it is that some people cannot endure our Service but heap up to themselves Teachers that instead of the Praises Prayers and Sermons of God's immediate Appointment will gratifie them every Meeting with a New Prayer without troubling them with such Prayers or Sermons as they think old which are incomparably better only the itching Ears of the People as the Apostle fore-told are pleased with the Novelty and Variety of the one and disgust the Repetition of the other as the Israelites did that of Angels Food Psa. lxxviii 25 Num. xxi 5 xi 6 It is the Duty of all Ministers and the business of the truly Conscientious to check and curb this Humour in the People and notwithstanding all Discouragements the Ministers of Our Church instead of complying with them have constantly reproved them for their Negligence and Levity where they found them guilty But as Aaron to please the Israelites made the Golden Calf so some Ministers tho' contrary to their own Principles have changed God's Institution to please their people and lest out the constant and regular Reading of God's Word because their people grew weary of it But let all Men judge who behave themselves most like the Ministers of Christ We who keep to the Reading God's Word according to His own Institution whether the people will hear or forbear or They that comply with them and lay aside God's Command to oblige and gain them CHAP. IV. Of Bodily Worship Sect. 1. What the Holy Scriptures prescribe concerning it I. THe Fourth part of the Publick Worship of God or Design of Religious Assemblies is Visible or Bodily Adoration such amongst us are Vncovering the Head Bowing Kneeling and other Outward Signs of Reverence and Submission by which we openly acknowledge the Mercy the Justice and Power of God and express the inward sense we have of these Attributes In treating of this Head I will keep my self to the same Method as in the former and consider First The Rules and Examples that the Scriptures afford us for the performance of this Duty Secondly Compare the Practise of Our Church with them Thirdly Examine the Dissenters Practise and the Reasons they alledge for it 1. As to the first of these we find a Positive Command of God for Bodily Worship in Publick Psal. xcv 6 O come let us Worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our Maker The second Verse of this Psalm plainly shews us that this is meant of Publick Worship Let us come before his presence with Thanksgiving And that this bowing or kneeling is to be interpreted literally not figuratively appears from the same Verses where Singing Thanksgiving and Psalms are all litterally to be understood and there is no more reason for understanding bowing and kneeling in a figurative sence than the other II. The same Bodily Worship is required by the Second Commandment which forbids us to bow down to a graven Image by which words we are commanded to bow down to God for it is confessed by all and laid down as a Rule by the Assembly's larger Catechism That the Negative Commandments include in them the contrary Positive that is to say When a Commandment forbids us any thing it requires us to perform the Duty contrary to what is forbidden As for Example When the first Commandment forbids us to have any other Gods before the Lord it requires us to own and worship Him for our only God and after the same manner all other Commands are to be interpreted By which Rule when the Second Commandment Exod. xx 5 forbids us in these words Thou shalt not bow down to them nor serve them it requires us to practice the contrary Duties in our Addresses to God To bow down to Him and serve Him that is to worship Him both with the worship of our Bodies and Minds Therefore as he that either bows or kneels or uses any posture of Reverence to a graven Image breaks the second Commandment so doth he who on occasion of Publick Worship either refuses or neglects to use some such posture to God It being a Contempt of God and contrary to His Commands to pray to Him for instance without some posture of Adoration to Him when we can do it as well as it is a sin to kneel to an Image without praying to it which the Papists pretend to do the one is Idolatry and the other Sacriledge For the Reason why we are not to bow down to an Idol is Because 't is an Act of Worship due to God And whether we give what is due to Him to an Image or refuse to pay it to Himself we are equally Robbers of God we deny him his Honour and are guilty of Sacriledge I wish all concerned may seriously consider and amend their practise in this particular III. But the practise of Holy Men and of the Church of God in Scripture are the best Interpreters of God's Commands and from them we may learn what he requires or approves in his Worship Now through the whole Old Testament we shall never find any one sitting at his Devotions But on all occasions of Worship especially in Publick Assemblies the people of God stood kneeled bowed or prostrated themselves 'T is said indeed 2 Sam. vii 8 That King David then went and sat before the Lord But here the Original Word is capable of another signification and may as well be translated that he remained stayed or abode before the Lord and accordingly it is thus translated in other places of Scripture particularly Gen. xxii 5 xxiv 55 xxix 19 1 Kings xii 2 This place therefore is no Exception against that practise which is so evident through the whole Old Testament that Holy Men worshiped God with their Bodies as well as with their Minds IV. We shall find the same practised by our Saviour and his Apostles in the New T. Our Saviour undoubtedly is the Best Example we can propose to our selves for the worship of God and we ought to imitate what he did and approved Now if we consider the worship he offered to his Father we shall find him addressing himself to him with bowing the Body with Kneeling and Prostration as well as with strong Cries and Tears so Mat. xxvi 39 And he went a little further and fell on his Face and prayed O my Father c. and Luk. xxii 41 He kneeled down and prayed And as he paid this Bodily Worship to God so he accepted the same from Men when he was on Earth Thus the Wise Men worshiped him in his Cradle Mat. ii 11 When they saw the young Child and his Mother Mary they fell down c. Thus they that desired to be Cured by him addressed themselves to him Mark v. 22 VVhen he saw him he fell at his Feet and besought c. And after the same manner those who were Cured by him returned him Thanks Luke xvii 16 Thus his beloved Mary came into his presence John xi 32 And Matth. xxviii 9 They
direct concerning them particularly Secondly I shall consider the Practice of our Church with relation to those Directions and Examples And Thirdly The Practice of Protestant-Dissenters CHAP. I. Of Praises Sect. 1. What the Holy Scriptures prescribe concerning them I. FIrst then as to the Praises of God The Scriptures both of the Old and New Testaments require the use of the Psalms in offering up Praises to God We find in the Old Testament 2 Chron. xxix 30 Hezekiah the King and the Princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph and they sang with gladness This Command of Hezekiah proceeded from God and was approved by him The same way of praising God continued in the Jewish Church till our Saviour's time And after that we have yet a more positive Command for the use of them by the Apostle Ephes. v. 19 Speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs And Col. iii. 16 Let the words of Christ dwell in you richly in all Wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing and making melody with grace in your hearts to the Lord. I think there is no room to doubt but by the Psalms c. in these places is meant the Book of Psalms which the Holy Ghost has left for this purpose to the Church II. Tho' the Scriptures recommend to us singing of Psalms yet in some cases they allow us to say them I will not insist on those places of Scripture that seem to require us to do so such as Psal. cxviii 2 Let Israel now say that his mercy endureth for ever let the House of Aaron now say and let them that fear the Lord now say c. because these Expressions being Poetical may be so interpreted as to mean singing tho' there is no Necessity of restraining the general Command of Saying or Speaking the Praises of God to Singing only We find in Scripture several Sacred Hymns particularly of Hannah the Blessed Virgin Zacharias and Simeon and the Saints in Heaven Rev. vii 12 xi 17 which are said to have been Said by them respectively and the circumstances in the Story do not make it probable that they were sung From all which we may reasonably infer That where People can sing they are obliged to do it in obedience to God's Command But where through any defect of Nature or Art they cannot Sing Decently they may be dispensed with Saying Only People ought not by this Indulgence to be encouraged to neglect singing altogether or to think that God doth not require it of them when by a little pains or industry they may attain to the Art of decently performing it in his Service III. 'T is certain the Word of God recommendeth to us Psalms and Hymns in Prose for our praising God If we look into the Songs of the Blessed Virgin of Zacharias or Simeon we shall find them all in Prose and such are the Songs of the Blessed which they are represented singing in the Revelations particularly Chap. v. 9 Chap. xv 3 As to the Hebrew Psalms 't is evident that they are Poetical but the Poetry of them consists rather in the Style and manner of Expression than in any certain Measures or Verses which those that have searched most narrowly into them have yet been able to discover so as to satisfy an indifferent Reader But whatever Poetry there may be in them we can not find by any of the antient Translations which were made use of by the Church in our Saviour or his Apostles time or in the Ages immediately following that they or the first Christians did sing any thing in Verse but we are sure that they sung Hymns in Prose So that we have no certain Scriptural Warrant for the Use of Verse or Meetre in the Praises of God Perhaps some may fancy that Verse or Measure was not in use in those Countreys and that therefore they sung their Songs in Prose but this is a Mistake Poetry and Verses were then in those places where the Psalms were translated in great request and at the highest perfection when the New Testament was penned and yet we have no Example therein of their Use in the Praises of God And it is very manifest that this proceeded from Choice not Necessity For if the holy Ghost had thought Verse necessary for Divine Psalms we may presume he would have inspired some of the holy Men in Scripture when Extraordinary Gifts were so common either to Translate the Psalms of the Old Testament into Verse or else to Compose some of the other Hymns that are recorded in the New after that way But neither of these having been done 't is at least a presumption that we may praise God as acceptably in Prose as in Verse And there is one thing further to be considered That the Prophets of the Heathen who pretended to be inspired generally wrote their Prophecies and their Hymns to their Gods in Verse We know not but this may be one Reason why the holy Ghost thought fit that such as were inspired by Him should decline that way of Recording their Prophecies or Praises IV. As the Scriptures prescribe us the Use of Psalms in the praises of God so they encourage us to offer those Praises by way of Responses or Answering For this we have the best Examples that can be desired even the blessed Angels and glorified Saints So Isa. vi 3 And one cried unto another Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts And the Church triumphant through the whole Revelation is I think constantly represented praising God after this manner So Chap. vii 9 where The Multitude that represent the People cried out with a loud voice vers 10. Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb. And then The Angels and Elders who represent the Clergy perform their part vers 12. saying Amen Blessing and Glory and Wisdom and Thanksgiving and Honour and Power and Might be unto our God They are represented the same way answering one another Chap. xix 1 I heard a great voice of much People in Heaven saying Alleluia this they repeat vers 3. then the Twenty four Elders representing as before the Clergy answer vers 4. Amen Alleluia Then vers 5. a Voice came out of the Throne saying Praise our God Upon which vers 6. the People resume their part and answer Alleluia for the Lord Omnipotent Reigns I make no question but this is taken by Allusion from the manner of the Church's Praising God on Earth and there is nothing in it but what is agreeable to St. Paul's Command of Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs which supposes every one to have share in them either by turns or by bearing a part It is observable that the Psalms contain many excellent Instructions and Exhortations as well as Praises and Prayers and therefore St. Paul recommends them to Christians
the sense of it and in that respect very inconvenient and is likewise a late invention of our own never used by any Foreign Church either Popish or Reformed for ought I can find to this day and has been taken up to supply the negligence and laziness of people who will not now as formerly be at pains to get Psalms by heart or so much as procure Books or learn to read them 5. Notwithstanding your Directory requires the voice in singing Psalms to be tuneable and gravely ordered yet you have not only refused the Use of Instruments which are a natural means to help the Voice and make it tuneable and are used by most of the Reformed Churches in Europe but have also determined it to be Unlawful I would intreat you to consider that though perhaps it may not be so proper to press the Use of Instruments in the service of God in these parts where so many for want of being used to them have entertained prejudices against them and some are uncapable of being affected by them yet the making them Unlawful is against Nature and Scripture and is on that account a dangerous Superstition and Encroachment on Christian Liberty 6. The same Superstition and Encroachment it is not only to forbear to praise God in singing or saying Psalms and Hymns by way of Responses or Answering of which I have given such Noble Precedents out of Scripture but even to determine it to be Unlawful Lastly I would entreat you to consider That forasmuch as appears you have altogether laid aside the Psalms in Prose and the other Scripture Hymns that are of God's immediate Appointment and for the Use of which we have the Example of our Saviour and his Saints insomuch that they are no where used by you in the Praises of God but in their stead you have substituted as is before observed a few Verses of a Psalm of Human Composure without Scripture-Example or Precedent and sing them in a way that has nothing of Antient Practise much less Scripture for it but is purely and immediately an Invention of Men. IV. The Case then between our Church and you in this point I think impartially stands thus Our Church praises God every day with five or six Psalms besides other Hymns of His Own Appointment and in His own Words and Method and yet is deserted and condemned by you in this very point as Teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men whereas you who only praise Him in a piece of a Psalm of a few Verses and in a Method of your own finding out perswade your selves that you keep the Ordinances of God pure and unmixed from Human Invention This is a thing seriously to be considered by you for as it is easie to think what all unprejudiced Men will judge of it now so we may conclude what God will judge it at the last day If you in earnest lay these things to heart and reflect on them I perswade my self that they will at least prevail with you to be modest in your Censures of us your Brethren and prevent your Judging much less Condemning us or our manner of praising God as Unacceptable to Him CHAP. II. Of Prayer Sect. 1. What the Holy Scriptures prescribe concerning it I. LEt us now proceed to the Second main part of the Worship of God in the Publick Meetings of Christians which I observed was Prayer or Supplication And if we consider what Rules Directions and Examples the Scriptures afford us for the performance of this Duty we shall find That they direct us to offer up our Prayers in a set and prepared Form of Words That we may more clearly judge of this matter it will be fit to consider the several parts of Prayer distinctly by themselves such as Confession Supplication Intercession c. 1. Confession of our own Unworthiness and of God's Mercy to aggravate it is commonly looked on as the first part of Prayer and proper to introduce our Supplications Now in searching the Scriptures we shall find express Command to use a set Form of Words in both these sorts of Confession So Deuteron xxvi 3 Thou shalt go unto the Priest that shall be in those days and say unto him I profess this day unto the Lord thy God that I am come unto the Countrey which the Lord sware unto our fore-Fathers to give us And then the Offerer was to make his Confession vers 5 And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God A Syrian ready to perish was my Father c. Here we have a Form of Confession of the person's Vnworthiness and of God's Goodness and Mercy together with a profession of Obedience and dependance on Him prescribed by God Himself in set prepared words The same appears from Solomon's prescribing a Form of Confession for the penitent Israelites 1 Kings viii 47 which words we find accordingly applied in Psal. cvi 6 and made part of a larger Form of Confession to be used in their Captivity as Solomon designed them which appears from the 47th Verse of the same Psalm taken from the Form prescribed by David 1 Chro. xvi 35 And Daniel in his Form of Confession in Captivity Chap. ix vers 5. uses the same Form of Words From whence it appears that they were not left Arbitrarily to Choice or Discretion tho' other Words might be joyned with them when there was occasion to enlarge or vary the Form Many of the Psalms are Forms of Confession and were used and daily Repeated by the Jewish Church Psal. li. was the Form of Confession David prepared and us'd for his Murther and Adultery and he not only used it himself but directed it to the Master of his Choire to be used in the Publick Service as appears from the Title of it Psal. lxxviii is a general Confession for the whole people setting forth at large the Mercies of God to them and their Ingratitude Disobedience and Rebellion and this not as a Pattern but as a set and prepared Form to be used in their publick Service All which shew us that Addresses to God in such Forms are of Divine Institution and are a warrant to us that he approves that our Confession should be made to him in that manner 2. The second part of Prayer is Supplication for good things and in this Case we have likewise the Commandment of God for a Form of Words Deut. xxvi 13 15. Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God Look down from thy holy Habitation from Heaven and bless thy people Israel and the Land which thou hast given us as thou swarest unto our Fathers c. So Hos. xiv 2 Take with you words and turn to the Lord your God and say unto Him Take away all Iniquity c. Moses in the Wilderness used a set Form of Words to this purpose and recommended it to be used by the Church of God for ever as is manifest from Psal. xc which has this Title A Prayer of Moses
the Man of God When such a person by the Inspiration of the holy Ghost used and left to be used by us in our Supplications such a set and prepared Form of Words we ought not to doubt but that manner of Address is acceptable to God 3. The third part of Prayer is Intercession in the behalf of others Now Blessing is an eminent sort of Intercession and for the use of a set Form of Words in this we have likewise the Command of God Numb vi 23 On this wise ye shall bless the Children of Israel saying unto them The Lord bless thee and keep thee c. Here we have not onely a Blessing but an earnest Intercession with God for his people and the Form and Words prescribed by Himself which were not to be used by mean ignorant people who are only now supposed by some to need the help of Forms but by Aaron and his Sons the Chief Priests From which we may be assured That God approves that manner of Address in our Blessings and Intercessions for one another not onely from mean people but from the greatest 4. The fourth part of Prayer consisteth in Petitions for averting evil commonly called Deprecation and for this purpose we have several Forms prescribed by God Joel i. 14 Gather the Elders and all the Inhabitants of the Land into the House of the Lord your God and say unto the Lord Alas for the day the day of the Lord is at hand c. We have God's Commandment for another Form Joel ii 17 Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy people O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach c. From whence it clearly follows that God approves the use of a Form in this part of Prayer tho' commonly the most earnest and importunate and such as seems least to admit of being bounded by a Form so that we have the Approbation and Commandment of God for the use of a set Form of Words in all the parts of Prayer II. And accordingly we find Holy Men of God tho' full of Wisdom and of his Spirit using the same set Form of Prayer always on the same occasion Thus the Scriptures inform us concerning Moses Num. x. 35 When the Ark set forward Moses said Rise up Lord and let thine Enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee And when it rested he said Return O Lord unto the many Thousands of Israel From whence it appears that God approves the use of one set constant Form of Words in our Prayers as long as the occasion of repeating them is the same for I presume none will suspect it was for want of Words or of the Spirit of Prayer that Moses confined himself to this Form I shall add further that the whole Book of Psalms is a Collection of Prayers of all sorts And there are few of them but what are most Excellent Forms of Prayer expressed in such pathetick significant and moving words that we have great reason to thank God for furnishing us with them and which we can never hope to equal by any of our own invention such are the 4 5 6 7 9 10 12 c. On this account they were used by the Jews as the constant Service and Liturgy performed in their Temple as we may gather from what I formerly quoted 2 Chron. xxix 30. III. But perhaps some may think these Commands and Examples of set Forms of Prayer not to be a sufficient Warrant to Christians because they are taken out of the Old Testament before the Spirit was poured out in so plentiful a measure as under the Gospel I shall therefore proceed to examine the Commands and Examples of the New Testament and here 1. I think it is certain that our Saviour and his Apostles prayed by a Form for they joyned in the Worship of the Temple and Synagogues which consisted in Psalms as I have already shewed and in some certain Forms of Prayers added to them and constantly used in their daily Service as we learn from those that give an Account of the Jewish Worship at that time Now our Saviour and his Apostles being frequently present at their Service both in the Temple and Synagogues 't is manifest they approved the manner of Addressing themselves to God in a set Form of Words 2. But our Saviour has put this matter out of all dispute with impartial Men by prescribing a Form to his Disciples when they desired him to teach them to pray as John taught his Disciples For we find his way of Teaching them was not by directing them to wait for the impulses of the Spirit and immediate Inspiration from God of what they were to offer up to him We do not find him saying When ye pray speak what shall then come into your minds or what shall be given you in that hour without taking thought about what they should say as He did in another case that is when they should be brought before Governours and Kings for his sake Mat. x. 19 But in addressing themselves to God he prescribed them a Form of Words and Commanded them to use it Luke xi 2 And he said unto them When ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. Here is an express Command of Christ to his Disciples to use these Words when they pray Our Father c. A Command for the use of a Form so plain that it is impossible to express it in clearer terms 'T is not to be doubted but Religious Persons among the Jews offer'd up constantly prayers to God We see it in David Psal. lv 17 and in Daniel Chap. vi 10 And no doubt the Disciples of our Saviour were not wanting in this Duty nor in skill to perform it since we find that other devout Persons of their time had their hours of Prayer as we see in Acts iii. 1 Therefore what they desired of our Saviour was not to teach them absolutely or in general to pray but to teach them to pray as John also taught his Disciples that is to give them a Form of Prayer proper to His Institution as they saw the Disciples of Moses and John had proper to theirs Upon which our Saviour gave them the Lord's-Prayer as a summary of the main points of his Doctrine and as a constant badge of their being his Disciples As if he should have said When ever you offer up to God your usual Prayers which Religious Custom has taught you as Jews and Disciples of Moses or of John whether in Secret or Publick add this always to your other prayers for a continual Remembrance to you of those Duties Priviledges and Qualifications which belong to you as My Disciples and as a means of obtaining Grace from your Heavenly Father to enable you to persevere in them The Lords-Prayer is therefore a badge of Our Profession imposed by Christ himself and to be used by Us
as we would be accounted His Disciples Neither will saying the Substance of it in other Words of our own Invention answer the intent of this Command Since 1. We are sure the Substance of the Prayer is put by Christ in the most apposite and comprehensive Words that are possible and therefore wholly to lay them aside for others is plainly to decline the choice of Words that Christ has made for us and substitute less apposite of our own to express those Petitions in 2. The more particularly any thing is Commanded in the Worship of God we ought to be the more carefull to observe it and may be the more confident that God is pleased with our performance of it since therefore we are particularly Commanded when we pray to say Our Father c. whatever other prayers we offer to God this ought not to be omitted 3. In general we are Commanded to offer up our desires to God and in particular to offer this Prayer These Commands agree very well together and therefore the one ought not to justle out the other To lay aside the Prayer particularly commanded by Christ for others of our own composing in pusuance of the general Command is too apparently to prefer our own Invention to God's Command 4. When we take the liberty to word our own Prayers we may forget some things we may mix our own frailties and weakness in our Petitions and this too often appears both in the matter and wording of them The way therefore to supply these defects and to obtain pardon for our Infirmities is to use our Lords perfect Prayer not only as a Pattern for prayer as some would have it but likewise as a Form necessary to be used to correct what may be amiss or defective in our own prayers 5. They who lay aside the words of the Lord's Prayer are in danger to lay aside some of the substance of it also particularly the substance of that Petition Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us For many who lay aside the Lord's Prayer do neither in terms nor substance offer this Petition to God nay are so far from making this the Condition of their pardon as Christ has taught us that they publickly dispute against the Form for this very reason Tho' Christ who fore-saw the Objection which our Corruptions would be apt to make has Answered it and bound it upon us indispensibly as our Duty to ask Forgiveness on these and no other terms Matth. vi 15 And indeed if such a Sentence had been prescribed by our Lord to be only repeated by Christians once or oftner every day it would have seemed but what was necessary to mind them of that peculiar and indispensible Duty of their profession We see the Wisdom of the Ancients thought fit to reduce their Doctrine or Instructions into Proverbs or short Sentences to be got by heart and kept continually in memory as of great influence for guiding Mens Lives and Actions and such Sentences must be of much greater influence when repeated in the presence of God as these in our Lord's Prayer are required to be Lastly This Prayer being given us as a Badge of our Profession a Summary of our Duty as Christians and a Form of Sound Words it is no more lawful to alter it than to lay it aside and it would be the same presumption and hazard to substitute other words instead of Christs in this Prayer which we are oblig'd always to use when we pray as to change the words of our Creed or as it would be in a Battel to change the Word given by a General or any part of it and to retain onely the signification of it From all which 't is manifest that God has required Forms of Prayer to be used by us both in the Old and New Testament As to the difference we find in the Lord's Prayer as delivered by St. Matthew and St. Luke 't is to be observed that our Saviour spake in the Syriac or vulgar Hebrew and the Evangelists writ their Gospels in Greek Now in the Syriack one and the same word expresses both those different words which the Evangelists use in the same Petition as Debts and Trespasses c. So that it is no real but a seeming difference between them all the different Words being the same in the Original Language in which our Saviour spake IV. As we have the Command of God and the Example of his Saints for offering up our Prayers to Him in a set and prepared Form of Words so we have the like Example for joyning Voices upon occasion in offering these Words Generally it is sufficient that the People joyn in their hearts with the words of publick Prayers yet the Scriptures warrant also on some Occasions their joyning their Voices 1. Thus we find the people of Israel addressing themselves to God Judges xxi 2 And the people came to the House of God and abode there till even before God and lift up their Voices and wept sore and said O Lord God of Israel why is this come to pass in Israel c. 2. In Hymns and Psalms which are also Prayers in great part as I noted before the people are generally allowed by all as being fully warranted by Scripture to joyn their Voices So Moses and the Children of Israel sung unto the Lord Exod. xv 1 3. In the New Testament we have an Eminent Example of this practise Acts iv 24 where the Apostles and their Disciples lift up their Voice to God with one accord and said Lord thou art God c. If this prayer was immediately inspired as it seems it was then the whole Assembly was inspired together not only to think the same Thing but likewise to utter the same Words and the Spirit of God by it has attested the fitness and decency of a whole Congregation's pronouncing the same prayer together If it had not been convenient that this should be some times practised in our Christian Assemblies God would not have given us this Example If the people were always to joyn in their hearts only with our publick prayers it would have been so here for the Spirit of God wou'd not have led them to do an indecent thing or a thing unfit for God's Worship 4. St. Paul and Silas joyned also their Voices in their prayers as we may see from Acts xvi 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sung praises unto God and the prisoners heard them I know it may be alledged That they sung their prayers which they offered up to God on this Occasion and on that account joyned their Voices I confess the Original favours this Inference but if it be allowed that the Apostles sung their prayers together it must be allowed that they might likewise say them together For we find the Blessed in Heaven offering not only their praises together but their prayers also so Rev. vi 10 They cried with a loud voice saying How long
O Lord Holy and True dost thou not Judge and Avenge our Blood c. From all which it is manifest that we are warranted by the Examples of God's people both in the Old and New Testament to joyn our Voices as well as our Hearts in some of our publick Supplications to God and that this practice is no New Invention of Men. V. If we consult the Scripture we shall find that it is the Priest's part to make publick Intercession for the People but yet so that the People ought to bear a part by themselves and answer in the Service which we commonly call Responses 1. They are commanded to do it Psal. cvi 48 where after the Prayers and Praises of which the Psalm consists are ended it is added Let all the people say Amen praise the Lord and accordingly we find 1 Chr. xvi 36 that the People said Amen and praised the Lord. And this is more signally observable in that Solemn Service at the Dedication of Solomon's Temple where we find first the Priests and Levites praising God 2 Chron. v. 13 And saying For he is good for his mercy endureth for ever the usual Form of Praising so often repeated in the Psalms particularly in the cxxxvi which was probably used at that time Then Solomon who built the Temple performed another part of the Service Chap. vi 3 He blessed First the People Secondly He blessed and thanked God for his Mercy And Lastly offer'd that Divine Prayer of Dedication which we find in that Chapter Then follow the burnt Offerings and Sacrifices which were peculiarly the Priest's share of the Service Chap. vii And God gives his Approbation of their Praises Prayers Offerings by sending down Fire from Heaven to consume their Sacrifices And then last of all follows the people's part which they perform Chap. vii 3 They bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement and worshipped and praised the Lord saying He is good for his Mercy endureth for ever This Service was Ordered by the Spirit of God and plainly shews us that He approved of the people's having a share or part peculiar to themselves in his Worship 2. If it be said that this was the way of Worshiping God under the Law which is now Abolished and Unlawful as well as the other Levitical Ceremonies The Apostles have answer'd this by continuing this practice in the Christian Church and by admitting the people to bear a part in the publick Service and to answer to the prayers have assured us that this is no Legal Abolished Ceremony This is manifest from 1 Cor. xiv 16 Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks which shews that even the unlearned had a part assigned them in the Christian Assemblies It may be added to this what I observed before Chap. 1. Sect. 1. N. 4. of the Responses in praising God and of the Worship described in the Revelations where the Angels and Elders representing the Clergy and the Multitude representing the people bear each of them their distinct parts in allusion to what was done in the Christian Assemblies And this is a clear proof that the people bare a part and answered to the blessings and prayers of him that Officiated ever since the Christian Worship was Established Sect. 2. The Rules and Practice of Our Church concerning Prayer HAving thus seen the Directions and Examples which the Scriptures afford us for the publick performance of our prayers to God let us now consider the Worship of our Church and compare it with Them both as to the Words and Matter of Our Prayers And to the comfort of us who are of this Communion it will clearly appear 1. That there is not one thing we ask of God in them which he has not particularly directed us to ask or any thing for which we ought to pray that is omited This advantage we have towards the proof of this point that our prayers are fixed and stated and may be examined by all that have a mind to be satisfy'd in them An Advantage we gain by putting them into a set and prepared Form of Words according to the Commands of God and the Examples of holy Men whereas 't is impossible for such as use only extempore prayer thus to justify their Service because their prayers are altogether uncertain and depend on the present thoughts of the Speaker 2. Our Church requires the people to join their voices with the Minister in some of the prayers in which they are more particularly concerned and which seem of the most general and greatest moment Such are the general confessions of sin and the Lord's Prayer 3. Our Church has assigned for the people some short Answers or Responses to our prayers whereby they may be stirred up to attention and signify their concurrence with the Minister Thus to every prayer and blessing they are obliged to answer Amen as we find the people did in the Church of Corinth and to join Unanimously in some other short Ejaculations to implore God's Mercy or beseech him to hear us In all which I have already shewed we have the warrant of Scripture and it is plain to any one that will be at the pains to consider our Service that we have taken the Rules thereof from Scripture and have not invented a Service out of our own Heads and then as is too often the Custom of Innovators endeavoured to make the Scripture comply with it The first Reformers of Our Church would never have retain'd and prepared Forms of Prayers had they not found such in Scripture they would never have required the people to join their voices in some prayers and answer to others if the Examples of Scripture had not led them to it They professed and their design was to make the Word of God their Rule and we see how exactly they conformed to it in these particulars I wish I could say as much for all other ways of Worship among Protestants Sect. 3. The Practice of those who differ from Vs. I. ANd here I must intreat you of my Diocess who Dissent from Our Worship seriously to consider with me what it is which you have substituted in the place of these things which you have intirely laid aside tho' so expresly directed and warranted by Scripture and examine whether your way have a solid Foundation in God's Word I shall endeavour to represent it with all fairness and impartiality and leave you to judge as God shall direct you and as you will answer it at the last day And here I find that some of your Writers are of Opinion That the Spirit of prayer is given to all the Children of God in some measure for enabling their Hearts to conceive and their Tongues to express convenient desires to God and that therefore Forms of Prayer are of no necessary use either in Publick or Private on the contrary that they stint
the unlawfulness of forms prevails and therefore all good people are obliged to oppose it as they would retrieve the constant use of secret prayers which shews that this is no indifferent matter as the objection would suggest but of great weight and fit to be contended for I will not mention some other Reasons that are of great moment because they would but exasperate and tend to make the Duty of Prayer when performed extempore ridiculous which ill men might extend as it too often happens to expose Devotion in general such are the indecent Expressions which sometimes fall from persons that pray thus I will only observe to you that Extemporary Prayers of some Preachers have too often given occasion of Offence to serious persons even among your selves 'T is certain that to print some of them as they have been spoken as those that we make use of are printed would not be for the Honour of the Holy Spirit to whom they are ascribed nor much recommend them to serious Men. But I esteem it an ill thing for Men to ridicule one anothers Devotion whatever it is V. There remains yet the Third Opinion of Dissenters which they advance against us in this matter of Prayer to be Examined That the Minister is the Mouth of the Congregation and that the People have nothing to do but to joyn with him in their Hearts An Opinion far from any Authority of Scripture which expresly requires us Rom. xv 6 with one Mind and one Mouth to glorifie God We produce this and many other places and Examples in Scripture for the People's joyning their Voices and bearing a part in their praises and prayers and we are assured there is no Scripture forbids it and therefore when you Condemn it or teach it to be Unlawful we must charge it upon You as an instance of Your Teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men. Which is all I think needful to be said to this Head after what I have shewed before in defence of our contrary practise from Scripture and I think sufficient to induce you seriously to consider it And thus I presume I have faithfully examined the Rules and Examples the Scriptures afford us for the performance of that part of our publick Worship that consists in Prayers and compared the Service of our Church and the Dissenters way of Praying with them and made it appear that our performance of this Duty both as to the Matter and Manner is agreeable to the Commandments of God and to the Examples of Holy Men recorded in Scripture And that the Service the Dissenters have substituted in the room thereof has in many particulars laid aside God's Commands and deserted the Examples of Scripture and is in the main part thereof an immediate Invention of Men. And I intreat you who are of this Persuasion and adhere to these Principles of Worship which I have now mentioned and shewed to be disagreeable to Scripture to consider seriously whether you are not thereby literally guilty of that Sin with which our Saviour taxeth the Jews Mark vii 7 of Teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men And also of that Superstition condemned by St. Paul Col. ii 21 which saith Touch not taste not handle not that is which teaches to forbear those things which God has made Lawful after the Doctrines and Commandments of Men And I beseech God to inlighten your Minds to make a true Judgement in it that you may deliver your Souls CHAP. III. Of Hearing Sect. 1. What the Holy Scriptures prescribe concerning it I. ONE great design of Our Christian Assemblies is Hearing and that which is to be heard is the Word of God I shall proceed in examining this in the same manner as I have done in the former Chapters And consider First What Directions the Scriptures afford us for the publick performance of this Duty Secondly Shall compare our own practice with them And Thirdly That of the Dissenters First then God has positively Commanded us to read His Word in our publick Assemblies So Deut. xxxi 10 In the feast of Tabernacles when all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place where the Lord shall choose Thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their Hearing Gather the people together Men Women and Children and thy Stranger that is within thy gates that they may hear and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God and observe to do all the Words of this Law And 't is observed Jos. viii 35 that there was not a word of all that Moses Commanded which Joshua read not before all the Congregation Neither was this confined to their Solemn Assemblies at Jerusalem It was likewise a constant part of their Sabbath Service in their Synagogues As we may learn from Acts xiii 14 where it is observed that Paul and Barnabas went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and sate down and after the reading of the Law and the Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue sent unto them c. and St. Paul takes notice vers 27. that the Prophets were read every Sabbath day meaning undoubtedly in their Assemblies And St. James Acts xv 21 of Moses his being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day II. This reading the Law was the great and most effectual means God provided for preserving the knowledge of himself amongst his people and where it was omitted the people immediately sunk into Idolatry and the best Reformation began and was carried on by Restoring this Ordinance Thus 't is observed of Josiah 2 Chron. xxxiv 29 that he gathered together all the Elders of Judah and Jerusalem And all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and the Priâ—sts and the Levites and all the people great and small and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the Covenant that was found in the House of the Lord. The like is observed of Ezra Neh. viii 3 And he read therein before the street that was before the Water-gate from Morning untill Mid-day before the Men and the Women and all that could understand 'T is remarkable that after the Captivity the Jews never fell into Idolatry and the chief reason given by themselves was the strict Observation of this Ordinance of God the Law being constantly read to them afterwards publickly in their Synagogues so powerfully doth God bless his own Ordinances to preserve those that use them from Error and Sin III. From the practice of the Synagogue in reading the Law and the Prophets the like Order was brought into the Christian Church and Reading was made a part of the Office of the Christian Elders as it was before of the Jewish And hence it is that Timothy is Commanded by St. Paul 1 Tim. iv 13 To give attendance to Reading as well as to Exhortation and Doctrine And the inspired Writings of the Apostles were read in the Christian Assemblies as well as the Law and Prophets among the Jews According to St. Paul's Command Col.
iv 16 When this Epistle is read amongst you cause that it also be read in the Church of the Laodiceans and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea And it was but reason since the Gospel contained the Christian Law that it should be read in the Christian Assemblies as well as the Law of Moses was in the Synagogues And that it was so read in the first Christian Assemblies I might shew by many instances out of the Antient Fathers if there were occasion IV. This publick Reading the Law was of so great Reputation that it is termed Preaching it as we may see from Acts xv 21 For Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day The word Preaching has a peculiar sense in the New Testament and signifies properly to Declare or Proclaim the Word of God as a Herauld or Cryer proclaimes the Laws or Orders of a King Hence only those that Proclaim'd the Gospel to such as had not heard it before or read the Old Testament to the people are said to Preach Preaching is distinguished from Teaching and Exhortation and 't is observable that in the whole New Testament tho' reading the Scriptures is called Preaching yet interpreting them applying them or exhorting the people from them in a Christian Auditory is never called by that name If it be objected that St. Paul is said to preach to the Disciples Acts xx 7 when he only in probability made a Sermon or Exhortation to Believers as is usual now I answer that the Original of this Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is never translated preach in any other place of the New Testament and should not have been here but discours'd disputed spake or reason'd so it is translated in Acts xvii 2 17. xviii 19 xix 8 9. Heb. xii 5 c. for the Original Words which properly signifie preaching are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From all which it is manifest that there are only two ways by which the Word of God is properly preached the first is when it is declared to those that never heard of it before and the second is when the very words of the Scripture are read publickly to the peodle as a Cryer doth a Proclamation which he doth not word himself but reads it in the words in which it is delivered to him In short The Scriptures are Sermons out of the Mouth of God being dictated by his Holy Spirit for the Reading of which to the People for their Conviction and Instruction there is a peculiar Command of God and where this Ordinance is duely observed they are sure of the Word of Life and 't is impossible they should be ignorant of their Duty for the Scriptures are sufficient to mak◠them wise to Salvation and the hearing them with Humility and Attention is a means sufficient to beget Faith in the Hearts of those that hear them for they are profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect thorowly furnished to all good Works as we see 1 Tim. iii. 16 17. V. We find in Holy Scripture that the Publick Reading of the Word of God was with great Solemnity 'T is observed Nehem. viii 5 When Ezra opened the Book all the people stood up and Ezra blessed the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen Amen with lifting up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground and I find it generally agreed that both the Readers and Hearers stood up whilst the Law was read tho' not when other things were read or taught hence it is observed Luke iv 16 that our Saviour stood up for to read and Vers. 20. after closing the Book that he sat down to teach Hence Rev. v. God is represented in allusion to the High-Priest with a Book in his Right Hand containing the Revelations of his Will and the Lamb as his Minister takes it out of his Hand to declare the Contents of it and Vers. 8. When he had taken the Book the four Beasts and four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb And they sung a New Song The Angels joyn with them Vers. 11. and the whole Creation Verse 13. From whence we see the Scriptures teach us to receive the Revelations of God's Will out of the Book of Life with Adoration and Praises And therefore we find that at the Reading the Law Confessions and Praises of God were intermixed and succeeded one another Neh. ix 3 And they stood up in their place and read in the Book of the Lord their God one fourth part of the Day and another fourth part they Confessed and Worshiped the Lord their God VI. We find that the Word of God is to be read in such a Language as the People understand After the Captivity the People being Born and Educated in a strange Land their Language was changed and they did not understand at least Universally the pure Hebrew in which the Law was first written therefore when Ezra read in the Law a certain number of the Priests and Levites interpreted the Words of the Law as Ezra read them to the People Neh. viii 7 And they caused the people to understand the Law and the people stood in their place so they read in the Book in the Law of God distinctly and gave the sence and caused them to understand the reading And this Custom continueth among the Jews to this Day first the Hebrew Text is read and then a Translation or Paraphrase in a Language understood by the Hearers And indeed there may be good reason for reading the Originals in Publick Assemblies such a Custom being an effectual means to preserve the knowledge of them but they cannot be useful to the People without a Translation Therefore St. Paul doth not absolutely forbid speaking in Unknown Tongues in the Church but orders 1 Cor. xiv 27 Let one interpret but if there be no Interpreter let him keep silence in the Church VII We find that after reading the Word of God there was sometimes an Enlargement or Comment on some part of it and an Exhortation to the People Thus when our Saviour had read a portion of Scripture He applied it to the people in a Discourse to that purpose But it doth not appear that this was constantly done on the contrary it is rather probable that it was not For had there been a constant Provision for such Enlargement and Exposition of the Law and Exhortation from it there had been no occasion for the Rulers of the Synagogue Acts xiii 15 to send to St. Paul and Barnabas after the reading of the Law and Prophets that Message we find there Ye Men and Brethren if ye have any Word of Exhortation for the People say on St. Paul supposes him who Teaches and him whose Office it was to Exhort distinct from him that Ruled
the following deduction 1. The Altar was of Old the Lord's Table from whence his Attendants were fed Mal. i. 7 Ye offer polluted Bread upon mine Altar and ye say Wherein have we polluted thee In that ye say The Table of the Lord is contemptible 2. On this account the Israelites came to the Altar and worshiped before it as being God's Table on which the Sacrifice was presented as his Meat of which they were permitted to partake So 2 Chron. vi 12 And he stood before the Altar of the Lord vers 13. And kneeled down on his knees And 1 Kings viii 54 He arose from before the Altar from kneeling on his knees Nor can it be said That this kneeling of Solomon was only because he offered up a Prayer at that time and that therefore he was in a praying posture for undoubtedly it was the Duty of all that were present at any Sacrifice to offer up prayers to God with the Sacrifice And accordingly we find it commanded 2 Kings xviii·22 Ye shall worship before this Altar in Jerusalem literally Ye shall bow down your selves 3. The Communion-Table is called the Lord's-Table 1 Cor. x. 21 4. The Israelites partaking of the Altar is proposed as an Example for our partaking of the Lord's Table 1 Cor. x. 16 The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ vers 18. Behold Israel after the Flesh Are not they which eat of the Sacrifices partakers of the Altar 5. In allusion to this Religious Eating with Bodily Worship it is Prophecied of our Saviour Psal. xxii 29 All they that be fat upon Earth that is the favoured and happy Servants of God here called in vers 26. The meek shall eat and Worship Since then the Scripture sets forth to us a Relious Eating at the Lords-Table with Worship and the Holy Communion is such an Eating at his Table it follows that the Scripture Warrants our Worshiping when we Eat 2. We are Commanded in Scripture to receive the Holy Eucharist In remembrance of Christ's death and by it we shew his death till he come The same Scriptures Command us to Worship our Saviour For he is the Lord and Worship thou him Psal. xlv 11 If ever then we are to Worship our Saviour it is certainly when we come to him in the nearest approaches that we are capable of in this World and with the highest sense of Gratitude that our Souls can admit of to remember and adore him for the greatest Act of love that could be extended towards us even laying down his Life for us and partake of the benefits thereof by feeding on him If it be not our duty to Worship him with our Bodies as well as our Minds on this occasion it is hard to say when we are obliged to do it This consideration prevail'd with the Protestant Church of Poland to oblige all their Members to receive kneeling or standing in Opposition to the Socinians who refused to pay any Worship to our Saviour and therefore Celebrated his Supper sitting The Words of their General Synod are these Corpus Confession p. 236. Quod attinet ad Caeremonias c. As to the Ceremonies of the Lord's-Supper the Decree some time ago discust in the Synod of Sandomir and the Conclusion made and repeated in the General Synod of Cracow and Petrokow is also approved in this Session of the Synod of Vladislaw vizt That sitting at the Lord's-Table shall not be used in any of the Churches of Poland or Lithuania c. of our Communion For this Ceremony tho' indifferent as others are is not used by the Christian and Reformed Churches and is proper to the Infidel Arrians only who place themselves in an equal Throne with the Lord. Since then sitting has crept into some of our Churches chiefly by the occasion and countenance of those who have miserably fallen from us and denied the Lord that bought us We intreat and exhort all those Congregations and our Brethren in the Lord that they would change sitting into the Ceremonies used by us Protestants in all the Reformed Churches of Europe even that the Lord's Supper may be administred to the Communicants standing or kneeling with a protestation against Bread-Worship used by the Papists both which Rites as they have been hitherto used in some Churches we leave free and approve without blaming or giving offence to those who use either This Synod was held June 19 th 1583. The Synod of Petrokow above mentioned held June 1.2.3 1578. pa. 234. expresses it self in these words Because those Traiterous Fugitives from us to Arianism who change all things in the Church pretending to imitate Christ without discretion were the first Authors amongst us of sitting at the Lord's Table contrary to the Rites used in all the Reformed Churches through Europe Therefore we reject this Ceremony as proper to them who treat as well Christ as his Sacraments irreverently as indecent and irreligious and very offensive to well meaning people It ought to be observed that this Church reckons Sitting a Ceremony and a Ceremony of an ill signification and Original and not used by any Protestant Church in their time IV. But I find most people acknowledge the reasonableness of this and grant if it were left to us how we wou'd Receive that we ought to do it with Adoration but say they Obedience is better then Sacrifice we are commanded to do what Christ did and he Instituted and his Disciples received it in a Table posture and therefore so ought we Notwithstanding the Scriptures Reason and Decency seem to recommend another posture to us Now to this Argument which is the only one I find brought from Scripture and which seems to prevail with most I answer 1. That we are not required nor is it convenient to imitate all that Christ did Neither the time nor the number of Receivers nor the posture being obligatory to us as appears from St. Paul 1 Cor xi 23. who having occasion to mention what he received of the Lord concerning this Sacrament mentions only our Saviour's taking Bread giving thanks and breaking it and then saying Take eat this is my Body c. without the circumstances of the number of Receivers his posture or being at supper Nay that we may not think that this had any relation to a common supper or the circumstances of it he observes that Supper was done when he took the Cup. Our Saviour's posture therefore whatever it was is no wise obligatory to us it not being any part of what St. Paul professes to have received from Christ concerning this Sacrament 2. I have already proved that Religious Eating was accompanied with Bodily Worship and therefore if it were granted that we were obliged to receive this Sacrament in a Table posture from the example of our Saviour yet it would not follow that we should not receive it kneeling
4 or 3 at the least Communicate with the Priest So where 3 are willing to Receive the Ministers may proceed to the Holy Communion every Lord's-day For our Saviour has promised that Where two or three are met together he will be in the midst of them Three therefore make a Congregation and have a Title to the Ordinances of Christ and there is no reason that the Obstinacy or Negligence of others should hinder such as are willing from Worshiping God according to his Institution and therefore Our Church has taken care to provide for them by Ordering that some part of the Communion-Service be read every Lord's-day both with design to put all people in mind of their Duty and to accommodate such as can be prevail'd on herein to live up to the Rules of Scripture and the practice of the Primitive Church 2. 'T is Ordered That in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches and Colledges where there are many Priests and Deacons they shall all receive the Communion every Sunday at the least 3. That every Parishioner shall Communicate at least three times in the year whereof Easter to be one and surely such as cannot fit themselves so often must in their own Opinion be out of a state of Grace and deserve to be Excommunicated by the Church 4. Lastly As to our Practice we have prevailed so far that Universally the Lord's Supper is Celebrated Thrice every year and where either our Perswasions Arguments or Entreaties can prevail with our People we have Monthly Communions and in Cities and large Towns by the changing the Monthly Days in several Churches people that are devoutly disposed have Opportunities of Receiving Weekly And we have reason to bless God that our Church wants not some and I hope I may say many such 5. Upon the whole it must be confessed That to hold Solemn Assemblies of Christians without Communicating is a corruption of Popery and came in by dissolution of Manners and slackning of the Discipline of the Church and tho' we have not been able to Root-out and Reform this Popish Practice intirely yet we have done our Endeavour and by God's Blessing may say we have made some progress in it insomuch that if we take that for Ordinary which has a constant fixed time for its Observation the Holy Sacrament is an Ordinary part of our publick Service of God And I verily perswade my self That by God's Assistance we should have brought our people before now to the Scripture-Order of constant Weekly Communicating had not the Ill Example and Obstinacy of those that separate from our Church Encouraged them in their Negligence and weakened our Discipline For our Church orders Non-Communicants to be presented and punished and our Ministers do not generally flatter the people in their sin or dissemble their Duty in this point but frequently and earnestly by Sermons Admonitions and Treatises purposely published to this intent press them to it and therefore we are blameless before God and Man Nor is it our Fault that the practice of our people is not Reformed according to the Pattern of the Apostolick Church and the Rules of our Own So that we cannot be accused of laying aside the Commandments of God or of teaching any Doctrine of our own Invention in this particular tho' we are yet too far short of the Primitive Practice and Institution Sect. 3. The Practice of the Dissenters about Frequency of Communicating I. I Come now according to my former Method to You my Friends who Dissent from us and intreat You to Examine with Me your Principles and Practice by these Scripture-Rules and Examples And here first I must observe to you That you have no fixt or set Times for the Administration of this Sacrament on the contrary your Directory orders That the times how often this is to be Celebrated may be considered and determined by the Ministers and other Church-Governours of each Congregation as they shall find most convenient for the Comfort and Edification of the People committed to their charge By which Rule the Lord's Supper is Excluded from being any ordinary constant part of God's Service it being referred to the Discretion of the Ministers and Elders of each Congregation to determine as in other occasional things how often the people shall have the comfort of it It had been as reasonable to refer it to their Discretion how often the people shou'd have the comfort of Hearing the Scriptures read of joyning in the Praises of God or in Prayers to Him which yet they determine they are obliged to every Lord's Day Had they made the same Rule for the holy Communion they had indeed conformed to the Scripture-Precedent and might have pretended to some Reformation But to leave the celebration of this Feast altogether Discretionary I have shewed to be directly against what we find practised in Scripture II. Whereas it is a corruption of Popery to suffer the people to be present at the publick Assemblies for Worship and celebration of the Lords Supper without being obliged to Receive your Teachers instead of endeavouring to reform this Abuse and Innovation have fallen into another practice as unprecedented in Scripture the Excluding this Sacrament intirely from your Ordinary solemn Meetings And truly in this point you seem more inexcusable than the Papists themselves for the Papists order the Elements to be consecrated every Lords Day and distributed to those that desire it But your Teachers neither offer it to the people nor invite them to it nay so far are they from it that they do not so much as afford an Opportunity to those that desire to be constant Receivers Which is plainly to multiply the Abuses introduced by Popery instead of Reforming them III. They rarely press their people to Communicate they have few Sermons or Discourses to that purpose and many of them condemn our Zeal for endeavouring to restore the constant Communion precedented in Scripture I must further make you sensible that your Practice is yet worse than your Principles Your Directory owns that the Communion or Supper of the Lord is frequently to be celebrated c. But it fares with this as with all other indefinite Rules they signifie only that people may do what they please in the case No body can certainly tell what frequently many often or convenient signifie and therefore where only these words are used in a Rule it is little better than to have no Rule at all as appears in this very case For when people were relaxed from the particular and certain Rules of our Church by the first breaking off of those of your Perswasion from us the Lord's Supper was laid aside wholly for several years by some Congregations and at last too many came to look on it as a matter of no constant necessity I appeal to You whether it is not yet reckoned a great thing among many of you if once in a year or two a Communion be celebrated in one of your Meetings Nay among some of
bring them to a Compliance with the Rules of Decency in their Religious Performances 3. My third Instance shall be in the Matter of the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper I suppose no serious considering persons amongst you can deny but the celebrating it so seldom as it is done in your Meetings and the people's backwardness in Receiving it are very great faults and therefore we may reasonably expect that you should press home to your people the Danger of their Neglect and represent to them truly the sin of it so as not to suffer any to assume the Name of a Professor or a Religious Person that doth not in some measure come up to the Scripture-precedent in this particular and withal so order the celebration thereof that every one may have sufficient Opportunities to Receive as the first Christians did which in your present way of managing is impossible From whence you may be sure yours is not the Scripture-way and therefore needs Reformation 4. Let me put you in mind That it is ordered by your Directory as I have already observed that ordinarily one Chapter of each Testament be read at every Meeting and sometimes more I think you cannot dispense with this Rule without being liable to just Censure from all that have a true value for the Word of God And yet I am informed that there is not one of your Meetings in this Diocess where it is observed to the great detriment of our common Christianity and offence of your Brethren I know the people are fonder of Sermons and Lectures of Human Composure than of the pure Word of God in its Naked Simplicity but you know this to be a carnal and sinful Humour in them And God forbid any that claims to be a Minister of the Gospel shou'd indulge them in it And therefore as you wou'd maintain a due Reverence in the people for the Word of God I think we may expect your Conformity to us in this particular 5. I suppose you very well know that the most learned and sober Nonconformists do own that Occasional Communion with our Church is lawful and that people had better come to our Worship at least where he that officiates is of Ability and Sobriety than sit at home on the Lord's Day or frequent no Assemblies at all And you cannot be ignorant that many thousands in these parts neglect all Publick Worship and many suffer their Children to die Unbaptized for want of Ministers of their own Communion And therefore in this case it is a point of Justice due to the Souls of these poor people and to our common Christianity to let them know that it is their Duty to joyn with us both in Worship and Sacraments as far as your Brethren in England have Allowed it on such Occasions 6. You are sensible that amongst those Protestants that dissent from our Church some are Congregational and others Presbyterians You of this Diocess where I am concerned profess to be of this latter sort and agree with us in owning that by Christ's Appointment the particular Churches in convenient Districts ought according to Scripture-Precedents to Associate under one Government and these again to Unite themselves into greater Combinations of Provincial and National Churches The Difference between You and Vs is concerning these particular Districts Namely Whether the Government of them ought to be in a Presbytery with a Bishop as President and Governor by Christ's Appointment or in a Colledge of Presbyters absolutely Equal So then we both own National and Provincial Churches as well as single Worshiping Congregations but the Congregational Dissenters deny that Christ Instituted any other Church besides a single Congregation and affirm that all other Churches such as Classical Provincial or National are Human Inventions and that every single Congregation is Independent and may indeed keep a fair correspondence with its Neighbour Congregations but is not under any common Government with them These last are the avowed Principles of Mr. Baxter Dr. Owen Mr. Lob Mr. Humphrys Mr. Boyse Mr. Alsop Mr. Clerkson and generally of all the late defenders of the Dissenters cause in England and Ireland that I have met with Now it is manifest that these Principles of theirs are much more different from your Principles then ours are And the difference is much greater and more material For it is possible on your Principles and ours to preserve Unity and to keep up some value for Excommunication and other censures of the Church since he who is censured in one Church cannot be received into another neither with you nor us Whereas in the Congregational way he that is Excommunicated in one Congregation may remove to another or set up one for himself if he pleases at the worst if he shou'd it wou'd be counted but an Irregularity These Principles are destructive to the Peace and Unity of the Church as well as to our common Cause and our Learned Men have carefully Answered all the principal Writers of that sort so that no Books of that kind have remained Unanswered but such only as were meer Repetitions of what had been said and answered before I do not remember any of you have of late undertaken the Defence of this important Truth tho' the Assembly of Divines in their Humble Advice concerning Church-Government which I suppose you approve do prove it from the Holy Scriptures in their Title of Classical Assemblies Now we think in Justice to your Own Cause as well as to Us you ought to warn your people against those Books that maintain Principles contrary to us both at least not to bear them in hand that those Books written against Vs make for You for this will appear a great piece of Insincerity as well as Ingratitude and will tempt the World to believe that you are willing to encourage Principles destructive to your own Cause as the Principles of those Books manifestly are in this very Point so they do but serve a Turn and strengthen your Party amongst the ignorant People 6. Lastly I think we may justly expect from you a ready concurrence with us to beat down such Vices and Immoralities as are confessed on all hands to be against our common Christianity such as Adultery Fornication Blasphemy Profanation of the Lord's Day c. And since the Bishop's Courts are Legally Impowered to punish these and many are guilty of them who yet will not appear or submit to acknowledge their sins and upon that Account are Excommunicated The least that can be expected from you in these Cases is Not to encourage such Sinners in their Obstinacy or to admit them to Communion amongst You whilst they lie under such Censures which might be a means to Reform in some measure these Crying Vices These are but a few of those things that might be instanc'd in which we may concur in our Practice as well as we do in our Opinions and if we did I perswade my self that tho they did not bring us to one
Religious Communion yet they might much contribute to our living easily with one another and take off that Uncharitableness which our Religious Dissentions are apt to cause amongst us However it wou'd be a great Satisfaction to Me and I shou'd reckon it some kind of Success in my Office if I cou'd prevail with any sort of people that profess to meet in the Name of Christ to come nearer to his Institutions in their Worship tho' I should not be able to perswade them to the Communion whereof I am a Member To the Conforming LAITY of the Diocess of DERRY AS to You my Friends and Brethren of the Laity who profess your selves Members of the Established Church It hath pleased God to place Me amongst you and to give Me an Inspection over you and 't is chiefly on your Account that I have written and published this Treatise that it may be a Pledge and Testimony to you of my concern for you and make my care to reach as far as may be amongst you I hope my Labours this way may be Useful to you to settle the Minds of the Doubtful and to awaken you all to Diligence and Zeal in the performance of the Service of God The great Principles of your Religion as you are Members of the Established Church are Uncontroverted on all hands and I have here endeavoured to shew that your particular Way of Worship is warranted by the Holy Scriptures You have reason to bless God that He has afforded you so many conveniencies of frequenting it In which He has been pleased to give you so manifest Advantage above your Dissenting Neighbours that notwithstanding their Numerousness you have Five places for Worship for One that they have This will render you inexcusable if you neglect attendance at them or spend any Lord's Day as is too common in this Country in a meer Rest from Labour without any Publick Worship I must likewise put you in mind that our Service is not only fitted for the Publick but is likewise proper for private Families And therefore I would advise you to make use of the words with which Our Church has furnished you in your Houses as well as in the Church At least to use such select Hymns and Collects as seem most adapted to that purpose And at more solemn times I conceive our Litany is as full and proper a Service as any Master of a Family can desire to offer to God I must therefore most earnestly passionately exhort you by the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ for his Church's sake and your own that you will add Diligence and Zeal to this your reasonable Service and prepare your hearts to seek the Lord your God in his Holy Worship And particularly that you wou'd endeavour to convince the World that it is not Faction or a Party you contend for but the Fruits of Righteousness And thereupon strive rather to out-live those that differ from You then to out-argue them Let the innocency of your Lives and your Christian Moderation convince them of the unreasonableness of their separation from You. I beseech the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ to multiply his Grace and Peace upon You and to influence You by his Holy Spirit that You may be perfect in every good Work and particularly in that of Worshiping him in purity and Holiness To the Dissenting-LAITY of the Diocess of DERRY AS to You My Friends that dissent from Our Communion it remains only that I beseech You in the Spirit of Meekness as one that is appointed by the Providence of God and the care of a Christian Magistracy to watch over Your Souls That You will seriously consider and lay to heart what I have here tender'd to You. I cannot prevail with you to come and receive Instruction from my Mouth And therefore I have taken this way to inform You. I will only add a few Observations which I recommend to You and shall leave the success intirely to God 1. Therefore You may observe that in this Treatise I have not led You into long Reasonings or the intricacies of Human Learning but I have referred You to your Bibles and You need go no further then to them to be satisfied whether the things I have said be as I have represented them or not Those of Berea are reckoned a Noble People Acts xvii 11 because they searched the Scriptures and I pray most heartily to God to give You a part in that Nobleness of mind that You may search and find the Truth 2. I wou'd desire You to observe that it ever has been and in all probability ever will be the humour of the World to be more fond of Their Own Inventions then of what God Commands If we look thro' the whole Scriptures we shall find that the Prophets sent by God the Doctrines revealed by him and the Worship he Commanded have had but ill Entertainment amongst the people There never appeared half so much Zeal or inclination in the generality of Men for the true God and his Worship as for the false Gods and their Prophets And there is an obvious natural reason for it since what Man invents must needs have a near agreement to the Carnal and Corrupt inclinations of our depraved Nature then what God prescribes which is the very reason that induces Men to change the Institutions of God and substitute their own Inventions instead of them A thing that wou'd never come into any Man's mind if he did not find more ease or gratification to his humour in them then in observing God's Commandments If it were proper to refer you to the History of the Church you would find that most of all the Corruptions in the Worship of God were introduced by the fondness and violent inclinations of the people for them And that the Church Governours did long oppose them and were brought with difficulty at last to comply with them Thus the Worship of Images Prayers for the Dead Purgatory the intercession of Saints half Communion being present at Church Assemblies without receiving the Lord's Supper and Worshiping the Host were all vulgar practices at first against the Opinion of the Governours of the Church who generally Opposed and Condemned them but being Human Inventions the People were so violent for them that there was no withstanding them so that if the Governours they had would not comply the people did set up those that wou'd Now let me entreat you to reflect a little and consider with all seriousness whether there may not be something like this in your own Case especially in the matter of Extemporary Prayers It is plain you have brought them into practice against the opinion and constitution of the Church Governours and of the First Reformers who all did settle Lyturgies in the Churches which they Reformed This Knox did in Scotland whose Lyturgy we have ready to produce to the Conviction of those who pretend to be his Successors and yet condemn Forms of Prayer as
held him by the Feet and worshiped him Our Saviour looked on this Bodily Worship to be so indispensibly his due that he accepted of it from the very Devils and they durst not forbear to pay it to him Mark iii. 11 And unclean spirits when they saw him fell down before him and cried Thou art the Son of God And thus the very Heathen as well as his Disciples approached him even whilst he was in his state of Humiliation And that we may not be tempted to think that our Saviour admitted this Bodily Worship to be paid him only whilst he was Bodily present we may observe St. Stephen presents his Prayer with the same posture Acts vii 60 He kneeled down and cryed with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge V. The Scriptures represent to us the First Christians thus glorifying God with their Bodies as St. Paul expresly commands us 1 Cor. vi 20 in the Publick Assemblies as we may learn from 1 Cor. xiv 23 where the Apostle speaking of a Heathen coming into the Assembly of Christians and being convinced addeth and so falling down on his face he will Worship God If it had not been the custom for Christians to do thus it would never have been expected from a Heathen or reckoned an Argument of his Conviction If the Church Triumphant in Heaven may be allowed a fit Pattern to us of what is decent in the Worship of God we find them paying this Bodily Worship to God Rev. vii 11 And all the Angels stood about the Throne and about the Elders and about the Beasts and fell on their faces before the Throne and Worshiped God so Chap. iv 10 and Chap. xix 4 And the same we find practised by the Church on Earth Acts xxi 5. where St. Paul and the Church of Tyre kneeled down on the Shore and prayed After the same manner he took his leave of the Elders of Ephesus Act. xx 36 He kneeled down and prayed with them all So constantly are Bodily Worship and Prayer joined together that bowing the knee sometimes signifies Prayer Eph. iii. 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. VI. The Scriptures represent this Bodily Worship as the most proper external Act of Adoration If we look into the Scriptures we shall not find Praying Praising Reading the Scriptures or Administring the Sacraments termed Worship they are indeed Duties which we are obliged to perform to the Honour of God but not immediate direct Acts of Worship properly so called For Worship is properly the subjection of our minds to God and that is a proper Act of External Worship which directly signifies this subjection or submission of our minds But Prayer signifies our desires of good things from God and only indirectly our subjection to him Praises immediately signify the sense we have of God's Excellencies and only by consequence our submission Reading the Scriptures is a means of Instruction and tends to bring us to submit to God but does not directly express it And the Sacraments primarily signifie God's grace to us rather then our submission to Him All these may in a large sense upon very good grounds be look'd upon as parts of Worship because they do imply such submission but bending or bowing the Body is that which is properly in Scripture called Worship as signifying immediately and naturally the bending and submission of our Souls and nothing else In the Old Testament the words rendered Worship signifie properly and originally to bow down or prostrate the Body This is the proper signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter of which in the Second Commandment is render'd to bow down and very often when the Original has they bowed down themselves the Translators render it they Worshiped So Psal. xcv 5 and Jer. i. 16 And Worshiped the work of their own hands In the Original 't is They bowed themselves down to the work c. Gen. xxiv 52 He worshiped the Lord bowing himself to the Earth The Original has no more but He bowed himself to the Earth to the Lord so Psal. xcv 5 And the same holds generally through the whole Old Testament from whence it follows that in the opinion of our Translators to bow ones self to the Earth is that proper Act which they call Worship And hence the whole Worship of God is signified by bowing before him Micah vi 6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the High God that is How shall I worship him acceptably As to the New Testament the Word generally there rendered Worship properly signifies a Bodily Action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Originally to pay Homage by a kiss as we now kiss the King's Hand which usually was done kneeling And hence Kneeling and Worshiping signify the same thing in the New Testament and the one is put for the other Thus Matt. viii 2 There came a Leper and worshiped him The same is said Mark i. 40 to come beseeching him and kneeling to him Of the Canaanitish Woman it is said Matt. xv 25 That She came and worshiped him And Mark says Chap. vii 25 She came and fell at his feet Luke says of the Man among the Tombs that he fell down before him Chap. viii 28 Mark that He worshiped him Chap. v. 6 Of Jairus Mark and Luke say that He fell down at his feet Mathew that He worshiped him Luke viii 40 Mark v. 22 Math. ix 18 So promiscuously do the Evangelists use the words kneeling or falling down and worshiping to signify the same thing Whence we may learn that when any is said to Worship Christ visibly by it is meant they kneeled to him And when we are Commanded to Worship God in the Congregation the meaning is that we are required to express the submission of our minds by bowing our selves or kneeling unto him Hence the very Soldiers that in derision bowed their knees to Christ are said to Worship him Mark xv 19 And St. John Rev. xxii 8 when he would Worship the Angel fell before his feet to which the Angel replied See thou do it not Worship God From which Text it clearly follows that falling down is an Act of Worship and that we are Commanded by the Mouth of an Angel to pay it to God VII We find in Scripture some Act of this Bodily Worship accompanying every Religious Performance Thus Prayers are generally offered with kneeling and that so constantly as is observed before that to bow the knee in Scripture-Language is to pray Thus Praises Thanksgivings and Confessions of Faith are offered standing 1 King viii 14 And the King turned his face about and blessed all the Congregation of Israel and all the Congregation of Israel stood and he said Blessed be the Lord c. the same posture is observed Ver. 55. 2 Chron. xx 19 And the Levites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice
2 Chron. xxix 26 Neh. x. 40 And this was not a voluntary act but imposed on the people as appears from Neh. ix 5 Then the Levites said Stand up and bless the Lord your God c. In conformity to which the Saints and Angels in Heaven are represented to us thus praising God Rev. vii 9 They stood before the Throne and before the Lamb and cried with a loud Voice saying Salvation c. At Reading the holy Scriptures both Reader and People used the same posture as appears from Neh. viii 4 5. And Ezra the Scribe stood on a Pulpit of Wood And Ezra opened the Book and all the People stood up And Chap. ix 3 And they stood up in their place and read in the Book Which our Saviour likewise observed Luke iv 16 Lastly They offered their Sacrifices with Bodily Adoration 2 Chron. xxix 27 And when the Burnt Offerings began the Song of the Lord began also And all the Congregation worshiped and the Singers sang and the Trumpets sounded and all this continued until the Burnt Offering was finished The word as was observed here rendred Worshiped signifies literally they bowed themselves down and the meaning is They continued prostrate or kneeling whilst the Burnt Offering was offered Thus in every Religious Performance the Scripture has taken particular notice and Recorded to us with what Acts of Bodily Worship it was offered up unto God Sect. 2. The Practice of Our Church in Bodily Worship LEt us in next place compare our own Practise with this Representation and see how we perform this part of Visible Worship in our Church I. First then when we come into the Publick Assemblies we believe our selves to come into Christs presence because he has promised Mat. xviii 21 Where two or three are gathered together in My Name there am I in the midst of them And therefore in Obedience to the Commands of God in Scripture 'T is our Custom to lift up our hearts to Him in Prayer and bow our Bodies before Him This bowing our Bodies when we come into the Assembly of Christians met together in Christs Name and for his Service which tho' it be not enjoyned by any Constitution of our Church is generally practis'd by good people as very decent in it self and edifying to others Our bowing our Bodies therefore at our coming into a Christian Assembly for Worship is only to pay that Bodily Worship to God that He requires from us when we come into his peculiar presence which presence He has promised in such Assemblies Some indeed are so weak as to term our thus worshiping God a bowing to the Altar whereas our Church expresly declaring against any Adoration to be paid to the Consecrated Bread and Wine does much deelare against doing it to the Altar II. Vncovering the Head is a Mark of Respect among us and therefore we continue Uncovered whilst the Assembly lasts that is whilst we are in Christs presence The custom of the Eastern Church was to Vncover their Feet in the presence of God so Moses and Joshua were commanded to do to which Solomon alludes Eccles. v. 1 This was easily practised with them because they wore nothing on their Feet but loose Shoes and Sandals which were readily slipt off And this continued till our Saviour's time as appears by their washing their Feet when they came into Houses Luke vii 44 Vncovering the Head is the same common mark of respect with us now as uncovering the Feet was with them in their time and this uncovering the Feet being neither practicable with us nor any note of respect among us but rather the contrary Our Church has requir'd us instead of it to uncover our Heads Can. vii For the justification of this practise give me leave to digress so far as to explain one passage in the New Testament which seems to require that a Man should have his Head uncovered in the presence of God not as a note of respect but of Priviledge 1 Cor. xi 7 For a Man indeed ought not to cover his Head forasmuch as he is the Image and Glory of God but the Woman is the Glory of the Man Which passage does not primarily relate to the covering the Head but the Face by a Vail according to the Custom of the Eastern Countries and this covering the face was a note of respect as the contrary was a note of Priviledge So we find that when Rebecca was to appear before her Husband Gen. xxiv 65 She took a Vail and covered her self So Exod. iii. 6 Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God and Elijah wrapped his face in his Mantle when he went out to meet God 1 Kings xix 13 On the same Account the Seraphins cover their faces with their Wings Is. vi 2 'T is therefore a peculiar Priviledge and favour to be allowed to appear before God uncover'd and it is reckon'd as such 2 Cor. iii. 18 but we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord c. Those that were out of favour might not appear bare-faced before their Prince but with their Heads covered as Haman was when the King signified his displeasure against him Ester vii 8 Now for the understanding of the before cited place we must consider that Man being the Image and Glory of God is allowed to take this Confidence before God which is denied to Women For since God was pleased to make Man his Image and Glory it is not fit that this his glory should be covered before him but on the other hand it is fit that Man's glory which is Woman should be covered before God This I conceive is the full meaning of this place and has no relation to the manner of uncovering the of Head in use with us now which is only a mark of civil respect and that peculiar to Men and not to Women But however being an honour paid to Men there is no reason why it should not be paid to God On the contrary it seems to be required by the Apostles general Injunction Let all things be done decently And it is one of the Articles of our Church That the Church has power to order Rites and Ceremonies that is to determine what particular things come under the Apostles general word of Decency 3. We stand up at our Praisings Thanksgivings and Confessions of Faith in Conformity to the Examples of Holy Scripture 4. At our Confessions of Sin and at our Prayers we present our selves before God on our knees by order of our Church according to the Example of our Saviour and the Church of God III. We Celebrate the Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ in a Worshiping posture I know that many except against this It would engage me in a longer discourse to examine it fully perhaps God may hereafter give me an Opportunity to discuss it at large at present I shall only hint at the Scripture-Grounds we have for it by