are condemn'd by it utterly but consider it as it relates to the Apostles and then it has another Aspect for so it is to be look'd upon as a perfect and absolute Form of Prayer given I doubt not to say to be like the Shekel in the Sanctuary a Standard to them and whereas 't is prefac'd with the Words I have read they are I conceive to be look'd on as a Canon to warrant both the Use of it and also the making it a Pattern for the Church to compose her Prayers by For 't is for such ends as these we are to think that our Saviour Christ directing his Apostles in the Duty of Praying say's unto them After this manner Pray ye In which Words there is an Act and it 's Modus or an Injunction and its Qualification Pray ye and Pray ye after this manner Which two considered with what is premis'd give ground for a double Quaere 1. Whether there ought to be a Solemn publick manner of Worship always in the Church of Christ 2. Whether that being granted we in our Church may be said to Pray after the manner prescribed by him Of both which while I speak Affirmatively of the First as briefly as I may of the Second more amply I crave the Patience of this Reverend and Learned Auditory and for my Defects Pardon The First is Whether there ought to be a Solemn and Publick Worship always in the Church of Christ or not And That there ought to be I collect from the Injunction here in the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray ye in regard it is spoken by our Saviour in the Plural Number as to many and for that the Prayer it self is in the Plural too Our Father and then because it ends with Amen which is a Note of publick Use but chiefly in regard these Words are a part of his Divine Law as I instanc'd before whereby he must be thought to establish God's Worship if at all or any where For we may not imagine that the Words of this great Lawgiver import so little as that this Prayer of his should serve only for the present Use of his Disciples and that it should be a Temporary thing Nor can we conceive he meant that the Christian Church should have a less Solemn Service than the Jewish had If so why is this a part of this Sermon of his in the Mount where he is giving his Law why does he deliver it with so much Solemnity as he does with so much Majesty and Authority and why does he bring it in with other substantial parts of the Law of Moses of which he professes he came not to Destroy the least Iôta Surely a Solemn Service or way of worshiping God he meant by 't should be in his Church of which the Apostles to whom he speaks next to himself the prime Foundation Stones and that perpetual a known Solemn Publick and Perpetual Service which all Christian People should have Recourse to even as God's People the Jews had anciently at the Temple and their lesser Synagogues Then it was so in those Days when the Prophet Haggai's Glory appeared in the Second House and is it not most rational that it should be so in ours Yea is it not inferrible from this Rule and Precept manifestly Let who will imagin otherwise it is what I may and therefore shall express Definitively that so long as there shall be a Church upon the Face of the Earth this will authorise her to see that Prayers and Praises be rend'red to Almighty God publickly continually and that they ascend up like the Smoke of the Morning and Evening Sacrifice at the Temple as a due Homage to him For it the Arguments are very weighty and momentous For 1. Had they a Priesthood so have we an Order of Men appointed to be for ever in the Church by an unalterable Constitution Therefore doth the Apostle say of our Saviour Christ that he hath a Priesthood that 's unchangeable or that passeth not away Heb. 7. 24. As blessing us from Heaven by his Intercession on Earth by his Ministry and to like effect is that Promise of his to his Apostles that he would be always with them unto the end of the World Mat. 28. 20. Which Promise the Church has always understood not of the Apostles considered personally but of Church-Officers by an uninterrupted Succession I know the Erastians of our Age wrest the Words another way that thereby they may evacuate Episcopal Ordination For by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there say they is meant only the End or Consummation of the Jewish Oeconomy as it is taken Heb. 9. 26. But however grant it be so it matters not for that things were to continue ever after as they even as the Apostles left them is as undoubtedly true as that our Saviour till then was alwayes with them Again Had they the Jews a Day in which to serve God so have we We now the Lord's Day as they then the Sabbath And why a Day but for Holy Services to be perform'd in it Take away These by which the Day is Sanctify'd and Hallow'd and ye will near-hand make the Day an idol keeping the Day for the Dayes sake which is the Sabbath of the Ox and the Ass These two must go together still If Almighty God who made all Days be pleased above others with a Seventh or a First it is for our sakes that we may therein Devote our selves to his Service and that we may commemorate the great Benefits of our Creation and Redemption 3. What think we of the Celebration of the Eucharist which is in lieu of their Passeover in which we remember afresh and anew the Death of our Saviour Christ of Christ our Passeover as the Apostle stiles him who was Sacrificed for us is not that Solemnly to be Celebrated by us And if so can it be done I ask without Prayers and Hymns how can that be St. Mark says that our Saviour and his Apostles sung an Hymn at the Institution of it the known or wonted Hymn or Hallelujah say the Criticks that was used at the Feast beginning Psalm the 113 and ending Psalm the 118 and that Prayer was ever a Solemn Concomitant of this Grand Duty is evident Act. 2. 42. Where 't is said of those First Fruits of the Apostles Preaching that they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship in Breaking Bread and in Prayer 4. Thus we have a Priesthood a Day a Duty the Eucharist for one to which I might add more and have we not an House too Yes ever was there and must be for the before specifyed Ends of which I shall speak a little more largel◠as making out to us the Publickness and Perpetuity of God's Worship for therefore Mat. 21. 13. does our Saviour say it is written My House shall be called an House of Prayer and that as Esay saith from whom that Text is quoted for all People A Pregnant and full Testimony for what
to the precedent Century For in the Apostles time that they had then Liturgies known Offices consisting of Prayers and Praises in use with them is easily Discerned from St Paul's Advice to the Romans Ch. 15. 6. which is with one Mind and one Mouth to Glorifie God by which Words that a Form is meant is more than intimated from his reprehending the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14. 26. Because in their publick Assemblies they had every one a Psalm that is to say a Manner or Form of his own which hindered Edification and bred Confusion and why not from that Act. 13. 2. where we read As they Ministred unto the Lord and Fasted the Holy Ghost said Minister'd 't is rendered but the Words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they were Liturgying that is because joyned with Fasting as they were performing Divine Service which it seems was this way For it further the Liturgy of St. James and the Liturgy of St. Mark used by the Cophti still and that of St. Peter used a long time in the Church of Rome are a strong Inforcement tho of them we can produce only some Fragments and broken Pieces For had they not had Offices would it not have been known and observed by after-Ages but the succeeding times give account of the contrary that they had 'T was not 300 Years after the Apostle's Days that the Council of Nice was and then there is great mention of them as you may see in Eusebius his fourth Book of the Life of Constantine who tells us there of Orationum Syngraphe a Book of Prayers and Liturgia Mystica so he calls it a Mystical Liturgy which Constantine the Emperor was present at And what is more common then in Ecclesiastical Writers to hear of the Liturgy of St. Hierome and of St. Ambrose and so of St. Basil and St. Chrysostom the last of which hath left it upon Record that in the Primitive Church among the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit one was the gift of making Prayers for the Church to use It seems the Gift of Prayer was not look'd upon then as a Faculty of making long and familiar Harangues to God as it hath been of late Years without Sense or Reason Look we moreover on the Canons of the Councils and we shall find them for us that of Carthage and that of Melevis so early It is the 23 Canon of the third Council of Carthage Quascunque sibi preces c. Let no Man use any Prayers that he hath made unless he first consult with the Brethren i. e. Fellow-Officers of the Church who were learned and well instructed More ample is that of Melevis which says as I find in Caranza Placuit ut preces quae probaetae fuerunt in Synodo ab omnibus Celebrentur It is our Will that Prayers only that are approved by a Synod be celebrated by all nec alia omnino dicentur in Ecclesia and that no other but those that are so approved by a Synod be said in the Church lest by chance any thing either through Ignorance or Carelesness be done against the Faith Well then that thus it was in the first 4 or 5 Centuries of the Church besides the Glimpses for it in Scripture Fathers and Councils Testifie And what that it hath been so ever since have we not the Consent of the Churches of all Ages we have look we which way we will either into the East or West Which being granted can we imagine that the Church hath continued so long even till these last Days in so gross an Error or can we think it fit to throw aside the way of the Universal Church in all Ages for a few Mens Sake that have Voluble Tongues Or is not rather the Custom and Practice of the Church of all Ages in stead of a Rate and perpetual Law they are Saravia's Words speaking in reference to Episcopacy which and the Liturgy must Live and Dye together Mos totius Ecclesiae est inviolabilis quaedam lex the Custom of the whole Church is an inviolable Law and which at peradventure so it ought to be esteemed yea to be kept and held inviolably by us For tho such a Custom or Constitution of the Church in Mr. Weemes his Words may not be Jus Divinum Divinè Divinum a Law that is properly and purely Divine as having no plain positive Command for it in the Scriptures yet it is Jus Divinum humanè Divinum of like Force and in a manner equally Divine with that for which there is a positive Law supposing still it be Universal It is quodam modo Divinum as Forbâ—sius in his Ierenicum says in some manner Divine as being founded in God's positive Law which commands us to obey our Superiors as them also to see that all things be done according to Rule and with all Decency and Order And surely we have more reason to believe that the Primitive Fathers would not stray from the Apostical Practice who could not but see what was done before them and would rather dye Martyrs then part with the least Truth then that the whole Church hath all along been deceived unto this present Day On this Argument stands Infant-Baptism the Observation of the Lord's Day Episcopacy and the like and to me it is prevalent before all that can be said against it by Novelists Common Prayer spoken of in the Epistles of Ignatius has more in it than a World of Arguments produced against what I affirm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see that ye all come together in one place let there be one Common Prayer among you one Mind one Hope in Love and Faith that is spotless I go upon such Grounds as these and nothing seems to me more Plain putting all together than that the use of Liturgy is not only Ancient but also Primitive and Apostolical Now 2ly that in ours there is no Spot or Blemish for which to be rejected I come next to prove And had I need say any thing to that Matter I know 't is accused of Popery But O ye holy Martyrs how came you to be so mistaken then as to dye thus in Defence of Popery and in Defiance of it at one and the same Instant Mr. John Hullier being burnt at the Stake with the Common-Prayer-Book in his Bosom But Oh! there is somewhat of the Mass Book in it I confess it There are the Creeds and some of the Hymns and Collects that are used by them and they have a Litany too But shall we abolish our Creeds the Nicene Athanasian and Apostolical because they have them as well as we and throw away our Collects and Litany because they have also Collects and a Litany Then away with the Christian Religion upon that like Score A weak Argument and very inconsequent Do we not know that if we reform Popery in what is amiss we do but as Christ did by the Jewish Euchologue and that that is true which
Infidels the Apostles were to Preach only letting them know that Jesus was the Messias they were not yet Capable of Church Commâ—nion But they did not so by Converts and Proselytes their way with them ye have in that fore-cited Place where 't is said They continâ—ed in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship in breaking of Bread and in Prayer But 4. Chiefly give me leave to Mind you to remember your Subscriptions your Assent and Consent and all your solemn Ingagements and so to be stedfast and hold fast your Profession as becomes the Servants of Christ Brethren we live in Evil days in Perillous times On the one side we are call'd Hereticks on the other hand Papists for all that let 's stand our Ground 'T is not as Men will have Act they may as they think 〈◊〉 â—roject secretly but the Counsel of the Lord that must stâ—nd Design they may and lay Plots but there is one that sitterh in 〈◊〉 Heavens who will Laugh them to scorn Ye know what 〈◊〉 hashnerus's days he did by Haman who sought to destroy the 〈◊〉 Haman was hang'd on his own Gibbet and Mordecaâ— the 〈◊〉 whom he hated was exalted What in Dâ—rius's dâ—yes 〈◊〉 he disappointed Tolnaâ— and Shâ—sher Boznâ—i They wrote Letters to Darius against the Jews about the rebuilding of Jâ—râ—salâ—â— and his Occasion'd him to make a Decree for them which whosoever should dare to alter the Timber of his House should be pull'd down and set up again and he hang'd thereon and his House be made a Dunghil And blessed be God have not we in our days seen with our Eyes that Jehovah Jireh is his Name still that he who keepeth Israel neither Slumbreth nor Sleepeth Besides should we come to the Fiery Tryal and be made to Resist unto Blood yet even there he can Deliver us if it please him He did so by the three Children the Angel of the Lord came down into the Furnace and beat out the Flame out of the Furnace and a moist whistling Wind came and fann'd their Bodies and cool'd them and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hair of their Head was sing'd Theodorus will tell us the same who when he Agoniz'd and was torn with Scourges and Whips being a little respited said that a little Boy stood by and wip'd off his Sweat and Blood as with a Holland Hend-kerechief So that should we suffer he will be by to assist and upsiold But suppose the worst that we lose our Lives in the Cause of God King David says his loving Kindness is better then Life and is 〈◊〉 his Presence much more in which is Fuliness of 〈◊〉 'T is but a short Life lost and the Martyrs Crown is gain'd Hâ—ar what that glorious Hicro-Martys St. 〈◊〉 said when inviron'd wâ—th his six Leopards as he call'd his Keepers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Lâ—t Fire a Cross Wild Beasts the Crâ—sâ—ing of Bones Distortion of Limbs the Contrition of the whole Body and the Cuffs and Torments of Satan come upon me so I may injoy Christ after All. No matter tho we be Ground betwixt the Teeth of wild Beasts so we be pure Manchet for God at last and if we get to Heaven tho with Elijah in a Chariot of Fire what harm Let us Fear God and Honour the King and Fear nothing else Mind our Duty the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to borrow a drop of Oyl out of Epictetus his Lamp and for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leave them to God Chrysostom says well to this Purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. With this I leave you and turn me to the rest of my Auditors whom I beseech by the Meekness and Gentleness of Christ that you would Consider seriously what it is you Contemn or Despise in little setting by the Churches Service its Grave Confessions its Comfortable Absolutions its wholesom Prayers its Seraphick Hymns its Angelical Doxologies all made after Christ's Pattern without the least Mixture of that which is truly call'd Popery in it agreeable to Antiquity in its Doctrine the truest and most sound Body of Theology and Seal'd to us with the Blood of Martyrs I verily believe there is not any thing in it that the Ancient Fathers I may say the Apostles themselves if they were Living would not say Amen to We do not Truckle under the Church of Rome but derive our Services and Customs much beyond them We do not borrow of those Neighbours of ours but search their Houses to see what Jewels they have of ours England that in other things is the Ape of Nations confessedly in this has waited only on God and Reason What the Ancient Church of Christ us'd Primitively is Ours as well as Theirs Who can be so simple as to think that the Apostles Creed does not belong to him because the Papists have it as well as he nor the Creed of Athanasius because they too own the Doctrine of the Trinity in Unity These things belong to us as well as to them and it were very strange if there were nothing amongst them worthy our respect and â—â—â—eration Therefore this way be not deluded Nor again let any thing proved with you neither to prefer mens Extempore 〈◊〉 and Daily new made Prayers us'd by none that I read of Anâ—â—â—â—ly but Achitophel when in Rebellion against King David who to make Religion serviceable to his By ends must have Prayers made him daily New and fresh as Dr. Hammond out of the Rabbins tells us I say to prefer them before the Churches Solemn Prayers to set them out again taken for the most part out of Scripture us'd by the best of Saints Compos'd by Martyrâ— approv'd of as to its Doctrine and Manner by Councils impos'd by Authority confirm'd by Law and that does not shun to sâ—â—w its Face in any Language whatsoever being Translated into Greek and Latine that the East and Western Churches may see how it is that we in England do serve our God Truly not in the Churches Prayers but in our selves does the Fault lye that think if at any time we come to Church 't is no matter when or with what Devotion Ye do God a Favour ye think to Tread his Courts tho ye neither Mind the Confession nor yet Pray nor hear the Word read nor yet give God Praise with what Devotion ye ought Whereas if ye consider'd what Remission of sins is what to have God's â—avour and would but come to the beginning and Confess your selves humbly and take the Absolution with you Pronounc'd by one standing in Priestly Garments and so in God's stead and then would be hearty in your Prayers and be Attentive to the Lessons together with the Epistles and Gospels and perform once the whole Service Intelligently and Devoutly beginning with the Confession and ending with the Benediction sure you would quickly find your Hearts Transported with the Love of it and be ready to wonder with Elisha's man that your Eyes were no sooner open crying with Elisha himself at Elija's Rapture My Father my Father
the Chariots of Israel and the Horse men thereof Could I see once a Congregation of such Devout persons met together as the Apostles were in one place and with one Accord in the Name of Christ what a Blessed spectacle would that be How might I affirm that I had seen God there the Angels present Christ himself in the midst And how would all their Hearts like the Angel that appeared â—â— Manoah ascend to Heaven in the â—lames of such 〈◊〉 Jacob's Vision again methinks it is another 〈◊〉 Angels ascending and descending upon the Rounds of this Ladder Sure enough it is not 〈◊〉 Goodness in our Prayers but want of Devotion in our selves 〈◊〉 all Men will I hope be perswaded to 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 and learn to have a due Regard to so Holy a thing as the Churches Service is That all that hear me may I shall propound to your Consideration the Conducement hereof to the Peace of the Church and to the Peace of the Kingdom we live in our Love to which next to God's Glory and Honour ought to outweigh in the Ballance all other things whatsoever And indeed 1. Highly will it make for the Peace of the Church by putting a Bar to Heresie and Schism For he that is for the Churches Prayers cannot be an Heretick Whereas take away this Hedg and Mound once who may not Bless the People as St. Cyprian complained heavily a Montanist a Donatist a Manichee I may add a Socinian an Anti-trinitarian and what not Then that 't is a Cure of Schism who does not see for what is it else that Keeps our Wounds open but an Evil Opinion of the Churches Service a Conceit with some that 't is Popish with others that 't is not according to the Manner prescribed by Christ And let me tell you that Schism as 't is a prodigious Evil having malign Influences on the World so 't is a great Sin also of the first Magnitude St. Cyprian equals it to offering Sacrifice to Idols and well does he for the Church is the Body of Christ and what a great Sin must that be to Rend and Tear in pieces his Holy and Sacred Body to Divide and Crumble into Factions the best and purest Societies that ever were or can be but of Saints in Heaven For which a Divine of our Church hath said that it were better those little things about which our Differences are were buryed deep in Eternal Silence at the very Bottom and Centre of the Earth than that the Peace of the Church should be disturbed by them But the Mischief is Schism is like Sheol semper Petax it is always Craving never Satisfyed The best Cure of this Malady that I know is a due Obedience to our Superiours together with a general Conformity to and Uniformity in the Worship and Service of God Highly also will it make for the Peace of the Kingdom of which we are all Members it being the main Expedient to bring back that Love that Unity that Concord and that Agreement that hath been so long banished from us by this Antecedent Difference in Opinion and Judgment about matters of Worship Whilst one is for this Sect another for that one for Episcopacy another for Presbytery some for a Liturgy others for none how can we expect that the Blessing of Peace should remain in our Borders Do we not rather make way by it for the Abomination that makes Desolate to come upon us I wish my Conjecture may prove Abortive but that it will be so unless God in Mercy by healing our Breaches and making up our Divisions put a stop to it â— may Predict I think without a Spirit of Prophecy 'T is what fills the Enemies of our Church with Hope and all her Friends with Fear And do I not hear you now sighing out these Words of the Prophet Is there no Balm in Gilead are there no Physicians there whâ— thâ—â— is not the Health of the Daughter of my People recovered In my Conceit I do and I say to it that there is Balm in Gilead blessed be God for it and there are store of Physicians there But to little purpose is it unless the Voice of Christ may be heard which calls upon the Shâ—â—â—mite to return unless they that Dissent and Separate would see their Errour once and go back by the same Steps they have gon astray to the Church which they forsook without Cause For tho I may not be bold to say of her as her Spouse of the Church invisible There is no Spot in her yet this I may and will say that there is none in her so great as to justifie a Separation from her Communion O that Men would listen and give Ear But what am I I will leave the Church to speak for her self I see her methinks standing at the side of her Altar with her Service Book in her Hand weeping bitterly and taking on heavily that her Children should depart and go away from her And what does she further do why she Beseeches she Conjures them for the Love they bear if not to her self to her Head and Husband and that in the Words of her Litany By the Mystery of his Holy Incarnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nativity and Circumâ—â—sion By his Baptism Fasting and 〈◊〉 by his Agony and bloody 〈◊〉 by his Cross and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pretious Death and 〈◊〉 and by the Glorious 〈◊〉 and Ascension that they would walk according to Rule and 〈…〉 same things That Dissenters will not heard 〈…〉 should be how quickly would 〈…〉 again even so as to give 〈…〉 Ezekiel which is Jehovah Shammah the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no more only a Word or two by way of Prayer or Vote that Almighty God would take the matter into his own Hand and work upon the Hearts of all the People of this Nation that they may yet be wise and see and understand what is for their own good learning to serve him one Way and with one Mind laying aside Division and Schism and indeavouring as they have one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace God of his infinite Mercy grant it that so our Church may continue in Tranquility our Nation abide in Quietness God's Service remain in its Purity God himself be Glorifyed and our Souls saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost three Persons and one God be ascribed as is most due by Angels and Men by us and all People all Honour and Glory both now and for evermore FINIS