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A57683
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A sermon preached at a visitation in Honiton in Devon, on Wensday in Easter week, 1676 by J.R. Rector of Lezant in Cornwall.
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J. R. (James Rossington), b. 1642 or 3.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing R1995; ESTC R23078
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23,190
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40
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subscriptions thereto thus it was used amongst the Protestants in Poland where Falkner p. 86. after the consent chiefly touching the Lords Supper was establisht in the synod of Sandemir Ano. Dni 1570. between the Churches of those three confessions the Bohemian Augustine and Helvetian it was concluded in another following general synod that none should be admitted into the Ministry unless consensui subscribat the French Church required likewise a subscription to their Liturgy and besides this it hath been the custome even of the reformed Churches to impose solemn Oaths for the yet closer binding to canonical obedience thus in the Behemian Church after Ordination the Minister was solemnly admitted to his Ministration by the Visitours who among other things committed to him their liber Ritualis containing their form and Rites of worship to the performance thereof they did oblige themselves at their Ordination by a Religious oath So at Strasburgh after its first Reformation they who entred into the Ministry did by Oath undertake to keep in the communion and obedience of the Church and its Governours according to the Law of God and their canons statutes and Ordinances and it is related from the laws of Geneva where an establisht Liturgy is one of their constitutions that all there who were received to the Ministry must oblige themselves by Oath to observe the Ecclesiastical Ordinances ordained by the Councils of that City and in the Hungarian Church they binde themselves by oath to the observation of the Ecclesiastical canons and performing due obedience to the Bishop But if the contentious amongst us will condemn all Ecclesiastical laws and sanctions and account nothing pure but what is used in their conventicles I dare joyn issue with them even upon that and appeal to their own practice and prescriptions whether many things are not ordered according to the humours of the Minister besides men are very much mistaken to think ceremonies and constitutions meerly indifferent I mean in the general for however every particular ceremony be indifferent and every particular constitution is arbitrary and alterable yet that there should be some ceremonies it is necessary necessitate absolutâ insomuch as no outward work can be performed without ceremonious circumstances some or other and that there should be some constitutions concerning them it is also necessary though not simply and absolutely as the former yet ex hypothesi necessitate convenientiae otherwise quot capita tot schismata whereof what other would be the issue but infinite distractions and disorderly confusions in the Church when every one acts as his humour leads him and that upon this account Constitutions some or other are necessary is agreeable to the Apostles when they met in a Council at Jerusalem for setling the Churches peace We reade Acts. 15.28 that they would lay no other burthen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besides these necessary things 't was not enough with them that the things would be necessary when they had required them but they looked on an antecedent necessity which was the only ground of their imposing these Commands upon the Gentile-Christians but observe this antecedent necessity did not arise from the nature of the things enjoyned but from the expediency and conveniency there was for the Injunction by reason of the present juncture of affairs and to say otherwise would be to contradict the Apostle or make him to contradict himself from which Apostolical fynod as may be well noted the London-Ministers in their Jusdivinum allow a Synod power of imposing things on the Church which they assert to be included in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and consequently that things indifferent in their own nature become necessary to be practiced after such a decree or Injunction Cap. 13. the like do the Assembly grant in their Confession moreover the Apostles did not only exercise this power when they sat in Council together but when they were asunder also St. Paul often mentions Constitutions that he made for diverse Churches for the Church of Galatia he made an Order 1 Cor. 16.1.2 that Collections for the poor should be made on every first day of the week 1 Cor. 11. and meant to bring in the same custome into the Corinthian Church he framed Ordinances also for that Church 2 Thess 3.14 so for the Church of Thessalonica where he commanded opposers against his determinations to be excommunicated neither could such things as these be commanded by an unchangeable law since they are to be taken up and laid aside as occasion serveth therefore the Apostle having instructed the Corinthians in matters of faith and godliness puts off these other matters till his own coming that he might see what is most expedient the rest will I set in order when I come where he promiseth you see to appoint things belonging to outward Order now we know that he never came to Corinth after that who then did order those other things but the Governours of the Church he might have prescribed unto them a compleat form for outward Order and Polity but he foresaw that the same orders would not suit every state of a particular Church and therefore his coming being prevented his successours had power to determine of things and if the same orders and constitutions will not serve a particular Church at all times how was it possible for the Apostles to express all matters of Rites and Orders belonging to the Catholick Church sometimes the Church hath to do with Pagans sometimes with Hereticks and those diverse by reason whereof the Church hath been occasioned to change her Rites as namely dipping in baptisme which she hath changed from thrice to once and from once to thrice accordingly as the 20th Article ascribes a power to the Church to decree Rites and Ceremonies so the 34th says every particular Church hath authority to ordain change or abolish Ceremonies or Rites in the Church the same in the Articles of Religion of the Church of Ireland printed in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth and accords with the Confession of the Reformed Church of France published in the year 1562. which adds Discipl des Egl. Reform de Franc. Ch. des Consistoires Art 31. as may be seen also in Confess Eccl. Gal. inter opuscula Calvini qui hoc detrectant cerebrosi pervicaces apud nos habentur such as refuse to obey are accounted with us obstinate and brainsick and accordingly ought they to be proceeded against and in case other Methods do not take ils seront retrenches de l' Eglise they are to be out off from the Church so our Saviour he that heareth not the Church let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican and what is the condition of such they are delivered over unto Satan a sad condition if true and most true it is verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven this is no brutum fulmen such a blinding as
he thought them not worthy of any other answer then telling them such is not or such is the custome received and practized in the Church of God Now against such contentious spirits amongst us I shall make the same plea and in justification of the known Rites and ceremonies and constitutions of this Church of England appeal to the the ancient usages and customs of other Churches I 'le instance in some particulars 1st That of the Surplice we reade of white vestments in St. Chrysost and St. Jeroms time Polydore Virgil and Isidore write it was ordained by Stephanus Bishop of Rome in the third Century to be used by Ministers on their Ministration he that reads the 41 Chapter of the 4th Council of Carthage will finde that it was used at that time and Theodoret tells us that Constantine gave one to Macarius Bishop of Jerusalem as a peculiar garment to minister in and the Etymology of the word Superpelliceum used to signify a Surplice denotes it to be of ancient use and 't is well observed that in the Arabick language the Apostles in opposition to the Chemarims which Junius renders Atratos are termed by a word which some render Albicantes others viri albis induti vestibus men in white vests or Surplices as is declared by Buxtorfius and hath been observed by R. D. Kimchi on Zeph. 1.4 The Votaries likewise of the Lamb of God are represented to St. John Vid. D. Hammond on Rev. 198 and upon occasion by several other Reformed Churches vid. Consens Sandomir as celebrating his solemn service in the Christian Church in this habit Moreover the Surplice is at this day used in the Reformed Churches of the Augustan confession and whence is our Dominica in albis our Whit-sunday but from the white Robes then worn by all Christians and if so many used it then may not one in a congregation use it now Just Martyr against Tryphon and in his 2d Apol. Tertul de Coron Mil. de Resur St. Cypr. de lapsis Epist 56. ad Thib. S. Aust Tom. 8. p. 262. 2dly The Cross it was oft times used by all Christians in the Primitive times and particularly in the Office for Baptisme as Tertull. and others witness and so the Reformed Churches of the confession of Augsburgh for the most part use it and in other parts of Divine Service and for further satisfaction that 't is according to ancient custome I refer you to the 18 Cannon nor can it be said to be an addition to the Sacrament of Baptisme as the Rubrick before private Baptisme declares nor a distinct Sacrament having no invisible grace accompanying it which is essentiall to constitute a Sacrament neither do we pretend it hath so that 't is not unlawful upon either of those Accounts its use being as the words which are spoken at the making of it expresly declare only to signify as among the Primitive Christians as when the King having created those noble knights of his Order bestows upon them the Garter and the blew Riband as badges to be known by of others and to put them in minde of the great honour done unto them in like manner when the Infant hath by baptisme been inrolled in the Militia of the king of glory this signe of the Cross is made upon his forehead to declare that he was consecrated to Christ crucifyed that he hath put on his Livery and wears his Badge 3dly The Ring in Marriage by a large consent of Churches and Nations hath a Ring been thought fit to establish the Matrimoniall contract as a pledge or earnest thereof whence 't was the ordinary custome of the Jews to use the Ring of espousing as Buxtorf witnesseth the like among the customes of the Romans Juvenal Et digitis pignus fortasse dedisti but yet notwithstanding no part of their paganisme as Tertul. evinceth S. Austin calls it De Idol c. 16. Arram sponsi In the Reformed Church of Hessen they marry with a Ring they do the like in Lithuania c. 4ly The Gloria Patri and our often repeating of it the Jews ordinarily used some such doxology or Hallelujah and the Non-conformists at this day at the end of their prayers four or five times in an Assembly use that doxology to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost c. In the Arabick version of the Psalms we have Glory be to the Father c. at the end of every tenth Psalm and was probably in practice at the end of every Psalm If being reasonably supposed that the words therein contained ought to excite and stir up all the faithful who heard them recited to praise the Lord and magnify his Name Damasus appointed it to be so in the 4th Century Cass l. 2. de Instit Caenob who was then Bishop of Rome and that the Western Churches used it so we have the testimony of Cassianus who lived above 1300 years ago When we assert any thing with much earnestnesse we usually say this is the truth and we will stand to it Bishop Sparrow and moreover he witnesseth that in all the Churches of France they used to stand at it and surely if we may and ought to stand at the rehearsal of the Apostles Creed to shew our constancy and readiness to maintain that faith which we there profess much more at this Hymn which is both a Compendium or short profession of our faith and a song of praise to God 5ly Standing at the Gospel this is likewise very ancient as appears by the Decree made for that purpose by Anastâ—sius Anno Christi 400. mentioned by Platina in his life and if we may believe Durantus it was in use long before 6ly Standing at the Psalms and Hymns this gesture is taken notice of in Scripture as very proper for our lands and thanksgivings Psal 134.2.135 1 2. at this Office we reade all Israel stood in Davids time 2 Chron. 7. and so long after the Levites called to the people to stand up and blesse the Lord their God Neh. 9.5 7ly Kneeling at the receiving of the Eucharist this hath been anciently used in the Church and the more generally observed by reason of the Arrians who denyed the deity of Christ so ought it to be used against the Socinian Hereticks and Familists and if you will in opposition to the Pope who all insolently shew their equality with Christ himself by receiving it sitting a gesture which at the receiving of the Communion hath been prohibited if not condemned by a full Synod of Protestants in Poland moreover it was the ordinary gesture in the Romish Pagan Idolatry the ancient laws of their Pagan-worship requiring Ut adoraturisedeant which as Plutarch affirmeth was appointed by Numa Pompilius and Tertullian informs us that at their Gentile Solemnities even in his time adoratis sigillaribas suis sedendo And besides sitting at prayers when I hope we are lifting up our hearts as we receive the Sacrament is against all