down their throat the form of the Masse was related afore Vt nobis Corpus Sanguis fiat dilectissimi filii tui Domini nostri Jesu Christi and it was shewed that Transubstantiation is not contained in these words Neverthelesse because there might be offense taken at the words upon the sense of those that use them we see them altered into those terms wherein the truth of that which is done is most excellently expressed to the intent of the Scripture and true sense of the Primitive Church in these words Heare us O mercifull Father and those which follow In like sort because the very term of Offering and Sacrifice though used with a farre other meaning then the Church of Rome professeth seemeth to sound their meaning it is not onely removed out of the Prayer for the whole state of Christs Church but the prayer it self removed to stand afore the Consecration as we conjectured it did stand in the Africane Churches and not after it to give opinion that Christ present by Consecration was sacrificed then for the quick and dead as the Church of Rome imagineth Of the rest of the Service of the Eucharist I shall need to say nothing having shewed that in the ancient Church as with us the time of communicating was transacted with Psalmes after that Thanksgiving the dismission upon that The people is dismissed with the blessing in our Service as in the most ancient form related in the Constitutions of the Apostles and so in the Reformed Churches of France though they use that of Moses still frequented by the Synagogue In the Service prescribed for Lords dayes and Festivalls when the Eucharist is not celebrated it is not strange if something be added above the ordinary course to make it more solemn though it had been rather to be wished that the world were disposed for the true solemnity of it Is the voice of the Law calling us to mind our offenses and moving to crave pardon and grace for the future nothing to the Service of God The Lessons of the Epistles and Gospels belong indeed to the first part of the Service as hath been shewed but shall we take them to come from the Masse where they are last found or from S. Hierome from whom they seem first to have come And was it not convenient in them to remember what the Church celebrateth at severall seasons and solemnities of the yeare and to promote the edification of the Church and instruction of the people in the mysteries of the faith by giving Preachers a subject of their Sermons sutable to those solemnities Last of all though the world is not disposed to the continuall celebration of the Eucharist yet was it requisite in reverence to the Apostles Order and the universall practice of the Church that the prayer for all states of the same should be used at almost all solemn Assemblies which because it alwayes went along with the Eucharist as it is used serves to put us in mind what is wanting In fine though all Forms of Service devised by men must needs remain disputable and happy it is when so they are but upon slight matters so my hope is that from hence will appear that the form which we use deserves this commendation that it is possible to alter it for the better but easie to alter it for the worse Thus farre upon the Principles propounded in the beginning of things remembred in the Scripture concerning the publick Service of God and the most ancient and generall practice of the Church to expound them I have discoursed the substance and form of Gods Publick Service at solemn Assemblies for that purpose the circumstances of it and the particular form which we use Of the rest of Ecclesiasticall Offices and the Course we use in them it was not my purpose to say any thing at the present In which neverthelesse the reasons hitherto disputed will easily take place to show both that it is for the edification of the Church that the performance of them be solemn and by prescript form and that the form which we use is exceeding commendable CHAP. XI How the Form of Publick Service is ordered Dependance of Churches is from the Apostles for that and other purposes How the preaching of Lay men imports Schisme The good of the Order of Publick Service ANd now without further dispute it is to be seen what is prescribed concerning the Publick Service of God in the Scriptures and what is left to be ordered by humane appointment The particular Offices whereof it consisteth of Publick Prayers and the Praises of God of reading and expounding the Scriptures of the Celebration of the Eucharist and the rest are prescribed and recommended to the Church in the rules and practice of holy Scripture The Order and Form in which they are to be performed is acknowledged on all hands that it ought to be prescript yet is it no where prescribed in the Scriptures but left to humane Ordinance That which is to be Preached is acknowledged on all hands to be referred for the most part to the private endeavours of particular persons not in respect to any immediate inspiration of the holy Ghost otherwise to be quenched but because it is the ordinary means to instruct and admonish whole Congregations in that which most concerneth them of the knowledge and doctrine of the Scriptures Publick Prayers some think are to be ministred according to the disposition and discretion of particular guides of particular Congregations by virtue of the Apostles Ordinance forbidding to Quench the spirit Here it is proved that because it is confessed that the Grace of praying by immediate inspiration is not now extant therefore the purpose of this Ordinance ceaseth and that the ordinary rule of the edification of the Church to be attained by the Order and Comlinesse of these things which are done at publick Assemblies is followed to farre more purpose in the use of a form prescript and uniform It is further here to be observed that whatsoever may concern the honour of God the unity of the Church the truth of Religion and the recommendation of it is most effectually to be procured as procured it was from the beginning of our Faith by the dependance of Churches visibly derived from the appointment and ordinance of the Apostles It hath been declared that according to that which was done by Barnabas and Paul ordaining Presbyters through the Churches Acts xiv 22. according to that which Titus is instructed to ordain Presbyters through the Cities Titus 1 3. that is Colledges of Presbyters to order the Churches founded in populous Cities so throughout the whole Christian world were all Churches of Cities thought meet for their greatnesse whether instituted by the Apostles or propagated thence governed by Presbyteries or Colledges of Presbyters the Heads whereof were Bishops in Succession to the Apostles We know the Gospel attained to the Countreys and Territories lying under these Cities upon the preaching of
done And hereupon it is that Preachers among the Latine Church writers are called Tractatores and Tractare to preach and S. Augustines exposition upon S. John is called Tractatus because it was preached to the people All this because they handled the Scriptures which were read And Optatus charging the Donatists and Parmenians that their fashion was to leave the exposition of their Texts the Lessons read to fall on railing upon the Catholicks lib. iv Nullus vestrûm qui non aliud initiet aliud explicet Lectiones Dominicas incipitis Tractatus vestros ad injurias nostras explicatis Profertis Evangelium facitis absenti fratri convicium There is none of you saith he but beginneth one thing and expoundeth another Ye begin with the Lessons of the Lord but ye pursue your Tractates to our wrong Ye produce the Gospel but ye revile your brother in his absence Hereupon the name of Tractatores standeth sometime in opposition to Canonici Authentici to preserve the difference between the authority of Scripture and whatsoever words it is expounded with A difference not to be smothered between the Scripture and the best exposition of it that a man can imagine There is one thing that hindereth the effect of the Scripture when it is read that is because it is not understood Thereupon cometh the office of Preaching in the Church to expound the word of God and that which is preached hath the force and virtue of the Word of God because the Word of God is not the letters and syllables but the sense and meaning of the Scriptures But all men are capable more or lesse of understanding the Scriptures as they are read And no man understandeth them so well but may improve by hearing them read in the Church Let those that slight this part of the Church-service take order first that all Congregations shall be perfect in the knowledge of the Scriptures And yet were that come to passe we must not give way to leave it out The better they are acquainted with it the more shall they improve in the understanding of it by hearing it repeated But so farre as it is understood it is a thing strange and admirable that any man living should imagine that the effect thereof in inlightning the mind or converting the heart is lesse when it is read then when it is expounded out of the pulpit The one the word of God as the holy Ghost inspired it the other no lesse so farre as it departeth not from that which is written but alwayes subject so long as man is subject to errour and mistake to depart from it And when this precious wine is once dashed with the water of humane apprehensions it is no offense to me that it is still called the Word of God for so it should be and so it is presumed to be till it appear otherwise but it will concern every man to look about him that he pin not on God his own infirmities As for the necessity and excellence of preaching let all them that are most affected to it examine their reasons and they shall not ascribe more to it then here shall be done Here if any where that difference hath place which Divines make of things necessary to salvation some as means without which it cannot be had in any case others as things commanded to be done without which it is not to be had for those that are under that Command and do them not He that in his ripe years hath learned so much of the Christian faith as to be informed in the means of our reconcilement to God and that condition of life which it requireth believing the one and submitting to the other and desiring his baptisme in consequence As he that was baptized an infant and when he cometh to years of knowledge doeth the like as it concerneth his case to do what wanteth such a man to set him in the state of Salvation that can be counted necessary MEANS of it what should hinder him with old Simeon to sing his Nunc dimittis should it please God to take him in that estate But because that condition of life which Christians undertake professeth to do all things out of obedience to the will of God and with intention of his honour and service therefore those things which in the latitude of their kind and nature are necessary but as things commanded to be done become necessary as means of Salvation to those that are under that command He that by his own fault is ignorant of that which it concerneth him to believe or to do for the discharge of his profession to God He that suffereth himself to be abused to be diverted and led aside by the deceits of the world and his corrupt inclinations for want of that warning and advise whereof God appointeth him the means he must needs fail of his profession to God in fulfilling whereof the means of salvation consisteth but he must take it upon his own account that he faileth of it Upon these considerations we are to value the necessitie of Preaching in respect of particular persons Upon these considerations we are to value how much it must needs concern all Christian Common-wealths to furnish the means all Christian Churches to take order that it may be done As the means to bring men to know as the means to move men to imbrace those means without which they cannot be saved As the means to instruct them more and more to guide them from time to time in a straight course both of their judgement and doings These considerations notwithstanding if the question be made Which is the chief work for which Christians Assemble to heare the Scriptures expounded by Preaching or to serve God in their Prayers There is a visible advantage due to this latter because it is a means nearer the end of both It cannot be denied that all Preaching is to the purpose of informing the mind or moving the heart to desire that which is good indeed But Prayer being the actuall desire of it is the exercise of the means which God ordaineth to procure it But otherwise if we compare the work of Ministring the Prayers of the Church w th that of Ministring the Doctrine of the Scripture upon the considerations premised it must be affirmed that Preaching is the chief work which the Ministers of the Church from their office are able to contribute towards the publick service of God Because the other part of it may be Ministred to the same purpose by men of common sense whereas this requireth those personall abilities which all men have not For one may be the mouth of the Congregation in Prayer to as good purpose in all regards in following a prescript form as exercising his wit and understanding about it suppose this for the present which shall be proved afterwards and therefore we see in the Primitive Church most parts of the Service were referred to inferiour Ministers They had such as
read the Lessons such as sung the Psalmes and a great part of the Prayers were done by Deacons And though many men are so eager to have all Ministers to be the mouth of the Congregation in conceiving Prayers at the instant yet no man shall perswade me that their meaning is to place the best of their performance either in the conceptions or in the language wherein they expresse the desires thereof to God for these sure make no difference to him so their be no offense The best they can contribute is the devotion of the heart which they pray with wherein they are but one of the Congregation the meanest of it may bring as good as they are able to do But in Preaching a mans knowledge in the Scriptures his abilities to expresse his knowledge to the capacitie of his Audience his discretion in addressing it to their particular without offense will either be seen or missed And therefore whosoever commendeth the price and value of the work for due reasons must needs call to mind how difficult it is For he that cometh to expound the Scripture to the people must understand it aright before he cometh to expound it and that understanding cometh not in these dayes by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit but is allotted to humane indeavours in these that in the fear of God take pains about the means which he hath provided for it And in delivering no more then a mans knowledge there fall out many times these failings which like Eli's sonnes may make the Offering of God to be loathed and the Ministrie of God contemptible And though all Scripture as saith the Apostle 1. Tim. iii. 15. is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousnesse yet may all this be so unseasonably ministred that the effect may prove offense though the end be amendment It cannot be said with justice that this truth is acknowledged here to abate the esteem of this work which tendeth indeed to inhance the diligence of them which do it But this must be averred that unlesse men and abilities be provided for the work as well as the work for them it may prove a sword in a blind mans hand to wound the Church as well as the enemies of it Though all that hitherto hath been said to the nature and use of these particulars of Publick service pretendeth to shew no more but this that they are all principals and substantials no accessories in it That the praise of God in Psalmes the reading of the Scriptures is not by the nature of the work and the Primitive Custome of the Church to while out the time till the Congregation be assembled That the prayers of the Church are not in the main intent of them to usher in the Sermon or to leave impression of it in mens minds afterwards but for the procuring of all necessaries of the Congregation and each particular of it so farre as generall order can comprise Hitherto hath nothing been said of the chief part of Publick Service among Christians that is of Celebrating and receiving the Lords Supper the Eucharist which from the beginning of the Profession and Name of Christians was frequented as the chief part of Publick Service in most of their Assemblies now because it is not of such continuall use is not mentioned among the rest at the beginning of our Service For the present I presse no more but the words of the Apostle as they seem to be expounded by a passage of Ignatius to shew what effect the prayers of the Congregation have in the Consecration of that Sacrament and the effect of it For it is a fearfull word of the Apostle 1. Cor. xi 20 21. where having charged the divisions among them to be the cause that their Assemblies were not for the better but for the worse he proceedeth thus When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords Supper For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper and one is hungry and another is drunken It is plain it was the Lords Supper they intended to celebrate therefore if they received it not through their own fault it must needs be sacriledge on their hands The fault is plain enough as well neglect of the Congregation out of the schismes that were among them as their excesse in particular Take the words of Ignatius to expound the Apostle they are the words of one that drank at his spring and spake to the same purpose Epist ad Ephes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man be deceived if a man be not within the Altar he cometh short of the bread of God He that is within the Altar with Ignatius is he that communicateth with the Church in imitation of those under the Law that feasted upon the reliques of Peace-offerings to which the Love-feasts of Christians used with the Eucharist practised correspondence There was one Altar from whence all men communicated of those Sacrifices which those that forsake saith Ignatius may take upon them to celebrate the Eucharist but the bread they receive is not the Lords it is profane To the same purpose Ep. ad Smyrn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let that be counted a firm Eucharist which is held under the Bishop or him to whom he committeth it The celebration of the Eucharist is not sound nor effectuall but under the Bishop that is in the unitie of the Church therefore sacriledge in them that attempt it His reason is to our purpose for if the prayer of one or two have that force saith he that God standeth in the midst of them how much more shall the Prayer wherein the Bishop and Church agreeth prevail That Prayer wherein they agree prevaileth to make the Sacrament the bread of God to them that agree in it therefore that wherein they agree not leaveth it as it was no bread of God but the subject of their Sacriledge If this be not enough to inforce the virtue of publick Prayers nothing will serve the turn It is the agreement of the Congregation in their Prayers that maketh the Elements the Supper of the Lord with S. Paul the bread of God with Ignatius to them that agree those that agree not fail of the Grace fail not of committing sacriledge Having thus farre derived the substance of that which is to be done at Christian Assemblies from the practice of the Apostles themselves and after them of the Primitive Christians it will be requisite before we go further upon the president of their practice to consider the weight and extent of the reasons upon which the Apostle proceedeth in ordering the manner of performing the particulars whereof hitherto hath been said among the Corinthians The chief whereof is the edification of Gods people upon which he pitcheth the issue of his foregoing dispute vers 26. which may seem to extend no further then the information of the mind and understanding in matters of Religion belonging to knowledge
because the speech of the Apostle proceedeth concerning the use of spirituall Graces which he directeth to that purpose As you see vers 3. it is expressely differenced from matter of exhortation and comfort when he saith He that Prophesieth speaketh to men to EDIFICATION and exhortation and comfort Neverthelesse it must be something else that he meaneth there vers 17. For thou verily givest thanks well but the other is not edified that is because he understandeth not what thou sayest he is not guided and directed to go along with the Thanksgiving wherein thou goest afore in an unknown Language And in this Epistle afore viii 10. Shall not the conscience of him that is weak be edified to eat those things which be offered to Idoles Where you see a man is said to be EDIFIED by whatsoever it is that advanceth his intentions towards any work And therefore though the reason of EDIFYING may sometimes tend to the particular sense of Teaching yet it is not so to be confined but that whatsoever is a fit means to train and guide us in the wayes of godlinesse must be said to tend towards the edification of Gods people And thus the Rules which the Apostle afterwards qualifieth all that is to be done in the Church with when he saith Let all things be done decently and in order are clearly subordinate to this main reason of the Edification of the Church and derived from it For without doubt there is nothing so powerfull to Edification that is to guide and train the body of the Church in the exercise of godlinesse as a good Order for the particular practice of those Offices thereof which are generally commanded in the Scriptures Well might the Apostles say here vers 33. God is not the Authour of confusion but of Order as in all Churches of the Saints Whosoever withdraweth himself from the publick Order of the Church out of opinion that a better might be established will hinder the Edification thereof more in that neglect of the course in force which he procureth then it is possible he should advance it in the practice of those whom he thinketh to direct in a better course For on the one side his own followers out of heat of contention shall alwayes spend their zeal upon matters of small consequence which ought to be conversant about the great things of the Gospel On the other side those that are not affected with his singularities are disquieted in their own course of Gods Service The other part of the Apostles Rule seemeth to extend further then the term of Decencie in which it is translated containeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle honestè saith the Old Latine and in S. Pauls Epistles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendered there honestè ambulare and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Acts honestae mulieres all these expresse more then Decencie For that is seen in the least matters where all things are fit and sutable but that which in Latine is called honestas in none but those that carry an appearance that deserveth respect Which if the property of the word will not inforce as to them that rellish it right without fail it will do the nature and kind of that whereof the Apostle speaketh will constrain it to import no lesse then that which beareth an appearance of respect and account Because in matter of so high a nature as the exercise of Religion nothing can be decent nothing can become but that which preserveth the respect which actions of that rank are to be performed with So much common sense telleth us that the outward appearance of all kind of proceedings is a means to maintain the inward esteem which men ought to hold of those things that are done there Let no man blame me that appeal to common sense to judge what becometh in matters of Religion which must neither stand nor fall by the judgement of common sense being so farre beyond it The Apostle here hath done it afore me vers 23. If the Church be met and all speak with tongues and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers will they not say that ye are mad For what is this but to condemne that which they did in the exercise of Religion by the verdict of common sense which though unable to judge of the Religion of Christians neverthelesse is able to discern what is sutable to the end which the Assemblies of Christians professe And do we not all see with what kind of reasons in another place 1. Cor. xi 13. he argueth another point of this nature to settle a custome for men to be bare women to be veiled at their Assemblies It is first to be known that the women of those times and of the Jews in particular as Tertullian in one place witnesseth were carefull to keep their faces veiled from the sight of men when they came in publick which was in them a profession of bashfulnesse and that modesty which they desired to preserve On the other side in men it was a mark of confusion and disgrace to have the face covered the custome was to go bare in publick and that in token of the freedome and boldnesse which they professed And it is plain that the Covering whereof the Apostle speaketh was such an one as the face was veiled with for therefore he saith vers 4. The man dishonoureth his head in covering it when he prayeth or prophesieth disclaiming the freedome and dignity of his sexe The woman in discovering her head not professing the modesty and subjection of her sexe therefore he saith afterwards that the womans hair is given her for a veil that is to cover the face with which if it be not done she had as good be shaven saith he vers 5. In Tertullians time those that professed Virginity took upon them to sit with their faces unveiled in the Church taking it for a priviledge of their rank to disclaim the subjection of the sexe and professe freedome This is the occasion of his book De Virginibus velandis What opinion it was upon which the custome which the Apostle writeth against at Corinth proceeded is not known How the Apostle argueth we see 1. Cor. xi 13. Judge in your selves saith he is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered doth not even nature it self teach you c To shew us the reason whereupon he proceedeth that the custome then practised for men to go bare-head in signe of freedome and profession of boldnesse and chearfulnesse of heart women veiled in signe of modesty and bashfulnesse as it was agreeable to revealed truth as the Apostle disputeth before vers 3 7. which teacheth that the woman was created of the man and must not forget the subjection she oweth him from whom she first came so is it to the light of nature that teacheth women to keep their hair to veil themselves with if there be nothing else to do it with men to part with theirs that
it hinder not their boldnesse to appear As Tertul Apolog. c. xxx saith They prayed bare-headed because not ashamed By which it remaineth undeniable how much the Apostle referreth to common reason to judge of the fitnesse of those things that are practised at our Religious Assemblies when he setteth aside his Apostolick Authority to consult with their common sense about matters to be ordered But when that is done having alledged how agreeable the custome for which he pleaded was both to the light of nature and to revealed truth because it is not possible that matters of this nature should be put past contradiction and dispute by constraining reasons issuing from the mere nature of things and yet the quiet of the Church on which the Edification of it dependeth requireth that they should be out of dispute you shall see where the last resort of his plea endeth when he saith vers 16. But if any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome neither the Churches of God where he hath estated a generall Rule for the Church to follow that in matters of this indifference the custome of the Church is to be preferred before our own reasons The indifference whereof here we speak is not to be found in the action to be done or not to be done as if in things of this slight nature our obligation to God had no influence as if it were indifferent to a man to do or not to do to do this or the other but the indifference whereof we speak is to be understood in the latitude and kind of the thing prescribed to be done or not done which indifference is taken away by custome accruing For example when S. Augustine saith Ep. cxviii that to fast on Saturday or not to celebrate the Eucharist or to communicate every day or not were things of free observance his meaning was not that it was free for particular persons to do what they would without respect to the custome in which they lived that is quite against the purpose of his Epistle which is for the observation of present customes but that of their own nature and kind they were free to be determined by the practice of severall Churches which he that regardeth not in his particular is the cause of an offense It is no more then the Apostle teacheth when he saith If any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome neither the Churches of God Where he acknowledgeth that in things of this nature even his own reasons for the custome in force must needs be subject to contradiction of contrary reasons much more other mens reasons for customes of like nature might be opposed with such as might move men to think the contrary custome better for which they plead and yet concluding that they ought to submit their reasons to the custome in force hath given us authority to conclude That men are bound in matter of that nature to balk their private judgement to proceed upon publick custome The reason being that which was argued afore because custome containeth Order and upon Order the edification of the Church dependeth Neither can private Innovations in the advantage which they yield beyond that which is received countervail the disadvantage of publick confusion and unquietnesse which they cause There are besides these which have been discoursed two considerations of singular moment to recommend and to inforce the Orders of Publick Service For as the Church universall is but one in regard of times as well as of places and countreys those Orders must needs appear most commendable which are derived from the universall practice of the Ancient Church especially next the Apostles And as the Church is at this time incorporate into the State of Kingdomes and Common-wealths it is the secular Arm that establisheth it with a power that is able to constrain but when that is done there must needs accrue a second obligation of obedience for conscience which the Apostle requireth to be yielded to secular Powers It is not my purpose to oblige the Church of this time to reduce into practice all things which a man may find to have been practised even in the time of the Apostles much lesse afterwards We have divers remarkable instances of matters allowed and appointed by the Apostles in Scripture which are come to disuse upon appearance that the reason is ceased whereupon they were prescribed Such is that whereof I spake even now for women to be veiled on their faces in the time of Publick Service which the Apostle inforceth with so many reasons and yet among us doth not take place neither in the rest of countreys where it was never the custome for women to go abroad with their faces covered in signe of the modestie and subjection which they professe Such is that Ancient Custome of Agapae or Feasts of Love the Originall whereof S. Chrysostome truly deriveth from the manner of living of those Primitive Christians that made all things common in the Acts of the Apostles There were those in other places that went not so farre yet intended to preserve some impression of their practice These upon set dayes of Assemblies furnished a common entertainment both for rich and poore so that Service being done after the Communion of the Mysteries they went all to feast together the rich providing and inviting the poore and all together making good chear This is his discourse in 1. ad Cor. Hom. xxvii neither was it any part of the Apostles mind to forbid this course but rather to allow it so farre as he regulateth and ordereth the course of it Which neverthelesse we see it is so lost as if there had never been remembrance of any such thing in Scripture because it appeareth to common reason that it cannot be practised to the same purpose now that all the world is Christian as it was when they were tied so strait together by the Profession that differenced them from the Gentiles And such is that Order of the Apostle concerning Gentiles converted to the Faith Acts xv 29. To abstain from meats offered to Idoles and from bloud and from things strangled The reason where of being nothing but this when it is examined to the bottome that the Jews converted to the Faith might find lesse offense in matters of daily practice which their Orders imposed upon them but the Gentiles made no scruple at and so might the better piece into one houshold of the Church it is no marvell if the observance of it came afterward to disuse when the reason had ceased And therefore it is remarkable even in S. Augustines time as we find cont Faust l. xxxii 15. that divers Christians then scrupled at the violation of this observance in eating of a Hare killed by breaking the neck or small Fowl without letting bloud which he that doth saith he is now laughed at for his pains of the rest because it could not appear to one so soon as the rest that the ground of this
injunction was ceased If then such Ordinances and Customes as are allowed and injoyned by the Apostles themselves are with right abolished because the reason of them is ceased much more those which were taken up at the beginning upon humane appointment of the Church may cease when the reason of that good appeareth not and must cease when evil consequences which they draw into the Church at their heels begin to appear This is that which justifieth the Reformation which we professe wherein some observances in the Church as ancient as there is remembrance in it of things used since the time of the Apostles are perhaps abolished by Law or disused by Custome the remembrance of the dead at the Celebration of the Eucharist for example The reason of edification of the Church by the comfort which it receiveth at the Communion professed with the deceased not being now required in particular by them which presume of it in all that dye in the Faith and the abuses which it hath trained in after it appearing unsufferable But all this being granted the consideration of the Primitive Church and the President of it to my understanding prescribeth two things The first is generall as it is a Church and all Churches make one Church by acknowledging and maintaining Union and Communion with the Churches that have been in other ages as well as with the Churches that are in other Countreys we are obliged not to disclaim not to renounce it but to maintain our selves alwayes of Communion with it without substantiall difference of belief or practice The Donatists in old time as S. Augustine chargeth fell foul upon the Article of the Catholick Church because they acknowledged no Church but their own but thought it had failed in all other Countreys by communicating with the Church of Africk from which they had separated themselves Much more foul must he needs fall upon that Article that thinketh the Church perished almost as soon as it was instituted and proceedeth in his practice as obliged to renounce that which was in the first ages To maintain this Communion it is not requisite we commend but it is necessary we tolerate all that was then in practice though we believe some things may be mended at this time we must not believe any thing was pernicious at that time This indeed in the height concerneth them which separate from this Church Let them advise upon what terms they renounce that Church which communicateth with the Primitive Church with which all Churches are bound to hold correspondence but in a lower degree concerneth all those that think they cannot detest the corruptions of the Church of Rome enough till they involve the Primitive Church and whatsoever is done upon the President of it in the same imputations which stick upon it which is out of indiscreet zeal to our own cause to prevaricate against it and for the blindnesse of the love we bear it to oversee the advantages of it For what greater pleasure can we do the Church of Rome then to quit them the Ancient Church as their clear advantage Or what greater scandall can we fasten upon the Reformation which we love then to make every thing we like not a mark of Antichrist for which we hold our selves bound to separate which if we should do upon no other matters then those which some men will have to be such then were we as true schismaticks as they of the Church of Rome would have us The second is an advantage more particular to the point we are in hand with As it was the Church Primitive near the fountain and resented that fire the Holy Ghost had inspired so late that which discourse of reason concludeth to be for the Edification of the Church in the Service of God must needs appear more reasonable if it were then in practice Were the question about matters difficult and obscure in the meaning of the Scriptures knowledge goeth along with gray hairs and it is to be believed that the Church may improve in it as in time But whereas it was said afore that we are to use our common reason in judging what is for the Edification of the Church in the Order of Publick Service it is not to be thought that these are matters that require so much depth of understanding as they do uprightnesse of disposition to give sentence without inclination or prejudice I say then that when the coast was clear of partialities the matters in hand not controverted on any side the Church bent more to act in the Service of God then to dispute about it the practice of that time may be a way too steep for us to tread but sure it is straight to direct us We must not slight those Orders which directed them to make the Service of God their earnest businesse because the Church of Rome hath made it a formall imployment to passe the time over with If in weeding this Garden of Gods Church we pluck up wholesome Ordinances with the abuses which have been pinned to them well may men devise Laws for a good fense but not to much purpose when Religion is not suffered to grow within the Pale That noble and learned Du Plessis thought it a great advantage to the cause he undertook against the Masse if he could demonstrate the Form of Service used in the Reformed Churches of France to be more agreeable to that of the Primitive Church then that of the Masse-book of Rome This he thought worth his pains to undertake and if we regard the substance of Publick Service may well be thought to have performed it I am yet in a more generall point concerning the Order of Publick Service but I shall think it advantage enough to the cause in which I deal to shew the points questioned in this Order to be of more Ancient Practice in the Church then the corruptions of the Church of Rome for which we leave it And when I come anon to survay the particular Form of Service which this Church useth let men of learning judge what is nearer to the Primitive then both but thereupon I must take leave to conclude That this Church is not to forsake the Primitive to conform to other Reformed Churches where the Order in force hath both the President of so Ancient Practice and the reason of Edification to commend it Now the difference between this State of the Church incorporate into the bodies of Kingdomes and Common-wealths and the Primitive when it was either tolerated or persecuted under the Romane Empire is to be seen in the Apostles fishing after the Resurrection of Christ John xxii 11. Though there were taken 153. great fishes yet the Net brake not For the multitude of believers were of one heart and one soul Acts iiii 32. They came out of good will into the Net of the Apostles and out of good will they applied themselves to the Orders wherein they were directed by them and their successours not able to constrain
that this was one of the wayes that were put in use to the purpose that the Congregation might joyn in the praises of God with most comlinesse according to the custome of the Apostles time Of the Lessons of the Scripture it must further be observed here that the Ancient and Primitive Order of the Church seemeth to have intended them so large that by hearing them read in the Church they might become familiar even to the unlearned of the people as Josephus said afore that the Jews by hearing Moses read in the Synagogues became as perfect in their Laws as a man is in telling his own name whereas among other Nations the simple never attain to know their own Laws For you see how many Lessons are directed to be read in the Constitutions of the Apostles two out of the Old Testament out of the Acts out of the Epistles out of the Gospels Last of all accordingly he reckoneth in particular the Books of the Old Testament to be read in the Church as doth also the said Councel of Laodicea in the last Canon upon this occasion repeat the list of holy Scriptures to be read in the Church and Dionysius expounding the order of the Church described by him afore reckoneth the subject of all the particular Books in the Scriptures which he saith are read after the Psalmes to inlarge with more ample declarations examples those things which in the Psalmes are but darkly and in brief pointed at All which I suppose intimates a great deal more then those short Lessons picked out of some parts of the Scriptures as well for the Romane Missall as other Liturgies extant In that which is intitled to S. James there is a remarkable Rubrick after the Angelicall Hymne and the Prayer that follows it which sayes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After is read very largely the holy Oracles of the Old Testament and the Prophets and the Incarnation of the Sonne of God is declared that is the Gospels are read For hereby he gives us suspicion enough to presume that the reading of the Scriptures was wont to be larger at the first then afterwards it became when in the declining degenerating times of the Church the increase of sensible Ceremonies and Observances began to crowd out the substantiall parts of the reasonable Service of God For so there is cause to conceive by that of the Sermon whereof it follows immediately there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is After the Lessons are read and the Sermon is done For in Justine Martyrs description of the Service in his time after the reading of the Scriptures follows immediately the Sermon to expound them and to exhort the people to follow the doctrine Tertullian speaketh not of the order or place which the Sermon had in the Service but remembreth it as a principall part of it In the Constitutions of the Apostles the place was produced afore wherein mention is made after the reading of the Scriptures of the Presbyters speaking to the people one after another and the Bishop after them according to the Custome derived from the Apostles time The 18. Canon of Laodicea is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That after the Sermons of the Bishops first the Prayer for the Hearers must be made apart In fine It is manifest by the Order of all Liturgies extant in which is described the Order of the solemn Service of the Church that is when the Eucharist was celebrated first that of all Lessons of the Scriptures those out of the Gospels were read in the last place as it is expressed in S. Augustine alledged before in the Constitutions of the Apostles and in divers others that might be produced were it questionable Then that after the reading of the Gospel followed the Sermon for the exposition of it or some other of the Lessons And yet in Dionysius there is no mention at all of the Sermon either in the description he makes of the Service or in the Exposition wherein he renders a reason of it but immediately after the reading of the Gospel the last in order of the New Testament the Hearers and Penitent and the like are dismissed and then follows the Creed Which to me is an argument of the Authours time and that when he writ the Sermon in some places began to be disused and also because he mentions the Creed in the order of Publick Service of which in Justine Tertullian the Constitutions of the Apostles the Canons of Laodicea wherein almost all the particulars of Publick Service are ordered in fine whereof in the most Ancient descriptions of the Service there is no remembrance It appeared afore by the words of S. Ambrose and so it doth by Dionysius that it was pronounced from the beginning of the use of it by the whole Congregation for the first expounded the words of the Apostle Every woman praying or prophesying of saying or singing the Creed and the second saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Catholick Hymne being acknowledged before by all the Congregation of the Church This is then the Order of that former part of Publick Service which from the beginning the Hearers and Penitents were to be present at to learn the doctrine of the Church and to profit in it so as to be thought fit for Baptisme and for the Communion of the Eucharist For the Latine Masse aswell as all other Liturgies extant though reduced to so small a model as was observed by the shortnesse of the Psalmes and Lessons and leaving out the Sermon alwayes principall ingredients of it representeth neverthelesse the Order and Course of that solemn Service which the Eucharist was celebrated with This difference of the first and second Service in the Liturgies extant is rather retained for fashions sake and in remembrance of the Ancient Order then according to the Originall purpose of it for it shall appear that some part of the Prayers which at the first were for believers alone and such as communicated not to come till the Hearers and Penitents were gone forth in all the Greek and Eastern Liturgies are now put into the first part of the Service But the end of the first Service and the beginning of that which onely believers were present at is manifest enough in it as it is in down-right terms expressed in all the Greek and Eastern Liturgies when the Hearers were to go forth not in the place where Durandus would have it iiii 1. after the Offering but as it is in the Constitutions of the Apostles in the 18 Canon of Laodicea in Dionysius in others after the Prayers for the Hearers Penitents which followed as soon as the Sermon was done immediately before the Creed Howsoever from hence it appeareth that the Lessons of the Epistles and Gospels are originally belonging to the former part of this Service The 18 Canon of Laodicea of these Prayers for the Hearers and Penitents speaketh thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That first after the Sermons of the
the time while the people assemble Whereas the solemn beginning of our Service with Confession of sinnes serves to put the people in mind that it is all the solemn service of God that follows and of the attention of mind and devotion of spirit which they ow it by the preparation of confessing and putting away sinnes requisite to make it acceptable The more have they to answer for that make it their employment to extinguish in the minds of the people that respect to this part of Gods Service which the Order of the Church hath laboured to procure and with the blessing of God had procured had not their peevishnesse been that will not have God served unlesse it be that way they like Whatsoever honour the praises of God reverently and attentively performed might have yielded him whatsoever good fruit the learning of his Scriptures might have brought forth in his people is with justice to be required at their hands that have been the means to intercept it by the unjust disgrace which they have stuck upon the settled Order of this Service Now as concerning the Ancient and generall course of Gods praises and reading the Scripture it appeareth by Justine Martyr and Tertullian that the Order of reading the Scripture in the Church was arbitrary in their time as accommodated to the condition of the times and occasions of their Assemblies by the guides of severall Churches The one of them saith that the Scriptures are read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as farre as occasion serves The others words are these Apologer C. xxxix Coimus ad literarum Divinarum commemorationem si quid praesentium temporum qualit as aut praemonere cogit aut recognoscere We assemble to repeat the Scriptures of God not like those that will not Assemble till they be read what the condition of the present times inforceth either to forewarn or to recognize The Ordér which is accommodated to the Condition of the times cannot be certain and appointed afore The reason why a set Order in these parts of publick Service is now preferred before the disposition of the Guides of Churches from time to time is the same for which men choose to live by positive law rather then by the will of their Rulers though if men were as they should be it is manifest that they might cut straighter by the thred of Justice applying right reason to the case then ruling their proceedings by a generall that was not built upon the particular The Order might be better were it left to particular disposing but the courses of the world inforceth to presume that it would be for the worse Besides in Ecclesiasticall matters by a set Order we attain uniformitie with other Churches to help towards the unitie of the whole we avoid disputes about what is most fitting which in matters of this probable nature must needs be endlesse we avoid jealousies and umbrages upon that which is not customable What this amounts to S. Augustines experience may teach us Serm. cxliv. de tempore Volueram aliquando ut per singulos annos secundùm omnes Evangelist as etiam Passio legeretur factum est audierunt homines quod non consueverunt perturbati sunt I had once a desire that every yeare the Passion also as the Resurrection in Easter-week should be read according to all the Evangelists it was done men heard what they had not wont to heare and were troubled How unjust the charge of the Masse upon our Service is hath appeared in the first point of it how untrue it is will appear in the next that is in the Order of Psalmes and Lessons at the daily Morning and Evening Service For if because the Breviarie and Masse contain a certain order of Psalmes and Lessons for the Service of God therefore all orders of Psalmes and Lessons to that purpose are derived from the Breviarie and Masse and chargeable with the corruptions of them what shall become of the Ancient Church before there was any such thing as Breviarie or Masse that is either form of publick Service in the opinion of those that professe this or according to the truth as the Masse importeth the corruptions of publick Service What shall become of the Church under the Apostles when publick Service consisted of the same Ingredients as hath been shewed and the Order of them is no more then S. Pauls rule Let all things be done decently and in Order But if the meaning of these clamours be to say that this same Order of going over the Psalter once a moneth at daily Morning and Evening Service of going over the Bible or all the most convenient of it once a yeare is the Order of the Breviarie and Masse it might concern all men either of honestie or shame though not to look into the Breviarie or Masse of which they are so confident yet to look upon the Preface of this our Service which they condemne without understanding and think whether men of common sense would use all those excellent reasons to excuse the alteration of that course which now they are accused for retaining But granting all to be true which is so apparently false were the Masse worse then it is and all this the very Order contained in it is it possible that any man of judgement or conscience should think it enough to say that this or that is in the Breviarie or Masse and never trouble himself to shew that it is part of the corruptions which they contain What reason is there to prove that the Order of the Psalter once a moneth is not for the Service of God and the edification of his Church This Church abolisheth not the use of Psalmes to musicall tunes where they may have place in the course of our Service Is it demanded further that the monethly course of the Psalter be abolished to make them room If it be the Church is bidden to losse and the service of God shall suffer in it the people is now more plentifully conducted to the knowledge of God and his praises according to his own word then the ruder sort shall have much ado to dream over a Psalme in a great deal of time in a manner so farre from that decencie to which it pretendeth as may be a just means to dead the devotion of such as are not set upon a good edge The Answers of the people represent in some sort that most ancient and commendable fashion of Antiphones and teach them their office and conduct them to bear their part in the praises of God not to sit by as Hearers where they are to be Actours And where that fashion may be represented to the truth in the more skilfull Congregations of Collegiate and Cathedrall Churches what a strange prejudice is it that will not suffer reasonable persons to relish the advantage of it in the service of God But all this affords no ground to condemne the course of those more skilfull Congregations of Collegiate and Cathedrall
OF RELIGIOUS ASSEMBLIES AND THE PUBLICK SERVICE OF GOD A Discourse According to Apostolicall Rule and Practice By HERBERT THORNDIKE HINC LVCEM ET POCVLA SACRA CAMBRIDGE Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Vniversitie and are to be sold at the Angel in Lombardstreet in London 1641. To the Readers THere is no such light to the true meaning of the Scripture as the practice of matters contained in it under the Synagogue first and in the Church afterwards This is the reason of the course held here in inquiring what was done or arguing what is to be done for the Publick Service of God It is not to be expected that the particulars here observed or discoursed under the judgement of this Church and the Learned in it should indifferently take place It is enough if the main foundation which I have given my thoughts a little freedome to dig for prove not fleeting Then may it serve for the edifying of it unto peace However you see wherefore writing in English neverthelesse I produce the passages of Writers in their own formall words You shall find them translated for the satisfaction of all sorts The learned Readers may please to excuse me if walking for the most part an untrodden path they find nothing but work cut out to be made up at leisure All may please to do so much right to themselves or me as to referre themselves to such things as the delay of the Presse hath given occasion to adde at the end before they begin to reade The Heads of matters here intreated are premised for the ease of such as make choice of what they think best to reade The Contents of the Chapters Chap. I. THe Publick Service of God the most eminent work of Christians How the form of it may be derived from the Scriptures The Subject and the Proceeding of this Discourse Chap. II. Dayes of Assemblies appointed by the Law The Morall Service of God not specified in it but collected from it How the Jews are taxed for spending the Sabbath in pastime Places of such Assemblies not provided in it The Priests charged to teach the Law by deciding controversies of it The Chair of Moses the Chair of Prophets High places to what purpose Beginning of Synagogues Disciples of Prophets studied to be Prophets They ministred the Morall Service of God in High places and Synagogues Chap. III. The profession of Scribes that succeeded the Prophets Wisemen of the Jews were the learned sort of Scribes Scribes of all the three Sects They taught in Synagogues Who were Lawyers Who sate in their Courts and of their Disciples The manner of their sitting in Schools and Synagogues How they sate in Feasting Of the Elders of Synagogues Who among them received Imposition of hands Chap. IV. Presbyteries of Churches with their Bishops answerable to the Jews Consistories made with Imposition of hands They sate in the Church as the other in the Synagogue That argueth their Office of Governing the Church And the difference of them from the people The Elders of the people in the Africane Churches were not of this rank What is the double Honour of Presbyters in S. Paul The Apostles Rule in discerning Spirituall Graces The Proceeding and Extent of his Discourse His Catalogue of Graces and Ministeries How divers of them may meet in the same man Doctours are those of the Presbyters that preached Helps were Deacons Chap. V. Prophets in most of the Churches remembred by the Apostles The gift of Languages the purpose and nature of it The Limbes and Branches of both these Graces in S. Paul Of praying and praising God by the Spirit Those that spake strange Tongues understood what they said Interpretation concerneth all that was spoken in strange Languages They prayed and studied for spirituall Graces Prophesying in S. Paul signifieth singing psalmes Prayers of the Church conceived by immediate inspiration The nearnesse of the Graces of Prophesying and Languages The ground and meaning of the Apostles Rule It proceedeth of none but Prophets What is to be judged in that which Prophets spake The custome in the Primitive Church of many preaching at the same Assembly came from hence Chap. VI. The parts of that work of Gods Service for which Christians assemble Psalmes of Gods praises part of the substance of it The ground and efficacie of Common prayers Reading the Scriptures a substantiall part of publick Service The necessitie and excellence of preaching for expounding the Scriptures The Eucharist the chief part of publick Service The Apostles Rule of Order and Comelinesse The force of Custome in preserving Order and of Reason in judging of Comelinesse All practice of the Primitive Church prescribeth not to us Correspondence with it necessary The practice of it in the point in hand of what advantage Order of Publick Service a Law of Christian Kingdomes Direction of Ministers of the Church requisite The Obligation of it The Agreement of the chief Reformers Chap. VII The prohibition of Quenching the Spirit concerneth immediate inspirations Prescript Form of Prayers as well as of other parts of the Service is for the Edification of the Church Order not to be maintained without it Three parts of the Service of the Temple The praises of God the Confession of sinnes the Priests Blessings The Service of the Synagogue prescribed Of the eighteen Benedictions Of the Service of their Fast of Seven dayes The Deacon ministred their Service Justine Martyr and Tertullian misunderstood Summe of the Church-service All Prescript Of Canons that prescribe the Service to be ordered by Councels Alterations in Liturgies Agreement of Reformed Churches Chap. VIII Of times of Assemblies Daily morning and evening Service is for the edification of the Church Humane Institution of Festivals lawfull Publick Service upon them and upon weekly and yearly times of Fasting is for increase of godlinesse Of frequent celebration of the Eucharist Houres of Prayer among the Apostles and Primitive Christians from the Synagogue Festivalls of the Law for gladnesse and those of humane institution in the Synagogue Of Fasting-dayes in the Synagogue and Primitive Church How the Eucharist was frequented in the Primitive Church The Order of this Church agreeable with the judgement of chief Reformers Chap. IX The reasons why it is for the edification of the Church to use Ceremonies in Publick Service It is avowed by the chief Reformers Of the respect of times and places Of the difference of Vestures and Gestures Caution in matter of Ceremonies The obligation of Rules whereby they are determined Chap. X. What is to be considered touching our Service The Service of Hearers and Believers Confession of sins whether of old the beginning of Service The ancient order of Psalmes and Lessons The Masse containeth an abridgement of it Severall manners of singing Psalmes Purpose of Lessons The Place of the Sermon Dismission of Hearers Originall of Litanies Prayer indicted by the Deacon The Thanksgiving from whence the Sacrament is called the Eucharist Prayer which it was celebrated
with Prayer for all the Church at celebrating the Eucharist The residue of that Service The charge of the Masse on our Service Extent of the power of the Keyes and wherein it consisteth Of Confession of sinnes and Absolution at the beginning Our Order of Rsalmes and Lessons Of the Creed and Collects The Sermon part of our Service Of the Communion-Service and appertenances of it Chap. XI How the Form of Publick Service is ordered Dependance of Churches is from the Apostles for that and other purposes How the preaching of Lay men imports Schisme The good of the Order of Publick Service Of Religious Assemblies And The Publick Service of GOD. A Discourse according to Apostolicall Rule and Practice CHAP. I. The Publick Service of God the most eminent work of Christians How the Form of it may be derived from the Scriptures The Subject and the Proceeding of this Discourse THe most eminent work that men are able to tender to the honour of God is his publick Service at the Assemblies of Christians That supernaturall tincture which the faith of Christ and his Grace infuseth into the best of our actions seemeth to consist in the obedience to God out of which they are done and the intention of his glory and worship to which they are addressed That the reason of them is derived from the will and pleasure of God and the intent of them directed to his honour and service Whereas all the men of this world can do nothing but out of love to themselves taking the rise and motive of their doings from that which concerneth their particulars and aiming at nothing else in their intentions All sorts of Christian mens actions as they proceed from such considerations as these are capable to be qualified the Service of God But that which is called his Publick Service professeth the exercise of nothing else neither is capable to be accounted otherwise unlesse it be counterfeit For what consideration can common sense fasten upon that which we do when we assemble our selves for religious Service but the conscience of our subjection to God the acknowledgement of our want of his direction and assistance and our desire and affection to the good which we expect at his hands Onely to be Publick is still an addition of advantage to it in as much as the honour which it pleaseth God to accept at mens hands becometh his Greatnesse more when it proceedeth from more agreement of minds And as the strength of mens bodies joyned to one purpose removeth that which one by one they could not do so united devotions prevail with God to such effect as severally they cannot bring to passe The Prophet Esay ii 2 3 4. from the Prophet Micah iv 1. In the last dayes it shall come to passe saith he that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains and it shall be exalted above the hills And people shall flow unto it and many nations shall come and say Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths For the law shall go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem And a third Prophet Sophon iii. 9. For then will I turn to the people a pure language or a pure lip that they may call upon the name of the Lord with one consent or with one shoulder The meaning of these Prophets is to tell us what the Gentiles should do when they applied themselves to the Church the mountain of God the hill of Sion by two principall particulars They should flow like the waters of a deluge to learn the will of God which the Church teacheth they should crowd in like a multitude with one shoulder to serve God with that language which he had sanctified Who can reade this and not think what God recommendeth to Christians one current to the Church to learn his will there one shoulder striving who shall crowd in first one lip one language that soundeth nothing but his praises So that in the Publick Service of God are fulfilled the words of the Gospel Matt. vi 13. A city cannot be hid that standeth upon an hill Be the Profession what it will be that differenceth a true visible Church from a false it must be the Publick Service of God that must make that Profession visible And the Apostle 1. Tim. ii 8. I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath or disputing when he saith every where taketh away the difference which the Temple at Jerusalem made when he saith without wrath or disputing signifieth that his speech is of Publick Assemblies the fruit whereof he would not have intercepted through their dissensions and so expoundeth that one lip of the Prophet signifying that unity of mind which Gods people serve him with This is too much to be said here but perhaps too little to perswade how much the frame of Publick worship concerneth the honour of God and his Service How much it must needs be for the advantage of godlinesse that it be formed without prejudice Were all particulars of it ordered in Scripture as the Ceremonies of that Figurative Service under Moses are there were no more to do but to make all things according to the pattern shewed in the mountain Hebr. viii 5. Exod. xxv 40. And he that did it should be for his part faithfull in all the house of God as was Moses Hebr. iii. 2. Numb xii 7. But he that is there said to be faithfull in all the house of God as Moses was hath discharged his Office in revealing and establishing the substance of the worship of God in Spirit and Truth And what is further determined in Scripture and what is not my purpose is not to dispute here because my discourse proceedeth from that which I can find expressed in Scripture to that which remaineth questionable according to it For my part I do not find so much delivered concerning the Service of God at the Assemblies of Christians any where in Scripture as in the first Epistle to the Corinthians where the Apostle discourseth the use of Spirituall Graces of that time in those Assemblies And therefore my first travell in this little work shall be to inquire the true meaning of that whole discourse of the Apostle the proceeding of it and the grounds whereupon his rules are framed Which to do with successe I shall first discover the office of Prophets and Scribes under the first and second Temple of the Graces of Prophesying and of Languages under the first times of the Gospel in ministring the Morall and Perpetuall not the Ceremoniall and Figurative Service of God at their Assemblies for that purpose To the result of which inquiries if we shall joyn the rules which the same Apostle debateth in the eleventh Chapter of the same Epistle concerning
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the spirituall Crown of their Presbytery because sitting in a half Round in the head place of the Church they very well resembled the fashion of a Crown and are therefore called in the Constitutions of the Apostles ii 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Crown of the Church There order is taken that the Presbyters at the Feasts of Love then practiced shall receive a double share to that of the widows in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As for the Presbyters that they may take pains about the word of Doctrine let there be a double part set aside for them also for the Apostles of our Lords sake whose place they possesse as Counsellours to the Bishop and the Crown of the Church We are not to conceive that it must needs be a full Round that is called a Crown that Constellation of starres that is so called wanteth a great deal of a Circle I suppose because we must allow room to tye it behind the head to avoid Tertullians objection That the hinder parts of the head swell not If then the Bishop and Presbyters sate in that figure of a half Round which we saw practiced in the Jews Consistories and that in the head of the Congregation it is for no other reason that they are called the Crown of the Church Now this fashion of their sitting is thus described in the same book ii 58. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the Bishops Chur stand in the midst and let the Presbytery sit on both sides of him and the Deacons stand by lightned of too much apparel for they are in the ship of the Church like Mariners and Rulers of sides by their direction let the people sit on the other side with all quietnesse and good order and let the women also sit apart keeping silence then let the Reader stand on high and reade It is plain that he setteth here the Bishops Chair in the midst of the upper end of the Church because he called them afore the Crown of the Church and because if the Deacons order the sides then is the Bishop Master at the stern In the mean time he sitting in the midst and the Presbyters on both hands the Deacons must needs be conceived to stand beside them behind the Compasse of that Round in which they sate And thus sitting they are said in the Constitutions as you had it even now To possesse the place of our Lords Apostles And in Ignatius Epist ad Magnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bishop sitting highest in place of God that is of Christ and the Presbyters in place of the Bench of Apostles And Gregory Nazianzen setting down the dream wherein he saw himself sitting as he was wont to do in the Church describeth himself sitting in the midst and the Presbyters in Chairs on this hand and on that to shew in what posture there they sate This will be all still more clear if we compare it with the posture of the Clergie at celebrating the Eucharist described in the same Constitutions and in him that calleth himself Dionysius the Areopagite Eccles Hierarch c. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bishop standeth at the midst of the Divine Altar and onely the chief of the Deacons stand about him with the Priests Constit Apost viii 12. more in particular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Andlet the Presbyters stand on his right hand on his left like Scholars that stand beside their Master and let two Deacons on either side the Altar hold fans of thin skins or Peacocks feathers or linen to drive away the little creatures that flie about that they light not in the Cups The posture of the Presbyters on each hand the Bishop and of the two Deacons at the points of the Communion-Table describeth that Round whereof we speak in which the Bishop and Presbyters sate with their faces to the people ready to rise speak to them when time required ready to celebrate the Eucharist in the like posture behind the Communion-Table which therefore seemeth to have been the most ancient custome of the Church as out of Jewell against Harding is noted in the last Chapter of the Holy Table and is like to have been the Originall reason of all that is observed there of compassing the Altar in the Greek Liturgies This is that which Tertullian calleth Ordinem Consessum Ecclesiae Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Order or the Bench of the Church consiting of the Bishop and his Presbyters in allusion and correspondence to the Commonalties of the Romane Empire governed by their annuall Magistrates and a Bench of their Counsellours called Ordo Reipublicae The Order or the Bench of such Commonalties The consideration hereof is very forcible to convince common sense of the Succession of Bishops from the Apostles as the Heads of these Presbyteries granting that which men of learning cannot refuse for Historicall truth It is found in Tertullians words De Praescript Haeret. C. xxxvi Age jam qui voles curiositatem meliùs exercere in negotio Salutis tuae percurre Ecclesias Apostolicas apud quas ipsae adhuc cathedrae Apostolorum suis locis praesident apud quas ipsae authenticae eorum literae recitantur sonantes vocem repraesentantes faciem uniuscujusque Thou that shalt have a mind to exercise thy curiosity better in the businesse of thy salvation go to now runne over the Apostolick Churches in which the very Chairs of the Apostles govern in their places in which their authentick writings are read sounding the voice and representing the visage of each He that should have denied the Books kept and used by those Churches to have been the Authenticks of the Apostles would have been thought to disadvantage the Faith What shall we imagine of him that denieth the very Chairs wherein the Apostles sate in the Head of those Churches to be possessed by their Successours as was pretended there from whence Tertullian argueth For when he saith that they sounded their voice and represented their visage doth he not affirm that their Epistles written to those Churches preached in their absence as themselves did out of those Chairs in presence I have shewed out of the Scriptures that the Apostles exercised the Government in chief of those Churches which they had planted Presbyteries to govern as occasion required The Chairs whereof Tertullian speaketh were the seats of that Government as well as Doctrine when they were there The Apostles had divers companions which were both their Disciples in the Doctrine and their Coadjutours in the work of the Gospel Of these S. Paul speaketh Phil. iv 3. With Clement also and the rest of my work-fellows These or some of these which sometimes gave personall attendance upon the Apostles not moving in their office but at their disposing became afterwards settled by them upon particular Churches which they found they could not attend so well themselves for the government of those
government or care or whatsoever you please to call it of the Church in Spirituall matters as by the charge of Teaching the people Both parts ascribed to them that bear the rank and style of Presbyters Acts xx 29. 1. Pet. v. 2. 1. Tim. iiii 2 5. Titus i. 7 9. 1. Thess v. 22. True it is that the Church is of it self a mere Spirituall Common-wealth not indued with any temporall power to inforce by way of constraint the effect of those Ministeries which they stand trusted with Before the Temporall powers of the world were converted to the Faith they came to effect by the voluntary consent of Christians The same good will that moved them to become such was enough to prevail with them to yield effect to those Ministeries which God had provided for the maintenance and propagation of it It seemeth that the Ground of the present Separation is derived from hence That hereupon Ordinations and Censures are to passe by voices of the Congregation according to the Scriptures And true it is that in the primitive Church according to the practice of the Apostles times these matters passed at their religious Assemblies under the sight and conscience as S. Cyprian speaketh that is under the notice of the people Ordinations were allowed by them as not having to except against the persons reproofs and censures were their reproofs and censures for they reproved and cast out those whom the Ecclesiasticall Order sentenced to it 2. Cor. ii 6. Sufficient to such an one is the rebuke by the MANY The Congregation must needs rebuke him whom they put from their body to give effect to the Apostles sentence 1. Cor. v. 4. To shew us the meaning and extent of his words there vers 12. For what have I to do to judge those that are without do not YE judge those that are within The Apostle censureth and the people censureth The difference of their right and charge is in the third verse expressed in the case I newly have judged or determined already that he be delivered to Satan at one of your Assemblies that is solemnly put from the body of Christians In regard of the faction then on foot among the Presbyters as hath been shewed else where it appeareth that the person in fault was born out by a side of the people especially if we believe S. Chrysostome that he was one of the Pastours The Apostles were so charitable to expect the peoples consent in Ordinations and Censures that they meant not to betray their own right with Gods cause Judge whether he proceedeth upon voices that inchargeth them to execure his sentence and yet he saith I condemne and you candemne But how shall the government of the Church in generall belong to the Ecclesiasticall Order if the particulars of it be in the hands of the people 1. Pet. v. 2. Feed the stock of God OVERSEEING not upon constraint but willingly not as lording it over the heritage but as ensamples to the flock 1. Thess v. 12. Know them which labour among you and ARE OVER you in the Lord. Titus i. 7. A Bishop must be blamelesse as the STEVVARD of God endued with those qualities that follow not concerning preaching but government The like 1. Tim. iii. 2 3 4 and vers 5. If a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he TAKE CARE of the Church of God Rom. xii 8. He that RULETH with diligence Hebr. xiii 17. OBEY THEM THAT HAVE THE RULE OVER you OR GUIDE you Is all this obedience no more then to give them the hearing when they preach Who shall be left to yield obedience according to this generall charge if the particulars of it Ordinations and Censures belong as well to the people Of the right of the Ecclesiasticall Order in these particulars enough hath been said And the Primitive practice of them in the Church is enough to interpret the meaning of those Scriptures to the common sense of men that will use it Tertullian Apologet. C. xxxix speaking of their Assemblies Ibidem etiam exhortationes castigationes censura divina Praesident probati quique Seniores He telleth us that exhortations reproofs and spirituall censures passed at their Assemblies but under the presidence of their Presbyters Firm. Epist Ixxv. Cypr Omnis potest as gratia in Ecclesia constituta est In qua praesident Majores natu qui baptizandt manum imponendi Ordinandi habent potestatem All power and favour is seated in the Church In which the Presbyters are Presidents which have power both to baptize to impose hands in Penance and to ordain All my meaning is contained in these words Some of S. Cyprians Presbyters made a side of the people to admit the lapsed to communicate without Penance upon petition of the imprisoned towards martydome S. Cyprian neither neglecteth the danger of Schisme nor sitteth down to tell voices which if that were the right in conscience must carry it but casteth about with authority to reduce the people and their leaders to acknowledge themselves He complaineth that the people was debauched by some of his Clergie that ought to have kept them in discipline and instructed them to desire no mans reconcilement before Penance Lib. iii. Ep. 14 16. He writeth to those of the Clergie that they shall give account of what they did to him and the Clergie to the Confessours and to the people Ep. 14. To the people he writeth to advise and rule those that were so irregular in their demands Ep. 16. But he resolveth as a cause that concerned the rest of the Church not to proceed without advice of his fellow Bishops Praesente stantium plebe quibus ipsis pro timore fide suo honor habendus est Ep. 18. In presence of those of the people that fell not to whom respect was to be had for the faith and fear they had shown He yieldeth respect unto his people to incourage their obedience But in whom the keys of the Church rested he sheweth Ep. 16. Cùm in minoribus delictis quae non in Deum committuntur poenitentia agatur justo tempore exomologesis fiat inspectâ vitâ ejus qui agit poenitentiam nec ad communicationem venire quis possit nisi priùs illi ab Episcopo Clero manus fuerit imposita Seeing inlesse faults that are not done against God men do penance their due time and come to Confession upon consideration of the life of him that doth penance and no man can come to communicate unlesse first hands be laid on him by the Bishop and Clergie Shew me any share of the people in determining the measure of Penance or in releasing the persons and let it be believed that the keys of Gods house belong to the people And this is their interesse in the Government of the Church For they that give them right of deciding Controversies because they are mentioned in the Councell at Jerusalem Acts xv 12 22 23.
may please to consider S. Cyprians Order which alloweth their presence for their satisfaction not their voices to decide As they are present at Councels but not called to give sentence But since Kingdomes and Commonwealths are become Christian the Laws of those Kingdomes and Commonwealths as they inforce the Ministers of the Church to execute their office according to such Rules as they inforce so they constrain the people to yield outward effect to the same The good order and peace of the Church cannot be preserved otherwise All this while the Office of Ministers continueth the same No part of it accrueth to the Secular powers By becoming Christians they purchase themselves no more right then the Charge of maintaining the Ministers of the Church in doing their Office containeth Onely as all Christians have the judgement of particular discretion to discharge unto God even in matters of Religion the account of what themselves do so is this judgement of particular discretion by publick persons but most by the Sovereigne of right imployed in all that in which they lend or refuse their assistance to the Ministers of the Church in their Office alwayes under the account due to God and to the Sovereigne What is then the meaning of that which we reade in these dayes That all Jurisdiction of the Church exercised by the Ministers of it even that of Excommunicating call it Jurisdiction for the present though the term be proper where there is power to constrain is inherent and derived in and from the Common-wealth that is in our particular from the Crown of this Kingdome From whence it will follow by just and due consequence that the Office charged upon the Ministers of the Church by the Scriptures cannot be executed by them of right so long as Kingdomes and Commonwealths are enemies of the Faith So that whatsoever the Church did under the Empire before it was converted to the Faith was an attempt upon the Laws of it And the Church must of necessity die and come to nothing for want of right to execute and propagate the Ministeries which it standeth incharged with by the Scripture The Canonists have done well to distinguish between Order and Jurisdiction in the Ministeries of the Church provided that the ground be right understood upon which these terms are distinguishable according to the Scriptures That will point the effect of it to a farre other purpose but we must not be beholden to the Canonists for it being indeed this Because he that receiveth the Order of Presbyter in the Church for example is not of necessity by the same Act deputed to the exercise of all that his Order importeth and inableth to exercise without receiving the Order anew I say by the Scriptures he is not confined when he receiveth the Order when where how what part of those things he shall exercise which the Order inableth to do True it is when the Canon that prohibited Ordinations without Title of Office was in force to the true purpose of it by receiving the Order a man was deputed to the Service of the Church in which he received it as a Bishop is now when first he is ordained And the nearer the Course of Law cometh to this Canon the better I conceive it is in that regard But as this deputation was alterable so was the execution of it of necessity limitable in them that received it What Law of God what Command of Scripture what Rule or Practice of the whole Church is there to hinder him that is deputed to one Service to undertake another for the good of the Church Or to inable all that have received the Order of Presbyter for example indifferently to exercise the power of the Keys and of Ordaining so farre as it belongeth to that Order of right much lesse to exercise it according to their own sense and not according to Rules prescribed by the Church Therefore when the Order is given if you please to call the right of exercising that which it importeth in such time and place and sort as he that receiveth it is or may be deputed to do without receiving the Order anew the power of Jurisdiction this power of Jurisdiction may be given or limited by other acts besides though habitually and afarre off it be contained in the Order of Presbyters and exercised without receiving the Order anew so soon as a man is deputed to the exercise of it If further the question be made From whom this power of Jurisdiction that is the right of exercising that which the Order thus inableth to do is derived and in whom the power of Jurisdiction that is the right of giving this right resideth which the Canonists derive from the Pope upon the whole Church The answer is plain that it must rest in them and be derived from them upon whom the Government of particular Churches and that which falleth under them is estated according to the Scriptures In as much as no Law of God inforceth the rest of Churches to be Governed by one further then the Law of Charity inforceth all to concurre to the unity of the whole In the outward Jurisdiction of the Church in charitable causes settled here upon Bishopricks the matter is somewhat otherwise in as much as it is not so settled by expresse provision of Scripture And yet not so strange from the Scripture and that which is provided there but that it may seem originally to have been derived from thence 1. Cor. vi The Apostle reproving them for impleading one another in the Courts of unbelievers sheweth that the Church was disparaged in that course as if it had none fit to decide their controversies whereas it had been better to referre their causes to the meanest of the Church then to sue before Infidels That is the meaning of his words there vers 4. If ye have causes concerning matters of this life set them to judge who are least esteemed in the Church Not spoken by way of precept commanding them to let the simplest of the brethren judge their causes that were a strange course where there were abler men to do it but by way of Concession that it were better so to do then as they did do For the practice of the Church argueth that the Custome grew upon this Order of the Apostle to referre their causes to the chief of the Church as the Church that is to the Bishop and Presbyters In the Constitutions of the Apostles ii 47. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let your Consistories be upon the Mundayes that if there arise opposition to your sentence having leisure till the Sabbath you may set the opposition straight and make them friends that are at variance among themselves against the Lords day And the Deacons also an◠Presbyters be present at the Consistory judging without respect of persons as men of God c. 45. afore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But suffer not the Magistrates of the world to give sentence on ours Not withdrawing obedience
he should be much misâ—aken that should so understand it but taking up controversies within the Church after â—his course And all to this purpose that on â—he Lords day they might communicate â—hat they might give and receive the kisse of peace that when the Deacon pronounced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man â—ave a quarrell or suspicion against any they might neverthelesse draw near Such was â—he beginning of the externall Jurisdiction of â—he Church by which it may be judged whether it were first bestowed by the indulgence of Christian Princes or by them conâ—inued upon the practice of the Church beâ—ore the Empire was Christian But of this we speak not here as not concerning the Government of the Church in Spirituall â—atters wherein as members of the Church we communicate That standeth indeed and â—ometh to effect by the free consent of members of it so farre as Religion is not the Law of that Kingdome or Commonwealth â— which it flourisheth Because our Lord â—â—dued not the Ministers of his Kingdome with that power to constrain obedience â—hich himself used not upon earth But as â—he Laws of Kingdomes and Common-â—ealths inforce the Execution and outward â—ffect of Ministeries instituted in the Scriâ—tures in this respect not the power of excommunicating alone but of preaching and ministring the Sacraments and whatsoeveâ— else belongeth to the Office is derived from the Common-wealth that is in our particular from the Imperiall Crown of this Kingdome because it is exercised with effecâ— outwardly that is of doing the work though not of producing the inward end and purpose of converting the soul by Laws inforced by it The like is to be said of all thaâ— is done in deputing those that receive any Order in the Church to the exercise of any part of that function which the Order received importeth The right and charge oâ— it must rest upon those Ministeries that anâ— incharged with the oversight and government of such matters according to the Scriptures and by whom it must be exercised were the Common-wealth not Christianâ— But the power that inforceth the effect oâ— that which they do in this and all parts oâ— their Office is derived from the Secular Arm of the Common-wealth that cherisheth thâ— Church in the bosome of it As for Excommunication by Judges Delegate or High-Commissioners that is by men not of thesâ— Orders First it proceedeth upon Rules directed by the Church and then the course oâ— it is not so agreeable to the tenour of Scripture as to the necessities of the Kingdome For that is here to be averred again that thâ— Presbyteries whereof we speak are differenced from the rest of the people as Benches composed of none but persons Ordained by Imposition of hands for the purpose of Teaching the people and Ordering and Governing Spirituall matters So you have the Office described in all places where there is remembrance of it in the Scriptures Onely in the words of the Apostle 1. Tim. v. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially those that labour in the Word and Doctrine it is imagined that two kinds of Presbyters as well as two parts of their Office are expressed one of Ministers of the Church another of the people one perpetuall the other ambulatory for their time both alike interessed in the Government of the Church the Office of Preaching charged upon the one How little of this is set down in the words of the Apostle were the sense of them that which is pretended let all the world judge yet this is the state of that discipline which hath been pressed as one of the essentiall marks of avisible Church But the purpose is now to satisfie that which hath been alledged from the collections of Justellus upon the Africane Canons to make good this pretended meaning of the Apostle and that from the Apostles own words He hath there produced out of Church-writers of the age of S. Augustine and Optatus or underneath much remembrance of certain Persons styled in those Writers Seniores Ecclesiarum Elders of Churches As in S. Augustine cont Cresc iii. 56. Clerici Seniores Cirthensium Epist 136. Peregrinus Presbyter Seniores Ecclesiae Musticanae regionis in Ep. Conc. Cabarsussitani apud S. Aug. in Psal 36. Seniores Ecclesiae Carthaginensis and to these persons are ascribed certain Acts retaining at least to the Government of those Churches As The Church goods are deposited in their hands Optatus lib. i. They reprove a drunkard August Serm. xix De verbis Domini They are present at an Ecclesiasticall Judgement Greg. l. xi Ep. 19. The Elders of the Church at Carthage solicite the sentencing of their Bishops cause Epist Concil Cabarsussitani apud August in Psal 36. these and more particulars produced by Justellus Out of Origen iiii cont Celsum that the Church had certain of the people to inform them of scandalous offenses whereupon they might proceed to reproof or censure But observe first the style of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 5. 17. and Heb. xiii 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agreeing with that of Tertullian Apolog. cap. 39. PRAESIDENT probati quique Seniores and of Firmilianus Ep. lxxv Cypr. In qua PRAESIDENT majores natu and Ignatius afore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All expressing the first rank of the Church in which after the Bishop they put the Presbyters Compare herewith the rank in which we see these Elders of the people in the time of Optatus and S. Augustine placed in these writings from whence the remembrance of them is alledged In Actis Purgat Caecil Felicis Episcopi Presbyteri Diaconi Seniores August iii. cont Cresc 56. Clerici Seniores Cirthensium and then let common sense judge whether these that stand in rank and style behind all degrees of the Clergie be the men that the Apostle placeth in the head of the Church as Rulers of it or how those that governed the Church can come behind Deacons and inferiour Ranks whom they governed The truth is in that age when the Latine tongue began to decay and corrupt they are called Seniores in the Authours alledged by Justellus in the same sense as now in the Vulgar Languages into which the Latine is changed Signori or Scigneurs And therefore there is remembrance of Seniores locorum Seniores regni Childeberti out of Gregory of Tours as well as Seniores Ecclesiae signifying the Aldermen of Commonalties and Lords of the Kingdome as well as the Chief persons of such or such a people that acknowledged the Christian Faith at such time as all were not Christians but Churches and Commonalties in which they subsisted made bodies distinct in persons as well as in nights In that regard it seemeth they are called sometimes Viri Ecclesiastici Ecclesiasticall persons that is belonging to the Church because there were others of like rank which being Heathen belonged not to it rather then for any settled charge in these
Offices which we find them executing in behalf of the Church which neverthelesse import not the Government of the Church settled upon the Bishop and Presbyters but that Assistance which the best of the people in Commonalties where the Church was planted vouchsafed to afford the Government managed by the Ministers according to Scripture and have well been understood as a good and ancient President of the Office of Church-wardens among us There is yet another peremptory exception against this pretended meaning of the Apostle published of late in the observation of Sculletus which shall here be repeated to averre the truth of it For when he saith Let the Elders that rule well be accounted worthy of double honour the meaning is for certain of double maintenance which must be in respect of single maintenance allowed somewhere else Now let any man judge without prejudice whether these Elders of Congregations remembred in S. Augustines time being none of the Clergie received maintenance from the Church out of the oblations of the people or not Whereas the Apostle in the beginning of the Chapter having said Honour widows that are widows indeed that is allow them maintenance from the means of the Church which the Bishop alwayes dispensed when he cometh to speak of Elders unreproveable in their charge fitly ordereth that their maintenance be double to that of widows which is also the Italian glosse of Diodati The like practice we find in the Constitutions of the Apostles where he ordereth the course of dividing portions at the Agapae or Feasts of Love then used abrogated afterwards by the xxvii Canon of Laodicea The words are in the place alledged afore ii 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But whatsoever is given to the old women that is to the widows of whom the Apostle speaketh there let twice so much be given to the Deacons in honour of Jesus Christ Then follow the words alledged afore wherein it is ordered that the Presbyters have as much as the Deacons I know that in another case that is in dividing the remains of oblations for the Eucharist the proportion is otherwise according to the same Constitutions viii 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the Deacons distribute the remains of the blessings at the mysteries according to the mind of the Bishop or Presbyters to the Clergie To the Bishop foure parts to a Presbyter three to a Deacon two to the rest Subdeacons Readers Singers or Deaconesses one part Neverthelesse from the particular remembred afore we may well conclude the meaning of the Apostle that his Order is the maintenance of Presbyters to be double that of widows And upon these considerations it shall not trouble me to repeat what I have affirmed elsewhere That for this mistake of Lay-Elders there is neither appearance in Scripture nor in Ecclesiasticall writers For of the Text 1. Cor. xii 28. I shall speak afterwards Walo Messalinus deriveth the pedigree of these Africane Elders by conjecture from those of the Apostle whose imployment consisted in governing the Church rather then in teaching the people But out of his excellent learning he acknowledgeth that though they are called Ecclesiasticall persons yet they were not of the Ecclesiasticall Order not of the Bench of the Church which those of the Apostle did constitute And therefore the pretence of their pedigree availeth not to make them inherit the charge which those of our time have been invested with as much without president of the Churches of Africk as without warrant from the Scriptures The ground of the mistake was because men would not believe that in the time of the Apostles and among the Presbyters of their ordaining there was none that did not preach from time to time Whereas the state and condition of their Congregations required as well mens wisdome and goodnesse in the oversight of those spirituall matters wherein the members of them did communicate as their learning and eloquence in speaking which was not alwayes to be expected from such qualities of men as were promoted to that charge Of our Lords kindred that confessed him afore Domitian promoted therefore afterwards to the Government of Churches I have made mention elsewhere Tertull. de Idol c. 7. Parum sit si ab aliis manibus accipiant quod contaminant sed etiam ipsi tradunt aliis quod contaminaverunt Adleguntur in Ordinem Ecclesiasticum artifices Idolorum Be it a small thing if they receive of others that which they pollute nay themselves deliver also to others that which they have polluted Men whose craft is to make Idoles are chosen to the Bench of the Church If Presbyters that delivered the Eucharist were sometimes Painters and Carvers in those dayes well may we imagine that all of them preached not alwayes It was enough that the Bishop or some of them did it If this were the condition of the Ecclesiasticall Order in that time then must of necessity the Office of Teaching in the Church belong rather to the particular gifts and abilites of some then to the generall and perpetuall charge of all Presbyters And this I still suppose to be part of the cause that it pleased God in the time of the Apostles to distribute such varieties of spirituall Graces among those that believed that there might be every where such as might furnish this Office of preaching and teaching in their Assemblies by the help of extraordinary Graces which upon the ordinary means of mens Learning and Studies which now the Church is so well provided with would then have proved defective The use of these Graces is that which the Apostle debateth at large 1. Cor. xii xiiii and the exposition of his meaning there is the businesse which henceforth I charge my self with The issue whereof will inable us to discern by what sorts of Persons and Graces the publick Service of God was Ministred at those Assemblies which his purpose in that Discourse is to regulate This Discourse the Apostle openeth in the beginning of the xii Chapter with a mark to discern such as spoke indeed by the Spirit of God from such as pretended it but were moved in truth by unclean Spirits For that I take to be the meaning of his words there vers 3. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed or Anathema and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost The words of S. Chrysostome upon this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Therefore at the first beginning he putteth down the difference between Divining and Prophesying for which purpose they received the Gift of discerning spirits as it followeth vers 10. afterwards that they might distinguish and know who spake by a clean spirit and who by an unclean And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the devil being naught shuffled in among those that prophesyed foisting in False-prophets forsooth such as themselves also foretold things to come So
concerned the edification of the Church in doctrine whereof there he speaketh and of nothing else And thereupon conclude that Pastours and Doctours are both one there with the Apostle For what reason else can be rendered why there is no remembrance of Pastours in either of those other places wherein the Apostle maketh a more particular reckoning of the Ministeries of the Church both to the Romanes and to the Corinthians What reason but this Because they are set down in both places under the name of DOCTOURS Well may it seem that the Office of them whom the Synagogue called PASTOURS being referred in the Church to the inferiour Order of Deacons the name stuck upon those that ministred the food of the soul in the Church which is for the purpose of it Clemens Epist ad Cor. p. 63. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be a man faithfull be a man able to utter knowledge be he wise in discerning discourses be he pure in works He seemeth to point at some of the Presbyters there in whom these abilities were Tertull. de praescript c. 3. Quid ergò si Episcopus si Diaconus si Vidua si Virgo si Doctor si etiam Martyr lapsus à regula fuerit What then if a Bishop if a Deacon a Widow a Virgin if even a Martyr shall fall from the rule In this list of principall ranks in the Church Presbyters have no room unlesse we understand them in the name of DOCTOURS the best part of their Office Theodoret Epit. Haer. l. v. c. penult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What can they say of the Incestuous person at Corinth who was not onely vouchsafed the divine mysteries but also had attained a Doctours Grace He followeth S. Chrysostomes conjecture which conceiveth that the Corinthians were puffed up as the Apostle blameth them 1. Cor. v. 3. with the opinion of that man because he was one of their Doctours that is one of the Presbyters of that Church that exercised the Office of Preaching and by that means bore sway among the people In fine the Apostle intendeth by Doctours the same that are so called in all Ecclesiasticall Writers that is the Bishops or such of the Presbyters as were seen in Preaching It is worth the observing that Beza hath expounded those whom the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no otherwise then Deacons and Presbyters meaning indeed those Elders of the people which he imagined But having shewed that there never was any such in the Church well may we take his judgement along with so much of the truth as he acknowledgeth which deserveth still more credit from the President of Synagogues which had Elders some learned some not some that preached and some that did not as hath been said Salmasius of late in his work De Foenore Trapezit hath shown some evidence of two sorts of Presbyters in the first times of the Church But according to his admirable knowledge he saw withall that they were all of one rank in the Church all of the Ecclesiasticall Order all made by Imposition of hands and by consequence none of those Elders of the people which have been set up to manage the keys of the Church that is the Office of the Ecclesiasticall Order according to the Scriptures Besides it is to be observed that the Office of Bishops which name he thinketh most proper to those Presbyters which preached not but were exercised in ordering Church-matters and Presbyters is described almost in all places where there is mention of it in the Scriptures by both qualities of Teaching and Governing the Church Which is my argument to conclude That howsoever some mens abilities might be seen in the one rather then in the other howsoever some men according to their abilities might be applied to this rather then to that yet both Offices concerned the whole Order that of Preaching in chief To which though some attained not yet all are incouraged to labour towards it as the most excellent work of their place as by S. Paul allowing them that double maintenance ESPECIALLY in that respect So by these Constitutions allowing them that double portion at their Feasts of Love for that purpose that they may take pains in the Word of Doctrine as the words go there Be it then resolved that the Presbyters of the Church at least part of them were those Doctours whereof the Apostle writeth and from thence be it considered what distempers slight mistakes in the sound of the Scripture bring to passe when we see the Order of Doctours distinct from that of Presbyters pressed as a point of that Discipline that maketh one of the essentiall marks of a visible Church But whether the Prophets of the Primitive Church which taught the people at their Assemblies were Presbyters or not is not so easie to determine Some of them we have reason enough to think were be it but for those Prophets of Antiochia Acts xiii 2. that ministred unto the Lord and fasted when the Holy Ghost said unto them Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have appointed them and those other among whom Timothy received Imposition of hands with prophesying 1. Tim. iv 14. But that all Presbyters were Prophets or all Prophets Presbyters is more then I can resolve Of these Prophets henceforth we are to intreat CHAP. V. Prophets in most of the Churches remembred by the Apostles The Gift of Languages the purpose and nature of it The Limbes and Branches of both these Graces in S. Paul Of Praying and Praising God by the Spirit Those that spake strange Tongues understood what they said Interpretation concerneth all that was spoken in strange Languages They prayed and studied for Spirituall Graces Prophesying in S. Paul signifieth singing Psalmes Prayers of the Church conceived by immediate inspiration The nearnesse of the Graces of Prophesying and Languages The ground and meaning of the Apostles Rule It proceedeth of none but Prophets What is to be judged in that which Prophets spoke The custome in the Primitive Church of many Preaching at the same Assembly came from hence IN the beginning of the Christian Faith it pleased God for the propagation and maintenance of it to revive the Grace of Prophesying decayed and lost among his Ancient people in a large measure in most of the Churches planted by the Apostles though there be not found so much concerning their Office any where as in this Church of Corinth In the Church of Jerusalem the mother of all Churches Acts xi 27. And in those dayes came Prophets from Jerusalem to Antiochia xv 32. And Judas and Silas being Prophets also themselves In the Church of Antiochia Acts xiii 1. Now there were in the Church that was at Antiochia certain Prophets and Doctours At Thessalonica 1. Thess v. 20. Despise not Prophesying At Corinth as we see at large At Ephesus Ephes iv 11. And he gave some Apostles some Evangelists some Prophets some Pastours and Doctours At Rome Rom. xii 6. Whether Prophesie according to
him no more and all this no more inconvenience in the Apostle then this that upon his Revelation he conceived God had appointed that which afterwards upon the successe of his affairs he was in hope would come to passe otherwise Nor more inconvenience that this should be related in Scripture then that the speeches of Jobs friends should have a place in it of whom it is said They have not spoken aright of me as my servant Job hath done Thus then when the Apostle willeth the others to judge of that which two or three Prophets shall say as he appointeth at their meetings his meaning is not onely of that which by the way of common reason and ordinary skill shall be said in Exposition of the Scripture but even those things which are spoken by inspiration which he calleth the Spirits of the Prophets he will have subject to the Judgement of the Prophets so farre as concerneth the meaning and consequence of them to be measured by the rest of the Scriptures And to this purpose it seemeth he ordereth the use of those spirituall Graces which are poured upon this Church of Corinth in such abundance that it was hard to find a course for all of them to imploy their Gifts so that all might have opportunity by turns if not at the same meeting to use their Grace in Prophesying that the Church might be edified by it and that others might by the Gift of discerning spirits judge the meaning of those things that were spoken by the Spirit so that the Church might receive no such offense as that which the Thessalonians did in conceiving from things that were spoken by the Spirit that the day of the Lord was at hand at that time Though it is neverthelesse to be thought that this course of speaking by many at the same Assembly was practised in the Synagogue especially when divers Scribes and Doctours were present as also some traces of the same custome have continued in the practice of the Church Beza expounding the words of the Apostle 1. Cor. xi 8. Therefore ought a woman to have power over her head because of the Angels to be meant of the Ministers of Churches Vtitur autem plurali numero quòd in maxima donorum Dei abundantia non tantùm apud Corinthios ut apparet infrà xiv 39. sed etiam olim aliis in Ecclesiis non unus solus sed etiam bini terni in coetibus sacris sermonem haberent ut de praeclaris aliis donis taceam de quibus noster Apostolus infrà xiv 26. Quod etiam liquet ex Tertulliani Apologetico quibusdam in Antiochena Ecclesia Chrysostomi Homiliis Now he speaketh in the plurall number because for the abundance of Gods Graces not onely amongst the Corinthians as appeareth beneath xiv 39. but also in other Churches of old time not one alone but two or three spake at religious Assemblies Which also appeareth by Tertullians Apologetick and some Homilies of Chrysostome in the Church of Antiochia Tertull. Apolog. c. 39. Certè fidem sanctis vocibus pascimus spem erigimus fiduciam figimus disciplinam praeceptorum nihilominus inculcationibus densamus Ibidem etiam exhortationes castigationes censura divina Certainly with these holy words we nourish faith we erect our hope we fasten our confidence as much we compact our discipline repeating the rules of it There also exhortations reproofs and the censure of God speaking of reading and expounding the Scriptures in their Assemblies Whether or no these be the words which he meaneth I know not I find nothing else in that book to the purpose But it is clear which he saith of S. Chrysostome In Ferrarius De ritu Concionum ii 40. you shall find the passages of his Homilies marked in which he signifieth that the Bishop was to preach when he had done And in one passage related out of him in Baronius Ann. lvii n. 160. he testifieth in expresse terms that this custome of the Church was but a figure and monument of those Graces which had flourished in the Primitive Adding further that when the Preacher blessed or as they call it saluted the people at his beginning with these or the like words The Lord be with you the people answering as the fashion was which yet remaineth in one place of our Service And with thy Spirit the meaning of this answer had reference to the Spirituall inspired Grace out of which they were known to speak at the beginning Gregory Nissene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nè igitur longiùs vobis fratres sermonis exordium protrahamus cum mirific is eorum qui ante nos dixerunt orationibus operam dederitis Therefore brethren not to draw you out the beginning of my speech too much in length having taken pains to heare the admirable Sermons of those that have spoken before me But of all the rest the book called the Constitutions of the Apostles most in particular ii 51. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then saith he when the Gospel is read let the Presbyters exhort the people one by one not all at once and after all the Bishop as it is fitting for the Master to do For here you see how the Order of the Apostle was sometimes practised in the Church when the Bishop preached in the last place after one or more of the Presbyters CHAP. VI. The parts of that work of Gods Service for which Christians assemble Psalmes of Gods praises part of the substance of it The ground and efficacie of Common Prayers Reading the Scriptures a substantiall part of Publick Service The necessity and excellence of Preaching for expounding the Scriptures The Eucharist the chief part of Publick Service The Apostles Rule of Order and Comelinesse The force of Custome in preserving Order and of Reason in judging of Gomelinesse All practice of the Primitive Church prescribeth not to us Correspondence with it necessary The Practice of it in the point in hand of what advantage Order of Publick Service a Law of Christian Kingdomes Direction of Ministers of the Church requisite The Obligation of it Agreement of the chief Reformers THus farre then have we travelled in the first part of our businesse propounded inquiring the Apostles meaning in this whole discourse intended to regulate the use of spirituall Graces proper to that time in their Assemblies by comparing the particulars of it with that which is found remembred in the Scriptures to the like purpose How wide soever these things may be thought from my intent as having nothing to do with the particulars which the Apostle here ordereth to me it shall seem a great gain for the pains bestowed here that from hence we may collect the substance of those things which are to be done at the Religious Assemblies of Christians the particulars of that work for which we Assemble our selves which are no other according to the Apostle then our Common Service expresseth in the entrance to it To set forth his most worthy Praise to
heare his most holy Word which must be understood according to the purpose and opportunities of severall Assemblies either read or expounded as the meaning of it hath alwayes been declared by practice and to ask those things which be requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul The same hath Tertullian expressed to have been the businesse of the Primitive Christians at their Assemblies De Anim. c. ix Jam verò prout Scripturae leguntur aut Psalmi canuntur aut Adlocutiones proferuntur aut Petitiones delegātur ità indè materiae visionibus subministrantur Now as the Scriptures are read or Psalmes sung or Exhortations produced or Prayers preferred so is matter ministred to her visions In his Apologetick c. 39. and in Justine Martyr his second Apologie where they describe to the Powers of the Empire what the Christians did at their Assemblies of singing Psalmes there is no remembrance the rest are the same particulars There can be no question made that their practice was derived from the Apostles when we consider how much this Discourse of the Apostle inferreth in which we have seen the Psalmes and the Prayers which those that were indued with spirituall Graces composed and conceived on the behalf of the Church as hath been shewed where neverthelesse he hath expressed the part that particular persons bear when he saith Every man or woman Praying or Prophesying that is singing of Psalmes as hath been declared afore In like sort whatsoever Rules he giveth to order the course of Prophesying among them proceed from supposition of reading the Scriptures afore to the Exposition whereof he willeth them to contribute the fruit of their Graces And this in the first place I make account to be gained without contradiction from this Discourse of the Apostle That all these are substantiall parts of that work for which we go to Church all of them Principals none of them accessories in it The setting forth of Gods praises in Psalmes of Thanksgiving you shall see to be that part of morall and perpetuall Service the Order whereof is most particularly remembred in the Old Testament in Solomons Temple As the Sacrifice was burning upon the Altar and the Wine-offering pouring out on it and the Priests blowing with the Trumpets in the Court of the Sanctuary which was their Ceremoniall and Figurative Service in the mean time the Levites stood upon their Pulpits in the outer Courts where the men or women of Israel were licenced to come singing the Psalmes of Gods praises Times of their Assemblies were prescribed by the Law of Moses as you have seen but no Order for any particular work of spirituall Service to be performed at them is there remembred Not to make a doubt that other Offices were frequented together with the Exposition of the Law as the custome and opportunitie served but to shew that the Psalmes of Gods praises for the ordinary daily practice whereof such expresse Order was taken and remembred must by no means be reckoned of the by but of the main of Gods Publick Service And if we should go further to shew that this was no personall service of the Levites alone but of the whole congregation of Gods people assembled there and that it is so acceptable with God in this regard because his praise appeareth more glorious when his people joyn together in setting it forth we might produce a great part of the book of Psalmes wherein David and other persons inspired by the Holy Ghost have either expressed or stirred up the affections of the whole congregation to that work and recommended the Service of God which it yieldeth Psalm xxxiv 3. O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name TOGETHER cxlix 1. O sing unto the Lord a new song and his praise in the CONGREGATION of the Saints lxxxiv 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will be still praising thee He commendeth the condition of Priests and Levites but he desireth as farre as he can to make it his own cxvii when he singeth O praise God all ye People praise him all ye Nations The Apostle sheweth us that this is accomplished when the Gentiles submit themselves to the Church Rom. xv 11. and so is all the rest of like nature Psalm c. 4. O go your way into his gates with Thanksgiving and into his courts with Praise be thankfull unto him and blesse his Name But shall we believe that these things are accomplished in merely believing the Gospel or in serving him according to it as they are required to do in the Scriptures that foresaw it In fine S. Augustine hath instructed us that the Psalmes are to be understood in the person of David or him that composed them by the Holy Ghost in the first place but afterwards they belong to the person of Christ first and then to his mysticall body the Church So whatsoever is there read in the singular number hath the last resort of the meaning in the congregation of Gods people But those things that are couched in the plurall number there cannot properly be understood to proceed from particular persons every Praise ye every Hallelujah is owned of none but Assemblies Besides it expresseth to us the interesse which the honour of God hath in every thing of this nature that is publick Could it be supposed that the same thing were done the same praises yielded to God by each man in private which all men yield him in common there is no Christian that is sensible of the body of Christ and the fellowship of all members of it could think these to be both one to Gods Service because the Spirit that maketh this body one requireth of each member of it a particular influence in the common Office Hearts indued with severall Graces to God are like severall voices to the eare But we are farre from supposing this Many men may think that they need not go to Church for those Offices which they do at home But they ought to think what the common sort of Christians might do if Assemblies were not held As the matter is the Service which the best are able to yield unto God is much improved by joyning with the rest of his members but should we not Assemble for that purpose the hearts of plain simple members which now are most acceptable to God would be able to move little in this work the Order of the Congregation not guiding them in it Last of all be it considered that this is the imployment of the other world when mens desires are all satisfied and all the subject of prayers possessed the Angels the Elders about the Throne of God and all the people of Jews and Gentiles which encompasse it Revel vii 9. cease not to joyn in the praises of God when the Church is become perfectly one As for the Prayers of Christian Assemblies we know upon what Patent they stand Matth. xviii 19 20. Again I say unto you that if two of
obedience so the Net was not strong enough to hold them and yet brake not But when the world came into the Church then was the Parable of our Lord more clearly fulfilled which resembleth the Gospel to a Net which drew to the land both good and bad fish and when the Net is not strengthened by the secular Arm no marvell to see it break in pieces It is therefore requisite that the Orders of Publick Service have the force of Temporall Laws by Act of Kingdomes and Common-wealths but it is neverthelesse requisite that it should be directed by the Office of Ministers of the Church no otherwise then it was before the Empire or any Common-wealth received the Faith The charge of directing belongeth to the one which cannot be dispossessed of it the power of constraining belongeth to the other which must give account how they use it or not Heb. xiii 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you or guide you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account 1. Thess v. 12 13. And we beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake What can these Exhortations and Injunctions of the Apostle concern if in matters so proper to their charge as the Publick Service of God and the Order of it those of whom the Apostle speaketh are not to direct but to execute And when those disorders fell among the Corinthians in their Feasts of Love and receiving the Mysteries in praying praising God and preaching in unknown Languages no doubt through those partialities of the Presbyters the Ordinary Guides of the Church there where of hath been spoken elsewhere the Apostle indeed himself taketh Order in his time but in case the like fall out afterwards hath he not authorized the Ordinary Ministeries of the Church by his example to take Order in like matters And when he writeth to Timothy 1. Tim. ii 1. I will therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men wherein without peradventure he taketh order for the substance of Publick Prayer for their Assemblies as shall appear is it his purpose to referre the ordering of it to the Congregation there or to his Office whom he inchargeth with it It is to be seen indeed how much King David did in ordering the Publick course of Divine Service in his time But it is to be considered how he proceeded in it by that which we reade 1. Chron. xv 16 17. And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren singers with instruments of musick psalteries and harps and cymbals sounding by lifting up the voice with joy And the Levites appointed Heman and the rest which is the very course by which we pretend such things are to passe But in the Church of Christ as from the beginning things came to be practised in the Service of God by Order of the Ministers and consent of the people so when Emperours Kingdomes and Common-wealths received the Faith they purchased themselves no right of disposing in such matters as by the Scriptures belong to the Ministers charge but they impose upon themselves the charge of inforcing these Orders which shall seem to be for the advancement of godlinesse And therefore upon the judgement of discretion common to all Christians they are to proceed in denying or inforcing the execution of that which is directed by them whose charge it concerneth If they proceed further they are to answer for the good aswell as for the wrong which they do so farre as that which is done for the better as it advanceth the publick good in the particular substance of that which is done so it may prejudice it more in the consequence of the Example Let us then recollect from the first to the last what hath been said of the reasons and grounds whereupon the Apostle proceedeth in regulating matters concerning the Publick service of God and we shall find that the Church in all ages is to proceed no otherwise First the edification of the Church that is the instruction of Gods people in the knowledge of him the training of them in the exercise of godlines is the aim proposed This is procured by observing Order and Comelinesse in all things to be done of that nature The best and most unpartiall reason is to be imployed in judging what best becometh in matters of this weight and because it is not possible to put these Ordinances past contradiction of opposite reasons the custome directed by the Ministers of the Church upon advise of common reason and most primitive and universall President of the Church and inforced by the secular Arm is to take place for Order sake If after all this a question be made Whether matters established with a tolerable respect to the Fiduciall Line of this Rule oblige men in conscience to observe them or not he shall leave the Church obnoxious to perpetuall confusion by necessary consequence seeing it is not possible that all men should agree of their free accord to observe any course as fittest to be observed unlesse they think themselves tied in conscience to observe that Rule which for the latitude and kind of it is not sinfull for themselves to observe and that if they fail they may be constrained to it because it is established Possible it is that men proceeding in the form of this Rule should so farre mistake themselves as to injoyn the Church to violate some of Gods Laws in obeying theirs in such a man is bound with his bloud to maintain his disobedience But our speech concerneth matters of indifference where the perpetuall Law of God and Nature forbiddeth not the whole kind and latitude of the thing commanded where no perpetuall Law of God or Nature no positive constitution of God or man that ought to take place afore this cometh between if the Laws of the Church strengthened by the secular Arm bind not a man in conscience by virtue of that Law of God that inforceth obedience to their Authours to do according to them then must all men be at their freedome to dissolve or preserve order in the Service of God as they please Where nothing but custome of the Church upon probable reason directeth our practice we must not proceed according to our private reasons which perswade the contrary but according to publick custome if we will be ruled by the Apostle But where there is Law to constrain us we may perhaps have reason to think that the Authours of Laws might have done better in ordering matters otherwise and yet be bound our selves to follow the course which they prescribe They are to answer for the things they injoyn we for our performance when was any humane Law made that could not be faulted if our obedience be delayed till it find such laws as no fault can be
found with the world must end in confusion before we practise that virtue It is never lawfull to do any thing that is evil but it is not evil but necessary in the sphere of things indifferent to follow the Law that standeth though a better might stand in stead of it Herewith agreeth the judgement of the principall reformed Divines themselves chief Reformers which my desire is to repeat here though it hath been produced more at large not as pretending to stand or fall by pluralitie of voices but desiring to make it appear that nothing is said here to crosse the Principles of the Reformation and chief Reformers Philip. loco de Caerem in Ecclesia p. 651. In Ecclesiis emendatis reliqui sunt ritus aliqui adiaphori quia hujus vitae actiones ordine aliquo distribuendae sunt Hominum natura intelligit amat ordinem qui quidem maximè decet Ecclesiam congressus publicos In reformed Churches there remain some indifferent rites rites concerning indifferent things because the actions of this life are to be disposed in some order Man by nature apprehendeth and loveth order which especially becometh the Church and Publick Assemblies Calv. 4. Instit x. 27. Neque enim haberi potest quod Paulus exigit ut decenter omnia ordine fiant nisi additis observationibus tanquam vinculis quibusdam ordo ipse decorum consistat That whith Paul requireth that all things be done decently and in order is not to be obtained unlesse that Order and Comelinesse stand upon some observances added as bonds to wit to inforce it To the same purpose a little afore Si in rebus agendis vigere semper aliquem ritum oportet quem non respui publicae honest at is intersit at que adeò humanitatis ipsius id in Ecclesiis praesertim observandum quae cum bene composita omnium constitutione optimè sustinentur tum verò sine concordia nullae sunt prorsus And a little after he toucheth the reason here discoursed to the quick At cùm in hominum moribus tanta sit diversitas tanta in animis varietas tanta in judici is ingentisque pugna neque politia ulla satis firma est nist certis legibus constituta nec sine stata quadam forma servari ritus quispiam potest But there being so much difference in mens manners so much diversitie of minds so much contrariety of judgements and dispositions neither is any Common-wealth firm as it should be till it be settled with certain Laws neither can any rite be observed without some settled form Rites prescribed by God cannot be observed but according to Forms prescribed by man Philip ubi suprá Rursus autem munitur publics tranquillitas hâc doctrinâ quòd dicimus propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eos ritus qui boni ordinis causâ instituti sunt servandos esse peccare homines petulantes qui in Ecclesiis emendatis violant tales ritus cum scandalo Again the publick quiet is fortified by this doctrine wherein we say that for good Orders sake those Rites which are ordained for good Orders sake are to be observed and that such saucy persons as violate such Rites with offense in reformed Churches do sinne Again Aliqui homines c. Some men of savage nature hate all Laws as a prison but others of gentle nature and sociable and understanding themselves to be born to Communicate nay that their chief work is to contribute their indeavours to help and cherish the Church of their own accord observe honest usefull Rites and avoid Offenses and knowing that publick Assemblies of the Church are ordained by the singular providence and blessing of God and that God would have this frequency credited that the voice of the Gospel may sound upon earth study to maintain the order the quiet the gravitie of these Assemblies CHAP. VII The prohibition of Quenching the Spirit concerneth immediate inspirations Prescript Form of Prayers as wel of as other parts of the Service is for the Edification of the Church Order not to be maintained without it Three parts of the Service of the Temple The Praises of God the Confession of sinnes the Priests Blessings The Service of the Synagogue prescribed Of the eighteen Benedictions Of the Service of their Fast of Seven dayes The Deacon ministred their Service Justine Martyr and Tertullian misunderstood Summe of the Church-service All Prescript Of Canons that Prescribe the Service to be Ordered by Councels Alterations in Liturgies Agreement of Reformed Churches THis is the substance of those things that are to be done for the publick Service of God at the Assemblies of Christians And these are the grounds of those Rules by which the form in which they are done is to be directed Before we come to touch that particular form of Service which we use with these Rules let us make triall of them in some particulars which in the generall point of publick Service are or may be questionable And that by the method already set on foot of Reasons drawn from the grounds and rules of the Apostle seconded by the practice of the Primitive the judgement and agreement of Reformed Churches Among which there is none of more account then this Whether there ought to be a set Form of Prayer prescribed for our Assemblies For it is not denied that their ought to be an order prescribed for Publick Service in the whole but Publick Prayers and the form of them it is pretended are to be referred to the discretion of the person by whom they are ministred by virtue of that charge of the Apostle wherein he forbiddeth to Quench the Spirit 1. Thes v. 19. which is conceived to be done when the conceptions of mens minds or the expressions of their tongues are stinted to prescribed forms and men by that means so confined that they cannot make demonstration of those graces which the Spirit of God hath indued them with This is to my understanding the best of that Argument that casteth so much and so dangerous scruple in a clear businesse And at a distance carrieth an appearance of the Word of God and the meaning of Scripture but survayed near hand may be a warning to all men how they trouble the Church with misapprehension received upon the superficiall sound of the words of it For when the Apostle forbiddeth to Quench the Spirit he speaketh of immediate inspirations of the holy Ghost such as they were by which men were inabled to discern the secrets of other mens hearts As in 1. Cor. xiv 24. by which the Prophets of Antiochia were informed of the will of God for the sending of Paul and Barnabas And those others for the ordination of Timothy Act. xiii 2. 1. Tim. iv 14. by which the truth was revealed unto them as concerning matters in hand at their Assemblies 1. Cor. xiv 30. And the Rule of the Apostle If Revelation be made to another as he sitteth let the first be silent is to
drawn in consequence to the prejudice of that way which they defire to render commendable but when we heare these flying pretenses passe up and down by which those demurres of humane imperfection are intitled to those unutterable groans which the Spirit of God inditeth according to the Apostle we have reason not to admire the occasion of such unsufferable profanenesse What shall we say then of the meanest rank of persons by whom Extemporary conceptions and expressions in such high Offices must be ministred but this that the ill order by which they are vented to the world must needs bring Religion to be contemptible Again in regard of mens opinions and inclinations in regard of severall discretions and judgements in point of what is fit to be recommended to God in publick Prayers which way shall we attain that Order that Reverence which this Office requireth according to the Apostle If men be left to themselves whatsoever opinion in Religion whatsoever debate between neighbours whatsoever publick matter of Church or Common-wealth a man shall please to make his interesse upon like reason he may make the subject of his Prayers and of the Congregation which if it be not well directed as what man is free from mistake where men may be and alwayes are of divers opinions must either pursue his interesse for the will of God in their desires or as they are bound to be must be scandalized at that which is done I had rather belie mine own senses then charge any man with that which appeareth not but if experience tell us not that such things have been done that mens prayers in the Church have smoked with their choler in private and publick matters yet reason will tell us how easily it may be done and such Ordinance pointed in time against them that least deserve it in Church or Common-wealth As the matter is among us we see how farre mens minds are from being agreed when we are to pray for fair weather and when for rain make particular persons infallible Judges not of a thing of that consequence but of whatsoever may be the subject of our prayers and we make them all Popes in their Congregations make them not infallible and we multiply scandalls in the Service of God to the worlds end to which no man should come till all were ended Last of all it is not the ingenious conceptions of mens minds it is not the eloquent expressions of their tongues that God is affected with the Ministers devotion will prove more free towards God when his mind is lesse at work in framing terms to expresse what he conceiveth to be for the purpose But if we have regard unto the meanest rank in knowledge as well as in estate which are alwayes the greatest part and therefore in whom Charity hath the most share it will appear a great advantage to their devotions to run smooth upon the Forms to which they are practised which must needs be intercepted with studying the meaning of new ones which they are directed with This is that which my reason is able to inform in this point Whether a prescript form of prayers be for the edification of the Church in maintaining Order and Reverence in the Publick Service of God or not Let us see which way the practice of the Church inclineth or hath inclined though the matter be great as concerning the meaning of the Apostles charge and the form of serving God a man shall have no cause to suspect his own reason when the reason of the Church and the guides of it go before But I must begin with the Publick Service of God in the Temple so farre as it was morall and consisted not in offering Sacrifices That carrieth more prejudice with it then mans reason can inforce That which was done there is President enough to presume that the like is not against the Law of God and the Scripture Of this we reade thus 1. Chron. xxiii 30. And to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord and likewise at evening and at all offering burnt-offerings to the Lord on the Sabbaths the New Moons and the Solemn Assemblies For without doubt the purpose is here to specifie at what times the Levites sung the Psalmes of Gods praises to the Sacrifices that were offering in the Court of the Temple whereof we reade afore 1. Chron. xvi 4. And he appointed of the Levites to Minister before the Ark of the Lord and to record and thank and praise the Lord God of Israel And again vers 37. the same is repeated But afterwards having spoken of the Priests whom David left to sacrifice upon the Altar at Gibeon it followeth vers 41. And with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest that were chosen that were expressed by name to give thanks to the Lord because his mercy indureth for ever Here you shall perceive the time and the place of this Service expressed in Scripture Part of them with Asaph were to Minister before the Ark part with Heman and Jeduthun to give thanks unto the Lord where the Priests offered the burnt-offering morning and evening vers 40. for the time that the Altar was at Gibeon the Ark in the city of David But for a perpetuall course as you have it xxiii 30. To stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord and likewise at evening and at all offering of burnt-offerings to the Lord in the Sabbaths in the New Moons and on the Assemblies For thus it must here be translated as R. David Kimchi hath glossed it That they should also be ready to praise when the burnt-sacrifice is offered on the Sabbaths and New Moons and dayes of Assemblies and also to help the Priests on these dayes when there are many offerings For by this exposition is signified both the help which the Priests had from the Levites in sacrificing and also the kinds of Sacrifices at which the Levites sung Psalmes of Praise and Thanksgiving Maimoni Cele hammikdash C. iii. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And when do they sing Over all the burnt-offerings of the Congregation which were due and over the peace offerings of an Assembly at the pouring of the wine But the voluntary burnt-offerings of the Congregation over these they sung not the Song A Rule without doubt raised from the Scripture alledged and the place here signified where they stood to sing that is before the Ark is the same that is signified at Solomons Sacrifice 2. Chron. v. 12. where they stood East from the Altar as it must be translated that is at the East Gate of the Temple either before the mens Court or before the womens Court. For at both these Gates there was a Pulpit for the Levites where at all these times stood twelve at the least for this purpose Maimoni as before And before the latter were those fifteen steps from which the fifteen Psalmes of degrees are named because they were sung there as the Talmudists will have it Mass Middoth Cap.
late practice among them which he prescribeth is called in the Misna Beracoth v. 3. Taanith ii 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that cometh down before the Ark The reason if my conjecture mistake not being this Because the place where he sate among the Elders was higher then that of the people by some steps so that he must come down those steps to stand before them with his back to the people in doing Service As R. Benjamin in his Itinerary p. 75. describeth the chief Synagogue at Bagdat that before the Ark there were ten stairs of marble in the top whereof sate the head of the Captains of the linage of David Now it is to be known that things related in the Misna written in the dayes of Antoninus Pius are not to be understood as if they were of no greater standing then that time but are the most Ancient Orders of that people practised and delivered long afore from hand to hand as things not lawfull to be committed to writing and then first written for fear that their manifold dispersions might bring their Rules and Orders into oblivion as themselves professe As for the practice of the Church next to the Apostles let me use the advantage which is due to the truth and prescribe one thing in their way that intend to prove it to be against the Scripture and the Apostle forbidding to stint the Spirit to use prescript forms in praying which is this That it is not enough for their purpose to shew out of some Church-writers that some Churches might referre themselves in the direction of their devotions to their Bishops or to their Presbyters but it behoveth them to shew that they did it as acknowledging that sense of the Apostle alledging their reason and forbearing it as against Scripture For there is a great deal of reason why that course might be tolerable and sufficient in the beginning while the Church was oppressed by the secular Powers of the Empire and the fear of persecution contained the people in respect to the Orders of their Pastours and them in respect to their Office which afterwards when the world was come into the Church and the Empire become Christian would not serve the turn Then as it was requisite that all Rules of the Church should receive force from the secular Arm so might it prove requisite that the Order of Publick Service should be settled in a prescript form though it had been left to the discretion of particular persons afore in regard of that good and bad fish that was come into the Net and might take the occasions pointed at to make rents in it But I alledge this exception to put them in mind that no Ecclesiasticall writer hath yet been alledged to use their reasons which giveth just evidence of the Novelty of the opinion grounded on it Not because I do think the cause needeth it or that any time of the Church can be shewed after the Apostles and the time of extraordinary Graces wherein a prescript form of Publick Service hath not been used much lesse that any such thing is proved by the words of Justine Martyr and Tertullian produced out of their Apologies for the Christians wherein they inform the Powers of the Empire what the Christians did at their Assemblies Which had they been but turned right into English would have made it appear that they inforce either another sense or quite contrary to that which they are produced to prove The words of Justine the place aforenamed Apol ii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they translate Then he who instructed the people prayed according to his ability 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they translate He that instructed the people signifying him that governed the people to wit in Ecclesiasticall matters True it is the same person did both but the same word signifieth not both this by the way But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they translate according to his ability as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were both one You shall see a difference by the Ebrew Their Ancient Doctours have this saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoever saith Amen VVITH ALL HIS MIGHT the Gate of the Garden of Eden is opened to him Musar C. iv And in the same manner of speech Maimoni describing their Morning Service c. ix 1. and the people answer Amen be his great Name blessed for ever and to all everlastings VVITH ALL THEIR MIGHT Whereas the same Rabbi in another place Taanioth c. iv 1. describing the speech of him that Preached humiliation to the people at the Fast of seven dayes whereof afore addeth and proceedeth in such like discourses according to his ability untill he humble their hearts and they repent perfectly In the Ebrew it is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the other places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first is in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in English that signifieth according to his ability this with all his might so much difference there is and the mistake it causeth no lesse then thus They will needs make Justine dream as much as themselves do of making shew of mens faculties in conceiving Prayers who speaketh of nothing but that earnestnesse of Devotion with which he saith the Bishop or Presbyter came to consecrate the Eucharist more proper without doubt to that prime point of Gods Service which he thus expresseth That he sendeth forth Prayers and Thanksgivings VVITH ALL HIS MIGHT In fine when Justine speaking of the Thanksgiving which the Eucharist was consecrated with saith that he made it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all his might he meaneth neither more nor lesse then afore speaking of the Common Prayers of the people which he saith they made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or earnestly as shall be said The words of Tertullian Apolog. C. xxx Illuc suspicientes Christiani manibus expansis quia innocuis capite nudo quia non erubescimus sine monitore quia de pectore oramus pro omnibus Imperatoribus It is justly excepted that these words are not to the purpose as containing the private devotions of Christians compared with those of the Pagans Neverthelesse the subject of these Prayers which he prosecuteth afterwards is the same with the Prayers of their Assemblies whereof he speaketh C. xxxix and giveth just cause to think that he speaketh of private forms of devotion borrowed from the publick He saith there that Christians prayed with hands stretched out to protest their innocencie bare-headed to professe that they were not ashamed touching the Gentiles that covered hands and faces in praying which he interpreteth a confession of guilt in the hands an acknowledgement of shame in the face which that habit signified as hath been said And in the same strain he goeth on to tell them that whereas they had their remembrancers to suggest the devotions they addressed to their severall Deities which he calleth Monitours the Christians prayed without Monitours because
other according to Calvine so farre as my lot hath been to know the preacher of it I confesse it is a thing which hath made me much marvel to see them so punctuall in practising their form prescribed that scarce any thing came from the Ministers themselves but that very short prayer afore the Sermon wherein they recommend themselves and their performance to the blessing of God as you saw the fashion was in the Ancient Church Because it is found that the opinions which this Church hath been disquieted with were taken up upon unreasonable affectation to be conformable with them those that pretend their example are bound to show us among them the Principle whereupon this point is condemned that a prescript Form is that which the Apostle forbiddeth in Quenching the Spirit Therefore it will not be enough to say That divers Churches of that Reformation use to neglect the Order appointed them and use the voluntary conceptions of their Ministers in publick Prayers For that may be thought of all and of us for the reasons premised must be thought an example of ill consequence not for this Church to imitate But it is requisite to alledge the same reason from their Doctours and to show that they disallow set Prayers as Quenching the Spirit To which purpose I have not yet heard any thing produced either from the Fathers of the Church or from the Reformed Doctours And therefore till that be done I am bold to send home that Principle to them that have most right to own in that is to those of the separation from this Church of England or rather to those Germane Sectaries that dreamed of Enthusiasmes and immediate inspirations CHAP. VIII Of times of Assemblies Daily Morning and Evening Service is for the edification of the Church Humane Institution of Festivals lawfull Publick Service upon them and upon weekly and yearly times of Fasting is for increase of godlinesse Of frequent celebration of the Eucharist Houres of Prayer among the Apostles and Primitive Christians from the Synagogue Festivals of the Law for gladnesse and those of humane institution in the Synagogue Of Fasting-dayes in the Synagogue and Primitive Church How the Eucharist was frequented in the Primitive Church The Order of this Church agreeable with the judgement of chief Reformers THe next point concerning in generall the Order of Publick Service is the difference of times and dayes and houres in respect of frequenting our Assemblies for the purpose of it And first the Order of daily Morning and Evening Service how much it concerneth the edification of the Church that is the training of it in the exercise of Godlinesse A point otherwise to be pleaded then the rest For in other matters we have reason or at least the shadow of reason to deal with In this it is not for Christians to alledge That it is not for the honour and glory of God to be served in publick or that it is not for the benefit of his people to joyn together in addressing their petitions in procuring their daily wants at his hands Neverthelesse as if these considerations were to give way to the occasions of the world those that deny them not to be valuable are content to let them and the Order of daily Service grounded upon them be uneffectuall and to no purpose This is not the place to dispute how much the consideration of Gods Service is to out-weigh the world and the occasions of it Onely because it may be said How many idle bellies are maintained in the Church of Rome to Pater over their Mattens and Evensongs in a manner not regarded by themselves and a language not understood by the people let it be considered what greater advantage the devil could wish to make of this abuse among them then upon occasion of it to bring the Service of God into disuse among us or how he could have improved this scandall to more purpose for the hindering of Goodnesse then rooting out the substance of Gods Service rather then reforming the abuses of the manner of it In the next place the difference of Festivall and Fasting-dayes from the ordinary in respect to the Service of God upon them is an Order much concerning the edification of the Church in the exercise of Godlinesse Here indeed some pretense of reason hath been made to shew that it is not in the power of the Church to appoint Festivall dayes as a thing contrary to the tenour of the Law which saith Six dayes thou shalt labour and do all that thou hast to do I know not whether men by this time be ware of the mistakes which this reason involveth because it maketh not so much noise in these dayes but without doubt it was alwayes a grosse inconsequence to imagine an office of the second Table of labouring in ordinary work to be commanded by a law of the first Table but without doubt it was alwayes a grosse inconvenience to imagine God to give a command here which we must suppose him to crosse afterwards in the law of Moses when he cometh to appoint New-moons and other Solemnities to be observed on these six dayes Therefore when the Commandment saith Six dayes thou SHALT labour the meaning is Six dayes thou MAYEST labour thou art licensed and not forbidden to do thy daily work on them by this Commandment So it is translated in our last English Exod. xxxi 15. Six dayes may work be done And in the Ebrew the same word standeth for both senses Last of all whereas it is known that there were in the Jews Calendar at the time when our Lord Christ lived upon earth divers Solemnities besides those that were appointed by the law of Moses of which something must be said afterwards and we know by the Gospel that our Lord himself kept the Feast of the Dedication instituted by Judas Macchabeus by that particular we are assured both that he observed the rest and that by observing he allowed and commended the Institution in generall for the purpose whereof we speak For the blessings of God whereof these Solemnities renew the remembrance are of that esteem to the Church that we are not able to expresse too much thankfulnesse in taking that occasion of solemnizing his Service And the greatest part of Christians are such as will receive much improvement in the principall Mysteries of our Faith by the sensible instruction which the observation of such Solemnities yieldeth The remembrance of the Birth the Sufferings the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ the Coming of the Holy Ghost the Conversion of the Gentiles by sending the Apostles the way made before his coming by the Annunciation of the Angel and the coming of the Baptist as it is a powerfull mean to train the more ignorant sort in the understanding of such great Mysteries so it is a just occasion for all sorts to make that a particular time of serving God upon which we solemnize those great works of his For the purpose is not
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And on Solemn dayes when there was a Sacrifice more then ordinary offered by the Law a third called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is over above Further n. 8. That as the limbes of the Evening Sacrifice were burning all night upon the Altar so in correspondence there was ordered a prayer at night which though not obligatory he saith was practised by all Israel Of the Service appointed for Fasting-dayes at closing in the Evening called therefore by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I need say nothing here C. ii n. 2. he declareth that because when the Eve of the Passeover fell upon the Friday the Evening Sacrifice was killed half an houre after noon therefore the time from which the Evening Sacrifice became due was from thence to half an houre after three which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Evening Service the lesse being from thence to Sunne-set So that he who prayeth this Service from half an houre after twelve is disobliged of the debt of it And upon what terms it is said either at both these houres or at the one according to their orders it followeth there n. 3. Of these three Services the Ebrew Doctours Maimoni as afore Abenezra upon Psal iv 6. R. Saadiah upon Dan. vi 10. constantly expound the words of the Psalmist there Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall heare my voice And that of Daniel He kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before God as afore time Whence it should seem that when S. Peter went up to pray upon the house top about the sixth houre Acts x. 9. his meaning was to observe the lawfull houre of the Evening Service half an houre after Noon though being at Jerusalem he went up into the Temple with John at the houre of Prayer being the ninth houre when this Service was performed there in the Assembly of the people The same which Judith observed as we reade Judith ix 1. About the time that the incense of that Evening was offered in Jerusalem in the house of the Lord Judith cried with a loud voice and said According to that of the Psalme Let my Prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense and let the lifting up of my hands be an Evening Sacrifice as you heard afore that their prayers in the Temple were offered at the time of incense Thus the order of the Synagogue aimed at the Sacrifices which by the Law were offered in the Temple In the Church it was received of very ancient time to pray at nine at twelve and at three afternoon aiming it should seem at the practice of the Synagogue and of the Apostles according to it but with the difference you see that they prayed thrice in the day time whereas the Jews third Service was at going to bed as you have it in Maimoni as afore Tertullian De Jejun adv Psych C. x. sheweth that the houres of nine and twelve and three were customed for Prayer by the Christians of that time by proving it from the example of the Disciples assembled as S. Peter saith Acts ii 15. upon the third houre of the day of S. Peter that went up to pray at the sixth houre and of Peter and John that went up to the Temple at the houre of prayer being the ninth houre And then it followeth Quod etiam suadet Danielis quoque argumentum ter die orantis utique per aliquarum horarum exceptionem non aliarum autem quà m insigniorum exinde Apostolicarum tertiae sextae nonae Hinc itaque Petrum dicam ex vetere potiùs usu nonam observasse tertio orantem supremae orationis munere Which also Daniel his praying thrice a day argueth forsooth excepting some houres and those no other then these of the Apostles which thence were more notable the third sixth and ninth Hereupon I would say that Peter rather observed the ninth by ancient custome praying the third time as the last offering Here lieth the difference It is the third prayer of the day according to Tertullian which Peter and John offered at the time of Evening Sacrifice which these Ebrew Doctours make but the second Whatsoever become of this difference as concerning the houres of mens private prayers the publick houres of the Temple observed by the Apostles became a President to the Church for the Publick Service of God at their Assemblies In the Constitutions of the Apostles they are exhorted to pray the Lords Prayer thrice a day according to Tertullian vii 24. They are again exhorted to pray at other houres besides viii 36. But as concerning their Assemblies thus he instructeth the Bishop to teach the people just according to the practice of the Synagogue alledged out of Maimoni ii 58. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in teaching O Bishop charge and instruct the people to be continually at Church Morning and Evening every day and not absent at all Whereas upon Lords dayes in the same place he remembreth three Services which seem to be those whereof the Canon of Laodicea speaketh where it appointeth the same Service of Prayers to be used both at three and at Evenings meaning upon Lords dayes according to these Constitutions It is not then this Authours judgement upon which I stand not but it is the Example of the Apostles and Primitive Disciples resorting to the Temple to serve God with the Jews in the Service there practised and that according to the custome of the Synagogue but it is the custome of the Church by him remembred and derived from their Example that must needs recommend with great weight unto us the order of this Church as concerning daily Morning and Evening Service And to the same purpose in the Reformation Calvine upon Acts iii. 1. Instituerat Dominus ut Sacrificium vesperi mane offerrent Hoc exercitio docebantur ab Invocatione cultu Dei incipere diem claudere God hath appointed the Jews to offer Sacrifice morning and evening By this exercise they were taught to begin and close the day with calling upon God and his Service A little after Primùm quòd statas horas Deus veteri populo esse voluit indè colligimus Ecclesiam non posse carere certâ disciplinâ Ac hodie nisi obstaret nimius torpor utile esset quotidie haberi tales conventus First whereas God appointed his ancient people set houres thence we gather that the Church cannot be without a certain discipline And at this day if too much dulnesse hindered not it were usefull every day to hold such Assemblies Of Festivals appointed by the Guides of the Synagogue not by the Law of Moses we have foure to my remembrance expressed in the Scriptures The first is that of Purim Esther ix 20. The second the Festivall of the Law upon Tisri xxiii observed still among the Jews for making an end of reading the
time It is not much otherwise with the Wednesday and Friday Assemblies though Tertullian is willing to have them both counted innovations in the Church on purpose to bring them into rank with Montanus his discipline for which he pleadeth recharging the Catholick Christians Et praeter Pascha jejunantes ultra illos dies quibus ablatus est sponsus Stationum semijejunia interponentes Both as Fasting besides the Passeover over and above those dayes on which the Bridegroom was taken away and interposing the half Fasts of Stations De Jejun c. 13. But the betraying of Christ and his death is a reason that may take place to move them that have resolved to appoint set dayes of Fasting every week to chuse the dayes on which those things fell out afore others especially being in a convenient distance from the Lords day the Assemblies whereof were most solemn otherwise to think that there was no more reason then that for an appointment of such consequence is to make them as childish as they would have them that had rather despise then either observe or understand their Ordinances though the purpose be no more then to bring the precepts of Fasting and of the Publick Service of God into the ordinary and uniform practice of his Church which being commanded but in generall without such particular appointment are not like to be exercised to great purpose Whereas the discipline of Montanus set up in downright terms as schisme in the Church by assembling apart for the exercise of their own particular and voluntary observations whatsoever heresies besides it may have been imbarked with How ancient the observation of Wednesday and Friday Assemblies was in the Church is to be valued by the recommendation of them in Ignatius Ep. ad Philip. and Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. v. How uniform the observation of them was in the Ancient Church is to be known from Epiphanius his words Haer. lvi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who agreeth not saith he in all climates of the world that the Wednesday and the Friday are Fasts appointed in the Church And when Tertullian saith in the same C. 13. afterwards that the Bishops were wont to appoint extraordinary Fasts upon occasions which made the Church solicitous there can no question be made but they were wont to chuse the Wednesdayes and Fridayes to be observed with more strictnesse upon these occasions because we saw afore that all Fasts that were indicted in the Synagogue were by Order to fall upon the Mundayes and Thursdayes which in a lower degree they observed otherwise And therefore the Orders of this Church of England instituting Festivals for the Publick Service of God in remembrance of his most remarkable blessings instituting times of Humiliation and Fasting for diverting his wrath which our sinnes contract from time to time standeth recommended to us by the practice of the most ancient times of the Church Setting aside difference of meats for conscience sake whereof we speak not here as was said opinion of Merit of Satisfaction of the Worship of God being abolished by the reason of the Institution here professed the form of Service appointed by the Church recommendeth the difference of dayes to our devotions And though we come not near the strictnesse of Abstinence wherewith in the Primitive Church they were wont to afflict themselves and perhaps for very good reasons we come not near it yet to assemble for the Publick Service of God even in those places where there is not opportunity to Assemble every day as you saw it was practised in the Synagogue to abstain till these Assemblies be over setting aside the favour we lend our own ease must needs appear most commendable I cannot say that this Institution in respect of set dayes for Fasting hath found so good respect for the particular in the Reformed Churches the generall reason is thus set down by Melanchthon among chief Reformers Apol. Confess de Trad. p. 171. Caeterùm ritus humanos observabant Otherwise the Fathers observed humane rites for outward benefit that the people might know what time to Assemble that all things might be done in Churches orderly and gravely and exemplarily last of all that the common sort might have some Paedagogie or discipline For the differences of Times and varieties of Rites serve to put in mind the Common sort And by and by afterwards Dicit probandas esse Traditiones Epiphanius disputing against the Encratites saith That Traditions are to be allowed that are made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is either to restrain the flesh for discipline of the vulgar or for Order and Governments sake And we think that Traditions may well be retained for these causes That the people be at Service sober that is fasting as it followeth as Josaphat and the King of Niniveh proclaimed Fasts Likewise that the Order and practice of the Church may teach the Church what was done at what time Hence come the Festivals of the Nativity Easter Pentecost and the like This is that which Epiphanius saith That Traditions were ordained for policies sake that is for Orders sake and that such Order might put men in mind of the story and benefits of Christ For marks of things painted as it were in Rites and Customes are much more effectuall to put the vulgar in mind then writings Now the difference of ancient between severall Churches in the point of Publick Service upon Festivall and Fasting-dayes is that which Epiphanius remembred afore that the Assemblies upon Wednesdayes and Fridayes were held all Fasting till three after noon and Tertullian so long afore him De Jejun C. ii acknowledgeth the Stations of the Christians were wont to be kept on Wednesdayes and Fridayes till three after noon which he out of the leaven of Montanus is not content with But of the Lords day Epiphanius in the same place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But all Lords dayes this holy Catholick Church counteth glad dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serveth to expresse that of the Prophet Esa lviii 13. And call the Sabbath Delight which the Jews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the DELIGHT of the Sabbath and holdeth Assemblies from morning fasteth not for it is inconsequent to Fast on the Lords day So to assemble in the morning was the mark of a Festivall to depart at three afternoon of a Fast Further Socrates v. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again at Alexandria on Wednesdayes and Fridayes both the Scriptures are read and the Doctours expound them and all that belongeth to an Assemblie is done besides celebrating the mysteries And this is an ancient custome at Alexandria for it appeareth that Origen taught most of his Writings on these dayes in the Church Because they took the Eucharist to be a piece of Festivall observance therefore they thought it not suitable when they fasted Therefore it is ordered Conc. Load Can. xlix 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The meaning is that the Eucharist must not be celebrated in Lent but upon the Sabbath and
practising the Service of God in an orderly and reverent form make in the minds of men that cannot receive it from their reason but from their senses This effect in things of slight consequence in particular which neverthelesse altogether amount to a considerable summe is better seen by the grosse in practice then convinced by retail in dispute yet since the importunities of men have caused false reasons to prevail with weak people it is requisite the true reasons be pleaded lest it be thought there are none such because not so fit to be pleaded The Circumstances and Ceremonies of Publick Service is indeed a kind of Discipline and Paedagogie whereby men subject to sense are guided in the exercise of godlinesse It is as it were the apparell of Religion at the heart which some think like the Sunne most beautifull when it is most naked and so it were indeed did men consist of minds alone without bodies but as long as our bodily senses are manageable to our souls advantage the heat within will starve without this apparell without And therefore under better judgement I hold it requisite that the observance of Rites and Ceremonies in the Publick Service of God should increase and become more solemn after the world was come into the Church then under the persecuting times of it Persecution was like Antiperistasis in nature in preserving Order and reverence in the Publick Offices of the Church with the respect of those Guides that ruled it But since the Net of the Gospel hath been cast in the Ocean and caught good and bad it is more requisite that all should passe as under rule and observance so in the most reverent form that the coldnesse and indifference of the worser part appear not to debauch the good disposition of others Though from the beginning as early as the records of the Church are able to inform us we are sure it was never without such outward observances as according to the state of the time tended to maintain to witnesse the disposition of the heart answerable The Apostles ordinance of Praying and Singing Psalmes men with heads bare women with heads covered the Salutation of Peace so long practised in the Primitive Church from the time of the Apostles Imposition of hands in divers Acts of Publick Service signifying the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost and Gods hand stretched out to give the blessing for which Prayer was made and without question derived from the times of the Apostles are of this nature And it is thought that when the Apostles speak of putting off the old man and putting on the new Col. iii. 9 10. ii 11. of burying in Baptisme Col. ii 12. Rom. vi 4. of the unction of grace 1. John ii 20 27. 1. Cor. ii 21. allusion is made to some Rites of Ecclesiasticall Offices used even at that time As for Ecclesiasticall Writers it will be hard to name any of them so Ancient in whom are not to be found divers particulars of this nature But the generall reason hitherto declared hath been better sifted by the chief Reformers Philip. loco de Caerem in Eccl. p. 651. Paulus gravissimè dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non ordinem tantùm sed etiam singularem curam ornandi ordinis requirit quare addit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut videamus quid personas loca tempora deceat Paul saith with much gravity LET ALL THINGS BE DONE VVITH DECENCIE AND IN ORDER He requireth not Order alone but a singular care of setting that Order forth therefore he addeth DECENTLY that we consider what becometh persons times and places This is it that I am now about That the Order of things done at Publick Service be such as may set forth and insinuate the respect which those times those places those persons require Which Calvine still setteth down in fuller terms 4. Instit x. 28. Vt in sacro fidelium caetu decor è peragantur omnia quâ convenit dignitate That in the holy Assembly of the faithfull all things be done decently and in that worth and respect as befitteth Afterwards he setteth down as much as I have done when he saith Ac decori quidem finis est partim ut dum adhibentur ritus qui venerationem rebus sacris conciliant talibus adminiculis ad pietatem excitemur partim etiam ut modestia gravitas quae in omnibus honestis actionibus spectari debet illic maximè eluceat And indeed the end of comelinesse is partly that using such rites as procure reverence to sacred things we may be by such helps excited to godlinesse partly that the modesty and gravity which in all actions of respect ought to be attended may there especially appear Again n. 29. Sed illud nobis decorum erit quod ità sit ad sacrorum Mysteriorum reverentiam aptum ut sit idoneum ad pietatem exercitium vel saltem quod ad ornatum faciat actioni congruentem neque idipsum sine fructu sed ut fideles admoneat quantâ modestiâ religione observantiâ sacra tractare debeant But that shall be counted decent with us that shall so fit the reverence of holy Mysteries as may be a competent exercise unto godlinesse or which at least may conduce to ornament suitable to the action and that not without benefit but to put the faithfull in mind with how much modesty and religious observance they ought to be conversant in sacred actions What this in generall importeth is that which I desire in the particular heads Times and Places are no way sanctified otherwise then as they are deputed to the Service of God The words of our Lord in the Gospel Matth. xxiii 18. Which is the greater the Sacrifice or the Altar that sanctifieth it point out to us a difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel in this particular For as S. Hierome said afore That the Service of God in Spirit and Truth proper to the DISPENSATION of the Gospel is acceptable to God at all times that all dayes are equall of themselves no difference between them but in respect to the Assemblies of Christians upon them and the work of those Assemblies so is it to be said with truth concerning Places to make it a generall observation and a true one That under the Law the Time and the Place sanctified the Service confined to it but under the Gospel the Service required sanctifieth the Time and Place of it For example The Passeover on the due time was holy on another time had been abominable Dwelling in Tabernacles commanded on such a day of such a moneth used otherwise no part of Gods Service but sacriledge in usurping it The Sacrifices whereof our Lord speaketh holy upon the Altar otherwhere abominable On the other side the Service of Christians being good by nature and acceptable to God at all Times and in all Places hath a speciall promise of God from the unity of the Church and the Assemblies in it Which because they cannot
be held without publick Order confining them to Times and Places thereupon those Times and Places which are capable of no Holinesse in themselves are neverthelesse truly qualified HOLY as an attribute derived from the holinesse of those actions to which they are designed Which may well be called a relative or metonymicall Holinesse Thus are Times and Places consecrated by being appointed to the Service of God Places as more subject to sense by the execution of that appointment that is by the Prayers of the Church ministred by the Guides of it But in as much as it behoveth that the Service which shall be acceptable to God be done in the unity of his Church and that which is so done must be according to publick Order confining the Times and Places of Assemblies hereupon those Times and Places which are capable of no Holinesse but that which is ascribed to them in relation to that work whereunto they are assigned give Holinesse to that work again in as much as if it be done in opposition to that publick Order in which the unity of the Church consisteth it is abominable afore God He that hath promised to be present where we are Assembled by the same reason hath promised to be absent where we are divided let them look to themselves that cause it those that do not have no cause to doubt of Gods presence This is the ground of that respect which is due to the Times and Places of Gods Service and which if it go not beyond the consideration here expressed cannot prove superstitious The Holinesse of that work which differenceth them requireth they be so used as may conduce most to stirre and maintain the right apprehension of that work in our own minds and to convay it to others If the dayes of our Assemblies be imployed upon ordinary businesse no marvel if the mind prove not at leisure to attend the work for which they are designed Churches are still more subject to sense then dayes are and the common use of them common reason and experience will prove to breed a common esteem of the work of Gods Service and in consequence of the Majesty that owneth it If we remember that God is there present to accept the Service of our Assemblies we cannot refuse to acknowledge respect due there in generall though we referre our selves to Law or commendable Custome for the particular of it That which is to be said for the difference of Vesture in solemnizing the Service of God is much to this purpose The meaning of it is to procure inward reverence to that work which it maketh outwardly solemn to represent to our own apprehensions and to convay to other mens the due respect and esteem which it ought to bear in our hearts And common reason and all experience justifieth this intent For all the actions of esteem in the world are set forth with the like solemnities to no other purpose but to convay by the senses to the mind that respect which they ought to bear And the world hath tried enough that those which have made it part of their Religion to stick scorn upon such slight Circumstances have made it no lesse to deface and disgrace the substance of Gods Publick Service As for the difference of bodily Gestures at the Service of God that is still a more considerable mean to procure and preserve that esteem and respect of it for which I plead The words of S. Augustine of the Gestures of Prayer are remarkable De Cura pro Mort. C. v. which he saith are not used so much to lay the mind open to God to whom the most invisible inclinations of the heart are best known as to stirre up a mans own mind to pray with more humble and fervent grones And then it followeth Et nescio quomodo cùm hi motus corporis fieri nisi animi motu praecedente non possint eisdem rursus exteriùs visibiliter factis ille interior invisibilis qui eos fecit augetur ac per hoc cordis affectus qui ut fierent ista praecessit quia facta sunt crescit And I know not how though these bodily motions are not done without the motion of the mind going afore yet again by the outward visible doing of them that inward and invisible one which causeth them increaseth and so the affection of the heart antecedent to the doing of these by the doing of them gathereth strength Christians have bodies as other men have and though the Service of God consist in the inward intention of the mind and the devotion of spirit which performeth it yet this bruit part of us is able to contribute so farre towards it as it refresheth in our selves and expresseth to others the inward motions wherein it consisteth It is an impression of Nature that teacheth all people thus to actuate thus to animate the Service they tender to God and experience shall tell them that observe it That where it is passed over with indifference there men behave themselves more as hearers then actours in it there as the naturall heat at the heart so the inward heat of devotion which ought to dwell there stifleth and choketh for want of this airing and exercise Thus that which maintaineth the intention of the mind in private multiplieth it in publick and propagateth in others that which it cherisheth in our selves Besides that it contributeth towards the comelinesse of such Assemblies if it be uniform To good purpose it was a Deacons office in the Primitive Church to put the people in mind of these observances at least in great congregations But in this whole matter of Rites and Ceremonies in Common Service there is Caution to be used with which though in the latitude of their nature indifferent they will prove an advantage to it and without which they may prove an offense in it For the nature and kind of that which is done respect is to be had to the end proposed If the particular observed be not according to reason a circumstance apt to procure to maintain in our selves to expresse and convay to others that intention and reverence which the Service of God requireth for what cause shall we say it is observed Shall it be thought acceptable to God alone of it self without reference to the due end and purpose Then must it needs turn to a voluntary observance wherein we discharge our selves to God in stead of the Service he requireth Besides those that are not offensive for their kind for their number may prove no lesse For as the suckers that grow under great stocks where there are too many intercept that sap that should nourish the trees to bear fruit so where the Circumstances and Ceremonies of Publick Service are multiplied beyond measure there the mind distracted into a number of outward observations cannot allow that intention to the Substance which it spendeth upon the Circumstance And so it falleth out as afore they are intended for their own sake as acceptable to
God of themselves without respect of advancing that Service which he requireth Last because it hath been shewed that Order as well as Comelinesse is the Rule to direct the form of Gods Publick Service and because without Order nothing becometh it though with Order apt to become it that which hath been said is to be understood of those Rites and Ceremonies which Publick Order inforceth that is which are either injoyned by Law or practised by Custome which it alloweth As for the voluntary observations of particular persons they are by their nature subject to abuse as is to be seen in the Superstitions of the Church of Rome which all reason sheweth had their beginning from the well-meant devotions of private persons And therefore it is plain that they may prove a just subject of that offense to the weak which the Apostle forbiddeth which those that are practised upon Publick Orders declaring the due meaning of them cannot as my purpose is now to declare because it is an objection which if it take place as some think must needs overthrow the most part of that which hath been said to the Order and Circumstances of Publick Service It is to be known that there were two sorts of Jewish Christians under the Apostles according to the difference of whom both their doctrine and practice especially of S. Paul is to be valued For on the one side the Apostles in the Councel at Jerusalem ordered Acts xv 20. that those which were converted from the Gentiles should abstain from things dying in the bloud and sacrificed to Idoles S. Paul circumcised Timotheus xvi 3. purified himself according to the Law xxi 26. In respect to the same sort he is bold to say Rom. xii 6. He that regardeth a day regardeth it to the Lord and he that regardeth not a day regardeth it not to the Lord He that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks And that it seemeth upon the consideration that followeth in the next words because though not without blame for the ignorance of their freedome yet living and dying to the Lord they had a pious intention in generall to excuse their defect in particular But in regard to the other sort it is the same Apostle that saith Gal. iiii 10 11. Ye observe dayes and moneths and times and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain And Coloss ii 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink or in respect of a Feast or New-moon or Sabbath expressing further what he meaneth when he saith Let no man judge you vers 5. Beware lest any man spoil you and vers 20. Why as living in the world are you subject to Ordinances touch not tast not handle not And to Titus i. 10 There are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers especially they of the Circumcision whose mouthes must be stopped And wherein he expresseth vers 15. Vnto the clean all things are clean Shewing that they were not to be tolerated but opposed in that which they taught of differences of times and meats according to the Law of Moses According to his practice in Titus whereof Gal. ii 34. But neither Titus who was with me being a Greek was compelled to be circumcised and that because of false brethren slily foisting in that came in privily to spie out our freedome which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage This difference in the Apostles practice and doctrine must needs proceed from the difference of persons they had to do with The one like men that were new come out of the dark could not look right upon the light of that freedome which the Gospel estateth and not satisfied of the right of Christians for their particular practice made a conscience of dayes and meats according to the Law The other renouncing their freedome and in love with their own servitude took upon them to dogmatize and maintain the necessity of such observations upon those desperate consequences which the Apostle expresseth Those are the weak and these the strong according to the Apostle because though for reason weakest for a false opinion is a further weaknesse then a doubt of the truth yet for will most resolute to stand in it Those in action doubtfull these in opinion erroneous These are the men whom the Apostle chargeth by the Law of Love not to scandalize shewing that in two things it might be done First Rom. xiv 15. If thy Brother be grieved with thy meat then walkest thou not charitably destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died Which Origen conceiveth to point at such as took distast at the Profession of Christ so as to forsake it upon occasion of such slight offenses And the vehemence of those terms which the Apostle useth seemeth to import no lesse But by the words of the Apostle vers 15. If thy Brother be GRIEVED with thy meat and vers 10. Why JUDGEST thou thy Brother why settest thou thy Brother at nought it appeareth that all discouragement of these weak ones is in the sense of the Apostle a degree of this offense But there is another expressed vers 22 23. That whereas it behoveth all men to be resolved of what they do that it is acceptable to God vers 5. by the indiscreet example of one that understood his own freedome he that did not might be moved to use it with a doubtfull conscience which the Apostle declareth to be sinne By the way that offense whereof the Apostle writeth 1. Cor. viii 9. x. 27. is of another nature not pertinent to this purpose for here the offense is an example that moveth a man to do that which is lawfull with a doubtfull conscience there it is an example which moveth a man to do that which is unlawfull with an erroneous conscience that is to say when the example of him that hath knowledge eating that which was sacrificed unto Idoles without difference moveth the simple to participate in the worship of Idoles by feasting on their Sacrifices Thus it is supposed that offense is given to the weak by the orders of this Church when those that are not satisfied in the things ordered either take distast thereupon at the Church and the Communion of it or are moved by example to do that which is ordered with a doubtfull conscience Where it must be excepted that no man can use this argument of scandall to the weak but he must acknowledge the things ordered to be lawfull For the weak whom the Apostle forbiddeth to offend is he that is not perswaded of the lawfulnesse of that which is lawfull indeed Besides he that pretendeth the scandall of the weak by example moving to proceed upon a doubtfull conscience is not subject to that kind of offense For in that he complaineth he sheweth he is aware enough of the danger And it is without the
compasse of common sense to imagine that a man should stumble in following the example against which he professeth In fine the opposition made to publick Order and that which it injoyneth is evidence enough that they are not the weak but the strong not the doubtfull but the erroneous weak in reason but strong in will or as it was once well said headstrong in refusing without reason what Order prescribeth not those whom the Apostle chargeth to forbear but those whom he forbeareth not a moment Gal. ii 5. whom he chargeth the Colossians and Titus not to forbear that we have to deal with The matters were light wherein their offense stuck but the consequence which opposition drew involved the substance of the Gospel So are the things slight which we stick at but publick Order which dependeth upon the right of prescribing and the edification of the Church intended in the particulars deserve not to be abandoned for an unjust offense True it is that a private person that will be charitable must forbear the use of his freedome which no Rule confineth when he seeth it will be offense to the weak if he forbear it not he giveth just offense according to the Apostle And it is to be thought that under the countenance and wing of the erroneous and strong there walk divers of those doubtfull and weak to whom respect is to be had according to the Apostle But if the question thereupon be made Whether it be expedient for the Church to Order such things as shall seem to advantage the Form the Order the Rites of Divine Service Whether it be expedient for those whom it concerneth to observe and exact the same in case there may be doubtfull Consciences that may take offense The answer will be Yes even according to the Apostle because otherwise the publick Order which he recommendeth can by no means be preserved in the Church since it is not possible so to order things of this nature as to leave no possible doubt in any Conscience Might not those of the Gentiles whom the Apostles enjoyned to forbear things dying in their bloud and offered to Idoles have taken offense because they were confined in the just use of their freedome Or the Corinthians that S. Paul suffered not their women to sit with bare faces at publick Service as the Virgins of Tertullians time professed themselves scandalized at those of their rank that practised it Suppose the Church cannot say as the Apostles It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us S. Paul in the other case proceedeth upon no other reasons then such as the Church must now use in like cases And I suppose the President inspired by the Holy Ghost authorizeth the Church to proceed in like matters though not pretending immediate inspirations Last of all Who can doubt but among the erroneous of them that did Judaize under the Apostles there were also of the doubtfull and weak led away with their pretenses And yet we see the Apostle forbeareth them not a moment in respect to the weak All this containing no more inconvenience then this That whereas all men are bound to indeavour themselves to satisfie and overcome such doubts of their Conscience the Apostles opposition redoubleth a new obligation to do it lest they offend this Ministery if they do it not So doth the Constitution of the Church adde a new obligation of resolving doubtfull Consciences for fear of offending the publick Order which it settleth And in all this I suppose there is no just offense For as there is alwayes means in the Church with satisfaction to overcome doubts of Consciences so is there no means to procure that there shall be no doubts of Conscience in the Church so long as there are unperfect Christians in it But he whom it concerneth to observe or exact publick Order must not give just offense to publick Order and all that go by it by neglecting it for fear of giving unjust offense to private persons by observing or exacting it CHAP. X. What is to be considered touching our Service The Service of Hearers and Believers Confession of sinnes whether of old the beginning of Service The ancient Order of Psalmes and Lessons The Masse containeth an abridgement of it Severall manners of singing Psalmes Purpose of Lessons The Place of the Sermon Dismission of Hearers Originall of Litanies Prayer indicted by the Deacon The Thanksgiving from whence the Sacrament is called the Eucharist Prayer which it was alwayes celebrated with Prayer for all the Church at celebrating the Eucharist The residue of that Service The charge of the Masse on our Service Extent of the power of the Keyes and wherein in consisteth Of Confession of sinnes and Absolution at the beginning Our Order of Psalmes and Lessons Of the Creed and Collects The Sermon part of our Service Of the Communion-Service and appertenances of it BEing now to compare the Form of Service which we use with that of the Primitive Church and to derive both from the practice pointed out to us in those particulars which are remembred in the Scriptures I am to professe at the beginning that my purpose is not to be extended to the particulars of words or conceptions wherein it is couched It will be enough to reduce the main substance and order of it to that which we find practised under the Apostles My businesse therefore is to describe the most ancient and generall Form of that Solemn Service which was used when the Eucharist was celebrated not out of the Liturgies extant alone but out of the Testimonies of the Eldest Ecclesiasticall writers concurring For it shall appear that from hence is derived and herein is contained first the Order of daily Morning and Evening Service then the Litanies appointed besides for Lords-dayes Wednesdayes and Fridayes and last the Celebration of the Eucharist which is all or almost all that which this Discourse intendeth to comprise In the first place it is to be known that from the first times of the Church there were alwayes two parts of Publick Service At the one all persons might be present though not Christians till the Sermon was done the Church-doores were open and free But when they went to celebrate the Eucharist then all Hearers or Catechumeni that is those that were willing to be instructed in the Faith but were not as yet admitted to Baptisme all that were under Penance all possessed with unclean spirits were dismissed and shut out none suffered to be present but those that were admitted to Communicate Of these two parts we have sufficient remembrance in Justine Martyr the most ancient of Church-writers that remain unquestionable His words are these Apol. ii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As many as are perswaded and believe those things to be true which are taught and said of us and undertake to be able so to live are taught to pray and desire of God with Fasting forgivenesse of foregoing sinnes we also praying and fasting with them For
what prayers were these whereof he speaketh but those which we shall shew afterwards were wont to be made as a part of their Service on behalf of the Hearers as also of Penitents and persons beset with evil spirits by themselves and the Congregation both immediately afore their departure Afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But we having thus washed him that is perswaded and agreed bring him to those that are called Brethren where they are assembled to make Common-Prayers both for themselves and for him that is baptised and all men else every where earnestly It shall appear in due time that the Prayers of the Church for all states of persons in the Church followed after the Hearers were dismissed before celebrating the Eucharist Therefore at them onely the Brethren are present whereas the Hearers were at those which were made for the forgivenesse of their sinnes That unbelievers were admitted to be present at Preaching or Expounding the Scriptures in the time of the Apostles it appeareth by S. Paul 1. Cor. xiv 24. But if all Prophesie and there come in one that believeth not That they were excluded at that time as afterwards when the Eucharist came to be celebrated I have not the like evidence but in reason I must needs presume it Hereupon riseth the difference between these which once were called the First and Second Service The ground whereof being taken away in this state of the Church in which all are baptized Infants and publick Penance for the greatest part is unknown neverthelesse that Service must needs remain the chief part of Gods publick Service which the Eucharist is celebrated with howsoever it come to passe that the Eucharist is not celebrated at the greatest part of solemn Assemblies This is remembred here upon occasion of that Confession of sinnes which our Service beginneth with as also the Service of almost all reformed Churches in which it may be counted a generall order to begin with Confession of sinnes Which order Du Plessis laboureth to derive from the ancient practice of the Synagogue first and consequently of the Church Primitive alledging to that purpose those forms of Confession over the sacrifices which P. Fagius hath produced from the Hebrew Doctours upon Lev. xvi 21. where the Law saith And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live Goat and confesse over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in their sinnes together with the words of Liranus upon that place Sicut facimus in Confessione facta in principio Missae As we do saith he in the Confession which is made at the beginning of the Masse As also the Authour de de Cardinal Christi Operibus among S. Cyprians works Hierarcha pius quem Spiritus s compungit excitat inhabitat sanctificat confidenter orat pro sua populi ignorantia recolens pudibundi contriti animi confessione quòd aliquando praevalente adversùm se peccato fuerit derelictus The pious Bishop whom the H. Ghost pricketh stirreth inhabiteth and sanctifieth prayeth confidently for his own and the peoples ignorance recalling in the Confession of a mind ashamed and contrite that sometime he hath been forsaken sinne prevailing against him It is manifest indeed that this Confession of sinnes is used in the Breviarie in Feriali officio ad Primam as well as at the beginning of the Masse in these words Confiteor Deo omnipotenti The people answering Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus dimissis peccatis tuis perducat te ad vitam aeternam Which done the people also make the like Confession for their parts the Minister answering the same And this is the Confession of sinnes which is meant in the words of Liranus and the Authour de Cardinalibus Christi operibus though it is not probable that it passed in those scandalous terms that follow in his time And this in the Rubricks of the Maronites Missall as it is printed at Rome is called Absolving the Priest by the people But since sacrifices are no part of the morall Service of God and it hath been declared how Confession of sinnes was used in the Temple at that morall Service it seemeth impertinent here to consider that which was done at offering Sacrifices As for the Service of the Primitive Church at which unbelievers and such as onely pretended to Baptisme with those that were under Penance and the like were present This will be a constraining reason to prove that no Confession of sinnes no prayer for Forgivenesse was made in common for them and all believers at the beginning of Service because of the great distance of their estates and conditions in the Church and because this was the subject of those Prayers which Hearers Penitents were dismissed with at the end of the first Service the Congregation joyning with them and the Bishop or Priest blessing them to that purpose as must be said afterwards Therefore in Justin Martyr and Tertullian where they describe what was done at those solemn Assemblies in the Constitutions of the Apostles L. viii which seems to be the most ancient Form extant and in most of the Greekish Liturgies there is no Confession of sinnes at the beginning And therefore it may justly seem to have been put there after that the difference of first and second Service came to be observed rather for fashions sake and remembrance of the ancient custome then for the originall reason when the world was become Christian and the difference between hearers and the rest abolished In the beginning of the copie which they give us of the Ancient Spanish Course called the mosarabe or mustarabe there is this Rubrick Factâ priùs Confessione uti fit in Miss is Latinis juxta usum Toletanum antiquum dicitur Introitus to qui sequitur modo Confession first being made as in Latine Masses according to the ancient use of Toledo the Introit is said in manner following As if this Confession were proper to the Latine Service in opposition to the Greekish Which notwithstanding in that which is intitled to S. James he that celebrateth maketh Confession of his sinnes praying for pardon to the purpose that his Service in celebrating the Eucharist may be accepted which originally when no mention was made of the Eucharist at the beginning being kept private from the unbelievers could not have been That which is now at the beginning of the Masse by the stuff is discovered to be of later date being as scandalous a passage as any in all the Masse besides when he sayes Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti B. Mariae semper Virgini B. Michacli Archangelo B. Joanni Baptistae SS Apostolis Petro Paulo B. N. Omnibus SS vobis Fratres quia peccavi nimis cogitatione verbo opere This is not to say that Confession of sinnes is not fit for the beginning of Service I mean nothing lesse as shall be said afterwards But that it is not derived from the generall and originall Form of
publick Service in the Church for reasons proper to that time The example of S. Basils Monks and their morning Service described by him Ep. lxiii seemeth more pertinent to be made the president of ours His words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the people with us riseth betimes after night to the house of prayer and making confession to God with pains and tribulation and distresse of tears at length rising from prayer fall to singing Psalmes For here he speaketh of Confession at Morning Service As also that Confession of sinnes which we spake of in the Breviary howsoever scandalous for the stuff seemeth to have been used to the same purpose with ours and that of other Reformed Churches for a preparation and entrance to Morning Service Now because it hath been shewed afore that this solemn Service of God consisted of Psalmes of Gods praises of reading the Scripture and expounding it of Common Prayers and the celebration of the Euchrist that which remaineth here to be declared is this in what Form and Order these materials were practised according to the eldest and most generall custome of the Church which we shall be able to discern The Order of reading the Scriptures is this according to the Constitutions of the Apostles ii 57. having reckoned the Scriptures of the Old Testament to be read in Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And two Lessons being read out of the Old Testament let some other sing the Psalmes of David and let the people answer the Acrostiches after that let our Acts be read and the Epistles of Paul our workfellow which he sent to the Churches by suggestion of the H. Ghost and after all this let a Deacon or a Presbyter reade the Gospels The 17. Canon of Laodicea is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Psalmes should not be continued in Assemblies but a Lesson to be interposed in the midst after every Psalme This is ordered saith Balsamon to take off the wearinesse of the people at these offices by this mixture He that calls himself Dionysius the Areopagite Eccl. Hierar C. V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Being returned back to the Divine Altar he beginneth the holy melodie of the Psalmes all ranks of the Church singing with him those holy Psalmes after follows in consequence the reading of the holy Scriptures by the Ministers In this Form which he describes there is no interlacing of Psalmes and Lessons but the Psalmes first and afterwards the reading of the Scriptures Of the Churches of Africk and their custome we may presume from S. Augustine His Sermons make divers times mention of a Lesson first out of the Prophets then out of the Epistles and Gospels with a Psalme or Psalmes between them And in his Sermon he expounds them all sometimes In the Masse it self there remains something of this custome as brief and short as they have made it To compare it with the Form described afore in part out of the Constitutions and for the rest to be described it is strange to see to what a small modell they have reduced it Whether it were because it was framed for those times and places where Morning Service was used besides for which reason they thought good to abbridge it retaining neverthelesse the substantiall parts of publick Service Or whether out of a desire of multiplying private Masses it was so made on purpose for speed Or whether so it were alwayes in the Latine Church and we are to believe those copies which they give us of the Ambrosian Service and that of the Mosarabe or Spanish to be of any great time indeed the Order of Lessons said to be composed by S. Hierome of Antiphones by S. Gregory and other Forms of the Latine Church are all very short This notwithstanding in the Introit we see the trace of that singing of Psalmes in the beginning of which Dionysius And the Graduall as they call it which is the shred of a Psalme between the Epistle and the Gospel is in the same place with that Psalme between those Lessons whereof S. Augustine speakes In the pattern of the Ambrosian Service for Christmasse day which we have out of the Missall of the Church of Millain there is first a Lesson out of the Prophets a second out of the Epistles and the last out of the Gospels with versicles of Psalmes or Hymns or Antiphones between each Here as concerning the Psalmes in the Church let me have leave to resume that which was proved afore out of S. Paul that the custome was from the times of the Apostles so to sing them that the whole Congregation might bear a part in the praises of God which the book of Psalmes from time to time inviteth them to do Accordingly in the pretended Dionysius the Bishop begins the Psalmes but all the ranks proceed to joyn in the same But in the Constitutions of the Apostles the people are to answer onely the Acrostichs What those were I cannot better conjecture then by the words of Philo de vita Contempl. where he relates the fashion of those Hymnes which the Essenes by Alexandria in Egypt used at their Common Feasts which he saith were sung first by the chief afterwards by the rest in their order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All hearing with much silence but when the ends and burdens of the Hymnes are to be sung for them all the men and women sing out Some such thing I suppose it was which in the Constitutions there is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or end verses of the Psalmes as the Gloria Patri among us known to the people at those times when for some inconvenience found of indecorum in performing this Office the whole Congregation joyned no more in the Psalmes For though in the Custome of those Churches which Dionysius describeth the people joyned in them at those times whereof he speaketh though I doubt not but those Constitutions the Canons of the Councel of Laodicea be more ancient then the pretended Dionysius yet by them it appeareth that when the Constitutions direct the people to joyn in the closes and when that Councel ordereth Can. 15. that no more then the Canonicall singers that is inrolled in the list of the Church that went up into the desk sung out of the Parchmine should sing in the Church there was by that time and in those places of the Church inconvenience found in the Congregations joyning in it for which cause it was referred to the Church-singers Another course there was much used in divers parts of the Church of singing the Psalmes by Antiphones Of which it shall not be requisite here to repeat what is delivered of the first use of it in the East under Ignatius the coming of it into the West under S. Ambrose the relation of S. Basil and the practice of his Monks Epist lxiii the Order of Pope Celestine for the Psalmes to be sung before the Eucharist by way of Antiphones It shall suffice to take notice here
that Further for the Hearers the Possessed the Penitents that Further we offer to thee for seasonable weather and increase of fruits that Further we pray thee for the absent for reasonable causes that In the same place that is immediately after the Consecration of the Eucharist is this Prayer made in the Liturgies attributed to S. James S. Basil and S. Chrysostome In the same place in all the forms related under the names of ancient Saints and Doctours of the Church in the Missall of the Maronites unlesse it be one But in the Liturgie intitled to S. Mark this prayer is inserted straight after the beginning of the Eucharist or Thanksgiving described afore In the Ethiopick immediately after the salutation of Peace which in the Eastern Churches was alwayes straight before the Eucharist In that of S. Cyril among the three translated out of the Arabick and mentioned afore in the same place with that of S. Mark From whence we may argue this to have been the course of the Church of Alexandria by the agreement observed between those Liturgies that are intitled to those that were Bishops of Alexandria and the Ethiopick depending upon that Church wherein they differ from the rest Yet so it is also in that of the Christians of S. Thomas in the East Indies In the Latine Churches this prayer seemeth of old to have gone before the Consecration for S. Ambrose describing the Consecration saith de Sacram. iv 4. Oratio praemittitur pro populo pro regibus pro caeteris Prayer is premised for the people for the king for the rest And S. Augustine Epist lix Eligo in his verbis hoc intelligere quod omnis vel penè omnis frequentat Ecclesia ut Precationes accipiamus dictas quas facimus in Celebratione Sacramentorum antequam illud quod est in Domini mensa incipiat benedici Orationes cum benedicitur sanctificatur I choose to understand in these words of S. Paul to Timothy 1. ii 1 2. that which all or almost all the Church frequenteth that we take those to be called Supplications which we make at celebrating the Sacraments before that which is on the Lords Board begin to be blessed Prayers when it is blessed and sanctified For without peradventure these are the supplications for all states of the Church whereof he speaketh The Order of this Prayer in the Canon of the Masse is somewhat strange for he that will take notice of that which goes before the words of Institution and that which follows after the same untill the Lords Prayer comparing all with the tenour of other Liturgies may observe that they are all parcels of this Prayer for all States of Christs Church which here we describe And I observe that in that form which is intitled to S. Peter in the Missall of the Maronites this prayer is likewise made both before the words of Institution and after the same I am punctuall in observing the tenour of several Liturgies in this point to give notice that there is no ancient or pretended ancient form extant wherein prayer is not made by him that celebrateth the Eucharist at the Lords Board to this purpose A thing which seemeth to me somewhat strange that according to the generall Custome of the Church declared afore prayer having been made by the people a little afore upon the same subject that is for all States of Christs Church though not in the same manner but bidden by the Deacon and answered by the people the same prayers should be again repeated by him that celebrateth the Eucharist at the Lords Board Which is more the Church of Africk seemeth to have differed from the rest in the manner of this prayer whereof we speak by S. Augustines words Epist cvi Quando audis Sacerdotem ad Altare exhortantem populum Dei or a pro incredulis ut eos Deus convertat ad fidem pro Catechumenis ut eis desiderium regenerationis inspiret pro fidelibus ut in eo quod esse coeperunt ejus munere perseverent When thou hearest the Priest at the Altar exhorting the people of God pray for the unbelievers that God would convert them to the faith and for the Hearers that he would inspire the desire of Regeneration into them and for the faithfull that by his Grace they may persevere in that which they have begun to be Compare we herewith his words that are read Epist Cxviii cap. 18 Quando autem non est tempus cùm in Ecclesia fratres congregantur sancta cantandi nisi cùm legitur aut disputatur aut Antistes clarâ voce deprecatur aut communis Oratio voce Diaconi indicitur When is it not time to sing holy songs at the Assemblies of the Brethren in the Church but in time of reading or preaching or when the Bishop prayes with a loud voice or when Common Prayer is indicted by the Deacons voyce Again Epist Cvi Vbi audieritis Sacerdotem Dei adejus Altare exhortantem populum Dei aut ipsum clarâ voce or antem ut incredulas gentes ad fidem suam venire compellat non respondetis Amen When you heare the Priest of God at his Altar exhorting the people of God or himself praying with a loud voice that he would compell unbelieving Nations to his Faith do ye not answer Amen When S. Augustine mentioneth Common Prayer indicted by the Deacons voice he acknowledgeth the Litanies described afore which Justine Martyr also calls Common Prayers because they proceeded from all the people to have been practised in the Africane Churches before the Eucharist which notwithstanding by his words it appeareth that he which celebrated the Eucharist in the same form was wont to exhort the people to make this prayer for all states of persons Unbelievers Hearers Believers for instance of the rest which is not according to the form of any of those Liturgies which we have to my remembrance But he informeth us besides that those things which the Bishop exhorted the people to pray for the same he prayed for alone afterwards and that prayer he means when he speaks of the Bishop praying with a loud voice It is hard for me to give account of this generall practice of the ancient Church otherwise then by conjecture Thus much may be affirmed with confidence that the practice of this Prayer was the effect of the Apostles instruction whereof our Service speaketh Who by thy holy Apostle hast taught us to make prayers and supplications and to give thanks for all men The words of the Apostle 1. Tim. ii 1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty S. Ambrose upon these words Haec regula Ecclesiastica tradita est à Magistro Gentium This Ecclesiasticall Rule is delivered to the Church by the Doctour of the Gentiles which our
Priests use to make supplication for all praying for the Kings of this world that they may hold the Nations subject that settled in peace we may be able to serve our God with tranquillitie and quiet of mind Praying also for those that are trusted with high power that they may govern the Common-wealth in justice and truth with abundance of all things that the trouble of sedition being removed gladnesse may succeed When he calleth it The rule of that Service which their Priests ministred it is plain he understandeth the words of the Apostle concerning the Prayers which were made at the Lords Board at celebrating the Eucharist Besides the brief which he relateth containeth the chief particulars of that form produced out of the Constitutions of the Apostles So S. Augustine Ep. lix in the words partly related afore partly to be related afterwards acknowledgeth the whole Order of the Service which the Eucharist was celebrated with to be prescribed in these words of the Apostle But this purpose to prove there needs no great dispute The generall Custome of the Ancient Church gathered from the marvelous agreement of all ancient forms of Service that remain speaks aloud That this Prayer for all men at the Eucharist whereof we speak comes from the Order of the Apostle It seemeth therefore to me most probable that the meaning of the Apostle is this and so was understood and practised by all the ancient Church that at the celebration of the Eucharist Supplications and Prayers be made for all men for Kings c. For it is nothing forced or strained to take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Thanksgivings in the same sense in which it stands in the passages of Clemens and Ignatius alledged afore for the Celebration of the Eucharist for the whole action and all the Prayers which it was celebrated with And otherwise the consequence of the Apostles words will be altogether impertinent For in the common and generall sense of this word Thanksgiving it is not proper to exhort that giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and so forth that we may lead a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie But it is proper to exhort that Supplications and Prayers be made for all men for Kings and the rest that by the means of their rule and government we may lead a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie And it is proper enough to exhort that Thanksgivings be made for all men to that purpose understanding by Thanksgivings that action of celebrating the Eucharist part whereof are those Supplications and Prayers And thus as in lieu of spirituall graces in Prayer which were used to make Supplication for the necessities of all members and states of the Church under the Apostle according to S. Chrysostome alledged afore Prayers afterwards in most parts of the Church were indicted by the Deacon and made by the people which for the manner and substance both were conceived afore to be the Originall of those that since have been called Litanies So neverthelesse to give effect to this rule of the Apostle it seemeth to have been an ancient and generall custome of the Church to make Supplications and Prayers at the Lords Board at celebrating the Eucharist though much to the same purpose with the former for all states of men but of the Church in particular And this nice observation if it may take place will be of great consequence to out the Church of Rome of all pretense of the Sacrifice of the Masse in the sense of the ancient Church and in particular in the style and tenour of the Liturgies themselves which for the great agreement between themselves with the style of the most ancient Church-writers seem to contain and expresse it For it is manifest that it is called an Oblation or Sacrifice in all Liturgies according to the style of the most ancient Church-writers not as consecrated but as presented and offered whether by the people as the custome was to him that ministred or by him that ministred to God to be consecrated as aforesaid It is the style of the form produced out of the Constitutions of the Apostles We offer unto thee this bread and this cup beseeching thee that they may become the body and bloud of Christ to the souls health of them that receive or to that purpose Thus farre there is no pretence of the Sacrifice of the Masse which supposeth the body and bloud of Christ present as the subject of it True it is that the style of this Prayer whereof we speak in divers points of divers Liturgies runs in the terms of we offer unto thee for such and such for this and that But it is to be observed that this Prayer came not after the Consecration in all Liturgies and according to the custome of all Churches to give occasion to think that the meaning is to offer Christ there present by consecration for the said persons and causes but went afore it in divers as hath been said the purpose of it being to execute the Apostles exhortation to make prayers supplications and intercessions for all men at celebrating the Eucharist Besides it is no where said we offer unto thee the body and bloud of Christ for such persons and causes but it is divers times said we offer unto thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this reasonable service and what is that but these Prayers For in the form alledged it is said at some points we pray thee for the Church and for the King at others we offer unto thee for this people and for the weather and fruitfull seasons and shall we not think them both to stand in one sense It hath been shewed that this Prayer is the practice of the Apostles exhortation to make Prayers and Supplications Thanksgivings for all men And it hath been declared that the meaning of his exhortation is that at the celebration of the Eucharist such Prayers and Supplications be made Therefore when it is said by name in the form related out of the Constitutions of the Apostles we offer unto thee for this people we offer unto thee for the weather and fruitfull seasons what should hinder the meaning to be according at this celebration of the Eucharist in confidence that thou hearest thy Sonne for us at this remembrance of his death and in obedience to thine Apostle we pray unto thee for such persons and causes as it is in expresse terms in the Liturgie of the Indian Christians Hâc enim horâ quâ Patri tuo Sacrificium offertur rogo majestatem tuam miserere omnium creaturarum For at this houre when Sacrifice is offered to thy Father I pray thy Majestie have mercie on all creatures And thus so often as we reade in Church-writers of offering for such and such persons and causes the meaning is that they offered the elements in which the Eucharist was to be celebrated that with it they might pray for those persons or causes
satisfaction to God not in the senselesse and impious sense of the now Church of Rome to make him recompense for the debt of punishment incurred but according to the use of the word in good Latine to appease his wrath with true sorrow and with cordiall contrition to seek reconcilement Imposition of hands was not used once in pronouncing sentence of forgivenesse but alwayes at Publick Service during the prescript time of Penance those of that State after the earnest prayers of the Congregation for their pardon coming and kneeling afore the Bishop holding his hands over their heads with his blessing and Prayers for that purpose were dismissed afore the Mysteries this was called on their part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or falling down on his part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Imposition of hands in Penance In the ministery of these means of forgivenesse the power of the keyes is seen In Rhenanus his Argument to Tertullians book de Poenit. are to be found divers remarkable things to this purpose out of the Penitentialls of Theodulphus of Orleans and Theodore of Canterbury out of S. Basil and Tertullian that Confession to God is that which cleanseth sinne but Confession to the Church is to the purpose of learning the course men are to hold in seeking pardon and obtaining the Prayers of the Church to that purpose Besides this I find that S. Cyprian hath placed the power of the keyes in the Sacrament of Baptisme His words are these Epist lxxiii Manifestum est autem ubi per quos remissa peccatorum dari possit quae in baptismo scilicet datur Nam Petro primùm Dominus super quem aedificavit Ecclesiam unde unitatis originem instituit ostendit potestatem istam dedit ut id solveretur in coelis quod ille solvisset in terris Now it is manifest where and by whom remission of sinnes may be given I mean that which is given in Baptisme For unto Peter upon whom he built the Church and from whom he appointed and expressed the originall of unitie our Lord at first gave this power that it should be loosed in heaven which he loosed on earth And by and by afterwards Vnde intelligimus non nisi in Ecclesia praepositis in Evangelica lege ac dominica ordinatione fundatis licere baptizare remissam peccatorum dare Whence we understand that it is not lawfull but for those that are set over the Church and founded upon the law of the Gospel and the Ordinance of our Lord to baptize and give remission of sinnes to wit as is given by the power which S. Peter received under the figure of the keyes of Gods Church I find further that Primasius a scholar of S. Augustines seems to place the power of binding and loosing in the Sacrament of the Eucharist in Apoc. viii 3. A thing somewhat strange to make the power of binding and loosing all one with the Sacraments But that it is to be remembred that the judgement of the Church and the Ministers of it goes before the ministring of them to discern how fit they are for them that pretend and to constrain them to the means which make them capable of forgivenesse It is no more then follows there in S. Cyprian speaking of rebaptizing those that returned from their heresies Quapropter qui fidei veritati praesumus eos qui ad fidem veritatem veniunt agentes poenitentiam remitti sibi peccata postulant decipere non debemus fallere Sed correctos à nobis ac reformatos ad regnum coelorum disciplinis coelestibus erudire Therefore we that are over the faith and truth must not deceive nor coosen those that come to the faith and truth and doing Penance desire their sinnes to be remitted But instruct them amended and reformed by us to the kingdome of heaven with heavenly discipline They that returned from-heresies sought remission of sinnes by repentance his opinion was that it was not to be had without a second Baptisme and the power of binding and loosing he makes to consist in prescribing repentance and admitting them to baptisme upon repentance So that in summe he shall seem most sufficiently to comprise the whole charge of binding and loosing that shall make it to consist in the ministerie of those means which dispose men to be capable of remission of sinnes In which regard the Ministers of the Church shall be said with as much propertie of speech to remit and retain sinnes to bind and loose as the Physician is said to cure those diseases in which he does no more but prescribe or applie the remedies But no man doubts but this Office as it is appointed in respect of God to procure pardon so it is in respect of the conscience to assure it Which assurance as it is warrantable for them to give that have seen the course performed which they are intrusted to prescribe so is it due for him to receive that hath performed it Suppose then we leave it questionable as not to be disputed in this place what sinnes are to come under the discipline of Penance either of necessitie or for a sure course of procuring their pardon Certain it is that the children of God do continually remember with remorse and bitternesse of spirit the sinnes which they committed of old And certain it is that mens daily offenses are not capable of so solemn a cure so great is the number of them that it is not possible for mans mind to attend them in particular And as certain it is that there is no means so powerfull to obtain pardon of them as the daily prayers of the Congregation to that purpose So that the course which the Church prescribeth for the pardon of daily offenses being put in practice what can be more just more due then to declare that forgivenesse which those that dissemble not those that are as they pretend to be do attain What more comfortable then to heare the news of it from his mouth by whom the Church ministreth the office What more seasonable then to do this before we come to praise God and heare his word that we may perswade our hearts that he accepteth this service at the hands of them that hate not to reform themselves In this consideration I must needs preferre the Order of this Church of England before that of other reformed Churches in that we put Confession of sinnes in the first place of our Service they referre it till after the Psalmes the reading of the Scriptures when the Preacher goes up into the pulpit They reckon them as needs they must of the substance of their Service And Du Plessis hath pleaded them as he had reason to shew that their Service cometh nearer that of the Primitive Church then the Masse But beginning as they do without solemn Confession of sinnes before they give the people occasion to esteem them otherwise then the Service of God as taken up merely to while out
Churches in singing the Hymnes with Musick provided the Congregation may understand and go along in their devotions He that undertakes to do it shall be sure to run upon a rock from which he shall not come off without splitting that is the president of the publick Service of God in the Temple For let no man think that this is to be ranked with the figurative Service of God according to the Ceremoniall law That he must leave to the inner Court of Priests the praises of God are part of the perpetuall Service of God in spirit and truth to last under the Gospel instituted and indicted by the Prophets Ministers of that service frequented by the Apostles and a president for the Church according to the rule of edification of it I am ashamed to repeat here the needlesse quarrels with the old Translation of the Psalmes in use Men seem now to be wise enough to see the shamelesse partialitie which they contain in that men should be so quick as to see so many faults in that and passe by all the extreme barbarismes the spurious additions the false translations which the Psalmes in Meetre contain I suppose the Church intends not to averre all that is read in the Church to be truly translated If so God help the universall Church when it had no Scripture of the old Testament but the Greek and the Translations of it Let them that find fault imploy themselves and all they can make to translate but that one book of Psalmes if they put their work past a considerable number of just exceptions I am ready to forfeit for one It is sufficient to my understanding and alwayes was that what is read in the Church is more fit for the edification of it then to go about to change it And what interesse hath any man not to desire change in that point but S. Augustines experience alledged afore audierunt homines quod non consueverunt perturbati sunt What will any man say now to the Order of reading the Scriptures once a yeare in the Church Shall this be the thanks of the Church of England for renewing that religious Order of the Ancient Church and providing a publick course for the people to become acquainted with the Scripture to say that it is out of the Breviarie or Masse The offense is because some of the Apocrypha are read before that offense had been taken it should have been shewed that nothing but that which is inspired by the H. Ghost should be heard in the Church What then would a number of good Sermons become which how good soever no man dare say are inspired Sure they that will advise with reason and conscience not with prejudice must enquire whether the reading of them promote or hinder the edification of the Church In that respect so farre is it from me to put out some Apocrypha that I would rather put in the first of Maccabees as describing the fulfilling of some of Daniels prophesies and the then state of Gods people But is it from the Masse that the Church of England learned to restore the Sermon into the due place at solemn Service I should have thought it one of the abuses of the Masse that whereas by the universall custome of the Church the place of it appeared there the use of it was for the most part silenced The good Order of this Church and the successe God hath lent it hath prevailed so farre that this Apostolical Order may be said to have recovered the ancient place and rank As for the Afternoon Sermon I am yet to learn what place it had in the publick Service of the Church by what Command of Scripture what rule or custome of the Ancient Church it is pressed Timothie is commanded to be instant in season and out of season but to what purpose to publish the Word to do the office of an Evangelist to winne strangers to the Faith How can that be importune So Paul preached at Troas till midnight If that be our president let us celebrate the Eucharist as those of the Church of Rome do on Christmasse eve There are examples of preaching as well Evening as Morning in the ancient Church but at particular times and on particular occasions my question is to shew me the place of the Sermon in the Afternoon Service as it hath been shewed in the Morning Service otherwise not satisfied of any rule or custome of the Church Not because mens laws are not a fense to Gods law and that it is not for the good of the Church the more it is frequented as it ought especially to the purpose that the people may sufficiently understand their profession and the grounds of it but because it is reason that the offices of the Church be practised with respect to opportunities and abilities not in such sort as may neither advance the Honour of God nor of the Profession which we make We heare no news of new reasons against the Creed for part of the Service It was a great work to settle such forms as might conclude and confine and bring to light the malice of Hereticks The next work to that was to bring it into the Service So was it best commended to the knowledge to the respect of Gods people which respect had it been preserved this new varnish of old Heresies which prevaileth so farre abroad is not like to have taken with the people What shall I say of the Collects or Prayers which the daily Service concludes with My Proposition allows me not to dispute the particular conceptions or terms in which they are expressed But I must commend the Order of answers of the people in all places of the Service where it stands It refreshes their attention it teacheth them their part at Publick Prayers not to stand by and censure how well the Minister playes the mouth of the Congregation If they be to act their part in it the part assigned them in our Service conducts them in doing their office As for the subject of them the occasions of severall seasons and solemnities protection against bodily and ghostly enemies conduct of Gods grace and providence successe of the rule of the Common-wealth and guidance of the Church and the like it is unknown to me that any thing is more fit and requisite then these to be remembred at all publick Assemblies It hath been shewed that those prayers for all states and conditions of persons in the Church which since have been called Litanies were from the beginning frequented at the solemn Service of the Church before the celebration of the Eucharist and that it is like so to have been even under the Apostles Now though the condition of the Church be not for the present capable of so good and so excellent a custome as the continuall Celebration of the Eucharist on Lords-dayes yet was there great reason that the Litanies should be prescribed on these dayes neverthelesse as the next member of the Publick
the doctrine of the Scriptures where there is The Scripture witnesseth that those which were dispersed upon the persecution raised about Stephen did the one without difference Acts viii 4. xi 19. It is no more then all Christians must do so farre as they hold themselves able to advance the faith As for expounding the Scriptures in Churches settled where Order took place in that also S. Ambrose his words may be verified that it was granted to all that is to all conditions whether Ministers of Churches or not But no otherwise granted then hath been said upon knowledge of competent abilities according to the practice of publick Order derived as it seems into the Church from the Synagogue But doth this fault the publick Order of this time that confineth the publick exercise of this Office to the publick ministeries of the Church The course of education being open to all and the performance of that course proved and presumed according to publick Order of all that pretend to these ministeries the ministeries of Congregations being furnished by that publick Order to authorize others in Congregations so appointed would be to choke the edification of the Church by setting up perpetuall emulation and difference But how eminent soever mens abilities are how well soever known to themselves or the world to undertake the instructions of the people without publick Order in publick Assemblies is a thing that no Scripture no time no Custome of the Primitive Church will allow To tread all that learning under foot without which the knowledge of the Scriptures is not to be had upon humane endeavours to undervalue the abilities of a learned age in comparison of the boldnesse of mechanick persons in spending the mouth without sense underneath seemeth to be the wantonnesse of this time for after-ages to admire But for private persons against publick Order and the unitie of the Church to call such Assemblies and to exercise these pretended abilities in such Assemblies as publick Order forbiddeth is neither more nor lesse then Schisme let them that do it advise at whose doore the sinne of that Schisme lieth For the publick profession of this Church is the same that hath been proved these so many years to contain no cause of separation in it And these that separate are so farre from setting a foot new or from proving old charges that they seem to be yet to learn whether there be any such thing as proving that which they say or not The unitie of the Church is a thing commanded by God the divisions that and shall arise in the Church are a thing foretold by God He that hath foretold that divisions shall come hath commanded that they shall not come To me it seems a strange reason because God hath foretold that Heresies shall come in for men therefore to set open the doore and for publick Order to take a course by the independance of Churches to allow as many religions as Conventicles The dependance of particular Congregations upon Episcopall Churches for the Originall relateth to the institution of the Apostles for the end to the unitie of the Church The dependance of these Bishops Churches upon the seats of Metropolitanes and Patriarchs acknowledgeth a mere humane Originall from the state of the Romane Empire and the residence of the chief Powers of it but not without respect to the Gospel first planted according to the president of the Apostles in the most eminent cities and thence derived into the Countreys about But relateth to the same end of one Church as procuring the actuall correspondence of all the members of it Since Religion is become part of the State of several Kingdomes and Common-wealths they are not to receive from one another the laws that inforce the exercise of it but it is requisite that the exercise of it through each Kingdome and Common-wealth be uniform by Ecclesiasticall rules advised by each Church and inforced by each Kingdome and Common-wealth the dependance of particular Congregations upon Episcopall Churches in the exercise of Religion according to such Rules continuing inviolable as the institutiō of the Apostles Now regard we the truth of Religion regard we the peace of the Church regard we the honour and glory of God and the credit of our Profession towards such as are without this dependance of Churches is not more effectuall in any point of Religion then in the uniform and prescript form of Gods Publick Service What means is there so effectuall to convey and settle the truth professed in the minds of all people then to glorifie God in it and according to it in the continuall exercise of his service What means so powerfull to obtain the peace of the Church from God to preserve it with men as to joyn in the same uniform service of God for the purpose As for the honour of God and the commendation of that profession which we make let common reason not possessed with prejudice be judge whether the voluntary extemporary conceptions of particular Ministers of Congregations or the forms maturely advised by the most able shall prove the more probable means to procure it Let the publick exercise of Religion consist in speaking to the people more then men have learned of the knowledge of the Scriptures in permitting men to vent their own passions or perhaps factions for the devotions of their people for their Prayers and Thanksgivings to God Let the Preachers Office consist in speaking by measure of time not by weight of matter let it consist rather in the exercise of the lungs then of any knowledge in the Scriptures Let the Hearers Office consist in patience of sitting still so many glasses or rather in censuring the Preachers abilities in Praying as well as in Preaching for to that the office of praying in the Church may come And those that are affected to the Profession with the best shall be forced for love of truth to lament that it is so much scandalized hindred by them that pretend to advance it But let the Praises of God the hearing of his Scriptures read and expounded the Common Prayers of the Church and the celebration of the Eucharist be performed with that discretion for the Order with that choise for the substance with that reverence for the outward visage and fashion of what is said and done respectively at each of these parts of Gods Publick Service and let not me doubt that God the Authour and men strangers to our profession shall joyn in making good and acknowledging that of the Apostle 1. Cor. xiiii 25 that God is among us of a truth FINIS ¶ The Authour upon his revisall desires the Reader in these severall places to adde and reade as followeth Pag. 15. line 12. after his own adde And indeed the passage seemeth to have been crowded in hither out of Justine Martyr his dialogue with Trypho the Jew though contrary to his meaning for it appeareth that the Jews of that time gave not leave to drink warmed
drink on the Sabbath by his words there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 65. line 19. after words adde of P. 84. l. 7. reade case I truly have judged Pag. 87. line 19. after to the people adde The words of S. Augustine contra Epist Parmen iii. 2. Tunc etiam ille timore percutitur pudore sanatur cùm ab universa Ecclesia se anathematizatum videns sociam turbam cum qua in delicto suo gaudeat bonis insultet non potest invenire Then also is he both struck with fear and healed with shame when seeing himself anathematized by the whole Congregation he can find no rout to bear him company wherewith to exult in his fault and insult over the good Shall I believe that in S. Augustines time the sentence of Anathema came from the Congregation which Tertullian so long afore hath appropriated to the Ecclesiasticall Order when he saith de pudicit c. xiiii Hoc enim non à Deo postularetur quod erat in Praesident is officio For that would not be desired of God which was part of the Presidents Office speaking of delivering to Satan the incestuous person at Corinth yet neverthelesse S. Augustine saith that a man is anathematized by the whole Congregation in regard of the execution and effect which the sentence of the Bishop or Ecclesiastical Order then found by consent of the people when the Law inforced it not Which is the very case of the Apostle alledged afore Pag. 90. l. 22. after right adde and charge P. 91. l. 17. aft whole adde The dependance indeed of particular Congregations upon Episcopall Churches is clearly derived from the Institution of the Apostles related in the Scriptures as must be observed afterwards But it must also be said that the dependance of Episcopall Churches is frō humane right Pag. 93. l. 1. after obedience adde from the secular Powers Pag. 104. l. 22. after evil spirit adde to persist in their counterfeiting Pag. 117. l. 13. after Ecclesiasticall Writers adde as of Ministers of Churches it shall be oserved indeed that sometimes Lay men were licensed to teach the people in the Primitive times but those are never called or accounted Doctours of Churches that we should suppose them to be the remains of those Ministers of Churches which the Apostle calleth Doctours Pag. 123. l. 12. for But that all Presbyters were Prophets or all Prophets Presbyters reade But that all Prophets were Presbyters is more then I can resolve By the Apostles description it should seem that they had their place with the Bench of the Church Walo Messalinus out of Ruffinus hath remembred to us Ordinem Propheticum the Rank or Bench of Prophets as a Ministery by themselves Ireneus Justine Martyr and Tertullian have left mention of the Grace of Prophets as extant in their time but of the use of it for the ordinary Ministery of the Church in teaching the people they have said nothing to my knowledge Pag. 131. l. 9. reade required at their Prophets hands by the way we may perceive c Pag. 138. l. 30. reade in a strange language it shall here be declared c. P. 161. l. 4. after done If this please not or if it seem not generall enough to satisfie the meaning of the Apostles words it may be said in larger terms that all that which the Prophets by help of humane discourse conceived and uttered for and in their publick Assemblies upon the grounds of their particular revelations is here called the Spirits of the Prophets Which therefore must needs be subject to the judgement of other Prophets P. 169. l. 1. reade to make it his own Cxvii when he singeth O praise God all ye people praise him all ye Nations the Apostle c. P. 212. l. 4. reade by whom it speaketh that is a mistake which c. P. 232. l. 11. reade the head of the Captives of the linage c. ibid. l. 22. after professe adde And from that first title of the Misna we have enough to convince this whole point if Scaligers judgement may take place For there we have divers cases concerning the very formall words of divers of those Prayers which still they use resolved by Doctours that lived not long after our Lords time And Scaligers judgement is VI. De Emend Temp. that there is no more question to be made whether those resolutions be the resolutions of those Doctours to whom they are intitled there then whether the resolutions of the old Romane Sages preserved in the digests of the Civil Law be their own or not Thus must needs those Prayers be farre more ancient then the time of our Lord concerning the formall terms whereof cases new disputed at that time see the Misna Beracoth C. iv 3. v. 2. P. 236. l. ult after by heart adde There is a reason why the heathen had prompters to suggest unto them the devotions which they addressed to severall Deities because they counted severall Deities properly able to bestow severall blessings and accordingly held severall rites proper for their Service which it was Sacriledge to perform otherwise Arnobius contra Gentes iii. Vsque adeòres exigit propriatim Deos scire nec ambigere nec dubitare de uniuscujusque vi nomine ut cùm altenis ritibus appellationibus fuerint invocati aures habeant structas piaculis nos teneant inexpiabilibus obligatos So farre it concerns particularly to know the Gods without ambiguitie or doubt of the virtue and name of each that when they are called upon by the rites and names of others both they have their ears stopped and hold us insnared with inexpiable sacriledges See there afore So Tertullian according to this sense makes a very pertinent opposition between the Heathen that prayed as they were prompted and the Heathen that prayed by heart P. 241. l. 25. after Solemn adde Which question perhaps need not be asked if we consider that S. Cyprian spake in his Masters terms who when he nameth Dominica solennia and again post transacta solennia De Anima C. i. x. must needs be understood to mean the same to wit the solemn Prayers which the Eucharist was celebrated with For indeed the latter of those two passages of S. Cyprian I think is out of a Work intitled to him but none of his own P. 245. l. 30. after hold adde To the same purpose Conc. Gerund Can. 1. P. 282. l. 7. after those adde things Pag. 283. l. ult reade a schisme in the Church c. P. 298. l. 22. reade minds are best in tune c. P. 313. l. 32. Therefore in that they require that publick Order be not exacted in respect to the weak they acknowledge the thing lawfull by acknowledging him weak that doubts of it though in truth it concerneth them rather to inform the weak of the lawfulnesse of those things which publick Order requireth at their hands then to continue them in their weaknesse and thereupon pretend that publick Order ought not to be exacted at their hands P. 362. l. 23. after to the purpose of it adde Let a man look over the benedictions which they use before and after the Lesson of Heare O Israel Deut. vi in the morning Let a man look over the xviii benedictions which they say every day morning evening and at night the antiquite whereof may in some sort be valued by that which hath been said afore C. vii and it shall easily appear that they contain Prayers as well as Praises or Thanksgivings to God though called Benedictions because they begin or end or both with Blessed art thou O God specifying something concerning the subject of each Pag. 386. l. 14. after ignorance breedeth adde In the Anaphora of S. Peter in the Maronites Missall this Prayer is made for forgivenesse of sinnes In the Jesuite Kircherus his Prodromus Captus for an essay of that language I remember there is produced a form of this Prayer as ministred by the Deacon out of some of their Liturgies The books are not in my hand for the present Faults escaped in Printing Pag. 72. l. 26. for swell reade smell p. 98. l. 22. Sculletus r. Scultetus p. 108. l. 9. vers 8. r. vers 28. p. 176. l. 13. Parmenians r. Parmenianus p. 223. l. 19. for Prike alwayes reade Pirke p. 248. l. 23. Sciatach r. Scialach l. 24. Velseius r. Velserus p. 252. l. 13. Preacher r. practice p. 253. l. 16. in r. it