intra quorum nos consortium non aestimatur meriti sed veniae quaesumus largitor admitte That is first O God which seest that we trust in no act or work of ours Again Where we have no help of merits do thou succour us with thy assistance Again Admit thou us into their the blessed Saints company who art not the esteemer of merit but the vouchsafer of mercy Thirdly It having been often evidenced by * Jewel in defence of the Apolog. and others ours that our Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government is much more antient than Popery properly so called although also usurped in some things by Papists what hindreth but as the vessels of the Temple defiled by Belshazzar both in drunkenness and idolatry Dan. 7. might return to their pristine use so those things that were Christs before De doctr Christ l. 2. c. 40. but usurped by them we may tanquam ab injustis possessoribus in nostrum usum vendicare take our own goods out of theevish hands as Austin Austin of the truths uttered by the Heathen But lastly because the victory over Goliah was the more remarkable the last blow being given by his own sword we shall retort the argument viz. 4. Because the Liturgy destroyeth Popery and Superstition That there ought to be no separation from the Worship and Liturgy because whilst the Common-prayer-book is of force and neither deserted nor transgressed Popery and that superstition on the one hand as a flood nor Anabaptism and Separation as a rotting distillation on the other can ever come in upon the Church And for this though I have neither strength nor armour so specious or so massy as they perhaps may have yet I shall not doubt to cast the Gantlet to any Champion of the Philistines Such was the judgment of that learned Prince King James related to by the Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury Lord Abbot Arch-bishop of Cant. Letter with K. James instructions concerning Preachers Sept. 3. 1622. in these words His Majesty therefore calling to mind the saying of Tertullian Id verum quod primum That is true which is first And remembring with what doctrine the Church of England in her first and most happy Reformation did drive out the one and keep out the other c. He had nam'd before Popery Anabaptism and Separation I am not ignorant that Sancta Clara hath endeavoured to reconcile even our Articles of Religion with the doctrine of the Church of Rome But what communion hath light with darkness 2 Cor. 6. and what concord hath Christ with Belial and what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols The new Jerusalem is four square the Harlot sits upon Circles * Apoc. 17.9 seven hills can they quadrare circulum But to return to the former For proof at present touching Anabaptism and Separation there is no doubt of that And for Popery the chief points thereof as opposite unto the Protestant Religion are countervened there as may appear by the Council of Trent by Bellarmine and our Rhemists the true Interpreters of that Council as our a] De S. Scripturâ in presatione Quia novus Papismus â vetere multum differt quod de omni causa Tridentinum concilium statuerit imprimâ—s quaeramus tum hujus concilii fideliss interpretes Jesuitas nostros etiam Rhemenses quia Bellarminus has causas accurate tractavit illum quasi scopum proponemus Whitaker hath it if compared with it To instance in a few particulars The first shall be that Traditiones ipsas pari pietatis affectu reverentiâ suscipit reveretur That the Traditions of the Church are to be received with the same affection and reverence b] Concil Trid. Sess 4. decret 1. as the holy Scriptures themselves And so the worship of God may be farced with them 1. Traditions as well as with the reading and preaching the holy Scripture Now the Liturgy assigneth nothing to be put into the worship but the Scriptures either those that are undoubtedly so or else such as have been of great veneration and antiquity in the Church though not received into the Canon R. Hook Eccles pol. l. 5. § 19. and which in regard of the divine excellency of some things in all and of all things in certain of them have been thought better to stand as a list or marginal border unto the Old Testament yet with this liberty that where the Minister shall perceive some one or other chapter of the Old Testament to fall in order to be read Admonition to all Ministers Ecclesiastical prefixed before the second Tome of Homilies 2. Intercession of Saints which were better to be changed with some other of the New Testament of more edification he may do it As was noted above The next may be the Medium or Mediator of our worship by whom it is to be commended unto God The Church of Rome joyn in commission with Christ the blessed Virgin the holy Apostles the Angels and the Saints departed Our common-Common-prayer as our Saviour in another place Luk. 1. Apoc. 5.8 Heb. 5. shuts out all this crowd and with the High-Priest when he was to offer Incense which represented the prayers of the Saints suffers no man to take this honor to himself but Christ alone in the close of the prayers adding this basis to the support of all and naming no where any other and sometime expresly excluding them by that bar only affixed unto Christ through our only Mediatour and Advocate Jesus Christ our Lord. Second Collect in the Letany and elsewhere 3. Merits A third the merit of our prayers and worship The Papists we know do attribute so much to that such a kind and number of them being said at such a place they shall merit the very merits of Christ and properly deserve a reward And that not ex congruo and of conveniency only but ex condigno and of strict justice Good works say the Rhemists On Heb. 6.10 and prayer and divine worship is a principal one even with them also be meritorious and the very cause of salvation so far that God should be unjust if he rendred not Heaven for the same But our Liturgy teacheth us that when we have offered our alms our prayers yea and have performed the very highest of divine worship the celebration of the holy Communion in the close of all to say Thanksgiving after the Communion And although we be unworthy through our manifold sins to offer unto thee any sacrifice yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service NOT WEIGHING OUR MERITS BUT PARDONING OUR OFFENCES c. and many the like passages 4. The Sacrifice of the Mass Concil Trid. Sess 6. sub pio 4. c. 2. A fourth particular shall be the Mass wherein is pretended that the Bread after Consecration being transâ—ubstantiated into the very flesh of Christ and that elevated by the Priest with
points but for convelling and tearing up the foundations of many generations in * As the invisibility of the Catholick Church c. Doctrine Worship and Discipline without legitimate Authority and for other things which need not here be named Their third instance of the defectiveness of the Articles Object 3 is that they speak nothing of the creation of providence fall of man of sin of the punishment of sin of Gods Covenants effectual calling Adoption Sanctification Faith Repentance Perseverance of the Law of God Christian Liberty and liberty of conscience Religious worship of the Sabbath or Lords day of Marriage and Divorce the Communion of Saints Church-Government and Discipline of the Resurrection or of the last Judgment All which the Scripture teach as necessary and are comprised in the Apostles creed That the Assemblies Confession hath all these and that with proofs of Scripture which the Answ 1 Articles want But they should consider that a Confession of faith is one thing and a Catechism or a common-place book to refer ones reading unto is another If the Church shall think fit to compile one of these for the help of young students no doubt but all those shall be expresly treated on though perhaps not in the same form or titles But to constitute a Confession of Faith of all these heads with the several Articles which the Assembly hath subjoyned would doubtless have excluded many more from subscription than the Articles ever did Especially where they have made that an Article of faith which never was a Protestant doctrine viz. That the Church Catholick is a visible and organical body Assemblies Confess ch 35. Artic. 2. whereas it is an article of our faith in the Apostles Creed and not of sense And that which is laid as the foundation of the usurpation of the Bishops of Rome Bellarm. de Eccles l. 3. c. 2. by Bellarmine for either that or somewhat like it must follow upon that ground so that a fair Bridge is hereby laid from Thames to Tiber for his Holiness to walk upon A point universally opposed by the Protestant party except Peter Ramus and perhaps one or two more althongh of late owned by some of them of which * Vindicia Catholicae in answer to Mr. Hudson else-where I instance in this that be it true or false yet a point of this nature should not have been made an Article for the not subscribing whereto men must have been rejected from the Ministry others there are that would have stuck no doubt with many men orthodox able and godly 2. As to the things themselves they are all in effect touched either in the Articles Articles of Ireland Anno 1615. whence taken or the Homilies which are approved by the Articles or in the Liturgy or in the Book of Ordination a branch also of the Articles And the Articles of Ireland which are more full in themselves than ours and comprehend in terminis most or all these heads they are taken verbatim out of the books now mention'd And to give some instances The Creation and Providence is mentioned in the first Article of God and in the Catechism in the Common-prayer-book And more largely in the Homily for Rogation week part 1 2. The fall of man his sin and punishment of it professedly discours'd of in the Homily of the misery of mankind and is touched in the Articles Artic. 9. 10. of Original sin and Free-will Gods Covenant may be understood in the Articles of Justification and Predestination Artic. 11. 17. and is discours'd on largely in the Homily of Salvation Effectual calling also in the same 17th Article and more largely in the Homily of Faith Where also of Adoption as likewise in the lesser Catechism in the Liturgy Faith in the Article of Justification by faith Sanctification in the Homily of good works and divers others Repentance hath a proper Homily for it Perseverance is expresly set down in the 17th Article Of the Law of God in the Homily of the misery of Man And in the Catechism in the Liturgy so far as concerns practice Christian liberty in the Articles of the Traditions of the Church And the Homily of disobedience and wilful rebellion Religious worship is the subject of the Liturgy And of several Articles and of the Homily of the time and place of prayer The Sabbath or Lords day in the Homily of the time and place of prayer Of Marriage both in the Homily of Matrimony and in the Exhortation at Marriage in the Common-prayer-book Divorce as a point of Law is discoursed in the Canons Communion of Saints is the ground of all Exhortations to Unity as the Homily against Contention and exhortation to Charity as love and good works Church-government is the subject of Artic. 20. 21. of the authority of the Church and of General Councils And for Orders they are in the Book of Ordination For the Rules in the book of Canons and in the Rubricks in the Liturgy about Order and in the Commination there Of the Resurrection the Homily on Easter-day And of the last Judgment in the Homily against the fear of Death Seeing therefore that most or all of these heads are either expresly treated on or occasionally either in the Articles or branches of them how say they that they contain nothing of them Proofs to Confessions Lastly for the proofs added in the Assemblies Confession not added in the Articles they know it is not usual to add Proofs unto Confessions as may be seen in the Confessions of the Reformed Churches where they are rare And even lately their Brethren of the Independent way published their Confession without proofs And unless it be that of New England the Assemblies and those of the Separation I remember not that I have seen any with frequent proofs And if I mistake not it had not been amiss if the Assembly had kept the Track in this in as much as the Proofs sometimes do not infer the Article In a Catechism or Sermon or Dispute they are more proper than in a Confession Because that is a thing supposed to be grounded not in this or that place but on the current of the Scripture Besides Proofs occasion Dispute which is abhorrent from the nature of a Confession The places alledg'd may be clear a proof and yet not so to every less-intelligent Reader I conclude this discourse touching the imperfection and defectiveness of the Articles with that considerable passage of Erasmus to this purpose Summa religionis nostrae pax est unanimitas Erasm presat in Hilarium ea vix constare poterit nisi de quà m potest paucissimis definiamus in multis liberum relinquamus suum cuique judicium propterea quod ingens sit rerum plurimarum obscuritas c. The sum saith he of our Religion is peace and unanimity of which there is little hope unless those things which shall shall be enjoyned as matters of faith be
as few as may be and that we leave mens judgments free in many things by reason that the obscurity in a number of them is exceeding great I have done with the first general head the Doctrine and Articles wherein as being the foundation the more time hath been expended CHAP. IV. Of Worship and of the Directory there of the Liturgy SECT I. Of Worship THE next is Worship 2. VVorship 1. In it self wherein the thing especially to be observed is Purity as in Doctrine Truth Now the purity of worship I take it Purity of it wherein consisting is defin'd by the matter whereof it is composed the object whereunto and medium or mean by which it is directed if these be right the Worship it self is pure For the evidencing that ours is such consider we it first in it self and then in the Appendixes of it the Ceremonies 1. In it self That of the Church of England such and so our Worship in the Church of England is directed onely to the onely true God in the Unity of Essence and Trinity of Persons the Maker and Governor of all things And the Worship which we tender unto him is for matter according to his will as shall be proved Lastly it is by the onely and alone medium and mediation of God manifested in the flesh the Man Christ Jesus but of the Creatures whether the blessed Virgin although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Mother of God or Saint or Angel we joyn none with him as is to be seen in the frequent closure of our prayers in the publick Liturgy The second Collect in the Letany Through our ONELY Mediator and Advocate Jesus Christ our Lord. Which is also proved negatively because there is in the Liturgy no prayer neither directly nor indirectly to any but God himself nor by any other but Jesus Christ 2. In the Ceremonies which destroy not the substance of worship 2. In respect of Ceremonies which are annexed to it Now Ceremonies being but the appendixes and circumstances of Worship either as ornaments or advantages to it unless they be such as at least imply either another object or person to be worshipped than God or another Mediator than Christ and so a contradiction to the worship whereon they hang How should they destroy the purity of worship Perturb and trouble it they may by their multitude or unusefulness but vitiate it they cannot Now all our Ceremonies are so few in number and so explained eâ—ther by Doctrine or Canon or other publick writings for their * Dr. Burgess of the three innocent Ceremonies See the form of private Baptism and Can. 30. with the Rubricks Mr. Ph. N. innocency and use that they seem not capable of the former evills though they had been all urged But for the matter of our worship the most weighty men of the other ways do not much except against it I am sure I have heard one of the best of them acknowledge lately That there was nothing in the Common-prayer-book for the matter of it against the word of God Now all separation is a division all division tends to dissipation But to commit this against a Church whose worship is for the matter sound and the Ceremonies not opposite thereunto because some of them have been abused formerly to superstition savours of worse then their weakness 1 Cor. 10.25 28. who refused the meat though in the shambles because it had been once consecrated unto an Idol But rather take we his advice misericorditer igitur corripiat homo quod potest Aug. contr epist Parmen lib. 3. cap. 2. quod autem non potest patienter ferat cum dilectione gemat atque lugeat donec ille desuper emendet corrigat aut usque ad messem differat erradicare zizania paleam ventilare Let a man therefore gently amend what he may and and what he cannot let him bear with patience and lament with love until God from above do reform it or correct it or defer until the harvest the rooting out of the tares and the winnowing of the chaff But in particular the Ceremonies are but four especially Bowing at the naming Jesus The Cross in Bapt. Keeling at the Communion And the Surpliss in reading Service Omitting what hath been satisfactorily discoursed on these by others as [a] Conser Hampt Court King James [b] Can. 30. The Canons of 1603. Can. 30. [c] Eccles Polit. Mr. Hooker [d] The three Innocent ceremonies Hieron in Isa 45.23 Mr. Burgess and divers more I shall for the first recite the Judgment of Antiquity represented by St. Jerome on those words of Isaiah By my self have I sworn that every knee shall bow to me c. Hoc jurat quòd Idolis derelictis omne genu ei flectat coelestium terrestrium infernorum omnis per illum juret lingua mortalium In quo perspicuè significatur populus Christianus Moris est enim ecclesiastici Christo Genu flectere Bowing at the name of Jesus Quod Judaei mentis superbiam demonstrantes omnino non faciunt This he swears That forsaking Idols every knee should bow to him of things in Heaven in the Earth and under the Earth and every tongue of mortal men swear by him in which is clearly signified the Christian people for it is the custome of the Church to BOW the KNEE to Christ Which the Jews declaring the pride of their hearts will by no means do Wherein Explained we may note two causes of refusing to bow at the naming of the Lord Jesus First Jewish unbelief and secondly The like haughtiness and pride of spirit To which we may add in respect of some I hope a needless fear of superstition Touching the next the Cross in Baptisme Although I cannot hope to satisfie those whom the Canon of the Church hath not satisfied Against which Canon Cross in Bapt. Can. 30. the late Authors of the Treatise of the necessity of Reformation have this Exception that it hath not with its reasons Pag. 60. Ed. 2. added either Scripture or Fathers Whereas it mentions both though naming none By this reason they may decline all the Articles yea and most Confessions in Europe which generally omit both as being too paedantical for a confession or the Canons of a Church Wherein also their iniquity as well as unskilfulness appeareth Who say of the Rubrick explaining the use of the ceremony of kneeling at the communion Pag. of the inserted sheet the third that the Compilers had solidly and excellently declared in what sense they intended kneeling at the Communion omitted in the Book of Q. Eliz. and yet that hath neither Scripture nor Father alledged But this pleased because it ministred quarrel against the present Common-prayer-book I might refer for more ample satisfaction to the exact diligence in this point also of that hyperaspistes of our Church in these matters Mr. Hooker Eccles Polit. li. 5. §
own shame and therefore needs no other reply But yet that Rubrick or Admonition which gives liberty to change whole Chapters appointed * Adm. before 2 Tom. Homil. doth much more intend that men should speak sense Except 8 The eighth Exception is against those words in the thanksgiving after the proper Collect at the Communion Therefore with Angels Therefore with Angels and Archangels c. we laud and magnifie c. They say this is an uncertainty if not an untruth for the Scripture never speaks of more Archangels than one 1 Thess 4.16 That this one is Michael P. 29 30. n. 8. Jude v. 12. to wit Christ Dan. 10.21 Revel 12 7. where 't is said there was a war betwixt Michael and his Angels and the Dragon and his Angels Answ First If this Archangel be he mentioned in 1 Thess 4.16 where 't is said the Lord himself namely the Lord Jesus shall descend from Heaven therefore this is spoken of the Lord Christ with a shout with the voice of the Archangel then this Archangel cannot be Christ for he shall descend from Heaven with the shout of this Archangel Secondly How doth it appear that this Archangel is Michael mentioned in Jude verse 9. that strove with Satan about the body of Moses Surely Christ needed not to dispute then with the Devil nor to pray The Lord rebuke thee he was yet God onely and might not being as yet actually Mediator have punish'd him And 't is said ' He durst not bring against him a railing accusation Remember Brethren the Devil must not be railed at much less Gods Saints and Servants 'T is not like the language of Christ Thirdly How doth it appear that there are no more Archangels than one seeing first we reade not onely Ephes 1. of Principality and Power and Might and Dominion in heavenly places which surely implies some degrees in the Angelical Hierarchy but also chap. 6. again speaking of the evil Angels as it seems he names Principalities and Powers And in Daniel Dan. 12.1 Michael is assigned as the Prince of the Jewish People but there is also mentioned the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia Chap. 10.13 And another is described to be in his body as the Beryl his face as the appearance of lightning and his eyes as lamps of fire and his arms and feet like in colour to polished brass and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude Surely this seems to be an Arch and primary Angel And he says that Michael helped him and he calls him one of the chief Princes Angelical namely he doth not say the chief onely Verse 13. Calvin thinks it not necessary to understand Christ by Michael Calv. in Dan. 10.6 in cap. 12.1 Ezek. 1. and chap. 10. And Mr. Brightman understands by Michael Rev. 12.7 Constantine the Great Again we reade in Ezekiel of four living creatures which he expoundeth to be Cherubins a distinct Order as it seems from the ordinary Angels for this Type seems to answer to that Revel 4. of the four Beasts but they were not the ordinary sort of Angels for these are distinguished from them verse 11. And all the Angels stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the four Beasts Again we read of Seraphims Isa 6. as an order distinct again from the general one of Angels Or if both Cherubims and Seraphims be taken for Angels in general Luk. 1.19 which seems not to agree yet we read of Gabriel Gabriel the Angel that was sent on two the greatest Embassies that ever were or shall be namely to annunciate the conception of John Baptist the messenger of the Messiah and the conception of Christ himself now surely the greatest errands are performed by the greatest persons Very reasonably therefore may we think that Gabriel was one of the very chiefest Angels Rashly therefore and without ground do the Brethren tax the Church for naming of Archangels whereof it hath so many rational probabilities and affirm their is but one whereof they have no proof Except 9 and fail in the very first of them The ninth Exception is against that prayer after the Communion For our unworthiness c. and this expression of it viz. Those things which for our unworthiness we dare not ask They say Why do we pray elsewhere for ought else at all seeing we have the worthiness of Christ and Gods promise and his command But the Brethren might know or remember that this objection was urged long since with more strength vâ—z That it savours of Popish servile fear and not of that confidence and reverend familiarity that the children of God have through Christ with their heavenly Father saith Mr. Cartwright I shall give first my own sense lib. 1. p. 136. Hook eccles pol. l. 5. §. 47. and then refer to the answer returned by that learned Respondent And first in general 1. General answer Two things there are which we are more specially to endeavour to be quallified with to prayer first deep humility and next lively faith By the one we shall with Jacob confess our selves less than the least of all Gods mercies Genes 32.10 By the other we shall with St. John 1 Joh. 5.14 15. know that we shall have the petitions that we ask of him God he resists the proud but gives grace onely to the humble and those that have their whole hope in the mediation of his Son Joh. 14. This makes returns of prayer sweet God lovely Christ pretious the heart humble the conscience peaceable when we are nothing in our selves 1 Cor. 1. but Christ is our Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption and in a word all in all Col. 3. Secondly 't is surely as lawful to acknowledge our unworthiness as our blindness but that they do not except againâ—t which is in the next clause 2. Answer in particular But in particular the prayers of the Church are so fitted that they may meet with the state and condition of all the members Now in the Church Aptness of the prayers of the Church 1 Joh. 2. there are not onely old men in grace and young men but children also as the Apostle distinguisheth Of thâ—s last sort are those who though they might further ask yet being pressed with their own unworthiness and sense of their sins they are in a manner discouraged till they reflect on the worthiness of Christ Yea the very best are subject sometimes to over much sensibleness of their unworthiness in prayer as also of the contrary of their too much goodness R. Hook Eccles pol. l. 5. § 47. Let us now see what hath been replyed to this formerly which since my writing having now read I observe amongst other considerable things as well he considered what he wrote if any other this That the very natural root of unthankfulness is threefold always namely either ignorance dissimulation