in a set-form of words I make a generall demand to all opposites whosoever If there be any thing alike authentick to the precept and example of our Blessed God Oh how are those men therefore to bee reproved even withstood to their faces that have and doe preach that all set-formes of Prayer are from the Devill and first invented and found out by him when that holy man Moses being led by the Holy Ghost every day morning and evening when the Congregation journyed used these very words constantly when they took up the Arke in the morning thus hee prayed Num. 10.35 36. Rise up Lord and let thine enemies bee scattered and let them that hate thee flye before thee And every evening when they set downe the Arke or rested he said Returne ô Lord to the many thousands of Israel and the very words of Moses the Prophet David writes downe for a forme to be used and sung in the Temple many a hundred yeares afterwards Psalme 68.1 And the Lord Iehovah commands Moses even his servant Moses to give to Aaron and his Sonnes a set forme of words to blesse the Congregation with Num. 6.22 And the Lord spake to Moses saying speak unto Aaron and to his sonnes saying you shall blesse the Children of Israel saying unto them The Lord blesse thee and keep thee the Lord Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and grant thee peace Here the Lords Name is three times used in one forme of blessing And yet I hope none is so ignorant as to say it is vaine repitition So in 150. Psalme Prayse God and Praise him is used thirteene times in sixe verses so in 126. Psalme to the praise of God these words For his mercy endureth for ever are used or repeated twenty and six times so in 107. Psalme O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes for the Children of men where the Prophet in this Psalme repeats the same words foure times And the Apostle for the Romans prayes thus The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ bee with you Rom. 16.23 and so for the Corinthians 1 Cor. 16.23 2 Cor. 13.14 and so for the Galatians Gal. 6.18 and so for the Philippians Phil. 4.13 and so for the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.28 2 Thes 3.18 And also for the Church in Philemons house Phil. 25. using the same words of prayer and blessing eight times for six severall Churches Thus even thus the Old and New Testament agree together in this one truth as the holy Prophet gives direction 1 Chron. 16.3 5. Say yee Save us O God of our salvation and gather us together and deliver us from the Heathen that wee may give thanks to thy holy name and glory in thy praise Hym. That a forme may bee lawfully used in Gods publicke worship of prayer and prayse is a truth so fully proved by you that men nor Angels cannot gain-say to disprove But I have heard a Minister preach it is unlawfull to use the Lords prayer because we find no example for it in any of the Apostles Sil. We doe not read that any of the Apostles in the act of Baptisme repeated all the words commanded by our Lord in the forme of Baptisme which are these Baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost is it therefore unlawfull for Ministers to use the words or the Church to enjoyne them and is it therefore unlawfull for the Minister to use the words of our Lord which he used at the institution of the Lords Supper because wee doe not read the Apostles did use them at the administration thereof They doe no lesse than the Pharisees their Fathers in denying the lawfull use of the Lords Prayer to make the Commandment of God of none effect by their contrary Traditions Matth. 15.6 And these are the last dayes and perillous men and times the Apostle fore speaks of 2 Tim. 3. and Saint Iude in his generall Epistle Hym. Pray let me see how the Ordinances for the Sacraments appoynted by authority agree with the Scriptures Silv. The Traditions and Order that the Church hath prescribed for the manner of celebrating the Sacraments are very agreeable to the Scripture as I have before shewed in the manner of the celebration of both and that there is no circumstance added the Scripture omits neither in the admonitions and exhortations appoynted to bee read before the Communion or Baptisme nor any thing that concernes Ministers nor people in the communicating of one or either nor the blessing in dismissing the Assemblies as in particular before instanced but what stands with the holy honour and dignity of the ordinances themselves and the glory of God And therefore our Obedience thereto falls in with this generall rule of the Apostle whether therefore yee eate or drink or whatsoever you doe do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Hym. Some Ministers will not administer the Lords Supper to any but such as are regenerated that so by faith they may eate Christs body and drinke his bloud Sil. For any man to preach that none ought to commucate of the communion of the signes of the Lords body but such as have justifying faith by which they are incorporated into his body they erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God as the Anabaptists doe in poynt of Baptisme for our Saviour himself gave it to Iudas that never had the faith that justifieth so the Apostles never denyed the preaching the Word nor the participation of the Sacraments to any that received the common faith as Circumcision and the Passeover was not to be denyed to any that became Proselites nor to the Children of such as did believe Now I have shewed before that the Passeover was the same in signification to the Iewes as the Lords Supper is to the Christians and it is as lawfull for Christians to receive the Sacrament as to heare the Word for as by the Word preached the eare is instructed in the Gospell way of Life so by the Lords Supper Christ Crucified is taught visibly to the eye Now a the Word and Sacrament have a teaching faculty or operation so also they have a nourishing strenthening and confirming faculty or operation to teach grace where it is not and to confirme and increase it where it is And there is no rule in all the Scripture to exclude a common Christian from these common Ordinances but in such cases as concerne the censure of excommunication within which a true beleever through weaknesse may fall aswell as an ordinary or common beleever and he doth discerne the Lords body that rightly understands the Sacrament in one sence thereby to bee brought to Christ as hee that by faith eates Christs flesh and drinks his bloud in a saving and spirituall sense and the word preached to the disobedient is the savour of death unto death
Gods publick worship under the Gospellâ Christians than Moses was under the Law to the Iewes ãâã making and ordering every particular according to ãâã perfect platforme and patterne which was shewed him ãâã the Mount Exodus 25.9 The Holy Ghost proves indâ that Moses was a faithfull servant of God to heare ãâã doe the Commandement the worke of the Sanctuaâ the Tabernacle and all the instruments and every veââ from the least to the greatest even to every pinne thâ of Exodus 27.19 And in this comparison Moses was faâ full in all his house that is to make the materiall or eaâly Tabernacle that was but a shadow a representation ãâã figure of that spirituall heavenly true and everlasâ Tabernacle which Christ made or built purchased and sanctified with his owne bloud wherein Christ our Lord was much more faithfull as a Sonne to make to redeem âo blesse and save his owne house And the Apostle to the Hebrewes shewes what this house of the Sonne is saying whose house we are If wee hold fast the confidence and âejoycing of the hope firme unto the end Hebrewes 3.6 Marke how the Apostle excells in expressing this spirituall House as wee made a descrption in our first conference âpon Saint Peters words Page 10. where the Apostle âalls the building living stones and the house it selfe a spiâtuall house 1 Pet. 2.5 Hym. It appeares there is not any such thing in the Text as âe Separatists ãâ¦ã âabaptists doe affirme from it for the outâard Order and ãâã of the Church Silv. This makâ ãâã âhe Separatists bold and audaâous because that like the âotten-hearted Pharisees they âstifie themselveâ for a ãâã side of their owne fancy âd so in word onely never ãâ¦ã nor heard of in the Scripâes and neglect the inwaââgrace the truth and powâ that whosoever hath not shall perish Luke 13. and âark 16 and 16. And notwithstanding our Saviours âunsell is Make cleane the in-side and the out-side âll bee cleane also Matthew 23.26 And therefore I call ãâã Anabaptists ignorant and seduced because all this âile they have not learned the difference between that âtizme the putting away the filth of the flesh which âan may have and perish And that Baptisme the anâr of a good Conscience unto God that whosoever is âtized with shall be saved the one being called the fiâe or outward figne the other the substance that saveth ââward grace 1 Pet. 3.21 which substance indeed is the puâifying the heart by Faith as before I shewed at our first Conference Page 8 9. And so speaketh the Apostle Paul clearly to the Galatians for you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus for as many as have been Baptized into Christ have put on Christ Chapter 3.26 27. Hymen Doubtlesse these Scriptures must be thus understood I pray Sir informe me what ground the Church of England hath to prescribe a rule for the time and the rest that concernes the manner of Celebrating the Lords Supper Silv. But before I shew you that wee will take a briefâ view how particular Moses was to give direction for every circumstance as well as for the substance in Circumcision and the Paschall Lambe And then consider what rules ouâ Lord and his Apostles have given for Baptisme and thâ Lords Supper which are significations and outward signeâ of the same substance and grace under the Gospell as thâ other were Ceremonies Types and Figures of the samâ heavenly truth under the Law Therefore the Apostlâ Paul to the Collossians uses both the termes of Circumcisiâ on and Baptisme expressing one and the same life anâ grace in Christ in whom saith hee yee are Circumcise ãâã with the Circumcision made without hands in putting ãâã the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the Circumcisioâ of Christ buried with him in Baptisme wherein also yoâ are risen with him through the faith of the operation ãâã God c. Colos 2.11 12. Now Moses speaking of â braham gives rules for Circumcision for the parties whâ shall be circumcised that is all the Males And the timâ when at eight dayes old Genesis 17.12 And the plaâ or part of the body the fore-skin Verse 11. And thâ parties who shall doe it Abraham the Father Verse 2â and Joshuah the Magistrate Jos 5.3 Also for the Passeover which was the same to the Jewes as the Lords Supper is to the Christians He appoynts the time the tenth day of the moneth and it shall be kept till the 14. day of the same moneth and then appoynts who shall kill it the whole Congregation and what time of the day the evening and who shall provide it that is every house and if the houshold bee too little then two Families shall joyne together he appoynts what it shall be for the kind of it that is a Lambe and not every Lambe but a Lambe without blemish and not Male or Female but Male onely and not of any age but a Lambe of a yeare old Also he prescribes the manner of dressing it not cut to pieces but whole his body with his Legges and with the purtenances thereof ãâã must not be boyled or baked but roasted with ãâã and yee shall eate the flesh in that night And hee prescribe the manner and gesture how they shall eate it saying thus shall you eate it with your Loynes girded your shooes on your feet and your staffe in your hand and you shall eate it in haste c. Exod. 12. ult For it is the Lords Passeover Hymen Moses hath beene very particular in Gods direction to Abraham concerning Circumcision and abundant in the Paschall Lambe for every Circumstance I pray shew me how the Scriptures in the new Testament give rules for the Celebration of Baptisme and the Lords Supper Silvan All the rule wee finde for Baptisme is in these words Goe yee therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 Here is a plaine direction for the forme of words that are to be used but none for the Action of the Baptizer nor for the gesture of the baptized so wee read the Eunuch went downe into the water but which part of the bodie Philip washed is not mentioned neither is there direction for the Sex nor the age neither for eight dayes nor eight yeares nor of time place nor of what sort of Water salt or fresh So for the Lords Supper the words in the Institution are these Iesus tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gave to his Disciples and said Take eate this is my body And hee took the Cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drinke yee all of it for this is my blond of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes Yet in all these words here is no commission for his Disciples as there is for Baptisme Yet Saint Paul saith hee hath received Commission from the Lord concerning the Lords Supper 1
of most or all reformed Churches p. 473 and pag. 499. And it is an Act and Statute Law in our Church of England Anno 5. 6. of Edw 6th Chap. the third in these very words Neither is it to be thought that there is any certaine time or definite number of days prescribed in holy Scripture but that the appointment both of the time and also of the number of days is left by the authority of Gods Word to the liberty of Christs Church to be determined and assigned orderly in every Country by the discretion of the Ministers and Rulers thereof or as they shall judge most expedient in the true setting forth of Gods glory and the edification of the people And it followes be it therfore enacted by the King our Soveraign Lord with the asseÌt of the Lords c. and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same that all the dayes hereafter mentioned shall bee kept and commanded to be kept Holy-dayes and none other that is to say all Sundaies in the yeare c. and so nameth all the rest particularly Hym. But you have not a Scripture for this day nor any of the rest Sil. For the first day of the weeke called Sunday wee have Apostolicall and Primitive example for it Acts 24.7 Hym. You know examples without precepts binde not in Divine things Sil. Therefore I have shewed you before the Act of Parliament the command of the Church And where Mans Ordinance is not against Gods command there St. Peter commends subjection in these words Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sike 1 Peter 2.13 There is no word in Scripture to command you to fast the last Wednesday of every moneth yet your practice shâwes you thinke you ought so to doe it being commanded Hym. You have fully satisfied mee by Scripture And the Churches Ordinance for the time and times commanded for Gods publick worship Now pray resolve my next question and shew me what warrant there is for commanding a place where to meet Sil. Authority commanding one for the publick doth not forbid any for the private And therefore there 's much cause and reason for it for if there be no place there can be no meeting Hym. I thinke the Scripture speakes against the appointment of a place Iohn 4.21 You shall neither in this mountaine nor at Ierusalem worship the Father Sil. Although our Lord did know and fore-tell to the woman the destruction of Ierusalem and the dispersion of both Iewes and Samaritants and that it should be done by Gods enemies and Idoll worshippers so that there should be no true worshippers to worship in those places which were the usuall places of their publick worship intimated in these words verse 21. Woman beleeve me the houre commeth when yee shall neither in this mountaine nor yet at Ierusalem worship the Father Yet it doth not follow but that in other places the true worshippers might and should worship God in spirit and in truth for so much our Lord saith ver 23. The houre commeth and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him we reade that Our Lord came often to the Temple daily teaching the people often worshipping in the Mount of Olives Hee appointed an upper roome for the celebration of the Passeover with his Disciples so it is said when the Eleven were together Christ cmae amongst them And also that they were altogether in the Mount of Olives at our Lords Assension into Heaven and they were not to depart from Ierusalem but there to waite for the promise of the Father And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place Peter Iohn went up together into the Temple at the houre of prayer wee finde Paul often in the Synagogue and abundance more instances to prove the publick places that Gods people met into worship Hym. But wee have no command for any in the New Testament Sil. No more you have for the time as before is shewed nor for the Femall Sex or Children of either Sex to be baptized it is warrant sufficient that authority commands them all Hym. I pray what reason is there to call the place appointed for publick worship the Church for you have proved before in our firââânference Peter 5. That the Elect of God called and sanctified are the Church of God And I am sure that is true but that wood and stone should be so called it seems strange to me Silv. It is strange âmee that you should be such a stranger to the Scriptures âr the Scriptures often give the name of the thing signified to the signification of it so our Lord calls the signification of his body His body it selfe in the words Take eate this is my body Matth. 26.21 So Moses and Abraham both call the signe of the Covenant Circumcision the Covenant it selfe Genesis 17.10 11. this is my covenant c. Salomon also calls the house hee built for Gods publick worship the Temple 2 King 11. And the Temple of the Lord 2 Chro. 26.16 when it is not so properly but by way of allusion and resemblance only For the regenerated ones the truly faithful men are Gods house his habitation and dwelling place as the Scripture speakes Yee are the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 and againe for the Temple of God is holy which Temple yee are ver 17. So likewise the materiall house is called the Church or the Temple of God also because it is appoynted and set apart onely for the holy services of this spirituall Temple there to converse with God in his holy Ordinances of praying and preaching and all other his holy services and in this respect hath beene and may be called a holy place And such Vessells and Vestments holy in regard of the holy use they are sanctified or set apart for Not that stones wood mettalls or cloathes are capable of holinesse but they are in Scripture called holy in regard they are assigned to serve about Gods holy worship Now as the Temple and all Vessells and Vestments are called holy in regard of their holy imployment so also they are called holy in regard of Gods holy presence who is more manifested present in the place of the administration of his Ordinances than in any other place and so the place is called holy Exodus 31. 1. and Vestments likewise And so is the ground also Exodus 3.5 The place where thou standest is holy ground And therefore we ought to have them in a reverent esteeme and respect Pull off thy shoes saith the Angel to Moses Those places and things therefore are not to be common as other things and places wherefore our Ministers are to be blamed that they doe not informe the people with the truth of this Doctrine our Lords owne practice that onely and alone act of corporall punishment
that first execution of Iustice aggravates and argues the fault of the people abundantly in making the Temple a Market-place Saint John saith John 2.15 our Lord made a scourge of small cords and drove them all out of the Temple and the Sheep and the Oxen and poured out the Changers money and overthrew their Tables and said unto them that sold Doves take these things hence make not my Fathers house a house of Merchandize Marke how exact and particular he is in every thing and how reverently he speakes of the materiall Temple and calls it his Fathers house and by Saint Matthew The Temple of the Lord And it is further to be noted that all the foure Evangelists testifie to this act of our Saviour which wrought so upon their affections that it is said And his Disciples remembred that it was written The zeale of thy house hath eaten me up John 2.17 Hym. I thanke you for this satisfaction for these passages of our Lord are very considerable in all the circumstances I pray let me heare your judgement also of the last question the worship it selfe both for matter and manner Sil. For the matter of Gods worship it is clearly set down in both the parts of it by our Lord himselfe to the Samaritan woman John 4.23 The houre commeth and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth God is worshipped in âirit and in truth when Gods Word is read and the truâânse and meaning opened and made knowne So Ezra the Scribe and the other Priests did truely worship God Ezra 8.8 The Text saith thus So they read in the book in the Law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading And Saint James preaching to the Church at Jerusalem saith For Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Acts 15.21 To this purpose speaks our Saviour of the Pharisees Matth. 15.9 But in vaine doe they worship me teaching for Doctrine the Commandments of men undenyably proving they had worshipped God truely if they had taught for Doctrines the Commandments of God Hymen It is cleare and proved plainly that Reading and preaching Gods Word are materiall parts of Gods worship but what are the rest Silv. Prayer and prayses are other parts of Gods publike worship to be performed in the Temple and especially Prayer and therefore all the rest are included in that denomination of prayer As the Lord saith It is written my house shall be called a house of prayer Matth. 21.13 Notwithstanding it was also the house of preaching and reading and praysing offering Incense and Sacrifice and of blessing God and the people And to prove prayses a part of Gods worship David is excellent Psal 149. Sing unto the Lord Sing unto the Lord a new song and his prayse in the Congregation of Saints And Psalme 150. Prasse yee the Lord And that 's not enough but he appoynts the place too Praise God in his Sanctuary yea his expressions are so full of excellent variety Psalme 100. Enter into his Gates with thankes-giving and into his Courts with prayse bee thankfull unto him and blesse his name And in another place My praise shall bee of thee in the great Congregation I will pay my vowes before them them that feare him Psalme 22.25 Yea this worship is so acceptable both in publike and in private that the Holy Ghost beareth witnesse that whosoever offereth praise glorifieth God Psal 50.22 Hym. The Scriptures thus consorting methinks makes a sweet harmony and excellent are these considerations from them but I pray proceed to shew the other parts of Gods publike worship Sil. Friend at this time I will speak onely of the Ordinance of the Lords Supper because the time will not permit me else to make you answer concerning the manner of these perticulars in their administrations Now the communion of the body of the Lord as the Apostle calls it is one of the parts of that dayes publick worship Acts 20.7 where he proves all that I have said in every particular to the office of administration to that hee himselfe was ordained as hee proves to Timothy 1 Tim. 2.7 whereunto saith he I am ordained a Preacher and an Apostle And because of the greatnesse and verity of the office he therefore speaks with the greater testimony saying I speake the truth in Christ and lye not a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity And in the faithfull administration of the Gospell comming to Troas Verse 6. met together with the Disciples upon the first day of the week there is the time And the place is said to bee an upper chamber where they came together verse 8. And the matter of their worshâând service is expressed to bee preaching and breaking of brââ and conference And that which is included is prayer ãâã giving of thanks for so the same Apostle doth prove to the Church of Corinth that our Lord did first institute the Sââââent with prayer 1 Cor. 11.23 saying the Lord Iesus the âhe night hee was betrayed took bread and when he had gââân thanks he brake it and sayd Take eate c. Yea praying and blessing at the Communion was this Apostles practice in this Church of Corinth as in all other Churches for so he testifieth himself in imitation to the first institution 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ the bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ Hym. These are all cleared and manifested by plain Scripture I pray is not the manner of the administration of these particular Ordinances prescribed in the Scripture also Sil. As I have shewed before that I find no forme in the Scriptures for Ordination neither can I find any Rule prescribed for the time when to receive the Lords Supper nor the place where nor the manner how nor the particular kind of Wine nor bread of what graine nor who shall provide them ready nor the gesture of giving nor receiving and yet without these we cannot Communicate in them Hym. Some say there is a word for all these things anâ urge it upon this Scripture Hebrewes 1.2 3. Whereforâ holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling consideâ the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Christ Iâsus who was faithfull to him that appoynted him as alâ Moses was faithfull in all his house Silv If there were a word in the Scripture they shoulâ doe a good office to Gods people to shew them wheâ they may finde them written I am sure there is no such thirâ in those words you have read I know the bold audacioâ Brownists and the ignorant seduced Annabaptists aâ both as one enemy grossely falsifie and abuse wrong aâ spoyle this holy testimony by affirming that Christ is mâ perfect and exact in prescribing an outward forme for ãâã particulars in
as is the Ordinance of the Supper of the Lord to them that never attaine to eate by faith aswell as by sence And thus I conclude that no believing man is to be denyed communication in the Supper of the Lord except in such cases as the Scripture and so also the Traditions of the Church hath made exception according to the exhortation before the Communion Hymen I am fully satisfied hitherto I pray let me crave youâ opinion but in one thing more at this time and that is concerning singing of Psalmes as it is used in the Church of England Sil. This part of Gods publick worship as it is used iâ our Church is the most corrupt of all other for althougâ the Church allowes Psalmes to be sung yet the Statute-Laâ doth not justifie and warrant the Meeter of Thomas Sternâ hold and Iohn Hopkins and others for they are very corruptly done and very false and contrary to the prose if you compare one with another as Psalme 103. verse 19. wherâ the Meeter saith The heavens are the Lords foot-stoole buâ the Prose saith not so and other Scriptures saith The heavens are his Throne and the earth his foot-stoole Not only falââfying the text but also that wherein it doth agree in maâ places the phrases expressions in the Meeter are impertinent not proper And yet I have heard many Ministeâ after they have in their Sermons for an houre together eâveighed against all formes of prayers and condemned it Hell that they themselves have called for a Psalme to bâ sung which is no other than presently to do the same thiâ themselves they did condemne others for an houre together And in this case the Apostle speaks expressely thâ art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art it matters noâ whether thou art a Preacher or a Hearer yong or old ricâ or poore that judgest for wherein thou judgest anotheâ thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that judgest dost tââ same things Rom. 2.1 For a Psalme is a prayer or a pray ãâã and he that condemnes others in praying a form condemâ himselfe in singing a forme Hym. I pray shew me how the Scriptures speak of this part Gods worship Sil. The Scriptures declare it to bee a speciall part of âods worship both publick and private the Apostle admonisheth the Church of the Ephesians to bee filled with ãâã spirit speaking to your selves saith he in Psalmes and ââ¦nes and spirituall songs singing and making melody in your ãâã to the Lord Ephes 5.18 19. And David that holy Prophet made Psalmes for the prasse and glory of God in sundry respects and occasions of prayers and prayses and gave ââmes to the sonnes of Korah to sing in the Temple and âângs of degrees Psalme 123. and Psal 84. It is a spirituall service and the Apostle to the Corinthians seems to speak of it as of other ministeriall gifts for the ââifying of the Church 1 Cor. 13.26 when yee come togeââer every one of you hath a Psalme a Doctrine hath a âongue hath a Revelation hath an interpretation let all âings be done to edifying by which it appears that Psalms ãâã spiritual songs are of continuall study practice and use the Churches and that such as have gifts therein may impose formes even for the publike use of the Churches ãâã Gods worship Paul and Sylas prayed at mid-night and ââg Psalmes and prayses unto God in Prison Acts 16.25 ând Saint Iames his generall rule is is any among you afflictââ let him pray is any merry let him sing Psalmes Iames 5. ãâã must for this time take my leave friend Hymeneus the Lord blesse unto us the consideration of these things and all other truthes to whom be glory world without end AMEN FINIS