and Merit of his Death and Passion with all Comforts Fruits and Promises we receive or expect thereby From whence he concludes that with us the Cross must be an External Sign to signify the same things which the Holy Ghost had Honoured the name of the Cross to signify But I answer that none of the Expounders of our Canons or Defenders of the Sign of the Cross have thus interpreted this Canon nay on the contrary they have given it a quite different sense as he himself owns in this very place where he Quotes the Author of the Case relating to the Cross in Baptism explaining the Canon in another Sense Now for Mr. B. to put a Sense on the Words of our Canon and make an Inference from them which none of us own but Protest against is to set up an Adversary purposely that he may confute him and such Proceedings are looked on by all impartial Men as the effects of Prejudice and Engagement to a Party Nay not only the Divines of our Church Protest against his Inference from this Canon but the very Canon it self makes a quite contrary Inference concluding from the Scriptures signifying by the name of the Cross Christ and his Benefits that the Primitive Christians used the Sign of it not to signify these Benefits as communicated to us by God but to Testify thereby that they were not ashamed of it but owned him for their God and Saviour who suffered the Death of the Cross for them and Signed their Children with it when Christened to Dedicate them by that Badge to his Service whose Benefits bestowed on them in Baptism the name of the Cross did Represent The use then of the Cross according to the Canon is not as Mr. B. wou'd infer to signify an Act of God towards us to confer any Benefit on us or require any Duty of us but to signify and represent our own Act whereby we Resolve Promise and Bind our selves not to be ashamed of a Crucified Saviour or his Benefits purchased by his Cross and signified to us under that Name in Scripture And not only our Church but all other Christians from the Apostles time have for this reason looked on making the Sign of the Cross as a very fit Instance and Declaration of their Glorying in Christ's Sufferings and Readiness to follow him in them which is an effectual Dedication of our selves to his Service tho' we do not think it a fit External Sign to signify God's Communicating to us the Graces or Benefits of the New Covenant because that being an Act of God ought only to be Represented and Conveyed to us by Signs particularly Instituted by him whereas our Glorying in his Sufferings and Dedicating our selves to follow him in them being Acts of ours may lawfully be signified by such Signs as Universal Custom has made proper as will appear more at large in this Discourse What I have said being sufficient to shew that the Cross is no Representing Sign in this sense II. 2dly As to the second sort of Representing Signs which signify and discover to us God's Pleasure and Command concerning some Duties set forth and represented by them which Duties God wou'd have us perform Let me observe that the Cross is no more a Representing Sign with us in this sense than the former since we do not use it to signify or declare God's Will to us that we shou'd perform any Duty but only our own Resolution and Purpose to perform those Duties that God himself has signified under the Name of the Cross in Scripture and that we shall not be ashamed to confess Him that was Crucified on it This is manifest from the very words of our Office in which the Sign of the Cross is used only as a Token that hereafter the Baptised Person shall not be ashamed to confess the Faith of Christ Crucified and manfully to fight under his Banner against Sin the World and the Devil and to continue Christ's Faithful Soldier and Servant unto his lives end This is the only use our Church makes of the Sign of the Cross and you see plainly that it is here made only a Token of our owning a Crucified Saviour and an Instance that we are not ashamed of his Cross and Sufferings And indeed it is as plain an Instance of our not being thus ashamed and of our resolution to follow him in taking up our Cross and engaging in his Warfare and service as giving an Alms is an Instance of Charity But here is nothing of God's declaring or signifying his will to us by this sign that we shou'd perform these Duties or any intimation that we use it to this purpose And yet if we did use it it wou'd not give it any thing of a Sacramental nature much less make it a Human Sacrament for it is no peculiar much less Principal use of Sacraments to represent Gods Pleasure to us that we shou'd perform certain Duties since we find many Signs used in Scripture to this purpose that are no Sacraments I shall content my self with two Instances amongst many The First is that of the Sabbath Day Ezek. 20. 12. Moreover I gave them my Sabbaths to be a Sign between me and them that they might know me that I am the Lord that sanctifies them Here the Sabbath Day is described as a Covenanting Sign between God and his People representing to them and Instructing them from God in their Duty to know the Lord that Sanctified them We have another Example Exod. 19. 10. Go unto the people and sanctify them to day and to morrow and let them wash their cloaths This Washing their Cloaths was certainly a Rite or Sign Representing to them from the Lord the inward Purity required of them and instructing them that it was God's Will that they should approach him with Holiness and yet I suppose neither this nor the former were properly Sacraments and indeed Mr. B. owns p. 39. That all barely Instructive Signs are not Sacramental or Federal ones I add that from these Instances it appears that all Instructive Signs tho' Federal or Covenanting are not Sacramental and therefore Mr. B. had no reason to Tax me as he doth in the same place for Omitting this Use in my Account of Sacraments since my design was only to mention those Uses that are peculiar to Sacraments and it is manifest by his own Confession that this is not so peculiar to them III. 3dly The same must be said concerning Signs that Represent and Signify our Desire Purpose and Resolution to accept the Grace Favour and Priviledges God has Promised us and to perform the Duties he has Imposed on us together with our Gratitude and Sense of his Favours To Represent in this Sense is not peculiar to Sacraments much less a Principal Use of them nor has Mr. B. produced one place of Scripture to prove this to be such a Peculiar Use. On the contrary we have many Example in Scripture where other Signs are recommended
Sacrament II. But secondly Mr. B. alledges that you were Persecuted and that made you have the Sacrament so seldom This he alledges for Strabane Vind. p. 17. but I answer First That Persecution is no Reason for omitting the Lord's Supper any more than for omitting Sermons whilst your Ministers could not get opportunity to Preach they might be excused for omission of this Sacrament but it is full as easie to draw People together to receive the Sacrament as to hear a Sermon and to Administer it to them as to Preach twice or once a day If we will be content with the plainness and simplicity with which Christ instituted it and accordingly we find the first Christians in the deepest Persecutions were as constant in the one as in the other and thought the receiving it then most necessary to fortifie their Members with Resolution to endure Torments and Martyrdom From whence it is manifest your Ministers have a Notion of this Sacrament different from the Primitive Martyrs But Secondly I desire you to consider your manner of Administring this Sacrament concerning which Mr. B. tells us Remarks p. 137. that amongst you Every Parish having usually but one Minister 't is requisite the Ministers of neighbouring Parishes should assist them on that occasion and consequently they usually bring their People along with them I may add that there are often four or five Ministers at your Sacraments and sometimes 4 or 5000 People when only 400 receive you have likewise usually a Sermon some day before and the day after I confess Persecution is an effectual means to hinder the Celebration of the Lord's Supper in this fashion for no Government that is jealous of a People will suffer them to meet or continue together in this manner But I desire you to remember that Christ never required these things at your hands and therefore your omitting the Lord's Supper because you were not permitted thus to celebrate it is another instance of your Ministers making void the Commands of God by their own tradition Lastly I believe some of your Ministers might be hinder'd from publick Preaching and Sacraments for some short time that is whilst some of your Brethren were in Arms against the Government at Pentland-hills and Bothwell-bridge against whom they never made any publick Declaration or Address that I can learn but that this continued for any considerable time or that the inspection was so strict that they might not have Administred the Lord's Supper as our Saviour instituted it doth not appear nor is pretended And it is manifest that this is only a Pretence since they were no less negligent in the year 1687 88 when they had their full liberty III. A third thing offered by Mr. B. is Vind. p. 15 that I know well enough that for two Years of the seven at least both the Ministers and People were scattered and had no opportunity of Celebrating the Institution I must profess that I neither know nor have heard of any such dispersion of the People or Ministers as to hinder you from an Opportunity of Celebrating this Sacrament for two years The Irish Army came into this Diocess about April 1689 and left it in August following during which time some of your Ministers were in Derry and some in Scotland The People in the Country were then and for a considerable time after in a miserable condition and plunder'd of what they had but there were still great numbers of them and in their Circumstances being depriv'd of Worldly Comforts they needed and I hope were prepared for spiritual But your Ministers did not afford it to them as they ought to have done and this I do still make an aggravation of their Negligence tho' Mr. B. makes it an Argument of Imprudence in me to do so But I desire you to consider the Case and judge Mr. Crooke returned after the Siege to Ballikelly where there was still a large Congregation yet as he had been Negligent for two years or longer before so he continued unawakened by God's Judgments in the same Negligence till Summer 1693. Mr. Boyd had the same Opportunity at Aghadowy and yet shared in the same Guilt Mr. Ferguson returned soon after the Siege to his Congregation at Burt yet had no Sacrament till Summer 1692. Mr. Craghead returned soon likewise to his Congregation at Donaghmore and after removed to Derry and yet had no Sacrament till Summer 91 as is confessed at large in the Derry Certificate so far were these from going about and Administring to their Afflicted and desolate Neighbours that they starved their own Flocks and kept them from this Food of Life And this they did not only after the Siege till I came to this place but in it at that time when continual Deaths before their Eyes ought to have awaken'd them to more Devotion III. Mr. B. alledges Vind. p. 16. That the Conformists there ought to have a share in this reproof For those that he has desired to enquire upon the place could not learn that they Administred it more than the other I have enquired of this matter and am assured by those that Received at that time that this Holy Sacrament was Administred Monthly in the Cathedral as was usual that eleven Clergy-Men received it together and that towards the latter end when Wine grew scarce Dr. Walker reserved a proportion for the Sacrament and when he apprehended it would not hold out he declared That rather than not Celebrate he would mix it A Practice much more allowable than omitting it Besides the publick Administration it was frequently Administred to the sick And as to the Clergy that remained in the Diocess they behaved themselves worthy of their Character Travelling on foot many Miles to visit the Sick Baptise and Preach And as soon as they could procure Wine which was not to be had till after the Siege was rais'd Administred the Lord's Supper which so many as were not chas'd by the Enemy from their Cures had done the Easter before and did again Christmas after IV. But now I must tell you that Recrimination if true is a plain Confession of Guilt and a sign of a desperate Cause It may be very proper for a man that has Authority and is called to it by his Duty as I take my self to be to reprove what he finds amiss amongst those that he conceives to belong to his Inspection But for any one to go about to defend the Guilty by recriminating is to harden and encourage them in their sins by finding them out Examples and Presidents for their wickedness and is in effect to tell them what they are too apt of themselves to offer as an excuse for the worst of Practices that others are as ill as they Surely Examples fortify most of the World in Sin and I am heartily sorry that any one of Credit should point out this way of recrimination to harden them by it He is very guilty that has no way to clear himself but
A Second Admonition TO THE Dissenting Inhabitants Of the Diocess of DERRY CONCERNING Mr. J. Boyse's Vindication of his Remarks on a Discourse Concerning The Inventions of Men IN THE Worship of GOD. With an APPENDIX Containing an Answer to Mr. B's Objections against the Sign of the Cross. By WILLIAM Lord Bishop of Derry London Printed for R. Clavel at the Peacock in St. Paul's Church-yard 1696. Heads of the Discourse CHAP. I. Matters of Fact Sect. I. THE Numbers of those that Neglect all Publick Worship on the Lord's Day p. 3. II. The frequency of Sacraments p. 11 III. The Number of Communicants p. 20 IV. The Directory a hindrance to Communions p. 24 V. Mr. B's Excuses for few Communions Examined p. 27 VI. The Reading the Scriptures p. 38 VII The Mysteries of Religion p. 44 VIII The Catechism p. 54 IX Bodily Worship p. 59 X. The Practice of Reverence by Dissenters p. 75 XI The Praises of God p. 77 XII The Rule of Human Prudence p. 79 XIII The 3d 4th and 5th Canons p. 97 XIV Mr. B's Demands p. 99 XV. Mr. Sq. p. 107 XVI Personal Vindication p. 112 CHAP. II. Of the Reasoning part of Mr. B's Book Sect. I. MR. B's stating the Case as to purity of Worship and Discipline p. 126 II. Mr. B's Partiality p. 138 APPENDIX Containing an Answer to Mr. B's Objections against the Sign of the Cross. Sect. I. THE proper Method to discover the true Nature of Sacraments as Signs p. 159 II. That Sacraments are primarily Signs of God's Grace not of our duty 171 III. That the Scriptures Warrant us to use other Signs that are not Sacraments for the several uses assigned by Mr. B. to Sacraments 201 IV. Of Representing Signs 208 V. Of Obliging Signs 221 VI. Of Distinguishing Signs 240 VII That the Cross is such a Sign as the Scriptures Warrant 251 Conclusion 274 A SECOND ADMONITION TO THE Dissenting Inhabitants Of the Diocess of DERRY Concerning Mr. J. Boyse his Vindication of his Remarks on a late Discourse of William Lord Bishop of DERRY CONCERNING The Inventions of Men in the Worship of GOD. CHAP. I. Concerning Matters of Fact I. I Thought it necessary in a former Admonition to give you some account of my design in my Book concerning The Inventions of Men in the Worship of God in order to enable you to pass a judgment on Mr. Boyse's Remarks on it He has thought himself concerned to write a Vindication of them And tho' I do not suppose it very necessary I shall give you a few Reflections on it It consists of Matters of Fact and Reasonings I shall say a little to each of them and leave you to judge of it And I pray most heartily to God that it would please him to direct you The matter is of great moment since it concerns the Worship of God and whatever Mr. Boyse would suggest the true point is Whether about Nine in Ten of you shall Worship God publickly any where on the Lord's Day or stay at home If I can prevail with you to come to the Established Worship you may easily and conveniently Worship God in your Parish Churches every Lords Day or oftner and receive the Lords-Supper four times every Year at least and oftener if you desire it But if I cannot perswade you to this about Nine in Ten of you must stay at Home as you have done for many Years and perhaps not have a fit opportunity of Communicating afforded you once in Seven Years Sect. I. Concerning the Numbers of those that neglect all Publick Worship on the Lord's Day THis then shall be the First Matter of Fact of which I shall endeavour to make you sensible since Mr. Boyse questions it and jests at my concern about it Vind. p. 2. The account he opposes to it is in these words That in the Parish of Templemore alias Derry there are two Meetings in which there will be found above 2400 who ordinarily Worship God every Lord's Day the least Congregation amongst you are ordinarily 600 and some above a thousand that do Worship God every Lord's Day so that where Ministers are settled you do not know of one in twenty that do not ordinarily attend Publick Worship This account he says he has from your Ministers You will easily be Judges of the truth of it and therefore I desire you to consider II. First That even in Derry there are Congregations much less than 600 and seldom in Burt above 400 or 500 and that those two Meeting-Houses tho the largest will not hold 1200 to Hear I sent to count and am assured both have not a thousand ordinarily 2dly I desire you to remember that tho' these Meeting-Houses are both in the Parish of Derry yet the Inhabitants of 11 Parishes depend on them who have no nearer or more convenient Meetings to go to That is to say Fanthen Desertegny Clonmany Coldagh Clonca Donagh Movill Clandermot part of Faughanvale part of Cumber and part of Donaghedey a District in length from Malin to Donaghedey Church about 33 Miles and in breadth from the Church of Faughanvale to the lower end of Inch about 14 Miles In which there are 14 Churches and Chappels and in which 12 Conformable Clergy-Men continually Officiate Preaching in the Morning and Catechizing for about one half of the Year in the Afternoons with an Explanation of some heads of the Catechism This scope of ground is well Inhabited and if I mistake not is near as big as the County of Dublin and contains at least one fourth part of the whole Diocess and if there be in the Parish of Templemore of your perswasion 2400 as Mr. Boyse intimates and I do believe there are there can hardly be less in the other 11 Parishes than 4 times as many and then in all about 12000 depend on these two Meeting-Houses Of which I doubt if a thousand attend Publick Worship on one Lord's Day with another And if we allow 1200 as Mr Boyse suggests yet it doth not mend the matter for it is still but a tenth part of the whole III. Your next Meeting is yet in a worse condition for there depends on it Tamlaghfinlagan alias Ballykilly Drumchose Aughanlow Balteagh Dongevin Banagher part of Cumber part of Faughanvale and of Tamlanghard a District containing some of the richest and best planted Parishes in the County of Londonderry and in length from the point of Magilligan to the further part of Banagher at least 20 Miles and in breadth from the Church of Faughanvale to the utmost part of Balteagh or Drumchose about 14. Yet here the Meeting-House will not contain as I am informed above 400. The like may be said of the Meeting of Aghadowy upon which there depend the Parishes of Aghadowy Kilrea Desertoghill Erregill part of Macosquin part of Tamlaghocrielly and the Chappel of Fagevy in length from the old Church of Camus to the most distant parts of Tamlaghocrielly 13 or 14 Miles and from the Ban River to the most