter The reasons manifested in the word were these two especially First that they might be near at hand to instruct the People Levit. 10.10 11. and teach them all the Statutes which the Lord had spoken by the hand of Moses as also to let them know the difference between the holy and unholy the unclean and clean Many particular things there were in the Law Levitical touching pollutions purifyings and the like legal Ordinances which were not necessary to be ordered by the Priests above those that attended at the Altar and were resorted to in most difficult cases Therefore both for the Peoples ease and that the Priests above might not be troubled every day in matters of inferiour moment the Priests and Levites were thus mingled amongst the Tribes A second reason was that there might be as well some nursery to train up the Levites until they were of Age fit for the service of the Tabernacle as also some retirement unto the which they might repair when by the Law they were dismissed from their attendance The number of the Tribe of Levi in the first general muster of them from a month old and upwards was 22000. just out of which number all from 30 years of age to 50. being in all 8580 persons were taken to attend the publick Ministery The residue with their Wives and Daughters were to be severally disposed of in the Cities allotted to them therein to rest themselves with their goods and cattel and do those other Offices above remembred Which Offices as they were the works of every day so if the People came unto them upon the Sabbaths or New-moons as they did on both to be instructed by them in particular cases of the Law 2 King 23. no doubt but they informed them answerably unto their knowledge But this was but occasional only no constant duty Indeed it is conceived by Master Samuel Purchas on the authority of Cornelius Bertram Pilg. almost as modern as himself That the forty-eight Cities of the Levites had their fit places for Assemblies and that thence the Synagogues had their beginnings Which were it so it would be no good argument that in those places of Assemblies the Priests and Levites publickly did expound the Law unto the People on the Sabbath days as after in the Synagogues For where those Cities were but four in every Tribe one with another the People must needs travel more than six furlongs which was a Sabbath days journey of the largest measure as before we noted or else that nice restriction was not then in use And were it that they took the pains to go up unto them yet were not those few Cities able to contain the multitudes When Joab not long after this did muster Israel at the command of david 2 Sam. 24. he found no fewer than thirteen hundred thousand fighting men Suppose we then that unto every one fighting man there were three old Men Women and Children fit to hear the Law as no doubt there were Put these together and it will amount in all to two and fifty hundred thousand Now out of these set by four hundred thousand for Hierusalem and the service there and then there will remain one hundred thousand just which must owe suit and service every Sabbath day to each several City of the Levites Too vast a number to be entertained in any of their Cities and much less in their synagogues had each house been one So that we may resolve for certain that the dispersion of the Levites over all the Tribes had no relation hitherto unto the reading of the Law or any publick Sabbath duties CHAP. VII Touching the keeping of the SABBATH from the time of David to the Maccabees 1. Particular necessities must give place to the Law of Nature 2. That Davids flight from Saul was upon the Sabbath 3. What David did being King of Israel in ordering things about the Sabbath 4. Elijahs flight upon the Sabbath and what else hapned on the Sabbath in Elijah's time 5. The limitation of a Sabbath days journey not known amongst the Jews when Elisha lived 6. The Lord become offended with the Jewish Sabbaths and on what occasion 7. The Sabbath entertained by the Samaritans and their strange niceties therein 8. Whether the Sabbaths were observed during the Captivity 9. The special care of Nehemiah to reform the Sabbath 10. The weekly reading of the Law on the Sabbath days begun by Ezra 11. No Synagogues nor weekly reading of the Law during the Government of the Kings 12. The Scribes and Doctors of the Law impose new rigours on the People about their Sabbaths THUS have we traced the Sabbath from the Mount to Silo the space of forty five years or thereabouts wherein it was observed sometimes and sometimes broken broken by publick order from the Lord himself and broken by the publick practice both of Priest and People No precept in the Decalogue so controuled and justled by the legal Ceremonies forced to give place to Circumcision because the younger and to the legal Sacrifices though it was their elders and all this while no blame or imputation to be laid on them that so prophaned it Men durst not thus have dallied with the other nine no nor with this neither had it
Hierusalem as when the Town was razed by Adrian or after peopled by the Saracens Surely if not before yet then this Duty was to cease and no Collection to be made by those of Corinth and consequently no Lords day to be kept amongst them because no Collection in case Collections for the Saints as some do gather from this place were a sufficient argument to prove the Lords day instituted by divine Authority But let us take the Text with such observations as have been made upon it by the Fathers In locum Vpon the first day of the week i. e. as generally they conceive it on the Lords day And why on that Chrysostom gives this reason of it that so the very day might prompt them to be bountiful to their poor Brethren as being that day whereon they had received such inestimable bounties at the hands of God in the resurrection of our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that Father hath it What to be dene on that day Unusquisque apud se reponat Let every man lay by himself saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He saith not saith St. Chrysostom let every man bring it to the Church And why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for fear lest some might be ashamed at the smallness of their offering but let them lay it by saith be and add unto it week by week that at my coming it may grow to a fit proportion That there be no gathering when I come but that the money may be ready to be sent away immediatly upon my coming and being thus raised up by little and little they might not be so sensible thereos In locum as if upon his coming to them it were to be collected all at once and upon the sudden Vt paulatim reservantes non una bora gravari se putent as St. Hierom hath it Now as it is most clear that this makes nothing for the Lords day or the translation of the Sabbath thereunto by any Apostolical Precept so is it not so clear that this was done upon the first day of the week but that some learned men have made doubt thereof Calvin upon the place takes notice how St. Chrysostom expounds the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Apostle by primo sabbati the first day of the week as the English reads it but likes it not Cui ego non assentior as his phrase is conceiving rather this to be the meaning of St. Paul that on some sabbath day or other until his coming every man should lay up somewhat toward the Collection And in the second of his Institutes he affirms expresly Cap. 8. n. 33. that the day destinate by St. Paul to these Collections was the Sabbath day The like do Victorinus Strigelius Hunnius and Aretius Protestant Writers all note upon the place Singulis sabbatis saith Strigelius per singula sabbata so Aretius diebus sabbatorum saith Egidius Hunnius all rendring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Sabbath days More largely yet Hemingius who in his Comment on the place takes it indefinitely for any day in the week so they fixed on one Vult enim ut quilibet certum diem in septimana constituat in quo apud se seponat quod irrogaturus est in pauperes Take which you will either of the Fathers or the Moderns and we shall find no Lords Day instituted by any Apostolical Mandate no Sabbath set on foot by them upon the first day of the week as some would have it much less that any such Ordinance should be hence collected out of these words of the Apostle Indeed it is not probable that he who so opposed himself against the old Sabbath would crect a new This had not been to abrogate the Ceremony but to change the day whereas he laboured what he could to beat down all the difference of days and times which had been formerly observed In his Epistle to the Galatians written in Anno 59 Cap. 4. v. 10. he lays it home unto their charge that they observed days and months and times and years and seems a little to bewail his own misfortune and if he had bestowed his labour in vain amongst them I know it is conceived by some that St. Paul spake it of the observation of those days and times that had been used among the Gentiles and so had no relation to the Jewish Sabbath or any difference of times observed amongst them Saint Ambrose so conceived it and so did St. Augustine Dies observant In locum qui dicunt crastino non est proficiscendum c. They observe days who say I will not go abroad to morrow or begin any work upon such a day because of some unfortunate aspect as St. Ambrose hath it from whom it seems Saint Augustine learnt it who in his 119 Epistle directly falls upon the very same expression Eos inculpat qui dicunt non proficiscor quia posterus dies est aut quia luna sic fertur vel proficiscar ut prospere cedat quia ita se babet positio syderum c. The like conceit he hath in his Encheiridion ad Laurentium cap. 79. But whatsoever St. Ambrose did St. Augustine lived I am sure to correct his errour observing very rightly that his former doctrine could not consist with St. Pauls purpose in that place which was to beat down that esteem which the Jews had amongst them of the Mosaical Ordinances their New moons and Sabbaths I shall report the place at large for the better clearing of the point Vulgatissiâ—nus est Gentilium error ut vel in agendis rebus vel expectandis eventabus vitae ac negotiorum suorum ab Astrologis Chaldeis notatos dies observent This was the ground whereon he built his former errour Then followeth the correction of it Fortasse tamen non opus est ut baec de Gentilium errore intelligamus ne intentionem causae mark that quam ab exordio susceptam ad finem usque perducit subito in alind temere detorquere velle vide imur sed de his potius de quibus cavendis eum agere per totam Epistolam apparet Nam Judaei serviliter observant dies menses annos tempora in carnali observatione sabbati neomeniae c. But yet perhaps saith he it is not necessary that we should understand this of the Gentiles lest so we vary from the scope and purpose of the Apostle but rather of those men of the avoiding of whose Doctrines he seems to treat in all this Epistle which were the Jews who in their carnal keeping of New-moons and Sabbaths did observe days and years and times as he here objecteth Compare this with Saint Hieroms Preface to the Galatians and then the matter will be clear Cap. 8. n. 33. that St. Paul meant not this of any Heathenish but of the Jewish observation of days and times So in the Epistle to the Colossians writ in the sixtieth
met together for religious exercises Which their religious exercises when they were performed or if the times were such that their Assemblies were prohibited and so none were performed at all it was not held unlawful to apply themselves unto their ordinary labours as we shall see anon in the following Ages For whereas some have gathered from this Text of the Revelation from S. John's being in the spirit on the Lords day as the phrase there is that the Lords day is wholly to be spent in spiritual exercises that their conceit might probably have had some shew of likelihood had it been said by the Apostle that he had been in the spirit every Lords day But being as it is a particular case it can make no rule unless it be that every man on the Lords day should have Dreams and Visions and be inspired that day with the spirit of Prophecy no more than if it had been told us upon what day Saint Paul had been rapt up into the third Heaven every man should upon that day expect the like Celestial raptures Add here how it is thought by some â—â—omarus de â— abbat c. 6. that the Lords day here mentioned is not to be interpreted of the first day of the week as we use to take it but of the day of his last coming of the day of judgment wherein all flesh shall come together to receive their sentence which being called the Lords day too in holy Scripture that so the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.5 S. John might see it being rapt in spirit as if come already But touching this we will not meddle let them that own it look unto it the rather since S. John hath generally been expounded in the other sence by Aretas and Andreas Caesariensis upon the place by Bede de rat temp c. 6. and by the suffrage of the Church the best expositor of Gods Word wherein this day hath constantly since the time of that Apostle been honoured with that name above other days Which day how it was afterwards observed and how far different it was thought from a Sabbath day the prosecution of this story will make clear and evident CHAP. II. In what estate the Lords day stood from the death of the Apostles to the reign of Constantine 1. Touching the orders setled by the Apostles for the Congregation 2. The Lords day and the Saturday both Festivals and both alike observed in the East in Ignatius time 3. The Saturday not without great difficulty made a Fasting day 4. The Controversie about keeping Easter and how much it conduceth to the present business 5. The Feast of Easter not affixed to the Lords day without much opposition of the Eastern Churches 6. What Justin Martyr and Dionysius of Corinth have left us of the Lords day Clements of Alexandria his dislike thereof 7. Vpon what grounds the Christians of the former times used to pray standing on the Lords day and the time of Penteco st 8. What is recorded by Tertullian of the Lords day and the Assemblies of the Church 9. Origen as his Master Clemens had done before dislikes set days for the Assembly 10. S. Cyprian what he tells us of the Lords day and of the reading of the Scriptures in S. Cyprians time 11. Of other holy days established in these three first Ages and that they were observed as solemnly as the Lords day was 12. The name of Sunday often used for the Lords day by the primitive Christians but the Sabbath never WE she wed you in the former Chapter whatever doth occur in the Acts and Monuments of the Apostles touching the Lords day and the Sabbath how that the one of them was abrogated as a part of the Law of Moses the other rising by degrees from the ruins of it not by Authority divine for ought appears but by Authority of the Church As for the duties of that day they were most likely such as formerly had been used in the Jewish Synagogues reading the Law and Prophets openly to the Congregation and afterwards expounding part thereof as occasion was calling upon the Lord their God for the continuance of his mercies and singing Psalms and Hymns unto him as by way of thankfulness These the Apostles found in the Jewish Church and well approving of the same as they could not otherwise commended them unto the care of the Disciples by them to be observed as often as they met together on what day soever First for the reading of the Law In Jos hom 15. Origen saith expresly that it was ordered so by the Apostles Judaicarum historiarum libri traditi sunt ab Apostolis legendi in Ecclesiis as he there informs us To this was joyned in tract of time the reading of the holy Gospel and other Evangelical writings it being ordered by S. Peter that S. Marks Gospel should be read in the Congregation HIst l. 2.15 1 Thes ca. ult v. 17. as Eusebius tells us and by S. Paul that his Epistle to the Thessalonians should be read unto all the holy Brethren and also that to the Colossians to be read in the Church of the Laodiceans as that from Laodicea in the Church of the Colossians By which example Ca. ult v. 16. not only all the writings of the Apostles but many of the writings of Apostolical men were publickly read unto the People and for that purpose one appointed to exercise the ministry of a Reader in the Congregation So antient is the reading of the Scriptures in the Church of God To this by way of comment or application was added as we find by S. Paul's directions the use of Prophesie or Preaching 1 Cor. 14. v. 3. interpretation of the Scriptures to edifying and to exhortation and to comfort This exercise to be performed with the head uncovered as well the Preacher as the hearer 1 Cor. 11.4 Every man Praying or Prophesying with his head covered dishonoureth his head as the Apostle hath informed us Where we have publick Prayers also for the Congregation the Priest to offer to the Lord the prayers and supplications of the People and they to say Amen unto those prayers which the Priest made for them These to contein in them all things necessary for the Church of God which are the subject of all supplications prayers intercessions 1 Tim. 2. and giving of thanks and to extend to all men also especially unto Kings and such as be in Authority that under them we may be godly and quietly governed leading a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty For the performance of which last duties with the greater comfort it was disposed that Psalms and Hymns should be intermingled with the rest of the publick service which comprehending whatsoever is most excellent in the Book of God and being so many notable forms of praise and prayer were chearfully and unanimously to be sung amongst them 1 Cor. 14.26 And thereupon S. Paul reprehended
those of Corinth in that they joyn'd not with the Assembly but had their Psalms unto themselves Whereby it seems that they had left the true use of Psalms which being so many acclamations exultations and holy provocations to give God the glory were to be sung together by the whole Assembly their singing at that time being little more than a melodious kind of pronuntiation such as is commonly now used in singing of the ordinary Psalms and Prayers in Cathedral Churches And so it stood till in the entrance of this Age Ignatius Bishop of Antiochia one who was conversant with the Apostles brought in the use of singing alternatim course by course according as it still continues in our publick Quires where one side answers to another some shew whereof is left in Parochial Churches in which the Minister and the People answer one another in their several turns Hist li. 6. c. 8. To him doth Socrates refer it and withal affirms that he first learnt it of the Angels whom in a vision he had heard to sing the praise of God after such a manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that Author hath it Hist l. 2. c. 24. And where Theodoret doth refer it to Flavianus and Diodorus Priests of Antiochia during the busilings of the Arian Hereticks In Damaso and Platina unto Damasus Pope of Rome Theodoret is to be interpreted of the restitution of this custom having been left off and Platina of the bringing of it into the Western Churches For that it was in use in Ignatius time who suffered in the time of Trajan and therefore probably begun by him as is said by Socrates is evident by that which Pliny signified to the self same Trajan where he informs him of the Christians Quod soliti essent stato die ante lucem convenire carmenque Christo tanquam Deo dicere secum invicem c. Their greatest crime said he was this that at a certain day but what that day was that he tells not they did meet together before day-light and there sing hymns to Christ as unto a God one with another in their courses and after bind themselves together by a common Sacrament not unto any wicked or unjust attempt but to live orderly without committing Robbery Theft Adultery or the like offences Now for the day there meant by Pliny it must be Saturday or Sunday if it were not both both of them being in those times and in those parts where Pliny lived in especial honour as may be gathered from Ignatius who at that time flourished For demonstration of the which we must first take notice how that the world as then was very full of dangerous fancies and heretical dotages whereby the Church was much disquieted and Gods worship hindred The Ebionites they stood hard for the Jewish Sabbath and would by all means have it celebrated as it had been formerly observing yet the Lords day as the Christians did in honour of the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eusebius tells Hist l. 3. c.x. 3. The like saith Epiphanius of them l. 1. Haeres 30. n. 2. And on the other side there was a sort of Hereticks in the Eastern parts whereof see Irenaeus li. 1. ca. 20.21 22 23 24 25. who thought that this world being corruptible could not be made but by a very evil Author Therefore as the Jews did by the festival solemnity of their Sabbath rejoyce in God that created the world as in the Author of all goodness so they in hatred of the maker of the world sorrowed and wept and fasted on that day as being the birth-day of all evil And whereas Christian men of sound belief did solemnize the Sunday in a joyful memory of Christs Resurrection So likewise at that self same time such Hereticks as denied the Resurrection did contrary to them that held it and fasted when the rest rejoyced For the expressing of which two last Heresies Ignat. it was that he affirmed with such zeal and earnestness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any one did fast either upon the Lords day or the Sabbath except one Sabbath in the year which was Easter Eve he was a murderer of Christ So he in his Epistle ad Philippenses Cax 65. The Canons attributed to the Apostles take notice of the misdemeanor though they condemn it not with so high a censure it being in them only ordered that if a Clergy-man offended in that kind he should be degraded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if any of the Laity they should be excommunicated Which makes me marvel by the way that those which take such pains to justifie Ignatius as Baronius doth in Ann. 57. of his grand Annales should yet condemn this Canon of imposture which is not so severe as Ignatius is only because it speaks against the Saturdays fast Whereof consult the Annales Ann. 102. Now as Ignatius labours here to advance the Sabbath in opposition of those Hereticks before remembred making it equally a festival with the Lords day so being to deal with those which too much magnified the Sabbath and thought the Christians bound unto it as the Jews had been he bends himself another way and resolves it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let us not keep the Sabbath in a Jewish manner in sloth and idleness for it is written that he that will not labour shall not eat and in the sweat of thy brows shalt thou eat thy bread But let us keep it after a spiritual fashion not in bodily ease but in the study of the Law not eating meat drest yesterday or drinking luke-warm drinks or walking out a limited space or setling our delights as they did on dancing but in the contemplation of the works of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And after we have so kept the Sabbath let every one that loveth Christ keep the Lords day Festival the Resurrection day the Queen and Empress of all days in which our life was raised again and death was overcome by our Lord and Saviour So that we see that he would have both days observed the Sabbath first though not as would the Ebionites in a Jewish sort and after that the Lords day which he so much magnifieth the better to abate that high esteem which some had cast upon the Sabbath Agreeable unto this we find that in the Constitutions of the Apostles for by that name they pass though not made by them both days are ordered to be kept Holy one in memorial of the Creation the other of the Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the like l. 8. c. 33. Of which more hereafter And so it was observed in the Eastern parts where those of the dispension had took up their seats and having long time had their meetings on the Sabbath day could not so easily be persuaded from it But in the Western Churches in the which the Jews were not so considerable and where those
the Scriptures only were in those times read publickly in the Congregation but the Epistles and discourses of such Learned men as had been eminent for place and piety as in the after-times on defect of Sermons it was the custom of the Church to read the Homilies of the Fathers for their edification Conciliorum Tom. 2. Concerning which it was ordained in a Council at Vaux Anno 444. that if the Priest were sick or otherwise infirm so that he could not preach himself the Deacons should rehearse some Homily of the holy Fathers Si presbyter aliqua infirmitate prohibente per seipsum non potuerit praedicare sanctorum Patrum homiliae à Diaconibus recitentur so the Council ordered it The third and last Writer of this Century which gives us any thing of the Lords day Strom. l. 7. is Clemens Alexandrinus he flourished in the year 190. who though he fetch the pedegree of the Lords day even as far as Plato which before we noted yet he seems well enough contented that the Lords day should not be observed at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We ought saith he to honour and to reverence him whom we are verily persuaded to be the Word our Saviour and our Captain and in him the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in selected times as some do amongst us but always during our whole lives and on all occasions The Royal Prophet tells us that he preaised God seven times a day Whence he that understands himself stands not upon determinate places or appointed Temples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much less on any Festivals or days assigned but in all places honours God though he be alone And a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. making our whole lives a continual Festival and knowing God to be every where we praise him sometimes in the fields and sometimes sailing on the Seas and finally in all the times of our life whatever So in another place of the self-same Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He that doth lead his life according to the Ordinances of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then keeps the Lords day when he casts away every evil thought and doing things with knowledge and understanding doth glorifie the Lord in his Resurrection By which it seems that whatsoever estimation the Lords day had attained unto at Rome and Corinth yet either it was not so much esteemed at Alexandria or else this Clemens did not think so rightly of it as he should have done Now in the place of Justin Martyr before remembred there is one special circumstance to be considered in reference to our present search for I say nothing here of mingling water with the Wine in the holy Sacrament as not conducing to the business which we have in hand This is that in their Sundays service they did use to stand during the time they made their Prayers unto the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his words there are Such was the custom of this time and a long time after that though they kneeled on other days yet on the Lords day they prayed always standing Yet not upon the Lords day only but every day from Easter unto Pentecost The reason is thus given by him who made the Responsions ascribed to Justin That so saith he we might take notice as of our fall by sin so of our restitution by the grace of Christ Resp ad qu. 105. Six days we pray upon our knees and that 's in token of our fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But on the Lords day we bow not the knee in token of the Resurrection by which according to the Grace of Christ we are set free from sin and the powers of death The like saith he is to be said of the days of Pentecost which custom as he tells us and cites Irenaeus for his Author did take beginning even in the times of the Apostles Rather we may conceive that they used this Ceremony to testifie their faith in the Refurrection of our Lord and Saviour which many Hereticks of those times did publickly gain-say as before we noted and shall speak more thereof hereafter But whatsoever was the reason it continued long and was confirm'd particularly by the great Synod of Nice what time some People had begun to neglect this custom The Synod therefore thus determined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that forasmuch as some did use to kneel on the Lords day Can. 20. and the time of Pentecost that all things in all places might be done with an uniformity it pleased the holy Synod to decree it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that men should stand at those times when they made their prayers For Fathers which avow this custom consult Tertullian lib. de corona mil. S. Basil l. de Sp. S. c. 27. S. Hierom. adv Luciferian S. Austin Epist 118. S. Hilaries Praefat. in Psalm Ambros Serm. 62. and divers others What time this custom was laid by I can hardly say but sure I am it was not laid aside in a long time after not till the time of Pope Alexander the third who lived about the year 1160. Decret l. 2. tit 9. c. 2. For in a Decretal of his confirmatory of the former custom it was prohibited to kneel on the times remembred Nisi aliquis ex devotioned id velit facere in secreto unless some out of pure devotion did it secretly Which dispensation probably occasioned the neglect thereof in the times succeeding the rather since those Hereticks who formerly had denied the resurrection were now quite exterminated This circumstance we have considered the more at large as being the most especial difference whereby the Sundays service was distinguished from the week-days worship in these present times whereof we write And yet the difference was not such that it was proper to the Lords day only but if it were a badge of honour communicated unto more than forty other days Of which more anon But being it was an Ecclesiastical and occasional custom the Church which first ordained it let it fall again by the same Authority In the third Century the first we meet with is Tertullian who flourished in the very first beginnings of it by whom this day is called by three several names For first he calls it Dies solis Sunday as commonly we now call it and saith that they did dedicate the same unto mirth and gladness not to devotion altogether Diem solis laetitiae indulgemus Cap. 16. in his Apologetick The same name is used by Justin Martyr in the passages before remembred partly because being to write to an Heathen Magistrate it had not been so proper to call it by the name of the Lords day which name they knew not and partly that delivering the form and substance of their service done upon that day they might the better quit themselves from being worshippers of the Sun as the Gentiles thought For by their meetings on this
Sabbath knowest thou not that these days are Sisters and that whoever doth despise the one doth affront the other Sisters indeed and so accounted in those Churches not only in regard of the publick meetings but in this also that they were both exempt from the Lenten Fast of which more anon In the mean time we may remember how Saturday is by S. Basil made one of those four times whereon the Christians of those parts did assemble weekly to receive the Sacrament as before we noted And finally it is said by Epiphanius that howsoever it was not so in the Isle of Cyprus which it seems held more correspondence with the Church of Rome than those of Asia Expos fidei Cathol 24. yet in some places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they used to celebrate the holy Sacrament and hold their publick meetings on the Sabbath day So as the difference was but this that whereas in the Eastern and Western Churches several days were in commission for Gods publick service the Lords day in both places was of the Quorum and therefore had the greater worship because more business They held their publick Meetings on the Sabbath-day yet did not keep it like a Sabbath The Fathers of this learned Age knew that Sabbath hath been abrogated and profest as much The Council of Laodicea before remembred though it ascribe much to this day in reference to the Congregations then held upon it yet it condemns the Jewish observations of the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is not fit for Christians saith the 29. Canon to Judaize and do no manner of work on the Sabbath days but to pursue their ordinary labours on it Conceive it so far forth as they were no impediment to the publick Meetings then appointed And in the close of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any should be found so to play the Jews let them be Anathema So Athanasius though he defend the publick Meetings on this day stands strongly notwithstanding for the abrogation of the Jewish Sabbath Not on the by but in a whole discourse writ and continued especially for that end and purpose entituled De Sabbato circumcisione One might conjecture by the title by coupling of these two together what his meaning was that he contrived them both to be of the same condition And in his homily De semente he tells us of the New-moons and Sabbaths that they were Ushers unto Christ and to be in Authority till the Master came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Master being come the Usher grew out of all imployment the Sun once risen v.p. 1. chap. 8. the Lamp was darkened To other of the Fathers which have said as much and whereof we have spoken in a place more proper add Nazianz. Orat. 43. S. Cyril of Hierusalem Cat. 4. and Epiphanius in the confutation of those several Hereticks that held the Sabbath for a necessary part of Gods publick worship and to be now observed as before it was Of which kind over and above the Ebionites and Cerinthians which before we spake of were the Nazarai in the second Century who as this Epiphanius tell us differed both from the Jew and Christian First from the Jew in that they did believe in Christ next from the Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that they still retain the Law as Circumcision and the Sabbath and such things as those And these I have the rather noted in this place and time as being Cont. Cresconium l. 8. so Saint Austin tells us the Ancestors or Original of the Symmachiani who held out till this very Age and stood as much for Sabbaths and legal ceremonies as their founders did whereof consult S. Ambroses preface to the Galatians Now as these Nazarens or Symmachiani had made a mixt Religion of Jew and Christian Nazianz. Orat. 19. so did another sort of Hereticks in these present times contrive a miscellany of the Jew and Gentile Idols and Sacrifices they would not have and yet they worshipped the Fire and Candle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Sabbath also they much reverenced and stood upon the difference of unclean and clean yet by no means would be induced to like of Circumcision These they called Hypsistarij or rather so those doughty fellows pleased to call themselves Add here that it was counted one of the great dotages of Appollinaris and afterwards of all his sect viz. that after the last Resurrection every thing should be done again Basil ep 74. according to the former Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That we should be circumcised and observe the Sabbath and abstein from meats and offer Sacrifice and finally of Christians become Jews again Than which saith Basil who reports it what can be more absurd or more repugnant to the Gospel By which it is most plain and certain that though the Christians of the East retained the Saturday for a day of publick meeting yet they did never mean it to be a Sabbath reckoning them all for Hereticks that so observed it Next let us look upon the Sunday what they did on that For though it pleased the Emperor by his royal Edict to permit works of Husbandry in the Country and manumissions in the Cities on that sacred day yet probably there were some pure and pious souls who would not take the benefit of the declaration or think themselves beholden to him for so injurious and profane a dispensation This we will search into exactly that so the truth may be discovered And first beginning with the Council of Eliberis a Town of Spain in the beginning of this Age it was thus decreed Can. 21. Si quis in civitate positus per tres dominicas ecclesiam non accesserit tanto tempore abstineat ut correptus esse videatur If any Inhabitant of the Cities absent himself from Church three Lords days together let him be kept as long from the holy Sacrament that he may seem corrected for it Where note Si quis in civitate positus the Canon reacheth unto such only as dwelt in Cities near the Church and had no great business those of the Country being left unto their Husbandry and the like affairs no otherwise than in the Emperours Edict which came after this And in the Council of Laodicea not long after Can. 29. which clearly gave the Lords day place before the Sabbath it is commanded that the Christians should not Judaize on the Sabbath day but that they should prefer the Lords day before it and rest thereon from labour if at least they could but as Christians still The Canon is imperfect as it stands in the Greek Text of Binius edition no sense to be collected from it But the translation of Dionysius Exiguus which he acknowledgeth to be more near the Greek than the other two makes the meaning up Diem dominicum praeferentes ociari oportet si modo possint And this agreeably both unto Zonaras the Balsamon who
specified and to the course whereof the Council held at Orleans gave so wise a check but by imputing such Calamities as had fallen amongst them to the neglect or ill observance of this day A flash of Lightning or some other fire from Heaven as it was conceived had on the Lords day made great spoil of men and houses in the City of Limoges This Gregory of Tours who lived about the end of this sixth Century pronounceth to have fallen upon them ob diei dominici injuriam because some of them used to work upon the Sunday But how could he tell that or who made him acquainted with Gods secret counsels Had Gregory been Bishop of Limoges as he was of Tours it may be Limoges might have scaped so fierce a censure and only Tours have suffered in it For presently he adds in Turonico vero nonnulli ab hoc igne sed non die dominico adusti sunt that even in Tours it self many had perished by the self same fire but being it fell not on the Sunday as it did at Limoges therefore that misery fell on them for some other reason Indeed he tells us of this day that being it was the day whereon God made the light and after was the witness of our Saviours resurrection Ideo omni fide à Christianis observari debet ne fiat in eo omne opus publicum therefore it was to be observed of every Christian no manner of publick business to be done upon it A piece of new Divinity and never heard of till this Age nor in any afterwards Not heard of till this Age but in this it was For in the 24th year of Gunthram King of the Burgundians Conc. Matisonens 11. Can. 1. Anno 588. there was a Council called at Mascon a Town situate in the Duchy of Burgundy as we now distinguish it wherein were present Priscus Evantius Praetextatus and many other reverend and learned Prelates They taking into consideration how much the Lords day was of late neglected for remedy thereof ordained that it should be observed more carefully for the times to come Which Canon I shall therefore set down at large because it hath been often produced as a principal ground of those precise observances which some amongst us have endeavoured to force upon the consciences of weak and ignorant men It is as followeth Videmus populum Christianum temerario more diem dominicum contemptui tradere c. It is observed that Christian people do very rashly slight and neglect the Lords day giving themselves thereon as on other days to continual labours c. Therefore let every Christian in case be carry not that name in vain give ear to our instruction knowing that we have care that you should do well as well as power to bridle you that you do not ill It followeth Custodite diem dominicum qui nos denuo peperit c. Keep the Lords day the day of our new birth whereon we were delivered from the snares of sin Let no man meddle in litigious Controversies or deal in Actions or Law-suits or put himself at all upon such an exigent that needs he must prepare his Oxen for their daily work but exercise your selves in Hymns and singing Praises unto God being intent thereon both in mind and body If any have a Church at hand let him to unto it and there pour forth his soul in tears and prayers his eyes and hands being all that day lifted up to God It is the everlasting day of rest insinuated to us under the shadow of the seventh day or Sabbath in the Law and the Prophets and therefore it is very meet that we should celebrate this day with one accord whereon we have been made what at first we were not Let us then offer unto God our free and voluntary service by those great goodness we are freed from the Goal of errour not that the Lord exacts it of us that we should celebrate this day in a corporal abstinence or rest from labour who only looks that we do yield obedience to his holy will by which contemning earthly things he may conduct us to the heavens of his infinite mercy However if any man shall set at nought this our exhortation be he assured that God shall punish him as he hath deserved and that he shall be also subject unto the censures of the Church In case he be a Lawyer he shall lose his cause if that he be an Husbandman or Servant he shall be corporally punished for it but if a Clergy-man or Monk he shall be six months separated from the Congregation Add here that two years after this being the second year of the second Clotaire King of France there was a Synod holden at Auxerre a Town of Champagne concilium Antisiodorense in the Latin Writers wherein in it was decreed as in this of Mascon Non licet die dominico boves jungere vel alia opera exercere no man should be suffered to yoak his Oxen or do any manner of work upon the Sunday This is the Canon so much urged I mean that of Mascon to prove that we must spend the Lords day wholly in religious exercises and that there is no part thereof which is to be imployed unto other uses But there are many things to be considered before we yield unto this Canon or the authority thereof some of them being of that nature that those who most insist upon it must be fain to traverse For first it was contrived of purpose with so great a strictness to meet the better with those men which so extreamly had neglected that sacred day A stick that bends too much one way cannot be brought to any straightness till it be bent as much the other This Synod secondly was Provincial only and therefore can oblige none other but those for whom it was intended or such who after did submit unto it by taking it into their Canon Nor will some part thereof be approved by them who most stand upon it none being bound hereby to repair to Church to magnifie the name of God in the Congregation but such as have some Church at hand and what will then become of those that have a mile two three or more to their Parish Churches and no Chappel neither they are permitted by the Canon to abide at home As for Religious duties here are none expressed as proper for the Congregation but Psalms and Hymns and singing Praise unto the Lord and pouring forth our souls unto him in tears and prayers and then what shall we do for Preaching for Preaching of the Word which we so much call for Besides King Gunthram on whose Authority this Council met in his Confirmatory Letters doth extend this Canon as well unto the other Holy-days as unto the Sunday commanding all his Subjects Vigore hujus decreti definitionis generalis by vertue of his present mandate that on the Lords day vel in quibuscunque alijs solennitatibus and all solemn
upon the Lords day shall yoak his Oxen and drive forth his wain dextrum bovem perdat his right hand Oxe shall be forthwith forfeit if he make Hay or carry it in if he now Corn or carry it in let him be once or twice admonished and if he amend not thereupon let him receive no less than 50 stripes Yet notwithstanding all this care when Charles the Great being King of France had mastered Germany which was 789. or thereabouts there had been little reformation in this point amongst them Therefore that Prince first published his own Regal Edict grounding himself secundum quod in lege praecepit dominus upon the prescript of Gods Law and there commands that all men do abstain from the works of Husbandry Which Edict since it speaks of more particulars at that time prohibited we will speak more thereof anon That not prevailing as it seems he caused five several Synods to be assembled at one time Anno 813. at Mentz at Rhemes at Tours at Chalons and Arles in all of which it was concluded against the Husband-man and many others more as we shall see in the next Section And yet we find some grudging still of the old disease as is apparent by a Synod held at Rome Anno 826. under Eugenius the second chap. 30. another in the same place Anno 853. under Leo the fourth Can. 30. the like in that of Compeigne held by Alexander the third what time he lived an exile in the Realm of France So for restraint of Law days or Courts of judgment those chiefly that determined of mens lives it was not brought about in these Western parts without great difficulty Witness besides the several Imperial Edicts before remembred Conc. Mogunt Anno. 813. Can. 37. Rhemens Can. 35. Turonens Can. 40. Arelatens Can. 16. being four of those Councils which were called by Charles as before was said as also that of Aken Anno 836. Can. 20. And though it was determined in the Roman Synod under Leo the fourth that no suspected person should receive judgment on that day a clause being added in the Canâ—â— legibus infirmari judicium eo die depromptum that all Acts sped upon that day were void in Law yet more than 300 years after it was so resolved of was Alexander the third in Council of Compeigne before remembred enforced particularly to revive it and then and there to set it down Ne aliquis ad mortem vel ad poenam judicetur that no man should upon that day be doomed to death or otherwise condemned unto bodily punishment So difficult a thing it was to wean the People from their labours and other civil business unto which they had been accustomed there being nothing to inforce or induce them to it but humane authority On the same reason as it seems Leo Philosophus Emperour of Constantinople did make use of Scripture when in conformity with the Western Churches he purposed to restrain the works of Husbandry on that day which till his time had been permitted The Emperour Constantine had ordained as before was shewn that all Artificers and such as dwelt in Cities should on the Sunday leave their trades but by the same Edict gave licence to the Husbandman to pursue his business as well upon that day as on any other But contrary this Leo surnamed Philosophus he began his Reign Ann 886. grounding himself for so he tells us on the Authority of the Holy Ghost and of the Apostles but where he sound that warrant from the Holy Ghost and from the holy Apostles that he tells us not restrained the Husbandman from his work as well as men of other callings Nicephorus mistakes the man and attributes it to the former Leo whom before we spake of in our fourth Chapter Eccl. hist c. 22. Quo tempore primus etiam Leo constitutione lata ut dies dominicus ab omnibus absque labore omni per ocium transigeretur festusque venerabilis esset quemadmodum divis Apostolis visum est praecepit Where the last clause with the substance of the Edict make the matter plain that he mistook the man though he hit the busineses the former Leo using no such motive in all his Edict Constit 54. But take it from the Emperour himself who having told us first that the Lords day was to be honoured with rest from labour adds next that he had seen a Law he means that of Constantine quae non omnes simul operari prohibendos nonnullosque uti operentur indulgendum censuit which having not restrained all works but permitted some did upon no sufficient reason dishonour that so sacred day Then followeth Statuimus nos etiam quod Sp. Sancto ab ipsoque institutis Apostolis placuit ut omnes in die sacro c. Ã labore vacent Neque Agricolae c. It is our will saith he according to the true meaning of the Holy Ghost and of the Apostles by him directed that on that sacred day whereon we were restored unto our integrity all men should rest themselves and surcease from labour neither the Husbandmen nor others putting their hand that day to prohibited work For if the Jews did so much reverence their Sabbath which only was a shadow of ours are not we which inhabit light and the truth of grace obliged to honour that day which the Lord hath honoured and hath therein delivered us both from dishonour and from death Are not we bound to keep it singularly and inviolably sufficiently contented with a liberal grant of all the rest and not encroaching on that one which God hath chosen for his service Nay were it not a retchless slighting and contempt of all Religion to make that day common and think that we may do thereon as we do on others So far this Emperour determins of it first and disputes it afterwards I only note it for the close that it was near 900 years from our Saviours birth if not quite so much before restraint of Husbandry on this day had been first thought of in the East and probably being thus restrained did find no more obedience there than it had done before in the Western parts As great a difficulty did it prove to restrain other things in these times projected although they carried it at the last The Emperour Constantine had before commanded that all Artificers in the Cities should surcease from labour on the Lords day as well as those whom he imployed in his seats of justice and questionless he found obedience answerable to his expectation But when the Western parts became a prey to new Kings and Nations and that those Kings and Nations had admitted the Laws of Christ yet did they not conceive it necessary to submit themselves to the Laws of Constantine and therefore followed their imployments as before they did And so it stood until the time of Charles the Great who in the year 789. published his regal Edict in this form that followeth In Legib.
Enemy be at hand though otherwise not to be done where no danger was These are the special points observed and published by Tostatus And these I have the rather exactly noted partly that we may see in what estate the Lords day and the other Holy days were in the Church of Rome what time the reformation of Religion was first set on foot but principally to let others see how near they come in their new fancies and devices unto the Niceties of those men whom they most abhor Thus stood it as before I said both for the Doctrine and the Practice till men began to look into the Errours and abuses in the Roman Church with a more serious eye than before they did and at first sight they found what little pleased them in this particular Their Doctrine pleased them not in making one day holier than another not only in relation to the use made of them but to a natural and inherent holiness wherewith they thought they were invested Nor did their practice please much more in that they had imposed so many burdens of restraint upon the consciences of Gods people and thereby made that day a punishment which was intended for the ease of the labouring man Against the doctrine of these men and the whole practice of that Church Calvin declares himself in his book of Institutions And therewith taxeth those of Rome L. 2. cap. 8. p. 34. qui Judaica opinione populum superioribus seculis imbuerunt who in the times before possessed the peoples minds with so much Judaism that they had changed the day indeed as in dishonour of the Jew but otherwise retained the former sanctity thereof which needs must be saith he if there remain with us as the Papists taught the same opinion of the mysteries and various significations of days and times which the Jews once had And certainly saith he we see what dangerous effects have followed on so false a Doctrine those which adhere to their instructions having exceedingly out gone the Jews crassa carnalique Sabbatismi superstitione in their gross and carnal superstitions about the Sabbath In Apocal. 1. v. 10. Beza his Scholar and Achates sings the self-same Song that howsoever the Assemblies of the Lords day were of Apostolical and divine Tradition sic tamen ut Judaica cessatio ab omni opere non observaretur quoniam hoc plane fuisset Judaismum non abolere sed tantum quod ad diem attinet immutare yet so that there was no cessation from work required as was observed among the Jews For that saith he had not so much abolished Judaism as put it off and changed it to another day And then he adds that this cessation was first brought in by Constantine and afterwards confirmed with more and more restraints by the following Emperours by means of which it came to pass that that which first was done for a good intent viz. that men being free from their worldly businesses might wholly give themselves to hearing of the Word of God in merum Judaismum degenerarit degnerated at the last into down-right Judaism So for the Lutheran Churches Chemnitius challengeth the Romanists of superstition quasi dominicae diei reliquis diebus festis per se peculiaris quaedam insit sanctitas because they taught the people that the Holy days considered only in themselves had a Native Sanctity And howsoever for his part he think it requisite that men should be restrained from all such works as may be any hinderance unto the sanctifying of the day yet he accounts it but a part of the Jewish leaven nimis scrupulose diebus festis prohibere operas externas quie vel quando non impediunt publicum ministerium so scrupulously to prohibit such external Actions which are at all no hindrance to Gods publick service and mans Sabbath Duties Bueer goes further yet and doth not only call it a superstition In Mat. 12. but an Apostacy from Christ to think that working on the Lords day in it self considered is a sinful thing Si existimetur operari in eo die per se esse peccatum superstitio gratiae Christi qui ab elementis mundi nos suo sanguine liberavit negatio est as his own words are Then adds that he did very well approve of the Lords day meetings si eximatur è cordibus hominum opinio necessitatis if men were once dispossessed of these opinions that the day was necessary to be kept that it was holier in it self than the other days and that to work upon that day in it self was sinful Lastly the Churches of the Switzers profess in their Confession that in the keeping of the Lords day they give not the least hint to any Jewish superstitions Neque enim alteram diem altera sanctiorem esse credimus nec otium Deo per se probari existimamus For neither Cap. 24. as they said do we conceive one day to be more holy than another or think that rest from labour in it self considered is any way pleasing unto God By which we plainly may perceive what is the judgment of the Protestant Churches in the present point Indeed It is not to be thought that they could otherwise resolve and determine of it considering what their Doctrine is of the day it self how different they make it from a Sabbath day which Doctrine that we may perceive with the greater ease we will consider it in three Propositions in which most agree 1. That the keeping holy one day of seven is not the Moral part of the fourth Commandment or to be reckoned as a part of the law of Nature 2. That the Lords day is not founded on Divine Commandment but only on the authority of the Church and 3. That the Church hath still authority to change the day and to transfer it to some other First for the first it seems that some of Rome considering the restraints before remembred and the new Doctrine thence arising about the Natural and inherent holiness which one day had above another had altered what was formerly delivered amongst the Schoolmen and made the keeping of one day in seven to be the Moral part of the fourth Commandment This Calvin chargeth them withal that they had taught the people in the former times Instit l. 1. Cap. 8.11 34. that whatsover was ceremonial in the fourth Commandment which was the keeping of the Jews seventh day had been long since abrogated remanere vero quod morale est nempe unius diei observationem in hebdomade but that the moral part thereof which was the keeping of one day in seven did continue still With what else is it as before was said than in dishonour of the Jews to change the day and to affix as great a sanctity thereunto as the Jews ever did And for his own part he professeth that howsoever he approved of the Lords day meetings Non tamen numerum septennarium ita se morari ut ejus servituti Ecclesias
having built that Church unto the honour of God and memory of Saint Peter invited Mellitus Bishop of London Adredus de Gestis Edwardi on a day appointed unto the consecration of it The night before S. Peter coming to the further side crosseth the Ferry goes into the Church and with a great deal of celestial musick lights and company performs that office for the dispatch of which Mellitus had been invited This done and being wafted back to the further side he gives the Ferri-man for his fare a good draught of Fishes only commanding him to carry one of them which was the best for price and beauty for a present from him to Mellitus in testimony that the work was done to his hand already Then telling who he was he adds that he and his Posterity the whole race of Fisher-men should be long after stored with that kind of Fish tantum ne ultra piscari audeatis in die Dominica provided always that they fished no more upon the Sunday Aldredus so reports the story And though it might be true as unto the times wherein he lived which was in the declining of the twelfth Century that Fishing on the Lords day was restrained by Law yet sure he placed this story ill in giving this injunction from St. Peter in those early days when such restraints were hardly setled if in a Church new planted they had yet been spoken of Leaving this therefore as a fable let us next look on Beda what he hath left us of this day in reference to our Ancestors of the Saxons-Race and many things we find in him worth our observation Before we shewed you how the Sunday was esteemed a Festival that it was judged heretical to hold Fasts thereon Hist l. 3. c. 23. This Ordinance came in amongst us with the faith it self S. Chadd having a place designed him by King Oswald to erect a Monastery did presently retire unto it in the time of Lent In all which time Dominica excepta the Lords day excepted he fasted constantly till the Evening as the story tells us The like is told of Adamannus Hist l. 4. c. 25. one of the Monastery of Coldingham now in Scotland but then accounted part of the Kingdom of Northumberland that he did live in such a strict and abstemious manner ut nil unquam cibi vel potus excepta die Dominica quinta Sabbati perciperet that he did never eat nor drink but on the Sunday and Thursday only This Adamannus lived in Anno 690. Before we shewed you with what profit Musick had been brought into the Church of God and hither it was brought it seems 〈◊〉 hist l. 2. c. 20. with the first preaching of the Gospel Beda relates it of Paulinus that when he was made Bishop of Rochester which was in Anno 631. he left behind him in the North one James a Deacon cantandi in Ecclesia peritissimum a man exceeding perfect in Church Musick who taught them there that form of singing Divine Service which which he learnt in Canterbury And after in the year 668 what time Archbishop Theodorus made his Metropolitical visitationn Lib. 4. c. 2. the Art of singing Service which was then only used in Kent for in the North it had not been so setled but that it was again forgotten was generally taken up over all the Kingdom Sonos cantandi in Ecclesia quos eatenusin Cantica tantum noverant ab hoc tempore per omnes Anglorum Ecclesias dicere coeperunt as that Author hath it Before we shewed how Pope Vitalianus Anno 653. added the Organ to that vocal Musick which was before in use in the Church of Christ In less than 30 years after and namely in the year 679. were they introduced by Pope Agatho into the Churches of the English and have continued in the same well near 1000 years without interruption Before we shewed you how some of the greater Festivals were in esteem before the Sunday Bed Eccl. hist l. 4. c. 19. and that it was so even in the Primitive times And so it also was in the Primitive times of this Church of England it being told us of Qu. Etheldreda that after she had put her self into a Monastery she never went unto the Bathes praeter imminentibus soleniis majoribus but on the approach of the greater Festivals such as were Easter Pentecost and Christmas for so I think he means there by Epiphanie as also that unless it were on the greater Festivals she did not use to eat above once a day This plainly shews that Sunday was not reckoned for a greater Festival that other days were in the opinion and esteem above it and makes it evident withal that they conceived not that the keeping of the Lords day was to be accounted as a part of the law of Nature or introduced into the Church by divine Authority but by the same Authority that the others were Ap. Lambert Archaion For Laws in these times made we meet with none but those of Ina a West-Saxon King who entred on his Reign Anno 712. A Prince exceedingly devoted to the Church of Rome and therefore apt enough to imbrace any thing which was there concluded By him it was enacted in the form that followeth Servus si quid operis patrarit die Dominico ex praecepto Domini sui liber esto c. If a servant work on the Lords day by the appointment of his Master he was to be set free and his Master was to forfeit 30 shillings but of he worked without such order from his Master to be whipped or mulcted Liber si hoc die operetur injussu Domini sui c. So if a Freeman worked that day without direction from his Master he either was to be made a Bondman or pay 60 shillings As for the Doctrine of these times In Luc. 59. we may best judg of that by Beda First for the Sabbath that he tell us ad Mosis usque tempora caeterorum dierum similis erat was meerly like the other days until Moses time no difference at all between them therefore not institute and observed in the beginning of the World as some teach us now Next for the Lords day that he makes an Apostolical sanction only no Divine Commandment as before we noted and how far Apostolical sanctions bind we may clearly see by that which they determined in the Council of Hierusalem Of these two Specialties we have spoken already This is the most we find in the Saxon Heptarchie and little more than this we find in the Saxon Monarchie In this we meet with Alured first the first that brought this Realm in order Lambert Archaion who in his Laws cap. de diebus festis solennibus reckoneth up certain days in which it was permitted unto Freemen to enjoy their Festival liberty as the phrase there is servis autem iis qui sunt legitima officiorum servitute astricti non item but not
to slaves and such as were in service unto other men viz. the twelve days after Christs Nativity dies ille quo Christus subegit diabolum the day wherein our Saviour overcame the Devil the Festival of Saint Gregory seven days before Easter and as many after the Festival day of Saint Peter and Paul the week before our Lady day in Harvest All Hallowtide and the four Wednesdays in the Ember-weeks Where note how many other days were priviledged in the self-same manner as the Lords day was in case that be the day then spoken of wherein our Saviour overcame the Devil as I think it is as also that this priviledg extended unto Freemen only servants and bondmen being left in the same condition as before they were to spend all days alike in their Masters businesses This Alured began his Reign Anno 871. and after him succeeded Edward surnamed the Elder in the year 900. who in a league between himself and Gunthrun King of the Danes in England did publickly on both sides prohibit as well all markettings on the Sunday as other kind of work whatsoever on the other Holy days Dacus si die Dominico quicquam fuerit mercatus reipsa Oris praeterea 12 mulctator Anglus 30 solidos numerato c. If a Dane bought any thing on the Lords day he was to forfeit the thing bought and to pay 12 Oras every Ora being the fifteenth part of a pound an Englishman doing the like to pay 30 shillings A Freeman if he did any work die quocunque festo on any of the Holy days was forthwith to be made a Bondman or to redeem himself with Money a Bondslave to be beaten for it or redeem his beating with his Purse The Master also whether that he were Englishman or Dane if he compelled his servants to work on any of the Holy days was to answer for it So when it had been generally received in other places to begin the Sunday-service on the Eve before it was enacted by King Edgar surnamed the Peaceable who began his Reign An. 959. diem Sabbati ab ipsa die Saturni hora pomeridiana tertia usque in lunaris diei diluculum festum agitari that the Sabbath should begin on Saturday at three of the clock in the afternoon and not as Fox relates it in his Acts and Monuments at nine in the morning and so hold on till day break on Monday Where by the way though it be dies Sabbati in the Latin yet in the Saxon Copy it is only Healde the Holy day After this Edgars death the Danes so plagued this Realm that there was nothing setled in it either in Church or State till finally they had won the Garland and obteined the Kingdom The first of these Canutus an heroick Prince of whom it is affirmed by Malmesbury omnes leges ab antiquis regibus maxime sub Etheldredo latas that he commanded all those Laws to be observed which had been made by any of the former Kings and those before remembred amongst the rest of which see the 42. of his Constitutions especially by Etheldred his predecessour and that upon a grievous mulct to be laid on such who should disobey them These are the Laws which afterwards were called K. Edwards non quòd ille statuerit sed quòd observarit not because he enacted them but that he caused them to be kept Of these more anon Besides which Laws so brought together there were some others made at Winchester by this King Canutus and amongst others this that on the Lords day there should be no markettings no Courts or publick meetings of the people for civil businesses Leg. 14.15 as also that all men abstein from Hunting and from all kind of earthly work Yet was there an exception too nisi flagitante necessitate in cases of necessity wherein it was permitted both to buy and sell and for the people to meet together in their Courts For so it passeth in the Law Die Dominico mercata concelebrari populive conventus agi nisi flagitante necessitate planissime vetamus ipso praeterea die sacrosancto à venatione opere terreno prorsus omni quisque abstineto Not that it is to be supposed as some would have it that he intended Sunday for a Sabbath day for entring on the Crown A. 1017. he did no more than what had formerly been enacted by Charles the Great and several Councils after him Lib. 6. c. 29. none of which dreamed of any Sabbath Besides it is affirmed of this Canutus by Otho Frisingensis that in the year 1027. he did accompany the Emperor Conrade at his Coronation on an Easter day which questionless he would not have done knowing those kind of Pomps to be meerly civil and to have in them much of ostentation had he intended any Sabbath when he restrained some works on Sunday But to make sure work of it without more ado the Laws by him collected which we call St. Edwards make the matter plain where Sunday hath no other priviledg than the other Feasts and which is more is ranked below them The Law is thus entituled Rog. de Hoveden in Henri◠secundo De temporibus diebus pacis Domini Regis the Text as followeth Ab adventu Domini usque ad octavam Epiphaniae pax Dei Ecclesiae per omne regnum c. From Advent to the Octavei of Epiphanie Let no mans Person be molested nor no Suit be pursued the like from Septuagesima to Low-sunday and so from Holy Thursday to the next Sunday after Whitsontide Item omnibus Sabbatis ab hora nona usque ad diem Lunae c. The like on Saturdays from three in the afternoon until Monday morning as also on the Eves of the Virgin Mary S. John the Baptist all the holy Apostles of such particular Saints whose Festivals are published in the Churches on the Sunday mornings the Eve of All Saints in November from three of the clock till the solemnity be ended As also that no Christian be molested going to Church for his Devotions or returning thence or travelling to the dedication of any new erected Church or to the Synods or any publick Chapter meeting Thus was it with the Lords day as with many others in S. Edwards Laws which after were confirmed and ratified by King Henry the second after they had long been neglected Now go we forwards to the Normans and let us see what care they took about the sanctifying of the Lords day whether they either took or meant it for a Sabbath And first beginning with the Reign of the first six Kings we find them times of action and full of troubles as it doth use to be in unsetled States no Law recorded to be made touching the keeping of this day but many actions of great note to be done upon it These we will rank for orders sake under these five Heads 1. Coronations 2. Synods Ecclesiastical 3. Councils of Estate 4. Civil business and 5.
Battels and Assaults which we shall sum up briefly in their place and time And first for Coronations which as before I said are mixt kind of actions compound of sacred and of civil William surnamed Rufus was crowned at Canterbury by Archbishop Lanfrancke the 25 of Septemb. being Sunday Anno 1087. So was King Stephen the 21 of Decemb. being Sunday too Anno 1135. On Sunday before Christmas day was Henry the second crowned at London by Archbishop Theobald Anno 1155. and on the Sunday before Septuagesima his Daughter Joane was at Palermo crowned Queen of Sicily Of Richard the first it is recorded that hoysing Sail from Barbeflet in Normandy he arrived safely here upon the Sunday before our Lady day in Harvest whence setting towards London there met him his Archbishops Bishops Earls and Barons cum copiosa militum multitudine with a great multitude of Knightly rank by whose advise and Councel he was crowned on a Sunday in September following Anno 1189. and after crowned a second time on his return from Thraldom and the Holy Land Anno 1194. on a Sunday too The Royal and magnificent form of his first Coronation they who list to see may find it most exactly represented in Rog. de Hoveden And last of all King John was first inaugurated Duke of Normandy by Walter Archbishop of Roane the Sunday after Easter day Anno 1200. and on a Sunday after crowned King of England together with Isabel his Queen by Hubert at that time Archbishop of Canterbury For Synods next Anno 1070. A Council was assembled at Winchester by the appointment of King William the first and the consent of Alexander then Pope of Rome for the degrading of Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury and this upon the Sunday next after Easter And we find mention of a Synod called by Richard Archbishop of Canterbury Anno 1175. the Sunday before holy Thursday ad quod concilium venerunt fere omnes Episcopi Abbates Cantuariensis dioeceseos where were assembled almost all the Bishops and Abbots of the whole Province For Councils of Estate there was a solemn meeting called on Trinity Sunday Anno 1143. in which assembled Maud the Empress and all the Lords which held her party where the Ambassadours from Anjou gave up their account and thereupon it was concluded that the Earl of Gloucester should be sent thither to negotiate his Sisters business So in the year 1185 when some Embassadours from the East had offered to King Henry the second the Kingdom of Hierusalem the King designed the first Sunday in Lent for his day of answer Upon which day there met at London the King the Patriarch of Hierusalem the Bishops Abbots Earls and Barons of the Realm of England as also William King of Scotland and his Brother David with the Earls and Barons of the Countrey habito inde cum deliberatione concilio c. and then and there upon mature deliberation it was concluded that though the King accepted not the Title yet he would give his people leave to put themselves into the action and take up the Cross For civil Business of another nature we find it on Record that on the fourth Sunday in Lent next following the same King Henry Knighted his Son John and sent him forthwith into Ireland Knighthood at those times being far more full of ceremony than now it is Which being but a preparation to War and military matters leads us unto such Battels as in these times were fought on Sunday Of which we find it in our Annals that in the year 1142. upon a Sunday being Candlemas day King Stephen was taken prisoner at the battel of Lincoln as also that on Holy-Cross day next after being Sunday too Robert Earl of Gloucester Commander of the adverse force was taken Prisoner at the battel of Winchester So read we that on Sunday the 25th of August Anno 1173. the King of France besieged and forced the Castle of Dole in Brittain belonging to the King of England As also that on Sunday the 26th of Septemb. Anno 1198. King Richard took the Castle of Curceles from the King of France More of the kind might be remembred were not these sufficient to shew how anciently it hath been the use of the Kings of England to create Knights and hold their Councils of estate on the Lords day as now they do Were not the others here remembred sufficient to let us know that our Progenitours did not think so superstitiously of this day as not to come upon the same unto the Crowning of their Kings or the publick Synods of the Church or if need were and their occasions so required it to fight as well on the Lords day as on any other Therefore no Lords day Sabbath hitherto in the Realm of England Not hitherto indeed But in the Age that followed next there were some overtures thereof some strange preparatives to begin one For in the very entrance of the 13th Age Fulco a French Priest and a notable Hypocrite Rog. de Hoteden as our King Richard counted him and the story proves lighted upon a new Sabbatarian fancy which one of his Associates Eustathius Abbat of Flay in Normandy was sent to scatter here in England but finding opposition to his doctrine he went back again the next year after being 1202. he comes better fortified preaching from town to town and from place to place ne quis forum rerum venalium diebus Dominicis exerceret that no man should presume to market on the Lords day Where by the way we may observe that notwithstanding all the Canons and Edicts before remembred in the fifth Chapter of this book and the third Section of this Chapter the English kept their markets on the Lords day as they had done formerly as neither being bound to those which had been made by foreign states or such as being made at home had long before been cut in peeces by the sword of the Norman Conqueror Now for the easier bringing of the people to obey their dictates they had to shew a warrant sent from God himself as they gave it out The title this Mandatum sanctum Dominicae diei quod de coelo venit in Hierusalem c. An holy mandat touching the Lords day which came down from Heaven unto Hierusalem found on S. Simeons Altar in Golgotha where Christ was Crucified for the sins of all the world which lying there three days and as many nights strook with such terrour all that saw it that falling on the ground they besought Gods mercy At last the Patriarch and Akarias the Archbishop of I know not whence ventured to take into their bands that dreadful letter which was written thus Now wipe your eyes and look a while on the Contents which I shall render with as much brevity as the thing requires Ego Dominus qui praecepi vobis ut observaretis diem sanctum Dominicum non custodistis eum c. I am the Lord which hath commanded to keep
bring them to utter tuin if justly and in time they did not provide against it So that King James considering the present breach as tending to the utter ruin of those States and more particularly of the Prince of Orange his most dear Ally he thought it no small piece of King-craft to contribute toward the suppression of the weaker party not only by blasting them in the said Declaration with reproachful names but sending such Divines to the Assembly at Dort as he was sure would be sufficiently active in their condemnation So that part of the Argument which is borrowed from the States themselves it must be proved by some better evidence than the bare word of Mr. Hickman before it can deserve an Answer the speech being so Hyperbolical not to call it worse that it can hardly be accounted for a flower of Rhetorick The greatest trouble which the States themselves were put to in all this business was for the first eight years of it but the hearing of Complaints receiving of Remonstrances and being present at a Conference between the parties And for the last four years for it held no longer their greatest trouble was to find out a way to forfeit all their old and Native Priviledges in the death of Barnevelt for maintenance whereof they had first took up Arms against the Spaniard In all which time no blood at all was drawn by the Sword of War and but the blood of five or six men only by the Sword of Justice admitting Barnevelts for one Whereas their Wars with Spain had lasted above thrice that time to the sacking of many of their Cities the loss of at least 100000 of their own lives and the expense of many millions of Treasure And as for Barnevelt if he had committed any Treason against his Countrey by the Laws of the same Countrey he was to be tryed Contrary whereunto the Prince of Orange having gotten him into his power put him over to be judged by certain Delegates commissionated by the States General who by the Laws of the Union can pretend unto no Authority over the Life and Limb of the meanest Subject Finally for the conspiring of Barnevelts Children it concerns only them whose design it was Who to revenge his death so unworthily and unjustly contrived and as they thought so undeservedly and against their Laws might fall upon some desperate Counsels and most unjustifiable courses in pursuance of it But what makes this to the Arminian and Remonstrant party Or doth evince them for a turbulent and seditious Faction not to be suffered by any Reason of State in a well-ordered Commonwealth Barnevelts Kindred might be faulty the Arminians innocent or the Armanians faulty in their practice against the life of the Prince of Orange under and by whom they had suffered so many oppressions without involving those in their Crimes and Treasons who hold the same Opinion with them in their Neighbouring Churches The reason is because there is nothing in the Doctrine of the Arminians it as relates to the Five points in difference which can dispose the Professors of it to any such practices And therefore if the Arminians should have proved as turbulent and seditious as their Enemies made them yet we were not to impute it to them as they were Arminians that is to say as men following the Melancthonian way of Predestination and differing in those points from the rest of the Calvinists but as exasperated and provoked and forced to cast themselves upon desperate courses Quae libertatis arma dat ipse dolor in the Poets language But so some say it is not with the Doctrine of the other party by which mens actions are so ordered and predetermined by the eternal Will of God even to the taking up of a straw as before was said ut nec plus boni nec minus mali that it is neither in their power to do more good or commit less evil than they do And then according to that Doctrine all Treasons Murders and Seditions are to be excused as unavoidable in them who commit the same because it is not in their power not to be guilty of those Treasons or Seditions which the fire and fury of the Sect shall inflame them with And then to what end should Princes make Laws or spend their whole endeavours in preserving the publick Peace when notwithstanding all their cares and travels to prevent the mischief things could no otherwise succeed than as they have been predetermined by the Will of God And therefore the best way would be Sinere res vadere quo vult in the Latin of an old Spanish Monk to let all matters go as they will since we cannot make them go as we would according to that counsel of the good old Poet. Solvite mortales animos Manil. de Sphe lib. curisque levate Totque super vacuis animum deplete querelis Fata regunt Orbem certa stant omnia lege That is to say Discharge thy Soul poor man of vexing fears And ease thy self of all superfluous cares The World is governed by the Fates and all Affairs by Heaven's decree do stand or fall To this effect it is reported that the old Lord Burleigh should discourse with Queen Eliz. when he was first acquainted with the making of the Lambeth Articles Not being pleased wherewith Hist Artic. Lambeth p. 6 7. he had recourse unto the Queen letting her see how much her Majesties Authority and the Laws of the Realm were thereby violated and it was no hard matter to discern what they aimed at who had most stickled in the same For saith he this is their Opinion and Doctrine that every Humane action be it good or evil it is all restrained and bound up by the Law of an immutable Decree that upon the very wills of men also this necessity is imposed ut aliter quam vellent homines velle non possent that men could not will otherwise than they did will Which Opinions saith he Madam if they be true Frustra ego aliique fideles Majestatis tuae ministri c. then I and the rest of your Majesties faithful Ministers do sit in Council to no purpose 't is in vain to deliberate and advise about the affairs of your Realm Cum de his quae eveniunt necessario stulta sit plane omnis consultatio since in those things that came to pass of necessity all consultation is foolish and ridiculous To which purpose it was also press'd by the Bishop of Rochester Oxon and St. Davids in a Letter to the Duke of Buckingham concerning Mountagues Appeal Ann. 1625. Cabuba p. 116. In which it is affirmed that they cannot conceive what use there can be of Civil Government in the Common-wealth or of Preaching and external Ministry in the Church if such fatal Opinins as some which are opposite and contrary to those delivered by Mr. Mountague shall be publickly taught and maintained More plainly and particularly charged by Dr. Brooks once Master
Among which those of the Calvinian party would fain hook in Wicklif together with Fryth Barns and Tyndal which can by no means be brought under that account though some of them deserved well of the Churches for the times they lived in They that desire to hook in Wicklif do first confess that he stands accused by those of the Church of Rome for bringing in Fatal Necessity and making God the Author of sin and then conclude that therefore it may be made a probable guess that there was no disagreement between him and Calvin The cause of which Argument stands thus That there being an agreement in these points betwixt Wicklif and Calvin and the Reformers of our Church embracing the Doctrines of Wicklif therefore they must embrace the Doctrines of Calvin also But first it cannot be made good that our Reformers embraced the Doctrines of Wicklif or had any eye upon the man who though he held many points against those of Rome yet had his field more Tares than Wheat his Books more Heterodoxies than sound Catholick Doctrine And secondly admitting this Argument to be of any force in the present case it will as warrantably serve for all the Sects and Heresies which now swarm amongst us as well as for that of Calvin Wicklif affording them the grounds of their several dotages though possibly they are not so well studied in their own concernments For they who consult the works of Thomas Waldensis or the Historia Wicklifiana writ by Harpsfield will tell us that Wicklif amongst many other errours maintained these that follow 1. That the Sacrament of the Altar is nothing else but a piece of Bread 2. That Priests have no more Authority to minister Sacraments than Lay-men have 3. That all things ought to be common 4. That it is as lawful to Christen a Child in a Tub of water at home or in a Ditch by the way as in a Font-stone in the Churches 5. That it is as lawful at all times to confess unto a Lay-man as to a Priest 6. That it is not necessary or profitable to have any Church or Chappel to pray in or to do any Divine Service in 7. That burying in Church-yards is unprofitable and in vain 8. That Holy-days ordained and instituted by the Church and taking the Lords day in for one are not to be observed and kept in reverence inasmuch as all days are alike 9. That it is sufficient and enough to believe though a man do no good works at all 10. That no Humane Laws or Constitutions do oblige a Christian 11. And finally That God never gave grace nor knowledge to a great person or rich man and that they in no wise follow the same What Anabaptists Brownists Ranters Quakers may not as well pretend that our first Reformers were of their Religion as the Calivinsts can if Wicklifs Doctrine be the rule of our Reformation Which because possibly it may obtain the less belief if they were found only in the works of Harpsfield and Waldensis before remembred the Reader may look for them in the Catalogue of those Mala Dogmata complained of by the Prolocutor in the Convocation Anno 1536. to have been publickly preached printed and professed by some of Wicklifs Followers for which consult the Church History lib. 4. fol. 208. and there he shall be sure to find them It is alledged in the next place that the Calvinistical Doctrines in these points may be found in the Writings of John Frith William Tyndal and Dr. Barns collected into one Volume and printed by John Day 1563. of which the first suffered-death for his conscience Anno 1533. the second Anno 1536. and the third Anno 1540 called therefore by Mr. Fox in a Preface of his before the Book the Ring-leaders of the Church of England And thereupon it is inferred that the Calvinian Doctrine of Predestination must be the same with that which was embraced and countenanced by the first Reformers But first admitting that they speak as much in honour of Calvins Doctrine as can be possibly desired yet being of different judgments in the points disputed and not so Orthodox in all others as might make them any way considerable in the Reformation it is not to be thought that either their Writings or Opinions should be looked on by us for our direction in this case Barns was directly a Dominican in point of Doctrine Frith soared so high upon the Wing and quite out-flew the mark that Tyndal thought it not unfit to call him down and lure him back unto his pearch and as for Tyndal he declares himself with such care and caution excepting one of his fllyings out against Free-will that nothing to their purpose can be gathered from him Secondly I do not look on Mr. Fox as a competent Judge in matters which concern the Church of England the Articles of whose Confession he refused to subscribe he being thereunto required by Archbishop Parker and therefore Tyndal Frith and Barns not to be hearkned to the more for his commendation Thirdly if the testimony of Frith and Tyndal be of any force for defence of the Calvinists the Anti-Sabbatarians any more justly make use of of it in defence of themselves against the new Sabbath speculations of Dr. Bond and his Adherents embraced more passionately of late than any Article of Religion here by Law established Of which the first declares the Lords day to be no other than an Ecclesiastical Institution or Church Ordinance the last that it is still changeable from one day to another if the Church so please For which consult the Hist of Sab. l. 2. c. 8. Let Frith and Tyndal be admitted as sufficient Witnesses when they speak against the new Sabbath Doctrines or not admitted when they speak in behalf of Calvins and then I am sure his followers will lose more on the one side than they gained on the other and will prove one of the crossest bargains to them which they over made And then it is in the fourth place to be observed that the greatest Treasury of Learning which those and the Famerlines could boast of was lock'd up in the Cloisters of the Begging Fryers of which the Franciscans were accounted the most nimble Disputants the Dominicans the most diligent and painful Preachers the Augustinians for the most part siding wit the one and the Carmelites or White Fryers joyning with the other so that admitting Frith and Tyndal to maintain the same Doctrine in these points which afterwards was held forth by Calvin yet possibly they maintained them not as any points of Protestant Doctrine in opposition to the errours of the Church of Rome which had not then declared it self on either side but as the received Opinion of the Dominican Fryers in opposition to the Franciscans The Doctrine of which Dominican Fryers by reason of their diligent preaching had met with more plausible entertainment not only amongst the inferiour fort of people but also amongst many others of parts and
Ark of Gods Secret Counsels of which spirit I conceive this Frith to be not that I find him such in any of his Writings extant with the other two but that he is affirmed for such in a Letter of Tyndals directed to him under the borrowed name of Jacob For in the collection of his pieces neither the Index nor the Margent direct us unto any thing which concerns this Argument though to the Writtings of the others they give a clearer sense howsoever made then in favour of the Calvinian party than the Books themselves or possibly was ever meant by the men that made them Acts and Mon. fol. 987. Now Tyndals Letter is as followeth Dearly beloved Jacob my hearts desire in our Saviour Jesus is That you arm your self with patience and be hold sober wise and circumspect and that you keep you a low by the ground avoiding high questions that pass the common capacity but expound the Law truly and open the Rule of Moses to condemn all flesh and prove all men sinners and all deeds under the Law before mercy hath taken away the condemnation thereof to be sin and damnable And then as a faithful Minister set abroach the mercy of our Lord Jesus and let the wounded consciences drink of the water of life And then shall your preaching be with power not as the Doctrine of Hypocrites and the Spirit of God shall work with you and all consciences shall bear record unto you and feel that it is so And all Doctrine that casteth a mist on these two to shadow and hide them I mean the Law of God and mercy of Christ that resist you with all your power Of him it is or of such high Climers as he was â—roloe before the Epist unto the Rom. p. 48. who we find Tyndal speaking in another place But here saith he we must set a mark upon those unquiet busie and high-climing Wits how far they shall go which first of all bring hither their high Reasons and pregnant Wits and begin first from on high to search the bottomless secrets of Gods Predestination whether they be predestinated or no These must needs either cast themselves headlong down into Desperation or else commit themselves to free chance careless But follow thou the order of this Epistle and nuzzel thy self with Christ and learn to understand the Law and the Gospel-means and the office of both that thou mayst in the one know thy self and how thou hast of thy self no strength but to sin and in the other the grace of Christ and then see thou fight against sin and the flesh as the seven first Ghapters teach thee Of these high flyings Lambert another of our Martyrs was endicted also who as he would not plead Not guilty Acts and Mon. fol. 1008. so he stood not mute but bound to the Endictment in this manner following Vnto the Article saith he whether it be good or evil cometh of necessity that is as you construe it to wit whether a man hath Free-will so that he may deny joy or pain I say as I said at the beginning that unto the first part of your Riddle I neither can nor will give any desinitive answer for so much as it surmounteth any capacity trusting that God will send hereafter others that be of better cunning than I to incite it If there be any thing in this which may give any comfort to our rigid Calvinists much good do them with it and if they meet with any in the former passages let them look back upon the Answers before laid down and then consider with themselves what they have got by the adventure or whether Tyndal Barns and Frith conjunct or separate may be considered as a Rule to our first Reformers which having done I would have them finally observe the passage in the eighth of St. Mark where the blind man whom our Saviour at Bethsaida restored to his sight at the first opening of his eyes said he saw men as trees walking that is to say he saw men walking as trees quasi dicat homines quos ambulantes video non homines sed arbores mihi videntur as we read in Maldionale By which the blind man declared saith he se quidem videre aliquid imperfecte tamen videre cum inter homines c arbores distinguere non posset I discern somewhat said the poor man but so imperfectly that I am not able to distinguish between trees and men Such an imperfect sight as this might these Martyrs have in giving unto men no greater power of walking in the ways of Gods Commandments than as if they had been sensless Trees or liveless shadows And such an imperfect sight as his the Lord gave many times to those whom he recovered out of the Egyptian darkness of Popish Errours who not being able to discern all divine Truth at the first opening of the eyes of their understanding were not to be a Rule or President to those that followed and lived under a brighter beam of illumination Finally taking all for granted as to the judgment of these men in the points disputed which the Calvinians can desire and pretend unto and letting them enjoy the Title which Mr. Fox hath given them of being called the Ring-leaders of the Church of Englanp which Bilney Byfield Lambert Garet or any other of our ancient Martyrs may as well lay claim to yet as they suffered death before the publick undertaking of the Reformation under E. 6. so nothing was ascribed to their Authority by the first Reformers CHAP. VIII Of the Preparatives to the Reformation and the Doctrine of the Church in the present points 1. The danger of ascribing too much to our ancient Martyrs c. exemplified in the parity of Ministers and popular elections unto Benefices allowed by Mr. John Lambert 2. Nothing ascribed to Calvins judgment by our first Reformers but much to the Augustine Confession the writings of Melancthon 3. And to the Authority of Erasmus his Paraphrases being commanded to the use of the Church by King Edward VI. and the Reasons why 4. The Bishops Book in order to a Reformation called The Institution of a Christian man commanded by King Henry VIII 1537. corrected afterwards with the Kings own hand examined and allowed by Cranmer approved by Parliament and finally published by the name of Necessary doctrine c. An. 1543. 5. The Doctrine of the said two Books in the points disputed agreeable unto that which after was established by King Edward the Sixth 6. Of the two Liturgies made in the time of King Edward VI. and the manner of them the testimony given unto the first and the alterations in the second 7. The first Book of Homilies by whom made approved by Bucer and of the Argument that may be gathered from the method of it in the points disputed 8. The quality and condition of those men who principally concurred to the Book of Articles with the Harmony or consent in Judgment between
turneth his faced for the time and as long as he so doth so should they more and more â—â—ir us to cry unto God with all our heart that we may not be brought into the state which doubtless is so sorrowful so miserable and so dreadful as no Tongue can sufficiently express nor any heart can think for what deadly grief can a man suppose it is to be under the wrath of God to be forsaken of him to have his holy Spirit the Author of all goodness to be taken from him to be brought to so vile a condition that he shall be lâ—ft meet for no better purpose than to be for ever condemned to Hell for not only such places of David de shew that upon the turning of Gods face from any persons they stall be lâ—ft bare from all goodness and far from hope of remedy but also the place rehearsed last before of Isaiah doth mean the same which sheweth that God at length doth so fosake his unfruitful Vineyard that he will notonly suffer it to bring forth weeds bryars and thorns but also further to punish the unfruitfulness of it he saith he will not cut it he will not delve it and he will command the clouds that they shall not rain upon it whereby is signified the teaching of the holy Word which St Paul after a like manner expressed by planting and watering Meaning that he will take that away from them so that they shall be no longer of his Kingdom they shall be no longer governed by his holy Spirit they shall be put from the grace and benefits they had and ever might have enjoyed through Christ they shall be deprived of the heavenly light and life which they had in Christ whilst they abode in him they shall be as they were once as men without God in the world or rather in a worse taking And to be short they shall be given into the power of the Devil which beareth the rule of all men which be cast away fro God as he did in Saul and Judas and generally in all such as work after their own wills the Children of wistrust and unbelief let us beware therefore good Christian people lest that we rejecting or casting away Gods Word by which we obtain and retain true faith in God be not at length cast so far off that we become as the Children of unbelief which be of two sorts far diverse yea almost clean contrary and yet both be very far from returning to God the one sort only weighing their sinful and detestable living with the right judgment and straitness of Gods righteousness be so without content and be so comfortless as they all must needs be from whom the Spirit of counsel and comfort is gone that they will not be persuaded in their hearts but that either God cannot or else that he will not take them again to his favour and mercy the other hearing the loving and large promises of Gods mercy and so not conceiving a right faith thereof make those promises larger than ever God did Trusting that although they continue in their sinful and detestable living never so long yet that God at the end of their life will shew his mercy upon them and that then they will return And that both these two sorts of men be in a damnable estate and yet nevertheless God who willeth not the death of the wicked hath shewed means whereby both the same if they take heed in season may escape The first as they defend Gods rightful justice in punishing sinners whereby they should be dismayed and should despair indeed as touching any hopes that may be in themselves so if they would constantly and stedfastly believe that Gods mercy is the remedy prepared against such despair and distrust not only for them but generally for all that be sorry and truly repentant and will therewithal stick to Gods mercy they may be sure they shall obtain mercy and enter into the Port or Haven of safeguard into the which whosoever do come be they before time never so wicked they shall be out of danger of everlasting damnation as godly Ezekiel saith What time soever a sinner doth return and take earnest of true Repentance I will forgive all his wickedness The other as they be ready to believe Gods promises so they should be as ready to believe the threatnings of God as well believe the Law as the Gospel as well that there is an Hell and everlasting fire as there is an Heaven and everlasting joy as well they should believe damnation to the threatned to the wicked and evil doers Ezek. 3. as salvation to be promised to the faithful in Word and Works as well they should believe God to be true in the one as the other And for sinners that continue in this wicked living they ought to think that the promises of Gods mercy and the Gospel pertain not unto them being in that state but only the Law and those Scriptures which contain the wrath and indignation of God and his threatnings which should certifie them that as they do over-boldly presume of Gods mercy and live dissolutely so doth God still more and more withdraw his mercy from them as he is so provoked thereby to wrath at length that he destroyeth such presumers many times suddenly for of such St Paul said thus When they shall say it is peace there is no danger then shall sudden destruction come upon them 1 Thess 5. let us beware therefore of such naughty boldness to sin For God which hath promised his mercy to them that be truly penitent although it be at the latter end hath not promised to the presumptuous sinner either that he shall have long life or that he shall have true Repentance at the last end But for that purpose hath he made every mans death uncertain that he should not put his hope in the end and in the mean season 〈◊〉 to Gods high displeasure live ungodlily Wherefore let us follow the counsel of the Wise man let us make no tarrying to turn unto the Lord let us not put off from day to day for sudenly his wrath comes and in time of vengeance he will destroy the wicked let us therefore turn betimes and when we turn let us pray to God as Hosea teached saying Forgive ad our sins receive us graciously Hosea 14. And if we turn to him with an humble and a very penitent heart he will receive us to his favour and grace for his holy Names sake for his Promise sake for his Truth and Mercies sake promised to all faithful Believers in Jesus Christ his only natural Son To whom the only Saviour of the world with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour glory and power world without end Amen These are the very words of the second Himily touching falling from God in which we have many evident proofs not only that there is a Falling and a frequent Falling but also a Total yea a final
fry in Hell and that he made them for no other purpose than to be the children of death and hell and that for no other cause but his meer pleasure sake and so say that God doth not only say but will swear to a lye For the Oath should have run thus As I live saith the Lord I do delight in the death of man Secondly it doth not by consequence but directly make God the Author of sin For if God without eye to sin did design men to hell then did he say and set down that he should sin for without sin he cannot come to hell And indeed doth not this Opinion say that the Almighty God in the eye of his Counsel did not only see but say that Adam should fall and so order and decree and set down his fall that it was no more possible for him not to fall than it was possible for him not to eat And of that when God doth order set down and decree I trust he is the Author unless they will say that when the Right honourable Lord Keeper doth say in open Court We order he means not to be the Author of that his Order Which said he tells us Thirdly Ibid. p. 135. that it takes away from Adam in his state of innocency all freedom of will and Liberty not to sin For had he had freedom to have altered Gods designment Adams liberty had been above the designment of God And here I remember a little witty solution is made that is if we respect Adams Will he had power to sin but if Gods Decrees he could not sin This is a filly solution And indeed it is as much as if you should take a sound strong man that hath power to walk and to lie still and bind him hand and foot as they do in Bedlam and lay him down and then bid him rise up and walk or else you will stir him up with a whip and he tell you that there be chains upon him so that he is not able to stir and you tell him again that that is no excuse for if he look upon his health his strength his legs he hath power to walk or to stand still but if upon his Chains indeed in that respect he is not able to walk I trust he that should whip that man for not walking were well worthy to be whipt himself Fourthly As God do abhor a heart and a heart and his soul detesteth also a double minded man so himself cannot have a mind and a mind a face like Janus to look two ways Yet this Opinion maketh in God two Wills the one flat opposite to the other An Hidden Will by which he appointed and willed that Adam should sin and an open Will by which he forbad him to sin His open Will said to Adam in Paradise Adam thou shalt not eat of the Tree of good and evil His Hidden Will said Thou shalt eat nay now I my self cannot keep thee from eating for my Decree from Eternity is passed Thou shalt eat that thou may drown all thy posterity into sin and that I may drench them as I have designed in the bottomless pit of Hell Fifthly Amongst all the Abominations of Queen Jezabel that was the greatest 1 Kings 21. when as hunting after the life of innocent Naboth she set him up amongst the Princes of the Land that so he might have the greater fall God planted man in Paradise as in a pleasant Vineyard and mounted him to the World as on a stage and honoured him with all the Soveraignty over all the Creatures he put all things in subjection under his feet so that he could not pass a decree from all Eternity against him to throw him down head-long into Hell for God is not a Jezabel Tollere in altum to lift up a man ut lapsu graviore ruat that he may make the greater noise with his fall But he goes on and having illustrated this cruel Mockery by some further instances he telleth us Ibid. p. 140. that the Poet had a device of their old Saturn that he eat up his Children assoon as they were born for fear least some of them should dispossess him of Heaven Pharaoh King of Egypt had almost the same plea for he made away all the young Hebrew Males lest they should multiply too fast Herod for fear our Saviour Christ should supplant him in his Kingdom caused all the young Children to be slain those had all some colour for their barbarous cruelty But if any of those had made a Law designing young Children to torments before they had been born and for no other cause and purpose but his own absolute will the Heavens in course would have called for revenge It is the Law of Nations that no man innocent shall be condemned of Reason not to hate where we are not hurt of Nature to like and love her own brood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the holy Ghost we are Gods Kindred he cannot hate us when we are innocent when we are nothing when we are not Now touching Gods Glory which is to us all as dear as our life this Opinion hath told us a very inglorious and shameful Tale for it saith the Almighty God would have many souls go to Hell and that they may come thither they must sin that so he may have just cause to condemn them Who doth not smile at the Grecians Conceit that gave their God a glorious title for killing of flies Gods Glory in punishing ariseth from his Justice in revenging of sin and for that it tells us as I said a very sad and unpleasant Tale for who could digest it to hear a Prince say after this manner I will beget met a Son that I may kill him that I may so get me a name I will beget him without both his feet and when he is grown up having no feet I will command him to walk upon pain of death and when he breaketh my Commandment I will put him to death O beloved these glorious fancies imaginations and shews are far from the nature of our gracious merciful and glorious God who hath proclaimed himself in his Titles Royal Jehovah the Lord the Lord strong and mighty and terrible slow to anger and of great goodness And therefore let this conceit be far from Jacob and let it not come near the Tents of Joseph How much holier and heavenlier conceit had the holy Fathers of the Justice of God Non est ante punitor Deus quam peccator homo God put not on the person of a Revenger before man put on the person of an Offender saith St. Ambrose Neminem coronat antequam vincit neminem punit antequam peccat he crowns none before he overcomes and he punisheth no man before his offence Et qui facit miseros ut miseratur crudelem habet miserecordiam he that puts man into miseries that he may pity him hath no kind but a cruel pity The absolute decree of Reprobation
live There is another Text in the Prophet Jeremy by which the People are commanded to seek the peace of Babylon Jer. 29.7 whither God had caused them to be carried away captive and to pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof was their peace to be Behold the Israelites being despoiled of their Estates driven from their houses carried into exile and plunged in a most miserable thraldom are yet required to pray for the prosperity of the Conqueror not only as we are commanded in another place to pray for them that persecute us but that his Empire might continue in peace and safety that they themselves might quietly enjoy the protection of it Thus David being appointed King by the Lords own Ordinance and anointed with his holy Oyl when undeservedly he was persecuted and pursued by Saul would not give way that any corporal hurt should be done to that sacred person whom God had raised unto the Kingdom The Lord forbid saith he 1 Sam. 24.6 that I should do this thing unto my Master the Lords Anointed to stretch forth my hand against him seeing he is the Anointed of the Lord. Again But mine eye spared thee and I said I will not put forth my hand against my Lord for he is the Lords Anointed And again who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless As the Lord liveth the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or he shall descend into battel and perish The Lord forbid that I should stretch my hand against the Lords Anointed This reverence and dutiful regard we ought to carry towards our Governors SECT 29. to the very end however they may chance to prove Which therefore I repeat the oftner that we may learn not to enquire too narrowly into the men but to rest our selves content with this that they sustain that place or person by the Lords appointment in which he hath imprinted and ingraved a most inviolable character of sacred Majesty But some will say that Rulers owe a mutual duty to their Subjects That hath been formerly confessed from which if any should infer that no obedience must be yielded but to their just and legal power he were a very sorry disputant Husbands are bound in mutual bonds unto their Wives and so are Parents to their Children Suppose that both neglect their duties that Parents who are prohibited by God to provoke their Children unto wrath be so untractable and harsh to them that they do grieve them above measure with continual sourness and that Husbands who are commanded to love their Wives and to give honour to them as the weaker vessel should use them with contempt and scorn should therefore Children be the less obedient to their Parents or Wives less dutiful to their Husbands We see the contrary that they are subject to them though both lewd and froward Since therefore nothing doth concern us more than that we trouble not our selves with looking into the defects of other men but carefully endeavour to perform those duties which do belong unto our selves more specially ought they to observe this rule who live under the authority and power of others Wherefore if we are inhumanely handled by a cruel Prince or by a covetous and luxurious Prince dispoiled and rifled if by a slothful one neglected or vexed for our Religion by a lewd and wicked let us look back upon our sins which God most commonly correcteth with this kind of scourges the thought whereof will humble us and keep down the impatience of our angry spirits Let us consider with our selves that it appertains not unto us to redress these mischiefs that all which doth belong to us is to cry to God Prov. 21.1 in whose hands are the hearts of Kings and be turneth them whithersoever he will He is that God which standeth in the Congregation of the mighty and judgeth amongst the Gods before whose face all Kings shall fall and be confounded and all the Judges of the earth who do not reverence his Christ but make unjust Laws to oppress the Poor and offer violence to the man of low condition and make a spoil of Widows and a prey of Orphans And here we may as well behold his goodness SECT 30. as his power and providence For sometimes he doth raise Avengers from amongst his servants and furnisheth them with power sufficient as well to execute vengeance on such wicked Rulers as to redeem his People so unjustly vext from the house of bondage and sometimes useth to tht end the fierce wrath of others who think of nothing less than to serve his turn Thus he redeemed his People Israel from the Tyranny of Pharaoh by the hand of Moses from Cushan King of Syria by Othoniel from other thraldoms by some other of their Kings and Judges Thus did he tame the pride of Tyre by the arms of Egypt the insolence of Egypt by the Assyrians the fierceness of Assyriah by the Chaldeans the confidence of Babylon by the Medes and Persians after that Cyrus had before subdued the Medes Thus did he sometimes punish the ingratitude of the Kings of Judah and Israel and that ungodly contumacy which they carried towards him notwithstanding all his benefits conferred upon them by the Assyrians first the Babylonians after But we must know that though these several instrunents did the self same work yet they proceeded not in the self same motives For the first sort being thereto lawfully authorized and called by Almighty God by taking up Arms against their Kings did nothing less than violate that sacred Majesty which is inherent in King by Gods holy Ordinance but being armed from Heaven did only regulate and chastise the lesser power by the help of the greater as Princes use sometimes to correct their Nobles The later sort though guided by the hand of God as to him seemed best so that they did unknowingly effect what he had to do intended only the pursuit of their own designs But what soever their designs and intentions were the Lord did justly use them to effect his business SECT 31. when by their means he broke the bloody Scepters of those insolent Kings and overthrew their wicked and tyrannical Empires Hear this ye Princes and be terrified at the hearing of it But let not this afford the least encouragement unto the Subject to violate or despise the Authority of the Magistrate which God hath filled so full of majesty and fortified by so many Edicts from the Court of Heaven though sometimes an unworthy person doth enjoy the same and such a one as doth dishonour it by his filthy life Nor may we think because the punishment of licentious Princes doth belong to God that presently this power of executing vengeance is devolved on us to whom no other precept hath been given by God but only to obey and suffer De privatis hominibus semper loquor Nam si qui nunc sint
no appeal but only to the whole body of that Court the King Case of our Assairs p. 7 8. and both the Houses the Head and Members But this they do not as the upper House of Parliament but as the distinct Court of the Kings Barons of Parliament of a particular and ministerial jurisdiction to some intents and purposes and to some alone which though it doth invest them with a power of judicature confers not any thing upon them which belongs to Sovereignty Then for the Commons all which the Writ doth call them to is facere consentire to do and consent unto such things which are ordained by the Lords and Common Council of the Kingdom of England and sure conformity and consent which is all the Writ requireth from them are no marks of Sovereignty nor can an Argument be drawn from thence by the subtlest Sophister to shew that they are called to be partakers of the Sovereign power or that the King intends to denude himself of any branch or leaf thereof to hide their nakedness And being met together in a body collective they are so far from having any share in Sovereignty that they cannot properly be called a Court of Judicature as neither having any power to minister an Oath Id. p. 9. or to imprison any body except it be some of their own Members if they see occasion which are things incident to all Courts of Justice and to every Steward of a Leet insomuch that the House of Commons is compared by some and not incongruously unto the Grand Inquest at a general Sessions whose principal work it is to receive Bills and prepare businesses Review of the Observat p. 22. and make them fit and ready for my Lords the Judges Nay so far were they heretofore from the thoughts of Sovereignty that they were lyable to sutes and punishments for things done in Parliament though only to the prejudice of a private Subject until King Henry VIII most graciously passed a Law for their indemnity For whereas Richard Strode one of the company of Tinners in the County of Cornwall being a Member of the Commons House had spoken somewhat to the prejudice of that Society and contrary to the Ordinances of the Stanneries at his return into the Country he was Arrested Fined Imprisoned Complaint whereof being made in Parliament the King passed a Law to this effect viz. That all suites condemnations 4 Hen. 8. c. 8. executions charges and impositions put or hereafter to be put upon Richard Strode and every of his Complices that be of this Parliament or any other hereafter for any Bill speaking or reasoning of any thing concerning the Parliament to be communed and treated of shall be void and null But neither any reparation was allowed to Strode nor any punishment inflicted upon those that sued him for ought appears upon Record And for the Houses joyned together which is the last capacity they can claim it in they are so far from having the supream Authority that as it is observed by a learned Gentleman they cannot so unite or conjoyn as to be an entire Court either of Sovereign or Ministerial jurisdiction no otherwise co-operating than by concurrence of Votes in their several Houses for preparing matters in order to an Act of Parliament Case of our Affairs p. 9. Which when they have done they are so far from having any legal Authority in the State as that in Law there is no stile nor form of their joynt Acts nor doth the Law so much as take notice of them until they have the Royal Assent So that considering that the two Houses alone do no way make an entire Body or Court and that there is no known stile nor form of any Law or Edict by the Votes of the two Houses only nor any notice taken of them by the Law it is apparent that there is no Sovereignty in their two Votes alone How far the practice of the Lords and Commons which remain'd at Westminster after so many of both Houses had repaired to the King c. may create Precedents unto Posterity I am not able to determine but sure I am they have no Precedent to shew from the former Ages But let us go a little further and suppose for granted that the Houses either joynt or separate be capable of the Sovereignty were it given unto them I would fain know whether they claim it from the King or the People only Not from the King for he confers upon them no further power than to debate and treat of his great Affairs to have access unto his person freedom of speech as long as they contain themselves within the bounds of Loyalty authority over their own Members Hakewell of passing Bills in Parliament which being customarily desired and of course obtained as it relates unto the Commons shews plainly that these vulgar priviledges are nothing more the rights of Parliament than the favours of Princes but yet such favours as impart not the least power of Sovereignty Nor doth the calling of a Parliament ex opere operato as you know who phrase it either denude the King of the poorest robe of all his Royalty or confer the same upon the Houses or on either of them whether the King intend so by his call or otherwise For Bodin whom Mr. Prynn hath honoured with the title of a grand Politician Prynn of Parliament par 2. p. 45. Bodin de Repub doth affirm expresly Principis majestatem nec Comitorum convocatione nec Senatus populique praesentia minui that the Majesty or Sovereignty of the King is not a jot diminished either by the calling of a Parliament or Conventus Ordinum or by the frequency and presence of his Lords and Commons Nay to say truth the Majesty of Sovereign Princes is never so transcendent and conspicuous as when they sit in Parliament with their States about them the King then standing in his highest Estate as was once said by Henry VIII who knew as well as any of the Kings of England how to keep up the Majesty of the Crown Imperial Nor can they claim it from the People who have none to give for nemo dat quod non habet as the saying is The King as hath been proved before doth hold his Royal Crown immediately from God himself not from the contract of the People He writes not populi clementia but Dei gratia not by the favour of the People but by the grace of God The consent and approbation of the People used and not used before the day of Coronation is reckoned only as a part of the solemn pomps which are then accustomably used The King is actually King to all intents and purposes in the Law whatever immediatly on the death of his Predecessor Nor ever was it otherwise objected in the Realm of England till Clark and Watson pleaded it at their Arraignment in the first year of King James Speeds History in K James Or grant
way of a Petition to the Kings most excellent Majesty in which the Lords and Commons do most humbly pray as their Rights and Liberties that no such things as they complained of might be done hereafter that his Majesty would vouchsafe to declare that the Awards doings and proceedings to the prejudice of his people in any of the premises shall not be drawn hereafter into consequence or example and that he would be pleased to declare his Royal pleasure that in the point aforesaid all his Offieers and Ministers should serve him according to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm To which although the King returned a fair general Answer assuring them that his Subjects should have no cause for the time to come to complain of any wrong or oppressions contrary to their just Rights and Liberties yet this gave little fatisfaction till he came in person and causing the Petition to be distinctly read by the Clerk of the Crown Ibid. returned his Answer in these words Soit droit fait come est desire that is to say let right be done as is desired Which being the very formal words by which the said Petition and every clause and Article therein contained became to be a Law and to have the force of an Act of Parliament and being there is nothing spoken of the concurrent Authority of the Lords and Commons for the enacting of the same may serve instead of many Arguments for the proof of this that the Legislative power as we phrase it now is wholly and solely in the King although restrained in the exercise and use thereof by constant custom Smith de Rep. Angl. unto the counsel and consent of the Lords and Commons Le Roy veult or the King will have it so is the imperative phrase by which the Propositions of the Lords and Commons are made Acts of Parliament And let the Lords and Commons agitate and propound what Laws they please for their ease and benefit as generally all Laws and Statutes are more for the ease and benefit of the Subject than the advantage of the King yet as well now as formerly in the times of the Roman Emperors Quod Principi placuerit legis habet vigorem nothing but that which the King pleaseth to allow of is to pass for Law the Laws not taking their coercive force as judicious Hooker well observeth from the quality of such as devise them but from the Power which giveth them the strength of Laws Pooker Ecclesiast Pol. I shut up this Discourse with this expression and comparison of a late Learned Gentleman viz That as in a Copyhold Estate the Copyholder of a meer Tenant at will comes by custom to gain an Inheritance and so to limit and restrain the will and power of the Lord that he cannot make any determination of the Copyholders Estate otherwise than according to the custom of the Mannour and yet doth not deprive the Lord of his Lordship in the Copyhold nor participate with him in it neither yet devest the Fee and Franktenement out of the Lord Case of our Affairs p. 6. but that they still remain in him and are ever parcel of his Demesn so in the restraining of the Kings Legislative power to the concurrence of the Peers and Commons though the custom of the Kingdom hath so fixed and setled the restraint as that the King cannot in that point use his Sovereign power without the concurrence of the Peers and Commons according to the custom of the Kingdom yet still the Sovereignty and with it the inseparable Legislative power doth reside solely in the King If any hereupon demand to what end serve Parliaments and what benefit can redound to the Subject by them I say in the Apostles words much every way Rom. 3.2 Many vexations oftentimes do befall the Subjects without the knowledg of the King and against his will to which his Ears are open in a time of Parliament The King at other times useth the Eyes and Ears of such as have place about him who may perhaps be guilty of the wrongs which are done the people but in a Parliament he seeth with his own Eyes and heareth with his own Ears and so is in a better way to redress the mischief than he could be otherwise Nor do the people by the opportunity of these Parliamentary meetings obtain upon their Prayers and Petitions a redress of grievances only but many times the King is overcome by their importunity to abate so much of his Power to grant such points and pass such Laws and Statutes for their ease and benefit as otherwise he would not yield to For certainly it is as true in making our approaches and Petitions to our Lord the King as in the pouring out of our Prayers and supplications to the Lord our God the more multitudinous and united the Petitioners are the more like to speed And therefore said Bodinus truly Principem plaeraque universis concedere quae singulis denegarentur Bodin de Rep. l. 1. c. 8. that Kings do many times grant those favours to the whole body of their people which would be absolutely denied or not so readily yielded to particular persons There are moreover many things of greater concernment besides the abrogating of old Laws and making new which having been formerly recommended by the Kings of England to the care and counsel of their people convened in Parliament are not now regularly dispatched but in such Conventions as are altering the Tenure of Lands confirming the Rights Titles and possessions of private men naturalizing Aliens legitimating Bastards adding sometimes the secular Authority to such points of Doctrine and Forms of Worship as the Clergy have agreed upon in their Convocations if it be required changing the publick weights and measures throughout the Kingdom defining of such doubtful cases as are not easily resolved in the Courts of Law raising of Subsidies and Taxes attainting such as either are too potent to be caught or too hard to be found and so not triable in the ordinary Courts of Justice restoring to their Bloud and Honours such or the Heirs of such as have been formerly attainted granting of free and general Pardons with divers others of this nature In all and each of these the Lords and Commons do co-operate to the publick good Sir Tho. Smith de Rep. Angl. Cambden in Brit. Crompt of Courts c. in the way of means and preparation but their co operation would be lost and fruitless did not the King by his Concomitant or subsequent grace produce their good intentions into perfect Acts and being Acts either of special Grace and Favour or else of ordinary Right and Justice no way derogatory to the Prerogative Royal are usually confirmed by the Royal assent without stop or hesitancy But then some other things there are of great importance and advantage to the Common-wealth in which the Houses usually do proceed even to final sentence the Commons in the way of
the Body of Christ Nay their labour was blessed by God first for the Conversion and then for the Resormation of this Church and Kingdom and therefore I hope there is no sober Protestant in England but will heartily say Amen to that Prayer of Mr. Beza's who although no great Adorer of Episcopacy yet considerdering the Blessings that God brought to this Nation by their Ministry put up this devout Petition Si nunc Anglicanae Ecclesiae instauratae suorum Episcoporum Archiepiscoporum auctoritate suffultae perstant quemadmodum hoc illi nostra memoria contigit ut ejus ordininis homines non tantum insignes Dei martyres sed etiam praestantissimos pastores ac Doctores habuerit fruatur sane istâ singulari Dei beneficentia quae utinam sit illi perpetua Theod. Bez. ad Tract de min. Evang. Grad ab Hadr. Sarav cap. 18. Fruatur Anglia ista singulari Dei Beneficentiâ quae utinam sit illi perpetua Let England enjoy that singular Blessing of God which I pray to God may be perpetual to it There are others that envy them their Honours and Dignities For though the Holy Spirit of God does oblige all Christians to esteem their Bishops very highly or more than abundantly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in love for their work sake 1 Thes 5.12 13. and reason it self dictates that the honours confer'd upon Representatives and Embassadors redound to the Prince that delegates and imploys them though Jews Heathens and Mahomâ—tans ever paid the profoundest Veneration to their Priests Caliphs and Musti's and our Relig ous Ancestors in the Saxon Danish and Norman times set the highest value upon their Bishops yet the Religion of this Age is to load them with all possible Calumnies and Reproaches and with Corah and his Complices to charge them with taking too much upon them and to disdain to set them with the Dogs of their Flocks The Priests were Judges in Egypt and so were the Magi and Areopagites who were sacred persons in Persia and Athens and it was no other wise with the Druids amongst the Ancient Britains and Gauls For Caesar tells us how their Office extended to things Temporal as well as Religious Sacrificia publica privata procurant religiones interpretantur Druides a bello a besse consueverunt ni que tributa una cum reliquis pendunt St quod admissum est facinus si caedes facta si de haereditate de finibus controversia est iidem decernunt Caesar Com. lib. 6. that they did not only order publick and private Sacrifices and expound Religion and instruct Youth but were free from Contribution and Warfare and all burthens of State and determined all Controversies both publick and private and executed the place both of Priests and Judges for if any offence were committed as Murther or Man-slaughter or any Controversie arose touching Lands or Inheritance they sentenced it rewarding the Vertuous and punishing the Wicked The Patricii the noblest Romans were ambitious to be admitted into the College of the Priests and when the Government became Monarchical the Emperors took upon them the pontifical Dignity thinking it no diminution of them Grandeur to be imployed about the Service of the gods but rather conceiving the Priesthood too noble an imployment to be confer'd upon a Subject But we need no other Testimonies to convince us of the Rights of Church-men for the management of the civil concerns of human Society that the holy Scriptures Amongst the Jews the Civil and Ecclesiastical power were not so distinguished but one and the same person exercised both For not to expatiate upon particular instances Melchisedeck Eli Samuel Ezra Esdras were all Priests and had the power not only of Ecclesiastical but Civil jurisaictior Neither could Samuel have hewed Agag in pieces with his own hand 1 Sam. 15.33 if it had been unlawful for persons dedicated to the sacred Offices of Religion to havè intermeddled in causes of blood Which very instance proves that Clergy-men are not excluded from managing the highest secular concerns by any immutable Laws of God or Nature And if there are any Canons or Councils that forbid them to meddle in things of that kind that so they may the better attend upon the sacred Offices and Exercises of Religion let those be obligatory to the persons unto whom they were delivered but not be pleaded or produced to the prejudice of English Bishops who have distinct Priviledges and Laws For there have been Constitutions that have forbidden Church-men to Marry to make Wills to be Executors of mens Wills and Testaments to be the Wards of Orphans c. And these Constitutions are of as great force to bind the Clergy of England as the Council of Toledo to thrust the Bishops out of the House of Lords in Causes of Attainder and Blood Let the Archbishops of Ments and Colen with other Princes of the Empire look to it if it be unlawful for Ecclesiastical persons to adjudge Criminals to death It will be infinite to shew how St. Ambrose St. Augustin and the Godly Bishops of all Ages had no Supersedeas given them to intermeddle in things civil and secular because of their Wisdom and Knowledge in things Sacred and Divine Certainly the Holy Spirit of God did not conceive it unfit that Worldly matters and Controversies should be committed to Church-men for it is highly reasonable to think that those who are the Pastors of mens Souls will be the best Judges in determining their civil Rights It could not indeed be expected whilst the Empire was Heathen that Bishops should be busied and employed in Secular affairs unless it were in those Controversies which arose among the Christians themselves wherein St. Paul gives direction that they should rather determine their Contentions by a private Arbitrement of their own than by the publick judgments of their Enemies 1 Cor. 6. But when Kings became Christians Soz. lib. 1. c. 9. we find persons making their Appeals from the Tribunals of Princes to the Consistory of Bishops For then Bishops had power to reverse the sentence of death and to stay the hands of Executioners when the poor Criminals were going to receive the reward of their Iniquities just as the Praetors and Consuls of Rome would submit their Fasces those Ensigns of Authority when they did but casually meet with some of the Priests Constantine granted the Bishops this priviledge that condemned Malefactors might appeal unto their Courts and when such appeals were made the Bishops had power as well to deliver them over into the hands of Justice as to extend unto them a Pardon or Reprieve For the priviledge confer'd on them was as well for the punishment and terror of the Wicked as for mitigating the rigour of Justice and encouraging Criminals to Vertue and Repentance Mr. Selden himself who was none of the best Friends to Church-men grants that for four thousand years the Civil and Ecclesiastick jurisdiction went always hand in hand