at Morning and Evening Prayer in the Temple Praising and Blessing God Luk. xxiv 53. And after by the power of the Holy Ghost coming on them they had setled Churches we read the four living Creatures and the twenty four Elders by which are certainly meant the Governours of the Christian Church rested not Day and Night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty c. that is Morning and Evening they fell down before God and Worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever Which Practice hath ever since continued in the Church which in that Heavenly Hymn commonly ascribed to St. Ambrose hath constantly said Day by day we magnifie thy Name For which end certain hours as well as a certain place have been alwayes appointed that Men might so order their other Affairs as to be able to mind this great business of giving Thanks and Praise to God the Creator of all and imploring his Blessing on them in their several Callings and Conditions and on their Church and Country and finally on the whole World It is so sure that the Jews had such set hours of Prayer that I do not think fit to say much of a matter so well known I will only note that they were the 3d hour the 6th and the 9th Which the Christian Church afterward observed and that from the Example of the Apostles themselves For St. Peter even when he was not at Jerusalem went up to the house-top to pray about the sixth hour i. e. Twelve a Clock Which we cannot doubt was his usual custome and as little doubt that it was the custom of the other Apostles and by them every where propagated throughout all the Churches Which the Ancient Writers of Christianity tell us observed those very set hours of Prayer So Clemens in his Constitutions vii 24. and Clemens Alexandrinus in L. vii of his Stromata where he calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the set appointed hours And Tertullian in his Book of Fasting chap. 10. Origen also in his Book of Prayer proves from several Scripture Examples that it ought not to be made less than three times every day N. 38. And such was the Practice in St. Chrysostomes dayes I shall have occasion to show in the end of this Chapter which is still continued in our great Churches every where I will here only transcribe the Words of St. Hierom upon the vi Dan. 10. There are three times in which our knees ought to be bowed to God at the third hour the sixth and the ninth as the Ecclesiastical Tradition instructs us At the third hour the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles At the sixth Peter went up to pray in the upper Chamber And at the ninth Peter and John went up together into the Temple Whether the Publick Service of God was every where celebrated three times a day or only upon the Lord's Day and in great Cities every Day may justly be questioned And I incline to think it was not every day in all places celebrated more than twice because the Constitutions ascribed to the Apostles which are undoubtedly very Ancient injoyn no more but Morning and Evening Prayer The words are very remarkable directed to the Bishop to whom they say L. 2. Constit 58. Command and Exhort the people to come continually to Church Morning and Evening every day and not to fail at all and then they mention in the same place three Services upon the Lord's Day as more solemn than all the rest Which is exactly sutable to God's appointment among the Jews who had daily the Morning and Evening Offering And on the Sabbath day another Offering beside the Continual Burnt-Offering as we read expresly Numb xxviii 9 10. They had indeed at the Temple other Offerings every day about 12 a Clock but they were not the Sacrifices of the whole Congregation of Israel as the Morning and Evening Sacrifices were but the Sacrifices of particular Persons on particular Occasions And accordingly all Christians prayed publickly twice every day Morning and Evening and had another hour also for Private Prayers which was about Noon conformable to that of the Psalmist Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice Psal lv 17. It must not here be forgotten there were likewise two of the Week dayes more solemnly observed than the rest for Publick Prayers viz. Wednesdayes and Fridays as hath been elsewhere proved * Treatise of Repentance pag. 112. On which dayes there were three Services in some places as on the Lord's Day And in all places they took special care that nothing should keep them then from the Publick Assemblies how negligent soever they were at other times And the devouter sort also fasted on those two dayes that they might have more time for Prayer and be excited to greater fervour in it by a deep sense of their own unworthiness of the least of God's Blessings And do we now think to please God and to preserve our Religion without any of this care either on those dayes or on others but only the Lord's Day Then the Christian Church in all ages till these later times hath been too officious though it followed the plain Instructions and the best patterns of the Holy Scriptures Which have been so universally understood to enjoyn a daily publick Service of God that there is no Christian Country that I can find at this day by whom this Tribute is not pay'd unto him All the Eastern Christians as a Learned Divine and great Traveller hath informed us * Dr. Basire 's Funer Sermon for the Bishop of Durham pag. 95. and see Chemnitius Exam Concil Trident pars quarta p. 160 and 162. Greek Armenian and others constantly perform it in the West the Church of Rome still observes this practice and in Germany both the Lutherans and the Calvinists have their dayly publick Offices and full Congregations So we have in these Islands and in many places full Congregations also though in others alas either no publick Assemblies or scandalously empty Which is a very great shame as the forementioned Dr. speaks that when now under the Gospel God doth not require our Lambs which were offered publickly twice every day by the Jews we should not dayly give him the Calves of our Lips as the Prophets phrase is that is Pray to him and Praise him and give him Thanks in the publick Congregation Why the Reformed Churches in France did not thus constantly Assemble as they do in Germany it is not my business to enquire Mr. Calvin I am sure both approved of this Practice and wisht it were restored in more places of his Works than one by noteing which what I have said will be confirmed and some reason also given of this Omission For having observed that God appointed a * Comment in iii. Act. 1. Morning and Evening Sacrifice to be offered among the Jews and thereby taught them to begin and close the day with Invocation
Divine Goodness it is impossible but he should humble himself before God and have a broken and contrite heart This takes down all pride this layes all arrogance low this teaches us to be modest and behave our selves with all humility of mind contemning the Glory of this present Life and designing the future good of that Life which is immortal Thus he And we may understand how much more grateful it is to the Divine Majesty to have all this done in publick than only alone by our selves by that passage among others in the Psalmist Psal xxii 22. I will declare thy Naâ—â— among my Brethren in the midst of thâ— Congregation will I praise thee Which the Apostle applyes to our Lorâ— Christ and interprets the words as if they were spoken by him Heb. ii 12. where he proves that Christ is not ashamed to call us Brethren saying 〈◊〉 will declare thy Name unto my Brethreâ— in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee Behold here how 〈◊〉 makes this the voice of Christ himself who taught us by his own example how acceptable it will be to God the Father and how profitable to ouâ— selves to praise the Name of the Lord with the rest of our Brethren in the Publick Assemblies and proclaim both the benefits we have received from him and the Duty which we owe unto him IV. Unto which that we may be the more strongly excited let us consider further that the Blessings we most want as we are sociable Creatures being publick Blessings they ought in all reason to be sought in our Common Prayers as most generally needful for us all For so you may observe that the Apostle directing the Service of the Church in 1 Tim. ii 1 2. requires in the very first place That Prayers Supplications Intercessions and Thanksgivings be made for all Men for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty Nothing he knew was of greater concernment to the good of the World than to have Governours whom he elsewhere calls the Ministers of God preserved in their just Authority especially to be blessed with good Governours who might be conservators of Peace and Quietness punishers of Vice and Wickedness a terrour to evil doers and incouragers of those that do well And therefore he ordains that this great thing should be askt of God by Publick Prayers because it was of universal concernment and of highest moment to every mans happiness which ought to be preferred before any particular respects unto which their Petitions might be directed Agreeable to this I find in Josephus that the Ancient Jews lookt upon it as their Duty when they offered Sacrifice unto God to pray in the first place L. 2. contr Apionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the common safety or Salvation And then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their own private concerns For we are born saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for communion and society one with another and therefore he who prefers the common concerns before his own private advantage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must needs be above all others very acceptable and dear to God This passage among others is cited by Eusebius and we may add to it L. viii de praepar Evang. Sect. 8. what the Hebrew Doctors now tell us in their Books that the last thing the High Priest prayed for on the great day of Expiation just before he came out of the Holy Place was this That God would not hear the Prayers of those P. Fagius in Levit. xvi 17. who were in a Journey that is Prayers made for mens own private benefit against the Publick Interest such as the Prayers of those in a Journey are wont to be who desire fair Weather when all the Country prays for Rain But howsoever this was it is plain by the Apostles words that he would have those things principally askt of God which related to the community which ought therefore to be sought by their common Prayers and Supplications And so they were Anciently in the Christian Church as we find in Tertullian to name no other Author who describing the Christian Assemblies saith We pray there for the Emperors and for their Ministers and for Powers and for the State of the World for the quiet of things Apolog. Cap. 39. and for the delay of the end of the World Which he had declared before more largely We pray to the Eternal God for the health and safety of the Emperors to the true God the living God who made them Emperors and whom it concerns the Emperours above all things to have propitious to them c. To him we look up Ib. Cap. 30. and all of us pray alwayes for them that they may have a long Life a secure Empire a safe Family a valiant Army a faithful Senate c. This was so known a practice and it was so firmly believed in those dayes that the Peace and Safety the Honour and Prosperity of Kings and Kingdoms depended very much upon the due performance of this dayly Service that there are examples of Heathen Princes who had so much Faith as to desire to have their safety commended unto God in the Prayers of the Church Which were instituted with such a peculiar respect it appears by St. Paul to the welfare of Princes the support of their Government and the prosperity of their people that they cannot be neglected without indangering the good estate of the World And may possibly be one reason why the World hath been so full of disorder and confusion because Christian people have not applyed themselves earnestly enough in dayly Publick Prayers which are generally disregarded to beseech God for the publick good and tranquillity but are wholly bent to the fulfilling of their own private desires V. And as we ought thus to joyn in Prayer that we may recommend our common concerns to the care of Almighty Wisdom and Goodness so likewise that we may by the common Offices of Religion keep our selves the closer knit together in firm Love and Unity in the same society For nothing combines men so strongly as Religion and the purer it is the greater effect it hath for the stay and support of the Commonwealth Which hath made all Law-givers as Aristotle observes in his Politicks to exercise their first care about Religion because it is that which qualifies all sorts of men to be serviceable to the Publick making Governours as Mr. Hooker I think speaks apter to rule with Conscience and Inferiours for Conscience sake willingly to obey their Governours It was an admirable saying of Plutarch in his Discourse against an Epicurean * Advers Coloten That a City may as well be built in the Air without any Earth to stand upon as a Common-wealth or Kingdom be either constituted or conserved without the support of Religion Take this away and you take away the Foundation on
Christians Members of Christ's Body which is his Church Which being nothing else but an Assembly of Men devoted unto Christ met together for Religious Worship they are not a part of it if they do not assemble with it That is they are not Christians nor will any of their privatâ— Devotions be acceptable unto God being set in opposition to the Publick because they go about to destroy the very Body of Christ which is his Church whose very being consists iâ— Assemblies and not in separated Worship alone by our selves Which Private Worship is then acceptable unto God when performed by a true Member of Christ's Body that is by onâ— who attends upon the Publick Assemblies by which he procures acceptance for his secret and private Services Which are so far from being moâ—â— acceptable that we cannot reasonable think they are acceptable at all wheâ— they are set in opposition to the otherâ— or when the other is constantly neglected If I knew how to make this plaineâ— I would do it because it is a matter 〈◊〉 great importance that we may not 〈◊〉 guilty of neglecting the Publick Wâ—â— ship of God where it may be injoyeâ— For so far as we neglect this we 〈◊〉 our selves off from the Church which is the Body of Christ That is we cease to be Christians and become bare Natural Men and Women for Christians are made to Worship God together in a Body of which every particular person is a part which cannot subsist but in Conjunction with the rest of the Members of that Body Perhaps this will be better understood by considering how we come to be Christians Which is not barely by belief in Christ but by receiving Baptism where professing Faith in him we are admitted into the Christian Society and Communion to parâ—ake of those Blessings which are bestowed by Christ upon the Christian Fellowship But then we must continue therein by living like Christiâ—ns and particularly by assembling â—ogether continually for Christian Worship Otherwise we renounce our Baptism which admitted us into a Society and not to act separately by our selves alone In which Society if â—ny man behave himself so scandaâ—ously that he is thrust out of it he â—s denied to have Communion with them in their Prayers all the times 〈◊〉 remains so cut off from the Churcâ— Which is a demonstration that to haâ— communion with the faithful in Prayâ— is the very thing unto which we are aâ—mitted by being made Christians 〈◊〉 being the thing of which men are 〈◊〉 barred when they are turned out 〈◊〉 the Christian Society For the further manifestation 〈◊〉 which great truth which I have thâ— explained in general I shall in the 〈◊〉 lowing Chapters offer several paâ—â—â—cular considerations which deserveâ— be seriously pondered in every Câ— stians thoughts CHAP. XV. Our Blessed Saviour the Founder the Church teaches us this Dâ—ctrine I. AND first of all I desire it 〈◊〉 be considered that our Bâ—â—â—sed Lord doth plainly suppose 〈◊〉 Notion of a Church that is of Râ—â—â—gious Assemblies in the very Prayer â—he taught his Disciples The first words of which being Our Father not my Father are an indication it was not made for a single person only but for a company of men joyning together in their Petitions to God Who are put in mind by this expression when any of them sayes this Prayer alone by himself that his Prayer is at that time acceptable because he is a Member of the Church of Christ and â—olds communion with the rest of his Christian Brethren There can be no other reason given why we say Our Father even in our Closets but that we pray as part of a Body and hope to be heard because we are in union therewith and not divided from it â—nd therefore stand bound as oft as we have opportunity to communicate with it in Prayer and all other Holy Offices when it meets together for that purpose II And therefore we may further observe that Christ most especially promises his Blessed Presence in such Publick Assemblies Matth. xviii 20. For where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in 〈◊〉 midst of them That he speaks of the being assembled in his Name foâ— Prayer appears from the foregoinâ— verse where he saith if two of yâ—â— agree on Earth as touching any thiâ— they shall ask it shall be done c. Aâ— the word gathered together shows 〈◊〉 speaks of Publick Prayer such as use to be in the Synagogues unto whiâ—â— the word in the Greek alludes Aâ— two or three so gathered together aâ—â— put for any number whatsoever bâ—â— rather mentioned than any other greâ—ter number that Christians might 〈◊〉 be discouraged though they couâ—â— meet but in very small Companies 〈◊〉 reason of the difficulties and distresâ— they laboured under in the beginniâ—â— of our Religion The Rules of the Synagogue was aâ— Dr. Lightfoot and otheâ— have observed that 〈◊〉 less the number of 〈◊〉 persons Temple-Service C. vii Sect. 3. who were 〈◊〉 Years were gathered together it wâ— no Assembly nor could there be aâ— Prayer But our Lord would not havâ— his Church thus abridged in this high priviledge of Prayer knowing as Mr. Thorndike observes it might so fall out that such a number of his Disciples could not get together either because of the persecutions which scattered them abroad or because there were but few suppose only two or three as yet converted in a place where the Gospel was preached Who if they did unanimously agree in common Petitions our Saviour promises should find notwithstanding their small number that he would be present among them That 's the Blessing promised to their consent and agreement in common Prayer Which is not to be understood as if he would not be present with a good Christian when he prays alone but the meaning is that then when they joyned in common Prayer he would be more especially present For if our Lord Christ have a love to every Christian Soul and delights to have its company then is he much more pleased with a great number of them who present themselves together to seek his Grace and Favour They are more welcome to him their company is more lovely the sight of them more amiable and they are more beloved of him and prevail for greater Tokens of his love And thus all wise Christians Ancient and Modern have understood it I will name one of later times for there is no doubt of the Ancient Conventus verò Sacros ad loca condicta deputata c. But as for Sacred Assemblies in places appointed and deputed for that purpose we have a very great veneration and highly approve and love them cùm nobis conjunctis Christum magis adesse existimamus for we believe Christ to be more present with us when we are met in conjunction together They are the words of Peter Martyr upon Gen. xxviii 12. And here it may not be unfit to note for a fuller explication of this matter
so Separate or Holy as the Temple was and will be alwayes to the end of the World unless we suppose that men will lose all Reverence to God and let him have nothing among us which may be peculiarly called his own Now this thing alone is an Argument for Publick Worship that there hath alwaies been a place appointed for Divine Service which would have been needless if Men were not bound to assemble together to Worship God for then it might have been left to every ones liberty where they would please to do it themselves And this also shows the advantage which Publick Worship hath of all other For being performed in a place set a part for it where nothing else is done at our very entrance into it we are naturally put in mind of God and of our business there which is only with him and so shall be more apt to be composed there than in any other place which we are wont to imploy about other things besides the Worship of God Especially since all Wise Men have ever endeavoured that the Service of God should be there performed with the most Solemnity and Majesty that could be contrived nay that the place it self should not be mean but rather stately and gravely adorned For it is not with Publick Prayer as it is with Private In Private as Mr. Hooker judiciously observes secrecy is commended rather than outward show whereas Publick Prayer being the act of the whole Society requires accordingly more care to be had of external Appearance And therefore the very assembling of Men unto this Service hath ever been very solemn and the very outward Form of the place of Publick Prayer hath been ever thought a Circumstance of great moment to help Devotion VI To this may be further added from one of the Texts now mentioned that the Apostle directs how they should exercise their Spiritual Gifts in the Holy place where they met together and particularly the Gift of Prayer 1 Corinth xiv 23. There were a great many extraordinary Gifts then bestowed upon the Corinthian Church every one of which the Apostle informs them was bestowed by one and the same Spirit and bestowed by him to profit withal xii 7. that is for the publick benefit of the Church And among the rest there was a Giâ—â— of Prayer which was upon some occasions afforded by a particular inspiration of the Holy Ghost and designed as every one beside were for the common good of all the faithful For if any Man wanted the faculty of expressing those pious thoughts which the Spirit suggested to him iâ— the common Language which every Body understood the Apostle showâ— his Gift was of small value and directs such a Man to pray that he mighâ— be able to interpret xiv 13. into a Language that is which was commonly understood The reason oâ— which was because then his Gift oâ— Prayer would be of general use iâ— the Publick Assemblies The advantage of which was to be preferred before any Man's private benefit Sâ— he tells them in the verse foregoing ver 12. that they who were zealous of Spiritual Gifts should seek thaâ— they might excel to the edifying of the Church And in the verses following ver 14 15. he saith that if he himself should pray in an unknown Tongue â—his Spirit indeed prayed that is the Spiritual Gift which he had was thereâ—n exercised but his understanding was â—nfruitful that is others received no â—enefit by it because they understood â—ot what he said And therefore he â—uts this question What is it then That is what is it that we should deâ—â—re in this business of Prayer Which â—e resolves thus I will pray with the â—pirit and I will pray with the Vnderâ—â—anding also That is this is most 〈◊〉 be desired when I or any other â—ath a Prayer suggested to him by the â—pirit that we may be able not only 〈◊〉 utter what it inspires but to underâ—â—and it also our selves so far as to â—ake others understand it by putting 〈◊〉 into known and intelligible words â—his is certainly best not merely to â—â—ve conceptions formed in us by the â—irit but to utter those conceptiâ—s in such familiar and common exâ—essions that others may be profited 〈◊〉 them Else saith he When thou shalt â—â—ss with the Spirit how shall he that is unlearned say Amen ver 18. That is how shall he that understands not what thou sayest because it is uttered in a strange Language give his consent and joyn with thee in those Petitions and Thanksgivings though iâ— themselves never so Holy and Good Which the people did at the end 〈◊〉 the Prayers by saying Amen So be it Which words are a demonstration he speaks of Prayer in Publick oâ— Common Prayer Which from henâ—â— it is evident was then in greateâ— esteem because in comparison witâ— this the Apostle undervalues even aâ— extraordinary Gift of Prayer which private Person had whereby he aloâ—â— was profited He prayed well bâ— others not being edified thereby because they understood not what 〈◊〉 said it was a great diminution of iâ— worth and made it of less price in thâ— Apostles account And we all agreâ— he had the Spirit of God and coâ—â— as well judge what was best as whâ— was good Now this was best in 〈◊〉 judgment to have the Prayer maâ—â— publick that all might joyn in it aâ—â— not remain merely a private good And indeed that Spirit it may be noted under this head which inlivens the whole Body of the Church moves every Member of it unto this to joyn in its common Offices for the Service of the whole Which it is the very scope of the Apostle to demonstrate in those three Chapters xii xiii xiv of the First Epistle to the Corinthians that they ought in every thing to act as Members of a Body seeking the improvement one of another by the exercise of all their Gifts not separately but conjunctly so that all might partake of the benefit And whosoever he is that hath any sense of such a thing as the Body of Christ whereof he is one Member he will never think that what he doth alone is as good as what he performs in Fellowship with the rest of the Members No if he say the same Prayers and offer the same Praises in private which the Church offers in publick he cannot reasonably think there is no difference nor imagine that both alike are God's Service because what he doth in conjunction with the rest of the Body is most agreeable to God's Holy Spirit by which this Body is linkt together and every part of it moved to act for the good of the whole I conclude this with the words of Mr. Thorndike to imagine that Prayers at home will be as acceptable to God Relig. Assembl p. 173. as those made in the Church with our Brethren is as if one should have fancied that the incense of the Temple spoken of Psal cxli. 1. which was a compound of
a Church unmoveable The Spirit of Wickedness shall have no power to trouble it with heretical Doctrines By which passage we learn both how full their Assemblies were wont to be and that the Prayers were understood by all the people who with one voice said the same that the Priest did as we now do in our general confession and that they hoped for great security from their common Supplications to God for his watchful Providence over them And thus our own Church in the second Collect for Morning Prayer by teaching us to look upon our Eternal Life as standing in the knowledge of God and to esteem his service to be perfect freedom inforces our resort unto him continually for our defence in that Service and Knowledge in all assaults of our Enemies The Effect of which it instructs us to hope will be this that we surely trusting in his defence may not fear the power of any Adversaries through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. This St. Chrysostome admirably represents Hom. in S. Lucianum Tom. 1. as his manner is in a Sermon upon an Ancient Martyr As a Man that alwayes stands upon a Rock laughs the Waves to scorn so he that enjoys the dayly Prayers and is moistned with the Divine Words having seated himself as upon the Rock of a right Judgment of things will be carried away with nothing here being raised alost out of the reach of all the Affairs of this Life And that not only from the goâ—â— admonitions he dayly receives but frâ—â—â— the Prayers and from the Paternal Beâ—diction and from the common conventiâ—â—â— and from the Love of the Brethren and from abundance of other things reaping much Benefit and Spiritual Consolatiâ—â— he goes home laden with a thousand Bâ—â—sings Insomuch that a Bride in 〈◊〉 opinion is not so beautiful and amiaâ—â—â— when she sits in her Bridal Chamber 〈◊〉 a Soul is wonderful and glorious whâ—â— it appears in the Church breathing forth Spiritual Graces which he comparâ—â— to fragrant Oyntments For he that iâ— conversant there with Faith and Diligence carries away innumerable Treâ—sures and though never so many dreadful things befall him he will bear them aleasily being sufficiently furnished out oâ— the Holy Scriptures with Patience and Philosophy He means the wise thoughts which the belief of the Gospel puts into us For which reason it was that the Enemies of our Religion bent their Forces not so much against particular persons as against their Assemblies which they indeavoured with all their might to destroy as the Nurseries of the Christian Faith Which being dispersed they doubted not but the Faith it self would be lost in that disorder They no longer lookt upon Christians as a Church when they did not meet together but as so many scattered Limbs of a Body which no longer subsists when the Members are distracted and torn asunder Against these strong holds therefore they laid their Batteries hoping when they were beaten down they should presently triumph over their Religion Which they knew it was hard to overcome whilst a great Body of Men remained knit together continually for its support by many Bonds and Holy Mysteries and the strictest Sacraments For which cause likewise it was that Christian people could not be perswaded to omit their Assemblies no not in time of Persecution when there was the greatest danger if they held them We learn so much from their very Persecutors particularly from the Famous Letter which Pliny wrote to the Emperour Trajan about this matter wherein we are informed that when it was not safe in the day time they met before the Morning Light to sing Hymns to Christ as their God To what shall we impute this Zeal Might they not have served God as well alone No they understood their Religion better than to be of that Opinion and knew it could not stand if they did not thus joyn together to uphold it Their Enemies they knew wisht for nothing more than that these Assemblies might be broken which whilst they continued were the Pillar and Stay of the Christian Truth And do we pretend to be Christians and to love our Religion and to desire nay hope for its safety and prosperity and make so little Account of these Holy Assemblies that the smallest matter will hinder our attendance on them Let us not against the clearest demonstrations persist in such a stupid error But awaken or rather inflame our selves unto such a degree of Zeal as to meet together dayly where we have opportunity for it to give Glory to God in his Church by Christ Jesus and to commend his Church as well as our selves and Families to the protection of his good Providence saying O Lord save thy People and bless thine Inheritance It cannot be imagined what satisfaction we should find herein did we make this our most serious business and instead of the excuses we now make for our negligence give all diligence thus to adorn confirm and secure our most Holy Religion It cannot be denied indeed that this hath been an Error of long standing For when the Church had rest from Persecution her Children began by degrees to grow remiss and wanton Prosperity and ease corrupted them and they cooled so much in their first love that many of them came but seldom to do their Duty unto God their Saviour But this was an extream great grief to their Pastors and brought the heaviest calamities upon Christian people Hear how the often named Father bewails this That the Church having brought forth many Children she could not enjoy their Company S. Chrysost de Baptism Christi Hom. xxiv Tom. 1. every time they assembled to remember our Saviour but only upon a Festival When you are all full of joy to day I alone am full of sorrow and grieved at heart to think that the Church which now hath such multitudes in it will to morrow be empty O how great Spiritual Exultation how great Joy how great Glory to God how great Profit to Souls would there be if every time we assemble we could behold the Church as full as it is at this solemn time Do you not see how the Mariners and Pilots when they are upon the Sea labour all they can to get into their Port And we on the contrary love to be tossed up and down in the Sea of this World ingageinâ— our selves in innumerable Secular Affairs which so take up all our thoughts and our time that here we appear scarce once or twice in the whole year Are ye ignorant that as God made Havens in the Sea so he hath made Churches in Cities that flying from the tumult or tempest rather of secular Affairs we may here enjoy the greatest Tranquillity And for this I may appeal to all your own Consciences whether you find not here such quiet and peace that you may truly call the Church the Spiritual Haven of the Soul For anger here gives no disturbance the storms of Passion cease Lust doth not inflame
have had reason therein not to have followed their guidance because we and they have a superiour Direction God's Holy Word which forbids such Worship But when no such Prayers are appointed nothing ordered to be offered unto God but what is perfectly agreeable to his Holy Word we can make no Apology for our selves if we reject them merely because they are a prescribed Form or because every direction about them is not expresly required in the Word of God This is to affront the whole Christian Church from the beginning This is to throw off all subjection to Spiritual Pastors whom the Holy Ghost hath commanded us to obey Not indeed with an illimited Obedience with an absolute assent to whatsoever they shall propose without any Examination of their injunctions or any appeal for this were to take away all the Authority of God's Word and to erect the present Authority of the Church above it which is the Extream into which they of the Church of Rome are run But we ought to take care that out of eagerness to avoid that Extream we do not fall into another as they do who affirm that Spiritual Pastors must only then be obeyed when they determine and give Direction out of the express Laws of God For as the former take away all Authority from God's Word so this takes away all Authority from God's Ministers and deprives them of that Obedience which by God's Word is due unto them An excellent * Dr. Jackson upon the Creed Book 2. chap. 4 c. Divine of our Church hath largely treated of this long ago showing that since God in his Holy Word gives them in express terms some Spiritual Authority and Right to exact some Obedience peculiarly due to them from their Flock it must be in things not enjoyned by the express Word of God but only not forbidden thereby For if they be then only to be obeyed when they produce the express Command of God in Scripture for that particular thing unto which they require Obedience there is no more Obedience performed unto them than unto any other Man whatsoever For there is no Man so mean but if he can show us the express Command of God for what he sayes it must be obeyed of all But when it is thus obeyed it is that Command of God only not he that shewed it to us which is obeyed And if this be all the Obedience we owe to our Governours they are as much bound to obey us as we to obey them The people owe no more Obedience to their Pastors than those Pastors owe to their people If neither of these Extreams then be true it remains that we owe though not an absolute unlimited yet a conditional and cautionary Obedience unto Spiritual Pastors Who have a general Warrant expresly contained in Scripture to require Obedience from their people and therefore ought to be obeyed though their people see not an express Word of Scripture to Authorize every particular wherein they require Obedience provided they require Obedience to nothing expresly condemned in Scripture Disobedience to them in such things is as dangerous as blind Obedience is in matters plainly unlawful For as the latter is the Mother of Superstition and Idolatry so the former is the Mother of Schisms Presumption Carnal Security and Infidelity Which Rocks cannot be avoided but by a due submission to the Guides of Souls in things wherein God hath not plainly ordered the contrary And therefore if any have been so unhappy as by their Education to have imbibed a dislike to such a way of Worship as they prescribe and to be possessed with Fears it may not be the right way though they cannot say wherein it contradicts God's Holy Word These fears and all such like things are to be overballanced and weighed down by the Authority of Spiritual Guides and Governours Which is good for little if it cannot settle such doubts and scruples over which it will prevail if Men consider that God commands us to obey them And therefore their Commandments are but particular Branches of God's General Commandment to give Obedience to them Insomuch that they who disobey them disobey God unless their Commands be contrary to some other of the Divine Commandments as plain as that which sayes Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves c. Heb. xiii 17. Which Truths if they were rooted in our hearts and Men had a just sense of such a thing as Spiritual Obedience to Spiritual Governours They would rather like well of the things prescribed by them for the sake of their Authority by whom they are prescribed than disobey their Authority upon the account of any private dislike which they have to such prescriptions Make application of all this which I have represented out of the forenamed Author in fewer words to our own Church and its Worship and Governours who have framed a Divine Service for us exactly conformable to the most Ancient and Pure Patterns with such care with such circumspection and conscientious regard to the Directions the Apostles have left us that none of its Enemies can find any thing in it as to the substance which is not theirs And therefore this may be justly called in that regard as well as others a truly Apostolical Catholick Church From which let no Man withdraw himself but dread the guilt of such a crime That is let him fear to withdraw himself from its Publick Assemblies from the Common Prayers and from Obedience to its Governours For if any Man be led from these under the pretence of purer Worship unto separate Meetings managed by those who own not the Authority of this Churches Governours it is most certain he is not guided by the Spirit of Christ herein but by the Spirit of Error and Delusion Of which a very Reverend Person * Praeface to Paralipom Prophetica hath lately given this plain demonstration that if Men had such a measure of the Spirit as makes them living Members of the Body of Christ they could not but feel what sensibly hurts that Body what palpably hinders the growth of it what disgraces and reproaches it what wounds it nay hazzards the very Life and Being of it They that want this necessary sympathy and sense of the common good of the Body of Christ and the interest of his Kingdom cannot justly pretend to any competent portion of his Spirit For what is more necessary for our preservation than that we keep together in one Body under the same Guides and Governours that we keep in the way which the Church of Christ hath alwayes trod and be not hurried into Opinions and Practices so unlike the truly Ancient and Apostolical Church that we bear no resemblance to it For that Church had Ministers superior to the rest as indeed the Jewish Church had who governed and ruled them and the people it had forms of Divine Service such as we now have The rejection of which is to