de Turc moribu◠c. 4. p. 130. it was their custom to use these words In the name of God of Mercy and of their Spirit If any shall be so in love with his private Sentiments as to deny this Truth which has gained so universal a Testimony upon the account of some difficulties which our shallow Intellects cannot reach to the bottom of he may with the same reason assert there is no such thing as the Ocean because he cannot by his line find the depth of it in every place If all this will not satisfie let him exercise his reason about some difficulties in nature and he will find the existence of things very plain where their contexture is so concealed and intricate that the greatest Wits are at a loss in their disquisition about it If the intricacy of some modes in natural things be no reasonable inducement to deny the reality of the things themselves much less is the ineffable union betwixt the Divine Essence and Subsistence a justifiable plea for the denial of the Sacred Trinity He that shall think fit to try the acuteness of his Intellect about some knots in Philosophy will find the edge of his reason so much blunted in the encounter that it will not be easie for him to perswade himself that it is sharp enough to penetrate into all the Mysteries in Divinity If this will not prevail without an engagement with those difficulties which this Truth is usually assaulted with let a Catalogue be made of them and it will not be difficult for him to make his way thro' them who is armed with the following considerations 1. Altho' there be Three Persons or Subsistences in the Godhead yet there are not three Essences Every Person distinctly considered has an Essence but every person has not a distinct Essence 2. Tho' one finite individual Nature cannot be communicated to Three Persons yet an infinite may If the whole Divine Essence is intimately in all created persons at the same time there is no reason to think but that it may be communicated to three increated Whatsoever is alledged against this Communication holds as strong against the Universal Presence which all acknowledge but those who deny the Deity 3. Finite and infinite perfect and imperfect are not proper predicates of Subsistence but of Being So that when we are interrogated whether the three persons in the Holy Trinity are finite or infinite perfect or imperfect if by Person is meant only a mode of subsistence without the Nature it is a very incongruous question For infinity and finity perfection and imperfection are but modes of Entity and every mode imports variation and one variation cannot properly be predicated of another If by Person is understood the Divine Essence subsisting in a peculiar manner then we answer that every person distinctly is infinitely perfect tho' every person has not a distinct infinite perfection 4. Altho' the three Persons have one and the same Nature yet the Son cannot be said to be the Father or the Spirit the Son The same specifical Nature agrees to Joh Moses and Daniel Every one of them has the whole nature of Man yet we have no reason to assert that Moses is Job or Joh Daniel As there is some thing not contained in the common Nature which doth individuate them So there is a characteristical property appertaining to the Father the Son and holy Spirit whereby they are distinguisht altho' they are all equally interested in the same infinite Essence 5. When it is said that the only God is the Father Jesus Christ is the only God therefore Jesus Christ is the Father the major proposition is peccant For in every proposition the predicate is never less comprehensive than the subject but always of a greater latitude and therefore bears the title of the major term But here the predicate Father is less comprehensive than the subject the only God Now I have finished the Third Proposition The Three Persons are One God 4. This One God is to be Worshipped If we consider him essentially his peerless perfections do justly challenge the deepest veneration They being infinite cannot admit of any additions All that We are capable of doing is to own them with the decent significations of the most humble and submissive regards It is an Article in the Jewish Creed Fag in Deut. c. 14. v. 1. The Blessed God is worthy to be Worshipped It is a principal part of the Confession of the Christian Church Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour It was usual among the Heathens to worship the Head of great Rivers Sax. Will-worship He who considers God as the fountain of all that goodness which circulates in the veins of the Creation can conclude no less than that the most profound veneration is due to him If the Deity be considered personally every person doth require Divine Worship to be directed to him The Father Jo. 4.23 The Son Heb. 1.6 Psal 2.12 Phil. 2.10 S. Stephen directed his Prayer to him Act. 7.59 Ananias enjoyned S. Paul to call upon him Act. 22. v. 16. Salvation is promised to those who express a conformity to this command Rom. 10.13 When we say the Son is to be Worshipped we do not consider him without his humane Nature but as a person consisting both of Divine and Humane Supreme Adoration is given upon the account of the infinite excellency of the Divine Nature This excellency is communicated to the Person which has assumed our Nature and advanced it to the dignity of an Hypostatical union but not to the nature it self And therefore the Worship which is due must not be terminated upon the nature considered abstractedly but the person who is clothed with it This induced Athanasius to say Epist ad Adelph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let them know meaning the Arrians that when we Worship the Lord in the flesh we do not Worship a Creature but the Creator cloathed with a created body Neither must our blessed Lord be considered without his Mediatorship Tho' supreme Adoration doth not immediately terminate upon the relation of a Mediator yet it doth upon him who is invested with that Relation Our Saviour in this respect is inferiour to the Father and nothing inferiour to the Deity can challenge Supreme Adoration The taking up the mediatory Office was an act of free Grace and by consequence might not have been done Now that which might have been or not been must be inferiour to that necessary and immutable excellency which is the proper Object of the highest Veneration We must distinguish betwixt the foundation of Worship and the Motives to it Tho' the free acts of the Divine Benignity as redeeming mediating c. are vigorous inducements to Worship yet the sole foundation and immediate object is infinite excellency which will not permit any thing which is inferiour to share with it in the same degree of Honour A Subject may have many motives from the
derive their Original from Moses All this being considered namely the importance of Divine Worship our aptitude to be mistaken about it the policy of the Tempter to cherish our inclinations it must necessarily be our concernment to gain a true Notion of it In order to this end the following particulars are to be well weighed 1. Worship in general imports a reverential and humble acknowledgment of the supereminent worth and excellency which is in another We may honour our inferiours or equals But properly we Worship that only which is vested in some eminency which we our selves are destitute of and therefore the Act always supposes an humble submission in the Mind This Excellency is not only power and authority but goodness or any other perfection We speak as congruously when we say We adore the Wisdom and Benignity of the Supreme Being as his sovereignty and dominion Nebuchadnezar who was in power superiour to Daniel yet worshipped him upon the account of his superlative understanding Worship has several names according to the diversity of the acts whereby the acknowledgment of worth is made if it be by entertaining a high esteem of it in the mind Internal Veneration if by external acts appropriated by nature or institution to signifie this esteem as an humble bowing of the Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serving and obeying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Worth which is to be acknowledged is either finite or infinite Finite is that which is lodged in a limited Being it is either Moral as in those who are eminent for some Moral Accomplishments or Civil as in Parents and Magistrates Both these challenge from us regards suitable to their Nature The first a Moral the second a Civil Worship Infinite worth is that which is found only in the Supreme Being and our agnitions of it must be made by such acts as are congruous to the nature and institution of him in whom it resides It is as natural for an intellectual Soul rightly polished to make this reverential confession as for a smooth body to make a reflection of the Sun-beams which fall upon it The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imports glory signifies likewise a weight The superlative glory of the Divine Nature when duely apprehended is to the Soul what a weight is to the Body it naturally produceth a succumbency and works it into a religious prostration Those who are most elevated in their imagination when they meet with excellency infinitely transcending what they themselves are possess'd of cannot but be so just as to stoop and make their due acknowledgments We never find it controverted in any Nation whether honorary Addresses ought to be made to the Deity All the Sons of Pride upon discovery of boundless perfection blush at the thoughts of competition and study by submissive applications to make it propitious to themselves 3. The Acts whereby an Acknowledgment of infinite Excellency is made are either mediate or immediate By mediate may be understood such as altho' they do not import an immediate acknowledgment of Divine Perfection yet have an efficacious influence upon the production of those which do That their nature may be the better discerned the following particulars must be considered 1. The World is formed by the infinite power of the Supreme Being The intellectual part of it increasing by his benediction he has made it up into families families augmenting he has out of them constituted Kingdoms and Nations By him Princes rule and Subjects are obliged to give their due regards to them 2. Whatsoever is of his formation he hath made with a design to manifest the glory of his goodness and benignity Every wise Agent propounds some worthy end to himself in all his operations and there is no purpose that we know of more worthy of and congruous to the Divine Nature than this 3. That which has an immediate connexion with the glory of his goodness and benignity is the felicity of those whether particular persons families or kingdoms which are produced by him The health of the Patient is the glory of the Physician The prosperity of the Community the honour of the Prince Much more the felicity of the creatures is the glory of him from whom they received their Beings 4. The felicity of Nations and Families consists in their flourishing estate when they are in an enjoyment of all things which the nature of their constitution requires The happiness of solitary persons in the inward tranquillity of their mind when there is no mutiny among their faculties but a transcendent contentment springing from a sence of being imployed in those operations which are sutable to the dignity of humane nature 5. There are many actions which have a peculiar tendency to promote this felicity The flourishing state of Nations and Families is advanced when the deportment of every member is agreeable to the best rules of Policy and Oeconomy When Superiours impose just commands Inferiours render a cheerful obedience and every one moves as an Intelligence in his proper Orb. The inward tranquillity of private persons when they bound their desire of sublunary gratifications with the rules of Temperance are not transported with the smiling aspects nor dejected with the severest frowns of Fortune keep an equal temper amidst all those affronts with which their Contentment is assaulted do not transgress the just bounds of Magnanimity or Meekness sweeten their conversation towards their enemies with gentleness and affability abate the acrimony of Justice with mixtures of Equity encourage beneficence with grateful returns and are merciful to the objects of compassion The Soul having a sense of a turpitude in some actions and that while she is engaged in these her demeanour is agreeable to the dignity of her nature and the grand design of her formation she is eminently delighted with them â—nd arrives at the very top of moral felicity These actions accompanied with the benign influences of Heaven being exerted will introduce such a happy temper into the Community as will highly conduce to the honour of the Supreme Rector and excite all intellectual Beings to fall down before him and make the most reverential acknowledgments of his infinite benignity and goodness Upon this 〈◊〉 they are represented as acts of Religion or Divine Worship S. James says C. 1. v. 27. that Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the father is this to visit the fatherless and the widow and to keep themselves unspotted from the world Here is an abridgment of mediate Religion divided into two branches the Duty of Man towards others and himself The first is expressed in these words to visit the father less c. The second to keep himself unspotted c. The principal part of it in relation to others consisting in being compassionate towards those whose condition requires his succour towards himself in being watchful that he be not infected with the impure conversation of the world these two by
perswade them that no such thing was done Not only Bellarmine as I have before intimated but likewise Sirmondus acknowledge That Transubstantiation was not exposed to a clear light before the Ninth Century In the following Ages the profound ignorance of the people and the ambition of the Priests gave a great advance to it The Priests being desirous of deference and respect from the people knew no method more expedient to promote their purpose than to adhere to that doctrin which has a direct aspect upon it What could more readily commend them to the first place in the thoughts and opinion of the Vulgar than to perswade them that they were so highly favoured in Heaven as from thence to be invested with a power to turn Bread into the body of Christ This if sincerely believed must inevitably be as efficacious to secure to themselves an eternal veneration as the doing the greatest miracle recorded in the Sacred Oracles After all the commotions about this doctrin and the definition of Innocent the Third in the Fourth Lateran Council the greatest men for learning were at a loss what to six upon Joannes Parisiensis did afterwards publickly maintain That the Bread after Consecration really remains as the humane nature of Christ does after its being advanced to the dignity of the Hypostatical Union At the Council of Trent This business was brought to its perfection yet when the definition was to be made the Dominicans and Franciscans could not agree but fell into warm contests insomuch that at the last the General Congregation did prudently resolve to use as few words as possible and to make an expression so Universal as might be accommodated to the meaning of both parties All this to which much more might be added is sufficient to assure us of the novity of Transubstantiation and to give us some light into the steps which it took before it could arrive at the dignity of being an Article of Faith in the Church of Rome Now if we will give our selves leisure to sum up what has been spoken we shall find too much reason to suspect that the error of the Romanists about the Annihilation of the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament doth not arise from the nature of the Object but a voluntary distemper in the Subject and therefore can contribute little to an excuse from the Charge they lie under of alienating the Divine Honour when they give supreme Worship to the Sacrament And now I have done with the first particular the terminating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Eucharist 2. Invocation of Saints The Romanists in this do that which is highly injurious to the peculiar Honour of God When they direct Mental Prayer to the Saints the action in its own nature imports an acknowledgment That they understand the Heart which is a priviledge appropriated to the Supreme Being in the Holy Scripture Thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men 2 Chro. 6.30 There is not a tittle in any part of Divine Revelation whereby it appears that God makes known our Hearts to them but on the contrary many clear intimations That he reserves this knowledge entirely to himself When Vocal Prayer is made to them for Grace and Glory it involves a confession of a power residing in them to confer that which is the gift of God alone thro' Jesus Christ If it be said That they are invocated not as Authors but Intercessors for these things they contradict the stile of their Devotion O Maria gratiosa dulcis mitis formosa applica nobis gratiam O Maria gloriosa in deliciis deliciosa praepara nobis gloriam In the Psalter of the Virgin all the Addresses made to God of whatsoever nature are directed to Her It is said That God the Father has done for Her what Assuerus promised to Esther given one moiety of his Kingdom namely That of Mercy to Her reserving the other of Justice to himself But let it be so That one thing is spoken and another meant which is not decent at any time much less in the Worship of God and the Saints are prayed unto as Intercessors yet this action cannot be excused from the blame of usurping the Honour of the second Person in the Sacred Trinity who is appointed to be the only Mediator betwixt God and Man We know of no other in the Scripture and it is not for mortal Man to appoint new Advocates in the Kingdom of Heaven and make them Rivals with the great Master of Requests who is of God's designation An Earthly Prince looks upon it as an insufferable insolence for Subjects to appoint who shall be his great Officers without his Order and Command If it be said That the Saints are invocated not as co-ordinate Intercessors but subordinate to Christ this will not much mend the matter For whether they be the first or last yet it is plain that when one particular Saint is Invocated the same hour and instant in diverse places for things of a different nature a capacity is supposed in that Saint to hear all their Petitions at once and by consequence to have an infinite Understanding A Finite Intellect tho' in the fruition of the greatest advantages either from the Revelation of God or Relation of Angels can understand but one object at a time To have an actual apprehension of more than one at the same moment is a peculiarity belonging to an unlimited and infinite capacity If it be added that the Sense of the Church is That we must have recourse to the Prayers of the Saints departed as we have to them while they are living here this will not amount to any reasonable satisfaction There is not the same reason for praying to Saints in Heaven as there is for our desiring our Brethren here to pray for us 1. They are at a distance These are present If a man residing in England should fall upon his knees and supplicate his friend in the Indies to assist him with his Prayers the very Action in its own nature would import an attribution of an immensity to him which is peculiar to God If he should daily use his picture to excite his devotion and kneeling before it make such religious applications as are usually made to the glorified Saints before their Images every one would look upon him as a person doing that which is highly prejudicial to the Divine Honour There is as much reason to believe that the Saints on Earth may hear our Prayers at a distance as the Saints in Heaven There is not one Syllable in the Bible to assure us to the contrary Abraham is ignorant of us Isa 36. And if Abraham the Father of the Faithful is a stranger to our concerns much more his Children who are in his Bosom God and Angels may reveal our necessities to our friends in any place yet no man looks upon this possibility as a sufficient ground to pray unto them when they are at a distance from us The Prayer
lawful to worship brass or any other matter All this if duly pondered will assure us That there is no Commission from God for Image-Worship but on the contrary an explicit prohibition God has made a peremptory declaration that he will make no such grant My Glory will I not give to another nor my Praise to graven Images Isa 42.8.48.11 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth exclude every thing from having any interest in his Glory which hath an essence distinct from the Divine Nature It is not reconcileable with his immutable Sanctity to condescend to any such Concession To alienate his peculiar Worship and Glory is an act intrinsecally evil Indeed the Romanists say They do no such matter His peculiar Worship is always accompanied with an apprehension of infinite excellency residing in the Object which it is terminated upon and no such thing is believed by them concerning Images To which we reply That peculiar Worship is either internal or external Tho' internal which includes such an apprehension is not given to Images yet external is which consists in outward signs appropriated by Nature or Institution to import and signifie it He is not only injurious to God who alienates the whole but he who exhibits any part of it to a Creature He is accounted a Traitor who pays part of the Tribute to another Prince which is peculiar to his own The Israelites tho' they did not apprehend that Aaron and Jeroboam's Calves were invested with the incommunicable perfections of the Deity yet they are charged with Idolatry upon the account of the external Worship they gave to them The Arrians lie under the same imputation in the Writings of the Fathers because they worshipped Christ whom they believed not to be God The Christians in Julian's time did think they had contracted the same guilt when thro' fraud they were unwittingly induced to give external Honour to those Idols of which they had in their hearts a perfect abhorrence SECT III. Concerning the True Worshippers of God WHat is to be spoken concerning this Head I shall reduce to these Three Particulars I. Who they be that are obliged to Worship II. How they are to perform their duty III. What end they are to propose to themselves in the doing of it I. Who they are that lie under an obligation to Worship Religion being a reasonable Service those who are concerned in it must be endued with Reason and Understanding and these are either Angels or Men. The Angels Enjoying the favour of being admitted to the Beatifical Vision are under a willing necessity of being engaged in the highest acts of Religion The constant disclosures of the Divine Glory do command from them the most reverential regards They are stiled Cherubims to import That they are always upon the Wing prepared to execute the Divine Pleasure and Seraphim to denote their Zeal in the discharge of their obligations Their conformity to the great command of Love we have an Apodictical Evidence of in their rejoycing at the Conversion of a Sinner and the Renovation of the Divine Image in him They are so absolute in the performance of the Duties of Religion that their Practice is propounded as the Pattern of our Obedience Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven When the Second Person in the Sacred Trinity was introduced into the World that the infirmities of humane Nature with which he was cloathed might be no temptation to them to make any abatement in their usuall addresses a special Command is given Let all the Angels of God Worship him Heb. 1.6 Men Who are those whom we here inquire after are either Secular or Ecclesiastical Secular are not exempted from Religious Worship It is said That the Earth has a double motion one about its own Axis another about the Sun Secular men must imitate the Earth besides their motion about their Earthly affairs they must have another about their Celestial The Lord who bestows the World upon them has reserved a Rent to himself Religion concerns every man in whatsoever Function he is engaged Particular Vocations like Pharaoh's thin ears of Corn must not devour the General When any enter upon their Civil Imployments they do not cease to be Creatures invested with Reason and so long as they continue in that capacity they ly under an indispensable obligation to pay a Religious Homage to that Eternal Spirit by whose Incubation they were formed Neither do they cease to have a passionate desire for their own happiness and no man can enjoy any measure of this without a union with the Supreme Good the dissatisfactions which often emerge while we are in the embraces of these sublunary fruitions do openly proclaim them not to be the seat of real Beatitude and Union with the Supreme Good cannot be expected except we with all integrity Serve and Worship God Whatsoever our employment is we continue to be Creatures of that Species towards whose redemption an infinite price has been deposited and therefore must remain under the strictest obligations to be Religious This is the Apostles argument Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God It is an hyperbole of ingratitude not to be ingaged in these actions which have the most direct aspect upon his honour from whom so signal a benefit is received No worldly concern can cancel our obligations to him who has parted with his own Son in order to the procurement of our Redemption from the greatest Misery and Vassalage Lastly God is the Fountain of all that Wisdom whereby any are fitted for their Callings All from the Shovel to the Scepter from the lowest to the highest are instructed by him He teacheth Princes to Rule and guides the Husbandman to manage the instruments of Agriculture Those who have this dependence upon God offend against the clearest dictate of Reason if they refuse to intermit their labour that they be employed in the most solemn agnitions of him The noise in this sublunary state about secular matters will make no harmony in the ear of the Supreme Being except such Rests and Pauses be intermingled with it Upon this account the Apostle adviseth That every one abide in his Calling in which he is called with God Let our Function require never so much of our attendance yet God must not be excluded Some time must be spared for the immediate acts of his Solemn Worship As Secular Men are concerned in this Sacred Work So likewise much more those who are Ecclesiastical I mean such Persons as are solemnly Ordained and Consecrated to the performance of some Religious Offices The necessity of them will be manifest if we consider that a part of that Service which the Gospel requires in particular the being an Embassadour to the Son of God is a work of such importance that every capacity is not agreeable to it It doth not become every one to stand in this relation to an Earthly Prince much less to the Heavenly Now men usually are no
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Eusebius They are the same which the Rabbins call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sahbatharii Lastly The First of the Week is represented as a day instituted by Christ in the place of the Jewish Sabbath For this we have the plain words of Athanasius Hom. de Semente 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord hath translated the day of the Sabbath to the Lord's day In the Homily of the Place and Time of Prayer Sunday is Three times called the Sabbath and it is plainly asserted That there is both the Example and Commandment of God for the celebration of this day That this Example and Commandment the godly Christians began to follow immediately after the Ascension of our Lord Christ That we are bound to keep the same day not only for that it is God's express Commandment but also to declare our selves to be loving children in following the example of our gracious Lord and Father And now if we look back and consider what has been represented from the Law Prophets our Blessed Lord the Holy Apostles the Christians which lived in the following Ages we may find just reason to believe That when the Old Sabbath was abrogated the First of the Week was substituted in the room of it FINIS BOOKS Printed at the Theatre in Oxford and Sold by Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in S. Paul's Church-yard 1. INstitutiones Grammaticae Anglo-Saxonicae Maeso-Gothicae Auctore G. Hickesio Ecclesiae Anglicanae Presbytero Quarto 2. Chr. Wasii Senarius sive de Legibus Licentia veterum Poëtarum Quarto 3. Misnae Pars Ordinis primi Zeraim Titul septem Latinè verrit Commentario illustravit Guiliel Guisius Accedit Mosis Maimonidis Praefatio in Misnam Edv. Pocockio Interprete Quar. 4. A Reply to two Discourses lately printed at Oxford concerning the Adoration of our B. Saviour in the Holy Eucharist Quar. 5. Some Reflections upon a Treatise call'd Pietas Romana Parisiensis lately printed at Oxford To which are added I. A vindication of Protestant Charity in Answer to some Passages in Mr. E. M's Remarks on a late Conference II. A Defence of the Oxford Reply to two Discourses there printed A.D. 1687. quar 6. Animadversions on the Eight Theses laid down and the Inferences deduced from them in a Discourse Entitled Church-Government Part V. lately printed at Oxford Quar. 7. Reflections on the Historical part of Church-Government Part V. Quar. 8. An Answer to some Considerations on the Spirit of Martin Luther and the Original of the Reformation lately printed at Ox. quar 9. Of the Unity of the Church a Discourse written 1430 years since in the time of Decius the Persecuting Emperor By Cyprian Bishop of Carthage and Martin Most useful for allaying the present Heats and reconciling the Differences among us 10. The Judgment and Decree of the University of Oxford past in their Convocation July 21.1683 against certain pernicious Books and damnable Doctrines destructive to the Sacred Persons of Princes their State and Government and of all Humane Society rendred into English and published by Command Fol. 11. Diadascaloeophus or the Deaf and Dumb Man's Tutor To which is added A Discourse of the Nature and Number of double Consonants Both which Tracts being the first for what the Author knows that have been published upon either of the Subjects By G. Dalgarno Oct. 12. The Depth and Mystery of the Roman Mass laid open and explained for the use of reformed and unreformed Christians By Dan. Brevint D. D. Twelves There are lately Printed for Walter Kettilby these following Books Dr. Burnet's Theory of the Earth the two last Books concerning the Conflagration of the World and the new Heavens and the new Earth Fol. Answer to Mr. Warren's Exceptions against the first Part. Consideration of Mr. Warren's Defence Relation of the Proceedings at Charter-House upon occasion of K. James II. his presenting a Papist to be admitted into that Hospital in virtue of his Letters Dispensatory Fol. Telluris Theoria Sacra Libri duo posteriores de Conflagratione Mundi de futuro rerum statu Quarto Archaeologiae Philosophicae Sive Doctrina antiqua de Rerum Originibus Libri Duo Bishop Overal's Convocation Book 1606. concerning the Government of God's Catholick Church and the Kingdoms of the whole World Quarto Mr. Nicholl's Answer to an Heretical Book call'd The Naked Gospel Quarto Turner de Lapsu Angelorum Hominum Mr. Lamb's Dialogues about the Lord's Supper Octavo Mr. Raymond's Pattern of pure and undefiled Religion Octavo Exposition on the Church Catechism Oct. Animadversions on Mr. Johnson's Answer to Jovian in Three Letters Octavo Mr. Dodwell's Two Letters of Advice about Susception of Holy Orders c. Mr. Milbourn's Mysteries in Religion Vindicated Or Filiation Deity and Satisfaction of our Saviour asserted against Socinians and others with occasional Reflections on several late Pamphlets Octavo Bishop of Rath and Well's Reflections on a French Testament printed at Bourdeaux Quar. Dr. Sharp's now A. B. of York Sermon before the Queen April 11. 1690. on Gal. 15.13 Fast Sermon before the House of Commons May 21. 1690. on Deut. 5.21 Farewel Sermon at S. Giles's June 28. 1691. on Phil. 4.8 Sermon before the House of Lords November 5. 1691. on Rom. 10.2 Sermon before the King and Queen on Christmas-day 1691. on Heb. 19.26 Sermon on Easter-day 1692. on Ph. 3.10 Sermon of the Things that make for Peace before the Lord Mayor Aug. 23. 1674. on Rom. 14.19 Sermon before the L. Mayor Jan. 1675. on 1 Tim. 4.8 both new Printed Archbishop of York's Thanksgiving Sermon before the King and Queen Novem. 12. 1693. Dr. Grove's now L. Bishop of Chichester Sermon before the King and Q. June 1. 1690. Dr. Pelling's Sermon before the King and Queen Dec. 8. 1689. Vindication of those that have taken the Oaths Quarto Dr. Hooper's Sermon before the Queen Jan. 24. 1690. Kelsey Concio de Aeterno Christi Sacerdotio Sermon of Christ crucified Aug. 23. 1691. Dr. Hickman's Thanksgiving Sermon before the House of Commons Octob. 19. 1690. Sermon before the Queen Oct. 26. 1690. Mr. Lamb's Sermon before the King and Queen Jan. 19. 1689. Sermon before the Queen Jan. 24. 1690. Dr. Worthington of Christian Love Octavo Faith and Practice of a Church of England Man Twelves Fourth Edition Mr. Jeffery's Religion the Perfection of Man Octav. Dr. Scot's Sermon before the Q. May 22. 1692. Mr. Marriot's Sermon before the L. Mayor on Easter-day 1689. Sermon of Union at the Election of the L. Mayor Mich. 1689. Mr. Stainforth's Serm. Jan. 30. 1688. at York Dr. Lynford's before the Lord Mayor Feb. 24. 1688. Mr. Young's Sermon of Union May 20. 1688. The Protestant and Popish Way of interpreting Scripture in Answer to Pax vobis Dr. Resbury's before the Lord Mayor Oct. 21. 1688. Amiraldus of Divine Dreams Discourse of the Nature of Man both in his Natural and Political Capacity both as he is a Rational Creature and member of a Civil Society with an Examination of some of Mr. Hobbs's opinions relating hereunto both by J. Lowde Rector of Vttrington in Yorkshire sometime Fellow of Clare-Hall in Cambridge True Conduct of Persons of Quality Translated out of French The Interest of England considered in an Essay upon Wool our Woolen Manufactures and the Improvement of Trade with some Remarks upon the Conceptions of Sir Josiah Child Mr. Young's Sermon concerning the Wisdom of Fearing God Preached at Salisbury Sunday July 30. being the time of the Assizes Printed at the request of the Lawyers A Sermon Preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of the City of London and the Court of Aldermen at Guild-Hall Chapel on Sunday Aug. 20. 1693. By Jonas Warly M. A. Vicar of Witham in Essex A Sermon Preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Livery-men of the City of London in the Parish Church of S. Lawrence-Jewry on the Feast of S. Michael 1693. at the Election of the Lord Mayor for the year ensuing by William Strengfellow M. A. Lecturer of S. Dunstan's East FINIS
glory of Miracles 247. Nay greater motives of credibility on our side That there is no such infallible Guide as First 'T is no where revealed by Jesus Christ 251. Secondly 'T is inconsistent with the nature of an intellectual Being 252. 'T is Thirdly destructive of True Virtue 253. Fourthly It can be of no advantage in our present circumstances ib. Fifthly 'T is not reconcileable to the divine intention in giving the sacred Oracles 255. Sixthly All the testimony for it comes only from the Church of Rome her self 256. Seventhly The Primitive Constitution of the Church plainly intimates that no one Guide was designed supream over all the Churches of the World 257. Eightly No provision made of an infallible Guide in a case of like importance 260. Ninthly Such a Guide not easily reconcileable with the constitution of Civil Empires 262. Tenthly and lastly There is a plain prediction in Scripture of one that would pretend to be that infallible Guide 264. Thus much in answer to the first opinion Then as to the 2 Opinion inconsistent with the Scriptures being our Guide namely That we ought to rely entirely upon the conduct of our own reason shewn First that it would have its effects with respect to Religion and the Church 269. Secondly That 't is not consistent with the interest of humane Society 270. Thirdly disagreeable to the propensity of humane Nature 273. Fourthly Prejudicial to the Souls of Men 276. For speculative error in Religion is no such indifferent thing as some think in that First Error is inclusive of disobedience 278. Secondly Errors in Religion are not unavoidable 279. Thirdly 'T is no uncharitableness to say Error is danmable ib. Fourthly The reason why a just Catalogue of errors can't be given is because one error may be damnable in one that is not so in another 280. Fifthly The fault may be known by the guilty if they take care to look back and fully examine things ib. Sixthly God doth not put us here into a state of mere probability 281. Seventhly An erroneous Conscience is not God's True Vicegerent 282. 2. As to the assistance God affords us by his Holy Spirit to enable us to Worship him This is either general or special so as to leave men inexcusable 283 as is more largely proved to p. 293. 3. Lastly As to God's affording us the merits of our Saviour to procure the acceptance of our performance This cleared by the following steps First The acceptance of our Worship and Service is not upon its own account 294. Nor Secondly Vpon account of the favour of God without the interposal of satisfaction for sin 295. This agreeable to Scripture ib. and the propensity of God's nature 296. and clear'd from the objections against it 297. Thirdly This necessary satisfaction Christ has performed 300. for First He suffered the punishment of our sins ib. Secondly What he suffered was in our stead 311 whether it be considered as a Sacrifice ib. or as a Ransom 316. Thirdly By what be suffered in our stead the damage done by sin is repaired und God appeased and reconciled to us on the conditions of the New Covenant 319. Crellius here answered 322. Fourthly Our acceptance with God is upon account of his meritorious satisfaction 325. And Fifthly and lastly upon acaccount of that only 326. SECT V. Concerning the Place of Divine Worship THIS Threefold according to the threefold capacity of Man may be considered in First any solitary place whatever as he is one single private person 331. or Secondly The family of which we are members ib. Such family-worship reasonable ib. practised by the Heathen 332. agreeable to the Old Testament ib. and the New 333. Thirdly Churches or places of Publick Worship as such are members of an Ecclesiastical Community 334. The reasons for such Assemblies shewn from the nature of a Church ib. and from the practice of God's people in all ages as before the Law 336. under it ib. and after it 340. SECT VI. Concerning the Time of Divine Worship BEsides our worshipping God daily 348. and upon particular occasions and emergencies by fastings and thanksgivings 349. there ought to be solemn set times peculiarly devoted to his honour 350 as will be better understood by considering I. God requires not only an inward but an outward Worship 351. II. This external Worship must not be only in private but in publick too 352. III. The time for this publick worship ought to be stated ib. IV. It is expedient it should be taken out of some part of the week ib. V. This part of the week can't in reason be less than one whole day 353. whether we consider the Object of our Worship ib or the Nature of it ib or the pattern of the Triumphant Church 354 or the practice of the Militant ib or the early division of time into weeks 355 or lastly the writings of the Heathens 358. VI. 'T is highly reasonable to believe the setting out the just time should be left to God himself 361. VII This time is determined by God in the Fourth Commandment to one day in seven as a proportion perpetually to be devoted to Religious Worship 363. For First It is one in seven and not the seventh from the Creation which is enjoyned by the Fourth Commandment ib. Secondly The Sabbath of the Fourth Command One in Seven is perpetual 372 for 't is part of the Decalogue which obliges in all ages ib as may be gathered First from its being distinguish'd in the Old Tastament from those Laws which the time of Reformation has put a period to ib Secondly from many intimations in the New that the Decalogue as delivered by Moses is to continue as a perpetual Rule to Christians 373 all which is agreeable to the opinions of the Primitive Fathers 378 and of our own Church 379 some Objections answered 380 c. and others 385 c. Thirdly This proportion of One in seven is by the Command to be devoted to Divine Worship and not only to bodily rest 395. shewn from the order of the Commandments of the First Table ib. from God's blessing the Sabbath day 396. and from the practice of the Israelites and the modern Jews upon the Sabbath ib some Objections by the Author of the Epilogue considered 397 c. VIII Propos This proportion One in Seven was determined to the Jewish day by another Precept which was to oblige only till the Jewish Oeconomy had a period put to it 403. IX Propos When the last of the Week had a period put to it the First was substituted in the room of it 414. as appears probable from the Law ib. the Prophets 415. our Blessed Lord 420. the holy Apostles and Disciples 425. and Lastly the Testimony of the following Ages 429. ERRATA PAge 20. line 16. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 58. l. 12 13. r. in sensible p. 84. l. 22. r. contrived p. 189. l. 30. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 190. l. 6. r.
coveted p. 234. l. 9. r. enlarged p. 294. l. 16. r. flaws p. 302. l. 2. r. to induce p. 315. l. 13. dele which p. 318. l. 22. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 323. l. 31. r. are in p. 345. l. 33. r. and the p. 348. l. 21. r. used The Reader is desired to amend with his Pen what lesser faults and mis-pointings he meets with A TREATISE relating to the Worship of GOD. SECTION 1. Concerning the Nature of Divine Worship HE who will give himself leisure to ponder the importance of Religious Veneration and the innate pronity in men to form incongruous Notions of it and the restless attempts of the Infernal Spirit to cherish this inclination and keep us from right conceptions about it will easily be induced to justifie the present Inquiry Religious Worship is deservedly accounted by the Hebrews as one of the Pillars which support the World and prevent its retirement into its primitive Abyss It cannot be expected that the Arm of Omnipotence which bears up all Things should continue to be so propitious where the Homage due to Heaven is not paid It is a provocation of the first magnitude to neglect the making our reverential acknowledgments to Him to whom we are indebted for our Existence and whatsoever contributes to our real Felicity There cannot be a more open affront put upon the indispensable Law of Gratitude If we reflect upon the Bounty of the Supreme Being it will easily inform us that some thankful return is to be made and to Worship and solemnly own the infinite Excellency of our Benefactor is all that we are in capacity to do No real addition can accrue to boundless perfection Of this Worship which is so important we are apt to entertain very unsuitable apprehensions A sense of the Deity is deeply rooted in humane Nature and by reason of the natural depravation it lies under there is an universal belief of our being obnoxious to Divine Justice This raiseth fears and jealousies and puts the Soul upon devising ways whereby the Supreme Being may be atoned Invention is set upon the Rack and as many reconciling methods thought upon as there are diversities of Humors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the true fountain of that Superstition which we often meet with in the Writings of the Heathens They upon a deliberate view and survey of themselves finding that they were not in a temper agreeable to the Idea which they had of a Sovereign Being and likewise unable to contest with his power which they had reason to believe their own delinquencies would not permit to be propitious unto them They fell to contrive several ways of Worship in order to the procuring an Atonement At first they Sacrificed Plants afterwards Beasts at last Men. The meanest creatures as Apes Onions Garlick they courted with Divine Veneration Euseb de laudibus Const p. 645 Vales fearing otherwise they might neglect the giving their due regards to that transcendent power which appeared in the formation of them They dressed up their Religion with all the Ornaments of Art thinking by their pompous Addresses to reconcile the Deity and induce him to favour them with a benign Aspect To this we may add the uncessant endeavours of our Infernal Adversary to keep us from right conceptions of Worship He invents several ways and keeps up the credit of them by blending something with them which he borrows from the divine Institutions Correspondencies betwixt his Worship and some rites recorded in the Bible are evident demonstrations of this truth The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb praep Evan. l. 1. p. 37. Plut. Symp. to which religious Addresses were made exactly answer to the Pillar of Stone which Jacob erected in Bethel The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the solemn Feast of Bacchus is agreeable to the bearing of boughs at the Feast of Tabernacles The garment embroidered with Gold worn by those who were concerned in the Solemnity bears some similitude to the Sacerdotal Vestment worn by the High-Priest The two Stones Pausan in Arcad. Fel. Sel. p. 173. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignis Jehovae Delph Phoeni. c. 11. p. 115. within which the Rites of Ceres were kept are parallel to the Two Tables upon which the Decalogue was engraven The eternal Fire in the Temple of Vesta wants not a resemblance of the Fire which by the Law was always to burn upon the Altar At the place where the infernal Oracles used to be given forth there was a Curtain in imitation of the Tabernacle A Tripos like to the Ark of the Covenant A Holmus made after the manner of the propitiatory A Table resembling that upon which the Shew-bread was placed Philost vit Apol. l. 3. c. 3. p. 11◠The most sacred Oath amongst the Indians by a Well did derive its Original from Beersheba the Well of the Oath where Abraham swore to Abimelech The Well they stile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Well of Conviction A little way off was placed a Vessel of Fire call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fire of Pardon where they purged themselves from involuntary sins It is believed This was an imitation of John's Baptism by Water and Christ's by Fire The words of Tertullian concerning the Infernal Spirit are agreeable to all this Praescr p. 339. Res Sacramentorum Divinorum in Idolorum mysteriis aemulatur These instances make it obvious that there has been in some particulars a similitude betwixt the Worship of Jehovah and the Rites which have been practised in the Kingdom of Darkness This agreement must happen either fortuitously or else be designed by some intelligent Being The first cannot be asserted with any good reason It is not conceivable how there should be a harmony in so many things of a positive nature without the interposals of an intellectual Principle If it was designed then God must either intend an imitation of the Worship of the Devil or the Devil the Worship of God to assert the first is highly incongruous God forbids his people to enquire into his Worship and learn the ways he had seduced the Heathens into It cannot be imagined that he should teach them that which he forbids them to learn The Mosaical Law was enacted with a design to obliterate the memory of the Religion of the Idolaters and therefore we cannot think that he would make any of their injunctions a part of his own The Records of the Worship of Jehovah are of a more early date than those which represent unto us the Worship of the Heathens And we cannot conceive how the contents of the Ancient Record should be an imitation of what is contained in the Modern The Author of the Maccabees says 1 Macc. 3.48 that the Heathens set up Idols which have some likeness to those things which are contained in the Law And the Fathers of the Christian Church generally accord in this that the Ethnick constitutions did
The more esteemable the sacrifice is the more honour must necessarily accrue to him who has the tender of it 3. The Law concerning Sacrifice is distinguist from the Laws of Nature in holy Writ We find it placed in an inferiour rank Psal 50.8 we must not think that sacrifices here are put below the obligations of Nature as offering â—â—â—â—ks paying Vows calling upon God v. 14 15. because they were offered with unhallowed hands The Psalmist speaks to holy Men gather my Saints together v. 5. Hear O my people v. 7. The wicked are not spoken to till the discourse concerning this matter is finished v. 16. Parallel to this is what is expressed in the book of Jer. c. 7. v. 22. Burnt-offerings are represented as not primarily intended when the Law was given forth but obedience to the voice of Heaven which is an undoubted dictate of Nature We never read that a conformity to the Laws of Nature is confined to particular persons or places as the Law of Sacrificing is in the Old Testament Nature being universal under no such confinement the duty to comply with her demands must be of the same latitude 4. The Heathens in whom the Light of Nature was most refined did not account sacrificing to be of the Law of Nature They marked the sacrificing of Grass 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 2. de Abst p. 53. Porph. and the more simple and natural Fruits of the Earth with a note of errour as is evident by the words of Porphyry They did so highly condemn the offering of Myrr Câ—sia Frankincense that they pronounced a curse against those who deserted the primitive custom and thought to please the Deity with such perfumes for this reason they were stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imprecatio They did inveigh against the offering up of brute-animals as impious unjust and hurtful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eus prae Evan. l. 4. c. 14 p. 153. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 2. p. 98. Porphyry says that all sacrifice is either for the honouring of the gods or the expressing a grateful resentment of benefits received or the procuring those things we stand in need of and makes it appear that the killing of animals has no congruity to any of these ends They condemn the sacrificing of men For this reason the antient custom at Rhodes of sacrificing an innocent person annually was altered and one adjudged to die for his crimes substituted in his room The King of Cyprus rescinded a Law of the same importance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amosis did the like in Heliopolis Instead of three men which use to be sacrificed to Juno he appointed three images of wax equal to them to be offered up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb l. 4. c. 16. p. 155. Adrian by the same reason was induced to abrogate all humane sacrifices They disallowed the sacrificing of any thing which is of a material and sensible nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porphyr apud Euseb praep Ev. l. 4. p. 149. Porph. c. 2. p. 99. l. de sacrificiis Euseb l. 4. c. 13. p. 150. asserting that there is nothing material which is not impure to him who is immaterial They expresly say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pure mind and soul free from exorbitant passion is the most acceptable sacrifice that can be tendered to the Deity Apollonius Tianeus asserts that the way to make God propitius to a man is not to kindle fire and sacrifice sensible things but to offer up his mind in Prayer to him These particulars being put together it is evident that the sacrificing material things is not grounded upon the Law of Nature If there be a positive institution for it it must be either in the Old or New Testament In the Old I grant it even before the Law was given from mount Sinai This is evident from the general practice of men Cain and Abel in the land of Eden Abraham in the land of Canaan Job in the land of Vz Jethro in the land of Midian If there had been nothing in the case but arbitrary pleasure and no setled institution even from the Creation it cannot be conceived how persons of different tempers inhabiting at a great distance one from another should come all to conspire in the same practice And if there was an institution it could be from none but God The grand design of Sacrifices will contribute a further evidence to this assertion They all from the beginning were types of the Sacrifice of Christ the Lamb of God was slain in effigie from the foundation of the World If the Oblation of Christ has its foundation in a divine institution which all must grant then sacrifices which had always an aspect upon it must have the same basis He who designs the end appoints the means conducing to it The Faith of the Sacrificers is a further demonstration Abel is said by Faith to offer up a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain Heb. 11.4 Faith in this chapter is mentioned several times and is in every place of the same import Now it is expressed that the Faith of Noah and Abraham was founded upon Revelation the first was warned of God the second called therefore we have reason to conclude the same concerning the Faith of Abel when he made his Oblation to the Divine Majesty Lastly God's acceptance of the Sacrifices then tendred gives assurance that the Sacrificers had the warranty of the Divine Will for what they did The usual token was the descent of celestial Fire upon the Sacrifice We never read of any such testimony that was given of divine complacency in meer arbitrary worship but on the contrary frequent condemnation of it Tho the worship at Tophet was highly culpable upon several accounts yet they are all omitted except this one yet it never came into the heart of God to command it Jer. 7. v. 21. c. 19. v. 5. Tho' all this be granted it will not follow that Sacrificing is to be continued under the New Testament but on the contrary we have a clear repeal of the old Law as is manifest by the following considerations 1. The Place to which the offering of Sacrifice was appropriated is irrecoverably destroyed by the allowance of Heaven as appears by the predictions of the Prophets and the words of our blessed Saviour When the Jews had obtained a grant from Julian to rebuild it and spared no cost their very shovels being of silver in order to the accomplishment of their work Theod. Hist l. 3. c. 17. p. 103. yet they were not able to perfect it What they did in the day was undone by an invisible hand in the night Vast heaps of materials prepared for building were dissipated by violent Tempests They not desisting nowtithstanding these significations of displeasure at last they were compelled by an Earthquake and an eruption of Fire which consumed many of them 2. The Priesthood which was solely interested in
close a confinement takes its flight with the other two blended with it into the upper region of the Earth where they constitute Minerals Plants and whatsoever the earth we tread upon is adorned with This Hypothesis is no prejudice to us for it supposeth an intelligent Being as the first Creator of matter and Moderator of its motion And when it is managed with the greatest dexterity comes very short of giving true satisfaction about many terrestrial Phaenomena how they are produced in a Mechanical way In it no provision is made for any reasonble account of the variety of Plants how it comes to pass that out of one and the same soil should spring such great diversity as the earth is beautified with If these did originally emerg out of a combination of various Particles ascending from the interior region of the Earth there must be a continuation of the like emanations for the nourishing of them and if so it is unaccountable how the several streams of Particles should be able to find out amidst such great variety as is sometimes in a little spot of ground all those roots which they properly belong to Neither can any good reason be given in case all these should be pull'd up and Wheat or any other Grain sown in the room of them how all those Particles of which some are supposed inflexible when they miss of the roots they are accustomed to should presently change their figure and become as nutritive of the new body as they had been formerly of the old To say the Succus of the Earth is modified by the figure of the Root or Seed is contrary to the Hypothesis under consideration for it is supposed in it that the interior region of the Earth is the shop where all the Particles are forged But let it be so it is but necessary that those who say it should give some account in a Mechanical way how the Seed came to be in such a mode or figure This Hypothesis likewise leaves us as much at a loss about the curiosities which appear in the composure of Plants Whatsoever Particles may be drawn out of the bowels of the Earth and elevated to the surface of it yet it doth not appear by any Mechanical Law how they should fall into such exact order as to produce the elegant colours and curious proportions which are visible in them Were Archimedes present with his Compasses or Michael Angelo with his Pencil their imitations would fall very short of that exactness which is obvious to every eye There are as great difficulties about their various virtues Whatsoever Succus ascends to the exterior part of the Earth it is not conceivable how it should cause a Plant to spring up which is hot in its operation and within an inch of it another cold one astringent another laxative one poisonous another nutritive one grateful another displeasing to the palate If this variety were the product only of some juice modified within the Earth this juice must be Homogeneous or Heterogeneous NOt the first because it could not be the cause of so much variety Not the second because the soil many times where such Plants grow is found in every part of it to be of the same Nature as appears by its administring an equal nourishment when the Plants are rooted up to any kind of Seed which is sown in the room of them Lastly The Hypothesis we speak of gives no account how a little kernel comes to be improved into the vast body of a Tree How a grain of Mustard the least of all Seeds should become the greatest of Herbs Why the Thistle in Lebanon should not be as tall as the Cedar or the Oak in Bashan as low as the Hyssop upon the wall It has not yet been made to appear by what force the Succus ascends contrary to its own gravity How it comes to climb in some Trees a yard in others five by what Law it is engaged to spread it self into Arms and Branches and what Principle has set bounds which cannot be exceeded So inscrutable is the Wisdom of him who framed the Earth that the most profound inquiries into Nature are not able to discover all the methods of it Something is industriously concealed to teach us that the Wisdom which formed the Earth far transcends all finite capacities As the Earth so the Men which inhabit it declare the existence of a Deity in their Bodies and Souls 1. Their Bodies He who takes a deliberate view of the composure of them must necessarily be convinced of the interposals of Wisdom in the contrivance The usual indications of Wisdom are the aiming at some worthy design the election of congruous means for the accomplishment of it and the actual bringing to pass what is designed All these are manifest to any who consider the frame of a humane Body It is manifestly intended to be a convenient habitation for the Soul This immortal Tenant having a considerable term of time to spend in it and being of an active and vigorous nature delighted with variety of objects it is necessary that its dwelling should be repaired be moveable and furnished with avenues whereby it may entertain and perceive those objects it meets with In order to repairs there could not be a better provision of means contrived by all the Wisdom in the World Two rowes of Teeth are formed to prepare the nourishment by Mastication an acid humor in the Ventricle for the conversion of it into Chyle strait passages in the Intestines for the separation of the purer part from the excrementitious a conveiance for it to the common Receptacle Ductus to derive it from thence into the Veins where by the potency of the Blood it is converted into the same nature Ventricles in the Heart for the entertainment of it Valvulae to prevent the recess and the Hearts being charged with too great a quantity at one time which might occasion a suffocation a passage out of the Ventricle into the Lungs where the Air thro' the Larynk communicates a temper to it a passage out of the Lungs into the left and from thence by the branches of the great Artery into all the parts of the Body Anastomoses or pores for the transmission of it out of the Arteries into the Veins again that the circulation may be continued for the repetition of the same work That every part of the body may move there is likewise a wise and accurate provision The immediate instruments of motion are the Muscles Besides the Flesh which is predominant in their composition they have Filaments or Fibres which constitute the tendon or ligament whereby the Muscle is tied to the part which it is designed to move Besides the Fibres there are Nerves which serve as channels to convey the Spirits For the providing matter for the generation of Spirits a vast quantity of Blood is prepared far exceeding what is found in other Animals The Blood in the body of Man bears the same
proportion to the other parts of it as one does to ten So that if a Man weighs two hundred pounds the Blood makes twenty of them Whereas in other Animals it is but as one to twenty For the distiling and straining of the Spirits out of this matter there is an elaboratory namely the Brain which in a Man is twice as much as in a Beast four times bigger in body As Men are designed for more action than brute Animals so the preparations conducing to that purpose are greater these Spirits commanded by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Soul into any part of the Body swell the Muscle and cause it to attract and pull the part which it is tied unto That the Soul may have a sensation of external objects their preparations are not inferior to those for motion and nutrition The Nerves which arise in the Brain are dispersed into all the parts of the Body So that no member can be touched by any object but the impression is presently conveyed into the Head Tho' there is great variety in the modification of the external Senses yet there is nothing superfluous I will instance only in the Eye It is lapped about with two coats to defend it against the injuries of the Air the outward is diaphanous in the forepart for the admission of the raies of light The inward has an aperture for the same reason which like a Curtain is moveable that the Pupilla may be greater or less according to the dimensions or distance of the object These Coats are filled with three Humours which refract the raies proceeding from the same point and make them to meet again at the bottom of the Eye which very much promotes distinct Vision The Crystalline Humor has on both sides the Processus Ciliares which serve as Tendons to alter the figure of it according as the object is nearer or farther off It will never enter into the belief of any intelligent Man that this provision for nutrition motion and sensation should be accidental and if any Wisdom be interested in the contrivance of it it must be our own or our Parents or the Wisdom of an invisible Being neither we or they know any thing of it and therefore there must be a Being in the World infinitely Wise which can be no other than what the true notion of a God imports As the Body so the Soul of Man evidently demonstrates the existence of a Deity the Powers of it are Two Understanding and Will These Two are so linked together that what conduceth to the perfection of the one never tends to the prejudice of the other The Will is no loser by any accomplishment of the Understanding nor the Understanding by any thing which is of sincere advantage to the Will If there be no God the contrary will be true For it is the perfection of the Understanding to know it truth being its proper object but the greatest damage to the Will No immorality will be disgusted when it comes to be informed that there is no Supreme Being to punish Vice and reward Virtue If the Understanding know it not this ignorance is a blemish to it but a true advantage to the Will there being nothing more efficacious to confine it within the bounds of Sobriety than this perswasion that there is a God The Principles as well as the Powers of the Soul give evidence in this matter As the false gods had their characters impressed upon the bodies of those who worshipped them So the True God has set his signatures upon the Soul there is a Law and a Conscience in every Man a Rule and a Judge a Law which points out the difference betwixt Just and Unjust Good and Evil Virtue and Vice This Rule is reduced in the Imperial Institutions to these Maximes Nothing must be done which is a violation of Piety Modesty Reputation We must not prejudice the estimation liberty and safety of others We must give to every one that which is his own These Axioms have the immediate effect of a Law which is to bind and take away our freedom to do that which is contrary Every Man is sensible that he is not at liberty to oppose the sence of these Propositions in his conversation In case he does if there be any remains of humane nature in him he finds himself under remorse and is really punished in the loss of that contentment which a sence of being employed in a good action is always accompanied with There cannot be a stricter obligation than this that a man must either do that which the propositions import or else lose his true felicity If this rule has the effect of a Law which is to bind it must have the essence and nature the operation is always a true indication of the nature of every thing and if the nature it must be made and impressed by some Sovereign Power The Legislative Power is never vested in an Inferior This Sovereign which made and impressed this Law must have a dominion over all mankind because all whether Princes or Peasants are sensible of their obligations in this particular Therefore there must be a Superior and invisible Power in the World which is that which we mean by the Deity As there is a Law in the Soul which argues the existence of God so likewise a Conscience This signifies the judgment of every Man imployed about his own actions as they bear a proportion or disproportion to the Divine Law Upon a discovery of guilt condemnation presently passeth and as great a consternation follows as that in a malefactor when he hears the sentence of death denounced against him Tho' in a time of prosperity when all things are quiet and serene the intellectual pulse may be very slow yet when a storm ariseth it is quickly awakened in the most exorbitant persons Every clap of Thunder is believed to be a messenger sent from Heaven to serve an Arrest upon them When they make the fairest appearance in the World they are like a Tragedy bound up in guilt leather without there is splendor within tumults and murder Their external Triumphs like the Drums of Tophet help only to drown the unwelcom reports of their uneasie Spirits These direful fears which haunt the Soul when it is no way obnoxious to the animadversions of humane justice evidently declare that there is an invisible power in the World which has impressed them and stands prepared to give it a taste of the most severe animadversions of his displeasure They cannot be imputed to melancholy because persons of all humours the most airy Tempers have been molested by them The Poet speaks of all in general But thinkst thou Curtman hoâ— in a vasâ—sse puteâ— c. they go free whose conscience make Whips that unheard their guilty Soul doth shake The Apostle asserts of the whole Community of the Gentiles Rom. 2. that their thoughts accuse them Neither are they the injections of politick Princes to keep their
of Nazianzen can be nothing but an Oratorical excursion adapted to the circumstances of his own Age in which the remains of the Martyrs were held in great estimation sometimes expressed by such sort of Actions as he attributes to the Mother of the seven Brethren tho' nothing was intended which did exceed a civil deference and respect The Invocation of Saints by degrees did creep into the Church The First step was a belief That the Saints departed did freely without any asking implore the Divine Majesty in the behalf of those which were left upon the earth without any apprehension of a duty incumbent on them to address their Prayers to them The Second was the practice of some who when the Martyrs were going out of the World did before their departure intreat them to remember them in Heaven The Third was occasioned by the Rhetorical Expressions of some in the Fourth Age who in their Panegyrical Orations made Apostrophe's to the Saints departed in order to the moving the Passions of their Auditors but withal did often insert such words as plainly intimate they had no assurance they were heard by them So that all that can be made of them are rather Oratorical Wishes than proper Invocations When these Flowers of Rhetorick were transplanted into the minds of the Vulgar the badness of the Soil made them to degenerate into Weeds They not rightly understanding the meaning of the Orators did by their ill construction encourage themselves to pray to Saints in their private Devotions which practice is fully condemned by S. Austin and Epiphanius and manifestly declared to be grounded upon the Superstition of the People and not the Doctrin of the Church The publick Offices of the Church are the proper Standard whereby we are to judge of the Worship of every Age and none such are found so early in which Prayer is directed to Saints in a state of separation Now I proceed to the last particular which is plainly injurious to the divine Honour namely the using of Images in the Worship of God Those who are concerned in this practice may be reduced to Three sorts 1. Such as pretend they give no Worship to Images but use them as memorials to quicken their Devotion and excite in them the remembrance of what they represent These do that which has no propitious influence upon Religion It will be difficult for them to kindle the fire of their Devotion at an Image and yet so to order the matter that no sparks shall light upon the Image it self It is not easie to conceive how they should kneel pray burn incense before Images and yet give no religious honour to them This is contrary to the Cathecisme ad Parochos p. 321. and the Decree of the Council of Trent which say That due honour and veneration is to be given to them Material representations of the Deity tho' not intended for exact similitudes are very apt to indispose the mind and produce apprehensions very disagreeable to the nature of an insinite Spirit Tho' they are said to be Books adapted to the infirmity of the Vulgar and very fit to instruct them yet in the sacred Oracles they are represented as holding forth a doctrin of vanities Jer. 20.8 and as teachers of lies Hab. 2.18 They lessen reverential fear and impress incongruous notions upon the mind The mischief from them is greater than any good that can reasonably be expected by them When Books are more apt to lead us into errour than acquaint us with truth it is better to lay them aside than to use them The humane nature of Christ in glory and the spirits of just men made perfect cannot be represented in colours by the most curious Artist A blind man may as well draw a picture as those who have not seen them make a true delineation of them The Images which are used are as injurious to them as a deformed picture would be to the greatest beauty The hurt which they do to the Understanding by impressing false Idea's upon it is much greater than any advantage that can accrue to the Will and Affections by them That heat which is in the Affection is of small moment except it be produced by a true light in the Intellect 2. There are others which confess they give Honour and Worship to the Image but say it is inferiour to that which they give unto God Now these ought to declare whether this inferiour Worship be Religious or Civil only If Civil namely such a value as a man has for the memorial of his friend this nothing concerns the matter under debate the dispute being wholly about Religious Worship which ultimately terminates in God If it be Religious it is to be inquired whether it stays in the Image or only passeth thro' it to the Prototype If the first then God is not Worshipped by the Image which is supposed in this discourse for the Worship ends in the Image If the second a Worship is given to him inferiour to that which is due and so a double fault is committed Too much is given to the Image and too little to God 3. There are those who profess to give the same honour to an Image which is due to the Prototype They say That the Saints and their Images are to be honoured with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Virgin Mary and her Image with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and his Image with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When it is urged That the Image of God is but a creature and therefore not to be joyned with him in the same kind of Worship They endeavour to secure themselves against this inconvenience by taking Sanctuary under some nice distinctions They say that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given to the Image is not terminative but relative not absolute but respective such as is given to the Commissioner of a Prince It doth not stay in him but redounds to the honour of his Master Tho' it is a fault to give the same absolute honour to God and his Image yet there is no hurt in giving the same relativé But this will not salve the matter Absolute Worship is that which is given to an Image absolutely considered Relative as it stands in relation to God Now the relation which is the formal object of Worship being but an accident or finite mode inherent in the Image having no other foundation but humane invention There is as much hurt in giving the same Worship which is due to God unto the Image upon the account of this relation as if it was absolutely considered The Image is a substance the relation an accident appertaining to it If it be an injury to God to give his peculiar Honour to a finite substance which is of his own formation it can be no less to give it to a mode which is nothing but the product of imagination As for what is said concerning the honour done to a Commissioner it is true it does not stay in him but
is usually more violent than that which ariseth from a diversity in Civil The pretence of a Sacred Institution communicates an edge to the Spirits of those who are concerned for them They are easily induced to believe That they are engaged in the quarrel of the Deity and that their zeal for them will render the Divine Power propitious to them This consideration pushes them forward and makes them as fierce as the Poet represents the Combites to be against the Tentyrites An old grudge to immortal hatred turn'd Juv. Sat. 15. Betwixt the Tentyrites and Combites burn'd A wound in those adjacent towns past cure Because that neither people could endure Their neighbours Deities or would have more Held to be Gods than they themselves adore Such heats are frequently attended with very direful consequences Rev. 8.5 They produce strong Convulsion-fits in the Community Thundrings Lightnings and an Earthquake are represented as proceeding from the Fire of the Altar The Fire which consumed the Senate-House in Constantinople began in the Church Socr. p. 727. Nothing can be safe when Men are inflamed with a zeal for their own private Sentiments They think every one is under an obligation to submit to them The want of power is the only thing which gives a temper to their deportment So soon as they are numerous and prevalent enough nothing will satisfie but a complete Conquest all must stoop to their perswasions They account it an evidence of weakness if they cannot and of irreligion if they will not settle that which they conceive to be best And they believe they are not secure in the enjoyment of their power except they suppress others and bend them into a compliance with them 6. If Contests arise in the same Church about external modes a ready way to compose them is to appeal to Primitive Order and give the preference to those who come nearest to it If we view it as it lies in the Holy Scriptures and those undoubted Records which are next in Antiquity we shall find it to be not pompous and theatrical but grave and comely not calculated for the gratification of the Sensitive but Intellectual part not apt to divert the Intention from the import of Worship and yet sufficient to secure it against the assaults of Rudeness and Contempt The Ministerial part was appropriated to Three Orders of Men Apostles Elders and Deacons persons sound in Doctrin Sober and unspotted in their Conversation Presbyters were ordained in every Church and City The solemn time for Sacred Conventions was the first of the week In the Assemblies The Men were uncovered the Women veiled The Minister began with Prayer This he directed to God with the most important expressions of Devotion without the help of such a Prompter as the Ethnick Priests use to have lest they might forget the names of any of their Gods which were very numerous After this were read the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets And because some things are hard to be understood and those which are easie ought not only to be entertained in the Head but the Heart in the next place followed Preaching with the most pathetical Exhortations to Practice When the Sermon was finished all did rise from their seat and joyn in Prayer After this succeeded the celebration of the Holy Communion in which the President poured forth Thanksgiving and Supplication with all his might the People expressing their concurrence by saying Amen All was concluded with a contribution for the relief of the Poor Besides these circumstances There were some Symbolical Rites in use namely The Love-Feasts the Holy Kiss As the laying of these aside in some time doth plainly express That the Church did not believe they were grounded upon a perpetual institution but taken up upon Prudential Considerations in a Conformity to the general rules of Scripture So the Practice of them in the purest Age when Christian Simplicity was in its greatest vigour doth manifestly teach us That we have no just grounds to condemn our own Church because she retains some Rites not burdensome in their number and as innocent in their meaning as They were 7. If by reason of paucity of records or any obscurity in those which are extant it cannot be agreed what was the Primitive Order The ready way to Peace before Authority has made any determination is for the several Members of the Church to make prudent Condescensions one to another so as none may be nourished in their errour nor any have any just reason of offence administred to them This was the condition of the Romans when S. Paul did address his Epistle to them Their contests were violent Authority had not yet interposed The Counsel of the Apostle has an entire aspect upon this purpose Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him who eateth not judge him who eateth One man esteemeth one day above another another man esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind Matters were not then ripe enough in that Church for a decision The converted Jews had not a full insight into the liberty which Christ purchased for them Therefore S. Paul doth not determine the case on either side but adviseth every member to a prudent demeanour and To follow the things which make for peace and things with which one may edisie another The Apostle suspending the exercise of his authority in these circumstances cannot be brought into an argument against all determinations about things which are adiaphorous for he in other Churches did decide this matter as appears by his Epistles to the Galatians and Colossians How turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage ye observe days months times and years Gal. 4.9 10. Let no man therefore judge ye in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the New Moon or Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ Col. 2.16 17. Certainly if the Apostle had believed That all Churches are to enjoy a freedom equal to that in which he left the Romans he would not have been so positive as he is with these eminent Churches 8. If Condescensions cannot be procured and circumstances become such That Rulers believe it prudential to make a determination both weak and strong are bound to acquiesce in the decision Such a determination is within the Sphere of humane authority God has commanded all that is Good and interdicted all Evil. The only things which are left to be the immediate object of Sublunary Power are those which are neither They may become useful or not useful as circumstances happen but in their own nature they are neither good or evil If any apply themselves to the doing of them for the sake of some intrinsick bonity which they fansie to be in them and others stand at a distance from them upon the account of some
perswasion It constantly signifies to bear or carry and for this reason is interpreted by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. 8.17 He bore their sicknesses that is He did undergo much trouble and pains in the curing of them He had no respite all the day and when the even was come at which time others compose themselves for rest he was pressed upon by the multitude and did attend this great work What Crellius says in the second place if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to bear it doth not follow That he did bear the punishment of sin He might accidentally undergo sorrow which was occasioned by our sins in which there was nothing of the nature of punishment in relation to him is of no validity If it be granted That it signifies to bear the thing born must be the punishment of sin Punishment imports a natural evil inflicted by one in authority That the party offended by the commission of some moral evil may receive satisfaction and the ends of government be secured All this agrees to the Sufferings of Christ They import a natural evil They were displeasing to humane Nature They were inflicted by the Supreme Rector of the World It pleased the Lord to bruise him The design of his Passion was to make Satisfaction to the injured Our Sins robbed God of his Glory This was restored by the Sufferings of his Son He was set forth to be a propitiation to declare his Righteousness The ends of Government are eminently secured His Sufferings must necessarily strike a consternation into all If such things were done in the green Tree what may be expected in the drie If he who had no sin of his own was so severely treated what can we look for if we persevere in our provocations If all things appertaining to the nature of a penalty agree to the Sufferings of Christ there is no reason but to believe when Christ is said to bear our sins that the meaning is That he did bear the punishment of them It is true A Man may be said to bear the miscarriages of another who accidentally falls under any disaster occasioned by them But the case here is quite otherwise Nothing was fortuitous The Person suffering was delivered into the hands of his Crucifiers according to the determinate Counsel of Heaven The intent of his Passion was to accomplish all those ends which are intended in punishment And that which makes an affliction to be a penalty in a proper sense is nothing but the end which is aimed at Consonant to this is what S. Paul has expressed 2 Cor. 5.21 For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him He was made sin for us that is Put under an obligation to suffer the punishment which our sins had deserved God laid upon him the Iniquity of us all The Transgressions of those who lived in the most opposite parts of the Terrestrial Globe did all meet together upon him He is the center upon which the burthen of them did settle Crellius tells us That when Christ is said to be made Sin the meaning is That he was by wicked Men reputed and treated as a sinner But if this was the meaning then Christ was made sin by his Crucifiers whereas the action is ascribed unto God When he is said to be made sin something must be understood which is peculiar to him But if Crellius's sence of the words prevails the Martyrs may be said to be made sin when they were punished under the notion of Malefactors by their inveterate enemies The Antithesis betwixt being made sin and knowing no sin is a clear justification of our interpretation Christ knew no sin that is was guilty of none by any deviation of his own Therefore when it is said He was made sin the meaning is He was made guilty of ours by imputation and by his own consent together with assent of his Father brought under an obligation to suffer the penalty of it It is manifest from the Text That he was so made sin for us as we are made righteousness or righteous in him Now it is manifest That upon our performing the conditions of the New Covenant we are made righteous in consideration of his meritorious satisfaction and therefore he was made sin for us in consideration of our demerit which he undertook to make expiation for That which induceth the Socinians to endeavour the elusion of the evidence of the Texts which are produced is a perswasion That the fence we contend for is repugnant to reason There can be no punishment but where there is guilt there can be no guilt where there is innocency and there was nothing but innocency in the Immaculate Lamb of God But it must be remembred That the proper notion of guilt is nothing but an obligation to punishment And it is not disagreeable to reason That such an obligation should be contracted by an Innocent Person in case he be willing to stand in the place of the Nocent and suffer the penalty due to him If he be one who has power to dispose of his own life as our Blessed Lord had he may by an act of his Will as well engage himself to lay down his life as to lay down a sum of Mony Every Man may do with that which is in his power what he pleaseth Tho' it be essential to punishment to be inflicted for sin yet it is not essential to be inflicted upon the sinner The merit of Virtue is as personal and incommunicable as the merit of sin yet it as not essential to the reward to be always conferred upon the person meriting Chimham was rewarded by David for Barzillais's kindness Children frequently fare the better for their Parents deservings There is no reason to believe That it is unjust in all cases to punish one for the crime of another God who is not obnoxious to errour in his administrations has done it When he tells the people That they should have occasion no more to use this Proverb The fathers have eaten sowr grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge he intimates That they had formerly occasion so to do and what was now said in this matter was but a particular favour granted to them at this time and not to be a standing rule in all succeeding generations It is most evident That Judah suffered in the reign of Josiah for the provocations of Manasses 2 Kin. 23.26 Tho' they had sins of their own to irritate Divine Justice yet they were not the cause of their suffering He who punisheth a Nocent Person in that respect in which he is Innocent doth the same thing as if he punished one who is perfectly Innocent It is evident by the Second Command That the iniquity of the fathers is visited upon their children If such Children are only understood who imitate their Parents transgression no reason can be given of the limitation to the