supposing that difference between the Law and the Gospell which I have setled in the first book they may advance in the knowledg of Christianity by the preaching of those who understand it But not distinguishing that which is necessary from that which is not necessary by supposing that which is necessary they may heare Sermons all their life long and not know wherein their salvavation consists a thing found by experience when there was a Rule of doctrine agreeable to the Scriptures and not knowing the ground there laid forth upon which the Old Testament beares witnesse to the New they may gaine nothing by hearing sermons all theire life long but mere dissatisfaction in the grounds of our common Christianity Whereas going into the scriptures with those two principles and the humility of Christians they may teach themselves that edification which they ought not to expect from those that acknowledg them not As for the present order which suppresseth all Assemblies for the service of God when there is no Preaching It is manifest that I will not say no understanding no eloquence but no lungs or voice For of a truth this order makes the service of God a worke rather of the lungs and of the voice then of any thing else can furnish entertainement for the assemblies of the church with that which is worth the hearing so oft as it is fit for the people of God to assemble for his service This makes the businesse for which the greatest part now goes to Church to be no more the service of God but to get mater of discourse or debate for the Sabbath as they call it how well the man preached or how well he prayed For whereas they were wont to object against the Church that it was not praying but reading prayers which was ministred to the Church as if attention of mind devotion of spirit could not aswel go a long with him that reades as with him that is to study what to say when he praies now the censures that passe upon mens prayers do shew that the hearers minds cannot be imployed in praying when they are taken up with judging how well the prayer they heare is made Much more justly may the same be said if it be considered how a man is obliged to discerne what the mater of the prayer is whether it be from blasphemy Heresy Slander Rebellion or not least before he be aware he joine in such horible crimes by saying Amen to their prayer which he is no otherway secured to be free from the same Now it may be considered that the prayers which usher sermons in out by the order of the church of England but by the faction that destroyeth it though they exclude the service of God out of the Church upon pretense of praying as the spirit indites yet are indeed no lesse provided aforehand then the prayers of the Church 〈◊〉 a little from time to time as occasion may require to make the people believe that they are ex tempore dictates of the spirit So that the change which many men call reformation consists in this that the peoples devotions are now confined to that which every one that dare mount the Pulpit dare say instead of that which the Church upon mature deliberation had appointed to be said But if it be thus in prayers which are alwaies for substance the same what shal we say of Sermons the substance whereof changeth according to the compasse of the Scripture and all the points of it which the texts upon which men take their rise occasion them to intreat experience in the decay of that reverence devotion which the publick service of God is to be performed with may easily point a man of common understanding to the sourse of it in those false weak suppositions upon which the order or rather the disorder of the present chang standeth Instead whereof therefore acknowledging that there was just cause at the time of the Reformation to complain upon the want of Preaching and instruction of the people I do and am to maintaine that there was never any pretense that the communion of the Eucharist and the service of God that it is to be celebrated with ought to give way and to be excluded the assemblies of christians to bring in that rule which is now in effect a cheife point of the chang that is made with us that without preaching no assembly for Gods service And thereupon though I desire that the more solem service of God when the Eucharist is celebrated may have a sermon for part of it as I have showed both by the Scriptures and by the primative practice of the Church that the use was under the Apostles and in the next ages yet that the order prescribed by the Church of England for the celebrating of the same when and where there is not meanes for a Sermon such as ought to be had is not to be deserted upon any pretense of frequenting Sermons As for more oridinary occasions of assembling for the service of God having proved afore that they ought to be frequented for the celebrating of other Offices of Gods service besides preaching I take it for proved that the order prescribed by the Church of England for the celebrating of Gods service upon such occasions is no way to be deserted but meanes to be sought for the frequenting of it Acknowledging with all the zeale and the joy which S. Paul expresseth for the further edification of those Churches to whom he directeth his Epistles in that Christianity which they had received 1 Cor. I. 5 6 7. Eph. I. 17. 18. Phil. I. 9 Col I. 9. Rom. I. 11. 12. as a strong motive to the Church to procure preaching as frequent as it can be procured and maintained without these offenses That the same S. Paul incourageth directeth frequent ample use of these miraculous graces which God granted the Churches of that time unto that purpose 1. Cor. XIV 1-31 Eph. IV. 7-16 But supposing alwaies the Spirits of the Prophets to be subject to the Prophets because God is not the God of unquietnesse but of peace as in all Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. IV. 32 33. And that there is one body and one spirit even as we are called in one hope of our calling the unity of which spirit is to be preserved in the bond of Peace Eph. IV. 3 4. By vertue of that Order which God had setled in his Church for preserving unity in it declaring his meaning by bestowing the most Eminent Graces upon the most eminent persons of his Apostles by meanes whereof the spirits even of Prophets became subject to greater Prophets for avoiding of unquietnesse and preserving of peace as S. Paul further declareth when he addeth by and by 1. Cor. XIV 36. 37. What came the word of God out from you or came it to you onely if any man think himselfe a Prophet or spirituall let him acknowledg the things I write
much more it were to induce particular Churches and by consent of them the whole seemes to me to renounce the advice of common reason for love of his own voluntary prejudice Can it be imagined that the Sibyls verses coming from an author of doubtfull credit could perswade the whole Church to take up a custome of praying for the dead because they have perswaded divers writers to alledg them in favour of Christianity Why could not then Montanus perswade it to imbrace the pretense of his Prophesies Why But because it was more to give Law to such a Bâ—dy then to surprise a few Scholars And yet could all this be overseen would not that serve the turne The opinion of Justine that our Lord by his prayers Psalm XXII 21. and by commending his soule to God on the Crosse teacheth us to pray that our souls may not fall into the hands of those spirit which had the fathers soules in their power is the mold in which some prayers in the Church of Rome for the dead are framed Suppose this not granting it This is not the doctrine of the Sibyls verses For they place the sons of Noae in blisse not in the devils hands though under the earth as I showed you Neither could the raigne of Christ upon earth for a thowsand years come from the Sibyls verses how many soever were transported with the conceit of it For though Montanus be found as ancient as Justine he will never be found so ancient as Papias who preached it As for the quartering of righteous soules under the earth and in Paradise I have showed you how both are true according to the dispensation of the old of the new Testament If the simplicity of the primitive Châ—istians speak some times according to the one somtimes according to the other as following the language stile of the Scriptures It is not because they followed any Montanist as a disciple of Montanus whom the Church disowned It must be because they knew him not to be Montanus or any disciple of Montanus And they knew him not by these parculars because others before and after him had committed the same mistakes for supposing they understood not the secret which I spoke of in the Scriptures they were indeed mistakes and were not by the Church disowned for it But what is it that I apeale to in the prayers of the Church for the dead That they are made for the Patriarches and prophets for the Apostles and Martyrs even for the Blessed Virgin as well as for all the departed in the communion of the Church The words of the ancient Liturgies I remit you the answer quoted afore to see p. 185. Be this in regard to the resurrection and the day of judgement so it be in regard to their resurection and judgement so that the benefit which they receive by it not which their bodies receive by it which were not prayed for be acknowledged If that be acknowledged considerable for the whole Church to pray for in behalfe of those how much more in behalfe of all others that were admitted to communion with the Church I acknowledge a scruple made in S. Austines time to the assumption which I suâ—pose de verbis Apostoli Hom. XVII Ideâ—que habet Ecclesiastica disciplina quod fideles noverunt cum Martyres eo loco recitantur ad altare â—ei ubi non pâ—o ipsis â—retur pro caeteris autem commemoratis desunctis oratuâ— Iâ—juâ—ia est enim pro Martyre orare cujus nos debemus orationibus commendari And therefore the Church hath that discipline which the faithfull know When the Martyrs aâ—e reckoned at Gods altar in that place as not to pray for them but for others departed who are reckoned For it is an injury to pray for a Martyr by whoâ—e prayers we aâ—e to be commended Thus S. Austine whereas S. Cypâ—ian in his time made no question of offering for Martyrs Epistle XXXIV The same S. Austine Enchir. cap. CX Cum sacrificia sive altaris sive quarumcunque eleemosynarum pro baptizatis defunctis omnibus offeruntur Pro valde bonis gratiarum actiones sunt pro non valde malis propitiationes sunt pro valde malis et si nulla sunt adjumenta mortuorum qualescunque vivorum consolationes sunt When sacrifices either of the altar or of whatsoever alms are offered for all the dead after Baptisme for the very good they are thankâ—givings for the not very bad propitiations for the very bad though no helps to the dead yet some kind of consolations to the living Thus S. Aust avoideth an objection How the same prayer should be a petition for some for others a thanksgiving For the custom being that the St. departed were rehearsed in one place of the Service others in an other place he takes it to be the intent of the Church to give thanks for Saints and Martyrs to pray for others The forme then used in Africk we have not neither can say why this construction may not stand with it For the very Latine Masse at this day is capable of it where you have first Mementâ— Domine famulorum famularumque tuarum N. et omnium circumstantium pro quibus tibi offâ—rimus vel qui tibi offerunt hoc sacrificium laudes communicantes memoriam venerantes inprimis gloriosae semper Virginis Mariae Remember Lord thy servants such and such and all here present for whom we offer unto thee or who offer thâ—e this sacrfice of praise communicating in and reverencing first the memory of the glorious ever Virgine Mary So proceeding to the rest Whereby the wâ—y it is manifest he that made this read in S. Paule Rom. XII 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communicating in the memories of the Saints as S. Ambrose and other Fathers did Not as now we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the necessities But after the consideration Memmento domine famulorum samularumque tuarum qui noâ— pâ—aecesserunt cum signo fidei dormiunt in somno pacis Nâ—â—psis domâ—ne omnibus in Christo quiescentibus locum refrigerii lucis paciâ— ut indulgeas deprecamur Remember Lord thy servants such such that are gone before with the badge of faith and sleep in the rest of peace We pray thee â—ord grant them and all that rest in â—hrist a place of refreshment rest and peace This then showes that there wâ—s some ground in the maner and forme of praying for the dead in the Affrican Church for S. Austines construction That the intent of the Church was not to pray for Saints aâ—d Martyrs at all Which notwithstanding it is evident by the formes which I alleaged afore that the intent of the Church was to pray for them What account Gennadius his position would give for this difference for the prayers then used for the dead I understand not Supposing it to extend the name of St. to all that dy in the state of Grace and to intend that all such siâ—ce Christ goe
Imperial Lawes could never be of force to void the Power of the Church Evidence for it 125 CHAP. XV. Another opinion admiâ—ting the ground of Lawfull Impediments What Impediments arise upon the Constitution of the Church generally as a Society or particularly as of Christians By what Law some degrees are prohibited Christians And of the Polygamy of the Patriarchs Mariage with the deceased wives Sister and with a Cousin Germane by what Law prohibited Of the Profession of Continence and the validity of clandestine Mariages The bound of Ecclesiastical Power in Mariage upon these grounds 134 CHAP. XVI Of the Power of making Governours and Ministers of the Church Vpon what ground the Hierarchy of Bishops Priests and Deacons standath in opposition to Presbyteries and Congregations Of the Power of Confirming and the evidence for the Hierarchy which it yeeldeth Of those Scriptures which seem â—o speake of Presbyteries or Congregations 145 CHAP. XVII The power given the XII under the Title of Apostles and the LXX Disciples That the VII were Deacons Of the first Presbyters at Jerusalem and the interest of the People Presbyters appropriated to Churches under the Apostles S. Pauls Deacons no Presbyters No ground for Lay Elders 152 CHAP. XVIII The Apostlet all of equall power S. Peter onely chiefe in managing it The ground for the pre-eminence of Churches before and over Churches Of Alexandria Antiochia Jerusalem and Rome Ground for the pre-eminence of the Church of Rome before all Churches The consequence of that Ground A summary of the evidence for it 161 CHAP. XIX Of the proceedings about Marcion and Montanus at Rome The business of Pope Victor about keeping Easter a peremptory instance The businesse of the Novatians evidenceth the same Of the businesses concerning the rebaptizing of Hereticks Dionysius of Alexandria Paulus Samosatenus S. Cypriane and of the Donatists under Constantine 168 CHAP. XX. Of the constitution and authority of Councils The ground of the pre-eminence of Churches in the Romane Empire The VI. Canon of the Council of Niâ—aea The pre-eminence of the Church of Rome and that of Constantinople Some instances against the Superiority of Bishops out of the records of the Church what offices every Order by Gods Law or by Canon Law ministreth 175 CHAP. XXI Of the times of Gods service By what Title of his Law the first day of the week is kept Holy How the Sabbath is to be sanctified by Moses Law The fourth Commandment the ground upon which the Apostles inacted it Vpon what ground the Church limiteth the times of Gods service Of Easter and the Lent Fast afore it Of the difference of mâ—ats and measure of Fasting Of keeping of our Lords Birth-day and other Festivals and the regular hours of the day for Gods service 190 CHAP. XXII The people of God tied to build Synâ—gogues though not by the leter of the Law The Church to provide Churches though the Scripture command it not Prescribing the form of Gods publick service is not quenching the Spirit The Psalter is prescribed the Church for Gods Praises The Scriptures prescribed to be read in the Church The order of reading them to be prescribed by the Church 203 CHAP. XXIII The consecration of the Eucharist prescribed by Tradition for the mater of it The Lords Prayer prescribed in all Services The mater of Prayers for all estates prescribed The form of Baptism necessary to be prescribed The same reason holdeth in the formes of other Offices 211 CHAP. XXIV The service of God prescribed to be in a known Language No pretense that the Latine is now understood The means to preserve Unity in the Church notwithstanding The true reason of a Sacrifice inforceth Communion in the Eucharist What occasions may dispense in it Communion in both kinds commanded the People Objections answered Who is chargeable with the abuse 217 CHAP. XXV Prayer the more principall Office of Gods service then Preaching Preaching neither Gods word nor the meanes of salvation unlesse limited to the Faith of Gods Church What the edification of the Church by preaching further requires The Order for divine service according to the course of the Church of England According to the custome of the universal Church 273 CHAP. XXV Idolatry presupposeth an imâ—gination that there is more Gods then one Objections out of the Scripture that it is the worship of the true God under an Image the Original of worshipping the elements of the world The Devill And Images Of the Idolatry of Magicians and of the Gnosticks What Idolatry the cases of Aaron and Jeroboam involve Of the Idolatries practised under the Kings and Judges in answer to objections 282 CHAP. XXVI The place or rather the State of happy and miserable Soules otherwise understood by Gods people before Christs ascension then after it What the Apocalypse what the rest of the Apostles declare Onely Martyrs before Gods Throne Of the sight of God 302 CHAP. XXVII The Souls of the Fathers were not in the Devils Power till Christ Though the Old Testament declare not their estate Of Samuels soul The soul of our Lord Christ parting from his body went with the Thiefe to Paradise Of his triumph over the powers of darknesse Prayer for the dead signifieth â—o delivering of souls out of Purgatory The Covenant of Grace requires imperfect happinesse before the generall judgement Of forgivenesse in the world to come and paying the utmost farthing 310 CHAP. XXVIII Ancient opinions in the Church of the place of souls before the day of judgement No Tradition that the Fathers were in the Vâ—rge of Hell under the Earth The reason of the difference in the expressions of the Fathers of the Church What Tradition of the Church for the place of Christs soul during his death The Saints soules in secret mansions according to the Tradition of the Church Prayer for the dead supposeth the same No Purgatory according to the Tradition of the Church 325 CHAP. XXIX The ground upon which Ceremonies are to be used in the service of the Church Instances out of the Scriptures and Tradition of the Apostles Of the equivocation of the word Sacrament in the Fathers The reason of a Sacrament in Baptism and the Eucharist In extream Unction In Mariage In Confirmation Ordination and Penance 340 CHAP. XXX To worship Christ in the Eucharist though believing transubstantiation is not Idolatry Ground for the honour of Saints and Martyrs The Saints and the Angels pray for us Three sorts of Prayers to Saints The first agreeable with Christianity The last may be Idolatry The second a step to it Of the Reliques of the Saints Bodies What the second Commandment prohibiteth or alloweth The second Council of Nicaea doth not decree Idolatry And yet there is no decree in the Church for the worshipping of Images 350 CHAP. XXXI The ground for Monastical life in the Scriptures And in the practice of the primitive Church The Church getteth no peculiar interest in them who professe it by their professing of it
in the first book de Synedriis p. 214. acknowledges that it is not in use among the Jewes And the correspondence between the Law and the Gospel requires that those things which are prophesied in the Old Testament concerning the coming of God be understood to be completed in the second coming of Christ According to that of S. Paul Rom. XIV 10 11. Wee shall all be presented before the Judgment seat of Christ as it is written As I live saith the Lord To mee shall every knee bow and every tongue shall give glory to God Where that which the Prophet had said of the appearance of God in former judgments concerning his people Esa XLV 23. that the Apostle affirmeth to be fulfilled in the coming of our Lord Christ to judgment Therefore when S. Paul sayes Let him be anathema maranatha hee means let him expect vengeance at the second coming of Christ At which S. Jude sayes that the Prophesie of Enoch against the old world shall be accomplished upon those that hee writes against For how can hee say otherwise Enoch prophesied against these And can it be thought that a Jewish Excommunication can proceed upon supposition of the coming of our Lord Christ to judgment That were as much a jest as that of the History of Don Quixote where hee saith That the original Historian in the Arabick being a Mahumetane protests the truth of it upon the faith of a good Christian So when S. Paul saith again Rom. IX 3. I my self could wish to be anathema from Christ for my brethren my kindred according to the flesh I will not dispute that ingenious interpretation of Grotius which this Learned person with others allows That hee wishes in stead of an Apostle and Chief in the Church to be counted a man unfit for any Christian to converse with For it punctually agrees with S. Pauls stile 1 Cor. XII 12. For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of the body being many are one body so is Christ That is to say the Church And so Gal. III. 27. Wee are baptized into Christ because into the Church But admitting this interpretation how can it be imagined to signifie a Jewish Excommunication that cuts of a Christian from the Church Hee that is put out of the Synagogue in as much as hee is put out of it is made Anathema to Moses not to Christ That is hee is cut off from the privileges of a Jew from the hope of returning into the Land of Promise and freedom in it from the yoke of forrain Nations Not from the hope of life everlasting which they indeed promise themselves by the Law of Moses but Christians know they cannot have unlesse they renounce the holding of it from the Law of Moses And therefore S. Paul when hee bids Anathema to whosoever shall preach another Gospel than that which hee had preached Gal. I. 8 9. must needs mean the same as a Christian which hee signifies to be meant by him that calleth Jesus anathema 1 Cor. XII 3. Hee that calleth Jesus anathema defieth him as rejected by God Anathema indeed signifieth that which is consecrated to God But it answers the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in Levit. XXVIII because consecration was a profession of abandoning for ever that which was consecrated implying a curse upon all that should lay hands on it to any other use And when the Jewes said to their Fathers or Mothers Be it Korban whatsoever thou mayest be the better for of mine They cursed themselves if ever their Father or Mother were the better for any goods of theirs as much as if they should give them things consecrated to eat or to drink Supposing that if they did so no man was to touch or come near them more than consecrated things So when God made Jericho anathema or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever was not for the use of Gods service was to be destroyed whatsoever might be for his service hee that laid hands on it to any other use became himself of the condition of that which was not for Gods service And such the Apostle professeth to hold him whosoever should preach any other Gospel besides that which hee had preached For I must not allow that the Church when it excommunicateth or the Apostle when hee biddeth anathema intendeth to curse that is to say to pray to God actually to bring those curses upon them which they are liable to Though I confesse this is not the place to dispute such a question because the resolution of it will suppose something which can neither be proved nor supposed without proof in this place where my purpose is to settle the Principles of Christian Truth by which Principles this is to be resolved It shall be enough to say here that it is evident that the Greek Church following an order or sentence of S. John Chrysostomes doth for the most part insist that Christians are not to curse Christians Whatsoever be the practice of the Church of Rome in the Bull of Maundy Thursday at this time And yet the very present practice of that Church doth not seem necessarily to import praying for Gods vengeance upon Hereticks and others who are then cursed Because it is their custome to pray for their conversion the very next day that is on Good Friday Therefore it may very well seem that all their Solemnities of cursing do not amount to signifie that the Church prayes for mischief upon them whom they declare to be accursed but by these solemnities expresse how they would have them esteemed by Christians Though by that corruption of Christian charity which time hath brought to passe it be now generally understood no otherwise than as a Prayer for Gods vengeance And there may be great reason to think that the ancient Fathers and Councils did not pronounce anathema against Hereticks in any other sense or to any other purpose Nay the words of Vincentius Lirinensis which I quoted afore make it most evident that the ancient Christians understood nothing else by Anathema when hee expounds S. Paul Gal. I. 8 9. Anathema sit inquit Id est separatus segregatus exclusus nè unius ovis dirum contagium innoxium gregem Christi venenatâ permistione contaminet Let him be anathema saith hee That is let him be severed set aside shut out least the direfull contagion of one sheep with any mixture of venene stain the innocent flock of Christ Which is enough to show that therefore it ought not to have been put into the definition of that Excommunication which is pretended to be made by the Power of the Church that it containeth a curse or curses against them on whom it is inflicted as you shall finde the first book de Synedriis doth in the place quoted afore Because those that agree in challenging that right for the Church do not appear to agree in that point And this will serve for an argument of difference between
difference between the Law of all righteousnes and the Law of all unrighteousnes signifieth For upon other terms can no man professe himself a Christian And as great and as reall a change it is that succeeds upon that change between the relation which he that is so changed did hold towards God afore and now holds afterwards as the difference between the heir of Gods wrath and of his kingdome importeth But supposing that change which justifying faith importeth already in being that change which the effect of it in justifying importeth is of necessity meerly morall and consisteth onely in the difference between that remission of sinnes and Gods kingdome which the promise of his grace and the debt of punishment which the sentence of his justice declareth Whether therefore justifying faith be Gods work or not which here I dispute not because here I cannot resolve for the cause of it the effect of it in justifying which here I debate will signify no more then an attribute due by right to him that hath it upon Gods promise importing no change in him but that which it supposeth how much soever it import his salvarion that his relation to God be so changed For I may safely here suppose that which the title of this dispute and the very name of the Covenant of Grace attributed to the Gospel of Christ involveth That Faith justifyeth not by virtue of the work naturally but morally by that will and appointment of God by virtue whereof the Covenant of Grace standeth And this necessarily holds in the sense of the Church when it ascribeth justification to faith alone in opposition to the workes of the Law A necessary consequence whereof is this That the forgivenesse of our sinnes will presuppose and require of us that we forgive others their offenses against us Because we hold the forgivenesse of our sinnes by the title of our Christianity Whereof seeing it is one point that we forgive other men their offenses against us of necessity failing of the condition required on our part we faile of the promise tendered of Gods Therefore the Fathers also as the Scriptures afore attribute remission of sinnes to Charity to almes deeds and to forgiveing of offenses against us Clemens in his Epistle to the Corinthians p. 65. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Happy were we if we did do the commandments of God in the concord of Love that our sinnes might be forgiven us through Love The Apostolicall constitutions VII 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou hast give by thine own hands that thou mayest act to the redemption of thy sinnes For by almes and truth sinnes are purged away Lactantius VI. 12. Magna est misericordiae merces cui Deus pollicetur peccata se omnia remissurum Si audieris inquit preces supplicis tui ego audiam tuas Si misertus laborantium fueris ego in tuo labore miserebor Si autem non respexeris nec adjuveris ego animum contra te geram tuisque te legibus judicabo Great are the wages of mercy which God hath promised that he will remit all sinnes If thou hearest saith he the prayers of thy suppliant I also will hear thine If thou takest pitty on them that are in paine I also will take pitty upon thy paine But if thou respect not nor help them I also will carry a mind against thee and judge thee by thine owne Law S. Chrysost Tomo VI. Orat. LXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But there is another way of cleansing sinne not inferiour to this not to remember the malice of enemies to containe wrath to remit the sinnes of fellow-servants For so those which we have done against our Lord shall be forgiven us Behold also a second way to purge sinnes For if ye forgive saith he And by and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if you will learn a fourth I will name almes For it hath great force and not to be expressed For to Nabucodonosor being arived at all kinde of wickednesse and going over all goodnesse Daniel saith Redeem thy sinnes with almsdeeds and thy transgressions with pittying the poor To the same purpose the same S. Chrysost makes forgiving of injuries giving thanks in affiction mercy in helping our neighbours the cure for sinne as well as humility confession and prayer In 2 ad Corinth Hom. II. Because thereby a Christian retires to his promise in Baptisme expecting remission only from Gods promise in the same So also In Epist ad Rom. Hom. XXV S. Ambrose De poenitentia II. 5. David beatum praedicavit illum cui peccata per Baptismum remittuntur illum cujus peccata operibus teguntur David proclaimes for blessed both him whose sinnes are remitted by Baptisme and him whose sinnes are covered with workes So charity covers many sinnes done after Baptisme Caesarius of Arles Homil. I. Quoties infirmos visitamus in carcerem positos requirimus discordes ad concordiam revocamus indicto in Ecclesia jejunio jejunamus hospitibus pedes abluimus ad vigiliâ—s frequentius convenimus eleemosynam ante ostium praetereuntibus pauperibus damus iniâ—icis nostris quoties petierint indulgemus istis operibus his similibus minuta peccata quotidie redimuntur As oft as we visit the sick seek those that are put in prison reduce those that fall out to agreement fast when a fast is published in the Church wash the feet of strangers assemble more frequently to wakes give almes to the poor that go by the doore pardon our enemies as oft as they demand by these works and like to these small sinnes are every day redeemed S. Austine Libro L. Homil. Hom. L. Cap. VIII Non enim ea dimitti precamur quae jam in Baptismo dimissa sunt nisi dimissa credimus de ipsa fide dubitamus sed utique de quotidianis peccatis hoc dicimus pro quibus etiam sacrificia eleemosynarum jejuniorum ipsarum orationum supplicationum quisque pro suis viribus offerre non cessat For we pray not for the pardon of those which are already pardoned in Baptisme which if we believe not that they are pardoned we call the faith it self in doubt But this forsooth we speak of daily sinnes for which also no man ceaseth to offer according to his power the sacrifices of almes and fasting and even of prayers and supplications S. Gregory In Psalm II. Poenitent Habent enim sancti viri aliquid quod in hac vita operire debeant Quia omnino est impossibile ut in loquutione aut etiam in cogitatione nunquam delinquant Student igitur viri Dei oculorum linguae culpas tegere meritis vita student pondere bonorum operum premere immoderata verborum For holy men have something in this life which they ought to hide Because it is altogether impossible that in speech or at least in thought they should never faile Therefore the men of God study to cover the faults of the eyes and tongue
not did so order the meanes by which this obedience was effected or not that he might know that it would or would not come to passe And this preaching of the Gospel and the meanes and consequence of it being granted in consideration of Christ that the reason why such meanes was requisite is to be drawn from the fall of Adam and the corruption of mans nature by it And to this sense seeme the words of our Lord to belong John X. 28 29. I give my sheep eternal life nor shall they ever perish nor any man snatch them out of my hand My Father who gave me them is greatest of all nor can any man snatch them out of my Fathers hand Although it seems that he inlargeth the same sense to another effect John XVII 6 -12 I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world Thine they were and me thou gavest them and they have kept thy Word Now know they that whatsoever thou gavest me is from thee For the words that thou gavest me have I given them and they have received them and know of a truth that I am come forth from thee and thou hast sent me I ask for them I ask not for the world but for those that thou hast given me for they are thine And all mine are thine and thine mine and I am glorified in them And I am no more in the world but they are in the world and I come to thee Holy Father keep them in thy Name whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we When I was with them in the World I kept them in thy name These whom â—hou gavest me I kept nor is any of them lost but the Son of perdition that the Scripture may be fulfilled For afterwards it is said that our Lord spake to those that apprehended him to let his disciples go That the word which he had said might be fulfilled I have lost none of those whom thou gavest me John XVIII 9. But all this will not serve to make us believe that his then disciples alone were the men that the Father gave to Christ he having said expresly afterwards John XVII 20. I ask not for these alone but for those that shall believe in me through their word For this showes that he prayes for his then disciples in the common quality of disciples that is of Christians having other prayers to make for the world that is for those that were not As we see by and by John XVII 21. and Luke XXIII 34. But in that he saith so often that the Father had given them him from whose appointment the sufferings of Christ the power which he is advanced to the successe of the Gospel which he publisheth dependeth In that regard I conceive the helps of Gods grace by the second Adam whereby the breach made by the first is repaired necessarily to be implied in Gods giving unto our Lord Christ his disciples And of this sense much there is expressed by S. Paul Ephes I. 3. 11. Blessed God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that hath blessed us with every spirituall blessing in the heavens through Christ As he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blamelesse before him in love Having foreappointed us to adoption to himself through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will To the praise of his glorious grace whereby he made us acceptable in the beloved Through whom we have redemption by his blood even the remission of â—â—nnes according to the riches of his grace which hath abounded to us in all wisdome and prudence Having made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself at the dispensation of the fullnesse of times to restore all things both in heaven and in earth through Christ in whom also we have received our lots appoinâ—ed according to the purpose of him that effects all things according to the counsel of his will For not to insist upon the force of those terms and phrases which Saint Paul uses whatsoever blessings it may be said S. Paul hereby signifies to have been appointed to the Ephesians from everlasting as Christians I suppose it cannot be denied that he presupposes that they were also appointed from everlasting to be Christians to whom by so being those blessings should become due And all this so many times and so manifestly said to have been appointed in Christ or by Christ or through Christ that it cannot be questioned that not onely the Gospell by which they were brought to that estate but also the meanes that inforce it and the consequences whereby it takes effect all depend upon Christ and the consideration of his coming to destroy the works of the devil in our first parents CHAP. XIX Evidences of the same in the Old Testament Of Gods help in getting the Land of Promise and renewing the Covenant And that for Christs sake That Christianity cannot stand without acknowledging the grace of Christ The Tradition of the Church In the Baptisme of Infants In the Prayers of the Church In the decrees against Pelagius and other records of the Church IT remaineth now that I shew how the same truth is signified to us in the Old Testament whereof I will point out three sorts of passages tending to prove it and when they are put together making full evidence of it The first is of those wherein it is acknowledged that the inheritance of the Land of Promise is not to be ascribed to any merit or force of their own but to the goodnesse and assistance of God Then which nothing can be produced out of the New Testament more effectuall to shew that whatsoever tends to bring Christians to the kingdom of heaven is to be ascribed to the grace of God There being the same correspondence between the helps of spirituall Grace whereby Christians overcome their spirituall enemies and the help of God whereby the Israelites overcame the seven nations as between the kingdom of heaven and the land of Promise And therefore all those promises whereby God assures them of deliverance from their enemies and maintenance in the possession thereof all acknowledgements of Gods free gift whereby they held that inheritance argue no lesse concerning those helps whereby the children of the Church answering to the land of Canaan here are inabled to continue true spirituall members thereof and to attain the land of promise that is above I shall not need to produce many particulars of this nature whereof all the Old Testament affordeth good store That of Moses Deut. IX 3-8 I must not forget where assuring them of God to go along with them he warns them not to ascribe that favour to their one righteousnesse though he acknowledgeth that God imployes them to punish the seven nations but to his covenant with their Fathers And that God enabled them to cast
figure in saying That God would have that done which he will not do because he knowes sufficient reason to the contrary whether he declare it or not but setting that reason aside would have done Or that he would have that done which he provideth sufficient meanes to bring to passe But that all should signify some and the world the elect because God will not do all he can to save those whom he would have to be saved is a figure in Rhetorick called Mendacium when a man denies the Scripture to be true The same is the difficulty when our Lord Christ who saith to the Father John XVII 9. I ask for them I ask not for the world but for them whom thou hast given me for they are thine prayes upon the Crosse Father forgive them for they know not what they do For though he ask not that for the world which he askes for his disciples yet he would not have prayed for that which he knew not that God would have done His prayer being the reason moving God to grant meanes effectuall to bring to passe that which it desireth But had there been in God a purpose to exclude the Jews from the benefit of Christs death considering them as not having yet refused the grace which Christ prayed for it could not have been said that he would have our Lord Christ dy or pray for them and therefore that he would have them to be saved This is then my argument that the will of man is neither by the originall constitution of God determinable by his immediate operation nor by mans originall sinne subject to a necessity of doing or not doing this or that Because God treats with the posterity of Adam concerning the Covenant of the Law first and since concerning the Covenant of grace no otherwise then originally he treated with Adam about not eating the forbidden fruit For in conscience were it for the credit of Christianity that infidels whom we would perswade to be Christians should say True if you could shew me that God by his immediate act determines me to do as you require me without which you tell me I cannot do it and with which I cannot but do it Or that by the sinne of Adam I am not become subject to the necessity of doing or not doing this or that But supposing either of these if you move me to do what you professe I cannot do you are either a mad man your self or take me for one Do they take their hearers for men and Christians or for beasts who having first taught that man can do nothing but what God determines him to do inferre thereupon that they must indeavour themselves to do what God commands and what their Christianity requires Or that they are obliged by their Christianity to do that which their corruption from Adam necessitates them not to do Is it for the honour of Gods justice that it should be said that he intends to damne the most part of men for that which by their originall corruption they were utterly unable to do without giving them sufficient help to do it no help being sufficient which the determination of the will by the immediate operation of God makes not effectuall as they think Do they not make the Gospel of Christ a mockery that make it to require a condition impossible to be performed by any whom God determines not to perform it having resolved not to determine the greatest part of them that know it to performe it Certainly this is not to make the secret will of God contradict the declared will of God but to make the declared will of God a meer falshood unlesse the declaring will make contradictions true For to will that this be done for an end which God that willeth will not have come to pass makes contradictions the object of that will and that for the same consideration at the same time God from everlasting determining meerly in consideration of his own will that the condition of that which he would have to come to passe conditionally will not come to passe What is it then to declare all this to the posterity of Adam already lapsed without tendring help sufficient to inable them to imbrace what he tendereth For it is manifest that Adam had sufficient grace to doe what God commanded and it is as manifest that God tenders both the Law to the Israelite and the Gospell to the World in the same form as he tendred Adam the prohibition of eating the forbidden fruit Nor can it be denied that this prohibition contained in the force of it all the perswasions all the exhortations all the promises all the threatnings which either the Law or the Gospell to their respective ends and purposes can be inforced with It must therefore be concluded not that they suppose in Adams posterity an ability to do what they require as did the origiginall prohibition of eating the forbidden fruit but that they bring with them sufficient help to perform it not supposing any thing that may barre the efficacy thereof till the will of him to whom it is tendered makes it void And truly speaking of that which the naturall indowment of freedom necessarily imports in the reasonable creature it is utterly impossible that any thing should determine the will of man to do or not to do this or that but his own action formally or in the nature of a formal cause which therefore in the will cannot be the action of God nor be attributed imputed or ascribed to him to whom it were blasphemy to impute that which his creature is honoured with That God should immediately act upon the soul of man or his will is no inconvenience Because that act must end in the will or soul and not attaine that effect which the imperfection of the creature bringeth to passe Ending therefore in the creature and not in that which the action of the creature produceth it leaveth the same of necessity in the state wherein God first made it And I may well suppose here and will suppose that Gods act of creation continues the same for all the time that he maintaines the creature in that perfection of being that is to say in that ability of acting which from the beginning he gave it This discourse I confesse extendeth to the voiding of the immediate concurrence of God to the actions of his creature which my purpose necessarily requires me not to maintaine For concurrence-supposeth the creature to act without help of God that concurreth and therefore cannot be requisite on behalf of the cause being supposed to act of it self but on behalf of the effect wherein it endeth Which having a being is supposed necessarily to require immediate dependance upon the first being which is God A strange subtlety acknowledging the creature able to act and supposing it to act of it self to imagine that this act can end in nothing as that which it effecteth without Gods concurrence Which immediately attaining the
it is said Be propitious to our sinnes Be not propitious to their sinnes without signâ—fying how or upon what consideration he becomes propitious The Apostle saies againe Ebr. IX 11. That Christ entered into the Holy of Holies not with the blood of goates and bullocks but with his own blood having found that is obtained everlasting ransome To wit by the sacrifice of the Crosse They say the indefinite tense signifies not alwaies the time past And I grant it is enough that the time which it signifies be past to him that speaks as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which you have so often in the Gospels he answered and said arguing no priority between answering and speaking But necessarily that our Saviour answered and said before the Evangelist related it for sometimes it concerns not which is first as whether our Lord first answered or first said So Heb. II. 10. When therefore the Apostle saies that Christ entered into the Holy of Holies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he might as easily have said Nor meant that he should or would finde ransome by delivering his brethren from sinne But that hee had found ransome by paying the price of theire sinne For deliverance from sinne is future in respect of the Apostle and the time when he writ Which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot signify Besides if there be question what but the nature of the thing signified can determine the order that is between them Now in our case ransome is ascribed alwaies to the sacrifice as I have shewed never to the sprinkling of the bloud before the Propitiatory So Heb. I. 3. when it is said Christ having made purgation of sinnes sate down at the right hand of God For if it be said that he made purgation of sin by that assurance of pardon which the appearance of his bloud before God gives Christians Manifest it is that what is attributed to the sprinkling of the bloud before the Propitiatory must be understood to be effected by virtue of the blood shed at the Altar The case is plaine Heb. XII 24 You are come to the bloud of sprinkling that speakes better things then that of Abel Abels bloud shed called for vengeance Therefore Christs bloud shed for remission of sinnes Herewith agreeth S. Paul Rom. III. 25. whom God hath proposed a Propitiatory through Faiâ—h in his bloud Late Writers so translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the notion of a place as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same â—orme For my part I rather follow Hesychiâ—â— or rather those that he followed who most certainly had regard to this text when they expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a purging sacrifice or an Altar as the meanes to make God propitious Which is clear for our purpose But whether the place or the meanes why did God appear propitiou upon the Ark but because made propitious by that which it signified Christ incarnate and by the bloud of the sacrifice signifying the bloud of his Crosse Therefore they prayed towards the ark under the Law as under the Gospel towards the East and found God propitious because of the consideration in which they directed their prayers directed by out Lord John XVII 23-26 To which purpose we may observe the purging of the Altar Tabernacle and all within the vaile by the bloud of the sacrifices Levit. XVI 16 20 33. Ezek. XLIII 20 22 26. XLV 20. For what purging needed they but as they became polluted by the sinnes of the people As the Land which was holy being polluted by bloud shed must be cleansed by the bloud of him that shed it Num. XXXV 33 Therefore the Congregation became guilty when he that did a murther was not taken because the Land was promised to the Congregation and therefore an expiation is appointed Deut. XXâ— 1 10. In correspondence whereunto it must be granted that the world and the heavens being polluted with mans sinne which is that bondage of vanity and corruption under which S. Paul saith that the whole creature groaneth desiring to be delivered into that freedome which the resurrection shall restore Rom. VIII 19 22. were to be expiated by the sacrifice of Christs body brought in and his bloud sprinkled there Heb. IX 23. that in consideration of his obedience and sufferings God might be found propitious there So the everlasting intercession of Christ is grounded upon the everlasting ransome Ebr. VII 24. This Priest remaining for ever hath an everlasting Priesthood Wherefore he is able perfectly to save those that come to God by him all wayes living to interceds for them To wit by pleading his owne blood the ransome of all sinne This is the ground of all our prayers and the confidence which we may make them with in particular for the cleansing of sinne after reconcilement Of which S. Paul Rom. VIII 34. Christ it is that died or rather that is risen again who also is at the right hand of God making intercession for us And this is the necessity of Christs sufferings which the Apostle pleades Ebr. II. 14 18. that he might be sensible of ours For if the guilt be taken away by his intercession succeeding his sufferings then did he suffer that it might succeede And thus are our sinnes forgiven for his name or by his Name John II. 12. Which Sociâ—us will have to be Gods name as in the Old Testament Es XLIII 25. Psal XXV 11. LXXIX 9. CVI. 8. CXLIII 12 But if the name of God be in Christ under the â—ew Testament as in the Angel that represented God in the Old as I have showed then when we pray in christs name we pray in Gods name though in consideration of Christs merits Upon the premises depends the true meaning of all those Scriptures where Christ is said to have died for us and for our righteousnesse Not as if the preposition for could determine whether we are to understand the finall cause in respect of man to move him to accept of Christ or the impulsive cause in respect of God moving him to grant the Gospell For when S. John sayes that we ought to lay downe our lives for the breâ—hâ—en as Christ for us John III. 16. it is manifest that our life is no ransom for the brethren as Christs for us And when S. Peter saith He will lay down his life for Christ John XIII 37. 38. he meanes not to move God thereby to spare his Masters life And yet notwithstanding when Esau sold his birthright for a messe of potage Ebr. XII 16. he gave away his birth right in consideration of it And should God have taken S. Paules life upon condition of saving the Jews they must have been saved in consideration of his becoming anathema for them Rom. IX 3. And Caiaphas thought that Christ must be destroyed least the Romanes should think that they would rebell under him as theire true Prince and so it was necessary that Christ should dy for the people Johâ—
can be more manifest then that the Prophet Jeremy first prayed for the people that God would not destroy them And when their sinnes were so great that God would not hear him but commanded him to publish their ruine that they thereupon so hated and persecuted him that his patience was overcome and he prayed to God to punish their ingratitude to him with the judgements which he had denounced Jer. VIII 16. XI 14 19 20. XVIII 16 17 18. XVII 18-23 And it is plaine that the case is the same with the Prophet David and that he receiving evil for good of his enemies thereupon proceeds to those prayers which he makes against them Ps XXXV 11-14 LXIX 5 8 10 11 12 23-29 CIX 3 4 5-20 And what is the difference between this and that of Elias Of whom S. James V. 17. sayes that he prayed that it might not raine and it rained not for three yeares and six monâ—ths So that when he sayes 1 Kings XVII 1. there â—â—â—ll be neither dew nor raine upon the earth but according to my word He speakes upon the obtaining of that prayer of his For afterwards the raine came not till he prayed for it 1 Kings XVIII 43. Whereupon it followes in S. James And againâ— he prayed and the heavens gave raine and the earth budded forth her fruit For by these things you see that he prayed for judgement upon the Land of Israel for refusing his prophesies even as he executed it upon the prophets of Israel 1 Kings XVIII 42. And is not the reason the same when he destroyes two Captaines of fifties with their bandes by praying for fire from heaven upon them for taking in hand to execute the command of an Idolatrous King and coming to seize him 2 Kings I. 10 12 Is it not the same in his Scholar and successour Elizeus when he curses the children of Bethel for despising of him being a Prophet of God whereupon two and â—orty of them are destroyed with beares out of the forest 2 Kings II. 22 23 24 For had these children been bred in the fear of the true God and not under Idolatrous parents it cannot in reason be thought that they would have reviled one of Gods Prophets who were held in and treated with such reverence even by the Princes of his people And truely when Samson casts away his own life to do mischief to Gods enemies and the enemies of his people out of this expresse consideration of being revenged upon them for putting out his eyes can any mans heart be so hardned by misunderstanding the Scriptures as to say that this can be reconciled with the principles of Christianity which forbid all revenge Jud. XVI 28-31 Rom. XII 19. Mat. VI. 22 38-48 It is said indeed that Samson did this as a figure of Christ who killed his enemies the powers of darknesse by his death And it is certainly true But that will not answer the reason formerly alledged Whether we say that Samsons death was a figure of Christs by the intent of Samson or by the intent of God whose Providence so ordered things to come to passe that his death might figure Christs death It cannot be said that the intent of figuring Christs death could make that agreeable to Gods Law which otherwise was not Rather we are to advise whether sinfull actions and not according to Gods own Law were fit to figure Christ Nor will it serve the turne to say that he did it by the motion of Gods Spirit which we are indeed to allow that the Judges being Prophets were indowed with For it is not to be said that the Spirit of God moveth any man to do that which the will of God declared by his Law forbiddeth And therefore the fact of Razias 2 Mac. XIV 37-46 though not udertaken with that confidence of doing mischief to Gods enemies which Samson had by the assurance of his being called to deliver Gods people from them yet being done to deprive them of their pleasure they should have in insulting over Gods people destroying so faithfull a servant of his must needs be said to proceed from the the same motive with Samsons Though I say not therefore that this can serve to prove that Book of the Maccabes to be either Canonical or otherwise Thus much I conceive is to be granted that the Maccabees taking armes for maintaining their Religion and Nation against the tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes is not to be condemned as against Gods Law because we see them commended By the Apostle Heb. XI 35-38 And yet for Christians to take armes for the maintaining of themselves in the free exercise of their religion much more for the Power of imposing of it upon others is certainly contrary to the instructions of the Apostles Rom. XIII 1-6 Titus III. 1. 1 Pet. II. 13-17 as it appears by the practice of all the Primitive Christians who maintaining themselves to be for number able to defend themselves by armes against persecution maintaine withall that their profession did not allow them so to do And indeed though the godly Jewes indured death rather then renounce Gods Lawe as the Christians afterwards yet a man may see a great difference between the motives of their severall sufferings if be consider that they died for the Lawes of their country which the heathen themselves have reputed a due consideration for a man to part with his life for though out of carnall selfe love â—ow much more to obey Gods Law whom they maintained to be the onely true God by suffering death for the lawes which he had given them Whereas Christianity requires to be maintained with our lives though we become ignominious by the Lawes of our Countries for maintaining it Whereby we see how true it is that God allowed them some motives of temporall good to invite them to undergoe the hardship which the profession of his Lawes should inferre Whereas from Christians he challenges the same constancy when he allowes no presumption of help in this world no hope but that of the world to come Which is indeed another strong argument that God accepted of a lower measure of obedience under the Law then he requireth under the Gospel of Christians Because forsooth he alwayes managed his ancient people like babes with the fear of the rod and the hope of cakebread so with the fear and hope of the blessings and punishments of this present world habituating them to presume of his favour or disgrace according to the same Let any man read the book of Psalmes and consider throughout the whole tenor of it what presumptions of Gods favour those who indited them by Gods Spirit do raise upon temporall deliverances of his disgrace upon the insultations of Gods and their enemies and tell me if it be according to the stile of the Gospell which alloweth onely the assurance of Gods providence for subsistence in this world to perswade us to take up Christs Crosse Well then saith S. Paul Rom. VIII 15. Ye
fiat dilectissimi filii tui Domini nostri Jesu Christi Which oblation thou O God wee pray thee vouchsafe to make in all respects blessed imputable accountable reasonable and acceptable That it may become to us the body and bloud of thy well-beloved Son our Lord Christ Jesus Then after the Institution Jube haec perferri per manus sancti Angeli tui in sublime altare tuum in conspectu divinae Majestatis tuae Ut quotquot ex hoc altaris participatione sacrosanctum filii tui corpus sanguinem sumpâ—erimus omni benedictione coelesti gratia repleamur Command them to be carried by the hands of thy holy Angel unto thine Altar that is above before thy divine Majesty that as many of us as shall receive the holy body and bloud of thy Son by this communion of the Altar may be filled with all heavenly benediction and grace These two parts of this Prayer are joyned into one in most of those Forms which I have named whether before the rehersal of the institution or after it Onely in those many Forms which the Maronites Missal containeth the rehersal of the institution comes immediately after the Peace Which was in the Apostles time that Kisse of Peace which they command going immediately before the Deacons warning to lift up hearts to the Consecrating of the Eucharist Though those words are not now found in any of these Syriack forms For after the institution is rehearsed it is easie to observe that there followes constantly though not immediately but interposing some other Prayers a Prayer to the same effect with these two But in two several formes For in all of them saving two or three which pray that the Elements may become the body and bloud of Christ to the Salvation of those that receive by the Holy Ghost coming down upon them Prayer is made that this body and this bloud of Christ may be to the Salvation of the Receivers Which may be understood to signifie the effect of both these Prayers in so few words But it may also be understood to signifie that whosoever framed them conceived the consecration to be made by the rehersal of the institution premised Which if I did believe I should not think them ancient but contrived at Rome where they are printed upon the doctrine of the School now in vogue For in all formes besides the effect of these prayers is to be found without excepting any of those which wee may have any confidence of that they are come intire to our hands I demand then whether I have reason to attribute the force of consecrating the Eucharist upon which the Sacramental presence of the body and bloud of Christ depends to the recital of what Christ said or did at his celebrating the Eucharist or instituting it for the future Or to the Prayer which all Christians have made and all either do make or should make to the expresse purpose of obtaining this Sacramental as well as spiritual presence Hear how Justine describes the action Apolog. II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having done our Prayers wee salute one another with a kisse Then as I said that the Peace was next before the Consecration is offered to the cheif of the Brethren bread and a cup of water and wine mixed Which hee takes and sends up praise and glory to the Father of all through the name of the Son and Holy Ghost Giving thanks at large that wee are vouchsafed these things at his hands To wit the means which God used to reclame Man-kind under the Law of nature and Moses and lastly the coming of Christ and his death and the institution of the Eucharist Who having finished his Thanks-giving and Prayers for the making of the Elements the body and bloud of Christ by the Holy Ghost all the people present follow with an acclamation saying Amen Afterwards hee calls the Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The food which thanks hath been given for by the prayer of that word which came from him That is which our Lord Christ appointed the Eucharist to be consecrated with when hee commanded his Disciples to do that which hee had done So Origen in Mat. XV. calls the Eucharist Panem verbo Dei per obsecrationem sanctificatum Bread sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer And contra Celsum VIII Oblatos panes edimus corpus sanctum quoddam per preces factos Wee eat the bread that was offered made a kinde of holy body by prayer Not that which is grounded upon that Word of God by which his creatures are our nourishment as Justine saith afterwards that Christians blesse God by the Son and Holy Ghost for all the food they take but that Word of Christ whereby hee commanded to do that which hee had done S. Cyril of Jerusalem Catech. Mystag III. saith That the bread is no more common bread after the calling of the Holy Ghost upon it Because hee saith afterwards Cat. Myst V. that the Church prayes God to send the Holy Ghost upon the Elements to make them the body and bloud of Christ As I said So S. Basil calls the form of Consecration which I showed you hee affirms to come by Tradition from the Apostles as here I maintaiu it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words of invocation To wit whereby wee call for the Holy Ghost to come upon the elements and consecrate them de Spiritu Sancto cap. XXVII S. Gregory Nyssene de vitâ Mosis saith the bread is sanctified by the Word of God which is his Son But to say further by what means hee adds in virtue of the blessing To wit which the Church consecrates the Eucharist with as our Lord did Optatus describes the Altars or Communion Tables which the Donatists broke For they were of wood not of stone Quo Deus omnipotens invocatus sit quo postulatus descendit Spiritus Sanctus On which almighty God was called to come down On which the Holy Ghost upon demand did come down S. Jerome describes the dignity of Priests Epist LXXXV Ad quorum preces corpus Christi sanguisque conficitur At whose prayers the Body and Bloud of Christ is made To wit by God And in Sophoniae III. Impiè agunt in legem putantes Eucharistiam imprecantis facere verba non vitam Et necessariam esse tantùm solennem Orationem non Sacerdotum merita They transgresse the Law of Christ thinking that the Eucharist is made by the words not the life of him that prayes over it And that only the customary prayer not the works of the Priest are requisite In fine as often as you reade mysticam precem or mysticam benedictionem when there is speech of the Eucharist in the Fathers be assured that which here I maintain is there understood True it is Irenaeus V. 2. affirmeth that the Bread and the Wine receiving or admitting the Word of God accipientia become the Eucharist of the Body and Bloud of Christ But what word this is hee
declares himself further when hee saith IV. 34. Panis percipiâ—ns invocationem Dei jam non communis est The bread that hath admitted the invocation of God is no more common bread To wit that word of instituion in virtue whereof the Church calleth upon God to make the elements his body and bloud Some of them say it is done by Gods word as the world was made by it But the world was made by the word of Gods command And in these words This is my body this is my bloud command there is none In these Do this in remembrance of mee there is a command which includes a warrant or promise Though the effect of it depend upon the execution of the command by the Church whereas immediately upon Gods word the world was made And this is that word S. Augustine meant when hee said Accedat verbum ad elementum sit Sacramentum The word being applyed to the element the Sacrament is made But this application is the execution of Christs Ordinance not saying that hee said This is my body this is my bloud For hee saith the body and bloud of Christ is onely that quod ex fructibus terrae susceptum ac prece mysticá consecratum rite sumimus Which wee duly receive being taken out of the fruits of the earth and consecrated by the mystical prayer which I speak of De Trinit III. 4. To the same purpose Epist LIX A saying or two of S. Chrysostomes indeed I remember that name those words speaking of the consecration as by which the flesh and bloud of Christ became present in the Eucharist In II ad Tim. Hom. II. that as the words which our Saviour then spoke are the same which the Priest now uses so is the Sacrament the same and consecrated by Christ as that was And Hom. de Judâ— hee saith to inferre the same The words are pronounced by the mouth of the Priest but the elements are consecrated by the Power and Grace of God This is saith hee my body By this word the bread and wine are consecrated Not by the rehearsing of these words but by virtue of his command Do this And by virtue of that blessing or thanksgiving upon which our Lord affirms the elements which hee had consecrated to be his body and bloud For the meaning may well be referred to the institution of Christ and the execution thereof by the Church which S. Chrysostom supposing may well say that upon this affirmative of our Lord This is my body this is my bloud depends the Consecration of the Eucharist Not as that which effecteth it but as that which evidenceth and assureth it in as much as it was said by our Lord Christ upon supposition of that blessing or prayer which hee appointeth it to be consecrated with So the Author de Caenâ Domini in S. Cyprian that since our Lord said Do this in remembrance of mee This is my body this is my bloud the bread and the cup being consecrated by these words become profitable to the salvation of man True it is indeed in as much as the appointment of our Lord Christ is not completely executed by consecrating the Eucharist but by respectively delivering and receiving it you may truly say that by virtue of these words Take eat this is my body this is my bloud that which every man receives becomes the body and bloud to him that receives it For as I have said that it becomes the sacrifice of Christ upon the Crosse in order to our feasting upon it so is that which I receive completely and finally the body and bloud of Christ to mee when I receive it But this sense supposing it already to be the body and bloud of Christ to all that communicate in it according to Christs ordinance cannot be to the purpose of them that would have it become such to all that receive it by virtue of these words by which it becomes so finally to him that finally receives it An Objection indeed there is but which lies against the other opinion as much as against this out of S. Gregory Epist VII 64. Indict II. Orationem verò Dominicam idcirco mox post precem dicimus quia mos Apostolorum fuit ut ad ipsam solummodo orationem oblationis hostiam consecrarent Et valdè mihi inconveniens visum est ut precem quam Scholasticus composuerat super oblationem diceremus Et ipsam traditionem quam Redempâ—or noster composuit super eâ—us corpus sanguinem taceremus But the Lords Prayer wee therefore say straight after the Prayer because the custome of the Apostles was to consecate the sacrifice of oblation with that alone And it seemed to mee very inconvenient that wee should say over the oblation the Prayer which a School Doctor had composed And silence the Tradition which our Redeemer composed over his body and bloud For if the Apostles consecrated the Eucharist by saying the Lords Prayer as S. Gregory here seems to affirm thâ—n can there be no Tradition of the Apostles whereby a certain Prayer is prescribed as that wherein the consecration of the Eucharist consisteth Therefore if it should appear that S. Gregory did indeed believe that the Apostles used the Lords Prayer in celebrating the Eucharist with an intent to consecrate the Sacrament by the same I confesse I should rather adhere to S. Basil affirming the Apostles to have delivered certain words that is the meaning of certain words to call upon God for the consecrating of the elements into the body and bloud with For in so doing I should not preferâ— S. Basil but the whole Church the practice whereof so general and so original as hath been declared could have no beginning but that which our common Christianity pretendeth from the Apostles before S. Gregory And truly that the Consecration should end with the Lords Prayer I do easily believe to come from the practice of the Apostles so ancient and so general I finde that custom which S. Gregory maintains Nor is it any more that S. Jerome hath said in his third book against the Pelagians though hee is sometimes alleged for that which S. Gregory saith Sic docuit Apostolos suos ut quotidie in corporis illius sacrificio credentes audeant loqui Pater noster qui es in coelis So taught hee his Disciples that believers dare say every day at the sacrifice of his Body Our Father which art in heaven By â—nd by Paâ—em quotidianum sive super omnes substantias venturum Apostoli deprecantur ut digni sint assumptione Corporis Christi The Apostles pray for daily bread or above all substances to come that they may be worthy to receive the Body of Christ All this concerns the concluding of the Consecration with the Lords Prayer as it did alwaies conclude For â—â—r â—ight hee allegeth that as soon as a man is baptized coming to the Communion hee is to say Forgive us our Trespasses But before that form was made which
S. Gregory saith Scholasticus composed whether hee mean a man of that name or as I conceive some Doctor that professed the Scriptures if S. Gregory should tell mee that some other form to the same effect was not in use I could not believe him believing the premises The substance and effect whereof under the name of Eucharistia or the Thanks-giving is that which the Church from the beginning consecrated the Eucharist with by the appointment of our Lord and according to the practice of his Apostles So Rabanus de Institutione Clericorum I. 32. affirms that the whole Church consecrates with Blessing and Thanksgiving the Apostles having taught them to do that which our Lord had done Walafridus Strabus de Rebus Ecclesiasticis cap. XXII relates two several opinions concerning this businesse as it appears by his discourse Et relatio majorum est ità primis temporibus Missas fieri solitas sicut modò in Parasceve Paschae in quo die apud Romanos Missae non aguntur communicationem facere solemus Id est praemissâ— Oratione Dominicà sicut ipse Dominus noster praecepti commemoratione passionis adhibitâ eos Corpori Dominico communicâsse Sanguini quos ratio permittebat And there is a relation of our Predecessors that in the first times Masse was done as now on Good Friday on which day Masse is not said at Rome the communion is wont to be made That is that the Lords Prayer premised and the commemoration of his death applyed those whom reason allowed did communicate in the Body and Bloud of our Lord. The practice of the Church of Rome here mentioned is that which still continues not to consecrate the Eucharist either on Good Friday or the Saturday following For then Masse is said so late that it belongs to Easter day And on Maundy Thursday the Eucharist is consecrated and reserved to be received on Good Friday That any commemoration of Christs death is made at the receiving of it as Rabanus saith I finde not This is certain that no man imagines that the Eucharist is consecrated by any thing that is said or done at the receiving of it but at the Masse on the day before And this in the Greek Church is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Liturgy of the elements that were consecrated afore Which they use on other days besides Therefore this opinion that the Apostles should celebrate so would import that they celebrated the Eucharist without consecrating of it That is that they never appointed how it should be consecrated Which neither Rabanus nor any of these whose opinion he relates can maintain Nor supposing the premises is it tenable And therefore I take the true meaning of S. Gregories words to be laid down in another opinion related afore by Rabanus Quod nunc agimus multiplici orationum cantilenarum consecrationum officio totum hoc Apostoli post eos proximi ut creditur orationibus commemoratione passionis dominica faciebant simpliciter That which wee act by an Office compounded of many and divers Prayers Psalms and Consecrations all that the Apostles and the next after them did plainly with prayers and the commemoration of our Lords passion as it is thought For the consecration may well be understood to be made plainly by prayer with commemoration of our Lords passion in opposition to that solemnity of Lessons Psalms and Prayers which at the more solemn occasions of the Church it was afterwards celebrated with Though wee suppose it to conclude alwaies with the Lords Prayer as S. Gregory requires And herewith the words of S. Gregory seeâ— to agree when hee â—aith Vt ad ipsam â—solummâ—do orationem To consecrate at or with it alone not by it alone But if this opinion cannot passe having indeed no constraining evidence but that S. Gregories words will needs require that they conâ—ecrated the Eucharist by the Lords Prayer alone I will will then â—ay that the Apostles understood the petition of our dayly bread as S. Cyprian upon the Lords Prayer doth To wit of the breâ—d and drink of the Eucharist daily celebrated and received For supposing this intent and meaning there is nothing pretended to be done by the consecration which that Petition signifieth not Praying that God will give us this day the dayly food of our â—ouls by the elements presently provided for that purpose And all this will no way prejudice that which hath been said of the mater and form of the consecration derived by Tradition from the Apostles to be frequented at more solemn occaâ—â—ons of Christian Assemblies For that Assembly which believing that Christians are justified by undertaking to professe the Faith and to live according to it and that our Lord hath left us his body and bloud of the Eucharist to convey the Holy Ghost to our â—ouls that they may be able to perform what they undertake should pray the Lords Prayer over the Elements proposed with that intent I cannot doubt of their receiving the Body and bloud of Christ Provided that where the occasion will bear more solemnity the Order of the Church received from the Apostles be not neglected Whereas supposing Christians to believe that they are justified by believing that they are justified or predestinate in consideration onely of Christs sufferings and that the Eucharist is instituted onely for a signe to confirm this Faith Though they should regularly use that form of consecration which I maintain to come by Tradition from the Apostles I would not therefore grant that they should either consecrate the Eucharist or could receive the Body and bloud of Christ by it Sacrilege they must commit in abusing Gods ordinances to that intent for which hee never appointed it but Sacrament there would be none further then their own imagination And upon these premises I am content to go to issue as concerning the sense of the Catholick Church in this point If it can any way be showed that the Church did ever pray that the flesh and bloud might be substituted instead of the elements under the accidents of them then I am content that this be counted henceforth the Sacramental presence of them in the Eucharist But if the Church onely pray that the Spirit of God coming down upon the Elements may make them the body and bloud of Christ so that they which received them may be filled with the grace of his Spirit Then is it not the sense of the Catholick Church that can oblige any man to believe the abolishing of the Elements in their bodily substance because supposing that they remain they may neverthelâ—sse become the Instrument of Gods Spirit to convey the operation thereof to them that are disposed to receive it no otherwise than his flesh and bloud conveyed the efficacy thereof upon earth And that I suppose is reason enough to call it the body and bloud of Christ Sacramentally that is to say as in the Sacrament of the Eucharist It is not here to be denied that
sorts of Oblations commanded by the Law and practised by Gods ancient people For First-fruits Tithes and accursed things that is things dedicated to God under a curse upon them that should convert them to any other use Leviâ— XXVIII were not dedicated to be spent upon the Altar in Sacrifices but to the maintenance of the Temple or of them that attended upon the service of it But seeing wee have now showed that the Eucharist is a Sacrifice it followeth that those Oblations which are dedâ—cated to God to be spent in the celâ—bration of the Eucharist in reference whereunto I have already showed that all Oblations of Christians are consecrated to God because dedicated to maintain the Communion of his Church whereof the Eucharist is that Office which is peculiar to Christianity are not barely consecrated to God but to the service of God by Sacrifice For those things which under the Law were consecrated to God to be sacrificed upon the Altar were not then first offered to God when they were killed and the parts of them burnt upon the Altar But from the time that they were declared Gods goods for that purpose as by the Law it self may appear in the precept of the second Tithe which for two years belonging to the poor the third year was to be spent in sacrificing at Jerusalem and so by Law and by no mans act consecrate to the Altar Deut. XIV 22-29 In as much then as I have showed that the Eucharist is a Sacriâ—iâ—e in so much and for that very reason that which Christians offer to God for the celebration of the Eucharist is no otherwise a Sacrifice than those things which were appropriated to the Altar under the Law were Sacrifices from the time that they were dedicated to that purpose Saving alwaies the difference between Sacrifices figurative of the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Crosse such as Christianity supposeth all the Sacrifices of the Old Law to be and the commemoration and representation of the same past which I have showed that the Eucharist pretendeth And truly having showed that this representative and commemorative Sacrifice is of the nature and kinde of Peace-Offerings in as much as it is celebrated on purpose to communicate with the Altar in feasting upon it And knowing that every beast that was sacrificed for a Peace-Offering was attended with a Meat-Offering of floure and a Drink-Offering of wine which are the kindes in which the Eucharist is appointed to be celebrated I must needs say that those species set apart for the celebration of the Eucharist are as properly to be called Sacrifices of that nature which the Eucharist is of to wit commemorative and representative as the same are to be counted figurative under the Law from the time that they were deputed to that use This is then the first act of Oblation by the Church that is by any Christian that consecrates his goods not at large to the service of God but peculiarly to the service of God by Sacrifice in regard whereof the Elemenâ—s of the Eucharist before they be consecrated are truly counted Oblations or Sacrifices After the Consecration is past having showed you that S. Paul hath appointed that at the celebration of the Eucharist prayers supplications and intercessions be made for all estates of the world and of the Church And that the Jews have no right to the Eucharist according to the Epistle to the Hebrews because though Eucharistical yet it is of that kinde the bloud whereof is offered to God within the Vail with prayers for all estates of the world as Philo and Josephus inform us Seeing the same Apostle hath so plainly expounded us the accomplishment of that figure in the offering of the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Crosse to the Father in the highest heavens to obtain the benefits of his passion for us And that the Eucharist is nothing else but the representation here upon earth of that which is done there These things I say considered necessarily it follows that whoso believes the prayers of the Church made in our Lords name do render God propitious to them for whom they are made and obtain for them the benefits of Christs death which hee that believes not is no Christian cannot question that those which are made by S. Pauls appointment at the celebration of the Eucharist offering up unto God the merits and sufferings of Christ there represented must be peculiarly and especially effectual to the same purposes And that the Eucharist may very properly be accounted a Sacrifice propitiatory and impetratory both in this regard because the offering of it up unto God with and by the said prayers doth render God propitious and obtain at his hands the benefits of Christs death which it representeth there can be no cause to refuse being no more than the simplicity of plain Christianity inforceth But whether the Eucharist as in regard of this Oblation so in regard of the Consecration may be called a propitiatory Sacrifice this I perceive is yet a question even among those of the Church of Rome For it is acknowledged that there is yet among them a party even since the Decree of the Council of Trent who acknowledging the nature of a Sacrifice propitiatory in the Eucharist in regard of the offering of it already consecrated according to the order of the Latine Masse to God for the necessities of the Church utterly deny any nature of such a Sacrifice in it by virtue of the Consecration otherwise True it is these men are looked upon as bordering upon Hereticks in regard they acknowledg no other nature of a Sacrifice but that which those who acknowledg no Transubstantiation may grant without prejudice to their positions And if my aim were onely to hold a mean opinion between â—wo extreams and not freely to declare what may be affirmed with truth it might seem very convenient to take up that position for which I may allege a party at present extant in the Communion of the Church of Rome But having resolved to set all regard of faction behinde the consideration of truth manifested by the Scriptures I stick not to yield and to maintain that the consecration of the Eucharist in order to the participation of it is indeed a Sacrifice whereby God is rendred propitious to and the benefits of Christs death obtained for them that worthily receive it But this perhaps neither in the sense nor to the interest of them who make it their businesse to maintain the present abuses of the Church of Rome by disguising the true intentions and expressions of the Catholick Church That I may be understood without prejudice in this point I will lay down the difference of opinion that remains in the Church of Rome â—â—nce the Council of Trent as I finde it reported by Jacobus Bayus de Eucharistiâ III. 15-18 Hee complains of an opinion that the nature of a Sacrifice is not seen in conâ—ecrating the Elements to become the body and bloud of
Sacrifice of Christ upon the Crosse For is it not all the reaâ—on in the world that if the Eucharist be the Sacrifice of Christ crucified the consecrating of the Eucharist that is the causing of the Elements to become this Sacrifice should be and be accounted and called the sacrificing of Christ And if the participation of the Eucharist be as I have showed it to be the renewing of the Covenant of Grace by virtue whereof the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Crosse becomes propitiatory and impetratory in behalf of Christians shall not the Sacrifice of the Eucharist whereof they participate be counted propitiatory and impetratory by virtue of the consecration indeed though in order to the participation of it For if the profession of Christianity be the condition that renders God propitious to us and obtains for us the benefits of Christs passion And that the receiving of the Eucharist is the renewing of that profession by virtue whereof the Faults whereby wee have failed of that profession for that which is past are blotted out and wee for the future are qualified for the blessings which Christs passion tendereth Then is the Eucharist a Sacrifice propitiatory and impetratory by virtue of the Consecration though in order to the participation of it Which whether those that are so much for the Sacrifice in the Church of Rome rest conâ—ent with it or not seemeth to mee so natively proper to the simplicity and holinesse of Christianity that nothing can be held forth more pertinent to advance the zeal of frequenting together with the devotion and reverence of communicating in this most precious of Gods Ordinances to Christians For what can more oblige a Christian to the frequent and worthy communion of this Sacrament then to consider that by receiving it hee is re-estated in his right to those promises which the Gospel â—endreth provided that hee on his part re-establish in his own heart that resolution to Christianity by professing which hee was at the first estated in Gods Kingdom Hereupon arises a fourth reason why this Sacrament is a Sacrifice to wit of the bodies and souls of them who having consecrated their goods to God for the celebration of it do by receiving it professe to renew that consecration of themselves to the service of God according to the Law of Christ which their Baptism originally pretendeth For in as much as wee revive and renew the first profession of our Christianity in receiving the Eucharist wee do also by the same means offer up our bodies for a living Sacrifice holy and well pleasing to God which is our reasonable service of God as S. Paul commandeth Rom. XII 1. And by that which hath been said it is easie to resolve that which is further questioned in the School whether the breaking the pouring forth the taking and the consuming of the Elements by eating and drinking belong to the nature of the Sacrifice or not For I have already allowed the consecrating of the Elements apart to be a necessary ingredient of the Sacrifice of the Eucharist as necessary to represent the Sacrifice of the Crosse And if men did consider that the Eucharist had never been instituted but to be participated they would finde it impeâ—tinent to allege any reason why it should be a Sacrifice that â—endeth not to the participation of it There is then in the Masse a peculiar ceremony of breaking the Host into the Chalice not tending to the distributing of it but all the portions to be taken by the Priest Of this I speak not Otherwise breaking pouring forth distributing eating drinking are all parts of the Sacrifice as the whole action is that Sacrifice by which the Covenant of Gace is renewed restored and established against the interruption of our failleurs And now I confesse that all they who do not believe the promises of the Gospel to depend upon any condition to be performed by our free will qualifying us with a right title to them may very well say by consequence that it is a disparagement to the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Crosse to make the Eucharist a propitiatory and impetratory Sacrifice in behalf of the Church in that sense and to that effect as I have said But supposing that condition I challenge all the world to say wherein any such disparagement lies For let any man think either mee or the Doctors of the Church of Rome so mad as to ascribe that propitiation which is once made for the whole world by the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Crosse to the representation and commemoration of it by the Sacrifice of the Eucharist But in regard the Gospel requires a certain condition at thine hands which being not performed to thee Christ is neither born nor crucified nor â—â—en again as S. Prosper saith And that the communion of the Eucharist professeth the performance thereof and that truely if it be worthy so that the Propitiation wrought by Crosse thereby becomes effectually thine in that regard the Eucharist becomes to thee a propitiatory Sacrifice by virtue of the Consecration indeed which makes the Elements to become the body and bloud of Christ mystically as in a Sacrament but yet in order to the participation of iâ— And is not this the applying of the propitiation wrought by the Sacrifice of Christs Crosse when as by the Sacrament of the Eucharist a man becomes intitled to the benefit of it Nor let any man tell mee that this application is wrought by living faith as if that were evidence enough that not by the Sacrament of the Eucharist For if notwithstanding this faith the Sacrament of Baptism is necessary to estate us in this right because there is no living faith without being baptized into Gods Church By the same reason supposing the frequentation of the Eucharist commanded for the dayly redressing and maintenance of the same title of necessity it follows that the application of that propitiation is to be ascribed to the Eucharist which is not applicable without it Again If S. Paul injoyn the Church to offer up their Prayers Supplications and Intercessions for all estates in the world at the celebration of the Eucharist as recommending them in the name of Christ there mystically present in the commemoration of his death upon the Crosse can it seem strange that the Prayers which are so powerfully presented by alleging an Intercession of such esteem should have a special virtue and take a special effect in making God propitious to his Church and all estates of the same and obtaining for them those benefits which Christs passion tenders And if so is not the Sacrament of the Eucharist a propitiatory and impetratory Sacrifice by virtue of the Consecration though in order to the Oblation and presentation of it by the prayers of the Church for the obtaining of their necessities What is there in all this that the tongue of slander can asperse with the imputation of Popery unlesse they will have Popery to be that Christianity which
wee have received from our Lord Christ and his Apostles But if from hence any man would inferr that seeing the Sacrament of the Eucharist that is to say the body and bloud of Christ crucified there present by virtue of the Consecration is a propitiatory and impetratory Sacrifice for the Congregation there present for their relations and for the Church therefore it is so whether they proceed to receive the Eucharist or not therefore it is so whether they proceed to offer up the Eucharist present by their prayers for the necessities of the Church or not therefore it is so whether they pray with the Church or noâ— the consequence will straight appear to fail because those reasons which make it such a Sacrifice make it so in order to the receiving or to the offering of it by the prayers of the Church in behalf of the Church It is well enough known what opinions and abuses in the use and concerning the virtue of Masses had vogue under the dark time of the School though noâ— authorized by the Catholick Church For in regard the Eucharist can pretend no virtue by the nature of the work impertinent to any spiritual effect but meerly by the institution of Christ the efficacy thereof ex opere operaâ—o according to the language of those dayes and by virtue of the very â—oâ—ke was so extended as to take effect without any good motion in them thâ—t celebrate it And the intent of the Priest whose act the consecration was tâ—ken to be was thought to extend it to whom and to what he pleased And â—â—â—â— so farre from requiring that any but the Priest should communicate that even at this day it is not thought necessary by the looser sort of that side that the people should understand what the Priest does or sayes much lâ—sse assâ—t him with their devotions the intent of the Priest which the Canon it selfe alwaies extends to all that are present serving to give it virtue On the other side how hath this been taken construed As if every Mass pretended to sacrifice Christ a new who by offering himselfe once hath perfited for ever those who are sanctified as saith the Apostle Heb. X. 14. And therefore as if every Mass did challenge the virtue of Christs sacrifice upon the Cross And it is true the properties and efâ—ect of things signified are in some certain sense truly attributed to the signs But he that inlarges his Language beyond that sense may give and he that understands not the limitations requisite may take offense when there is no need Otherwise the reasons of those limitations are evident enough to save any sober and charitable men either from inflanâ—ing or taking up offenses For common sense which tells all men that what is once done can never be done again obliges them to understand an abatement in the property of that Language which attributes the sacrificing of Christ to a Priest because once done upon the Crosse it can never be done agâ—in Neither can it be in reason supposed that he who inflames the improperty of his Language intends therefore to renounce the common faith concerning the redemption of man-kind by the sacrifice of the Cross But when all derive all virtue in the Mass from it to take such Language for equalling the Mass to it will require a great lust to maintain partiality in the Church And make but once the consecrating and offering of the Eucharist for the necessities of the whole Church by the prayers of those who celebrate it to be the act of the respective assembly by the ministry of him whom the Church deputes for the purpose it will easily appear what follows For the virtue thereof will still be ex opere operato in opposition to the Sacraments of the old Old Law The spirituall intent whereof not being discerned by all because not openly preached at that time the spirituall effect of them could not be attributed to the common work but to the particular intent of those that belonged to the Gospel under the Law which is a true ground of opposition between opus operatum and opus operantis The work meerly done and done by such a one Besides seeing the truth of Christs body and blood is eaten and drunk by living faith without the Sacrament He that believes that God instituted not the Sacrament to no purpose though he abhorre to think that the effect thereof can be had without any good motion must of necessity allow the devotion which a living faith is exercised with in assisting the celebration of it an effect by virtue of that work which without it it cannot challenge As for the effect of the Prayers which it is offered with it is not to be ascribed to the quality of the Priest and therefore in that regard also it may be ascribed to the work it selfe not to the quality of him that doth it But seeing the common obligation of all Christians extendeth their Prayers to all necessities of Christs Church it will not lye in the intent either of the Priest or of the whole assembly whose act more properly it is to make it more beneficial to particular Christians then it can be thought that God accepteth the charity and devotion of particular Christians more particularly for their particular relations As for the mater of private Masses and the assistance of the people with their devotion as well as presence of an unknown tongue in Gods service of the extending of the benefit thereof to the dead Thus much being said generally here I referre the rest to their own places In fine what other reason soever can be pretended by any that shall make it his interest to maintain not to excuse the abuses of the Church of Rome why the Eucharist should be counted such a Sacrifice if it be not contained in that which hath been said will easily be wiped off by that which hath been said Those Scriptures which wee ground our selves upon when wee make the Eucharist a Sacriâ—â—ce being the onely ground to determine though not the onely means to evidence for what reason and to what purpose it is to be counted such a Sacrifice For how much regard soever wee ought to have to the consent of the Church in this point as without doubt if in any then in this without doubt the agreement and correspondence visible to common sense betweâ—n the original practice and sense of the Church and that which hath been alleged out of the Scriptures will be evidence enough of the right reason or reasons for which the Eucharist is not or is to be esteemed a propitiatory Sacrifice There is no man can thrust his nose into the writings of the Fathers even of the first times but hee shall finde the Oblations of the faithfull that are once deputed to the celebration of the Eucharist called Sacrifices in that regard This consideration therefore is not owned by them that strive most to make the Eucharist properly a propitiatory Sacrifice
incursions of Satan upon such persons then visible and so I understood it afore But I must not therefore omit that sense of these words which the ancient Church frequeneth understanding this destruction to be the mortification of the flesh by works of Penance For this is that sense which Tertullian then a Moâ—tanist labours to confute but Origen in Levit. Hom. XXIV Pacianus Paraenesi ad Paenitenâ—iam S. Basil ad Aâ—philochium C. VII S. Ambrose de Paenitentià I. 12. S. Austine de fide operibus cap. XXVI suppose and use Neither is it any way inconsequent that the excommunicate believing themselves to come thereby under the power of Satan should betake themselves to those demonstrations of humiliation and mortification whereby the Church might be moved to admit them to the means of their reconcilement And in this there is more then preaching the Gospel or taking away offence There is authority obliging to use the cure and granting reconciliation upon the same Again when S. Paul saith to them again 2 Cor. XII 20. 21. I am afraid least when I come I find you not such as I would and be found of you such as you would not least there be strifes envies animosities conâ—enâ—ions back-bitings whisporings inflasions commotions Least when I come to you again God humble me in regard of you and I mourn for many that have sinned afore and have not repented of the uncleanesse and whoredome and wantonnesse which they have done How should S. Paul be humbled in regard of or mourn for many of them but in regard of the necessity which he feareth to find of putting them out of the Church or to penance in case they adhere to the Church And if by appearance and demonstration of their repentance S. Paul was to be moved not to do this is it not evident that this is the means which he imployes to procure repentance and assure pardon by discharging them of it I do here repetâ— that which I said afore to show that it is the Apostles intent Heb. VI. 4. 5 6. X. 26 27. XII 15. 16 17. to deterre them from falling away from Christianity to Judaism for fear of persecution from the Jews by puting them out of hope of being readmitted to the communion of the Church Not as pronouncing sentence of damnâ—tion against them but as demonstrating it so difficult to be presumed upon in behalfe of him that had once violated the profession of Christianity that the Church was not to become the warrant for it If this be the case of those whose interest in the promises of the Gospel the Church warrants not then the warrant of the Church either in pronouncing sentence of absolution formally or in admitting really unto the communion of the Eucharist proceeds oâ— ought to proceed upon supposition of that disposition which qualifies for pardon wrought in the penitent by the censure of the Church And that this is the case I have further inferred from the words of the Apostle 1 Joh. V. 16. 17. If a man see his Brother sinne a sin â—â—t to death he shall pray and life shall be given to them that sinne not to death There is a sinne to death I say not that ye pray for it All unrighteousnesse is sinne But there is a sinne not to death For seeing it is manifest that the Church is to pray for all sinners be they never so great enemies to the Church it cannot be understood that absolutely the Church is not to pray for the sinne to death but that as he forbiddeth not so he obligeth not the Church to pray for the sinne unto death those prayers which tend to reconcile the sinner to the Church upon supposition and for a warrant of the reconcilement thereof with God If this seem not to agree with the words because S. John seems to speak to particular persons and not to the body of the Church when he sayes If any man see lâ—t him ask Let him consider the words of anoâ—her Apostle James V. 14. 15 16 For when he promiseth forgivenesse of sinnes to him that shall call for the Priests of the Church and they pray over him Adding immediately Confessâ— your sinnes to one another and pray for one another that ye may be healed It is necessary that we make good a reason why this admonition follows upon that which went before Why the Apostle having taken order for the cure of their sinnes who are here ordered to send for the Priests of the Churâ—h proceeds to say Confesse your sinnes to one another Namely because the way of curing sinne is the â—ame when a man confesses his sinne to a Brother that is a private Christian and when hâ— submits it to the authority of the Church For as here the Apoâ—tle maketh the means of obtaining pardon to consist in the prayers of the Priests in whom the authority of the Church resteth â—o there in the prayers of one Christian for another that confesses his sinne to him And hâ—reupon it is necessarily to be presumed both that the Apostle means that the Priests of the Church impose upon him that course of câ—re which his sinne requireth in case he survive And also that a private Christian by his advice reduce his Brother to use the same means Otherwise to what purpose should the one or the other declare his sinne seeing he might be prayed for at large without declaring the same It is therefore no marvail that the words of S. John manifestly concerning particular Christians should extend to the Keyes of the Church and the publick office thereof For though in the beginning when he saith If a man see his Brother sinne a sin not to death he addresseth onely to particular Christians yet the â—nd there is a sinne unto death I say not that ye pray for it manifestly addresseth to the Body of the Church implying that it is to be acquainted therewith by him that sees this if the case require it Whereupon S. Paul thus exhorteth Gal. VI. 1. Brethren if a man be overtaken in any transgression ye that are spiritual restore such a one with the spirit of meeknesse considering your selves least ye also be tempted Here the title of spiritual may extend to particular Christians But there is a presumption concerning publick persons in the Church that they are such because it is the opinion that they are such which qualifies them to be made publick persons in the Church Now when he speaks to the brethren in generall to do this he showes that it may concern the Body of the Church as well as particular Christans But when he speaks of the spirit of meeknesse it is manifest that the intent of his speech concerns those Penances which were imposed upon sinners for trial of their convesions in which he requires that meeknesse which the consideration of a mans own meeknesse recommends And therefore the same thing is taught by S. Iames by and by after the words afore quoted James V. 19. 20.
that God is satisfied that is to say his wrath appeased and his favour regained by the means which the Church prescribeth But requireth also that he submit not onely to use the cure which the Church prescribeth but to the judgement thereof in admitting the effect of it And upon these terms and upon no other the virtue of Baptism mortified by sinne reviveth again according to the doctrine of the School For if nothing else but the sincere resolution of living and dying as a Christian can intitle any man to the promises of the Gospel what is it that must intitle him to them that hath once forfeited his title Surely nothing but the renewing of that trust which is forfeited by failing of it And surely that trust is not so easily re-established as it is first contracted I have shewed you in the second Book what reason we have to believe that the severity of the ancient Church in readmitting those that failed of their profession at their Baptism necessarily argues the difficulty of being re-estated in the favour of God There goes more indeed to the satisfying of the Church that he who had failed of his Christianity hath sincerely renewed his resolution for it then to the renewing of it But that this resolution will as well be effectuall and durable as it is sincere it is as difficult to assure a mans selfe as to satisfie the Church The power of the Church then in binding and loosing that is in remitting or retaining sinne consists not onely in declaring a sinner either bound or loose Whether in generall by preaching the Gospel or in particular by refusing or restoring him to the communion of the Church For whom the Church bindeth for sinne known to the Church his pardon is not to be had without the act of the Church But in constraining him that will be a Christian to mortifie the love of sinne in himselfe as his sin declares it to be alive in him is the power of the Church in remitting sinne exercised And in pronouncing sentence of absolution in what form soever the power of assuring the same Let us now look over these same Scriptures again for by them having no other we must judge whether this power extends to all sins so that no sinne after Baptism can be pardoned without the ministery of the Church and the use of it Whether it extend onely to notorious sinners as an abatement of the sentence of excommunication which being liable to upon demonstration of repentance they are admitted to be reconciled by it or lastly whether there be some other reason to determine the extent of it Surely he that argues because God hath given his Disciples this Power and the Church after them therefore he hath commanded all sinners to use it denying all hope of pardon to them that do not use it by declaring their sinnes to them whom the Church trusts for it makes a lame consequence For will any reason allow him to say that otherwise this power signifies nothing when it is granted to extend to the curing of all notorious sinnes That which we learn of it from S. Paul to the Corinthians without all controversie concerns no sinnes but but such The sinne of him that had maried his Fathers wife was so well known that it had raised a party in the Church of such as pretended it to be consistent with Christianity And when S. Paul is afraid that coming to them he shall be fain to put many of them to Penance for the sinnes which having committed they would have made no demonstration of conversion from them before his coming it is evident enough that he speaks of no secret sinnes because the punishment which he pretends to inflict is for standing out against his leters in their sinnes As for that sinne which the Epistle to the Hebrews seems to exclude from reconcilement with God by the Church Apostasy from Christianity it is necessarily and essentially a manifest sinne because it consists in the visible renouncing of that profession which had been visibly made But coming to S. James we find that he commands the Priests of the Church to be sent for promising forgivenesse of sinnes upon their Prayers And therefore when he proceedeth to say Confesse your sinnes to one another and pray for one another we gather that he promiseth the pardon of those sinnes which the sick person shall have confessed to the Priests of the Church For if it be requisite for obtaining the prayers of a Brother for the pardon of our sinnes that we confesse them to him he that prescribes it must needs understand those sinnes which he promises forgivenesse upon their prayers to be declared to them afore It is therefore manifest that the Apostle here delivereth a precept of confessing sinne both to one another and to the Priests of the Church supposing the cure of sinne be known to all Christians by the Tradition of our common Christianity and the visible custome and practice of all Churches by works of humiliation and mortification of devotion and mercy whereby satisfaction is made not onely to the Church which receiveth offense by visible sinne but also to God who is offended by all sinne in that sense and to that effect which hath been justified in the second Book Namely to the appeasing of his wrath to the regaining of his grace and favour to the restoring of the Covenant of Grace contracted at our Baptism which sinne had made void And therefore in virtue of that satisfaction for all sinne which was once made by our Lord Christ upon the Cross without which that which we are able to do towards this effect would all have been to no purpose Whereupon that the Church is not satisfied in such a case but supposing that God is satisfied first and that the prayers which the Church maketh for the pardon of sinne are granted and made or ought to be granted and made upon presumption that the sinner is in a way of obtaining pardon of God by those Prayers upon his submission to the use of those means which either the Priests of the Church by the authority thereof shall injoyn or a Brother by his skill and discretion shall advise This being unavoidably the meaning of the Apostles first it is manifest that all Christians being directed by the Apostle to have recourse to the Keyes of the Church for the cure of sinne in the danger of death they may be more obliged to the same course in time of health because it may then be used whereas in danger of death though it must be prescribed yet it cannot be used but by him that surviveth Secondly it is further implyed that the sinne which a man confesseth to his Brother if he be not able to advise a meete cure for it is not onely by the party but by him also to be brought to the Church And so in both cases you have an injunction of the Apostle for the submitting of secret sinne to the Keyes
reconcilement with God For where there is means for those that are detected of notorious sinnes to be restored to the Communion of the Church without the hardship of Penance there can be no reason to imagine that those whose sinnes are secret will of themselves submit themselves to the Keyes of the Church to procure pardon or to assure themselves of it I find great reason to believe that at the first those sinnes which were brought under publick Penance by the primitive Church were onely those three great crimes of Murder Adultery and Idolatry which the Montanists and Novatians excluded from reconcilement by Penance and the branches that were reducible to the same For Pacianus Paraenesi ad Poenitentiam speaking expresly of this mater expresses no more But when the Empire was Christian and the Church became ingraffed into the State then was the Rule inlarged to all crimes that the Laws of the State made capital to which in point of conscience those that are infamous by Civil Law are not inferiour though being not so pernicious to the world they are not by Civil Law punished with death The Reformation of Ecclesiastical Law intended here under Edward VI. hath taken notice of these terms As for the Presbyterians that would so fain be authorized by the State to swagger domineer over the consciences of their poor Neighbors that they have not been ashamed to submit the Original power of the Church to an appeal to the secular which is in English to let Parliament men live as they list so themselves might be inabled to do what they listed with litle ones to give them the power of the Church is to destroy the Church the power whereof they pretend not to exercise to the curing of sin but onely to the abolishing of scandall which the Church never pretended to abolish but by curing the sinne And yet they must give me leave to ask further either how that conscience can be cured of sinne that is not wounded with it or how it can be wounded with it that is bound to believe the pardon of sinne before repentance So necessary it is that they be required to disclaim the remission of sinne and the opinion of saving faith without supposing repentance and the same to be procured by the Keys of the Church before we suppose them to be a Church CHAP. XI The Unction of the sick pretendeth onely bodily health upon supposition of the cure of sinne by the Keyes of the Church Objections answered The Tradition of the Church evidenceth the same BEfore I leave this point I am here to consider what Ecclesiasticall power it is and how well grounded which the Church of Rome pretendeth to exercise in extream Unction so called because it belongeth to the sick in extremity and being accounted by them in the number of the seven Sacraments is applyed unto the sick over and above the Sacraments of Penance and of the Eucharist The question of the Sacraments wherein the nature of them consisteth and by consequence how many of them there are I wholly set aside from the present discourse Because I conceive it will be determined more briefly upon more setled grounds all at once when I shall have discovered what powers they are which the Church indeed exerciseth by those actions which are or which may be pretended to be Sacraments But it is plain enough that the Church of Rome pretendeth also to exercise the power of the Keys in extream unction because according to the words of S. James afore quoted they assign the effect of it to be the remission of sinne On the contrary they who by the promise of bodily health to be restored to the sick upon the unction which the Apostle prescribeth do gather that the whole office there commanded was temporary as only intended for those ages when the miraculous grace of healing was in force in the Church by consequence do not admit any office to be incharged or any power estated upon the Church by it That which hath been premised to show that the circumstances of the Apostles words together with the originall and generall practice of the Church argueth aloud his intent to concern the exercise of the Keyes of the Church and the power of them towards those that are in danger of death ingageth my resolution to be this That the unction of the sick together with the prayers of the Church for the recovery of their bodily health which Christianity alloweth not without praying principally for the health of the soul is no way commanded by S. James but as an appertenance or an appendant to the exercise of the power of the Keyes in reconciling the sick to the Church whereupon the prayers thereof become due and therefore without further promise of remission of sinne or grace then that generall promise which the injoyning of prayer for the sick presupposeth The reason of this assertion is now to be deduced out of the Scriptures supposing for grounds those things which hitherto have been setled When our Lord sent his Disciples to preach the Gospel and to do those works that might witnesse them to be the Disciples of him that was sent by God it is said Mark VI. 13. That they cast out many Devils and annointed many sick with oyl and healed them Now it is evident that the miracles of the Apostles as did their Masters tended to one generall purpose by bodily cures to intimate the cure of sinne and the recovery of life and health to the soul which our Lord pretended to bring and tender them though by his works convincing them that he was the Messias whom they expected to bring them deliverance from their bodily enemies and the happinesse of injoying freely the Land promised by their Fathers Whereby we may see what consideration those Writers of Controversies have of the Scriptures that ground the unction of the sick which they will have to be a Sacrament of the New Testament upon this action of the Apostles when as the Gospel though now in preaching by the Apostles as well as our Lord yet was not established till his death past and accepâ—ed by God and by his resurrection declared to be accepted as the ratification of that ambassage of reconcilement and peace which he came to publish Far more discreet is that which the Council of Trent hath said that being intimated by S. Mark it is published by S. James At least if we understand the ground whereupon we maintain that the cure of sin is intimated by that bodily health which S. Mark relateth to have been restored by the Apostles For so indeed it is The bodily cures which the Apostles then did seemed to intimate that the imbracing and undertaking of Christianity is from Christs death forwards in consideration thereof the cure of the soul and the restoring of it from death to life Which if it be so then hath the Church no further power in the pardoning or abolishing of sinne then the absolute
so that the precept concerns the Church no more then that grace appears But that the effect of it reaches to all ages of the Church abating that which depended upon the miraculous graces proper to the Apostles time For suppose remission of sinne past warranted the sick by the Keyes of the Church that have passed upon him Yet all Christians are to assure themselves that their spirituall enemies are most busie about them in that extremity Whither out of despair to prevail if not then or out of hope then to prevail Their malice being heightned to the utmost attempt of casting him down by the extremity of that instance God forbid then that the Prayers of the Church should be counted unnecessary in such an instance though the remission of sinne be provided for otherwise For all obstructions to Gods grace requisite in so great weaknesse to overcome being the effect and consequence of sinne Neither can it be said that the Apostle attributeth the remission of sinne to the Unction by the promise which he annexeth to the injunction whereby he imployes the Keyes of the Church to that end Nor can it be indured in a Christian to count the removing of them unnecessary and superfluous especially the patient being so disposed and in such a capacity for the effect of them by submitting to the ministery of the Church for the remission of his sinne And therefore certainly as it is necessary to presume that the promise of bodily health is not absolute and generall but where it pleaseth God to give evidence of his presence in and to his Church by the effect of his temporall blessings So that health of mind necessary to resist the tempter with which Christianity obliges us to suppose that Christians prayed for with bodily health the Prayers of the Church are not effectuall to obtain but upon supposition of that disposition which the Church requireth and that procured by the Keyes of the Church supposing the party obliged to have recourse to the Church for it How well this opinion agreeth with the sense of the Catholick Church I have argument enough both in the sayings of the Fathers whereby they express the reason of anointing the sick and in the practice of the Church Origen Homil. II. in Levit. Est adhuc dura laboriosa per paenitentiam remissio peccatorum cum lavat peccator in lachrymis stratum suum fiunt ei lachrymae suae panes die ac nocte cum non erubescit sacerdoti domini judicare peccatum suum quaerere medicinam secundum eum qui ait Dixi pronunciabo adversum me iniquitatem meam domino tu remisisti impietatem cordis mei In quo impletur illud quod Apostolus dicit Si quis autem infirmatur vocet Presbyteros Ecclesiae imponant ei manus ungentes eum oleo in nomine domini oratio fidei salvabit infiâ—num si in peccatis fuerit remittentur ei There is yet a hard and painfull remission of sinnes by Penance when the sinner washeth his Couch with tears and his tears become his bread day and night and when he is not ashamed to declare his sinne o the Priest of God and seek his cure according to him that saith I said I will declare my sinne to the Lord against my selfe and thou forgavest the impiety of my heart Wherein is also fulfilled that which the Apostle saith But if a man be sick let him send for the Priests of the Church and let them lay hands on him anointing him with oyl in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall save the sick and if he be in sinne it shall be forgiven him Here he gives Priests the power of forgiving sinne from S. James S. Chrysostome de Sacerdotio â— II. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For not onely when they regenerate us by Baptism but afterwards also have they power to remit sinnes For is any man sick among you saith he let him call the Pastors of the Church and let them pray over him anointing him with oyl in the name of Lord. Shall we then ascribe the effects of this power to the bodily act of anointing with oyl or to their Prayers not supposing that disposition to be procured by their ministery which the promise of remission supposeth Neither of both will stand with the premises seeing the Prayers of the Church cannot be effectuall to them that submit hot to the Ministery of the Church when it becomes uecessary for the procuring of that disposition which qualifies for remission of sinne so that the sense of the ancient Church declared here by Origen and S. Chrysostome must be understood to proceed upon consideration of the power of the Keys exercised upon the sick person that receiveth the unction with prayers for his ghostly and bodily health S. Augustine de Tempore Serm. CCXV Quoties aliqua infirmitas supervenerit corpus sanguinem Christi ille qui aegrotat accipiat Et inde corpusculum suum ungat ut illud quod scriptum est impleatur in eo Infirmatur aliquis Videte fratres quia qui in infirmitate ad Ecclesiam accurrerit corporis sanitatem recipere peccatorum indulgentiam merebitur obtinere As oft as any infirmity comes let him that is sick receive the Body and Blood of Christ And then let him anoint his Body that that which is written may be fulfilled in him If any man be sick See brethren that he who shall have recourse to the Church in sickness shall be thought worthy to obtain both the recovery of bodily health and indulgence for his sinnes Now I ask whether the Rule of the Church will allow the communion of the Eucharist to him that hath not recourse to the Church for the cure of his sinne when he ought to have recourse to it For if we suppose the Eucharist to be given him upon confession of sinne then the reason which I pretend appears If without it is because nothing obliges him to have recourse to the Keyes of the Church at that time And so the prayers of the Church and the Eucharist and the unction are therefore effectual because the Church rightly supposeth him qualified for remission of sinnes without recourse to other means For daily sinnes and hourly are abolished by daily and hourly devotions with detestation of the same and yet more firmly abolished by partaking of these offices ministred by the Church Here I must give notice that I undertake not that this Sermon is S. Augustines own which I see is censured among those pieces that have crept under his name by mistake or by imposture For the stile also seemeth to make it some hundreds of years later then his time But I think it more advantage to my opinion that it held footing in the Church so long after S. Austin then that it appeareth to have been the sense of his time For the sense of the now Church of Rome that remission of sin
they shall be forgiven them For sinnes cannot be forgiven without profession of amendment In which sentence this discretion is to be that we confesse daily and light sinnes to one anothers equalls believing that they are cured by their daily prayers But open the uncleannesse of greater leprosie to the Priest according to the Law and see them reconciled at his discretion how and how long he orders This is the very sense that I give the Apostles according to that strait communion Christians then held with Christians as members of the Church Why not rely upon the advice and prayers of Christians as Christians who are commanded to procure the salvation of Christians next their own in matters whereof they may be thought capable Therefore those sins which S. James directs the Priests to pray for are such as for the weight of them must resort to the Keyes of the Church for their cure But when Bede when Pope Innocent allows all Christians to anoint themselves or theirs with consecrated ovl when the Sermon de Tempore commands them to anoint their bodies when the Book de rectitudine Catholicae conversationis directs them to send for it from the Church it is manifest that they speak of Unction alone whereas S. James speaks of Unction joyned with the Keyes of the Church and that the Priests office is required in that case It is also manifest that Pope Innocent calls that unction a Sacrament which Christians give themselves which though he refuses Penitents yet those whom the Priest shall have given the Communion to could not be refused it Which referres remission of sinne to the Keyes of the Church but the hope of bodily health to the unction with prayer such as the case requires In the Penitentiall of Theodore of Canterbury thus it was read according to Buchardus his collection XVIII 14. Ab infirmis in periculo mortis positis per Presbyteros pura inquirenda est confessio peccatorum non tamen illis imponenda quantitas poenitentiae sed innotescenda cum amicorum orationibus studiis elemosynarum pondus poenitentiae sublevandum Ut si fortè migraverint ne obligati excommunicatione alieni vel ex consortio veniae fiant Aquo periculo si divinitus ereptus convaluerit poenitentiae modum à suo confessore impositum diligenter observet Et ideò secundùm Canonicam authoritatem ne illis â—anua pietatis clausa videntur orationibus consolationibus Ecclesiasticis sacrâ cum unctione olei animati juxta statuta sanctorum Patrum communione vietici reficiantur Of the sick that are in danger of death a clear confession of sins is to be demanded by the Priests yet is not the quantity of Penance to be imposed upon them but to be notified and the waight of it to be eased with the Prayers of their friends and zeal in giving alms That if they chance to depart they be not as bound by excommunication strangers and without the participation of paradox From which danger if God save him and he recover let him diligently observe that measure of Penance which his Confessor iâ—â—posed And therefore according to the authority of the Canons that the door of pity seem not shut upon them being comforted with the prayers and consolations of the Church with the holy ointing of oyl let them according to the constitutions of the Holy Fathers be refreshed with the communion of the Eucharist The same Burchardus XVIII 11. quotes that which follows out of the decrees of Pope Eusebius cap. X. in whose decretals now extant which Isidorus Mercator is thought to have forged I find it not But he who observes how proper the order which he prescribes in the case is to that which the former passage prescribed in that case may perhaps have reason to thinke that it is out of the same Penitentiall of Theodore and that the passage premised is the very order to which he referres Si quis poenitentiam petens dum sacerdos venerit fuerit officio linguae prinatus constitutum est ut si idonea testimonia habuerit quod ipse paenitentiam petisset ipse per motus aliquos suae voluntatis aliquod signum facere potest sacerdos impleat omnia sicut supra circa aegrotum poenitentiam scriptum est id est orationis dicat ungat eum sancto oleo Eucharistiam ei det post quam objerit ut caeteris fidelibus ei subministret If a man that demands Penance while the Priest is in coming be deprived of the office of his tongue it is decreed that if he have competent witnesse that he had demanded Penance and he by some motion is ablo to make some sign of his will the Priest fully do all that is written afore about the sick under Penance That is say the Prayers and anoint him with the consecrated oyl and give him the Eucharist and when he is dead do service for him as for other believers By these remarkable passages you see that even when Penance and the Unction both were ministred and prescribed to be ministred by the Priest bodily health was expected from the Unction remission of sinnes from the Keyes of the Church How much more having showed by Pope Innocent and venerable Bede and others that the anointing of themselves and theirs was referred to particular Christians is there reason to presume that this was done in case when there was no question of binding and loosing sinne by the Keyes of the Church We have lately published at Paris a Leter of Amulo Bishop of Lions under Carolus Calvus next successor to Agobardus concerning some forged reliques pretending that fits of convulsions and Epilepsies were stirred at the presence of them for evidence that they were cured by them as true reliques To which he saith Si autem languores aliqui ac debilitates accidunt juxta Evangelicum Apostolicum praeceptum praesto habet unusquisque ut inducat Presbyteros Ecclesiae orent super cum ungentes eum oleo in nomine domini oratio fidei salvabit infirmum But if any sicknesse or infirmity happen it is ready for every man according to the precept of the Gospell and Apostle to bring in the Priests of the Church that they may pray over him anointing him with oyl in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall save the sick Here because the occasion is publick and notorious to the Church the Prayers of the Priest are directed though without reference to the ministery of the Keyes Certainly Proculus the Christian that cured Antoninus Son of Severus the Emperour by anointing with oyle according to Tertullian ad Scapulam IV. did it not as a Priest which he did to an Infidel but as a private Christian having hope in God by himself to make his presence in the Church appear Onely this difference we find that whereas Proculus did this as a simple Christian indowed with one of those miraculous graces whereby God manifested
the Church and to make voâ—â— the Laws which settled it they cryed up this position as much as the rest But when it came to order that confusion which they had made themselves they then found it necessary to limit both the mater and form though not the words which the offices of divine service should be celebrated with Which what was it but Plowdens case that for the form of Gods service to be prescribed by themselves it is not only lawful but requisite by the Church altogether abâ—â—inable And indeed those who must needs take upon them to appoint the persons who are to minister to the People must needs take upon them to appoint the form in which it was to be done They who make the one to depend upon the moâ—ion of Gods Spirit must make the other do the like though never able to make evidence of any such motion in any person that ever pretended it And yet is that all that ever hath been alledged so farre as I know for all opinions so new to Gods Church That S. Paul forbiddeth to quench the spirit 1 Thes V. 19. I do not deny that other texts of S. Paul have been alleged who in 1 Cor. XXI XIV discourseth so largely of the use of spiritual graces ordering also how they should be exercised and imployed in the said Church Nor that writting to the Romans VIII 23. 26. 27. he saith That the Spirit which groaneth for the resurrection in those that have the first fruits of it helpeth the infirmities of the Saints not knowing what to pray for as they ought interceding for them with grones unutterable which the searcher of hearts knowing the mind of the Spirit findeth to be made after the will of God But in these sayings there is nothing like a precept much lesse such a one as may seem to oblige the whole Church On the contrary the evidences are so frequent and so palpable in the discourse of S. Paul to the Corinthians that the Graces whereof he speaketh are miraculous Graces such as God then furnished the Church with to evidence the presence of his Spirit in it as well as 〈◊〉 their edification in Christianity assistance in Gods service that it were madnesse to require the Church to sollow the rules which suppose them which now appear no more in the Church And truly with what conscience can he alledge against the Church of Rome that miracles are ceased the grace whereof is ranked by S. Paâ—l with those which tend to the edification of the Church 1 Cor. XII 8. 9 10 28 29 30. who challengeth for himselfe or his fellows the priviledge of those Graces in Gods Church With what conscience can they hear S. Paul say 1 Cor. X. 17. That the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with And challenge themselves the priviledge of profiting the Church by Teaching or by Praying without any manifestation of the Spirit For are they not challenged every day to make manifest that ever any of them did speak by Gods Spirit and not by the Spirit of this World inspiring the fruits of the flesh by carnal or rather diabolical pride innovating in matters of Faith and destroying the uniformity of Gods service And therefore when S. Paul having said Quench not the Spirit addeth Deipise not Prophesies what hath been alleged what can be alleged why it should not be thought that he repeateth in brief that order which he had declared so largely to the Corinthians that the grace of speaking in unknown languages should not be discountenanced in the Church and so the Spirit extinguished But that Prophesies the grace whereof he there preferreth so farr before it should no way be neglected for it Truly he that saith The manifestation of the spirit is given to all to profit with doth say in effect that the Spirit which groâ—neth for the resurrection in them which have the first fruits that is the prime graces of it makes intercession for the Saints according to God by helping that infirmity of theirs whereby they know not what to pray for of themselves For those who had not alwayes had the Apostles Doctrine sounding in their ears but onely were instructed by them and their fellows so farr as to be fit for Baptism remaining neverthelesse novices in Christianity why should we think them fit to know what to pray for in all occasions Why should we think it strange that God should give the first fruits of his Spirit to profit them with in this case But the faith of Christ with the reasons and consequences thereof being setled and the order of the Church being established as the gift of miracles ceased as well to the bodily health and support of Christians and the Church as to the demonstration of Gods presence and witnesse to the truth of Christianity As the delivering of incorrigible sinners to Satan to the destruction of the flesh by bodily diseases and death ceased when obedience to Gods Church was established so is it no marvail if the Graces of Gods Spirit which profited the Church in teaching them what to pray for should no more be granted when the Church had not onely knowledge but good order established by which those offices might be preformed to the profit and edification of Christians Let them then who find that they can cure the sick by their prayers anoint them with oyl upon that ground and to that purpose Let them who can sing Psalms extempore so as to become the praises of God because S. Paul saith When ye come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath a revelation hath an interpretation And that may be as well suggested upon the place as afore hand S. Paul saith that if a stranger coming into the Church should hear divers speak in strange languages that which they made not their hearers understand he would say were madd 1 Cor. XIV 23. dotwithstanding that it might appear that they would not speak those languages but by Gods Spirit I will onely demand of them not to abuse and dishonour Gods Spirit by imputing â—nto it those operations which it is not for the honour of God to acknowledge And then tell them that they must be tried by our common Christianity whether that they pretend to say or to do by the same agree with it But further order of Gods service in the Church let us proceed according to the principles premised comparing that which we find extant in the Scriptures with the original and general practice of Gods Church to say That the service of God consisting of his praises the doctrine of the Scriptures read and expounded and the prayers of the Church especially those which the communion of the Eucharist is celebrated with In the first place the Psalms of David that is the Book of Psalms is necessarily by the practice of the whole Church a form of Gods praises determined to the Church Which conclusion as it
the Church according to the affirmation of S. Basil that this Prayer is a Tradition of the whole Church Many are the Lâ—â—urgies that is the formes of celebrating the Eucharist in the Eastern Churches under Constantinople Alexandria and Antiochia yet extant which show the substance of it after the Deacon had said Lift up your hearts the People answering Wee life them up to the Lord which evidently pointeth ouâ— that which S. Paul calls the Thanksgiving or Blessing wherein the Consecration of the Sacrament consisteth beginning there and ending with the Lords Prayer in all of them to be this Repeating the creation of all things and the fall of man to praise God that hee left him not helpless but called first the Fathers then gave the Law and when it appeared that all this would not serve to reclaim him to God sent his onely Son to redeem him by his Cross who instituted this remembrance of it Praising God therefore for all this but especially for the death and resurrection of Christ and praying that the Spirit promised may come upon the elements presently set forth and make them the Body and Bloud of Christ that they who receive them with living Faith may be filled with the Grace of it I acknowledg that the repetition of the creation and fall of man the calling of the Patriarchs and giving the Law is all silenced or left out in the Latine Canon that is that Canonical Prayer which this Sacrament is consecrated and communicated with neither can I say that it is extant in the Ambrosian or any form besides that may appear to have been anciently in use in any part of the Western Church Though I have reason enough to conceive that it was used from the beginning and afterwards cut off for the shortning of the service because of the great consent that is found among forms used in the Eastern parts and because wee see how the Psalms and Lessons retained in them are abridged of that length which by the Constitutions of the Apostles and other ancienter records of the Church may appear to have been used in former ages But there can be no reason to say that the leaving out of all this being so remote a ground of the present action makes any difference in the substance and effect of that prayer which it is done and performed with And the rest being the same in all forms that remain extant inables mee to conclude that the Prayers of the Church which the Eucharist is to be consecrated with were from the beginning prescribed not for so many words but for the substance of them not in writing but by silent custom and Tradition received by the Church from the Apostles and ought to continue the same to the end of the world in all Churches There is a little objection to be made against this from that which Walafridus Strabo and other Latine Writers concerning the Offices of the Church have reported from some passages of S. Jerome and S. Gregory the Great That S. Peter at the first did consecrate the Eucharist with the Lords Prayer onely Which if it all this falls to the ground and the form of consecrating the Eucharist hath proved so uniform meerly by the consent of after ages and will remain subject to be changed again seeing that the Lords Prayer may for the substance of it be rendred into other terms and conceptions as many wayes as a man pleases But there is I have showed you a mistake in the meaning of these passages intended onely in opposition to that variety of Psalms and Lessons and Hymns and Prayers which afterwards were brought in to make the celebration of the Sacrament more solemn in regard whereof they say that S. Peter consecrated onely with the Lords Prayer not with any of those additions for solemnities sake when hee consecrated by that Thanksgiving or Blessing which our Lord consecrated the Sacrament at his last Supper with adding onely in stead of all other solemnities the Lords Prayer which the Consecration is still concluded with in all ancient forms For when the Order and occasions of Assemblies were not setled but the Offices of Christianity were to be ministred upon such opportunities as they could finde out for themselves it is no mervail if S. Peter himself might be obliged to abare all but meerly what was requisite And truly I may here seasonably say that I conceive the Lords Prayer is justly called by Tertullian Oratio legitima or the Prayer which the Law that is the precept of our Lord in the Gospel When yee pray say thus prescribeth not as if hee would have them serve him with no other prayer but this But that they should alwayes use this as a set prayer whatever other occasions they might have of addressing themselves to God with other prayers For accordingly I do observe that in all prescribed forms upon what occasion soever not onely of celebrating the Eucharist which assemblies have therefore been called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Missae in Latine from the dismission of them as in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the gathering of them whereas the Latine word Collectae which answers it is extended to other assemblies but other more dayly and hourly occasions according to the premises concerning Five hours of Prayer in the day in S. Cyprians time which since have come to seven that there is alwayes a room for the Lords Prayer as if the service of God were not lawfull according to the precept When yee pray say thus unless it be used Which is that which I shall advise them of who either exclude it as unlawfull or forbear it as offensive that they may consider how they count themselves members of Christs Church waiving that which the whole Church hath practiced in obedience to his precept for conformity with the enemies of his Church There is yet another sort of Prayers which are offered to God at the celebration of the Eucharist according to S. Pauls command for all estates and orders of men whether in the world or in the Church and for all their necessities in regard whereof I showed you afore that the Eucharist is counted a Sacrifice for the Church or rather for all mankinde As the High Priest when hee went into the Holy of Holies according to Philo prayed for the whole world representing the intercession of Christ for the same now at the right hand of God which the Church in his name by celebrating this Sacrament executeth and commemorateth upon earth And the form hereof I can easily say by the same reason is for mater and substance though not for so many words and for the conceptions it is expressed with prescribed according to S. Pauls command by the custom of the Church received by Tradition from the Apostles For when I have once named the necessities of all Orders and Estates without or within the Church in general supposing what Christianity requires Christians to pray for as well in behalf of
to you to be the commandements of the Lord. Which is to say that all even Prophets are to be subject to the Apostles by consequence to none but them who have received commission from the Apostles For howshal any order he setled to maintain unity in the communion of Gods service upon any other principle but that upon which the Coirnthians are obliged to rest in this which therefore being setled by order from the apostles is from thencforth trusted with the teaching of Gods people and no man further then he is trusted by the same Neither is it any marvaile that in the Church of England after orders confirmed after possession of a Church license of preaching is granted by the Bishop Because there are divers offices as well concerning the cure of soules as the service of God in the Church to which men may be appointed by the Lawes of the Church who are not to be trusted with Preaching even to their own people but upon expresse submission to the Bishops correction in behalfe of his Church For if sufficient power be reserved the Bishop to provide for his flock it will be in him to provide instruction for them by such persons as he shall think fit to trust and if it be not in him so to doe the fault is in the Lawes abridging his power of making a cheerfull account to God for his people Howsoever from hence it may appeare how ridiculous a thing it is to judge of the instruction a Bishop affords his flock by the sermons himselfe preaches unlesse it could be thought that his lungs and sides could reach all his people For his fidelity in trusting such persons as are to be trusted with teaching his people and his care in watching over the performance of their trust extendeth alike to all and maketh his Clergy his instruments in feeding his flock And whatsoever may have decayed in this Order through the Church of England the restoring thereof by wholsom Lawes aswell Ecclesiastcall as Civill had been and is the Reformation of Christianity not the rooting up of the very foundations of the Church out of zeale to exirtpate the order of Bishops And since the licentiousnesse of preaching what any man can make of the Bible hath made so faire a way for so few years to the rooting up of Christianity with the Church what will there be to secure the consciences of Gods people that they may safely go to Church and trust their soules with the means of salvation that are there to be found but the restoring of Gods Church That is to say of that authority which he by his Apostles hath provided for the determining of all things concerning his publike service supposing the profession of that faith which the whole Church hath maintained from the beginning as received from our Lord by his Apostles Which if it be true the same reason will oblige all men to provide the meanes of salvation for themselves that is to follow them of their owne choice without direction or constraint of the Lawes in the meane time I doe not conceive it becomes me to say what ought to be as I conceive it behoves me to say what ought not to be This I will say having proved that the prayses of God and Prayers much more the Eucharist are principal in comparison of preaching which is subordinate That the assemblies of Gods people ought to be more frequent for them then they can be for heareing of Sermons as I have showed by the premises S. Paul commands to pray continually and David saith the praises of God shall be alwaies in his mouth not expressing the assemblies of Gods people but inferring that which I have said of the dayly service of God in publick in my book of the assemblies of the Church Chap. VIII I maintain there is no ground no precept no example no practise of dayly preaching like this for daily prayers which if it be true the confining of assemblies to sermons is to Gods disservice It will be said that S. Paul 1 Tim. IV. 2. Thus exhorteth Preach the word be instant in season out of season examine rebuke exhort with all long suffering and meeknesse And it is as easily answered that here is nothing to the purpose Instance in the preaching of the word refers to unbelievers To induce them to be Christians though out of season is alwaies seasonable Long-suffering and meeknesse in examining rebuking exhorting of Christians privately may be publikely if not according to order must needs be unseasonable Men seeme to imagin that there were Pulpits and Churches and audiences ready to heare the Apostles preach before men were Christians When they were they shall find that meanes of meeting was provided by Christian people according to their duty the order appointed by them and their successors That they sate upon their chaires in teaching challenging the authority by which they taught the people sometimes standing somtimes allowed to sit downe None but Deacons preached standing when the order and discipline of the primitive Church was in force To deal with those that were not Christians S. Paul must goe out into the Piazza or to the Exchange to Gentiles to do that which they did in the Synagogue or in the temple to the Jewes Acts XVII 7 11. 46. In preaching to Jewes it was their advantage to observe the orders of the Synogogue And yet he that shall peruse that which I have said in the book aforenamed shall never say that those assemblies were principally for preaching which the Apostles made use of to preach to the Synagogue When they had ordered the assemblies of Churches what have you in their writings to recommed frequent preaching but S. Pauls order in the use of these miraculous graces given the Corinthians 1 Cor. XIV unlesse it be drawne into consequence that S. Paul prevailed till midnight Acts. XX. 7. as if the act of an Apostle being to depart were a precedent to the order of the Church Buâ— I have showed you in the foresaid book Chap X. that the Eucharists have a share in the use of the said graces and the worke of the said assemblies as also Hymnes of Gods praises And in â— Cor. XI you read very much of the Eucharist as also of praying Prophesying that is praysing God by Psalmes as I have said there Chap. V. without any mention of Preaching If the Doctrine of the Apostles be joyned with breaking of bread and Prayer Acts XI 42. If the Elders that laboure in the word and doctrine be preferred by S. Paul 1 Tim. V. 17. You have a solemn instruction concerning prayers and the Eucharist 1. Tim. II. 1 2. as also exhortations to frequent it Ebr. XIII 15. without any mention of preaching In fine there is nothing in the Scripture to question the ground which I setled afore As for the practice of the Church I will goe no further then Gennadius de dogmatibus Eccles Cap. LIII neither commending nor blaming those that
of rejoycing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming 1 Pet. I. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed at the last time 1 Cor. V. 5. that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 2 Tim. IV. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day Luke XIV 14. Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just For all which there were no reason to be given but the mention of the day of judgement would be every where utterly impertinent if the reward were declared at the houre of death and that judgement which then passeth For how can that be expected which is already injoyed You have seen the souls of the Martyrs that appear to Saint John before Gods Throne where none but Martyrs appeare as I have argued bidden to expect the conâ—ummation of their company before the vengeance of God be exercised upon their persecutors Apoc. VI. 9 10 11. VII 14 After this vengeance is exercised and they had raigned M. yeares with Christ and the devil was loosed againe and had brought Gog and Magog to fight against Gods Church and they had been destroyed and the generall judgement represented Apoc. XX. the Spirit returneth to show Saint John the New Jerusalem containing those that see Gods face and have his Name upon their foreheads Apoc. XXI XXII 1-5 Who have no need of the Sunne because God is their light and shall raigne for everlasting For after all this againe The Spirit and the bride say come And let him that heareth say come And let him that thirsteth come and let who will come and take of the water of life for nothing And he that testifyeth these things saith Indeed I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus What demandeth all this That which seemeth not to be refused admitting the consequence of the Visions That those souls who appear before Gods Throne pray for the second coming of Christ and the consummation of all things The renewing of their prayer Apoc. VI. after the representation of the generall judgement Apoc. XX. inforceth it The Saints therefore in heaven still desiring the second coming of Christ is it marvaile if there remaine something to be prayed for on behalf of inferiour rankes having showed that those who were sealed and saved in Jewry are not described to appeare in heaven before Gods Throne Whither we admit all that dy in the state of Grace to be with Christ as well as S. Paul and that in Paradise taken for the third heavens Or reserve as well we may reserve so much privilege to an Apostle and a martyr according to that which I have showed you out of the Apocalypse as not to equall with him all that dy in the state of Grace Certaine we are the estate of those that dy in Gods grace admits a solicitous expectation of the day of judgement though assured of the issue of it That is it which so many texts of Scripture alledged afore signifie nothing if they signify it not What is it then that reason grounded upon the Scriptures requires Certainly did our justification consist in the immediate imputation of Christs righteousnesse revealed by that Faith which therefore justifieth no man could dy in the state of Grace but be must be as pure as the Blessed Virgine and he that can digest such excessive assertions may think strange that any difference should be made among them that dye in Grace But I must and do suppose that which I have proved that the performance of that common Christianity the undertaking whereof justifies makes as much difference between the righteousnesse of severall Christians as must needes be found between the Highest of Gods Saints and the Lowest of those that escape the second death And therefore inferre that the difference of theire estates between death and the generall judgement must needes be answereable though from their death they know to whether lot they be deputed as for their particular judgment And this will necessarily follow supposing this world to be the Race and the next the Gole according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace which hath been declared For supposing that he who keepeth account of his steps and watcheth over his wayes may be ready for Gods call and appeare before him without sinne having washed it away by the blood of Christ infused in the tears of finall repentance Must we not of necessity suppose that they who doe not so who are evidently the farre greater part of Christians departing with the guilt and slaine of such sinne upon them must needs appear with it before God notwithstanding the Covenant of Grace Againe the ove of this world and of our selves from whence such sinne proceedeth and would have proceeded should men proceed to live suppose it be such as drives not Gods Spirit away because incident to that humane â—railty which the Covenant of Grace presupposeth how shall it be washed out of that soule after death by virtue of the Covenant of Grace which hath failed of the Covenant of Grace in not washing it away being alive It is therefore necessarily consequent upon the premises that Christiane soules which escape the second death because the love of God was alive in them to strive against sinne though not to clear them of it continue in that estate wherein they departed till the generall judgement As for the love of God or of the World so for the joy or remorse which they have in them selves for it That the purity of this joy or the mixture of it with remorse be not meerly the punishment of sinne committed but the effect and consequence of the estate in which it departeth though the sin which it committed in the Body be the meanes to constitute this estate That the departure thereof bring it to that anxiety concerning the everlasting judgement which is proportionable to the love of the creature which it departeth with That being reposed in an estate and place of refreshment which those secret receptacles and chambers of Esdras seem to signify it remaine subject as well to those clouds of sorrow and remorse which the sense of sinne done and the love of God which hath not conquered the love of the Creature produceth as to that light and refreshment which the Spirit of God may create That the end of all this may be the trial of the day of judgement purging away all the dregs and drosse of sinne and of the love of this world which may remaine in soules that depart or are found then alive in the state of Grace by the fiercenesse and sharpnesse of that griefe which the triall of the generall judgement shall cause It may be thought that the fire wherewith the day of the Lord is revealed seizing their bodies which they shall have resumed by the paine which it
to Chrâ—st and are wâ—th Christ afore Christ under the eaâ—th But accordâ—ng to S. Austin and â—hose that dispose of them till the day of judgement in secret stoâ—e-houses signifyed by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the invisible place of the dead against which opinion I maintaine there is no Tradition in the Church the reason is plaine from the dâ—fference of those lodgings according to the difference of the qualities in which men depart though all in the state of Grace Take but the Court of the Temple in heaven which S. Ioâ—n saw in the vision of Prophesy for one of those secret store houses in whiâ—h the Saints soules are bestowed til the day of judgement and the scripture remaines reconciled to it selfe and to the primitive and generall practice of the Church Tertullian mistook a little when he affiâ—med that onely Martyrs soules appeare there For the XXIV Elders sit as judges with God according as our Lord promises that his disciples shall doe when he comes to judgement But if they and S. Iohn sawe both the same Thorne S. Paul may be with Christ as one of them and S. â—ohn may say that when Christ appeares or when it appeares what we shall bee we shall see God as he is that â—is not aâ—oâ—e And so the reason is plaine why the Church prayed for all because it hath some thing to pray for on the behalfe of all To wit that which the Martyrs in the Revelation pray for the vengeance of God upon the enemies of the Church and the second coming of Christ upon which theire owne consummation depends What account Innocent III. Pope gives for the change of a prayer that had been used for the soul of Pope Leo and how the Divines of the Church of Rome are inâ—angled about it you may see in the place alledged pag. 197. But neither had the change nor the account for it needed had it beene considered and admitted that the resurrection shall be a benefit even to the soules of saints and Martyrs supposing that in that estate there remaines nothing else to desiâ—e for them And this Epiphanins also alledges against Aerius that to make a difference between our Lord Christ and the Saints we pray for them Not that Chrâ—stâ—ans need to be taught a difference between Christ and his Saints But because the difference between the state of our Lord Christ having resumed his body carryed it into heaven in perfect happinesse and the Saints departed whoâ—e happinesse is not compleat till they râ—sume their bodies in the whole ground of those prayers in reference to Saints and Martyrs And the same is signified by Epiphanius when he saith wee pray for the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as yet in travaile And perhaps also when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie that which is more compleate But shall there be therefore no difference between the storehouses in which the Apostles Martyrs and those in which all that departe in the state of grace are lâ—dged Is their intertainment the same because there all rest till the day of judgement The Martyrs soules in the Apocalypse praying for Gods vengeance upon the persecutors of his Church thereby pray for their owne accomplishment And therefore the spirit of the Bride saith come Even the spouse of the Lamb the new Jerusalem which S. Iohn saw come down from heaven dressed like a bride for her husband Apoc. XXâ— 2. To wit with fine linen that shineth which is the righteous deeds of the saints Apoc. XIX 8. This bride still prayeth for the coming of her spouse But I have showed you the Lamb upon mount Sion with the hundreth forty foure thowsand that hâ—d the Fathers name marked upon their foreheades which sing not the song of tryumph which the Martyrs sing to their harps but understand it and they onely Apoc. XIV 1 2 3 And therefore I have showed you an other storehouse for soules of a lower rancke yet wâ—th the Lambe And S. Austins doubt supposeth no doubt of praying for those whom the Church accounted not of as it did of Martyrs And therefore If there be written Copies of the latine Masse in which the prayer for refreshment rest and peace to them that are falne a sleep in Christ appeares not as it is alleged in that answer p. 196. it appeares sufficiently otherwise that the church did pray to that effect for those that were not taken for Saints and Martyrs Epiphaneus alleageth against Aerius that because wee sin all with our will or against our will therefore the Church prayeth for remission of their sins And perhaps when he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie that which is more compleat he meant to distinguish the prayers which were made for Saints from those which were made for others So the formes which you have in the Apostles constitutions VIII 4. and other Lythirgyes so S. Cyril Catech. V. Mystag saith that though the Church knit no Crownes for sinners yet it offereth for them Christ slaine for our sins to render God propitious And the supposed Dionysius though he mention no prayer for Saints whoâ—e names are then rehearsed before the consecration Eccles Hierarch cap. III. yet speaking of burying the dead Cap. VII he mentioneth prayer for the remission of their sins For supposing no punishment inflicted upon any that departeth in the state of Grace notwithstanding it is reason to suppose that the soule remaineth affected with comfort for the present and a cheerefull expectation of her future account or the contrary according to the love of goodnesse which shee contracted here Wherefore if the Saints of God are visited either by the immediate operation of his spirit or the ministery of Angels whereby S. Austine conceiveth they may learne what passeth here Is it strange that ordinary Christians departed in the state of Grace but imperfectly turned from lesse sins should need the influence of Gods spirit or the visitation of the Angels to hold them up in the desire of their accomplishments in the expectation of their trriall to come Is there any thing prejudiciall to the faith in that of 2. Es IV. 35. Did not the soules of the righteous aske questions of these things in their chambers saying How long shall I hope on this fashion When cometh the fruite of the floore of our reward Is it not agreeable to reason and to faith that they should be dissatisfied of their present comfort and of the terrible tryall to come after the rate of that affection they had for the world when they parted with it And yet at rest from the temptations of it and secure of being defeated of ending in Gods Grace And yet not under any punishment inflicted by God but onely under the consequence of that disposition which they leave the world with I do alledg here as for the interest of this mine opinion the example of S. Ambrose praying for the Emperors Gratiane Valentinian and Theodosius and for his
brother Satyrus as likewise Gregory Nazianzene for his brother Caesarius whome neverthelesse they suppose to be in happinesse Their words you may see there p. 188. To which he that will take the paines may adde all that Blâ—ndel hath collected in his second book of the Sibyls Cap. XLI of Epitaphes which pray for them whom they describe in happinesse For in short where there is hope that the deceased is among Gods Saints there is there doubt on the other side that he may have need of light and peace and refreshment And therefore the supposed Dionysius Eccl. Hierarch Cap. VII where he relateth the custome of praying for the remission of sins in behalfe of the dead relateth the singing of psalmes of thanks-giving at funeralls And S. Austine telleth how Euodius begun the CI. Psal when his mother was dead yet in consideration of the danger which every soule that dies is subject to prayeth for her as he had commanded Confess IX 12. In fine though custom made not the dâ—fference every where visible between Prayers for Saints and prayers for ordinary Christians yet was the common Faith of the Church a sufficient ground for both whatsoever descant private construction might make upon the plainsong of it Tertullian expecting the raigne of Christians upon earth for a thowsand yeares and thinking those that should rise first most advantaged tooke the delay of rising againe for paying the utmost farthing and to have part with them that rise first fit to be prayed for for our friends that are dead de Amina Cap. LVIII de Monog Cap. X. But this the Church is not chargeable with That there was a conceit among some licentious Christians that the paines of the damned might either cease or be abated by the prayers of the living you shall find by the answer so often quoted p. 226 232. and that All Souls day had the beginning from such a conceite But though men openly wicked may dye in communion with the Church yet the Church supposeth no man damned that dies in communion with the Church and therefore the Church is not chargeable with prayers for the damned It is a knowne rule of the Church that the offerings of those that dyed not in communion with the Church should not be received that the offerings of those that dye in communion with the Church could not be refused That this Rule is more ancient then the Heresy of Marcion and others before Marcion that baptized others for those that were dead as you have seene that is as ancient as the Apostles appears Because the reason why they baptized others in their stead must be because all those that were baptized were prayed for at the Eucharist and onely those as you see by S. Austine and the Canon of the Masse quoted just afore If then men openly wicked dyed in communion with the Church it was because the Laws of the Church were not executed which had they beene executed they should not have dyed in communion with the Church And because this inexecution may be for the common good of the Church it was not offensive that such were prayed for among other members of the Church For there is possibility for the salvation of those for whose salvation there is no presumption that is reasonable And there had been just offence for the kindred and friends of such dead had they been refused the common right of all members of the Church Therefore S. Austine saies though they that dye in this case receive no help yet they that remaine alive receive some comfort and satisfaction in the memory of their relations being owned by the prayers of the Church for Christians I will not here allege that the Church of England teacheth to pray for the dead where the Litanie praies for deliverance in the hour of death and in the day of judgement Or when we pray after the communion that by the merits and death of Christ and through faith in his blood we and all the whole Church may obtaine remission of our sins and all other benefits of his passion But it is manifest that in the service appointed in the time of Edward the VI. prayer is made for the dead both before the Communion and at the Buriall to the same purpose as I maintaine It is manifest also that it was changed in Queen Elizabeths time to content the Puritans who now it appeares could not be content with lesse then breaking of the Church in peeces And therefore since unity hath not beene obtayned by parting with the Law of the Catholike Church in mine opinion for the love of it I continue the resolution to bound Reformation by the rule of the Catholike Church Allowing that it may be matter of Reformation to restore the prayers which are made for the dead to the originall sense of the whole Church but maintayning that to take away all prayer for the dead is not paring off abuses but cutting to the quick For I must now adde that all this showes the praiers of the Church of Rome for the delivering of soules out of Purgatory paines to have no ground in the Tradition of the Church there being no such place as Purgatory among those store-houses which are designed for those that depart in the state of Grace till the day of judgement no paine appointed to make satisfaction for the debt of temporall punishment remayning when the sin is remitted no translating of soules so purged from purgatory to heaven and the happynesse of it The delay of the resurrection may be a penalty if you take into it the consideration of that estate in which the soule may be detayned being such as that affection to the drosse of the world which it departeth with inforceth But what use is there of torment when the race is done When neither amendment of the party on whom it is inflicted nor of others that see the example can be expected to make God torment them whom he is reconciled to for the satisfaction of his vindicative justice is to make his vindicative justice delight in the evill of his creature when no reformation is to be expected by it Which in the government of the world is cruelty not justice If the law allow an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth it could never stand with Christianity under the law to take it where it repaires not a mans losse though the magistrate was to give it being required Civil Law may allow revenge to satisfie passion but the magistrate grants reparation to satisfie commutative justice which the party may demand for meere revenge That there is no ground for such punishment in the tradition of the Church I refer you to the title of Purgatory in the answer to the Iesuits challenge for evidence And it is indeed a thing which the disputing of our controversies hath made to appeare That there was from the beginning no question of any punishment for them that dye in Gods Grace That S. Austine
already how farre they containe an exception to this In the case of Timothy ordained to that work which Saint Paul by his Epistles instructeth him how to discharge what shall we conceive to be the effect of imposition of the hands of the Presbytery supposing him thereupon indowed with a grace of doing miracles or speaking strange languages but without any gift of saving grace to direct the use of the same to the salvation of his people What else but that which a sword is in a mad mans hand or knowledge eloquence or understanding in him that should set himself to raise himself a sect of followers into heresie or schisme Which should God allow Timothy upon Imposition of the hands of the Presbytery allowing it that Christian people might have confidence in so great a Pastor in whom they saw such manifestation of Gods Spirit might he not reasonably be said to allow him means to seduce Christian people I will not therefore contend but the Grace that was given Timothy by Prophesy signifieth some visible manifestation of Gods Spirit in him concerning whom there had Prophesies gone afore in the Church of how great eminence he should be in it But so as to suppose that saving grace wherein it manifested God to be in Timothy which saving grace though not wanting in him when he came to receive imposition of hands because he who receiveâ— it being no true Christan shall never receive that effect by it yet might by the effect thereof be extended applied or determined to the right use of whatsoever miraculous grace he might thereby receive in the service of Gods Church For to him that hath by nature or by Gods blessing upon his honest indeavours an ability to preach to dispute to resolve in Christianity and hath not by Gods saving grace the intent to use it well what doth such a gift bring but ability to do mischief Therefore the gift given Timothy by imposition of hands being that which was prayed for in behalf of him by those who laid hands on him is the grace to behave himself well in the function which thereby he receiveth Which being obtained by the prayers of the Church what reason leaveth it why the prayers of the Church should not still obtaine the like setting aside the difference between them that pray or him for whom they pray And certainly the effect of all prayers depends upon the same conditions be it never so much the ordinance of God which they desire him to blesse Here is then I meane in Ordination an ordinance of God solemnized with the visible câ—remony of imposition of hands signifying the overshadowing of Gods protection or of his Spirit which it pretendeth to procure upon the promise of Gods presence with his Church when it prays to him Which if it be therefore reckoned among the Sacraments of the Church as the property of the term will certainly bear it so can it be no disparagement to the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Eucharist as if it came in ranck with them For the grace which it procureth as it is limited to a particular effect of ministring to the Church the ordinances of God according to that trust which he reposeth in the office So is the grace which God appointeth to be convayed to his people by the ministry of every office no lesse to be obtained by that outward profession under which the order of the Church obliges them to minister the same whatsoever a mans inward intention that is not visible may be then if he really did intend to do his best for the service of God and the salvation of his people I speak now so farre as the order of the Church goes For otherwise it cannot be doubted that a mans personall abilities may give a great deal of life to the publick order of the Church and adde much in prosecution of the true intent and in order to the due effect of it All which the Grace to indeavour the faithfull discharge of each office and the blessing of God upon such indeavours which the blessing of the Church with imposition of hands prayes for containeth and effecteth But of all powers of the Church and the offices which they produce there is none that cometh so nigh the promises of the Gospel as that which consists in binding the sinnes of those that visibly transgresse their Christianity upon them and in loosing them upon visible Penance For this restoreth to a capacity for the gifts of the Holy Ghost forfeited by transgressing the Covenant of our Baptisme and by admitting to communion in the Eucharist immediately reneweth the same And truly the whole worke of it is nothing else but the satisfying of the Church that the man hath appeased the wrath and regained the favour of God that is satisfied God in the language of the ancient Church in consideration of the satisfaction of our Lord Christ accepting his Penance for satisfaction which of it selfe it is not And in regard of this great vertue and effect of penance I marvail not that in the reformation Melancthon is found to have reckoned it a third Sacrament after Baptisme the Eucharist For the name of Sacrament seemeth most duely to belong to the acts of those Offices which conduce most to the attaining or to the maintaining of the state of Gods Grace And truly it cannot be denyed that the solemnity of Penance in the ancient Church was such as might wel serve to signifie the recovering of that Grace the ground which Christians have for the helpe whereof it so effectually intimateth So though a mans own repentance in private hath the same promise of Grace yet the solemnity of Performing penance in the Church seemeth requisite to the nature and quality of the Sacrament in whatsoever sense it shall be attributed to it And this solemnity all reason will allow must needs have been of great effect to procure and settle in the penitent that disposition for pardon which it seemeth to professe This solemnity being so much abated in private penance that nothing of it remaines saving the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notwithstanding so long as it remaines an office of the Church which limiteth the forme and the rules according to which it is done with due hope of effect there is no reason why the nature of a Sacrament should be therefore questionable When it is given out and simple Christians are so governed as if they were obliged to believe that attrintion is changed into contrition by vertue of the Keyes of the Church passing upon it that is that he who is not qualified for pardon when he confesses is by receiving the sentence of absolution qualified for pardon so that neither staine nor guilt of sin remaines but the debt of temporall punishment whereas the time of Canonical penance grounded a presumption that the change was wrought then may there seeme to be cause of questioning whether penance be a Sacrament that is an holy office of the Church in
which it is ministred under such an unhallowed opinion as that In the meane time neither is the promise of Grace annexed to the solemnity thereof in which there hath succeeded so vast a change as I have signified by Gods choice of any visible creature in which it is exercised as in Baptisme and the Eucharist but by that common reason for which it is a solemnity fit for the Church to execute it with nor is the promise of grace annexed to the office of the Churth any otherwise then as it becomes the meanes to retrive the condition of baptisme qualifying for the promise by the Covenant of Grace In fine the name and notion of a Sacrament as it hath been duly used by the Church and writers allowed by the Church extendeth to all holy actions done by vertue of the Office which God hath trusted his Church with in hope of obtayning the grace which he promiseth Baptisme and the Eucharist are actions appointed by God in certaine creatures utterly impertinent to the effect of Grace setting aside his appointment But apt to signifie all the Grace which the Gospell promiseth by vertue of that correspondence which holds between things visible and sâ—nsible and things intelligible and invisible Both antecedent for their institution to the foundation of the Church the Society whereof subscribeth upon condition of the first and for communion in the second The rest are actions appointed to be solemnized in the Church by the Apostles not alwaies every where precisely with the same ceremonies but such as alwaies may reasonably serve to signifie the graces which it praies for on the behalfe of them who receive them The hope of that Grace being grounded upon Gods generall promise of hearing the prayers of his Church which the constitution thereof involveth Nor am I solicitous to make that construction which may satisfie the decrees of the Councils of Florence and Trent who have first taken upon them to decree under Anathama the conceite of the Schoole in reducing them to the number of seven But seeing the particulars so qualified by ancient writers in the Church and the number agreed upon by the Greeke Church as well as the Latines I have acknowledged that sense of their sayings which the primâ—ive order of the Chatholike Church inforceth For though I count it a great a buse to maintaine simple Christians in an opinion that the outward works of them not supposing the ground upon which the intent to which the disposition with which they are done secures the salvation of them to whom they are ministred Which opinion the formall ministring of them seemeth to maintaine Yet is it a far greater abuse to place the reformation of the Church in abolishing the solemnities rather then in reducing the right understanding of the ground and intent of those offices which they serve to solemnize CHAP. XXX To worship Christ in the Eucharist though believing transubstantiation is not Idolatry Ground for the honour of Saints and Martyrs The Saints and the Angels pray for us Three sorts of prayers to Saints The first agreeable with Christianity The last may be Idolatry The second a step to it Of the Reliques of the Saints Bodies What the second Commandement prohibiteth or alloweth The second Councile of Nicea doth not decree Idolatry And yet there is no decree in the Church for the worshiping of Images ANd now I come to that resolution which I have made way for by premising these conclusions for assumptions to inferr it onely by the way I have resolved against those prayers which the Church of Rome prescribeth to deliver the soules of the dead from Purgatory paines I say then first that the adoration of the Eucharist which the Church of Rome prescribeth is not necessarily Idolatry I say not what it may be accidentally by that intention which some men may conceale and may make it Idolatry as to God I speak upon supposition of that intention which the profession of the Church formeth and which alone is to my present purpose I suppose them to beleive that those creatures of God which are the elements of that sacrament are no more there after the consecration having ceased to be that there might be roome for the body and blood of our Lord to come into theire stead I suppose that the body and blood of Christ may be adored wheresoever they are and must be adored by a good Christian where the custome of the Church which a Christian is obliged to communicate with requires it For that which wee see is enough for to certifie us that peremptorily to refuse any custome of the Church is a step to division and the dissolution of it which is the greatest evill that can befall Christianity next to the peremptory profession of some thing contrary to that truth wherein christianity consists and which the being of the Church presupposeth But I suppose further that the body and blood of Christ is not adored nor to be adored by Christians neither for it self nor for any indowment residing in it which it may have received by being personally united with the God head of Christ But onely in consideration of the said God-head to which it remaines inseparably united wheresoever it becomes For by that meanes whosoever proposeth not to himselfe the consideration of the body and blood of Christ as it is of it selfe and in it self a meer creature which he that doth not on purpose cannot do cannot but consider it as he believs it to be being a Christian And considering it as it is honor it as it is inseperably united to the God-head in which by which it subsisteth in which therefore that honour resteth and to which it tendeth So the God-head of Christ is the thing that is honoured and the reason why it is honoured both The body and blood of Christ though it be necessarily honored because necessarily united to that which is honoured yet is it onely the thing that is honored and not the reason why it is honoured speaking of the honor proper to God alone I suppose further that it is the duty of e-every christian to honour our Lord Christ as God subsisting in humane flesh whether by professing him such or by praying to him as such or by using any bodily gesture which by the custome of them that frequent it may serve to signifie that indeed he takes him for such which gesture is outwardly that worship of the heart which inwardly commandes it This honour then being the duty of an affirmative precept which according to the received rule ties alwaies though it cannot tye a man to doe the duty alwaies because then he should doe nothing else What remaines but a just occasion to make it requisite and presently to take hold and oblige And is not the presence thereof in the Sacrament of the Eucharist a just occasion presently to expresse by the bodily act of adoration that inward honour which we alwaies cary towards our Lord Christ as
trample Paganisme under feet after the conversion of Constantine Certainely nothing can be named so correspondent to that honour which is prophesied for them that suffered for Gods law under Antiochus Epiphanes Dan. XII Is not all this honour properly derivative from the honour of God and our Lord Christ and relative to his service For that is the worke for which Christians assemble and for those assemblies the Church stands as I have often said The honour of the Saints but the occasion circumstance or furniture for it Neither is it to be doubted that the Saints in happinesse pray for the Church militant and that they have knowledge thereof if they goe not out like sparkles and are kindled againe when they resume their bodies which I have showen our common Christianity allowes not For is it possible to imagine that knowing any thing that is knowing God and themselves they should not know that God hath a Church in the world upon the consumation whereof their consummation dependeth Or is it possible that knowing this and being disposed towards this Church as they ought to be disposed towards it in respect to God they should not intercede with God for the consummation of it and the meanes thereof which is all we can desire I will not use the text of Jeremy XI 1. and Ezek. XIV 13-19 because it is manifest that Moses and Samuel that Noe Daniel and Job are named in them but to put the case that if those men were alive and made intercession for their people they should not prevaile Which is not to say that which I have showed that the Old Testament speakes not out plaine that being alive they doe intercede Therefore they make no consequence I will not use the text of the Gospell Luke XVI 9. Make ye friends of the unrighteous Mamon that when yee faile they may receive you into everlasting Tabernacles Though S. Austine de Civit. I. 27. makes a doubt whether it be by the intercession of his friends that such a man is received Because he makes no doubt that it is in consideration of the charity by which he made them his friends that he is received And therefore in that consideration it must be that they are said to receive him not in consideration of their prayers Of which therefore this text saith nothing But I must needs use the text of the Apoc. V. 8. VIII 3. whereby it appeareth as much that the Church triumphant prayeth for the Church militant as that the saints of the Church triumphant are alive And I wil use these texts of the Old Testament where Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and David are in consideration alleged to God in behalf of his people Gen. XXVI 5 24. Ex. XXXII 13. Deut. IX 27. 1. Kings XI 12 32 33 34. XV. 4. 2. Kings VIII 19. XIX 34. XX. 6. Es XXXVII 35. 1. Kings XVIII 36 1 Chron. XXIX 28. For as our Saviour argueth well that Abraham Isaac and Jacob are alive and shall rise againe because God is not the God of the dead So is the consequence as good that what God doth for their sakes he doth it for their mediation or intercession unlesse he meane to set that on their score which they desire not at his hands The Angels of little children alwaies see the Fathers face in heaven Math. XVIII 10. And there is joy in the presence of Gods Angels over one sinner that repenteth Luke XV. 10. And David saith that the Angell of the Lord pitcheth his tent round about them that feare him and delivereth them Psalme XXV 8. And they are all ministring spirits sent forth to attend upon them that shall be heires of salvation Heb. I. 14. and have they not that affection for those whom God so affecteth as to provide them such attendance not to mediate with their desires to God the effect of that goodnesse which he is so affectionate to bestow upon us An imagination so barbarous cannot possesse any man till he think himselfe beloved of God for hating those that honour Saints and Angels above measure Let them looke to the measure and let them looke how they hate them that observe it not Let them not ground their measure upon a supposition of as little affection in the Saints and Angels for us as in themselves for the Saints and Angels unlesse it be because such a supposition may deserve to deprive them of the benefit of such relations For as for the Church S. Cyprian doubts not when he desires that those who shall happen to depart first be mindfull of them that remaine in their prayers to God Epist I. And the Saints in heaven that are secure of their owne salvation he saith are solicitous for us in his booke de mortalitate S. Jerome saith the same of Heliodorus Epist I. nor is any thing to be faulted of that which he writes against Vigilantius to that purpose S. Austine supposeth that Nebridius prayed for him being dead Confess IX 3. and expects benefit from S. Cypryans prayers de Bapt. V. 7 17. He said afore that we are to be commended by the prayers of the Martyrs and de sanctis Serm. XLVI Debent Martyres aliquid in nobis recognoscere de suis virtutibus ut pro nobis dignentur domino supplicare The Martyrs must take notice of something of their owne vertues in us that they may vouchsafe to become petitioners to God for us And againe contra Faustum XX. 21. the reason why they celebrated the memories of the Saints he assignes that they might be partners in their merits and be helped by their prayers Both which Leo in S. Lam. considers as well the helpe as the example of the Saints and S. Gregory Epist VII 57. Indict II. Rogo omnipotentem Deum ut sua te gratia protegat beati Petri Apostolorum principis intercessione a malis omnibus illi sum servet I beseech Almighty God to protect thee with his grace and through the intercession of S. Peter Chiese of the Apostles keep thee unharmed by any evill It were to no purpose to show what I allow by bringing more for this cannot be disallowed allowing the premises But this being supposed whatsoever may be disputed whether Saints or Angels in this regard may be counted Mediators intercessors or Advocates between God and us will be meere contentions about words holding to the termes hitherto supposed For the intercession of our Lord Christ being grounded upon the worke of redemption the effects of it must be according To make all mankind acceptable to God under the condition which the Gospell declareth To obtain for every man those helps of Grace by which he may or by which he is effectually resolved to undergoe the condition requisite He that knowes the God-heade of Christ to be the ground in consideration whereof the obedience of Christ is acceptable by God to this effect and yet will needs say that Saints or Angels are our Mediators Intercessors or Advocates to
the same effect there is no cause why he should be excused of Idolatry for his paines But withall he cannot be excused of contradicting himselfe as grossely as he that maintaines those Saints or Angels to be that one true God whom he acknowledges not to be that God but his creatures If there be reason to presume that they who acknowledge Saints or Angels their Mediators Intercessors or advocates to God intend to commit Idolatry by contradicting themselves thus grossely there may be reason to thinke that they count them their Mediators Intercessors or Advocates to God to that effect to which Christ alone is our Mediator Intercessor or Advocate But if whosoever is accepted to pray for an other is necessarily by so doing his Mediator Intecessor or Advocate to him with whom he is admitted to deal on his behalfe by his prayers then will it be necessary to limite the worke of mediation to that effect which may be allowed to the intercession of the Saints or Angels for us if we will have them to be to purpose Certainely neither could Iob intercede for his friends nor Samuel for the Israelites nor Abraham for Abimelech or Pharao nor any of Gods Prophets for any that had or were to have recourse to them for that purpose but they must be by so doing Mediators intercessors and Advocates for them with God For neither can the mediation of Saints or Angels nor of any prophet or other that can be persumed to have favour with God be to any effect but that which the termes of that reconciliation which our Lord Christ hath purchased for us doe settle or allow But he that saith the Saints and Angels pray for us saith not that we are to pray to Saints or Angels nor can be say it without Idolatry intending that we are to do that to them which they do to God for us On the other side though that which we doe to them and that which they doe to God be both called praying yet it wil be very difficult for him that really and actually apprehendeth all Saints and Angels to be Gods creatures to render both the same honour though supposing not granting the same Christianity to injoyn both But to come to particulars I will distinguish three sorts of prayers to Saints wheâ—her taught or allowed to be taught in the Church of Rome The first is of those that are made to God but to desire his blessings by and through the merits and intercession of his Saints I cannot give so fit an example as out of the Canon of the Masse which all the Westerne Churches of that communion do now use There it is said communicantes memoriam venerantes omnium Sanctorum tuorum quorum meritis precibusque concedas ut in omnibus protectionis tuae muniamur auxilio Communicating in and reverencing the memory of such and such and of all thy Saints by whose merit and prayer grant that in all things we may be guarded by thy protection and helpe There is also a short prayer for the Priest to say when he comes to the Altar as he findes opportunity Oramus te Domine per merita sanctorum tuorum quorum reliquia hic sunt omnium sanctorum ut indulgere digneris omnia peccata mea We pray thee Lord by the merits of the Saints whose reliques are here and all Saints that thou wouldest vouchsafe to release me all my sins And on the first Sunday in Advent mentioning the Blessed Virgin they pray Vt qui vere eam matrem Dei credimus ejus apud te intercessionibus adjuvemur That we who believe her truely the mother of God may be helped by her intercessions with thee The second is that which their Litanies containe which though I doe not undertake to know how they are used or how they ought to be used by particular Christians that is how far voluntary how far obligatory yet the forme of them is manifest that whereas you have in them sometimes Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Holy Trinity one God have mercy upon us You have much oftner the Blessed Virgine repeated again and againe under a number of her attributes you have also all the Saints and Angels or such as the present occasion pretends for the object of the devotion which a man tenders named and spoken to with Ora pronobis that is Pray for us The blessed virgine some saie with te rogamus audi nos We beseech thee to heare us One thing I must not forget to observe that the prayers which follow those Litanies are almost alwaies of the first kind That is to say addressed directly to God but mentioning the intercession of Saints or Angels for the meanes to obtain our prayers at his hands The third is when they desire immediately of them the same blessings spirituall and temporall which all Christians desire of God There is a Psalter to be seen with the Name of God changed every where into the Name of the blessed Virgine There is a book of devotion in French with this title Moyen de bien seruir prier adorer la Vierge Marie The way well to serve pray to and adore the blessed Virgine There are divers forms of prayer as well as excessive speeches concerning her especially and other Saints quoted in the Answer to the Jesuites Challenge pag. 330-345 Of those then the first kind seems to me utterly agreeable with Christianity importing onely the exercise of that Communion which all members of Gods Church hold with all members of it ordained by God for the meanes to obtaine for one another the Grace which the obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ hath purchased for us without difference whether dead or alive Because we stand assured that they have the same affection for us dead or alive so farre as they know us and our estate and are obliged to desire and esteem their prayers for us as for all the members of Christs mysticall body Neither is it in reason conceivable that all Christians from the beginning should make them the occasion of their devotions as I said out of any consideration but this For as concerning the terme of merit perpetually frequented in these prayers it hath been alwawes maintained by those of the Reformation that it is not used by the Latine Fathers in any other sense then that which they allow Therefore the Canon of the Masse and probably other prayers which are still in use being more ancient then the greatest part of the Latine Fathers there is no reason to make any diffficulty of admitting it in that sense the ground whereof I have maintained in the second Book The third taking them at the foot of the leter and valuing the intent of those that use them by nothing but the words of them are meer Idolatries as desiring of the creature that which God onely gives which is the worship of the creature for the Creator God blessed for evermore And were we bound to make
not yet onely as it inables me to conclude that this kind of prayer is not Idolatry This necessarily followes from the premises Because a man cannot take that Saint or Angel for God whose prayers he desires But manifestly showes that his desire is grounded upon the relation which he thinkes he hath to him by our Lord Christ and by his Church Neverthelesse though it be not Idolatry the consequence and production of it not being distinguishable from Idolatry the Church must needes stand obliged to give it those bounds that may prevent such mischeif as that which shall make it no Church For though the degrees are not visible by which the abuse is come to this height yet I conceive it appeares by Walafridus Strabus de Rebus Ecclesiasticis cap. XXVIII that before S. Jerome the Saints had no roome in the Litanies which answer Pray for us after every Saints name There he telleth that S. Jerome first translated Eusebius his Martyrologe containing what Saints died on what dayes of the year at the request of Chromatius and Heliodorus Bishops upon occasion of that commendation which the Emperor Theodosius had given Gregory Bishop of Cordova for commemorating every day at the Eucharist the saints of the day And afore this he affirmeth the Saints names had no room in the Letanies And Chemnitius hath given us the transcript of an ancient Letanie out of a written Copy belonging to the Abbey of Corbey upon the Wesor which calleth upon the Saints Sancte Petre Sancte Paule c. but so that the suffrage is Exaudi Christe O Christ hear us or them for us which is the effect of the first sort of Prayer and an evident argument that the formes now in force took possession by degrees For the Letatanies are properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord have mercy upon us as the Liturgies of Saint Basil and Saint Chrisostome call them By that forme of service which the Constitutions of the Apostles relate where the Deacon indites to the people what they are to pray for in behalf of all estates in the Church and their necessities you shall see the people answer onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord have mercy That is their part Thence came the name of Letanies whether such devotions were used in Processions or otherwise That in the Letanies of Saint Gregory whereof we read in his life I. 41. 42. The Saints were spoken to the people answering Ora pro nobis pray for us it is easy to believe For of Charles the Great and Walafridus his time there is no question to be made That the same was done in Saint Basils Letanies whereof Epist LXIII or in those which Mamertus Bishop of Vienna instituted as we find by Sidonius Epist V. 14. VII 1. which have since been called Rogations there is no manner of appearance And the innovaâ—ion of Petrus Fullo the Eutychian Bishop of Antiochia after the Councile of Chalcedon which Nicephorus relates Eccles Hist XV. 28. in bringing the Blessed Virgine into the prayers of the Church is enough to assure us there is no Tradition of the Apostles for it A difference very considerable For grant the monuments of Saints and Martyrs the places for Christians to meet at for Gods service in publicke for their private devotions by primitive Christianity All this while the service of God is the work the honour of the Saints determines onely the time and place of it Processions celebrated with Letanies were assemblies for Gods service to turn away his plagues and the like And when the Saints come into them their honor becomes part of the work for which Christians assemble Suppose a simple soul can distinguish between Ora pro nobis and Domine miserere between Pray for us and Lord have mercy upon us How shall I be assured that it distinguishes between the honour that Pagans gave the lesse gods under Jupiter the Father of gods and that which himself gives the Saints under the God of those Saints And is it enough that the Church injoynes not nor teaches Idolatry Is it not further bound to secure us against it I know not whether it can be said that Processions and Letanies are voluntary devotions which the people are not answerable for if they neglect They were first brought in and since frequented at the instance of Prelates and their Clergy and if they be amisse the people are snared by their meanes that is by the Church if the Church bear them out in it And by these three sorts of Prayers it appears that without giving bounds to private conceits there is meanes to stop mens course from that extreamity which whether it be reall Idolatry or not nothing can assure us Upon these terms I stand I have heard those relations upon credit not to be questioned which make their devotions to Saints hardly distinguishable from the Idolatries of Pagans That they who preferred them could not or did not distinguish I say not In fine they demonstrate manifold more affection for the Blessed Virgine or some particular Saints then for our Lord. That they call not upon Saints to pray for them but to help them That they neither expresse nor can be presumed to meane by praying for them but by granting their prayers In fine that they demonstrate inward subjection of the heart wherein Idolatrie consists I cannot disbelieve those who relate what they see done What may be the reason why to them rather then to God It was a meanes to bring the world to be Christians that it was preswaded that God protected Christians by the intercession of those Saints whose Festivalls they solemnized But it brought them to be Christians with that love of the world and the present commodities of it which Christianity pretends to leave without the Church among the Pagans Should they resigne these affections to their Christianity they would have immediate recourse to God whom having to friend they know they need neither be troubled for plague nor toothach nor any thing which the Crosse of Christ consists with While they cannot assure themselves that they do no marvaile if they would have such Christianity as may give them hope of that by the Saints which God assures them not by it I grant it no Idolatrie that is not necessarily any Idolatrie to pray to Saints to pray for us The very matter implies an equivocation in the word praying which nothing hinders the heart to distinguish But is it fit for the Church to maintaine it because it is necessarily no Idolatry I grant Ora pro nobis in the Letanies might be taken for the ejaculation of a desire which a man knowes not whether it is heard or not as some instance in a leter which a man would write though uncertaine whether it shall come to hand or not and I could wish that the people were taught so much by the form as a powerfull meanes to preserve the distance between God and his creature alive in their esteem I count it not
takes place The Councile then transgresseth the Power of the Church in erecting a Position of the Schoole and that in the proper sense of the terms not true into an article of the Faith But the Bull much more in requiring to sweare it And whether or no the decree of the Councile concerne the salvation of a single Christian being under it The swearing to it which the Bull injoyneth necessarily concerns the salvation of him who if he understand the businesse knowes it not to be true if he understand it not cannot sweare it But that the satisfaction of Penance is not to abolish the guilt of eternall death by changing the love of this world into the Love of God above all things but to redeem the debt of temporall punishment remaining when the sinne is remitted by the Sacrament or when it cannot be had by the meer desire of it as it is decreed Sess VI. cap. XIV this is necessarily prejudiciall to the Christianity of those who must needs be induced by it to think themselves restored to Gods grace without the meanes which his Gospel requireth For be Penance never so much a Sacrament if the Church suppose the Gospel the applying of the Keyes thereof cannot abate that condition which the Gospel requireth but is imployed to effect it Therefore absolution proceeds not but upon supposition that the change of a mans disposition is visible by the performing of his Penance If the case of necessity create an exception which the Church presumeth that God dispenseth in and therefore reconcileth all in the point of death by giving them the Eucharist It is not because there is ground of pardon in their being reconciled but in the procuring of their being qualified for it which must not have been presumed upon otherwise For the presumption of pardon not lying in the act of reconcilement by the power of the Keyes but in the ground of it upon the corrupt custome of absolving first and imposing Penance to be performed afterwards to decree this construction that it is not imposed for remission of sinne as conditionally depending on it but to pay the temporall punishment remaining when it is remitted was to heape abuses upon abuses For hence is come the change of attrition into contrition by the sentence of absolution in him in whom all the Penance that is in joyned pretends nothing else then to effect it So that pardon being held forth upon undue grounds the corruption of our nature must needs presume upon it when it is not effected How then shall a man sweare to admit this without consenting and concurring to the intangling of simple soules in the snares of their sinnes And this is therefore a point wherein the Christianity which the decree constituteth is necessarily defective as not providing for that which the Gospel maketh requisite to the remission of sinne but teaching to expect it from the act of declaring it by the Church without supposing the ground upon which the Gospel tendreth it If the decree of Transubstantiation could possibly be expounded to signify onely the Sacramentall presence of the body and bloud of Christ which I maintaine the consecration effecteth what would that serve the turne when it is further required that we hold him anathemâ— that believes the substance of the elements to remaine which being so manifestly justifyed by the Scriptures neither any Tradition of the Church nor any reason rendring the bodily presence of them inconsistent with the Sacramentall presence of the flesh and bloud of Christ excludeth Nor is it enough that Christian people frequent themselves and admit in others the use and effect of these offices which the Councile of Florence first decreed to make up the seven Sacraments unlesse they sweare to hold them for Sacraments without distinguishing either in that grace which the ceremony signifieth or in the force whereby they concurre to the obtaining of it Whereas the difference between our common Christianity and that which the Church is able to contribute towards the effect of it by any office which it is inabled to celebrate ought to distinguish the grace of the holy Ghost which Baptisme and the Eucharist immediately bestow by virtue of the Covenant of Grace which they inact and establish from that which any office of the Church by Gods promise to hear the prayers thereof is able to bring to passe Further seeing that by the Scriptures expounded according to the originall Tradition of the Church the soules of those that depart in grace are in an imperfect state of happinesse till the generall judgement according to the state in which they depart Neither can any prayers be made to redeem soules out of Purgatory paines to the sight of God which the decree of the Councile of Florence supposeth upon those termes Nor any assurance be had that the prayers which are made to the Saints do come to their knowledge And how then shall a good Christian swear to believe that Soules are helped out of Purgatory by the prayers of the living or that he is to pray to saints of whom he can by no meanes be assured that they hear his prayers Surely it cannot be imagined that the communion of the Eucharist in one kinde the making of these prayers to Saints which distinguish them not from God desiring of them those things which onely God can give the setting up of their images in Churches to be worshipped and prayed to in the house of Gods service the worshipping of images as the objects of that worship in respect of their principals which is not the worship of their principals the serving of God in an unknown Language the barring of Christian people from the Scriptures the maintaining of Masses where no body communicates scarce any body assisteth the opinion of applying the virtue of Christs death by them to those who neither communicate nor assist them with their devotions by virtue of the Sacrisice the tendring of pardon for sinne by Indulgences whereof there can be no effect but the releasing of Penance injoyned These and other customes of that Church which have the force and effect of Law which written lawes many times never attaine are so farre from being reasonable meanes to advance the service of God that to live under them and to yield conformity to them is a burthen unsufferable for a Christian to undergo to approve them by being reconciled to the Church that maintaines them a scandal incurable and irreparable But to swear further and to professe firmely to admit and imbrace them as contained within the title of constitutions and observations of that Church is a thing which to me it seems strange that it should ever be required of a Christian The effect of this Bull is of so high a nature in regard of those whom it concerns that never any Generall Councile pretended to produce the like That every man should owne the Lawes of the Society wherein he lives so farre as to live in conformity with them
who create the parties by heading the division have to look about them least they become guilty of the greatest part of soules which in reason must needs perish by the extremities in which it consisteth And the representing of the grounds thereof unto the parties though it may seem an office unnecessary for a private Christian to undertake yet seemeth to me so free from all imputation of offense in discharging of our common Christianity and the obligation of it that I am no lesse willing to undergoe any offense which it may bring upon me then I am to want the advantages which allowing the present Reformation might give me In the mean time I remaine obliged not to repent me of the resolution of my nonage to remaine in the communion of the Church of England There I find an authority visibly derived from the act of the Apostles by meanes of their successors Nor ought it to be of force to question the validity thereof that the Church of Rome and the communion thereof acknowledgeth not the Ordinations and other Acts which are done by virtue of it as done without the consent of the whole Church which it is true did visibly concurre to the authorizing of all acts done by the Clergy as constituted by virtue of those Lawes which all did acknowledge and under the profession of executing the offices of their severall orders according to the same For the issue of that dispute will be triable by the cause of limiting the exercise of them to those termes which the Reformation thereof containeth which if they prove such as the common Christianity expressed in the Scriptures expounded by the original practice of the whole Church renders necessary to be maintained notwithstanding the rest of the Church agree not in them the blame of separation that hath insued thereupon will not be chargeable upon them that retire themselves to them for the salvation of Christian soules but on them who refuse all reasonable compliance in concurring to that which may seem any way tollerable But towards that triall that which hath been said must suffice The substance of that Christianity which all must be saved by when all disputes and decrees and contradictions are at an end is more properly maintained in that simplicity which all that are concerned are capable of by the terms of that Baptisme which it ministreth requiring the profession of them from all that are confirmed at years of discretion then all the disputes on both sides then all decrees on the one side all confessions of faith on the other side have been able to deliver it And I conceive I have some ground to say so great a word having been able by limiting the term of justifying faith in the writings of the Apostles according to the same to resolve upon what termes both sides are to agree if they will not set up the rest of their division upon something which the truth of Christianity justifieth not on either side For by admitting Christianity that is the sincere profession thereof to be the Faith which onely justifyeth in the writings of the Apostles whatsoever is in difference as concerning the Covenant of Grace is resolved without prejudicing either the necessity of Grace to the undertaking the performing the accepting of it for the reward or the necessity of good works in consideration for the same The substance of Chrianity about which there is any difference being thus secured there remaines no question concerning Baptisme and the Eucharist to the effect for which they are instituted being ministred upon this ground and the profession of it with the form which the Catholick Church requireth to the consecration of the Eucharist Nor doth the Church of England either make Sacraments of the rest of the seven or abolish the Offices because the Church of Rome makes them Sacraments Nor wanteth it an order for the daily morning and evening service of God for the celebration of Festivalls and times of Fasting for the observation of ceremonies fit to create that devotion and reverence which they signify to vulgar understandings in the service of God But praying to Saints and worshipping of Images or of the Eucharist Prayers for the delivery of the dead out of Purgatory the Communion in one kind Masses without Communions being additions to or detractions from that simplicity of Gods service which the originall order of the Church delivereth visible to common reason comparing the present order of the Church of Rome with the Scriptures and primitive records of the Church there is no cause to think that the Catholick Church is disowned by laying them aside It is true it was an extraordinary act of Secular Power in Church maters to inforce the change without any consent from the greater part of the Church But if the matter of the change be the restoring of Lawes which our common Christianity as well as the Primitive orders of the Church of both which Christian Powers are borne Protectors make requisite the secular power acteth within the sphere of it and the division is not imputable to them that make the change but to them that refuse their concurrence to it Well had it been had that most pious and necessary desire thereof to restore publick Penance been seconded by the zeal and compliance of all estates and not stifled by the tares of Puritanisme growing up with the Reformation of it For as there can be no just pretense of Reformation when the effect of it is not the frequentation of Gods publick service in that forme which it restoreth but the suppressing of it in that form which it rejecteth So the communion of the Eucharist being the chiefe office in which it consisteth the abolishing of private Masses is an unsusticient pretense for Reformation where that provision for the frequenting of the communion is not made which the restoring of the order in force before private Masses came in requireth Nor can any meane be imagined to maintaine continuall communion with that purity of conscience which the holinesse of Christianity requireth but the restoring of Penance In fine if any thing may have been defective or amisse in that order which the Church of England establisheth it is but justice to compare it in grosse with both extreames which it avoideth and considering that it is not in any private man to make the body of the Church such as thâ—y could wish to serve God with to rest content in that he is not obliged to become a party to those things which he approves not conforming himself to the order in force in hope of that grace which communion with the Church in the offices of Gods service promiseth For consider againe what meanes of salvation all Christians have by communion with the Church of Rome All are bound to be at Masse on every Festivall day but to say onely so many Paters and so many Aves as belong to the hour Not to assist with their devotions that which they understand not much lesse
the enemies of Gods Church as of the members of it I conceive I have named the substance of these prayers the particulars whereof you may see in our English Litanies to be the same that the most ancient Writers of the Church witness to have been used after the exposition of the Scriptures whether they describe the celebration of the Eucharist as doth Justine Martyr or not as Tertullian And from hence I hope to resolve that question which I have proposed in another place and no man yet hath taken in hand to answer Why as well in the Ancient Latine as well as Eastern Liturgies as also by the testimonies of S. Austine and others it appeareth that these Prayers are twice repeated at the Eucharist The reason being this that first those who offered the creatures of which the Eucharist is consecrated and by which offering the assembly of the Church was maintained might testifie that they do it out of devotion to God hoping by so doing to obtain at his mercy not onely their own but the necessities of all other orders and estates by virtue of the Sacrifice of the Cross which at present they intend to commemorate and repete Which notwithstanding the elements being consecrated and the Body and Bloud of Christ once sacrificed on the Cross here and now represented they offer to him the same Prayers again presenting him as it were the same sacrifice here and now represented for the motive inducing him to grant the said necessities And therefore have reason to account this service the most eminent service that Christians can offer to God and those prayers the most effectual that they can address unto him as being proper to that Christianity in virtue whereof they hope to obtain their prayers and of nothing besides That which remains of this point is onely the consideration of those prayers which are made at those assemblies of the Church which pretend not to celebrate the Eucharist how they may appear to be prescribed by Christianity Where I shall need to say nothing of such Prayers as are to be made by Christian assemblies for the necessities of all Orders and Estates whether within or without the Church because I have already spoken of them when they are made upon occasion of celebrating the Eucharist The difference between that occasion and other occasions which the Church may have to frequent the same Prayers when the Eucharist is not celebrated inferring no difference in that which is prescribed to the Church or by the Church either in the mater or form of the same As for the Prayers which every assembly maketh for it self concerning the common necessities of all Christians as such which I conceive were first called Collecta because the assembly ended in them and was dismissed with them from gathering the same as the Mass hath the name in Latine Missa from dismissing it as I observed afore I shall need to say as little having showed by what authority all Christians are to be limited in such things as have been left unlimited by our Lord and his Apostles For the necessities of Christians as Christians become determinable if any thing cōcerning them become questionable by the same authority that governeth every Church upon such terms as it ought to govern the same But if any cause appear as many ages since there hath appeared necessity enough why particular Churches should be ruled in those forms by Synods that is by the common authority of more and greater Churches for maintaining unity in the whole which the form of Church Service may be a great means to violate as wee know by lamentable experience it remains that the same means be imployed for maintaining unity in this point which God hath provided for maintaining the same in all cases So that supposing that in process of time whether by direct or by indirect means the Church of Rome hath gained so much ground of the whole Western Church as to conform their Prayers and in a maner the whole Order of divine Service to the patern prescribed by it which I take to have been the case at the Reformation with all the Western Church it cannot be alleged for a sufficient cause of changing that the Church of Rome hath no right to require this conformity by Gods Law But the question must be whether the uniformity introduced by the same be so well or so ill for the prejudice or advancement of Christianity that it shall be requisite for the interest thereof to proceed to a change without the consent of the Church Which if it be true then whatsoever hath been objected to the Church of England upon this Title as agreeable to the form used by the Church of Rome not as disagreeable to Christianity is to be damned as ignorantly and maliciously objected for to make division in the Church without cause These same reasons will serve to resolve how necessary it is that those Prayers wherewith the rest of Ecclesiastical Offices Baptism Confirmation Penance the Visitation of the Sick and Mariages are celebrated be of a certain form and prescribed by the authority of the Church It were a thing strangely unreasonable for him that hath considered that which I have said in the second book how our Christianity and salvation is concerned in the Sacrament of Baptism and how much the disputes of Religion that divide the Western Church depend upon the knowledg of it to imagine that all those who must be admitted by the Church to the ministring of it can be able to express the true intent of it in such form of words as may be without offense and tend to the edification of Gods people in a thing so nearly concerning their Christianity Rather it may justly be questioned whether they that take upon them to baptize and consecrate the Eucharist not grounding themselves upon the authority of the Church supposing the Faith of the Church expressed in such a form as the Church prescribeth but their own sense concerning the ground and intent of those Sacraments Do any thing or nothing That is whether they do indeed minister the Sacrament of Baptism necessary to the salvation of all Christians or onely profane the Ordinance of God by professing an intention of doing that which is not indeed that Sacrament under pretense of celebrating it Whether they do indeed consecrate the elements to become sacramentally the Body and Bloud of Christ and so communicate the same to those which receive or onely profane those holy mysteries of Christianity and involve his people in the same guilt by pretending to celebrate so holy an Office and in effect doing nothing as not knowing what ought to be done nor submitting to those that do A consideration very necessary in regard of those who forsake the Baptism which they received in their infancy in the Church of England to be baptized again by new Dippers For it is true the Church hath admitted the Baptism of Hereticks for good but not of all
is positive and importeth not the promise of Grace by the nature of the action commanded but by the free will and appointment of God it were injurious to the goodness of God to think that hee denyeth the promise to those who would perform the condition if they could receiving the Eucharist in one kinde because they cannot receive it in both For to say nothing at present what reason may hinder him that otherwise would betake himself where hee might receive it in both kindes how many thousand souls live and dye in that Communion without knowing that there is any where means to receive it in both kindes Which if it be so then this resolution leaves the charge where it ought to lye not upon the people who suffers in it but upon the Priesthood who injoy by it a fruit less privilege above them at the charge of Gods Ordinance which suffereth the sacrilege But especially the Prelates whose consent and connivence maintains the abuse For all that hath been alleged to excuse it may appear to a reasonable man not to have been the reason for which it was introduced nor yet to avoid the irreverence of the wine that may remain in the countrey mens beards for what is that to women that have none but to add to the Clergy a pre-eminence above the people by excluding them from that to which it admitteth the Priest that consecrateth A thing that had not needed had the Clergy known that all the reverence which is justly due to them is grounded upon the difference between them and the people in sobriety of cariage and integrity of conscience visible in the same And that serves not the turn but rather turns to a contrary effect when the people may perceive that they betray their trust both to them and to God by so unnecessarily abusing their Office So that the mean to recover and restore that trust and reverence due to the Clergy from the People which the maintenance of Christianity absolutely requireth will consist in the recovering and restoring of that integrity and holiness of life in the Clergy grounded upon their renouncing the interests and ingagements of this world which their profession importeth Not in maintaining that difference which the people may discern not to agree with our common Christianity CHAP. XXIV Prayer the more principall Office of Gods service then Preaching Preachings neither Gods word nor the meanes of salvation unlesse limited to the Faith of Gods Church What the edification of the Church by preaching further requires The Order for Divine service according to the course of the Church of England According to the custome of the universall Church ANd now there is nothing in the way why we should not judge between the Reformation the Church of Ro. whether the Sermon or the Masse be the principall office for which Christians are to assemble as the Romans once did between their neighbours of Ardea and Aricia adjudging to themselves the land which they were chosen to judge whether of those Cities it belonged to There had been indeed just complaint that the people were not taught the duties of their Christianity at their assemblies in the Church There had been just complaint that the service of the Church was not understood being performed in an unknowne tongue That the Eucharist was celebrated without any Communion of the people That the Communion when it was given as rarely it was was onely in one kind But never any complaint that there were so many assemblies of the Church without preaching whereas when there is none the Church ought not to assemble though for the communion of the Eucharist and the service of God which by the Apostles ordinance it is to be celebrated with No man living durst ever make any such complaint nor can any man living justifie it And yet when the change comes to be made as if such a demand had been both made and justified the sermon is set up instead of the Masse in most places And the Reformation is taken to be characterized as much by putting down the Eucharist or reserving it to foure times a year as or so by restoring the Comunion of it in both kinds with the service which it is celebrated with in the language that is vulgarly known Not so the Church of England The Reformation whereof consisteth in an order as well for the celebration of and Communion in the Eucharist all Lords days and festivall daies as in putting the service into our mother English desiring that there might be also a Sermon when it may be had in so good order as to create no offense to Gods people or irreverence in his Service But prescribing the order aforesaid though that cannot be attained to Whereby it may appeare that is was nothing but the â—ares of false doctrine sowed among the good wheat of the Reformation in England that hath hindred this good order to take effect in practice For it were a great impertinence to me to dispute here that the Eucharist thus celebrated is to be preferred before a Sermon wiâ—hout it no man having attempted to maintaine the contrary and the reason being so cleare upon the premises That as the undertaking of Christianity by Baptisme puts a man in possession of his title to the Kingdome of heaven which the hearing of it preached onely makes him capable to choose So the renâ—wing of his undertaking by the communion of the Eucharist and the exerciâ—e thereof by the service of God which it is celebrated with is the meanes of attaining that which the further knowledge of Christianity attained by a Sermon renders a man onely capable to attaine Namely the gift of the Holy Ghost inabling to make good that Christianity which our Baptisme undertakes and so to attaine life everlasting I proceed here upon supposition of that which I have said in my Book of the right of the Church Pag. 98-106 to ground the difference between preaching the Gospell to those that are not Christians and teaching those that are upon the Scriptures of the old and New Testament Our Lord and his Apostles pretending as indeed they were to be prophets might easily be admitted to teach the people in the Synagogue wheresoever they came because the whole Nation was to obey them by the Law Deutr. XVIII 13. supposing them to be Prophets indeed Thus had they meanes to preach Christ and Christianity to the Jewes so long as the Jewes in regard of the credit which their doctrine life and miracles had among the Jewes could not condemne them for false Prophets As for the Gentiles who had not any custome to assemble themselves for the service of God worshipping false Gods They could doe no more then give them the newes of the Gospell till having perswaded them to be Christians they might assemble them as they found meanes both to praise God and pray to God according to that which they either had attained to or desired to attaine And to teach them what they
had further to learne to make their Praises of God and prayers to God the more Christian He that understandeth this case by the Scriptures of the new Testament must conclude that all preaching is to make men Christians that the praises of God and prayers to God comprehending the Eucharist are the exercise of Christianity The one the next meanes to attaine salvation the other onely the meanes to attaine that meanes So that this dispute also resolveth into that of my second Book whether we are justified by believing that we are justified and predestinate Or by professing and living as Christians For supposing the state of salvation to be obtained by so believing and that so as not to be forfeited any more It is very reasonable to run infinitely after Sermons till a man find himselfe setled in so believing But so that then he shall believe that which he can have no reason supposing the Scriptures to believe Nor shall the frequenting of Sermons serve to show any resonable motive to believe But the very act of hearing a man speake out of the Pulpit by the glasse must be taken for the meanes appointed by God by which when he sees his time he will determine the Elect to believe leaving the Reprobate in their unbeliefe though perhaps after they have slept out more Sermons then the other have done So the opus operatum of hearing Sermons according to this opinion succeeds instead of the opus operatum of hearing Masses according to the corrupt practice of the Church of Rome And in this chang the worke of Reformation according to this opinion must consist But then it will be necessarily consequent that they who have attained this faith give over hearing sermons for the future and not onely Sermons but prayers and all other offices of Gods service and assemblies for the same according to the opinion of that Sect that now thinks themselves above ordinances Which Sect before ever it appeared I had understood by a person of integrity and knowledge that there was a difference of opinion among those who frequented and maintayned Sermons besides the order of the Ecclesiasticall Lawes in England Some thinking it a meanes of faith to confer of the sermon after it is don others laughing at so silly a mistake as thinking to attaine the state of salvation by reason and freewill not by Gods meer Grace Whereby it appeareth that whosoever as I doe makes the preaching of the Gospell that is not speaking out of a Pulpit but showing the reasons which Gods word proposeth to move men to be true Christians the meanes which Gods spirit useth to bring a man to the state of Grace is obliged to grant that it is no otherwise the meanes to maintaine a man in that state then as it is the meanes to maintaine him a good Christian And that his Christianity in the first place consisting in the publike service of God to which he becomes ingaged by being baptized into the Church The offices thereof are the immediate meanes of salvation to which as well as to the offices concerning other men and our selves all teaching of Christians immediately tendeth as all preaching to unbelievers at a distance Now let no man think that I take any pleasure in censuring the proceedings of forraine Churches which I could willingly have passed over in silence had not a pernicious affectation of being like them caryed those that liked not this order to destroy the very being of the English Church out of a desire to change the vertue of it for their oversight For now I must say whatsoever offence it may cause that when it had been well pleaded that the communion of the Eucharist ought to be restored in both kinds with the service of God in a known language And that order ought to be taken that preaching might be frequented for the instruction of the people to infer thereupon for a Law that there be no orders for holding any assembly of the Church without Preaching was to cure the abuse of Private Masses by degrading the Eucharist from the preeminence that it holdeth above all other offices that God can be served with by a Christian And that without colour from the scripture without precedent from any practice of the Church There have been indeed pretenses among us that the word which giveth efficacy to the Sacraments is the word preached Meaning thereby a sermon spoken out of the Pulpit And from hence hath proceeded the affectation of Christning Sermons as if that were the word whereof S. Austine saith Accedat verbum ad elementum fit Sacramentum Nay this preaching afore meate in a long discourse instead of thanksgiving what is it but a mark of that sense which they give S. Paul when he saith that the creature is sanctified by the word of God prayer for the food of Christians 1 Tim. IV. 5 And when Sermons are so affectedly called the Meanes To wit of saving us Is it not manifest that they attribute vnto Sermons that which S. Paul Rom. X. 8-15 and the apostles elsewhere attribute to the preaching of the Gospell whereby a man becomes convict that he ought to become a Christian without which no Christian will grant any man can be saved Whereby we may see what consequence slight mistakes in the very signification of the words may and doe produce For having showed an evident difference between preaching the Gospell to those who as yet believe not and teaching those that are become Christians the further knowledg of their Christianity I may take for granted that it is a mistake when the difference is not made between preaching to an assembly of Christians and declaring the Gospell to unbelievers whom the Apostles could not deale with upon any supposition of Christianity but onely upon the force of those motives which they showed them to imbrace it to whom therefore the onely meanes of their salvation was the knowledge of those motives And though all Christians when they come among unbelievers are bound to preach Christ to them that is to declare unto them the reasons why they ought to be Christians so far as they are able to doe it without prejudice of Christianity Yet to preach it as the Apostles preached it planting with all the Church in which God should be served according to Christianity is that which no private man can doe without authority received by the Church from the Apostles From which authority all that is afterwards don in serving God by the Churches so planted must receive that warrant upon which Christians may ground themselves that it is agreeable to the will of God And upon these termes it is to be granted that sermons preached in the assemblies of Christians are the meanes of their salvation because that the allowance of the Church groundeth a presumption that they are according to Christianity But if this be wanting though it is not necessary that they should be contray to Gods word yet because there is no