your master-peece and therefore I will tell it in your very words because it s your desire wee should marke it well You say that Austin the Apostle of the Saxons placed his first Altar in the Cathedrall Church at Dover dedicated to S. Peter and S. Paul and that he placed this Altar in medio sui pene almost in the very midst thereof and dedicated it to the honour of S. Gregorie the Pope and that the Priest of the place doth on that Altar every Sabbath day perform the agends of this Austin and S. Gregorie Hereupon you inferre as by way of Triumph And shall we beleeve that no Church of all the English nation did imitate herein her first Metropolis It is impossible it should be so Impossible indeed if it bee true as you have told us but for our comfort there 's not one word true in all this storie Nor doe I think that you intended it for any thing but a winters tale to drive away the cold within a chimney corner when thâ—re is no fire For so ridiculous a confidence have you told it with as they have the hap to heare it auditum admissirisum and you know what followes will catch themselves an heat with laughing To take a view thereof per partes Where I beseech you did the man ever heare of a Cathedrall Church at Dover the Author whom you follow doth call it Doroverni Canterburie in that very Chapter and Regia civitas the Regall citie lib. 1. cap. 33. Secondly the Cathedrall Church at Canterbury was not dedicated to S. Peter and S. Paul but as your Authour tels in nomine sancti Salvatoris Dei Domini nostri Iesu Christi unto the honour of Iesus Christ our Lord and Saviour and is called Christs Church to this day As for the Church you meane dedicated to S. Peter and S. Paul that was a Monasterie Church and no Cathedrall which from the founder afterwards was called S. Austins Thirdly it is not said in Beda that Austin the Apostle of the Saxons did place this Altar in that Church but only Habet haec in medio sui pene Altare that in that Church there is an Altar placed almost in the middle of it but by whom God knowes the Church not being finished when this Austin died Fourthly your Authour doth not say that the said Altar was S. Austins first Altar no such matter neither the placing of that Altar was no leading case but only habet haec Altare that Edition and no otherwise In the body of the Church or of the Chancell p. 206. I see your fingers are so nimble here can nothing scape you Then for the body of the Church however it was put unto the Question in the Bishops letter that being the Rubrick saith the Table shall stand in the body of the Church or of the Chancell whâ—re morning and evening prayer he appointed to be said and being that morning and evening prayer be appointed to be said in the body of the Church as in most country Churches we see it is where should the Table stand most Canonically yet you recant it in your book You tell us that the Writer of the letter did never imagine that the Table should stand most Canonically in the bodie of the Church but onely that the Canons allow it not to be fixed to the end of the Quire but to bee made of moveable nature to mâ—et with those cases in the law in which without this transposing thereof upon occasions the Minister cannot be heard of his Congregation This is but small amends save that you let us therin see you are irresolute in your selfe and know not unto what to trust It 's true the Rubrick sounding one way and the continuall practice of the Church another way it might perplex as wise a man as I know who is to find out the intention of the Rubrick and the reason of it Yet would you give me leave to use a briefe conjecture and not upbraid me for it in your next assault I should make bold to tell you my opinion in it Bucer a moderate and ingenious man in his survey or censure of the first Liturgie observed that all divine Offices were celebrated in the Quire or Chancell In chorotantum sacra representari which he conceived to be a Popish custome perhaps because it might ascribe unto the place and Priest some inherent sanctitie and wisheth that a sharp and sudden remedie should be provided for the same Hereupon in the second Liturgie the appointing of the place for morning and evening praier was left unto the Ordinary and as it seemeth by this Rubrick the holy Sacrament was to be there administred where he so appointed Whether it hath been practised accordingly I cannot positively say but if at all it was aut raro aut nunquam a thing seldome seen and possibly the very Order might as much take off the opinion of inherent sanctitie if that were then the matter questioned as the execution Which were it so the reason of the law being ceased the law ceaseth also But this I onely offer as a Consideration and no more than so Then for the 82. Canon there it is said that in the time of the Communion the Table shall bee placed in so good sort within the Church or Chancell as therby the Minister may more conveniently be heard of the Communicants in his prayer and ministration and the Communicants also more conveniently and in more number may communicate with the said Minister Now hereunto the Doctor answered that this was a permission rather that so it might be than a command that so it should be and a permission onely in such times and places where otherwise the Minister cannot conveniently be heard of the Communicants The writer of the letter seemes to grant as much where hee affirmeth the placing of the Table Altar-wise is the most decent situation when it is not used and for use too where the Quire is mounted up by steppes and open so that hee which officiates may bee seene and heard of all the congregation If so then certainly the Canon is not binding for all times and places for then there was an Altar Fiftly you finde it not in Bedâ— that the Agenda of Pope Gregorie and the said S. Austin were celebrated by the Priest of the place every Sabbath day as you meane Sabbath day and would have ignorant people understand your meaning but onely every Saturday per omne Sabbatum It had been very fairely done had you expressed your Authors proper Latine in as proper English and called it Saturday as you ought to doe speaking in English to the people who as they are not all Geometricians so are they neither all such Latinists as to descrie your falsehood in it But we must take this for another of your Helenas to please the Puritans who now are furnished with an Argument to prove that the Lords day was called the Sabbath and so reckoned in the time of Bede and therefore not so late an Vpstart as some men have made it Last of all for your strong conclusion that it is utterly impossible that no Church of
essay of those fine stories and inventions which we are like to finde within One that conjectured of the house by the trimme or dresse would thinke it very richly furnished The wals thereof that is the Margin richly set out with Antique Hangings and whatsoever costly workmanship all Nations of these times may bee thought to bragge of and every part adorned with flourishes and preâ—ty pastimes and gay devices of the Painter Nor is there any want at all of Ornaments or Vtensils to set out the same such specially as may serve for ostentation though of little use many a fine and subtile Carpet not a few idle Couches for the credulous reader and every where a Pillow for a Purâ—tans Elbow all very pleasing to the eye but slight of substance counterfeit stuffe most of it and wrought with so much fraud and falshood that there is hardly one true stitch in all the Worke From the beginning to the end our Minister is still the same no Changeling Servatur ad imum Qualis ab incoepto processerit et sibi constat And yet if all these piae fraudes for so they must be thought in so grave a Minister did aime at nothing else than to advance the reputation of his holy Table the answering of his worke were more proper for another Adversary The holy Table hath no enemies in the Church of England and therefore he is faine to flie to Rome to finde out some that are ashamed of the name of the Lords Table But so it is that under the pretence of setting up his holy Table this Minister hath dispersed throughout his booke such principles of faction schisme and disobedience that even that Table also is made a snare to those who either out of weaknesse or too great a stomacke doe greedily devoure what ever is there set before them So venomous a discourse requires an Antidote a timely and a present Antidote before the malignitie of the poyson bee diffused too far and therefore I thought fit to provide one for you for you the learned religious Clergie of the Diocesse of â—â—nc for whoÌ„ for whose use alone that worthy Work of his whosoever hee bee must be pretended to be printed yet so hat any others may be made partakers of it whose judgment and affections have been or are distempered by so lewd a practiser who cares not if the Church were in a combustion so hee may warme his hands by the flame thereof The Author what he is is not yet discovered all that is openly revealed is that hee was a Minister in Lincoln-shire as in the Title some Minister of the Diocese as the Licence cals him The booke if wee beleeve the Title-page was writ long agoe in answer unto Doctor Coal a judicious Divine of Queene Maries dayesâ— but what the Author meanes by Queene Maries dayes is not so easie to determine If hee speakes properly literally and anciently as in the first part of the Title he would same be thought hee may perhaps meet with a Doctor Coal in Queene Maries dayes but then that Doctor Coal would not serve his turne because hee had no hand in the Coal from the Altar but if he meane the present times and reckon them in the ranke of Queene Maries dayes as if the light in which we live proceeded not froÌ„ the cleer Sunâ—shine of the Gospell but the fierce fire of persecution I would faine know what could bee said more factiously to inflame the people whom he and others of that crew have every were affâ—ighted with these dangerous feares Q. Maries dayes we blesse God for it were never further off than now religion never more assured the Church better setled nor the Divines thereof more leaâ—ned and religious than at this time under the most auspitious Raigne of our Gracious Soveraigne And therefore they that practise with all art and cunning to cast such scandals on the State and such foule slanders on the Church are utterly unworthy of those infinite blessings which by the sword of God and Gideon the favour of the Lord and our religious Soveraigne they enjoy in both So that the supposition of a booke written long agoe in answer to a Doctor of Queene Maries dayes is at the best a factious figment and a pâ—rnicious Imposture to abuse the people and onely for that cause invented This factious figment thus rejected all that is left us to find out this Author must bee collected by the style and argument though that perhaps will give us but a blinde discovery The argument both in the maine and on the by shewes that hee is a true descendant of those old Ministers of Lincoln shire which drew up the Abridgement in King Iames his time in case hee bee not some remainder of that scattered company which hitherto hath hid his head and now thrusts out with Bastwick Prinne and Burton to disturbe the State The stile composed indifferently of Martin Maâ—â—e-Prelate and Tom Nash as sâ—â—â—rillous and full of folly as the one as scandalous and full of â—action aâ— the other was which howsoever it may please young heads and such as are affected as the Writer is yet it gives just offence to the grave and learned who would have serious matters handled in a serious manner They that can finde him â—ut by either of thâ—se Characters must have more knowledge of the Diocesse than I dare pretenâ— to who am pronounced before-hand and by way of challenge to be none of the Voisinage and consequently no fit man to be returned of the Inquest Onely I have made bold out of my care and zeale to the commonâ—good to give you this short notice of him that if by chance you should encounter with him any where in his private◠〈◊〉 you may take heed lest hee seduce you by his practiâ—es and in the meane time be forwarned lest he misguide you by his writings For comming in the habit of a neighbâ—ur Minister especially being recommended to you for one so Orthodox in doctrine and consâ—nant in discipline to the Church of England you might perchance be apt to give credit to him and lend too credulous an eare to his slie temptations Therefore to save that title which the Church hath in you and to preserve that interest which it claimes in your best affections I have adventured to put in this Caveat in the Churches name which if you should neglect as I hope you will not I must bee forced in maintenance of her right and interest to bring my double quarrell Bookes of a popular argument and followed in a popular way are commonly much cherished by that race of men who love to runne crosse to all publick-order And therefore it concernes all Churchmen and you especially of that Diocese for which that worthy Woke was printed to have a wise and timely care that those which are committed to your severall charges be rightly ballanced and not invâ—igled and abused by the neate subtleties of those who onely labour
this man of Linc. The Doctor and Ignatius vindicated in the three places touching Altars The prophane Passage in the Ministers Book of a Widow-Altar An answer to the Cavils of the Minister of Linc. against the evidence produced from Irenaeus and S. Cyprian The Ministers ignorant mistakes about the meaning of Tertullian in the word Ara. Pamelius new reading about Charis Dei not universally received A briefe recitall of the substance in these two laâ—t Chapters CHAP. VII Of Churches and the fashion of them and of the usuall place allotted in the Church for the holy Altar Places appointed for Divine worship amongst the Patriarcâ—â—s Iews and Gentiles The various conditions and estate of the Christian Church and that the Churches were according unto those estates What was the mening of the Apologeticks when they denied the having of Temples in the Church of Christ. the Minister of Linc. stops the mouth of Minutius Felix and falsifieth Arnobius Altars how situated in the troublesome and persecuted times of Christianity The usuall form of Churches and distinct parts and places of them in the Primitive times That in those times the Altars stood not in the body of the Church as is supposed by the Minister of Linc. Six Reasons for the standing of the Altars at the upper end of the Quire or Chancell in the dayes of old Of Ecclesiasticall traditions and the autority therof The Church of England constant to the practice of the former times The Minister of Linc. tels a Winter tale about the standing of an Altar in the Cathedrall Church of Dover The meaning of the Rubrick in the Common-prayer-booke about the placing of the Table in Communion time CHAP. VIII An answer to the Minister of Lincolns Arguments against the standing of the Lords Table at the upper end of the Quire The Minister of Lincoln forsakes his Bishop about the placing of the Altar in the body of the Church The Altar in Eusebius Panegyrick not in the middle of the Church The Ministers confidence and ignorance in placing the Altar of incense close unto the vaile Tostatus falsified by the Minister of Lincoln 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fift Councell of Constantinople and the meaning of it The Minister of Lincoln at a losse in his Criticall learning both Greek and Latin Varro corrupted by the Minister of Lincoln Saint Augustine what hee meant by mensa illa in medio constituta Albaspinus falsified Durandus sets the Altar at the upper end of the Quire The testimony of Socrates and Nicephorus asserted to the Doctour from the Ministers Cavils The Altars how now placed in the Greek Churches The weak autorities produced by the Minister of Lincoln for placing of the Table distant from the wall and some of them corrupted also The general Precedents of the Minister for placing of the holy Table forged as also are the Aâ—ts of the Councell of Millaine under Borromeo The Minister confesseth guiltie and confutes himselfe of falsification Many particular Precedents brought in most of them counterfeit and forged and altogether concluâ—e nothing to the point in hand The Minister of Lincoln against himselfe SECTION III. CHAP. IX A brief survey and câ—nsure of the first service of Exâ—â—avagancies in the holy Table The Ministers Extravagancies one of the greatest part of his whole discourse His ignorant mistaking in the Mathematicks concerning the inventions of Euclide Archimedes and Pythagoras The Minister Faulters in the originall of Episcopall autority His bringing in of Sancta Clara and Sancta Petra for the Iingle onely The Minister mistakes the case of the German Priestâ— His cauils at the forme of Prayer before the Sermon and turning towards the East in the Act of Prayer The Ministers ignorant endevours to advance the autority of the Archdeacons The Minister mistaken in the Diaconicon What the Diacony was and that it addes but little to the dignity of Archdeacons that the old Deacon had the keeping of it The Minister absurdly sets the Deacon above the Priest Portare Altare not an honour in the first Deacons but a service onely The little honour done by the Minister to the Archdeacons in drawing down their petigree fâ—om the first Deacons The Ministers ignorant mistake in his own word utensil The Minister subjects the Priest to the autority of the Churchwarden and for that purpose falsifieth Lindwood His ignorant derivations of the present Churchwarden from the old Oeconomus The Minister endevours to exclude the Glergie from medling in secular matters and to that end abuseth the autoriâ—ie of the ancient Fathers His ignorancâ— in the Catechisme and confident mistakes in that His heartlessâ— plea for bowing at the name of IESVS CHAP. X. The second service of Extravagancies sent up and set before his guests by the Minister of Lincoln The Metaphoricall Altar in the Fathers good evidence for the proofe of Reall Altars in the Church Ignatius corrupted by Vedelius My Lord of Chichesters censure of Vedelius The Minister misreports Saint Bernard and makes ten Altars out of foure A new originall of the Table in the Christian Church from the Table of Shew-bread the Ministers fumbling in the same deserted by those Autors that hee brings in for it The Minister pleads strongly for sitting at the holy Sacrament and for that purpose falsifieth Baronius misreports Saint Austin and wrongs Tertullian The Benedictines sit not at the Sacrament on Maundy Thursday Of the Seiur de Pibrac The Minister advocates for the Arians and will not have them be the Authors of sitting at the holy Sacrament and for that cause deals falsly with the Polish Synods which impute it to them Three Polish Synods ascribe the sitting at the Sacrament to the modern Arians The ignorance of the Minister about accipere reservare in Tertullian What the Stations were Lame Giles The Minister slights the appellation of the second Service as did the Writer of the letter and brings in severall arguments against that division The Ministers ignorance in the intention of the Rubricks Of setting up a Consistory in the midst of service The authority of the Priest in repulsing unworthy persons from the Sacrament defended against the Ministers He sets a quarrell between Cathedrall and Parochiall Churches and mistakes the difference betweene them The Injunctions falsified Of being ashamed at the name of the Lords Table The Minister ashamed at the name of Altar Of pleasing the people and the Ministers extreme pursuit therof The Minister falsly chargeth on the Doctor a foolish distinction of the Diptychs The conclusion ANTIDOTVM LINCOLNIENSE SECTION I. CHAP. I. Of the state of the question and the occasion of writing the letter to the Vicar of Gr. The Author of the Coale from the Altar defended against him that made the holy Table in respect of libelling railing falsifying his authorities and all those accusations returned on the Accusers head The Minister of Lincolnshires advantage in making his owne tale and altering the whole state of the question The Vicar cleared from
removing the Communion Table of his owne accord as also from a purpose of erecting an Altar of stone by the Bishops letter That scandalous terme of Dresser not taken by the writer of that letter from the country people The Vicars light behaviour at bowing at the name of Jâ—SUS a loose surmise The Alderman and men of Gr repaire unto the Bishop The agitation of the businesse there The letter written and dispersed up and down the countrey but never sent unto the Vicar The Minister of Lincolnshire hath foulely falsified the Bishops letter A parallel betweene the old and the new Editions of the letter IT was an old but not unwitty application of the Lo Keeper Lincolns when he was in place that as once Tully said of Plato In irridendis Oratoribus maximus Orator esse videbatur so he might also say of N. appointed speaker of the Parliament for the house of Commons that with great eloquence he had desired to be excused from undertaking that imployment for want of eloquence The same may be affirmed as truely I am sure more pertinently of this Non-nemo M r Some body some Minister of Lincolne Diocesse Charging the Doctor whom hee undertaketh with libelling hee hath shewed himselfe the greatest libeller accusing him of railing he hath shewed himselfe the veriest railer and taxing him for falsifying his Texts and Authors hath shewed himself the most notorious falsifier that ever yet put pen to paper And first hee chargeth him with libelling upon a new but witty Etymologie of the Lo Chauncellour S. Albans that a libell was derived from two words a lie and a bell of which the Doctor made the lie and sent it for a token to his private friend the bell being put to by that friend in commending it to the Presse and ringing it abroad over all the Countrey p. 1. Nor is it placed there onely in the front to disport the Reader but it is called a libell p. 21. and p. 60. The whole booke nothing but a libell against a Bishop p. 58. and that you may perceive he is no changeling but ad extremii similis sibi the same man throughout a libell it is called againe towards the latter end p. 220. Here is a libell with a witnesse a libell published by authority a licenced libell printed with licence as himselfe confesseth p. 4. For whosoever made the lie you make his Majesty in effect to be the author of the libell because you cannot but conceive that no man durst have printed his Declaration in the case of S. Gregories Church without his Majesties expresse consent and gracious approbation Or if you would be thought so dull as not to apprehend a thing so cleere yet must the publishing of this libell rest in conclusion on my Lord high Treasurer at whose house the book was licenced Which is so high a language against authority against the practice of this Realm for licencing of books and finally against the honour of the Star-Chamber on whose decree that practice and authority is founded as was never uttered and printed with or without licence by any subject of England before this time But this concernes not me so much as the higher Powers I onely touch upon it and so leave it and with it turne the libell back on this uncertain certaine Minister who daring not to shew himselfe in the Kings high way was faine to seeke out blind paths and crooked lanes in them to scatter up and downe those guilty papers which are indeed a libell both for name and nature For if a libell bee derived from a lie and a bell it serves this turn exceeding fitly First M r. Some-body this some Minister makes the lie telling us of an answer writ long agoe by a Minister of Lincolnshire against a booke that came into the world but the yeere before and then hee sends it to the Lord Bâ— of Lincolne Deane of Westminster who forthwith puts a bell unto it an unlicenced licence and rings it over all the country And it did give an Omen of what nature the whole book would prove by that which followeth in the Title Printed for the Diocese of Lincolne Whereas indeed it was not printed either for that Diocese or for any other but calculated like a common Almanack for the particular Meridian of some one discontented humour with an intent that it should generally serve for all the Puritans of Great Brittain Or if you are not willing it should be a libell to gratifie you for this once let it be a Low-belt A thing that makes a mighty noise to astonish and amaze poore birds that comming after with your light you may take them up and send them for a token to Pere Cotton or carry them along with you when you goe your selfe with the next shipping for New-England But being a low-bell and a libell too take them both together Vt si non prosint singula juncta juvent Your second generall charge is Rayling Oyster-whore language as you call it p. 98. And being some minister some great man such a one as Theudas in the Acts who boasted of himselfe that he was some body you think it a preferment to the Doctor to weare your livery which you bestow upon him with a badge that you may know him for your owne and call him scurrilous railer p. 140 Railing Philistin p. 191. and Railing Doctor p. ult Where do you finde him peccant in that peevish kinde that you should lay such load upon him What one uncivill much lesse scurrilous passage can you deservedly charge him with in his whole answer to that letter which you have tooke upon you to defend maugre all the world The worst word there if you finde any one ill word in it was I trow good enough for your friend I. C. a Separatist from this Church at that time perhaps a Se-baptist by this time who by the Answerer is supposed to be the writer of that letter and might have beene supposed so still for ought you know had not you told us to the contrary and got your Ordinaries hand to the Certificate But be hee what hee will pray Sir who are you that you should quarrell any man for railing being your self so ready a master in that art that howsoever your fingers might perhaps be burnt your lips assuredly were never touched with a Coale from the Altar Quin sine rivali I will not seeke to break you of so old a trick which I am very well contented you should enjoy without any partner Onely I will make bold to deale with you as Alexander did with his horse Bucephalus take you a little by the bridle and turne you towards the Sunne that other men may see how you lay about you though your self doe not Hardly one leafe from the beginning to the end wherein you have not some one Title of honour to bestow upon him which without going to the Heralds I shall thus marshall as I
construing booke and tells you who had need be told it that it behoves you to take care that every thing bee well at home before you come into the Court to accuse another Otherwise you will prove such a Censor morum as was Manutius Plancus in the Romane storie Qui nil objicere posset adolescentibus quod non agnosceret senex most guilty in your doting daies of those very crimes which you have charged on them of the younger sort Which said in generall wee meane to lay before you plainly without welt or guard your jugling in the cariage of this businesse as it relates unto the state of the question and other the Contents of your first Chapter and after all those manifest and most notorious falsifications and impostures which you have put upon the world in your holy table The holy table never was so made an Altar as you have made it in that booke by offering on the same such spotted maimed and most illegall sacrifices to your faire Laverna First for your stating of the question you have an excellent advantage could you hold it fast in making as you doe your owne case your own evidence and your owne authorities The principals in this businesse were the Vicar of Grantham the Alderman thereof and my Lord Bishop of the Diocesse the only Accessary thereunto the Bishops Secretary Of all these there is none that either can or will confute you in any thing you say say you what you will The Vicar hee is dead and you may use him as you please for mortui non mordent as the saying is But yet take heed and say a friend advised you to it what you lay upon him For though he cannot answer to your slanders now hee may bring you to answer for them another day The Alderman being set forth unto us for a discreete and modest man as the letter tells us A prudent and discreet man as your booke informes us did never shew his wisdome and discretion more than that he was affraid to offend the Bishop And being if he be alive as prudent and discreet as ever must needs be now as much affraid to offend the Bishop as before he was and therefore you may say your pleasure and call the Alderman and the Aldermans letter to witnesse what you please to say you are sure of that As for the Bishop from whose mouth you must have the storie hee hath good reason to confirme and justifie his owne relation that it may set him off the better and give the world a full accompt of his most moderate proceedings in a point so agitated Then for the Secretary being wee finde not in the storie that he was any more imployed than sitting up with his Lord that night fetching the booke of Martyrs out of the hall and borrowing Bishop Iewels workes from the Parish Church and giving out the letters as his Lord directed he was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a living instrument and if examined can say nothing that will doe you hurt So that in case the Bishop can but keepe your counsell as no doubt hee will and M r Alderman hath not lost his ancient prudence and discretion which God forbid you may stand forth and tell your tale and tell it with as high a confidence as if wee were obliged to take all for Gospell This you conceive at least goe on accordingly not thinking that in some main points those of the voisinage the same Province can detect you or that there is no way to bring truth to light but by confession of the parties Now in your storie of the businesse you tell us that the Vicars head was full of â—rotchets First turning out of the towne the Lecturers there being two grave and painfull preachers as you set them forth For being salaried by the Parish to which the Bishop was so good a friend you cannot but extoll them whatsoever they were or what just cause soever the poore Vicar had to rid the towne of them Then for the second Crochet that was you say the removing of the Communion table from the upper part of the quire where it was comely placed before and had stood time out of minde unto the Altar-place as he called it and telling M r. Alderman who out of his discretion must needs question the Vicar for it that he had done it and would justifie it What proofe have wee for this for of the other you bring none I meane that the Communion table stood in the upper part of the Quire in such a comely fashion for so long continuance and that it was removed by the Vicar onely without consulting with the Chancellour or perhaps the Ordinary For proofe of this we are referred to M r Aldermans letter Then that the Vicar called the Communion table by the name of Tresle saying that he would build an Altar of stone at his owne charge and that the rude people made reply that hee should set up no dressers of stone in their Church What proofe have we of that M r Aldermans letter Next that he used light gestures in bowing at the name of Jesus so as sometimes his booke fell down and once himselfe to the derision of those that were not so well affected to that religious Ceremony What evidence to make that good M r Aldermans letter These are the most materiall things in the whole relation so farre as it concerned the ground of the whole proceeding and for the proofe of all we must take your word aswell as M r Aldermans letter For what if M r Alderman writno such letter or if he writ it on the Post-fact only to make good your tale or if you make more of it than he mentioned in it as who can tell but you may deale with M r Aldermans letters as you have done throughout your booke with the Aldermans better Or what if M r Aldermans letter say as much as you would have him why would you have us credit M r. Aldermans letter to the discredit of the Vicar especially as things stood betweene them the Alderman being most apparently not a party only but dux partium the leader of a party against his Minister For you your selfe have told us that M r Alderman being nor Bishop Chancellour nor Surrogate as I conceive him commanded his owne officers Sergeants and Beadles and such fellowes to remove the Table to the place where it stood before Which being done accordingly he cries out first and makes complaint unto the Bishop when he had no cause but that hee thought it an high point of wisdome being so prudent and discreet a man as you say hee was to make sure worke there and then a fico for the Vicar So that the Alderman being both a partie and the Plaintife too is not to be admitted for a witnesse also except it be by some new order of your owne devising and like to be a
invented it himselfe Adeo mendaciorum natura est ut cohaerere non possint said Lactantius rightly Your tresle and your dresser then may both goe together ultra anni solisque vias to your deare brethren in New Engl. and their great Patriarke there your good friend I. C. who as they care not now in what place they dispose of the holy table so will they care as little in a little while by what name they call it Of the same peece is that last observation made out of M r Aldermans letter touching the Vicars light behaviour in bowing at the name of Jesus his booke sometimes falling downe and once himselfe Which were it so why doe you think that that should make your friends of Grantham deride the ceremonie when not the ceremonie but the Vicar was in fault if such fault there was Have you not seene some men behave themselves so apishly in the Pulpit that others and those good men too have smiled to note it And yet I hope you will not thinke that therefore they derided that religious ordinance of preaching when not the ordinance but the Preacher was the sole object of the merriment Or if the men of Gr. or rather the rude people there were so profane and impious as upon that or any other such occasion to deride the ceremony the writer of the letter might have spent his pains to better purpose in writing to them somewhat more at large than he hath used to expresse himselfe in that kind to bring them to a better understanding of their Christian duties And you the Champion of the letter had done a better office as I conceive it to have reserved your selfe for the defence of that and the tenor of it if any Puritan in the pack should have writ against it than thus to have disturbed your selfe with so little profit But what if wee joyne issue with an Absque hoc and tell you there was no such falling either of the booke or man as you please to say For tell me of all loves where was it in the Reading pew or at the Communion table or in what place else If in the reading pew the deske and seat were able to have saved them both from falling and so was the Communion table if it had beene there If not there say man where it was and wee will have a melius inquirendum about it presently This is a trick of yours to disgrace the Vicar on whom elsewhere you have left a staine for taking his mornings draught before he went about it p. 62. As if the man not onely were not alwaies right in the head peece and squirrell-pated which might be some infirmity of nature but that hee came unto the Church disordered with drinke and inter pocula told the people quid dia poemata narrant of the name of JESUS and so fell downe and worshipped in stead of bowing In the remainder of the storie you put an excellent speech into the mouthes of those of Grantham partly commendatory of themselves that they were all pâ—aceable and quiet men save that they fought once in the Church about removing of the table conformable in all things to the Kings lawes â—cclesiasticall save that they could not but deride the ceremonie of bowing at the name of Iesus and willing to submit themselves to any Order which his Lp should appoint concerning the situation of the Lords table so it might stand according as they would themselves And it was also partly accusatorie of their Vicar for putting down their weekly Lecture and partly of their owne ill fortune that they should live in the midst of Recusants who did begin already to deride and jeere this new alteration not withouâ—â—ome reflexion on his sacred Majestie for placing over them a chiefe Governour of that religion His Majesty was much to blame there is no doubt of that for not consulting with the Alderman about the fittest man to be Ld Lieutenant of the County but more the Papists to deride that decencie and situation of the Lords boorde there which they approve of elsewhere in all our Churches And I could tell you did I thinke you would thanke me for it that the conformity of our Church in this particular according to the practice of approved Antiquity doth more amaze the Papists than ever it did those of Grantham as knowing better than they doe that the more neere we come to the ancient practice the lesse they can upbraid us and our Church with novelty which is now made the chiefest weapon that they fight withall As for the putting downe of Sermons wherewith they were much scandalized as your booke informs us that was the very marrow-bone of the matter the thing that most displeased the people who must have Chaplaines of their owne or else non vult fac And had they had their tale of Sermons it may bee probably conjectured that M r Alderman had never removed the table but rather left it for a text on which the stipendarie Lecturers there might shew their store of zeale and want of wisdome But to goe on The people having ended and the Bishop forward in his speech about the indifferencie of the matter it was the Vicars Q. to enter who came in pale and wanne and staring obstupuit steterantque comae as you know who saith was by the Bishop used with all lenity and sweetnesse and at last having told his L p being very earnest to get it out of him who it was that set him on these alterations his L p spake aloud that all might heare him that hee had supped on that which the Vicar told him It is an old saying and a true audacter calumniare necesse est ut aliquid haereat by none more practiced than your selfe For though you leave us in a wood and tell us that it is not knowne particularly what they there discoursed of yet by this blinde discovery you make men suspect that some great man to whom the Vicar did retain incouraged him at the least to â—rect an Altar if not to say Masse on it when it was erected Well then the Bishop being gone betakes himselfe unto his study where as you say he sate up most of the night and in the morning as you tell us came abroad this filia unius noctis this letter to the Vicar which is now in question addressed unto the Vicar being then in the house if you tell us right but sent to the Divines of the Lecture of Gr. and by them shewed unto the Vicar A letter of so strange a making that it would puzzle the best Lecturer there to tell exactly what it was digested in the former part into the fashion of a letter but not so figuredly and distinctly in the latter directed to no body nor subscribed by any body In all which story there is nothing true but that the papers were not sent unto the Vicar but to
holy Table should be placed where the Altar stood An excellent Royalist verily in your speculations But look upon you in your practicks and then you tell us in your corrected copy of the Bishops letter that the Table without some new Canon is not to stand Altar-wise which is directly contrary to that before I trow you are not ignorant that the Church makes Canons it is the work of Clergy men in their Convocations having his Majesties leave for their conveening and approbation of their doings His Majesty in the Declaration before the Articles hath resolved it so the late practise in K. Iames his raigne what time the booke of Canons was composed in the Convocation hath declared so too If then the Table may not be removed placed Altar-wise without some new Canon his Majesty may command it for ought I see by you and yet goe without Or if you mean that any order from his Majestie or intimation of his pleasure shall be as forcible with you as any Canon of them all why doe you so much slight his Majesties Declaration about S. Gregories For neither can the man indure it should be called an Act of Counsell which yet the Doctor never calls it to his best remembrance or that it should have any influence beyond that one particular case which first occasioned it in no respect that it should have the operation of Canon either to force obedience or induce conformity So that in fine you deale no otherwise with his Majesty than did Popilius Lenas with the great King Antiochus qui regeÌ„ circumscripsit virgula as the storie hath it You draw a ring about him with your willow scepter as if you meant to conjure him into a circle and so keepe him there Thus deale you also with his person for you would very faine be taken for Hephestion as well as Cratâ—rus You tell us of his heavenly expressions used in that Declaration before remembred and yet think scorn to follow what he there allowes of talke of his sacred Chappell and the Saint of that Chappell and in the same breath tell us that parish-Parish-Churches are as little bound to imitate the forme and patterne of the one as you conceive your selfe obliged to imitate the piety and true devotion of the other Saint of the Chappell Lord how the man bestowes his holy water when he hath a mind to it Spargere rore levi ramo felicis olivae Lustravitque virâ—s in the Poets language Yet no such Saint I trow as Ferdinando the third of whom you say both in the text and in your margin that in his long raigne of 35. yeâ—râ—s there was no touch of hunger or contagion There was a Saint indeed fit to be shewne unto the world as a publike blessing in reference to whom and his most fortunate Empire these wretched times have nothing whereof to glorie Sir that Parenthesis of yours as it comes in impertinently so it lookes suspiciously and it had shewne more wisdome in you to have passed it by than it can make for ostentation of your reading so to take it up But let your practice goe and come we to your speculations in which you have said much and produced good proofe to shew the true originall of the right of Kings Vtinam sic semper errasset said once the learned Cardinall of Calvin It had been well if you had never handled any other argument But good Sir let the poore man live and grow up under you if you please whom you expose so much to the publick scorne and tantum non endite of treason against his Majesty Assuredly the poore soule meant well when he attempted to free the Statute 1. of Eliz. from some perhaps some Ministers of Lincolnshire who had restrained it to the person of the Queene that was and that it could not any way advantage the King that is If he hath failed in any thing I pray you let him have your pitty and not your anger Alas good Sir you know it is impossible nos illico nasci senes that wee should all of us be experienced Statesmen at the first dash We must first serve our time and weare out our Indentures before we come to those high mysteries which any schoole boy might have taught you from his Deus Rex Thinke you that no man ever knew till you found it out that Kings had their authority from God alone or finde you any thing in the Doctor which affirmes the contrary the Doctor as before was said thought fit to cleere the Statute 1. of Eliz. from those that went about to restraine all authority of ordaining rites and ceremonies unto the person of the Queen because there is no mention in that clause of her heires and successors To cleare which point he brought in sixe severall Arguments borrowed as hee tells you there both from the common Law and the Act it selfe The foure first as it seemes you are content should stand without further censure save that you tell him that the fourth was taught him by some Iustice his Clerk and make your selfe merry with the fift and â—ixt How justly let the Reader judge when he heares the businesse The question was whether the King lost any thing of that power which was acknowledged by that Statute to be inherent in the Queene when she was alive for want of these few formall words her heires and successors And it is answered fiftly from a resolution in the law in a case much like it being determined by that great Lawyer Ploydon for so the last edition calls him that if a man give lands to the King by deed inrolled a fee-simple doth passe without these words successors and heyres because in Judgement of Law the King never dyeth This is an argument à comparatis And what see you therein with your Eagles eyes the Doctor being but a blinker as you please to style him that you should fall upon him with such scorne and laughter and tell him that he doth deserve but a simple fee for his impertinent exâ—mple of this fee-simple The Argument was good to the point in hand which was not what the King could doe by his power Originall that which he claimes onely from the King of Kings which was never questioned but how far hee might use that Statute if occasion were for the ordaining of such rites and ceremonies as he with the advice of his Metropolitan should think fit to publish You may call in your laugh again for ought I see yet but that you have a minde to shew your teeth though you cannot bite But his next pranke you say is worse where hee affirmes most ignorantly and most derogatorily to his Majesties right and just prerogative that the Statute 1. of Eliz. 2. was a confirmative of the old law whereas his Author hath it rightly that it was not a Statute introductorie of a new law but declaratorie of the old This
was come unto his knowledge that in many places of the Kingdome the holy table was removed to the Altar place on certain good and godly considerations would this be an Argument unto future ages that this was done de facto by the Countrie people Besides why should you think the people in most places of the Realme were scandalized with Altars in the Countrie Churches when in so many places of the Realme they tooke up Armes because the Masse was taken from them Those enterprises which you speake of of some certaine s Zelots in the beginning of K. Edwards Qu. Maries and Qu. Elizabeths raigne which sometimes you call good and godly considerations and sometimes the irregular forwardnesse of the people were before any law established and therefore of no kin to these Things were now setled by a law and by that law the Altars were to stand as before they did Nor durst the people in the most part of the Churches of the Realme have taken downe the Altars then by law established on any private consideration how good soever therefore I should rather think that it was done in some places and by authority from some Ordinaries such whom the Lords found fittest for the alteration You cavill with the Doctor and reckon it amongst his fainings for telling you what fine doctrine this was for the common people viz. this your report of beating downe the Altars in the Country Churches wherein he failes you say because the writer onely mentioneth it as a matter of Fact But being it was such a Fact as drew on the law the kind of law you tell us of which after put them downe de jure think you to meet with no apt schollers that can tell how to raise a doctrine out of the relation Our Ancestours in K. Edwards daies were zealous of the reformation and beat downe those dressers and why should we betray Gods cause and suffer them to be advanced Are you assured that none amongst your partizans will applie it so and after vouch you for their Author As for the Order of K. Edward which you have slighted off with a kind of law as you did that in Qâ— Elizabeths Injunctions with a kind of somewhat you still stand to that as being neither Act of Parliament nor Act of Councell but an Act of the King sitting in Councell A most pretty quillet Here is a subtilty indeed a subtilty in print as they use to say But take heed nihil odiosius est nimio acumine You should not spend too many of your nice distinctions upon Kings and Princes Now for the alteration of the Liturgie which did indeed draw with it a full and finall alteration in the thing now talked of you take great paines to make it visible unto the world that Calvin had no finger in it It had beene happy for this Church if hee and Beza could have kept themselves to their meditations and not beene curiosi in aliena republica as they were too much You say of Calvin that he was a Polypragmon and made his letters flie to all Princes in the world that did but looke towards a Reformation and that no man conceives him to be more pragmatically zealous than you doe even in those Countries which cared least for him If so why take you up the Bucklers for him or thinke hee might not stickle here as in other places The Doctor drew a storie of it from his owne Epistles which you indeavour to refell by making ante-dates or false dates unto all his letters and unto most of all the rest whom you there produce As for example The Letter to my Lord Protectour you date Octo. 22. 1546. which was a yeere before K. Edward came unto the Crowne as you say your selfe what time hee neither was Protectour nor was there any English Liturgie to except against Then that Archbishop Cranmer did write for Bucer to come over the 2. of Oct. An. 1549. when Bucer had beene here a long time before and being at Canterbury writes a letter to P. Martyr dated the 20. day of Iune that yeer and so you make him come before hee was sent for So for the treatie with the French whereof Calvin speakes you make that March 24. 1549. when Bucer had been here 10. moneths at least and yet you date Pet. Alexanders letter on the same day also writ by the appointment of my Lord Archbishop to invite him hither And thus you toile and moile your self h pugnantia secum frontibus adversis componere to joyn such things together as are not competible But all is well enough so it please the people and that you can set out the Doctor like a Iack of Lent for every boy to fling his stick at Therefore to set the matter right and let you see the Doctor is not so extreamly ignorant in all the story of those times as you please to make him I will set down some bounds and landmarks as it were for our direction in this search such as by no meanes can deceive us Know then that on the last of Ian. 1547. according to the accompt of those forreine States which doe begin the yeere at Christmasse K. Edward came unto the Crowne that in the lulie following hee set out his Injunctions in the which many things there are that tend unto a Reformation of Religion and that in the November after in the selfe same yeere hee held his first Parliament wherein the distribution of the Sacrament subutraque specie was by law established An. 1548. Feb. 11. an Order was sent forth by the Lords of the Councell for the abolishing of Images March the 13. next following the Order of administring the Communion agreed upon at Windsor by the Prelates and other learned men was by the King confirmed and recommended to the Bishops for the publick use And on the 2. of Oct. the same yeere did the Archbishop write to Bucer to come over hither Veni igitur ad nos te operarium praesta in messe Domini as the letter tells us In the November of that yeere began the second Parliament of K. Edward and held on till the 14. of March next after falling in An. 1549. in the same accompt in which the first Liturgie was confirmed and ratified The tenth day after that March 24. Pet. Alexander Sâ—cretarie to the Archbishop writes againe to Bucer with a Veni igitur quà m citissimè poteris and the Iune after that wee finde him here at Canterbury from whence he writ to Pet. Martyr as before was said Apr. 6. Proclamation was made for putting downe the Masse throughout the Realme the Iuly following those of Devonshire and Cornwall rose up in Armes desiring to have their old religion restored againe and on the 8. of August next the Kingdome being thus embroyled the French Ambassadour made defiance to the King of England The
but the businesse went forwards though the Duke went backwards In the relating of which storie you flutter up and downe and have no consistency You tell us pag. 147. that in the first sitting of that Parliament wherein the second Liturgie was confirmed he was attainted and condemned and presently executed whereas indeed hee was attainted almost two months and executed just a day before that sitting You tell us pag. 149. that hee was a condemned Prisoner looking every day for the stroke of the Axe when the booke was passing the Committies if at all any such Committie ever was about that Booke which I somewhat question whereas the Axe had done and the stroke was past before the Session Finally whereas in many places of the Bishops letter you call the second Liturgie the Liturgie of the yeere 1552. as indeed it was you tell us here pag. 148. of a certaine Letter which was delivered to the Duke from Calvin An. 1551. as most true it was so the Liturgie being then newly altered And so by that account the Liturgie was altered when as the Duke of Somerset was neither attainted condemned or executed as before you said Is this your looking unto the storie of the times which you so much bragge of But as before I told you however the Duke went backward the worke went forwards the partie being growne so well compacted that it could go alone without any leader especially Duke Dudley who then ruled the rost having a great opinion of Bishop Hooper who being no friend unto the Altars of the Church himselfe might easily induce his Patron to promote the cause Next for his tampering with the King and Archbishop Cranmer wee have good warrant from his Letters In that unto Farellus Anno 1551. hee tels you of a Letter sent by him to the King by M r. Nicolas one of his tel-tales as you call him and of the welcome it found both with the King and with his Councell as also that he was advised by my Lord of Canterbury to write more frequently unto the King than hee had done formerly Not about restitution of Impropriations that 's but your device the Archbishop sent him no such message unlesse you finde it in your dreames Calvin had other things to aime at although hee tooke that also as it came in his way In statu Regni multa adhuc desiderantur many things were amisse that needed reformation That was more like to bee the Argument of his adresses to the King If you will please to take his word himselfe shall tell you in his aforesaid Letter unto Bullinger that he had writ both to the King and to the Councell and so had Bullinger it seemes What was the purpose of those letters ut â—os incitaremus ad pergendum to set them forwards on the worke which was then in hand writing withall unto the Duke of Somerset to countenance Hooper in his opposition to the publick orders then established Your selfe have told us of him that he was a Polypragmon making his letters flie to all the Princes of the world that did but looke towards a Reformation If to all Princes then no question but to our King also amongst the rest and what a kind of reformation Calvin aimed at you know well enough Then for his practising with the Archbishop the Doctor tells you that he had written to him An. 1551. being the yeere before the Liturgie was altered complaining in the same that in the service of this Church there was remaining a whole masse of Popery quae non obscuret mâ—dâ— c. which did not onely blemish but even overwhelme Gods holy worship This letter being placed betweene two others dated the same yeere induced the Doctor to beleeve that it was dated that yeere also and this you chalenge as a childish and erroneous Criticisme but bring no better of your own Onely you would faine have it dated before this yeere and if it might be two yeeres sooner because he tels the Archbishop there of Chanting vespers here in England in an unknowne tongue which was you say inhibited by Parliament full two yeeres before the altering of the Liturgie But if you marke it well this will little helpe you Some Minister of Calvins perhaps his Tel-tale Monsieur Nicolas had from Cambridge certified him how things went in England particularly how all the Church was provided for and what great spoyle was made of the meanes and maintenance thereto belonging But more especially that those great men who held Abby-lands and consequently were to pay some pensions to the Monks surviving did put them into benefices and cure of soules who had nor minde nor meaning to discharge that dutie ut pensione iis persolvenda se liberarent onely to ease themselves of paying the Pensions This being certified by Calvin by a letter dated on Whitsunday An. 1550. in his next missive to the Archbishop he complaines of both First that the Church was so exposed to open Port-sale quod praedae sunt expositi Ecclesiae reditus and secondly quod ex publico Eâ—clesiae proventu aluntur otiosi ventres c. that the revenue of the Church should be bestowed upon those idle bellies and so you know they called the Monkes which in an unknowne tongue chanted out the Vespers If this suffice not for the date then be pleased to know that Calvin in that letter relates to somewhat that had beene done by the Archbishop in the Reforming of this Church for three yeeres before Atque utinam te duce aliquanto longiùs jam ante triennium progressi forent which saith hee had they done there had not beene such superstitions left as hee there complaines of Now the first Reformation made by the Archbishops means was the Communion book set out 1548. for the receiving of the Sacrament sub utraque specie To which if you will adde those three yeeres which are there remembred you must needs date this letter as the Doctor doth An. 1551. not one minute sooner The Doctor hereupon concludes as before he did that leaving the word Altar out of the Common-prayer booke last established and other alterations which were therein made grew not from any scandall taken at the Altars by the Countrie people but a dislike that Calvin had conceived against the Liturgie as before was said Of any hand that Martin Bucer had therein more than that hee had signified unto Calvin the quality and condition of this Church and of the Liturgie thereof the said Doctor saith not and this not absolutely neither but with a sic videtur that so it seemed Yet you cry out without a cause that it was the King the Lords and the State rather than any incitement of Martin Bucer that made this alteration in the Liturgie in the point of Altars An alteration there was made by the King and State though not by the incitement of Martin Bucer but of Calvin rather that Polypragmon
as you call him For that the Alteration of K. Edwards Liturgie proceeded rather of some motions from without than any great dislike at home the Doctor was induced to beleeve the rather because the King had formerly affirmed in his Answer to the Devonshire men that the Lords Supper as it was then administred was brought even to the very use as Christ left it as the Apostles used it and as the holy Fathers delivered it Acts and Monuments part 2. pag. 667. And secondly because hee had observed that in the Act of Parliament by which that Liturgie of 1549. was called in the booke of Common prayer so called in was affirmed to be agreeable to Gods Word and the Primitive Church 5. 6. Ed. 6. ca. 1. Unto the first of these you promise such an Answer an Anâ—wer set downe in such Capitall letters that he that runnes may reade And this no doubt you meane to doe onely in favour to the Doctor who being but a blinker as you please to call him would hardly see your Answer in a lesser Character But first because we know your tricks we will set downe in terminis as the storie tells us what was demanded by the Rebells and what was answered by the King and after looke upon the glosse which you make of both that wee may see which of them you report most falsely and what you gather from the same The Rebels they demanded thus Forasmuch as wee constantly beleeve that after the Priest hath spoken the words of consecration being at Masse there celebrating and consecrating the same there is very really the body and bloud of our Saviour Iesus Christ God and man and that no substance of bread and wine remaineth after but the very selfe same body that was borne of the Virgin Mary and was given upon the Crosse for our Redemption therefore wee will have Masse celebrated as it was in times past without any man communicating with the Priests forasmuch as many rudely presuming unworthily to receive the same put no difference between the Lords body and other kind of meat some saying that it is bread both before and after some saying that it is profitable to no man except hee receive it with many other abused termes Now to this Article of theirs the King thus replyed For the Masse I assure you no small studie nor travell hath beene spent by all the learned Clergie therein and to avoid all contention it is brought even to the very use as Christ left it as the Apostles used it as the holy Fathers delivered it indeed somewhat altered from that the Popes of Rome for their lucre brought it to And although yee may heare the contrary from some Popish evill men yet Our Majesty which for Our Honour may not be blemished and stained assureth you that they deceive abuse you and blow these opinions into your heads to finish their owne purposes This is the plaine song as it passed betweene the Rebells and the King And now I will set down your descant on it in your owne words verbatim not a tittle altered that all which runne may reade and see how shamefully you abuse your owne dearest Author The Rebels in their third Article set on by the Popish Priests doe petition for their Masse that is that which wee call the Canon of the Masse and words of consecration as they had it before and that the Priests might celebrate it alone without the communicating of the people To this the King answers That for the Canon of the Masse and words of Consecration which is nothing altered in the second Liturgie they are such as were used by Christ the Apostles and the ancient Fathers that is They are the very words of the Institution But for the second part of their demand which was for the sacrifice of the Masse or the Priests eating alone they must excuse him For this the Popes of Rome for their lâ—cre added to it So there is a cleare Answer to both parts of the Article A very cleare answer if you marke it well The Rebels make demand of the whole Masse modo forma as before it had beene celebrated you make them speake onely of the Canon of the Masse and words of Consecration The King in his reply makes answer to the whole Masse as it was commonly then called the whole forme and order of the Communion in the publick Liturgie that it was brought even to the very use as Christ left it the Apostles used it and the holy Fathers delivered it you make him answer onely of the Canon and words of Institution as if that were all This is not to report an answer but to make an answer and draw that commendation to a part of the common Liturgie which was intended of the whole And yet your Inference is farre worse than your Report For you have made the King to say that they should have a Table and a Communion and the words of Consecration as they were used by Christ the Apostles and the ancient Fathers but they should have no Altar nor sacrifice for these the Popes of Rome for their lucre had added to the Institution This were there nothing else would set you forth for what you are a man that care not what you say or whom you â—alsifie so you may runne away from the present danger though afterwards it overtakes you and falls farre heavier on you than before it did Next let us see what you reply to that which concernes the Parliament and the opinion which it had of the former Liturgie as both agreeable to Gods Word and the Primitive Church And first you charge the Doctor with borrowing that passage from father Parsons three Conversions Whether it be in father Parsons the Doctor knowes not But whether it be or not that comes all to one as long as it is so delivered in the Act of Parliament Then for the Act itselfe you answer that whereas some sensuall persons and refractorie Papists had forbâ—rne to repaire to the Parish-Churches upon the establishment of the English Service the Parliament doth in the Preamble tell the offenders against this new law that praiers in the mother-tongue is no invention of theirs as the Priests would make them beleeve but the doctrine of the Word of God and the practice of the Primitive Church medling no farther with the Liturgie in this part of the Act than as it was a service in the mother-tongue I have been told it was a saying of my Lord Chancellour Egerton that D r Day once Dean of Windsor had the most excellent arts of creeping out of the law of any man whose name was ever brought in Chancâ—ry That Doctor and this Minister are much of the same quality our Minister being as expert in creeping out of an authority as ever was that Doctor in creeping out of the law But yet hee creepes not so away but a man may catch him and catch him sure we will
lings of his flocke and the fat thereof This was it seemes the quit-rent which they paid to Almighty God that supreme Lord of and by whom they held their temporall fortunes and from whose hands they were to looke for a more excellent estate Lex naturalis aequum esse doouit ut de doâ—is suis honoretur imprimis ipse qui dedit Naturall reason saith Ruperâ—us told them it was fit that God the Donour should bee honoured with some part of that which hee himselfe had given unto them Thus in those early dayes have wee found a Sacrifice and Sacrifices as you say your selfe are not to be found without Priests and Altars It is true we doe not reade in Scriputre of any Altar till that built by Noah nor of any Priest before Melchisedec Noah builded an Altar saith the Text Gen. 8. and of Melchisedec it is said that hee was the Priest of the â—ost high God Gen. 14. Not that there were no Altars nor no Priests before For howsoever Pererius makes it doubtfull whether the use of Altars was before or not An autem fuâ—rit usus Altarium neâ—ne incâ—rtum est yet a good friend of yours whose Tractat de Altaribus Sacrificiis you make good use of though you scorne to tell by whom you profit is more assured that they were in use from the first beginning For speaking of the sacrifices of Cain and Abel he determineth thus Ad haec sacrificia aras extructas consent aneum est that it is very likely that Altars were erected for them Then for the Priest wee need not take much paines to seeke him The Office of the Priesthood was then in Adam and held by him entirely till Seth came of age to take part of the burden from him that dignitie continuing alwayes after in the Pater-familias the eldest of the line or family till the Leviticall Priesthood was set up by Moses An evidence whereof wee have in Noah who though hee was in yeares and that his sonnes were young and lustie did yet discharge the Priâ—stly function Building an Altar to the Lord and offering burnt Offerings on the Altar Which sacrifice of his was Eucharisticall not typicall a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for his preservation from the Flood not any way significative of Christs to come And therfore Scaliger doth very truly tell us of him that presently as soon as he came out of the Arke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immolavit Deo which saith Rupertus Non scripta sed naturalis lex â—quum esse docuit was not commended to him by a written law but meerly by the law of Nature Such evidence we also have in the story of Melchisedec who being the eldest of his line and commonly received for 〈◊〉 the sonne of Noah is â—tiled at the encounter betweene him and Abraham the Priest of the most high God as before was said being also there reported to be King of Salem And thus it also was either by imitation or tradition amongst the Gentiles Their Princes being Patres Patriae and consequently in loco Patrum-familias the Grandfathers of all families in their Dominions did also exercise the Priests Office in their solemne sacrifices Iethro the father in law of Moses who in the Text is called the Priest of Madian is in the Margine of our Bibles called the Prince And Anius in the Poet is set out for both Rex Anius Rex idem hominum Phoebique Sacerdos After when as the house of Iacob was growne great and numerous and setled by the Lord himselfe into the body of a Church it pleased the Lord to signifie by Moses how hee would be worshipped to prescribe certaine Rites and formes of sacrifices and for those sacrifices to appoint both Priests and Altars These sacrifices were divided into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or gratulatorie such as was that of Noah before remembred and expiatorie or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which did relate to Christ our Saviour as types of that most perfect expiatory sacrifice which in the fulnesse of time hee was to offer on the Crosse for the sin of man Which practice of the Iewes abstracted from the end to which by God it was intended was generally in use also with the Gentiles whether delivered to them by tradition from their predecessours or that it was dying sparke of the light of Nature or that they tooke it from the Iewes whose Apes they were needs not now be questioned Suffice it that however they could not reach the height of the true religion nor knew not the intent of those frequent sacrifices which were imposed upon the Iewes yet they would come as neare it as they could And therefore as they had their sacrifices so would they also have their Temples their Priests and Altars places selected for divine worship and Ministers appointed for those places and Altars upon which to minister being of like antiquitie The severall gods in Rome the Temples unto them belonging the Altars in those Temples and Colledges of Priests attending on those Altars are things so generally knowne that it were losse of time to insist upon them The like may also be observed in all other places and of all Idols whatsoever For whatsoever the Idol represented and by whomsoever it was worshipped if it were once set up and honoured as a Deitie it drew along with it all those necessary attendants which were by God himselfe thought fit to wait upon the true religion The Groves and high places the Priests and Altars destinated to the service of that foule Idol Baal mentioned in the holy Scriptures were proofe enough of this were there no proofe else But these things being notiora quam ut stylo egeant I passe them over with this note that there was never any Nation but had some religion nor any religion of men civilized but had Altars Priests and Sacrifices as a part thereof or as dependants thereupon Which mutuall agreement betweene Iew and Gentile in those outward things although not in the end proposed made them both severally persecute and deride the Christians as men of no religion having as they conceived no Temples Altars Priests nor Sacrifices and so by consequence no God For when our blessed Lord and Saviour had by that one offering of himselfe once for all perfected for ever all them that are sanctified and by his owne blood entred into the holyplace and obtained eternall redemption for us there was forthwith an end of all those sacrifices in the law by which this one of his had beene prefigured They had beene onely given in umbra as a shadow of the things to come but when the body came it selfe the shadow was unserviceable and forâ—hwith vanished Yet did not Christ deprive his Church for ever of all manner of Sacrifices but onely abrogated those which had beene before which if continued might have beene a strong presumption of his not comming in the flesh in
either to baptize or offer or celebrate the sacrifice Where by the way wee may perceive how much the Cardinall was mistaken in that he tels us for a certaine that the Apostles and most ancient Fathers of the Church as Iustin and Ignatius did purposely abstaine from the names of Priest and Priesthood as they did also from that of Temple ne viderentur adhuc durare Iudaicae ceremoniae lest otherwise the Iewish ceremonies might be conceived to be in force It is true that for the most part Ignatius useâ—â— for the minister the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Presbyter from which the French derived their Prebstre and wee thence our Priest but doth not binde himselfe unto it No more doth Iustin Martyr neither for having laid this for a rule that God accepts no sacrifices but from his own Priests only he addes that hee admits of all those sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Iesus Christ commanded to bee celebrated in his Name and are accordingly performed of all Christian people in the holy Eucharist of bread and wine Performed in every place by all Christian people as it is an Eucharist a sacrifice of praise and thanks to Almighty God testified in and with a participation of the outward elements but celebrated by the Priest and especially as it is a sacrifice commemorative of the death and passion of our Lord and Saviour who only have a power to consecrate those elements which doe exhibite Christ unto us As for the Canons of the Apostles which if not writ by them are certainly of good antiquitie and for the first 50 above all danger of discarding the Doctor told you in his Coal from the Altar that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did occurre in the third fourth and fifth And now hee tels you into the bargaine that in the third Canon you shall find mention of the sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the fourth of the oblation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All which assurance in this cause will fall if you compute the time within the first 200. yeeres which you so much stand upon and bate you 50. of your tale So that you will not find whatsoever you say that in the Christian Church the name of Table is 200. yeeres more ancient than the name of Altar both being of an equall standing for ought I can see and both used indifferently Next these succeeded Irenaeus of whom the Doctor told you that he did prove the Lords Apostles to be Priests because they did Deo Altari servire attend the service of the Lord and wait upon him at his Altars What you except against in this we shall see anon Meane time you may take notice here that we have found in 〈◊〉 both a Priest and Altar and thinke you that hee will not finde us a Sacrifice also Looke on him but a little further and he will tell you this that there were sacrificia in populo sacrificia in â—cclesia sacrifices in the Iewish Church and sacrifices in the Christiâ—n church and that the kind or species was only altered The kinde or nature of which Christian sacrifice he tels us of in the same chapter viz. that it is an Eucharist a tender of our gratitude to Almighty God for all his blessings and a sanctifying of the creature to spirituall uses Offerimus ei non quasi indigenti sed gratius agentes donationi ejus sanctificantes creaturam In this we have the severall and distinct Offices which before we spake of a sanctificatio creaturâ— a blessing of the bread for bread it is he speakes of for holy uses which is the Office of the Priest no man ever doubted it and then a gratiarum actio a giving thankes unto the Lord for his marvellous benefits which of the Office both of Priest and people The sanctifying of the creature and gloriâ—ying of the Creator doe both relate unto Offerimus and that unto the Sacrifices which are therein treated of by that holy Father So for Tertullian the Doctor noted that hee tels us of the Altar twice Si ad Aram Deisteteris in his Booke de Oratione cap. 14. In that de poenitentia he remembreth us of those that did adgeniculari aris Dei Standing before the Altar at some times kneeling before the Altar at other times but both before and at the Altar And for the name of Priest however the Cardinall was of opinion that the Apostles and first-fathers of the Church did purposely forbeare it as before was said yet he hath found at last that Tempore Tertulliani in Tertullians time the difference betweene Iewes and Christians being well enough knowne the name of Priest came to bee in use and for the proofe thereof referres us to his Bookes de velandis virginibus de monogamia alibi And therefore thither I referre you Origen next in course of time hath an whole Homilie on the 18. Chapter of Numbers intituled de Primitiis offerendis It is not to be thought that he composed that Homilie of purpose to advance the reputation of the Iewish Priesthood nor doth hee if a man would thinke so give any countenance thereunto And why Pleading expresly for the maintenance of the Ministers of Gods holy Word hee cals them in plaine termes Sacerdotes Evangelii Priest of the Gospell affirming first-fruits to be due unto them at the least de congruo Would you his own words take them thus Decet enim utile est etiâ—m Sacerdotibus Evangelii N. B. offerri primitias Would you the reason of it also Because he saith the Lord appointed that they which preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell and they that Minister at the Altar should live of the Altar Where if you should suspect that hee doth meane the Iewish Altars himselfe shall take you off from that fond suspition Et sicut hoc dignum decens est c. and as saith he it is a fit and worthy thing that it should be so so on the other side 〈◊〉 is unworthy and unfit if not utterly impious that hee which honoureth God and comes into his Church Et scit Sacerdotes Ministros adsistere Aâ—tari and knoweth that the Priests and Ministers doe wait upon the Altar and labour in the Word and Ministerie should not devote unto him the first fruits of the land wherewith God hath blessed him In the whole drift of that which followeth hee drives so clearly at this point that it is needlesse in a menner to looke for more yet in his tenth Homilie on the ninth of Ioshua he is more particular and exact than before he was For speaking of some persons who were meere out-side-men and no more than so he thus describes them viz. That they came diligently to the Church and made due reverence to the Priests attended all Divine offices honoured the sevants of the Lord Adornatum quâ—que Altaris vel Ecclesiae
he was a persecutor defiled thâ— Altars of the Christians designed for their most pure and unbloudie sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with prohibited blood as 〈…〉 complaineth As for your observation out of Plinâ—â—s Epistle drawne from the râ—cke indeed as you truly say there is nothing in it worth the marking For if that neither the Apostataes nor the tortured Virgins confessed any thing of the Christian Materiall Altar you can no more conclude against having Altars than against having Reading Pewes and Pulpits whereof they did confesse as little in their examinations And I must tell you one thing more that if you urge these texâ—s in earnest as if you though they would or could conclude against having Altars you may as well produce them on your second thoughts against having Churches which is the next newes I expect to heare from you But of this more hereafter in our 7. Chapt. As for the sacrifices mentioned in Minutius Felix and before him by Origen in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not nor was ever questioned but that the sacrifices of each â—hristian privately were of a meere spirituall nature The Doctor named you some of them in his Coal from the Altar viz. the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving Heb. 13. 15. as also the oblation of our whole selves oursoules bodies to be a reasonable holy and lively sacrifice to Almighty God 〈◊〉 12. 1. These and all other sacrifices of that nature being spirituall meerely need no materiall or corporeall Altar The readiest way by which to offer them to the Lord our God is first to sacrifice them on the Altar of our heart by faith and afterwards to lay them on that Altar by which they may bee rendred acceptable in the sight of God even on Christ our Saviour But then the Doctor said withall that the Church allowed of a Commemorative sacrifice also for a perpetuall memorie of Christs precious death of that his full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation and satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world to be continued till his comming againe The former sacrifices being meerly of spiritual nature the Lord expects from all his people severally Every man is himselfe a Priest one of the Royall Priesthood mentioned by S. Peter in this sense and in relation unto these spirituall and internall sacrifices which he is also bound to offer to the Lord his God continually at all times in all places and on all occasions No wood so wide nor denne so darke nor sea so spacious which may not bee a Temple for these devotions and in the which we may not finde an Altar for these sacrifices And these are they done in the singlenesse of heart without hypocrisie and guile whereof there is not any thing visible neque Sacer dâ—s neque Sacrificium neque Altare no more than is the Altar on the Priest or Sacrifice as S. Ambrose tels us But so I trow it is not in the mysticall sacrifice that of the Commemoration of the death and passion of our Lord and Saviour which purpoâ—ely is represented unto the eye that it may sinke the deeper into the heart The breaking of the bread and the effusion of the wine are they not sensible representations of his death for us the offring up of his body on the crosse and shedding his most precious bloud for our redemption Which being visible in it selfe and purposely so celebrated that it may be visible to all the congregation comes not within the compasse of those sacrifices which S. Ambrose speaks of though like a false gamester you have cogged a die and made S. Ambrose say what he never meant For tell me of your honest word doth the good father speake there of this mysticâ—ll sacrifice that which the Priest did offer on the Altâ—rs in the 〈…〉 God or those which every privaâ—e man did â—nd might offer on the Altâ—r of his 〈◊〉 by â—aith Doth he say Nihil hic visibile that here i. e. in this Coâ—memorative sacrifice there is nothing visible neither the Priest the Altar nor the 〈◊〉 Or saith hee Nihil horum est visibile that of the things before remembred there is nothing visible 〈◊〉 of the spirituall worship done in the singlenesse of the heart without hypocrisie and in full confidence of faith For shame deale better with the Fatherâ— how ill soever you deale with that poore fellow whom you have in hand S. Ambrose could not say the times in which he lived considered that in the Representative sacrifice by the Church then celebrated there was nothing visible for in those times the Priests and Altars both were at their full mounâ—ed unto their height for reputation and esteeme as you know right well When therefore it is said in the Apoâ—oâ—eticks of those times that they the Primitive 〈◊〉 had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 images nor temples it must bee answered with 〈◊〉 to those times in the which they lived And so the Doctor answers to them in his Coal from the 〈◊〉 First out of Bishop Iewell that then 〈…〉 feare of Tyrants were faine to meet together in private houses in vacant places in woods and forrestâ— and caves under the ground Your selfe have told us of your selfe though you have christned your discourse by the name of the holy Table that you are not so unreasonably tied to one Table but if the woman were driven into the desert you could bee content with the greene grasse And then why may you not conceive that on the like distresse the grasse should be to them in stead of an Altar as well as unto you in stead of a Table The Doctor answered secondly that when they durst adventure to build them Churches they neither were so gorgeously nor so richly furnished as were the Temples of the Gentiles And therefore Origen and Arnobius and whosoever of them speake in the selfe same key are not to bee interpreted as if the Christians had no Churches or at the least no Altars in them but that their Churches were so mean that they deserved not the name of Temples and that they had no Altars for bloudie and externall sacrifices as the Gentiles had Hospinian on whose judgement you doe much relie in other matters could easily have told you and questionlesse you saw it in him though you conceale it wilfully for your poore advantages that in the Primitive Church before the time of Constantine the Christians had their Altars both name and thing and for the proofe thereof doth cite Tertullian lib. de poenitentia Cyprians Epistles lib. 1. Epist. 7. 9. and also lib. 3. Epist. 13. All that hee stands upon is this Eae autem â—rae non fuerunt lapideae nec fixae that the said Altars were not made of stone and fastned to some certaine place as was appointed not long after by Pope Silvester and as Durandus and the rest of the Roman Ritualists would have them now Altars he grants but wooden Altars which
being once devoted to that holy use might easily bee removed from place to place as the necessities of those times did indeed require No sooner was the Church setled and confirmed in peace but presently the Altars also were fixed and setled Now for the nature and condition of this Commemorative or representative sacrifice which we have traced from the first Institution of it by our Lord and Saviour to the times of Constantine and found both Priests which were to offer and Altars upon which they were to offer it to Almighty God wee cannot take a better and more perfect view thereof than from Eusebius who hath beene more exact herein than any other of the Ancients In his first book de Domonstratione Evaâ—gelica he brings in this prediction from the Prophet Esay that in that day shall there bee an Altar to the Lord in the middest of the land of Egypt Es. 19. 19. Then addes that if they had an Altar and that they were to sacrifice to Almighty God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they must bee thought worthy of a Priesthood also But the Leviticall Priesthood could not bee of any use unto them and therefore they must have another Nor was this spoke saith he of the Egyptians only but of all other nations and idolatrous people who now poure forth their prayers not unto many Gods but to the one and only Lord and unto him erect an Altar for reasonable and unbloudie sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every place of the whole habitable world according to the mysteries of the New Testament Now what those mysteries were hee declares more fully in the tenth Chapt. of the said first book Christ saith he is the propitiatorie Sacrifice for all our sins since when even those amongst the Jewes are freed from the curse of Moses law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 celebrating daily as they ought the commemoration of his body and bloud which is a farre more excellent sacrifice and ministerie than any in the former times Then addes ' that Christ our Saviour offering such a wonderfull and excellent Sacrifice to his heavenly Father for the salvation of us all appointed us to offer daily unto God the commemoration of the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for and as a Sacrifice And anon after that whensoever wee doe celebrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the memory of that Sacrifice on the Table participating of the Elements of his body and blood we should say with David Thou preparest a Table for me in the presence of mine enemies thou annointest my head wih oyle my cup runneth over Wherin saith he he signifieth most manifestly the mysticall unction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reverend Sacrifices of Christs Table where we are taught to offer up unto the Lord by his owne most eminent and glorious Priest the unbloody reasonable and most acceptable sacrifice all our life long This hee intituleth afterwards the sacrifice of praise the Divine reverend and most holy sacrifice the pure sacrifice of the new Testament So that we see that in this Sacrifice prescribed the Christian Church by our Lord and Saviour there were two proper and distinct actions The first to celebrate the memoriall of our Saviours sacrificie which he intituleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the commemoration of his body and blood once offered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the memorie of that his Sacrifice that is as hee doth cleerly expound himseâ—fe that we should offer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this our commemoration for a Sacrifice The second that withall wee should offer to him the sacrifice of praise thanksgiving which is the reasonable Sacrifice of a Christian man and to him most acceptable Finally he joynes both these together in the Conclusion of that Book and therein doth at full describe the nature of this Sacrifice which is thus as followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Therefore saith he we sacrifice offer as it were with Incense the memory of that great Sacrifice celebrating the same according to the mysteries by him given unto us and giving thankes to him for our salvation with godly hymnes and prayers to the Lord our God as also offering to him our whole selves both soule and body and to his high Priest which is the Word See here Eusebius doth not call it onely the memorie or commemoration of Christs Sacrifice but makes the very memory or commemoration in and of it selfe to bee a Sacrifice which instar omnium for and in the place of all other Sacrifices wee are to offer to our God and offer it with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Incense of our prayers and prayses This was the doctrine of the Church in Eusebius time touching the Sacrament of the body and blood of our blessed Saviour Of any expiatorie Sacrifice of any offering up of Christ for the quick and dead more than what had beene done by him once and once for all those blessed Ages never dream't And howsoever some of the ancient Fathers did amplifie with the choicest of their Rhetorick the dignity and nature of this holy Sacrament the better to inflame the people with a lively zeale at their partaking of the same yet they meant nothing lesse than to give any opportunity to the future Ages of making that an expiatorie Sacrifice which they did onely teach to bee Commemorative or representative of our Saviours passion A Sacrifice they did confesse it Altars and Priests they did allow of as necessary thereunto not thinking fit to change those terms which had bin recommended to them from pure antiquitie Those blessed spirits were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contentious about words and formes of speech in which there was not manifest impiety The Supper of the Lord they called sometimes a Sacrifice and sometimes a memoriall of the Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so S. Chrysostome on the ninth Chapter to the Hebrewes Sometimes a Sacrifice and sometimes a Sacrament and so S. Austin for example for in his Bookes de Civitate Dei hee calleth it a Sacrifice Id enim Sacrificium successit omnibus illis sacrificiis veteris Testamenti c. and saith that it succeeded in the place of those legall sacrifices mentioned in the old Testament The same S. Austin as you tell us doth in the same Bookes call it a Sacrament of memory and wee will take your word this once that hee cals it so because we know from whence you had it though in the place by you cited being l. 17. c. 20. there is no such matter and I am sure that in the very same Bookes it is called Sacramentum Altaris the Sacrament of the Altar which was a very common appellation amongst the Fathers as was acknowledged by the Martyrs in Queene Maries time So for the Minister thereof they called him sometimes Presbyter and sometimes Sacerdos Elder or Priest indifferently without doubt or scruple for which see
the Margin The Table or the Altar were to them such indifferent words that they used both equally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Eusebius in the tenth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Eusebius in the sixt Chapter of his fiâ—sâ— de Demonstratione Evangelica Altars saith S. Austin in the tenth and mensa saith the same S. Austin in his 17 de Civitate Gregory Nyssen in one breath doth make use of both and cals the same one thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Table the undefiled Altar Altars of stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Gregory Nyssen Altars of wood ligna Altaris in S. Austin both used with such indifferency that Nyssen calleth his stone Altar by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Table and Austin calleth his wooden Table Altare Altar So that in all this search into antiquitie wee find a generall consent in the Church of God touching the businesse now in hand the Sacrament of the Lords Supper being confessed to be a Sacrifice the Minister therein intiâ—uled by the name of Priest that on the w ch the Priest did consecrate being as usually called by the name of Altar as by that of Table and you may â—ake this testimony also from the mouth of a Gentile that the Christians called their Table by the name of Altar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in Zozimus lib. 5. Not an improper Altar and an improper Sacrifice as you idly dreame of For Sacrifices Priests and Altars being Relatives as your selfe confesseth the Sacriâ—ice and the Altar being improper must needs inferre that even our Priesthood is improper also And wee may speake in proper and significant termes as the Fathers did without approving either the Popish Masse or the Iewish Sacrifices from which the Doctor is as farre as either you that made the booke or hee that licensed it though you have both agreed together to breed some base suspition of him as if he meant somewhat else than for feare of our gracious King he dares speake out The Doctor I assure you dares speake what hee thinkes though you as I perswade my selfe thinke not what you speake and will now tell you what hee thinkes to bee the Doctrine of this Church in this present businesse of Sacrifices Priests and Altars that wee may see shee is no flincher from the words and notions no more than from the Doctrines of most orthodox Antiquity And first beginning with the Priesthood in case you are not growne ashamed of that holy calling you may remeÌ„ber that you were admitted into holy Orders by no other name Being presented to the Bâ—sh at your Ordination you did require to bee admitted to the Order of Priesthood and being demanded by the Bishop if you did thinke in your heart that you were truly called according to the will of our Lord Iesus Christ and the order of this Church of England unto the Ministerie of the Priesthood you answered positively that you did if you thought otherwise than you said as you doe sometimes you lyed not unto men but unto God Looke in the Booke of Ordination and you shall finde it oftner than once or twice entituled the Office of Priesthood and the holy Office of Priesthood the parties thereunto admitted called by no other name than that of Priests Or if you thinke the Booke of Ordination is no good authority to which you have subscribed however in your subscription to the Articles look then upon the Liturgie and the Rubricks of it by w ch you would perswade the world that you are very much directed in all this businesse Finde you not there the name of Priest exceeding frequent especially in that part therof which concerns the Sacrament The Priest standing at the North side of the Table Then shall the Priest rehearse distinctly all the tenne Commandements Then shall the Priest say to them that come to receive the holy Communion Then shall the Priest turning himselfe to the people give the absolution Then shall the Priest kneeling downe at Gods Boord c. Infinitum est ire per singula It were an infinite labour to summe up all places of and in the Rubricks wherein the Minister is called by the name of Priest which being so as so it is and that your own sweet selfe hath told us that Altar Priest and Sacrifice are Relatives the Church of England keeping still as well the Office of Priesthood as the name of Priest must needs admit of Altars and of Sacrifices as things peculiar to the Priesthood But not to trust so great a matter to your rules of Logicke wee will next see what is the judgement of the Church in the point of Sacrifice Two wayes there are by which the Church declares her selfe in the present businesse First positively in the Booke of Articles and that of Homilies and practically in the Booke of Common prayers First in the Articles The offering of Christ once made is that perfect redemption propitiation and satisfaction for all the sinnes of the whole world both originall and actuall and there is no other satisfaction for sinne but that alone This Sacrifice or oblation once for ever made and never more to bee repeated was by our Saviours owne appointment to bee commemorated and represented to us for the better quickning of our faith whereof if there be nothing said in the Booke of Articles it is because the Articles related chiefly unto points in Controversie but in the Booke of Homilies which doe relate unto the Articles as confirmed in them and are though not dogmaticall but rather popular discourses a Comment as it were on those points of doctrine which are determined of elsewhere wee finde it thus That the great love of our Saviour Christ to mankinde doth not only appeare in that deare-bought benefit of our redemption and satisfaction by his death and passion but also in that he hath so kindly provided that the same most mercifull work might bee had in continuall remembrance Amongst the which meanes is the publick celebration of the memorie of his preâ—ious death at the Lords Table our Saviour having ordained and established the remembrance of his great mercie expressed in his passion in the Institution of his heavenly Supper Here is a commemoration of that blessed Sacrifice which Christ once offered a publick celebration of the memorie thereof and a continuall remembrance of it by himselfe ordained Which if it seeme not full enough for the Commemorative sacrifice in the Church observed the Homilie will tell us further that this Lords supper is in such wise to be done and ministred as our Lord and Saviour did and commanded it to be done as his holy Apostles used it and the good Fathers in the Primitive Church frequented it So that what ever hath beene proved to bee the purpose of the Institution the practise of the holy Apostles and usage of the ancient Fathers will fall within the meaning and intention of
the Church of England For better manifesting of the which Intention we will next looke into the Agenda the publick Liturgie of this Church Where first we finde it granted that Christ our Saviour is the verie Paschall Lamb that was offred for us and hath taken away the sinne of the world that suffering death upon the crosse for our Redemption he made there by his owne oblation of himselfe once offred a full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation and satisfaction for the 〈◊〉 of the whole world And to the end that we should alwaies remember the exceeding great love of our Master and only Saviour Iesus Christ thus dying for us and the innumerable benefits which by his precious bloodshedding he hath obtained to us he hath instituted and ordained holy mysteries as pledges of his love and continuall remembrance of his death to our great and endlesse comfort instituting and in his holy Gospell commanding us to continue a perpetuall memorie of that his precious death till his comming againe Then followeth the consecration of the creatures of bread and wine for a remembrance of his death and passion in the same words and Phrases which Christ our Saviour recommended unto his Apostles and the Apostles to the Fathers of the Primitive times which now as then is to bee done only by the Priest Then the Priest standing up shall say 〈◊〉 followeth to whom it properly belongeth and upon whom his Ordination doth conferre a power of ministring the Sacraments not given to any other Order in the holy Ministerie The memorie or comâ—emoration of Christs death thus celebrated is called a sacrifice a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving a sacrifice representative of that one and only expiatorie sacrifice which Christ once offred for us all the whole Communicants be seeching God to grant that by the merits and death of his Sonne Iesus Christ and through faith in his blood they and the whole Church may obtainâ— the remission of their sinnes and all other the benefits of his Passion Nor stay they there but forthwith offer and present unto the Lord their selves their soules and bodies to be a reasonable holy and lively sacrifice unto him And howsoever as they most humbly doe acknowledge they are unworthy through their manifold sinnes to offer to him any sacrifice yet they beseech him to accept that their bounden duty and service In which last words that present service which they doe to Almighty God according to their boundâ—â— duties in celebrating the perpetuall memory of Christs precious death and the oblation of their selves and with themselves the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving in due acknowledgement of the benefits and comforts by his death received is himbly offered unto God for and as a Sacrifice and publickly avowed for such as from the tenour and coherence of the words doth appeare most plainly Put all together which hath been here delivered from the Booke of Articles the Homilies and publick Liturgie and tell me if you ever found a more excellent concord than this betweene Eusebius and the Church of England in the present businesse Our Saviours sacrifice upon the Crosse called there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and here acknowledge to bee the perfect redemption propitiation and satisfaction for all the sinnes of the whole world There wee have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mysteries delivered to us by our Lord and Saviour for a remembrance of that great sacrifice and here an Institution of holy mysteries as pledges of his love and continuall remembrance of his death The memory or commemoration of this his death called there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aâ—d here the publick celebration of the memorie of his precious death at the Lords Table there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here the remembrance of his great mercy expressed in his Passion there for the offering of this sacrifice to Almighty God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. there was a Priesthood thought to bee very necessary and here the Priest alone hath power to consecrate the Creatures of bread and wine for a remembrance of his death and passion There the whole action as it relates to Priest and people is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here the sacrifice of praise and thanks-giving there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here in the selfe same words a reasonable and holy Sacrifice There the Communicants doe offer to the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and here they doe present unto him their selves soules and bodies Finally there it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they doe sacrifice unto the Lord the memory of that great oblation i. e. as he expounds himselfe they offer to him the commemoration of the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for and as a Sacrifice And here we doe beseeâ—h the Lord to accept this our bounden dutie and servicâ— for and as a sacrifice which notwithstanding wee confesse our selves unworthy to offer to him Never did Church agree more perfectly with the ancient patternes Yet lest you should endeavour as you use to doe to cast a mist before the eyes of poore ignorant people as if the Church meant nothing lesse than what here is said will you bee pleased to looke upon those Worthies of the Church which are best able to expound and unfold her meaning wee will begâ—n with Bishop Andrewes and tell you what hee saith as â—onâ—erning sacrifices The Eucharist saith he ever was and is by us considered both as a Sacrament 〈◊〉 as a Sacâ—ifice A sacrifice is proper and appliable onely to Divine worship The sacrifice of Christs death did succeed to the sacrifices of the old Testament which being prefigured in those sacrifices before his comming hath since his comming beene celebrated per Sacrament um memoriae by a Sacrament of memory as S. Austin cals it Thus also in his answer unto Cardinall Bellarmine Tollite de Missa Transubstantiationem vestram nec diu nobiscum lis erit de sacrificio c. Take from the Masse your Transubstantiation and wee will have no difference with you about the sacriâ—ice The memorie of a Sacrifice we acknowledge willingly and the King grant the name of Sacriâ—ice to have beene frequent with the Fathers For Altars next If wee agree saith hee about the matter of sacrifice there will be no difference about the Altar The holy Euchaâ—ist being considered as a sacrifice in the representation of breaking the Bread and pouring forth the Cup the same is fitly called an Altar which againe is as fitly called a Tabee the Eucharist being considered as a Sacrament which is nothing else but a distribution and application of the Sacriâ—ice to the severall receivers So that the matter of Altars makes no difference in the face of our Church As Bishop Andrewes wrote at King Iames his motion against Cardinall Bellarmine so Isaac Casaubon writ King Iames his minde to Cardinall Peron and in
see how strangely things are carried Rather than heare of Altars we will down with Tables yea with the Sacrament it selfe and let the memorie of Christs passion bee celebrated how it will or where it will in the Pew or Pulpit the Porch or Bell-free Is 't not enough to heare it 〈◊〉 of but we must come and see it acted what are these Sacraments they speake of but signes and figures and by what figure can they make us bee in love with signes Or say that there bee some spirituall sacrifices expected of us by our God may wee 〈…〉 them without materiall Tables yea and without materiall Churches on therefore Westwaâ—d ho for Salem and the free Gospell of New England This is the knowledge in Divinitie you so much pretend to which wheresoever you first learnt it was never taught you I am sure in any of the bookes that you sâ—bscribed to when you came to your place We grant that those two Hymnes you speake of are of excellent use and purposely selected for the setting forth of Gods praise and glory with an acknowledgement of our bounden duties to him for his grace and goodnesse But then the Liturgie hath taught you that the Lords Table is the proper place at which to celebrate the â—emorie of our Saviours passion which the Priest standing at the same and consecrating there the creatures of bread and wine according to Christs holy institution doth represent unto the people And when in testimonie of our common and publick gratitude for so great a mercie we offer our whole selves unto him both soule and body we are enjoyned to doe it at or neere the same place also And here O Lord wee offer and present unto thee our selves soules and bodies here where thou hast been pleased to make us partakers of Christs bodie and bloud and sealed unto our soules the benefits of his death and passion Will you have more The Homilie hath told us that we are bound to render thanks to Almightie God for all his benefits briefely comprised in the deaâ—h passion and resurrection of his dearely beloved Sonne the which thing because we ought chiefly at this Table to solemnize marke you that this Table the godly Fathers named it Eucharistia that is thanksgiving Had I but such a Bandog as your friend H. B. this Puritan Bull of yours might be better haiâ—ed than his Popes Bull was Your Popish lamb and Puritan Bull being both discarded by the Church may goe both together But I must tell you ere we part that that which I suspected is now come to passe viz. that by your principles every Cobler Tinker and other Artizan may take his turne and minister at and on the holy Altar That which you shew us next is but another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quarrell about words and Phrases touching the difference betweene commemoratio sacrificii and a commemorative sacrifice the first being used you say by Chrysostome K. Iames and Pet. Lombard S. Austin Eusebius and the book of Homilies the later only by this wretched Doctor and such unlucky birds as he the ragged regiment of P. Lombard Which said you presently confute your selfe as your custome is confessing that some few learned men of the reformed Church doe use the name of a Commemorative Sacrifice and yet God blesse them are not brought within the compasse of that ragged regiment But hereof wee have spoke already in the former Chapter For Sacrifices next you cannot possible approve which Protestants and Papists doe joyntly denie that ever materiall Aâ—tar was erected in the Church for the use of spirituall and improper sacrifices Assuredly the Papists have good reason for what they doe and if you grant them this position simply and without restriction you give them all that they desire For by this meanes they gaine unto them all the Fathers who speake of Altars passiâ—â— in their workes and writings materiall Altars questionlesse made of wood or stone And if materiall Altars were not made for improper sacrifices you must needes granâ— they had some proper sacrifices to be performed upon those Altars Besides in case the note be true that never materiâ—ll Altar was erected for a spirituall and improper sacrifice and that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be but a metaphoricall and improper sacrificâ— as you elsewhere say it may be done as well without a materiall Table and any where as properly as in a materiall Church Did you distinguish as you ought between the mysticall sacrifice in the holy Eucharist commemorative and representative of our Saviours death and those spirituall sacrifices which every Christian man is bound to offer to the Lord at all times and places you would finde the vanitie and weaknesse of these poore Conclusions Yet you goe forwards still on a full careere and having filled your margin with an huddle of impertinent quotations you fall at last on this fine fancie how that God suffered not the first Ages of the world for 1650. yeeres to passe away without prayers and thanksgivings and yet hee suffred it to passe without any Altars May a man take it on your word and not be called for it to an after reckoning Did you not say the Page before that Altar Priest and Sacrifice were relatives and find wee not in holy writ that Cain and Abel brought their offrings to the Lord their God their sacrifices as they are intituled Hebr. 11. 4. if so then by your owne rule doubtlesse there wore Altars also Or if God suffered all that time to passe without any Altars did it not passe away without any Tables or any Churches that wee reade of But see the charitie of the man and his learning too For if the Doctor will but promise not to disturbe the peace of the Church any more this lusty Lad of Lincolnshire will finde him all the severall Altars which have been spoke of by the Fathers for spirituall sacrifices These wee shall meet withall hereafter amongst your impertinencies Meane time I passe my word to keepe covenant with you and promise you sincerely before God and man that as I never did so I never will put my hand to any thing by which the Church may be disturbed You know Elijahs answere unto proud K. Ahab It is not I but thou and thy Fathers house that have troubled Israel From Altars we must follow you as you lead the way unto the Sacrifices of the Altar Whereof though we have spoken before enough to meet with all your cavils yet since you put me to the question where you may reade this terme of mine Sacrifices of the Altar if you reade not of them in the Sacriâ—ices of the Law I will tell you where Looke through the booke of Genesis and tell me if you meet not with many sacrifices and sacrifices done on Altars by Abel Noah Abraham Iacob sacrifices of the Altar doubtlesse and yet not sacrifices of the Law The law you know was
before The Father speakes there onely of spirituall sacrifices and you will turne his horum into hic as if he spoke there onely of the mysticall sacrifice And were it hic in the originall of S. Ambrose yet you are guiltie of another falshood against that Father by rendring it in all this disputation The Fathers hìc if hee had said so must have related to those points which were debated of in the 10. Chapt. to the Hebr. whence the words were cited and those spirituall sacrifices which are there described you by an excellent Art of juggling have with a Hocas Pocas brought it hither and make us thinke it was intended for this hìc this place Heb. 13. 10. of which now we speake and which hath been the ground of that disputation which you conclude with from S. Ambrose Vsing the Apostle and the Fathers in so foule a fashion it is not to bee thought you should deale more ingeniously with their Disciples The servant is not above the Master nor lookes for better usage from you than hee hath done hitherto Having concluded with S. Ambrose your next assault is on the Doctor whom you report to be the first sonne of the reformed Church of England that hath presumed openly to expound this place of a materiall Altar Not constantly you say but yet so expounded it I beseech you where Not in the Coal from the Altar there is no such matter Take the words plainly as they lie you shall finde them thus And above all indeed S. Paul in his Habemus altare Hebr. 13. 10. In which place whether he meane the Lords Table or the Lords Supper or rather the sacrifice it selfe which the Lord once offred certaine it is that hee conceived the name of Altar neither to be impertinent nor improper in the Christian Church Finde you that hee expounds the place of a materiall Altar or that hee only doth repeat three severall expositions of it Now of those expositions one was this that by those words we have an Altar S. Paul might mean we have a Table whereof it was not lawfull for them to eate that serve the Tabernacle If this bee the materiall Altar that you complaine of in the Doctors exposition assuredly he is not the first sonne by many of the Church of England that hath so expounded it The learned Bishop Andrewes doth expound it so The Altar in the old Testament is by Malachi called Mensa Domini And of the Table in the new Testament by the Apostle it is said Habemus Altare which whether it be of stone as Nyssen or of wood as Optatus it skils not So doth my Lord of Lincoln also one of the sonnes I trow of the Church of England Citing those words of Bishop Andrewes you adde immediatly that this is the exposition of P. Martyr mentioned in the letter i. e. my Lord of Lincolns letter to the Vicar of Grantham that as sometimes a Table is put for an Altar as in the first of Malachi so sometimes an Alâ—ar may be put for a Table as in this Epistle to the Hebrewes Next looke into the Bishop of Chichester who plainly tels you that the Lords Table hath beene called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the beginning not as some falsly teach by succeeding Fathers and that S. Paul himselfe may seeme to have given authoritie and warrant to the Phrase Hebr. 13. 10. The Doctor is not then the first sonne of the Church of England that hath so expounded it Or if he were hee hath a second but such a second as is indeed Nulli secundus for some things that I could tell you of even your good friend the minister of Lincolnshire one of the children of the Church that writ the booke entituled the Holy Table For presently upon the Bishop of Lincolns glosse he addes this de proprio than the which solution there may be peradventure a more full but there cannot bee â— more plaine and conceiveable answere I see you can make use sometimes of a leaden dagger though as you tell us throwne away by the very Papists yet not so utterly throwne away as within two leaves after you are pleased to tell us but that it is still worne by the Jesuites Salmeron the Remists à Lapide Haraeus Tirinus Gordon Menochius and Cajetan of which some are yet living for ought I can heare Nor doth your Authour say it is throwne away as if not serviceable to this purpose but onely that non desunt ex Catholicis some of the Catholick writers doe expound it otherwise I hope you would not have all Texts of Scripture to bee cast away like leaden Daggers because Non desunt ex Catholicis some one or other learned man give such expositions of them as are not every way agreeable unto yours and mine Now as the Doctor was the first Sonne of the Church of England so was Seâ—ulius the first Writer before the Reformation that literally and in the first place did bend this Text to the materiall Altar Iust so I promise you and no otherwise Or had Sedulius beene the first the exposition had not beene so moderne but that it might lay claime to a faire antiquity Sedulius lived so neare S. Austin that hee might seeme to tread on his very heeles the one being placed by Bellarmine an 420. the other an 430. but ten yeares after And if the Cardinals note be true that hee excerpted all his notes on S. Pauls Epistles from Origen Ambrose Hierom and Austin for ought I know his exposition of the place may bee as old as any other whatsoever But for Sedulius wheresoever he had it thus he cleares the place Habemus nos fideles Altare praeâ—er Altare Iudaeorum unde corpus sanguinem Christi participamus i. e. The faithfull have an Altar yet not the Iewish Altar neither from whence they doe participate of Christs body blood That is plain enough and yet no plainer than S. Chrâ—sost though you have darkened him as much as possibly you can to abuse the Father Chrysostome expounds it as you say of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the things professed here amongst us for proofe whereof you bring in Oecumenius with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tenets as it were of Christian men So that if you may bee beleeved the Father and his second doe expound the place of the Doctrine Tenets or profession of the Church of Christ. First to begin with Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words you see put neutrally and so translated in the Latine Non enim qualia sunt apud Iudaeos talia etiam nostra sunt That is as I conceâ—ve his meaning our Sacrifices or our Sacraments are not such as the Iewish were our Altâ—r not as theirs nor any of our Rites thereunto belonging My reason is because it followeth in the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that it is not lawfull no not to the
High-Priest himselfe to partake thereof Of what I pray you Not of the things professed in the Christian Church I hope you will not say but it was lawfull to the Priests to be partakers of the doctrine of our Lord and Saviour Why did the Apostles preach unto the Iewes in case it were not lawfull for them to make profession of the Faith Therefore the Father must needs meane the Christians Sacrifices performed upon the Altar which the Apostle speakes of of which it was not lawfull for the High-Priest continuing as he was High-Priest to bee partaker And this I take the rather to have beene his meaning because Theophylact who followed Chrysostome so exactly that hee doth seeme to have abridged him doth thus descant on it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Having before said v. 9. that no regard was to be had of meats lest our owne Ordinances 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might bee thought contemptible as things unobserved hee addes that we have Ordinances of our own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not about meats as were the Iewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but such as doe concerne the Altar or the unbloody sacrifice of Christs quickning body Of which which sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not lawfull for the Priests to bee partakers as long as they doe service to the Tabernacle i. e. the legall signes and shadows The like saith also Oecumenius with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which you have Englished Tenets with the like felicitie as you did the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Chrysost. For Oecumenius saying as Theophylact had done before because the Apostle had affirmed That no regard was to bee had of meates c. hee addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and have not we also our owne Ordinances or observations To which hee answers with Theophylact but a great deale plainer Yes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of meats but of our Altar If you goe downe ward to the Latines they are cleare as day Haymo who lived about the yeare â—â—0 affirmes expresly on the place Altare Ecclesiae est ubi quotidie corpus consecratur Christi that is the Altar of the Church whereon the body of Christ is daily consecrated And so Remigius who lived and writ about those times Haâ—emus ergo Altare Ecclesiae ubi consecratur corpus Dominicum the same in sense though not in words with that of Haymo This Doctor Fulk almost as great a Clerke as you conceives to bee so really intended by Oecumenius and Haymo that he reports that they did doate upon the place even as you say the Doctor melts upon the place But say you what you will As long as hee can back it with so good authority the Doctor will make more of Habemus Altare than before hee did though you should raise Iohn Philpot from the dead to expound it otherwise as neare told he did in the Acts and Mon. p. 90. of your holy Table From the Apostles Text both re nomine proceed wee to the Apostles Canons nomine at the least if not re also which if not writ by them are by the Doctor said to be of good antiquity nor doe you deny it Onely you â—ling them off with a Schoole-boyes jest affirming confidently that all good Schollers reckon those Canons but as so many Pot-gunnes Not all good Scholers certainly you are out in that What thinke you of my Lord of Chichester of whom the Doctor and the Minister of Linc. too may well learne as long as they live He a geod Scholler in your own confession doth not alone call them the Apostles Canons but cites the 40 of them as a full and strong authority to prove that by the ancient Canons Church-men had leave to give and bequeath their Goods and Chattels by their last Will and Testament And this in his reply unto Io. Selden whom he knew too well to thinke hee would give back at the report or blow of a School-boyes Pot-gunne Next where those three Canons that the Doctor cited doe speake so clearly of the Altar and that by the same name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle to the Hebrewes that there is no deniall of it you flie unto your wonted refuge a scornfull and prophane derision Hee that shall read say you what is presented on these Altars for the maintenance of the Bishop and his Clergie will conceive them rather to bee so many Pantries Larders or Store-houses than consecrated Altars O Curvae in terris animae coelestium inanes So dead a soule so void of all coelestiall impressions did I never meet with I am confirmed now more than ever for the first Author of the Dresser otherwise you had never beene allowed and licensed to call it as you doe a Pantrie or a Larder and a Store-house I see there is good provision towards and as much devotion Your Pigâ—on-house wee have seene already and Pottage you will serve in presently if we can bee patient Larders we have and Store-houses and Pantries which portend good cheare Thinke you a man that heares you talke thus would not conceive your Kitchin were your Chappell the Dresser in the same your High-Altar and that your Requiem Altars were your Larder Pantrie and Store-house Get but a Cooke to bee your Chaplaine and on my life Comus the old belly god amongst the Gentiles was never sacrificed unto with such propriety of Vâ—ensils and rich magnificence as you will sacrifice every day to your god your Belly Nor need you feare that your estate will not hold out I hope you are a provident Gentleman and make your Altars bring you in what your Altars spend you For say you not in that which followeth that Iudas his bagge may with as good reason as these Tables bee called â—n Altar I wonder what fine adjunct you will finde out next You cannot probably goe on and not set downe ad mensâ—m daemoniorum that Table of Devils which Saint Paul speakes of Iudas his bagge Just so yet you would shift this off unto Baronius as you have done the Dresser on the rude people of Grantham Baronius as you say implieth it Doth he so indeed All that Baroniâ—â— saith is this that those who ministred in the Church did from the first beginnings of the Church receive their maintenance from the oblations of the faithfull Immo cum adhuc dominus supeâ—stes c. And that the Lord himselfe when he preached the Gospell used from these offerings to provide for himselfe and his For Iudas saith S. Iohn bearing the bagge Ea quâ—â— mittebantur portabat did carrie up and downe that store which was sent in to him What say you doth the Cardinall imply in this that Iudâ—s his bagge may with good reason any how be called an Altar Take heed of Iudas and his â—agge of Iudas and his qualities for feare you come unto that end that Iudas did Your answers to the Doctors allegations
from Ignatius must be looked on next And first the Doctor findes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Altar in his Epistle ad Magnesios You answer first that by Vedelius this is thought to bee a supposititious fragment taken out of the Constitutions of Clemens and yet proclaime it in your margin that this doth not appeare so clearely to you as to rest upon it You answer secondly that this was brought in by the Doctor only to make sport How so Because say you the Altar there is Iesus Christ. In that before you left Vedelius your good friend and helper in all this businesse and here he leaves you to cry quitâ— Searching as curiously as hee could what to except against in all these Epistles hee lets this go by A pregnant evidence that hee knew not what to say against it Runne saith the Father all of you as one man to the Temple of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to one Altar to one Iesus Christ i. e. say you who better understood the Father than he did himselfe runne all of you to one Iesus Christ as to one Altar This is your old trick to abuse your Readers and makâ— your Authors speak what they never meant The Father spake before of prayer of common prayers to bee poured forth by all the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the selfe same place in faith and love And then exhorts them to runne together to the Church to pray as to one Altar to participate as to one Iesus Christ the High Priest of all Had it been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the matter had been cleere on your side But the distinction and repeating of the preposition the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make a different businesse The second place produced by the Doctor from Ignatius was that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he makes mention of the unity that ought to be retained in the Church of God and then brings in amongst the rest one Bread broke for all one Cup distributed to all one Altar also in every Church together with one Bishop c. To this you answer that in the place to the Philadelphians hee doth expresse himselfe to meane by Altar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Councell of the Saints and Church in generall and not any materiall Altar as Vedelius proves at large And do they so indeed That passage which you speak of is in the Epistle ad Ephesios And do you think he tels the Ephesians what hee did meane by Altar in his Epistle to the Philadelphians This is just like the Germans beating down of Altars because the people here in England were scandalized with them in our countrey Churches Then for Vedelius proves he as you affirme that by Altar here Ignatius meanes not any materiall Altar but the Councell of the Saints the Church in generall In the Epistle to the Ephesians he doth indeed correct magnificat as your own phrase is and play the Critick with the Author making him say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof we shall say more hereafter in our perusall and examination of your Extravagancies But in this place hee deales more fairely and understands him as the Doctor doth for reckoning up foure kindes of Altars in the Primitive Church he makes the fourth and last to be mensa Domini qua utebantur in sacra coena peragenda the table of the Lord used in the â—elebrating of the holy supper Then addes that sometimes by the Fathers this table is also called an Altar and for the proofe thereof brings in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Doctor mentioned So that you have belied the Father and your friend to boot Lastly for that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Altar in his Epistle ad Tarsenses the whole place is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Those that continue in the state of Virginitie honour yee as the Priests of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those which are widowes indeed in the Apostles language or which uphold their chastitie as your selfe translates it honour ye as the Altars of God These are his words distinctly and what â—ind you here Marry you say some knavish scholler exscribed the passage for him to make sport withall and that the Altar there intended becomes much better the upper end of his Table than the upper end of his Church a plaine widow-Altar Which said you bring in one of your young Schollers with a bawdy Epigramme unfit to bee inserted into any booke of a serious Argument but more unfit to bee approved allowed and licenced by any Ordinarie But Sir however you are pleased to make your selfe prophanely merry in these sacred matters the place is plaine enough to prove an Altar and more than so a reverence due unto the Altar in Ignatius time the men of Tarsus being here advised to honor chast and vertuous widowes as they did Gods Altar And for the widow that you wot of if you have any speciall aime therein as some think you have shee may returne that answer to you which once Octavia's Chamber-â—â—aid gave to Tigellinus which I had rather you should look for in the Author than expect from me The place from Irenâ—eus by which he proved the Apostles to bee Priests because they did Deo Altariservire attend the service of the Lord and wait upon him at the Altar you make to be an Allegory and no more than so But Bishop Montague of Chichester of whom the Doctor as you bid him will thinke no shame to learne as long as hee lives findes more matter in it and saith that Irenaeus lib. 4. c. 20. speâ—keth of the ministers of the new Testament not of the old that they doe Deo Altari deserviâ—e which is the very same that the Doctor said Are not you scitus scriptor a very proper squire to quarrell with the exposition of a man whose bookes you are not fit to carry what may be further said out of Irenaeus for sacrifices Priests and Altars wee have shewn you in the former Chapter Next for Tertullian the Doctor gave you thence two places one from his booke de oratione Si adaram Dei steteris the other out of that de poenitentia Adgenicâ—lari aris Dei Not to say any thing in this place of the Stâ—tions mentioned in the first of those two passages nonne solemnior erit statiotua Si ad aram Dei steteris you answer first unto the first that by this Ara Dei Tertullian in his African and â—ffected stile meanes plainely the Lords Table Why man who ever doubted it What saith the Doctour more than this Tertullian are not these his words hath the name of Altar as a thing used and knowne in the Christian Church as nonne solemnior erit statio tua Si ad aram Dei steteris what finde you there but that the Lords Table in Tertullians
not in those early dayes above one Altar and may bee serviceable as others of this nature are against the Pluralitie of Masses in the Church of Rome many of which you have in Bishop Iewell Art 13. § 6. But that it should be thence concluded that there S. Cyprian onely means the summe and substance of the Gospell is to make aliquid ex nihilo so it serve your purpose Or if it could bee thence collected it could not but be much unto the honour of the Altar and the Priesthood both that those two words should comprehend the whole bodies of religion and yet the Priesthood and the Alter might stand well enough for all that collection Nor need wee feare that following this Interpretation The Popedome would be set up and erected in every Parish Church in England because forsooth the Father speaks of una Cathedra in the words before Saith not Ignaâ—ius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one onely Bishop in a Church as before was said Neither of them I trow endeavoured to advance the Popedome but that for the avoiding of schismes and divisions there ought to bee one Bishop onely within one Diocese whereof see Bishop Iewel passim in that of the Supremacy And as one Bishop so one Priesthood and one Altar onely in each Church on the self-same reason The like may bee replied to your evasion from S. Cyprians meaning in his ninth Epistle of which you tell us as before that hee meanes there by Altar the Ministeriall functions and offices If so it were but pars pro toto the chiefest and most excellent part of the whole Ministerie put for all the rest But are you sure of what you say are you sure of any thing Saint Cyprian speakes five times of Altars in that one Epistle foure times of Sacrifices and Altars Thinke you hee meanes in every place the Ministeriall functions and offices What say you then to this Nequâ— enim meretur nominari ad Altare Dei in Sacerdotum precâ— qui ab Altare sacer â—otes avocare voluit What signifieth Altare in the first place thinke you What the materiall Altar or the 〈◊〉 function However you may wrest this meaning in the later clause to the Priestly function yet in the first you cannot possibly give him any other meaning than that the Priests officiated at the reall and materiall Altar For shame dâ—ale better with the Fathers and let them speake their mindes according to the liberty of thâ—se most pure and pious times without those base disgâ—ises which you put upon them onely to blinde your readers eyes and abuse Antiquiâ—ie Thus have I given you a briefe view in these two last Chapters of the chiefe point in controversie betweene the Doctor and your selfe and hunted you as well as my poore wits would serve me out of all your starting holes Altars and Priests and Sacriâ—â—ces being Relatives as you say your selfe I have layed down in the first place the Orthodox and ancient doctrine of the Church concerning Sacrifice followed it in the way of an historicall narration from Abel downe to Noah from him to Moses from Moses to Christ who instituted as S. Irenaeus hath it the new sacrifice of the new Testament novam oblationem novi Testamenti in this Fathers language This sacrifice thus instituted by our Lord and Saviour the Church received from the Apostles and offers it accordingly to the Lord our God throughout the habitable world the passage and descent whereof from the Apostles times untill S. Austins wee have traced and followed And wee have also found that from the first times to the last there was no sacrifice performed without Priests and Altars excepting those spirituall Sâ—crifices which every man is bound to offer in what place soever All which both Altars Priests and sacrifice we have diâ—covered to you in the Church of England out of the publick monuments and Records thereof and that so answerably unto the Patternes of Antiquitie as if it had beene 〈…〉 the ancient Fathers than the 〈…〉 have cleared up those mists which you endeavoured to cast upon the ancient Writers that so your Readers might not see the true intent and meaning of those passages w ch concern this Argument those most especially whereby you would perswade weake men such as are bound to take your word without further search that in the Primitive Church there was neither Altar Priest not Sacrifice truly and properly so called which what a ruine and confusion it would bring in the Church of God taking away all outward worship enabling every man to the Priestly function robbing the Church of all the reverence due unto it no man knowes better than your selfe who have endevoured to promote that doctrine for this purpose onely that you may be cryed up and honoured as the Grand Patron and defender of mens Christian libertie Finally I have answered unto all those Cavils and exceptions w ch you had made against the Allegations and Authorities pressed and produced by the Doctor against the Writer of the Letter to the Vicar of Granthan and left him statu quo in the same case wherein you found him all your assaults and stratagems of fraud and falshood notwithanding But this in reference onely to the thing it selfe that the Church had Altars in those early and dawning dayes of Christianity we will next looke upon the place and situation of them what you say to that CHAP. VII Of Churches and the fashion of them and of the usuall place allotted in the Church for the holy Altar Places appointed for Divine worship amongst the Patriarchs Iewes and Gentiles The various conditions and estaâ—te of the Christian Church and that the Churches were according unto those estates What was the meaning of the Apologâ—ticks when they denyed the having of Temples in the Church of Christ. The Minister of Linc. stops the mouth of Minutius Felix and falsifieth Arnobius Altars how situated in the troublesome and persecâ—ted times of Christianity The usuall forme of Churches and distinct partâ— and places of them in the Primitive times That in those times the Altars stood not in the body of the Church as is supposed by the Minister of Linc. Six reasons for the standing of the Altars at the upper end of the Quire or Chancell in the dayes of old Of Ecclesiasticall traditions and the authority thereof The Church of England constant to the practice of the former times The Minister of Linc. tels a Winter tale about the standing of an Altar in the Cathedrall Church of Dover The meaning of the Rubrick in the Common-prayer-booke about the placing of the Table in Communion timâ— as also of the 82 Canon of the Church of England IT is well noted by our incomparable Hooâ—ker That solemne duties of publick service to bee done unto God must have their places set and prepared in such sort as beseemeth actions of that regard Which layed for his foundation he thus builds upon it that Adam even
fierce upon it Nor were the Altars only moveable in those first daies but also portable and purposely made moveable that they might be portable according to the qualitie of the times And if we may relie upon Gabriel Biel as in this case I think wee may he tels us of a Table or Altar Altare ligneum in his language whereat the Popes of Rome did use to celebrate the Sacrament which was removed by the Priests from place to place ubicunque episcopus Romanus latuerit where ever the then Roman Bishops did retire themselves in times of danger Then for the situation of them whether towards the East or West or any other part of the heavenly bodies if Walafridus Strabo may be credited there was no certaintie thereof in the said times neither the Altars or Communion Tables being sometimes disposed of in diversas plagas East West North or South and that as there he tels us propter aliquam locorum opportunitatem according to the qualitie and conveniencie of the place it selfe Indeed it was not possible as the times then were that it should be otherwise For holding their assemblies as before we told you in private houses in dennes and cavernes under ground they were to make a vertue of necessity and suit themselves according to the qualitie of the place considering that they could not suit the place to their own desires But this held only for a time no longer than the faithfull were in those extremities and put unto their shifts as wee use to say For after when they were permitted either on sufferance or by speciall favour to fit their Churches to their minds they contrived them so that in their prayers and addresse to Almightie God they turned themselves unto the East The Author of the Questions and Answeres ad Orthodoxos ascribed to Iustine affirmes that in his time the Christians offered up their hymnes and orizons to God fixing their eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 towards or on the eastern parts and â—aith withall that they received this usage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the holy Apostles And sure I am that in Tertullians time the Christians were accused of worshipping the Sunne for which there was no other ground but that they turned unto the East in the times of prayer Inde suspicio quod innotuerit nos ad Orientis regionem precari as he there informs us Which being so it is not to be thought but that the Churches were contrived and built accordingly fit to the posture of the people in the times of prayer Not that they were not built in any place at any time in any other form or fashion but that it was thus generally and for the most part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all parts of Christendome from those times downwards And so it is resolved by Walfridus Strabo usus frequentior est in Orientem or antes converti pluralitatem ecclesiarum maximam eo tenore constitui For further proofe of which let us but look upon the formes of our antient Churches and wee shall finde that generally they are built in one uniforme fashion which fashion questionlesse was borrowed from the pattern of the first Churches erected in the primitive times Baronius tels us of some Churches in his time standing quae temporibus Constantini fuerunt à fundamentis extructae which had beene built from the foundation in the time of Constantine and differed nothing in the forme either for situation or distinction from those which have beene since erected And we may probably conclude with him that those then built were built according to the â—orme of those which were demolished not long before in the time of Diocletians furie cum eadem in iis officia essent obeunda exerceâ—dae functiones aâ— mysteria consummanda the selfe same Offices functions and mysteries being to be performed in them both alike Now for performance of these functions offices and mysteries the Churches were divided into severall parts two of the which are most considerable in our present businesse Of these the greater was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the nave or body of the Church the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we call the Quire or Chancell the body for the most part standing towards the West the Quire or Chancell towards the East And howsoever it was and might bee otherwise in some few particulars yet it was usitatior mos the generall usage of the Church as Paulinus hath it to place the Quire or Chancell in the Eastern part Within the body of the Church they had their Auditorium their place for reading of the Scripture and so much of the publick Offices as might be heard by those whom they called Catechumeni that were instructed in the faith and not as yet admitted unto the Sacrament of Baptisme The Quire or Chancell set apart for the performance of those rites iâ— which they placed the greatest mysterie of their profession which was the Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of our Lord and Saviour A difference or distinction not took up in the latter times but such as may plead strongly for as much antiquitie as any other custome in the Church besides and in the which they were directed as well by Gods command as by naturall reason For in the Tabernaâ—le built by Gods owne appointment and fashioned by his owne direction there was a Sanctum sanctorum a place more holy than the rest selected by the Lord for the most excellent part of the Iewish ceremonie which was the expiating of his people For which if God thought fit that there should be a proper and selected place and that the same should be secluded from all other use the Christians by the selfe same warrant might in their Churches have a Sancâ—â—m Sanctorum also for the commemorating of that expiation which was in fact made for us by our Lord and Saviour Besides the Gentiles had in their severall temples their Adyta or Penetralia as before was said wherein their greatest mysteries were performed and celebrated Tota in Adâ—tis divinitas saith Tertullian of them In those they placed their deities and in those their Altars Excessere omnes Adytis arisque relictis Dii quibus imperium hoc steterat as the Poet hath it which cleerly shewes their Altars were disposed of in their in most Adyta And should you say that by this reason the distribution of our Churches into a body and a Chancell would savour too much either of the Iew or Gentile you might betray your folly but not hurt the cause For there 's no question to be made but many Temples of the Gentiles were without any alteration of the Fabrick converted into Christian Churches Nor can you shew a reason for it why it should be more stood upon as the times then were to build new Churches of that fashion which the Gentiles used than to use those very Churches which the Gentiles built And for conformitie with the
Jewes you finde that answered to your hand by a judicious Divine indeed who counts it no lesse grievous fault for any King to build his house according to the modell of Salomons palace than for the Christians in contriving of their Churches to have an eye upon the fabrick of K. Salomons Temple Now where it is affirmed in the Bishops letter that anciently the Communion-Tables stood in the middest of the Church and for the proofe thereof the Vicar was referred to Bishop Iewell before we come to an examination of the proofes there offered we wil propose some reasons why it could not bee so And first wee find it granted by that Reverend Prelat Bishop Iewell that wheresoever the Altar stood it was divided with railes from the rest whereof it was called Cancelli a Chancell and commonly of the Greeks Presbyterium for that it was a place specially appointed unto the Priests and Ministers and shut up from all others for disturbing the holy Ministerie Which given for granted we proceed and will shew some reasons and authorities that the said Chancell or Presbyterie was not as hee conceiveth in the middle of the Church but a distinct part and member of it at one end thereof and yet I would not have you tâ—inke but that I hold as reverend an opinion of Bishop Iewel as you or any other be hee who hee will My first authority shall be taken fâ—om the instance of and in the Emperour Theodoâ—ius which himselfe there makes The Emperour Theodosiâ—s having beene long prohibited the Church upon that great and rash Massacre of the Thessalonians and afterwards admitted to communicate at his first entrance in the Church casts himselfe downe upon the Pavement After the Offertory comming on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee went into the Sanctuarie and having made his offering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continued still within the same neare the partition or Cancelli Which being noted by Saint Ambrose hee signified unto him by his Deacon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that those Inferiour parts were only proper to the Priests and to no man else Now that which in Theodoret is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Sozomen is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Quire or Chancell who addes withall that in Constantinople the Emperour had his seat in the said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 during the celebrating of the holy Sacrament that so some difference might bee made betwixt himselfe and common persons But this being not the use in Millaine Saint Ambrose alloted him a place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within the body of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immediately before the barres that severed the Church and Chancell And this hee did that so the Emperour might have place before the people as had the Priests before the Emperour This cleerly shewes that the Presâ—yterium or Chancell was not in the middle of the Church but was distinct and severed from it at one end or other for otherwise how could the Emperour have â— place betweene the people and the Priests before the Chancell or Cancelli in case the Chancell stood in the very middest of the Church and all the people round about it My second reason shall be taken from a like storie of Numerianus one of the sons of the Emperour Carus who comming into the Church at Antioch wherof Saint Babylas was Bishop and having a desire to behold their mysteries quasi per transennam privily as if peeping through a Lattice was presently rebuked by the Bishop for the said attempt Now had the Quire or Chancell stood in the middle of the Church and onely railed about so that every man might see what was done within Numemerianus needed not to have peeped as through a Lattice to behold their doings for being once within it was no difficultie to discerne what they were about Thirdly it may bee proved from that which was before related from Baronius who tels us of some Churches standing in his dayes which had beene founded in the time of the Emperour Constantine and differed nothing in their form either for situation or distinction from those since erected And fourthly from the description of the â—tately Temple of S. Sophia built by Iustinian the Emperour of which Procopius doth informe us that the Quire or Chancell wherein the holy mysteries were celebrated did stand directly to the East For having before described the Nave or body of the Temple both for length and bredth he addes Ea autem quae ad solem Orientem vergunt ubi Deo sacrâ— peraguntur hoc modo aedificata sunt which hee goes forwards to describe but what need more be said than you say your selfe who have so fairly for this point slipped your owne neck out of the Collar and left your L. the Bishop in the lurch For wheras he refers the Vicar unto Bishop Iewell to see how long Communionâ—tables have stood in the middle of the Church you put it to the question whether it bee such a new thing in Israel that the Tables heretofore and the high Altars afterwards did stand in the middest of the Church or Chancell The middle of the Church or Chancell is not the middle of the Church and so you bid good night at once to both the Bishops The Altar then stood not in the body of the Church but in the Chancell which was the first thing to bee cleared Next that the Altar or Lords Table was placed in the upper end of the Quire or Chancell may be made evident by many plaine and pregnant reasons which we will marshall ascendendo from this time upwards And first it may be proved from the generall usage at this time in the Church of Rome which in those outward formes no doubt relates unto the use and practice of the Ancients For why should wee conceive that keeping still the ancient fashion in the contriving of their Churches they would desert the aâ—cient fashion in the disposing of their Altars Conceive mee that it was thus generally and for the most pâ—rt as you report mee very rightly p. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as before I said Secondly frâ—m the words of Walafridus Strabo where hee informes us that in Saint Peters Church in Rome Altaria non tantum in Orientem sed etiam in aliâ—s partes esse distributa The Altars stood not onely towards the East but in other places and this he makes to be a particular case differing from the generall usage The like to which may bee observed in his instances of the Pantheon in Rome and that built by Helena in Hierusalem being both round as also that he seemeâ—h to apologize for them who propter aliquam locorum opportunitatem were faâ—ne to set their Alâ—ars otherwise than the custome of the Church permitâ—ed Now Walafridus Strabo dyed as your selfe accompts it Anno 846. or thereabouts Thirdly from the division of the Quires themselves in which did fiâ—st accurre the Stalls or seats appointed
generally for the Clergie next above that the Bishops Chaire and then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Altar-place or that whole space which was allotted purposely and solely for the Lords Boord or Altar call it which you will which was distinguished from the rest of the Chancell by Railes or Curtaines For it appears most manifestly in the ancient writers that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did not onely signifie the Altar or Lords â—oord it selfe but the whole space and place thereof which by the Latines was sometimes distinguished by a proper name and called Altarium Fourthly from that which doth occurre in Socrates concerning the disposall of the Altars in the Church of Antioch which therein generally differed from all other Churches How so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Would you his meaning in these words take it according as you finde it in Nicephorus of Langius translation Sacra enim Ara non ad Orientem sed ad Occidentem versus collâ—cata â—ueâ—at because the Altar was not placed towards the East but towards the West Cassiodore in his Tripartite History rendreth this place with more advantage In Antiochia verò Syriae Alta â— non ad Orientem Ecclesiae sed magis aâ— Occidentem habent in Antioch they have their Altar not at the East end of the Church ad Orientem Ecclesiae but rather bending toward the West which makes it plaine in my conceit that generally in other places the Altar stood ad Orientem Ecclesiae at the Easterne end Fiâ—tly from that which is affirmed by Bish. Iewell Who tels us that the Quire or Chancell and consequently the Altar and the Altar-place as it may bee gathered from Saint Chrysostome at certaine times of the service was drawne with Curtaines Now if the Holy Table stood in the middle of the Chancell and was thus hanged about with Curtaines there being space enough within for all the Priests and Deacons which attended at the holy Ministery you cannot but conceive in your imagination that it must needs bee very unsightly and take up much more roome than in a Chancell could bee spared But let the Table be disposed of at the upper end and then a Traverse Curtaine drawne betweene the Table and the people and both those inconveniences will be avoided which before I spake of And last of all it may bee pleaded from a constant custome of the Christians in praying towards the East Ad Orientis regionem as Tertullian hath it ad solam Orientis partem as it is in Origen which though many reasons are assigned by Bellarmine Baronius and others of the Church of Rome yet I conceive there cannot a more probable reason be given thereof than from the placing of the holy Table at the East end of the Church For that being thought to bee more sacred than any materiall thing besides to the Church belonging had a farre greater measure of reverence and devotion conferred upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reverent salutation of the Table in Dionysius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an honour proper to the Altar in Ignatius and geniculatio ad Arâ—s a bowing of the knee before it in Tertullian And therefore in what place soever it was placed or situated there were the peoples eyes most like to be fixed and setled and their aspects turned that way in the time of prayer as being that which they most longed for and looked after and of the which they most desired to bee partakers Adde here that Damascen observes that when our Saviour Christ was upon the Crosse his face was Westward so that all they that looked upon him or desired to see him did looke towards the East which were it so the Altar being so lively a representation of the Crosse of Christ might bee disposed of so in the Church or Chancell as that the people should looke Eastward that desired to see it and if placed Eastward for that reason then doubtlesse in the uppermost and most eminent place of the Quire or Chancell so that no man who ever should have place beyond it For if that any man had had place beyond it either he must not pray towards the East as the others did or praying towards the East could not see the Altar which was most looked after by all the rest Now whereas you desire the Doctor not to forget to tell you in his next booke where God or his blessed Sonne or the Apostles or the Fathers after them or any Councell or any Canon law or so much as a Popes Bull hath commanded any Christian Church to set their Altars all along the wall I answer you by asking another question where you can find it was commanded that Christians should pray with their faces Eastward Things that have generally beene received in the Church of Christ are generally conceived to have been derived from Apostolicall tradition without any speciall mandat left in Scriptis for the doing of them Praying directly towards the East is by some Fathers as Iustin Martyr S. Basil conceived to be of that condition and Damascen conceives so too de Orthod Fid. lib. 4. cap. 13. Why may we not conceive the like of setting up the Altar all along the wall that it hath beene commended to us if not by Apostolicall yet questionlesse by Ecclesiasticall tradition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the said Damascen hath truly noted Many things come unto our hands by a successionall tradition for which we cannot finde an expresse command in any of those wayes you speake of which yet wee ought to entertaine ex vi catholicae consuetudinis by reason of the said tradition and continuall custome Of which traditions there are many which still retaine their force amongst us in England particularly those which are most pertinent to the present businesse viz. the turning of our selves unto the East in our publicke prayers and the disposing of our Churches accordingly And why not then in placing of the holy Table or Altar also This Church the Lord be thanked for it hath stood more firme for Apostolicall and Ecclesiasticall traditions since the Reformation than any other whatsoever of the Reformation Nor in the times before can you finde out any that stood more strongly for and in the Churches customes If you have found after much studie and long search a round Church in Cambridge and a round Temple in London can you conclude from thence that generally our Churches here have not beene built according to the Antient patternes if not how excellent a discourse doe you shew your selfe in the application You might as well have gathered that all the Churches in Cambridge doe stand North and South because you finde it so in Emanuel College or that all the Ministers in Lincolnshire are perfect in the arts of rayling falsifying and deceiving because you know of one that is But that fine storie which you tell us of S. Austins Altar is indeed
Altar there was at the same Session an addition made to the Catechtsme and that likewise confirmed by Act of Parliament whereby all Children of this Church are punctually taught to name our two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper Which said you draw up this conclusion So as this judicious Divine was very ill Catechized that dares write it now the Sacrament of the Altar Bringing the Doctor to his Catechisme a man would sweare that you were excellent therein your selfe But such is your ill lucke that you can hit the maâ—ke in nothing For tell mee of your honest word when you were Catechised your selfe who taught you punctually to name the two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper Marrie say you the Catechisme in the Common Prayer booke in the addition made unto it by Queene Elizabeth and confirmed by Parliament I will joynâ— issue on that point and lay my best preferment against yours that you were never taught so in that Catechisme I see it 's good sometimes to have a little learning in unlearned Liturgies You were past age good man to be taught your Catechisme when that addition was put to it Look into all the Common Prayer books of Queene Elizabeths time and if you finde mee that addition to the Catechisme in any of them I will quit the cause Not one word in the Churches Catechisme in all her reigne that doth reflect upon the Sacraments the number of them or the names That came in afterwards upon occasion of the Conference at Hampton Court where you have it thus Next to this Doctour Reynolds complained that the Catechisme in the Common Prayer booke was too briefe for which one by Master Nowell late Dean of Pauls was added and that too long for young Novices to learn by heart requested therefore that one uniforme Catechisme might be made which and none other should be generally received and it was asked of him whether if to the short Catechisme in the Communion book something were added for the doctrine of the Sacraments it would not serve You may perceive by this that till that time Annâ— 1603 there was no such addition to the Catechisme as you idly dream of which all the Children of this Church your selfe especially for one were taught when they were children and required to learn it Nor was this Catechisme so inlarged confirmed by Parliament you are out in everie thing but onely by King Iames his Proclamation which you may finde with litle labour before your Common Prayer book if at lest you have one You are so full of all false dealings with all kinde of Authors that rather then be out of work you will corrupt your verie Primmer Non fuit Autolyci tâ—â— piceata manus Like him that being used to steale to keepe his hand in use would be stealing rushes And now we thought we should have done For seeing after all this entertainment that you were putting your selfe into a posture and began to bow it was supposed you would have said grace and dismissed the companie But see how much we were mistaken The man is come no further then his poâ—tage in all this time His stooping onely was to eat and not to reverence Being to speak of Altars mentioned in the Apostles Canons he call's them Larders Store-houses and Pâ—ntries or if hee speake of the Communion-table placed Altarwise hee call's it dresser Now comming though unnecessarily his Argument considered to speak of bowing at the name of IESVS he cannot but compare it to a messe of pottage and comming so opportunely in his way he cannot choose but fall upon it One would conjecture by his falling to that he did like it very well but if wee note the manner of his eating there is no such matter For marke wee how hee â—all's upon it Giving those proud Dames to Donatus that practise all manner of Curtesies or Masks and Dances but none by any means for Christ at their approach to the holy Table he add's that this come's in as pat as can be How so Marry say you the Doctor was serving in his first messe of Pottage and the Bishop as the saying is got into it and hath quite spoiled it by warning a yong man that was complained of for being a little santasticall in that kinde to make his reverence humbly and devoutly Doth this come in so pat thinke you The Vicar was no prond Dame was he Nor did the Alderman complaine of him for his light behaviour in bowing towards the holy Table but in bowing at the name of IESVS Yet on you run from bowing towards or before the Communion-table to bowing at the name of IESVS as if both were one both warranted or enjoyned rather by the same Canon and Injunction though you had said before that bowing though to honour him and him onely in his holy Sacrament is not enjoyned by the Canon But being falne upon the dish doe you like the relish No You must like no more of it then the Bishop doth The Bishop he must have it done to procure devotion not derision and you will have us keep old Cerâ—â—onies so that we taint them not with new fashions especially apâ—sh ones Would you would tell us what those apish fashions are that wee should avoid or perswade him to tell us what we are to doe to avoid derision of and from the scornfull All our behaviour in that kinde will be accounted apish by such men as you and being ex tripode by you pronounced for apish must needs procure dâ—rision from such men as they A lowly and accustomed reverence to this blessed name we have received you grant from all Antiquitie but when wee come to do that reverence you dislike it utterly Two sorts of bowings you have met with in the Eastern Churches the greater when they bowed all the bodie yet without bending of the knee lowly and almost to the Earth the lesser when they bowed the head and shoulders only But then againe you are not certaine whether that any of these were used in the Westerne Church and by them delivered over unto us So that you like nothing but to make a courtesie and yet not that neither if it be not a lowly curtesie Now to see men and amongst men the Priests make a lowly curtesie Onely by bending of the knee without the bowing of the whole body or the head and shoulders must needs be taken for a new and an apish fashion fit to procure derision onely and not devotion and so you leave no reverence to bee done at all Assuredly you meane so though you dare not say it For having slubbered over so great a point in that slovenly fashion you shut it up with this proportionable close and so much for your preamble that is your Pottage I see you mind your belly and therefore we will step down unto the Hatch and send you up the second course of your Extravagancies which how well you have cooked
will be seene apparantly when wee are come to execute the Carvers Office CHAP. X. The second service of Extravagancies sent up and set before his guests by the Minister of Lincoln The Metaphoricall Altar in the Fathers good evidence for the proofe of Reall Altars in the Church Ignatius corrupted by Vedelius My Lord of Chichesters censure of Vedelius The Minister misreports Saint Bernard and makes ten Altarâ— out of foure A new originall of the Table in the Christian Church from the Table of Shew-bread the Ministers fumbling in the same deserted by those Autors that he brings in for it The Minister pleads strongly for sitting at the holy Sacrament and for that purpose falsifieth Baronius misreports Saint Austin and wrongs Tertullian The Benedictines sit not at the Sacrament on Maundy Thursday Of the Seiur de Pibrac The Minister advocates for the Arians and will not have them be the Authors of sitting at the holy Sacrament and for that cause deals falsly with the Polish Synods which impute it to them Three Polish Synods ascribe the sitting at the Sacrament to the modern Arians The ignorance of the Minister about accipere reservare in Tertullian What the Stations were Lame Giles The Minister slights the appellation of the second Service as did the Writer of the letter and brings in severall arguments against that division The Ministers ignorance in the intention of the Rubriâ—ks Of setting up a Consistory in the midst of service The autority of the Priest in repulsing unworthy persons from the Sacrament defended against the Ministers He sets a quarrell between Cathedrall and Parochiall Churches and mistakes the difference between them The Injunctions falsified Of being ashamed at the name of the Lords Table The Minister ashamed at the name of Altar Of pleasing the people and the Ministers extreme pursuit thereof The Minister falsly chargeth on the Doctor a foolish distinction of the Dyptychs The conclusion NOw for your second course it consists most of Lincolnshire provision such as your own home yields without further search some sorts of fish as Carpes and many a slipperie Eele but fowle abhominable fowle forgeries fowle mistakes fowle dealing of all kindes what ever Nor can I choose but marvell that in such verietie there should be neither knot nor good-wit or any thing that 's rare and daintie all ordinarie fowle but yet fowle enough To take them as they lie in order for I was never curious in my choice of diet the first that I encounter with is a Quelque Chose made of all Altars a stately and magnificent service ten of them in a dish no lesse And this you usher in with great noise and ceremonie assuring us that there we have what ever of that kind the whole world can yield us If any of us have a minde to offer any spirituall sacrifices of one sort or other the ancient Fathers have provided you of severall Altars for them all so many that God neuer required more for these kinde of sacrifices Take heed you fall not short of so large a promise for you have raised our expectation to a wondrous height But such is your ill lucke that vaunting so extremely of your great performances you perform nothing worth the vaunting For neither are these severall Altars which you have set forth nâ—r have you set forth all the Altars that are presented to you by the ancient Fathers and lastly were they either all or severall they conclude nothing to your â—urpose Your purpose is to shew unto your credulous Readers that there is no materiall Altar to be used in a Christian Church and for a proof thereof you maâ—e a muster of all those severall Metaphors and Allegorieâ— which you have met with in old Writers concerning Altars This did you weigh it â—s you ought crosseth directly all your purpose and at one blow casts downe that building which you so labour to erect All Metaphors and Allegories must relate to somewhat that is in being and when a thing is once in being severall wits may descant and dilate upon it as their fancie serves them I hope you will not think that there was no such thing as the Garden of Eden no such particular Vestments for the Priesâ—s or sacrifices for the people because the ancient Writers some of them at lest have drawn them into Allegories or can aâ—â—ord you at fiâ—st word a Metaphoricall Ephod a Metâ—phoricall Pâ—sch or a Metaphoricall Paradise You know what â—â—imme devices may be found in Durand about the Church the Quire the Altar the ornaments and utensils of earth the habit of the Priests the Prelate and whatsoever doth pertaine unto a Church to the very Bell-ropes And yet you would be laugâ—t at by all strangers more then you were when you demanded how the Altar stood in forreine Churches should you affirme that in the Church of Rome whereof Durand was therâ— neither was a Priest nor Prelate neither Quires Altars Churches or any ornaments or utensils to the same belonging Or to come nearer to our selves there is a booke entiâ—uled Catechismus ordinis equitum Periscelidis written long since by Belvaleti the Popes Nuncio here and published in the yeare 1631. by Bosquierus wherein the Author makes an Allegorie on the whole habit of the Order the matter colour fashion wearing to the very girdle And were not you or he that should approve you in it a wise peece indeed if on the reaâ—ing of that booke you should give out that really and materially there is no such habit worne by the Knights of that most honourable Order as vaine men conceive but that their habite is as some made the Saint onely an allegorie a symbol or a metaphore So that if all you say were granted and that your ten tropicall metaphoricall Altars were ten times doubled that would make to the prejudice of that reall and materiall Altar which hath continued in the Church of Christ since the Primitive times Nay as before I said those metaphors conclude most strongly for a reall Altar as the conceits of Belâ—â—aleti Durand and some ancient Fathers do for the realtie of those severall subjects on which they did expresse their fancies This said we might put by this service as not worth the tasting made rather to delight the eye with various shews then to feed the stomacke but we will fall aboard however were it for nothing but to shew what Quelque choses you have set before us Now the first Altar of your ten is Ignatius his Altar the Councell of the Saints and the Church of the first-begotten For this you send us to his Epistle ad Ephesios where there was never any such matter to be found till your good friend Vedelius brought the old Father under his correction and made him speake what ever he was pleased to have him Ignatius were he let alone would have told another tale then what you make him tell betweene you For there he tells you of those
owne words are But then you had done well to have told us also how highly hee condemnes it in them and how irreverent he concâ—ived it assidere sub aspectâ— contraque aspectum ejus to sit them downe under the noâ—es as wee use to say of those verie Gods whom they did worship and adore This had been some faire dealing in you could it have stood with your designe of justifying the use of sitting in the holy Sacrament Nay more then so you say of Cardinall Peron that he brings a passage out of Tertullian to prove that some of the ancient Christians did adore sitting and that this position of theirs this sitting Tertullian did not blame Not blame Why man Tertullian mentions it for nothing else but to reprehend it Nor was it then a custome to adore sitting as you say Tertullian never told you that nor the Cardinall neither But adsignata oratione assidendi mos est quibusdam some men assoone as they had done their praiers were presently upon their breech as you would have them now at the praiers themselves Never did any wretched cause meet a fiâ—tâ—r Advocate You would perswade us that there is little feare that here in England the people will clap them dâ—wne upon their breech about our holy Table so I heare you say But by those many libelâ—â—us and seditious Pamphlets that have been scattered up and down since your book came out wee finde the contrary Perhaps the goodnesse of their Advocate makes them more forwards in the cause I hope you know your owne words and in them I speak telling you If you were a scholar you would have beene ashamed to write this Diviâ—itie For forreigne Churchâ—s next you tax the Doctour as if hee did conclude the Ceremonies of so many neighbouring Protestants to be unchristian altogether Where finde you such a passage in him All that the Doctour said is this that it was brought into the Churches first by â—oth the modern Arians who stubbornly gainsaying the Divinitie of our Lord and Saviour thought it no robberie to be equall with him and sit down with him at his Table and for that cause most justly banished the reformed Church in Poland And for the proof of this he saith it was determined so in a generall Synod as being a thing not used in the Christian Church tantumque prâ—priâ— infidelibus Ariâ—nis but proper to the Arians onely This goes extremely to your heart so that you cannot choose but wish that he had spared to abuse that grave Synod to make them say peremptorily haec ceremonia Eccâ—esiis Christianis non est usitata especially as â—ee 〈◊〉 in into English this ceremony is a thing not used in the Christian Church Why how would you translate it were you put to do it The most that you could do were to change the number and render it the Christian Churches for the Christian Church which how it would â—dvantage you I am yet to seek But being so translated what have you to object against it or to make good that he hath any way abused so grave a Synod Marry say you the Synod saith 〈◊〉 ceremonia licet cum 〈◊〉 liberâ— c. this ceremonie howsoever in its owneâ—nature it be indiffâ—â—â—ent and free as the rest of the Ceremonies c. Which you say sweetens the 〈◊〉 very much And so it doth indeed sweetneth it very much to them which have a libertie to use iâ— but not to them who are restrained to another gesture Nor had you noted it being so impertinent but that you would be thought a Champion for mens Christian liberty as before I told you Next you object they doe not say it is a thing not used in the Christian Church that being a corruption of the Doctors but that it is not used in the Christian and Evangelicall Churches nostri consensus which agreed with them in the Articles of Confession If so the Doctour was too blame and shall cry peccavi But it is you that finger and corrupt the Synod The Doctour tooke it as he found it Hâ—â—c ceremonia licet cum caeter is libera Ecclesiis Christianis coetibus Evangelicis â—on est usitata are the very words If you can finde nostri consensus there it must be of your owne hand-writing There is no such matter I am sure in the printed books It 's true that in the former words it is so expressed ne sessio sit in usu ad mensam Domini in ullis â—ujus consensus Ecclesiis that sitting at the Lords Table be not used in any of the Churches of their CoÌ„fession That 's nationall as unto themselves But then the reason followes which is universall Haec enim ceremonia c. because that ceremonie was not used in any of the Christian Churches or Evangelicall assemblies This is the place the Doctour presâ—ed and you can finde no consensus nostri there I am sure of that Nay it had been ridiculous nonsence such as you use to speak somtimes if it had been so Now where you tell the Doctor that he â—â—ole this passage from the Altar of Damascus and having 〈◊〉 it did coâ—rupt it â— hee must needs answer for himselfe that it is neither so nor so The Altar of Damascus doth report the place in terminis as it is extant in the Synod and as the Doctor layed it down in his 〈…〉 Altar Noâ— did he ever know 〈…〉 till you dâ—rected him unto it But â—o or not so all is one in your opinion For both the Altar and the Coale are quite mistaken as you give out in thinking that the Synod did ever say that this ceremony was brought in or used by the 〈◊〉 Arians Neither brought in nor used that were strange indeed What is it then that they intend Onely say you that it is Arianis propria a thing fitter for the Arians who by their doctrine and tenâ—ts placed themselves cheeke by joule with the Sonne of God then for devout and humble Christians compassed about with neighbours so fundamentally hereâ—icall And this you say the Altar espied at last to be the meaning of the Synod that sitting was proper to the Arians not by usage but secundum principia doctrinae suae by the principles of their doctrine onely and so conclude that contrary to all truth of story the Doctor makes it first brought in by the moderne Arians Had you looked forwards in the Synod you had found it otherwise For there it followeth that sitting at the holy Sacrameâ—t first crept into their Churches potiss mum occasione auspicio illorum c. especially by occasion and example of those men which miserably had fallen away and denyed the Lord that bought them Nor was it so resolved in this Synod onely Anno 1583. It was concluded so before in the Synod of Petricone in the yeare 1578. that sitting at the Lords Table was first taken up by them who rashly
are upon a sudden and yet how suddenly doe you fall againe to your former follies That booke as grave and pious as it is was never intended as you say in that which followes to give Rubrickes to the publike Liturgie and therefore howsoever the Fast-booke cals it so grave and pious though it were let never any Country Vicar in Lincolne Diocese presume to call it so hereafter Iust so you dealt before with his Majesties Chappell Having extolled it to the heavens and set forth all things in the same as wisely and religiously done yet you are resolute that Parish Churches are not nor ought not to be bound to imitate the same in those outward circumstances A grievous sinne it was no doubt for the poore Vicar to apply the distribution of the Service in the booke of Fast unto the booke of Common-Prayer and it was very timely to be done to excuse him in it as if he did relate onely to the Book of Fast. Else who can tell but that the Alderman of Grantham and the neighbours there might have conceived he used it in imitation of the two Masses used of old that viz. of the Catechumeni and that of the Faithfull neither of which the Alderman a prudent and discreet but no learned man nor any of his neighbours had ever heard of Great reason to excuse the Vicar from so foule a crime which God knows how it might have scandalized poore men that never had tooke notice of it till it was glanced at in the letter The Vicar being thus excused you turne your stile upon the Doctor for justifying the distribution of the Common Prayers into a first and second service You said even now that you approved the appellation yet here you give us severall Arguments for reproofe thereof For first say you the Order of Morning Prayer is not as the poore man supposeth the whole Morning Prayer but a little fragment thereof called the Order of Matins in the old Primers of King Henry the eight King Edward the sixth and the Primer of Sarum what no where else Do you not finde it in your Common-Prayer book to be called Mattins Look in the Calendar for proper Lessons and tell me when you see me next how you finde it there Matens and Evensong â—aith it there Morning and Evening Prayer saith the Booke else-where which makes I trow the order of Morning prayer to be the same now with the order of Mattins and that in the intention of the Common-Prayer Book not in the Antient Primers onely Not the whole Morning prayer say you but you speake without booke your booke instructing you to finde the full course and tenor of Morning and Evening Prayer throughout the yeare Yet you object that if we should make one service of the Mattins we must make another of the Collects and a third of the Letaâ—â—e and the Communion at the soonest will be the fourth but by no meanes the second service Why Sir I hope the Collects are distributed some for the first and others for the second service there 's no particular service to be made of them And for the Letanie comparing the Rubrick after Quicunque vult with the Queenes Injunctions that seemes to be a preparatorie to the second service For it is said there That immediately before the time of Communion of the Sacrament the Priests with other of the Quire shall kneele in the midst of the Church and sing or say plainly the Letany c. And you may marke it in some Churches that whiles the Letanie is saying there is a Bell tolled to give notice unto the people that the Communion service is now coming on Secondly you object that by this reckoning we shall have an entire service without a prayer for King or Bishop which you are bold to say and may say it boldly is in no Liturgie this day either Greeke or Latine Stay here a while Have you not found it otherwise in your observations What say you then to these O Lord save the King then Endue thy Ministers with righteousnesse Are these no praiers for King or Bishop Those which come after in the Letanie that in the praier for the Church militant â—re but the same with these though more large and full Thirdly say you the Act of Parliament doth call it service and not services therefore for so you must conclude there is no distribution of it to be made into first and second So in like sort say I the Act of Parliament doth call it Common-prayer and not Common-prayers therefore upon the self same reason there is no distribution to be made of praiers for plentie and prayers for peace prayers for the King and prayers for the Clergie prayers for the â—ick and prayers for the sound sic de caeteris Lastly you make the true and legall division of our Service to be into the Common-praier and the Communion the one to be officiated in the Reading Pew the other at the holy table disposed coÌ„veniently for that purpose If so then wheÌ„there is no Communion which is you know administred but at certain times then is there no division of the service and consequently no part therof to be officiated at the hâ—ly table which is expresly contrâ—ry to the Râ—brick after the Communion You are like I see to prove a very able Minister you are so perfect in your Portuis But now take heed for you have drawn your streÌ„gths together to give the poore Doctor a greater blow accusing him of conjuring up such doctrine as might turn not a few Parsons and Vicars out of their Benefices in short time How so Why by incouraging them in a Book printed with Licence I see you are displeased at the licence still to set up a consistorie in the midst of divine Service to examine in the same the worthines of all Communicants The Doctor findes it in his Rubrick that so many as intend to be partakers of the holy Communion shall signifie their names unto the Curate over night or else in the morning before the beginning of Morning Prayer or immediately after From whence and from the following Rubricks the poore Doctor gathered that in the intention of the Church there was to be some reasonable time betweene Morning Prayer and the Communion For otherwise what liesure could the Curate have to call before him notorious evillâ—livers or such as have done wrong to their neighbours and to advertise them not to presume to come unto the Lords Table or what spare time can you afford him betweene the Reading Pew and the holy Table to reconcile those men betweene whom he perceiveth malice and hatred to reigne c. as he is willed and warranted to do by his Common-Prayer Booke Call you this setting up a Consistorie in the middest of Service You might have seene but that you will not that here is nothing to be done in the midst of service but in the
middle space of time betweene both services when as the people are departed and the Curate gone unto his house This was the ancient practise of the Church of England The Morning prayer or Matins to begin betweene six and seven the second service or Communion service not till nine or ten which distribution still continues in the Cathedrall Church of Winchester in that of Southwell and perhaps some others So that the names of those which purposed to communicate being signified unto the Curate if not before yet presently after Morning Prayer he had sufficient time to consider of them whether he found amongst them any notorious evill livers any wrong-doers to their neighbours or such as were in malice towards one another and to proceed accordingly as he saw occasion All this you wipe out instantly with a dash of wine Exigâ—o Pergama tota mero as the Poet haâ—h it as if the notice given unto the Curate was for nothing else but that provision might be made of Brâ—od and Wine and other necessaries for that holy mystery And were it so yet could this very ill be done after the beginning of Morning Prayer as you needs will have it For would you have the people come to signifie their naâ—â—ies unto the Curate when he was reading the Confession or perhaps the Pater-noster or the Psalmes or Lessons then the Curate to break off as oft as any one came to him to bid the Churchwardens take notice of it that Bread and Wine may be provided Besides you must suppose a Tavern in everie Village and a Bakâ—r two else you will hardly be provided of Bread and Wine for the Communicants in so short a space as is between the beginning of Morning Prayer and the holy Sacrament Nay not at all provided in such cases but by Post and Post-horses much inconvenience the Market-towns being far off the wayes deep and mirie which what a clutter would make especially upon the Sabbath as you call it I leave you to judge Assuredly what ever your judgement be you are a Gentleman of the prettiest and the finest fancies that I ever met with Thus deale you with the other Rubricks and wrest them quite besides their meaning especially the third which concerneth the repulsing of those which are obstinately malicious and will by no meanes be induced to a reconcilement You tell us onely of the second which requires the Curat to admonish all open and notorious evill livers so to amend their lives that the congregation may thereby be satisfied that it were most ridiculously prescribed to be done in such a place or in so short a time and therefore that it is intended to be performed by the Curate upon private conference with the parties Good Sir who ever doubâ—â—d it or thought the Church in time of sâ—â—vice to be a fitting place for personall reprehensions So that you might have spared to tell us your 〈◊〉 laudable practice in not keeping backe but onely admonishing pâ—blicke offâ—nders upon the evidence of â—act and that noâ— publickly neither nor by name unlesse there had been somewhat singular in it which no man ever had observed but your own deere selfe and that to be proposed as an Iâ—stitutiâ— sacerdotum for all men else to regulate their actions by But for the third you say that it directs the Curate how to deale with those whom hee perceives by intimation given and direction returned from his Ordinary to continue in unrepented hatred and malice whom having the direction of his Ordinary he may keep from receiving tâ—e Sacrament and that in an instant without chopping or dividing the divine service And then that otherwise it were an unreasonable and illegall thing that a Christian man laying open claim to his right in the Sacrament should be debarred from it by the meere discretion of a Câ—rate Poâ—râ— Priests I lament your case who are not onely by this Minister of Lincoln Diocese debarred from moving and removing the holy Table but absolutely turned out of all autoritie from bindring scandalâ—â—s and unworthy peâ—sons to approach unto it That 's by this Minister conferred on his Deacon also because forsooth it did belong unto the Deacon to cry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looke to the doorâ—s there to the doores and to take care the Cateâ—â—â—meni and those which were not to communicate should avoid the Church O saclum insipidum infacetum Such a dull drowsie disputant did never undertake so great an Argument As if the Deacon did these things of his own authoritie not as a Minister unto the Priest and to save him a labour That which comes after from the Iesuites and other Schoolmen will concerne us little who are not to be governed by their dictates and decisions but by the rules and Canons of the Church of England Now for the Rubrick that saith thus The Curate shall not suffer those to be partakers of the Lords Table betwixt whom hee perceiveth malice and hatred to raigne untill hee know them to be reconciled and that of two persons which are at variance that one of them be content to forgive the other c. the Minister in that case ought to admit the penitent person to the holy Communion and not him that is obstinate So for the Canons they runne thus No Minister shall in any wise admit to the receiving of the holy Communion any of his Cure which be openly known to live in sinne notorious without repentance nor any who have maliciously contended with their neighbours untill they shall be reconciled nor any Churchwardens or Sidemen who wilfully incurre the horrible crime of perjurie in not presenting as they ought nor unto any that refuse to kneel or to be present at publick praiers or that be open depravers of the Booke of Common Praier or any thing coÌ„tained in the Book of Articles or the Book of ordering Priests and Bishops or any that have depraved his Majesties Sovereigne authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall c. Here is no running to the Ordinary to receive direction what to do but an authority leâ—t unto the Priest without further trouble and more then so a charge imposed upon him not to do the contrarie Onely it is provided that every Minister so repelling any shall on complaint or being required by the Ordinarie signifie the cause unto him and therein obey his Order and Direction Therin upon the post-fact after the repelling and on return of the Certificate and not before as you would have it for proof wherof with an unparalleld kinde of impudence you cite those very Canons against themselvâ—s But so extreme a spleene you have against the Clergie that upon all and no occasions you labour throughout your Pamphlet to lay them open and expose them to the contempt and scorne of the common people Now as you labour to expose the Clergie to contempt and scorne so you endevour secretly and upon the by to make the Chappels
and Cathedrals guilty of some fowle transgressâ—on the better to expose them unto censâ—re also The Doctor charged thus on the Epistolar whosoever he was in his Coal from the Altar and you confesse the action in your holy Table For reckoning it amongst the Doctors faynings that the writer of the Letter would cunningly draw the Chappels and Cathedrals to a kinde of Praemunire about their Communion-tablâ—s you answer that he fayles for the writer confesseth hee doth allow and practice it Allow and practise it What it It is a relative and points to that which went before viz. a cunning purpose and intent to draw Chappels and Cathedrals into a kinde of Praemunire which you acknowledge in plaine termes the writer doth allow and practise Adeo veritas ab invitâ—â— etiaâ— pectoribus â—rumpit said Lactantius truly It seemes your book was not so thoâ—â—wly perused as the Licence intimates for if it had this passage had not bin so left to bewray the businesse Yet you fall fowle upon the Doctor and reckon it as one of his extravagancies that he should charge the writer for making such a difference between the Chappels and Cathedrals â—n the one side and the Parochials on the other in the point of Altars the Lawes and Canons in that point looking indifferently on all Which said you tell him of some speciall differences which he knew before made by tâ—e Canons themselves betweene Cathedrals and Parochiall Churches But Sir the question is not of those things wherin the Canons make a difference as in Copes monethly Communions and such like which there you instance in but in those things wherin they make no difference as in placing of the table And yet you are besides the â—ushion too in stating of those very differeÌ„ces which your selfe proposeth One difference that you make betweene them is in the place of reading the Letany which is officiated as it ought would be found no difference You know that in Cathedrall Churches the Letanie is said or sung in the middle of the Quire where Morning and Evening Prayer are appointed to be said and you may know that in all Parish Churches by the Queenes Injunctions which you have given us for a Canon the Priests with others of the Quâ—re shall kneele in the midst of the Church where Morning and Evening Praier are said and sing or say plainly and distinctly the Letanie set forth in English Another difference that you make is that Cathedrals are excepted from delivering to the Queenes Commissioners the Ornaments and Iewels of their Churches the Articles expresly naming the Church-wâ—rdens of every Parish onely Not to take notice of the sâ—quele which is weak and wrested we will reply unto the Fact and tell you plainly there was no such matter as delivering to the Queens Commissioners the ornaments or jewels of the Parish Churches which you would gladly thrust upon us All that you finde in the Injunction to which you send us is that the Church-wardens of every Parish shall deliver unto the Visiters the Inventories of Vestments copes and other ornaments Plate Books especially Grayls c. apperteining to their Church You see that not the Ornaments themselves but the Inventories of them were to be delivered to the Queenes Commissioners Noâ— had you so expresly falsified the Queens Injunction but that you finde the Piety of the times inclining to adoâ—â—e the Churches and you would fain cast somewhat in the way to hinder the good worke which is now in hand by telling those which love to â—eare it that in the reformation made by Queene Elizabeth all Ornaments were took away as tending unto Popery and Superstition The lowest dish of all as lest worth the looking after is an extravagant wilde fâ—wle which either hath no name or is ashamed of it The Writer of the Letter had â—aid unto the Vicar that he did hope he had more learning then to conceive the Lords Table to be a new name and so to be ashamed of the name This saith the Doctour might have well been spared there being none so void of piâ—tle and understanding as to be scandalized at the name of the Lords Table as are some men it seemes at the name of Altar saving that somewhat must be said to perswade the people that questionlesse such men there were the better to indeere the matter Now you reply to the last clause of being scandalized and ashamed at the name of the Lords table that surely of that kinde there are too many in the world some calling it a profane Table as the Rhemists others an â—yster-boâ—rd and an oyster table the Vicar if his neighbours charged him rightly a Tresle and you know who a Dresser why was that left out This said you fall upon the Author of the Latine determinatâ—on onely to make the mâ—n suspected of bâ—ing ashamed of the name of Table and then upon the Church of Rome as being you say the true Adversary that the letter aymed at for leaving out of her Canon in the Reformation of the Missall by Pope Pius Quintus this very name of the holy Table against the practise of all Antiquitie and precedent Liturgies But Sir consider in cold bloud that that determination came not out till five or six yeares after the Bishops letter Your selfe hath given it for a rule that as all Prophets are not Ordinaries sâ— all Ordinaries are not Prophets and therfore certâ—inly the writer of the letter being no Prophet as you say could not at all reflect on this determination Then for the Church of Rome that comes in as idly just as the Germâ—ns were brought in to beat downe all the Altars there because the Country people here were scandalized therwith in their Parish Churches Whether the Church of Rome be ashamed or not at the name of Table is not materiall to this purpose the letter being writ in English and scattered up and downe amongst English men and therefore had you brought us some of them that had conceived the Lords Table to be a new name or were ashamed thereof you had then done well Which since you have not done but wandred up and downe in a maze or circle 〈…〉 I â—ee you will be served in state your second course being tooke away there is a banquet yet remaining some sweet meats from Placentia and a piece of 〈◊〉 There is a 〈…〉 in the maine discourse and an 〈…〉 in the ordering of it both of them intermixt so artificially that it is hard to be discerned whether of the two bee most predominant But here you give it cleere for the â—t pâ—pulo 〈◊〉 yea and ut magno in populo too to make sure the matter not onely justifying your owne poore endeavours in that kinde but falling foule upon the Doctor because he joynes not with you in the undertaking You tell us that the first Protâ—sâ—aâ—â—s of the Reformation had a better opinion of the coâ—mon people and that the