engage him to renounce the Devil c. to believe in Christ and serve him As soon as he comes to discretion he is catechised and instructed in the grounds of Religion and thereupon confirmed in the Faith which he was baptized into by the prayers and imposition of the hands of the Bishop according to the Apostolical practise Heb. 6.1.2 then is care taken that he frequent the publick Service of God and sanctifie the Lords day and other festivals in places consecrate for that end that he behave himself with due reverence in those Assemblies which are the most venerable in the whole world there is Gods word distinctly read deliberately expounded and he is guided in his devotions by such prayers as the Church of God in all ages as to the matter have hâ—ld Communion in If any doubt trouble his mind he is intreated to repair to his own or some other able Minister for resolution He is instructed how to be a fit partaker of the Communion of Christs body and blood and with great earnestness invited to come frequently if he live in any scandalous sin he is admonished shamed or censured as the offence requires to reform him and forewarn others if he be sick 't is the Ministers office to visit him to examine instruct confess comfort and pronounce his absolution and to strengthen him against the fear of Death by the administration of the Lords Supper to commend his departing Soul to God in the publick prayers of the Church and after death to see that his body be decently buried and that his last Will and Testament be duly performed This is the Bishops work And whatever it be to him it cannot be a grievous burthen to any but impious and ungovernable persons who neither love themselves nor their Neighbours nor the Worship of God Which is The third particular wherein we hold Communion with the Apostles viz. in Worship Now our publick Worship consists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Administration of the Sacraments and Prayer As for the reading and expounding of the holy Scriptures which makes up the greatest part of our Liturgy we have spoken already First therefore Of Baptism which is undoubtedly Christs own Institution and was by the Apostles administred to whole Families 1 Cor. 1.16 But whether it belong to Infants as our Church doth hold and whether it be effectual for the salvation of all such Infants as being baptized die before they come to the use of Reason be according to the Doctrine and Practice of the Apostles must be considered To both which first we apply the words of our Saviour Mar. 10.13 concerning Infants brought to him for his blessing which he freely gave them Of these saith he not only of such as these are is the Kingdom of Heaven and that he meant it of their persons Doctrina quae Infautes à Sacramento reâ—ene rationis prohibet veritati omnium Ecclesiarum Apostolicarum adversatur Cassander p. 700. Irenaus l. 3. c. 30. is demonstrated by his blessing of them and if they have right to the blessing of Christ which is the thing signified who can forbid them the Baptism of Water which is the outward sign And being baptized who can deny that the grace of God through the blood of Christ applied unto them in that Sacrament should be as effectual for their regeneration and salvation as the transgression of Adam for their pollution and condemnation This opinion of our Church is consonant to the Apostles Doctrine Rom. 5.15 16 c. the sense whereof Irenaeus gives That which we lost in Adam we have received in Christ This was the sense of the Fathers in the Nicene Council I believe one Baptism for the remission of sins and of the Council of Milevis Infants are therefore baptized for the remission of sins that what they contracted by generation may be cleansed by regeneration Sound Faith and Doctrine saith St. Augustine will never judg any that come to Christ by Baptism to to be excepted from the grace of remission of sins Fulgentius says the same De fide ad Petrum Opusc Quast Respons and Beza as expresly as our Rubrick doth That Baptism doth seal to them their interest in the Covenant and in the remission of that sinning-Sin as he calls Original sin dying before they have actual Faith This hath been the judgment of our Church ever since the Reformation In a Book called The Institution of a Christian man in the Chapter of Confirmation In the Homily of the Salvation of Mankind Anno 1537. 1547. 1552. Vindiciae Gratiae Sacramentalis on Mat. 19. in the Common Prayer book the 5th of Edward the 6th and so to our own days The great objection of falling from Grace is clearly answered by Bishop Davenant in his Epistle to Mr. Bedfords Book I conclude this with that of Bucer No age affords more Subjects of the Kingdom of Heaven than that of Infants doth 2. That Baptism belongs to Infants the practice of the universal Church shews what was Apostolical practice Epist. ad Fidentium l. 3. ep 8. Unto Infants Christ became an Infant saith Irenaeus that he might sanctifie Infants The Church saith Origen received this tradition from the Apostles to administer Baptism even to Infants l. 5. St. Ambrose gives this reason of it Because every age is obnoxious to sin every age is capable of the Sacrament See Rubrick of private Baptism and Canon 30. An. 1604 De obligatione Crucis c. non ect magnopere laborandum Beza Ep. 12 ad Angl. Fratres As for the Ceremony of the Cross seeing our Church declares that the Children baptized without it are lawfully and sufficiently baptized if any man be contentious about that I only say as St. Paul We have no such cuâ—tom neither the Churches of God And so we come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper another part of our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Apostles who required that we should frequently assemble that did daily to commemorate the death and sufferings of our Saviour to eat and drink his body and blood in a real and spiritual manner to strengthen our Faith in Christ and our Love and Charity to one another A duty of so much sweetness and spiritual delight of such advantage to our spiritual comfort and eternal salvation such a 〈◊〉 of the joys of Heaven that our Saviour expresseth it Luk. 14.15 by eating bread in the Kingdom of God A duty so sensibly condâ—cing to the peace of the Church 1 Cor. 10 17. uniting all Christians into one body by eating that Bread that it is infinitely unaccountable how any man should be so great an enemy to himself as to forsake such mercies and blessings and make that an occasion of Division which Christ hath appointed as a means of reconciliation and brotherly affection being hereby made one with Christ our Head by Faith and with our Brethren as members of the same body by
others Do ye not perceive That it is the long Prayers of these Pharisees that like Pharaohs lean Kine devour all the fat Sacrifices of the Church Did not these men suppose their own prayers as much better as they are longer than that of our Saviour they could not have the impudence to lay it aside as impertinent and useless in comparison of their own The primitive Church had frequent prayers five times in a day S. Cyprian Kulâ—â— tolerantiam insolentius negant veritati quam qui erroribus suis saepe pestilentis simis postularunt obnixissimi Capel Thâ—s 41. cont Belg. yet the Lords Prayer was always added Tertulian calls it legitimam Orationem as if all other prayers without it were not duly performed But these men must by no means be censured much less restrained they may by their importunity as the Sons of Zerviah be too strong for David and get a toleration for such practices as themselves have formerly condemned for intolerable yet will not they grant a toleration to our Lords Prayer although Christs command and the practise of the Apostles and Apostolical men and the joint-agreement of the universal Church do urge it these good men cannot get leave of themselves i. e. of the spirit of pride and opposition which possesseth them methinks they should not deal more barbarously with it than the Turks who afford it a respectful remembrance in their Alcaron But I am injoined not to censure them Let them be still reputed Champions of the Good Old Cause Sworn Enemies to Episcopacy and Liturgy but for humble and sound Christians I shall not esteem them until they can get leave of themselves To use the Lords Prayer as a Prayer He adds another affront Most plain it is that our Saviour made this Prayer for his Disciples while they were Members of the Jewish Church and before he had sent the Spirit of Truth to lead them into all truth let it therefore be considered whether we be not ordinarily to express our selves in a dialect more suitable to the New Testament dispensation than is used in the Lords-Prayer To what desperate opinions and practices doth the spirit of pride and faction hurry those that are once possessed with it Nescio quomodo nil tam absurde dici potest quod non dicatur ab aliquo P. Cic. de Divinat l. 2. We have heard of one that would correct the Magnificat and Irâ—naeus tells of some that called themselves Emendatures Apostolarum but this man atttempts more than ever Alphonsus imagined to amend the Lords Prayer He must certainly be a man of extraordinary gifts that can pray ordinarily in a more Evangelical dialect than our Saviour could How went the Spirit of our Lord from him when he dictated this Form that it should so visibly differ from the rest of the New Testament and what cloven tongues and fiery inspiration have they that can so far exceed this despicable prayer St. Cyprian says Quae potest esse magis spiritualis Oratio quem quae verè a Christo data a quo etiam Spiritus Sanctus misus and I am of his mind that there can be no prayer more spiritual than that which was made by him from whom the Holy Spirit is sent And the learned Grotius tells us Ad hunc Spiritum impetrandum praecipue directa est ista precandi formula it is that Dove in whose Form the Holy Spirit doth frequently descend But as Dr. Hammond observed Paranesis p. 15. All the Topicks of Hell have been raked to find Arguments against it but there can be found none to warrant the disuse of this prayer besides the indisposition of such men as these to use it their want of humility and charity would turn it into an imprecation against themselves and therefore it is too big for their mouths But I wonder by what Spirit of Divination it was revealed that this prayer was made for the Disciples whilst Members of the Jewish Church of St. John it is said that he was fibula utriusque Legis a middle person between both Churches yet were his Disciples distinguished from the Jewish and when Christs Disciples askt this prayer of their Master it was to distinguish them from the Disciples of John And if the time be observed in Saint Luke for it was twice prescribed you shall find the use of it peremptorily inâ—oined by our Saviour a good while after that he had taken upon him the publick Ministry of the Gospel and 't is unlikely that he would now build up the Jewish Synagogue Luk. 4.18 which he came to destroy It is true indeed that our Saviour being the chief Corner-stone that should join Jews and Gentiles in one Church did make use of such expression in his Doctrine and some such Rites in his Institutions as were at that time familiarly known and practised among the Jews And so Grotius observes that in this prayer is collected whatever was commendable in the prayers of the Jews In Mat. 6. As also in our Saviours admonitions he makes use of Proverbial sentences then in use So far was the Lord of the Christian Church from affecting any unnecessary novelty However if we consider the sense of it there is no petition A most comprehensive Form of Prayer so the Directory And Calvin l. 3. c. 20. § 34. Quicquid expetere licet quicquid in rem nâ—stram conducit quicquid postulare necesse est and 〈◊〉 that any Christian needs to make but it is included in one of those heads as the Analysis and Comments of learned men upon it do abundantly evince To conclude this part You see the ancient Disciples were so humble as to desire their Lord to teach them to pray Our new Apostles can teach their Lord to pray not only in a dialect more suitable to the Gospel but in the matter less Legal and Jewish No wonder if they scorn our Communion they are fit for the Communion of Hacket and him that gave God thanks that he had forgotten the Lords Prayer As for me I will yet pray against such impieties as old Jacob did for Simeon and Levi O my soul Gen. 49.6 come not thou into their secret unto their Assembly mine Honour be not thou united for in their anger they not only slaughter men but even crucifie afresh the Lord of Life and put him to open shame and in their self-will they do not dig down walls and super-structures but dig up the very foundations of the Church of God And now it is high time to betake our selves to a better Communion which readily offers it self in the last part of the Text. 3. The excellency of this fellowship And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ But having met with so much boldness lately it cannot be impertinent to caution you here that when you hear of fellowship you do not presently think of an irreverent familiarity with your heavenly Father For if I am
a Father saith he where is mine honour Mal. 1.6 That is express and manifest it in your humble behaviour Gods gracious condescention to us will not excuse our unmannerly contempt of him He takes away the greatest ornament from Religious Worship that takes away reverence from it Maximum ex amicitia tollit ornamen tum qui tollit verecundiam Cicero Earthly parents expect to have their blessing asked by their Children on their knees and Christ did so address himself to his Father That Commandment that forbids us to bow down and worship false Gods enjoyns us to bow down in the Worship of the true God David requires it more expressly Ps 59.6 O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker As it is our priviledg to walk with God so 't is our duty to walk humbly with him And being thus prepared we may have fellowship with the Father c. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity Isa 57.15 whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a humble and contrite spirit This God promised when he first gave the Law by Moses and was served at an earthen Altar In all places where I shall record my name Ex. 20.24 I will come unto thee 2 Chron. 7.15 and I will bless thee And when Sâ—lomon had with great magnificence built a House for God and dedicated it to his Worship Now saith God mine eyes shall be open and my heart attend unto the prayer that is made in this place and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually Said God these things for the sake of the Altar of earth or of Solomons Temple No but God had recorded his Name there and there he was publickly invocated by the united Prayers of his People And therefore Christ reneweth the same promise Where two or three are gathered together in my Name Mat. 18 20. there am I. And there he hath promised his perpetual Presence Lo I am with you always to the end of the world Mat. 28. And is not the world well altered with sinful men since the time of Gods appearing upon Sinai Where was blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words which words they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more A sight so terrible that it made Moses exceedingly fear and quake But we are come to Mount Sion c. and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel It is said of Israel What Nation is so great who hath God so nigh Deut. 4.7 this makes a Nation truly great to have God nigh them as the Lord our God is near unto us in all that we call upon him for A great priviledg this is yet not so great as that which we have by Christ in whom as the Apostle says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 1.6 God hath made us his chief favourites and encourageth us by the mediation of our great high Priest to come boldly unto the Throne of Grace Heb. 4.14 and hath promised that we shall obtain mercy and find grace to help at a time of need And what surer pledg can we have of Gods constant favour than that which the Apostle mentioneth He that spared not his own Son Rom. 8.32 but delivered him up for us all how should he not with him freely give us all things We may say therefore with a filial confidence Isa 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father a Father that knows all our wants and weaknesses and spareth us as a Father spareth the Son that serveth him Nemo tam Pater Inter Deum bonos homines auncitia quaedam est Amicitiam dico imo recessitudo Sen. Luk. 11.13 tam pius nemo Our Saviour would have us guess at Gods compassions towards us by ours to our own Children If ye that are evil know how to give good things to your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him What nearer Communion can there be He hath already given us his Son he is daily pouring down his spirit and only reserves himself for our everlasting reward 2. And of this we may be the better assured by the communion that we have with his Son Jesus Christ With whom our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6.14 a mutual communication and participation He assumed our nature and infirmities and so knows our weaknesses and imperfections and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able Yea he hath taken on him all our sins and made full satisfaction for them He is of God made unto us wisdom righteousness 1 Cor. 1.30 sanctification and redemption not by way of imputation only as a Cloak to cover our iniquities but of real efficacy purging our Consciences from dead works delivering us from the power of Satan renewing his own Image upon us that we may be partakers of the Divine Nature and out of his fulness receive Grace for Grace And thus will Christ be the Saviour of his body sanctifying and conforming it to himself Eph. 5.23 protecting it by his special providence guiding and comforting it by his Spirit and at last glorifying it with himself eternally To apply this 1. May we have Communion with the Father and with his Son Let us not then be solicitous for the mediation of Saints and Angels and bestow more devotion and honor on them than on the immediate service of God and our Saviour Those holy Spirits will be all of our Communion they join with us in praising God and will in their capacities be ministring Spirits to our necessities For worshipping them we have no Apostolical Precept or Example but many to the contrary and therefore See thou do it not Rev. 19.10 I am thy fellow-servant worship thou God 2. Let us walk worthy of so holy Communion if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth Our not doing according to the truth we profess is a giving the lie to it a disgracing of our Religion as if it did allow us in wickedness Wash you Isa 2. make you clean c. Come now and let us reason together A holy man may talk with God as a man talketh with his friend But What Communion hath light with darkness 2 Cor. 6.14 15. what concord hath Christ with Belial None but Virtuoso's can be of this Royal Society wherefore Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity In this only separation is to be justified in having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness Our Communion with their persons will not defile us if we avoid their sins The