separation from it the symboll of faction Therefore the ancient Writers counted those that would not be subject to them to be worse then infidels for they held the Church had her externall being and constitution by Bishops and they that did not communicate with Episcopacy were not in the Church Yea more Cyp Ep. 27. in Ep. ad Flo. Pupianum Clem. Ep. 1.3 Ruff. transl Russinus is so bold to say that all Priests Clergy men people nations and languages that would not obey their Bishops should be shut from the communion of the holy Church here and of heaven hereafter Mathe. Many found fault as much with the Liturgy as with Episcopacy Phila. They found none but fained some They pretended that set forms of praier were not to be used in the Church neither considering the authority antiquity nor the conveniency of it First not the authority as that it was appointed by God himselfe Num. 6.23 where the Priests are appointed to blesse the people in a set form of words So Deut. 26.13 the people are injoined a set form of praier after the paiment of his tiths Nor do they consider that the book of Psalms are all set forms of praier or praise and delivered to chiefe Musitians to be set to divers instruments to praise God withall 1 Chron. 16.7 and 1 Chron. 25.3 and 2 Chron. 30.21 and Ezra 3.11 Nor do they discern that Christ gave his Disciples a set form first giving it them as a pattern in the first year of his ministry Mat. 6.9 and in the third year of his ministry gives it them as a praier expresly to be used Luke 11.2 when you pray say Our Father which praier is not of extempore conception neither for we may find in old Jewish Euchologues most of the petitions not that Christ need to borrow of any but he did it to shew that truth was his freehold wheresoever he found it and to teach us to subject our selves to the spirit in ancient truths rather then to affect extempore raptures Nor do they perceive the antiquity of set forms in the N. T. Church for we find St James the first Bishop of Jerusalem was the first setter forth of Liturgies and he placed there by the Apostles So Titus was left in Creet to set in order things than were wanting and what things they were being they had the Gospell and Sacraments let any man tell you except they were Church Rituals Ignatius also Bishop of Antioch taught his Church Liturgies and Doxologies as appears by the Ecclesiasticall histories He lived in the first hundred years after Christ and from that Church of Antioch Trip. hist l. 10. c. 9. where men were first called Christians Liturgies were derived to other Churches as to Rome it selfe For Gregory the first being Bishop of Rome brought in the form of the Greek Letanies in that Church so that our Liturgy primarily commeth from the Greek Conc. Ancyr 1. tom Con. Conc. Meter not the Latin Church but if it did yet whatsoever is good in it may be used by any Christian Church except we think it not fit to worship Christ because he was sometimes consessed by the devils mouth Nor do they see the convenience of it St Paul did namely that we may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 15.6 And Mr Calvin approved it very much writing to the Protector of England in K. Edw. the sixths time that there should be a form of Church Service from which Ministers might not depart in the exercise of their functions that there may be an help to the simplicity of some and a remedy against the levity of others that affect innovations and for the clearer appearance of the unanimity of all Churches among themselves I know they say also that set forms of praier hindereth the gift of the spirit in ministers which would utter it selfe freely but that it is bound up by reading a set form But considering that the minister is the mouth of the people to God I conceive it convenient that the people know what he sollicites God for that they may the more comfortably join with him in praier Nor can I see how the Church is more edified by extempore praier than a set form since the Church is edified as well by Sermons composed as sermons preached Besides the spirit of the Church may edifie her members by her composures as well as any one member may edifie any part of the Church by his voluntary conceptions and expressions which may be done for ostentation or may want consideration and discretion also Nor doth set forms limit the spirit any more then extempore raptures neither in the minister nor people Not in the minister for he hath divers times in private devotions and before and after his Sermon to enlarge himselfe farther as occasion requireth And for his being stinted by the Liturgy there is no reason but he may since the spirit of the Prophet must be subject to the Prophets in their prophecying 1 Cor. 14. and then why not in praying by the spirit of the Church representative which composed the Liturgy And for the spirit in the people it is no more limited by a set form then by a sudden conceived praier for their spirit being equally intent upon this is as much limited as by that and so as the peoples spirit is subjected to the ministers in his praier so much more ought the spirit of the minister be subjected to the spirit of the Churches corporation I have seen many ridiculous pamphlets against the Liturgy more fit for wast paper then to be answered I spoke enough before of this matter in answer to some heresies Some do object that it containeth not praier for all occasions yet I think if they would well consider the Letany they can hardly add any thing to it though upon every particular petition therein they make as long a praier as the whole Liturgy Mathe. But the ceremonies are more offensive then the Liturgy Phila. They need not if people would consider the paucity the indifferency and the power that the Church hath to impose things indifferent For first there was but three the Surplice for the Minister the Crosse for the Baptized and kneeling for Communicants three innocent ceremonies as many of the complainers themselves have confessed in the opinion of wise men yet have they been violently opposed by many that cannot find the medium between affirmative and negative superstition but either rush into the gulfe or dash upon the rock The Praecisian he will have no ceremony without speciall warrant from Scripture like the Sadduces The Papist on the other side will have them necessary to divine worship though not set down in Scripture like the Pharisees traditions of the Elders Between both these lieth a middle way to walk in Zanch. de sacra Script p. 262. bounded with the authority and liberty of the Church in imposing and using
fulfill it Mat. 5.17 or why doth the Apostle say that he doth not by his preaching up faith to justifie a man Rom. 3.31 make void the Law but establish it surely by accepting it for a rule of an holy life though not either to justifie or condemn us but to walk according to it out of love to righteousnesse Rom. 7.22 Again 18. They say a man is not bound to pray except the spirit moveth him yet Paul saith pray continually and Peter bids us be sober and watch to praier as if it were a duty and if we look upon it as a duty then we are to do it without expecting farther incitation by immediat infusions So they say that the spirit works in hypocrites by gifts and graces but in Gods children immediatly but then they need not take heed it seems to the sure word of prophecy as saith St Peter which he prefers for the Churches establishment before that of revelation calling it a more sure word of prophecy 2 Pet. 18 19. So they pretend that a Minister that hath not this new light cannot edifie them that have it I wonder then how the Apostles edified the Church who had not this new light or dark lanthorn rather of vaine opinions for I have shewed you that they are contrary to the Apostles doctrins or if their light were the most saving grace of God yet a man that hath it not may edify others by preaching salvation to others though himselfe be a castaway So they say no Christian ought to be prest to the duties of holinesse This is to make the world beleeve that there is no need of preaching 2 Tim. 4.2 yet St Paul bids Timothy to preach in season and out of season and Titus to rebuke and exhort with all authority Tit. 2.15 Mathe. What other Sects troubled the Protestant Church Phila. The Arminians revived the heresie of Pelagius Britto who lived in the daies of the Emperours Arcadius and Honorius who held that men by nature might fulfill the whole Law of God and denied originall sin and said that men were sinners by imitation only of Adams not by carnall propagation contrary to Psal 51. And that children had no need of baptisme for remission of sin and that the Godly men in Scripture that confessed their sins did it for example sake rather then out of guiltinesse whom St Augustine sufficiently confutes and their tenets were condemned by the fift Councill of Carthage in the year 419. as hereticall Also by the Milevitane Councill in Numidia The patron of the Arminians was one Jacobus Arminius professor of Divinity at Leyden in the Low Countries in the year 1605. his followers are called Remonstrants Now as Pelagius being driven from Rome came into England and infected it with his errors though by the travels of Germanus Altisidorensis and Palladius sent hither by Caelestinus Bishop of Rome the land was freed from his poison So Arminius infected England by his writings and his well-wishers such as Conradus Vorstius but was reasonably well stopt by the diligence of King James in sending over certain learned and grave Divines to the Synod of Dort Yet neverthelesse these errors have found many favourers in England though they are against Scriptures and the Articles of the Church of England As concerning prepestination they deny it by saying that it is only the will of God to save them that beleeve and persevere and that there is no other decree of election contrary to Acts 13.48 as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved and Eph. 1.4 he hath chosen us to salvation before the foundation of the world So Ro. 8.30 whom he hath predestinated them he hath also called So they say election is of faith not of persons but Paul saith God hath called us according to his purpose in Christ before the world 4. That election of us to faith presupposeth in us honesty and humility and a disposition to eternall life whereas it is election that causeth such vertues and not they election Ephes 2.3 4. for by nature we are only given to fulfill the will of the flesh and are by nature the children of wrath as well as others but God who is rich in mercy Rom. 9.11 hath quickned us c. for election is not of works but of him that calleth for he loved us first 1 John 4.10 So 5. They say election is not unchangeable but a man may withstand Gods decree Mat. 24.24 but Christ saith the elect cannot be seduced for Christ loseth not those that are given to him John 6.39 and therefore the chaine holds from election to glorification Rom. 8.30 which certainly is the joy of Gods people that their names are written in heaven Luke 10.20 and therefore none can charge them nor condemn them Rom. 8.33 So 6. They make election generall which is a contradiction Rom. 9.18 God hath mercy on whom he will And to some it is given to know the mysteries of Christs Kingdome not to others Mat. 13.11 to babes and not to the worldly wise Mat. 11.15 16. Mathe. What farther errors hold these Arminians Phila. They say that the cause why God sends his Gospell to one people and not to another is not only Gods good pleasure but because one nation is more worthy then another Deu. 10.14 15 yet Moses told Israel that God chose their fathers out of meer love And Christ said that Chorazin and Bethsaida were a worse people then those of Tyre and Zidon Mat. 11.21 So they say that God ordained Christ to die without any certaine determination of saving any particular man or people Isa 53.10 yet Isaiah saith that when he shall make his soul an offering for sin that he shall see his seed And Christ saith I know my sheep and I lay down my life for my sheep So they teach that God did not intend to establish a new Covenant of grace with man by Christs blood but to make any covenant with man whatsoever either of works or grace But Christ is called the surety of a better estament than was before viz. of works Heb. 7.22 whereby we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption of Christ So they say that all are received into grace and favor alike in the Gospel-covenant and none shall be condemned for originall sin and yet Christ saith I pray not for the world but for those thou hast given me out of the world They say also that God confers equally the benefits of Christs death to men but the cause why some men have them and not others is by reason of their free will chusing it and not of Gods singular gift of mercy effectually working thereunto yet St Paul saith it is not in him that willeth or runneth but in God that sheweth mercy So they say Christ died not for those whom God loved and chose to eternall life because they had no need of it But they perceive not that they were chosen
the form of baptism saying I baptize thee in the name of the Father by the Son Niceph. hist l. 10. c. 35. in the Spirit the baptisme of such indeed is vaine and no baptisme but the baptisme of those that hold the foundation of faith as the Novatians did but built not rightly upon it yet kept the true form of baptizing such might be admitted into the Church again without rebaptization because there is but one truth faith and baptisme Again another error rose up about the year 380. Donatus by Donatus and his disciples Donatus was Bishop of Numidia and held that the true Church was only among those in Africa that held with him contrary to that universall donation which God gave to Christ by promise Psal 2. I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Optatus whom Optatus Bishop of Milevitane confuted in the time of Valentinian the Emperour Also this Donatus affirmed that all that had been baptized in the universall Church save by those of his party ought to be rebaptized whose error the Anabaptists still follow These were worse then the other for they were not only schismaticks but hereticks also for they denied that Article of the Creed which confesseth the Church Catholick yet our Brownists and Anabaptists in these latter times follow their steps by refusing communion with the Church of England and in their uncharitable censures of all that are not of their party Aug. ep 50. as also in defacing the Churches and breaking down Communion Tables for a third error sprung up 1525. by the Anabaptists in Germany of whom I have spoken already They held that children ought not to be baptized til they came to ripe age and can give account of their faith These are very deeply plunged in this old error yea more then any of the former for they not only nullifie all baptisme by Papists or Protestants but deny baptisme to infants also which neither the Novatians nor Donatists did Mathe. But what say you to the third tenet That there ought to be no set form of Praier or Liturgy in the Church Phila. I shall prove that such set forms may be in the Church 1. By Scriptures 2. Antiquity And 3. By reason 1. By Scriptures Liturgy proved lawfull God set a form of blessing the people Num. 6.23 So of confession Deut. 26.5 and of praier Hos 14.2 and Joel 2.17 And therefore the Church may imitate God in this she having the spirit of supplication poured upon her though such forms be not indited to her by immediate infusion Beside we find in Scriptures that holy men of themselves did without any prescription from God set down forms of praier and praises as Moses Num. 10.35 36. and David set Psalms to be sung at certain times as Psal 92. a song for the Sabbath day and Psal 102. is a Psalm for the afflicted So we find some called Psalms of degrees which they sung when the Priests went up the steps to the Temple This they did and yet no doubt could pray by the spirit also In the New Testament also Cyp. de orat dom Christ not only set us a rule to pray by Mat. 6.9 but as a form to use Luke 11.2 When ye pray say our Father c. And Christ used a form thrice saying the same words Mat. 26.39 So the Apostle used a form saying The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you and so in many Epistles 2. It may be proved by antiquity and modern history that the Churches from the Apostles had set forms that they might with one mind and one mouth glorifie God Rom. 15.6 And some think that the form of sound words committed to Timothy was some symbole of faith or form of Liturgy But however it is plain that in the first hundred yeers Victorinus Sciaticus in praef Laturg Clem in Epi. ad Corinth Hegesippus both the Greek and Latine East and West Church had set forms which some write they received from the Apostles And surely James chosen Bishop of Jerusalem by the Apostles had not the name of Liturgus given him for nothing some say from a Liturgy that he composed So likewise in the next age we find that the Christians met every Lords day and had certain select places of scripture read to them and had common praiers beside the ministers particular conceived praier and also sung Psalms So Ignatius writing to the Magnesians an Epistle generally confessed to be his saith Iust Mart. apol 2. ad Antoninum Imperat. and chargeth them to meet all in one place and to have one common praier and to meet in one faith and one hope unblameable in Jesus Christ and so to run as if all were but one to the Church as to one Altar and one Jesus Christ This man suffered martyrdome in the year 107. after Christ And as in the former times they had their common praiers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tertul. apol c. 30. so they had also prescribed praiers as appears in the forms of their praiers for Emperours recited by Tertullian and the short antiphonas and responsories which we find in St Cyprians which are retained in our Liturgies to this time Magd. hist cent 3. viz. Lift up your hearts saith the Minister at the Communion the people answered We lift them up to the Lord. He lived about the year 250. Then next in the time of Constantine the great about 300. and odd years after Christ He commanded praiers to be made in a set form for the welfare of the Empire Euse Eccl. hist lib. 4. c. 19. and the propagation of the Gospell and thanksgivings for that God had given him victory over all the tyrants and persecuters of the Church and he himselfe made a form for his souldiers to say every day And farther the Councill of Laodicea about 368. called after the death of Jovinian the Emperor set down rules that one and the same service should be used morning and evening And when some began to make use of extempore praiers of their own and left the common forms then the Milevitane Councill assembled afterward in the raign of Arcadius about some 400 years after Christ whereof St Austin Bishop of Hippo was president and wherein the hereticks Pelagius and Caelestius who held that man had power and free will to do good without the support of grace were sufficiently confuted This Councill I say made orders that none should in the Churches use any other praiers but those that were composed by the Synod and gives this reason lest some by ignorance or want of care might utter something in the Church that might be dissonant from the Catholike faith to which order not only Presbyters but also Bishops were to be subject After this in the next age Basil and Ambrose Chrysostome makes Liturgies for their Churches And in the next age Gregory and Isidore did the like
every man their fellow The books that some of their own have written shew enough of their simplicity Mathe. Are we not troubled with some of the old Pelagians Phila. There have been some long agoe that held some of the opinions of old Pelagius Britto the Welsh man alias Morgan Cond in the fift Council of Carthage and in others Pontanus Cat. Haeret. who lived in the time of the Emperour Theodosius the younger about the year 416. His followers of latter time are reckoned to hold many errors as 1. That Adam should have died by the course of nature though he had not sinned yet we find that God joins death to disobedience Gen. 2.17 So 2. They say Adams sin only hurt himselfe not his posteritie yet Paul saith otherwise Rom. 5.12 by one man sin entred and death passed upon all men because all men did partake of that one sin yea even those that never sinned as Adam did ver 14. i. actuallie but not originallie as children have no sin but that and yet die August Beza But therefore 3. These Pelagians denie originall sin in children but how then saith David in sin my mother conceived me Psal 51. and therefore originall sin is propagated by generation 4. They say the children of the faithfull though not baptized are saved and they shall enjoy everlasting life but not in heaven but Christ saith Joh. 3. that those which belong to Gods Kingdome must be baptized with water nor doth the Scripture set forth to us any third place between heaven and hell 5. They say that men are born in Adams perfection stature and age excepted yet sure they are not born in such integrity as Adam was made for then all would be equally wise and good when they come to age 6. They say men have free will by which they are enabled to do well without Gods grace yet saith Paul not I but the grace of God in me 7. Gods grace they say is obtained by the merit of our works yet Paul saith that they that are in the flesh cannot please God and therefore by naturall works they cannot merit grace 8. They say that the word grace in Scripture doth not signifie remission of sin or donation of the Holy Ghost but the doctrine of the Gospell But this is found otherwise for as there is the doctrine of faith Fides quam credimus fides quâ credimus which is preached Rom. 10.8 and the vertue of faith by which we beleeve it and are thereby justified Rom. 5.1 So the promulgation of the Gospell is a common grace afforded to many Tit. 2.11 teaching us to denie ungodlinesse and next by it is begot saving grace 1 Tim. 1.14 the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant in me with faith and love which is in Jesus Christ 9. They say that faith is the knowledge of the Law and the Historie not any speciall work in us but then the faith of divels and good Christians are both alike Jam. 2.19.10 They say the Law is not impossible for a man to keep and it is satisfied by the externall obedience why then doth Paul say that by the work of the Law no man can be justified Rom. 3.20 yet he that can fulfill it may be justified by it and hath no need of Christ Gal. 3.12 So 11. They say that to pray for the conversion of sinners or for the Saints perseverance is vain because it is in the power of their own free will But surely the will of man hath not power to revive him though he had power to kill himselfe and therefore praier is very fit to be used for people unconverted and also for the godly because of their frailties therefore Christ bids us pray for our enemies and Paul boweth his knees dailie for the Ephesians c. 3.16 So 12. They slight the doctrin of predestination which is applauded by St Paul Rom. 8. and comfortable to Gods people Many other errors they hold not worth relating Mathe. But I hear of some called Independents and Levellers I would willingly know what they are Phila. Independants are those that set up a congregationall government which shall depend upon no other Church Synod nor Classis and though they be against the Bishops yet they would have in every Church Bishop-Independants and so many Parishes so many prelacies because they are Independant upon any other They are bred from Separatists and Brownists The first of them that I can hear of was one Mr Robinson who leaving Norwich turned a rigid Brownist at Leyden He dying many of his followers went from thence to New England and planted at Plymoth there and spread their errors by discourse and into old England by letters where they endeavor to set Church against Church and Conventicles against our Churches which they call steeple-houses which were at first set up for the honour of God and his service though abused by the Papists to superstition yet are they never the worse when they are returned to a right use for as there is no inherent righteousness in their wals so neither is inherent superstition in them It is true that Jehosaphat took away the high places and groves because God had appointed and a place was consecrated for his service 2 Chro. 17.6 and such high places and groves were forbidden But they just contrary to Jehosaphat pull down the consecrated places and set up high places in chambers and meet in the groves and woods God give them a right understanding in the use of Churches Beside this they set themselves to overthrow learning and to rob it of all maintainance and the ministers of all dues and yet ask wherein have we robbed God Mal. 3.8 where God answereth them in tithes and offerings which God thought a fit way to maintaine his Priests And Christ bids the Leper go shew himselfe to the Priest and pay his offering Mat. 8.4 And Paul found it was equity that as they which did wait on the Altar were partakers of the Altar So that it was Gods Ordinance that they that preach the Gospell should live on the Gospell 1 Cor. 9.13 14. Yet these like Julian the Apostate would rob the Church of maintainance that there might be no ministrie because they despise prophecie Again they allow no set forms of Praier no not Christs form and yet they will say St Pauls namely The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost c. Yet it hath ever been the practice of all true Churches Jewes and Christians to have set forms as well for the uniform consent of the people Rom. 15.6 in praier and in praise as also for the confining not of the spirit as they suppose but of their inconsiderate spirits to the words of truth and sobernesse Yet there was alwaies liberty enough to shew the gift of praier before and after Sermon if men could use their libertie not as occasion to fleshly phantasies Mathe.