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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	ceremony_n	church_n	rite_n	2,845	5	10.3412	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85313	Presbyterial ordination vindicated. In a brief and sober discourse concerning episcopacy, as claiming greater power, and more eminent offices by divine right, then presbyterie. The arguments of the Reverend Bishop Dr Davenant in his determination for such episcopacy are modestly examined. And arguments for the validity of presbyterial ordination added. With a brief discourse concerning imposed forms of prayer, and ceremonies. Written by G.F. minister of the gospel in defence of his own ordination, being questioned, because it was performed by Presbyters.	Firmin, Giles, 1614-1697.	1660 (1660)	Wing F961; Thomason E1045_17; ESTC R208016	42,577	55

I know God hath his hand in this and we do pray the conditions of others though we know it not while we pray our own But yet way we not then use these Forms also which are common to the whole Congregation as it were to make amends Burdened souls when indeed tentations ly heard cannot but minde themselves though none should be the mouth of the Congregation 5. The thing being in it self good and doubtlesse a man may pray graciously though he doth use a form Why may we not yield in such a point to take off prejudices from our Ministry and if they would join with us more willingly in Prayer why should this be wholly denied If you look on it as being such a thing as you will rather lay down your Ministry than use any form at all I desire we might see those grounds which may warrant you and us thereunto and we shall thank you CHAP. IV. Of Ceremonies and in particular of the Surplice I Intend but a few words We are told the Church hath power to decree Rites and Ceremonies and this is swallowed down so readily as if there were no bones in it What they mean by the ambiguous word Ceremony and what by the Church we must learn from their practice And I pray see through all Pauls Epistles where the Church is often mentioned whether you can find such a Church as decreed our Ceremonies God having appointed his Day for Worship what time of the day is fittest for it we doubt not the Church may determine so for place and other things which of necessity must be as if there must be Wine and Bread at the Supper c. then Vessels must be whether Woodden as when they had their golden Priests or Pewter or Silver there is no determination by God the Church may here appoint but these deserve not the names of Ceremonies Were we in our purest estate in Adam had God appointed such Ordimnces these things must of necessity follow these things must be place and vessels c. but it would not then have necessarily followed we must have garments Considering sin indeed which hath brought this shame upon us we must now from sin have garments but it doth not follow properly from the Ordinance it self we must have Garments as if Wine and Bread we must have vessels to put the Wine into if sin then garments is true not properly if ordinances then garments though now it is true The only Text brought for these Ceremonies is 1 Cor. 14. ult Let all things be done decently and in Order whence thus the Argument runs If all the Worship of God for that I think the Apostle by All things properly aimes at must be performed decently in the Church then the Church may decree Ceremonies But the Consequence is denied For 1. The Worship of God may be decently performed without humane Ceremonies deny it if you can I will prove it afterwards 2. The Worship of God may be very undecently performed though humane Ceremonies be annexed we need not to prove what eyes have seen among your white Worshippers in your Cathedrals and Colledges how rudely have divers carried themselves very much unbecoming the Worship of God I am sure 3. Had Ceremonies been so necessary surely the Lord would have appointed them himself and not leave his Worship to be dressed by a vain wretched head of man opposite to him in all things He whose name is Jealous Exod. 34.14 and that in his instituted Worship would not let man have this refuge to run to while he was sinning against his Second Commandment to say I do it for decency 4. God would not suffer his Church of old to add one Ceremony Moses did as he was commanded repeated seven times over in Exod. 40. Did God take care of the pins of the Tabernacle then and will he not now of the Curtains Since Gods wisdom seeth meet to appoint none mans wisdome seeth meet to appoint what he please yea thus it must be else he is not Man-fallen i.e. Cross to God in every thing It seems God sends his worship into the Church under the New Testament naked and we must make Garments to hide the shame of it and with other Ribbands of our Inventions dress it up fine Will the great God thank you for this you potsheard man who will mend his work 5. What the Apostle meaneth by decency and Order you may see in the eleventh Chapter and this fourteenth Chapter in which Chapters you shall find Undecency and Disorder but not for want of Ceremonies 6. If from hence we may appoint Ceremonies where shall we stand Determ 20. may we not go in infinitum What hinders B. Davenant saith of these Ceremonies Si nimis excreverint in hoc graviter peccant and quotes Austin in his 119. Epist Complaining of the burden of Ceremonies preferring the Jews Ceremonies being Gods own Institutions before theirs But what saith the Ceremony-maker all these make the worship to be performed decently So this month he invents these the next month he invents others for so we are taught if we will believe the Church may alter and change the Ceremonies if she see cause yea and cast them out also if she be so true to her husband as she should be As for Apparel I think people commonly come decently enough some else will not come at all And I see not but if a Ministers civil Garments with his gown be cleanly as commonly they are in these his Civil Garments he is decent enough as to apparel Such Decency and Order as whose contrary is undecency and disorder I think is there meant and nothing more but I hope that is not want of a Surplice which I thus prove I. If different Garments appropriated to the worship of God Arg. 1 as a Surplice be requisite to the decent performance of it then neither the Apostles nor the Primitive Churches did worship God decently But they did deny it if you dare Ergo Such Garments are not requisite c. For the Apostles and those Churches will any say they had Surplices no man will I am sure About the year 261. I finde indeed Pope Stephen decreed The Garments for Divine Worship should be consecrated and used only in the Church But his Decree is not early enough by many years to reach the Primitive Churches Bishop Jewel quoting Valafredus Abbas Des Apol. 326. tells us out of him that the old Fathers ministred the Holy Communion having on their own common apparel very undecently certainly It is a wonder that holy Paul could not see his exhortation to decency did force in a Surplice which he and others should have used but older and wiser I pray let the Rule of Irenaeus before mentioned here take place II. Arg. 2 If a Surplice be requisite to the decent performing of the worship of God Then all the Congregation ought to wear Surplices The Reason is Because they are all worshippers at least pretend

I called to minde what I had heard them say which I will not set down onely concerning Bishop LAUD when he was in his height one had these words If that man die the ordinary death of men then hath not God spoken by me the man was an eminent Divine a Master-workman whether his words were not true you may judge The Lord grant that Reverend USHERS Prophesie come not to pass I much fear it Shall these Soveraign and trembling Acts of a jealous God cause no aw upon our Spirits Must we presently before we are healed perfectly of our wounds provoke God again will you try to force the Nation into Perjury by violating the solemn Covenant I beseech you do not cast such scorn upon it I remember the last year when the Army and that piece of Parliament so called were united and in their height while one was dehorting me friendly from praying for the Royal Family I said then Though God may suffer these men to go on a while yet if God be not revenged for the breach of that Covenant I will not believe my Bible God made good my words sooner than I was aware of I do yet believe The Lord will in his time have a regard to it let men now despise it as they please I do protest in the presence of the living God that it is not any envie that I beare to mens Honours Riches Greatness or Power in the Church or that I affect a Panty which makes me engage in this Controversie upon my one Defence for if my Ordination be null I can hardly look on my self as a Minister I can freely yield you the Honours and the Riches though my poor Viccaridg doth afford one but half the Maintenance for my Family and the power you should have also would but that which you and we call the Rule of your and our Faith the Scriptures give you it But if those Officers our Covenant engages against must be owned in the Church then we must not own our Bibles for a perfect Rule for Regula non est si quid ei deest saith BASIL Now all those Officers mentioned in the Covenant even Bishop as distinct from a Presbyter and superiour in power Desunt they are wanting in that Rule where all the Officers and their names are distinctly set down and you cannot make new Officers by Consequences The scope of the Covenant though I never took it so far as I can see as to the things of God is to reduce all things to the Perfect Rule the Holy Scriptures which I think men do extreamly vilifie in departing from it and bringing in another Lesbian Rule of Antiquity as if the Scriptures were not before the Fathers and well may I call it Lesbian Rule as Erasmus interprets the Adage Lesbia Regula dicitur quoties pr●eposterè non ad rationem factum sed ratio ad factum accornmodatur Cum Lex moribus applicatur non mores ad Legem emendantur And is not this the practice of men in all these Controversies about the Officers of the Church and the Worship of God in this Nation to tell us of the Fathers and Primitive but not Apostolicall Churches they alledg their Acts not in all things neither and so carry the Scriptures to their Acts but not their Acts to the Scriptures and so judg them by the Perfect Rule Calovius the Lutheran hath strongly proved Syst loc Theol. 1. p. 422. that The Testimony of the Church or Consent of the Fathers in the five first Secula or Centuries after Christ is not the Rule of Interpretation of the Scriptures nor a medium so necessary that without it by the Scriptures alone the mouths of Adversaries cannot be stopped I yield to the Fathers as much as he doth Forthe Common-Prayer-Book I ever said there were some things in it good nor did I ever condemn sober and Godly men who used it yet I think if a Litturgy were necessary which I cannot learn from the Seriptures we have Divires in England endued with grace and gifts able to compose one for the matter agreeable to the Word and Forme less effensive then to be beholding to the Popish Puddles And strange it is that for the pleasing of a few Papists pray God they prove not numerous now who will not yet be drawn by it we must displease and drive from the worship of God thousands of the best Protestants Impose Formes of Prayers who will before I would do such an Act upon those whom the Lord hath so graciously and excellently gifted as are thousands in this Nation I had rather with Gods love go to my grave I have discoursed but briefly of these things For Ceremonies I intended but to touch them There is a Tract printed entituled A Modest Discourse concerning the CEREMONIES of the Church of ENGLAND It came to my hand when I had almost done where you have these things more largely and Learnedly discussed The Lord divert our fears and if it be his will let us enjoy his Ordinances in their purity and power his Ordinances and Himself in his Ordinances So shall we rejoyce in the Lord and Prayers shall not be ●a●●ing for our KING The unworhiest of Christ Ministers G. F. READER There was some miscarriage when the Sheets were sent down to be corrected for some came not to my hand so that I must commit my self to thy Candor These Faults I observed Page 2. line 14. for them read him for they r. he p. 6. l. 28 29. for more superiour r. above p. 22. l. 36. Caepit p. 32. l. 37. formes p. 38. l. 39. for none r. wee For the Ceremonies I intended but a few words and but to name Kneeling at the Sacrament I am told Mr Rutherford hath written strongly against it Presbyteriall Ordination VINDICATED CHAP. I. Of Episcopacy c. IN all the changes which have passed over this Nation of late years it hath been the portion of the Lords Ministers to pass through unkind dealings and reproachful speeches from several sorts of men no change proving to be on their side but all changes against them One while they were called Antichristian Ministers because they were ordained by Bishops who being Antichristian all that were ordained by them were such also Hence Episcopal Ordination must be renounced a new one taken or Popular Election alone might serve the turn else the people will renounce their Ministry separate from them and so did In this unexpected change though much desired and prayed for as to our King and the Royal Family with our Ancient Civil Government unto which by solemn Covenant we were engaged many hundreds of Godly Ministers and able for their work are said to be no Ministers because they were ordained by Presbyters And let me give you the words of one of the great Doctors who asking a godly and able Minister who was ordained by Presbyters Whether he were ordained by a Bishop Whether he had his Institution c. from a

so they come thither to worship and have their acts of worship as well as the Minister now Decency is as much enjoyned them as the Minister for All things must be done in decency this would be a handsome sight So all those who have not Surplices worship undecently for they have not that Garment which is requisite to Decency and such undecent Worshippers have our Congregations ever been III. Arg. 3 That humane Invention which is supposed to make the worship of God better in it self and more acceptable unto God is unlawfull But the humane invented Surplice is supposed to make the Worship of God better in it self and more acceptable to God Ergo It is unlawfull For the major It supposeth the wisdome of the Commander to be defective for here comes in a creature who can adde a degree of goodnesse to his worship which he hath not commanded and surely the more goodnesse in his worship the more acceptance that worship must have so that the Divine Rule for worship is not perfect Regula non est si quid ei deest Regula amussis neque appositionem neque ablationem admittit But the Rule which Infinite wisdom hath given which we suppose should provide best for what concerns himself is short in this respect for man may add a degree of goodnesse and that is better I know not how to free such an Invention from Superstition concerning which I intend not now to discourse But that which some say concerning these Ceremonies to save them and other inventions They are not opposite to the Word though not commanded I confesse a Surplice as it lyeth in the chest is not opposite to the Word but when the Surplice is appropriated only to the Worship of God and makes it better c. now in the use of it it is opposite for Excessus Religionis which is Superstition is opposite to the Second Commandement and this Excessus Religionis est in ordine ad actus media Religionis externa vanae observantia circa onltum aut cum aliquo respectu ad cultum qua formaliter non sunt indebitus seu falsus cultus These by learned and godly Divines abroad are charged with Superstition I know not how our Ceremonies will escape the charge I pray prove unto us That the washing of pots cups c. in Mark 7.8 were forbiden by the Word Had not the Pharisees the same Answer to give We are not Superstitious in these for they are not opposite to the Word but the Lord charges them with vain worshipping vers 7. So say you The Surplice and Ceremonies are not opposite to the Word But they put Religion in such washings They made no more of them than ours have done of their Ceremonies Also I pray shew us where the Word had commanded that they must touch taste and handle those mears or things which their Men-Teachers taught them they must not touch not taste nor handle Col. 2.21 if they meant of not eating Hoggs Conies Hares flesh as the Rhemists interpret it I know various Interpretations but passe them by might not they say when Paul charged them with will-worship and Superstition Why Paul these things are not opposite to the Word May we not forbear to eat these as well as eat them this who could deny but such abstinence the Apostle blames and other things there in the general mentioned For men to put any Religion Holinesse in what God hath not and think to add to him or mend his Rules or worship as our men do in Ceremonies the jealous God will not be pleased But then the Minor will be denyed We do not suppose the worship of God to be better or to have the least acceptance more with God for a Surplice no no 1. Why then do you use these Ceremonies if the worship be not one whit the better nor God accept the more but that the worship is every whit as good and God fully as well pleased with his worship without these as with these then we shall shew our selves vain in our Imaginations indeed and very foolish having no rational end of our actions Cui bono To what end then serve they You do use to quote the 1 Cor. 14. for your ground and end It is true Decent Worship is better than Undecent Worship and we may conceive more acceptable to God Now if you by your humane Ceremonies can make it Decent and without them it is Undecent Then your Ceremonies add some goodnesse to the worship of God and tend more to acceptation with him 2. If not Why then have people been debarred from the Worship of God because the Surplice hath been wanting I read in the Writings of an eminent Minister of Christ whom I knew when he lived that in Suffolk the Surplice was lost in one Parish There was a strict in junction to the poor Countrymen that there might not be any Service or Sermon till they had got another for which they were appointed Ten dayes and this being upon a Friday there were two Sabbaths without any Service Now if the worship of God had been as good in it self and as acceptable to God without the Surplice why were the people hindered from woshipping of God and God denyed his due See what men put in their Ceremonies 3. If not what is the Reason so many eminent Servants of God holy worshippers of God have been silenced mouths stopped that they must not worship God at all in publick and other troubles and Persecutions befallen them and that because of those Ceremonies If the Worship was not the better nor more accepted with God for the Ceremonies What should cause this Objection No they would not be obedient Answer No men in the world so obedient to their Superiours such as God had made Superiours for conscience sake But that was not the end of the injunction to try obedience that came in accidentally I never yet heard that our Civil Power did command Ceremonies in the worship of God meerly to try the obedience of the Subject No nor those who took that power upon them which God never gave them in the Church it is not said in their Books We enjoyn these to try your obedience to us So that there is an other End of which before 4. Let us see whether our Ceremony-makers can better free themselves from Superstition than those whom Tertullian charged with it in his Exposition of the Lords Prayer we shall find there that the Ministers were not forced to read their Prayers out of a Book After he had shown what frame we ought to bring with us to Prayer as to our Brother then he comes to speak of some who when they went to prayer washed their hands and some their whole bodies which cleannesse saith he plerique superstitiosè curant adomnent orationem yet it seems they had their Reason for it as he alledgeth Then he adds This Rule cut off those Ceremonies which were in use in Tertulliaxs