or among the Ancient Christians of the first Ages is known ever to have been held without it Thes 6. No Church upon the Face of the Earth from the Time of the Apostles to the Time of the Reformation nor to this Day except among Protestants is known to have kept the Lord's-Day or had any ordinary Assemblies for the And as to the Communion or Participation Thes 1. By most Ancient Order in the Church who-ever departed after the Reading of the Scriptures or Sermon and stay'd not at the Communion and received were to be excommunicated Thes 2. In the first Ages till about the Time of St. Augustin we find not any Doubt or Question concerning the Obligation of all to Communicate daily if they were where it was Celebrated and had no just Impediment But then when many especially among the Greeks began to neglect that Holy Duty that Question arose among the Latines and the more Devout continued to receive every Day an Argument of Daily Celebration then and others intermitted certain Days Thes 3. By Ancient Canons if any neglected to Communicate for Three Sundays together they were to be excommunicated Thes 4. It was Anciently commonly reputed a grievous thing to be hindered from Receiving the Blessed Sacrament but to be denyed it a grievous Punishment and such was the Judgment of the Church concerning the Importance of it that to such as were hindered from coming to the Church it was sent home to their Houses by the Deacons Thes 5. It was Anciently not only Scandalous but Punishable in a Clergy-Man to be in a City or other Place where it was celebrated and not to attend and communicate Thes 6. These Orders of later Ages concerning Receiving at least Three times in a Year and so indulging a Neglect for all the rest are most justly by Calvin said to be Certissimum Diaboli Inventum Thes 7. It hath been always the Practice and Advice of all Devout People to be very frequent at it and of most to neglect no Opportunity Dr. Taylor 's Conclusion concerning it in his Holy Living is very agreeable to the Sentiments of the Ancients and deserves to be Read by all Concl. 1. From all this it appears how far different the Devotion of this Age is from that of the ancient genuine Christianity and short of it 2. This Holy Service having been constantly performed in this City in Publick Churches ever since the Sixth of Janunry 1694. and in the Heart of the City for a Twelve-month together and frequented by so few is a Notorious Argument of the miserable Ignorance and Indevotion for all our Pretences both of Priests and People amongst us 3. It hath been the Opinion of several Learned Judicious and Observent Men that a great part of the Mischief which hath been in the World in these latter Ages is to be imputed to so woful a Neglect of this Holy Ordinance Now for Proofs of these things They who pretend to any kind of Learning I suppose will be cautious how they require it lest they betray their own Ignorance in Antiquity and for others they are not so much to be regarded as to insist upon them meerly for them but if there be Occasion abundant Proofs both Old and New may soon be produced And in the mean time for the Satisfaction of such well-meaning People as doubt they may be referred to Mr. Joseph Mede Dr. Sherlock the present Dean of St. Pauls in the last chap. of his Book of Religious Assemblies Dr. S. Patrick the present Bp. of Ely in his Discourse of Frequency of Holy Communion Mr. Thorndike Bp. Andrews Dr. Jeremy Taylor and others who have several considerable Passages to the Purpose in several Parts of their Works very consonant to the Sentiments and Practices of the Ancient Christians and the whole Catholick Church And certainly it is a wonderful thing that Almighty God should ever permit the Enemy of Mankind so to impose upon such as may well be supposed did really intend his Service and had a great Zeal for it as some leading Men in the Beginning of the Reformation and that such Men of Learning and Parts should be so imposed upon as by a mistaken Zeal against Superstition to abolish and deface so considerable a Part of the most Holy and Solemn Worship of God and even of the true Notion and proper Use thereof But our most Wise and Gracious God for most Excellent Ends no doubt though we cannot comprehend them all hath again concluded all under Sin that he might have Mercy upon all abolish that Enmity and Uncharitableness which the Enemy hath fomented amongst us and teach us henceforward by a very remarkable Example in the Work of God to attend with more Reverence and Circumspection to his Conduct and not presume too much upon our own Conceits and Opinions These Men who so much over-shot themselves had the Honour and Service of God for their End and the Word of God for their Rule and yet How have they erred from both done Dis-honour and Dis-service to God for the Honour and Service they intended and instead of the Pure Word of God followed their own or their Leaders meer Fancies and Imaginations The Great Business of Man upon Earth is the Intire Subjection of the Creature to the Creator in the Subjection of the Intellect as well as the Will and therefore it is absolutely necessary that we should have great Experiments of the Danger of Presuming too much upon our own Opinions as well as of adhering too much to our own Wills And such is this we are now considering And if we inquire into the Causes of it they are such as I have just now touched 1. Not sufficient Attendance to the Conduct of God over us for he is always present in a special manner with all those who are imployed in any special Service for Him to direct them if they be careful to follow Him fully and not unadvisedly conclude upon their own Opinions like them Jos 9. when they should ask Counsel of the Lord. 2. Conceitedness and Presumption upon our own Judgments which makes us apt to neglect that Attendance 3. Want of Charity to such as are otherwise minded and a Spirit of Opposition apt to run without due Consideration and be insensibly transported from one Extream or Errour into another beyond either the Conduct of God or Mature Deliberation of our own Minds 4. Want of due regard to Humane Authority For though we must obey God rather than Man yet we must be subject to Humane Ordinances too so far as they are not inconsistent with the Orders of God and even in those things wherein we cannot obey yet have due regard to the Authority 5. Having Mens Persons in Admiration and receiving their Opinions as the Oracles of God a secret Principle of all Sectaries 6. Indiscreet Zeal without Knowledge for the Honour and Service of God another Occasion of running out of one Extream or Errour into another 7. Mixture
Practice and set up themselves against the Authority of the whole Catholick Church I come now to consider the Opposition it self their Allegations and Reasons Such is the Wit of Man and the Subtilty of Satan that scarce any Truth is so evident but they can find out some specious Appearances to set up against it But such is the Mercy and Wisdom of God that he hath provided sufficient means for Direction for all such as keep within the Bounds of Humility and Obedience that is in Subjection not only of their Wills but also of their Intellects and Understandings to his Orders Ordinances and Prescriptions the very Business of their Lives in this World for Preparation for another And to such besides the Common Means he will kindly vouchsafe a special Guidance sufficient for their Circumstances Of the Danger our Saviour and his Apostles have given to all fair Warning and great Caution acquainting us with the End why the most Wise and Gracious God permits it for Tryal and Exercise the Danger and Subtilty of the Ministers of Satan such as should deceive if it were possible the very Elect the special Marks to know and avoid them viz. Their Fruits specious Pretences Sheeps Clothing and Distraction and Disagreement among themselves crying Here is Christ and There is Christ and special Directions Believe them not Go not out after them All this Provision hath the Devil attempted to undermine partly by raising real Scandals and Offences and partly by strongly representing Imaginary ones But against all this Humility and Charity will fortifie us and the Grace special Guidance and Mercy of God will preserve us if we be careful to continue in those Graces It was Pride and Arrogance and Discontent in Aerius which gave the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epiphan p. 905. a. Devil Advantage to instigate him to the first Opposition of such a Catholick Practice It was Pride Vanity and Ostentation of Parts by which he set Gobarus to work to shew his Learning and Acuteness in finding out Differences of Opinions among them who perhaps in many of those things differed no more than the Writers of the Sacred Scriptures seem to do For I do not find that he made any special Opposition against this Practice But I doubt it was not imaginary but real Scandal and gross Abuses of a good Practice by which Waldo and his Followers and the Albigenses were moved to oppose all without Distinction tho' there seems to have been in him with a Zeal for God but without Knowledge a Mixture of Pride and Conceitedness And it was real and not imaginary Scandal by which Luther was at first moved to oppose Indulgencies and his Followers at first to oppose even this innocent and commendable Practice But in such Men as Vsher and Bucer it was the Reputation of the Cause they had espoused in gross and Compliances with the Times and their particular Interests by which they were moved But let us but carefully follow our Saviour's Admonitions and Directions wisely distinguish the Ingredients of the Composition of Truth and Falsehood and honestly imbrace hold fast and own the Truth when we have the Opportunity and we shall not want sufficient Light and Evidence to find it The specious Appearances set up against this Catholick Practice of the Church of Christ are these 1. That there is no Scripture Authority for it 2. That the Ancient Practice was to Pray for all such as were at Rest 3. That the Ancients were not agreed in their Opinions concerning the State of Separate Souls or the general Intention of the Church in those Prayers To detect the Fallacy Falsity and Impertinence of these Allegations as briefly as may be To the first I say it is a meer Fallacy and grounded upon a false Supposition that nothing is to be admitted in Doctrine or Worship but what there is Scripture Authority for if it be understood of a special Authority and their usual Pretences of not Adding or Diminishing are to be understood of those particular Parts or Books of the Scripture as is plain by the Additional Writings and Practices of Holy Men afterwards 2. It is inconsistent with the Tradition of the Doctrine and Institutions of the Gospel and of the Ordinances of the Apostles which were all by Word and Deed without Writing as the Common Laws of this Nation were at first settled and much of what was written was written upon special Occasions and much with that Brevity and Conciseness by the special Providence of God as was sufficient for them for whom it was intended and yet so as should need an Authentick Explication to preserve the Authority of the Catholick Church 3. It is contrary to the express Directions of the Scripture to contend for the Doctrine once delivered to the Saints in general and to hold the Traditions they had received whether by Word or Epistle c. And if it be understood of a general Authority the Allegation it self is false For it is contrary to all those Scriptures which declare the Authority of the Church and require Obedience to Superiors And either way it is contrary to the Sentiments Testimony and Practice of the Ancient Christians who in Questions of Difficulty and Contests with Hereticks always inquired not only what was written by the Apostles but also or principally what was delivered by them to the Churches which they founded in all Parts of the World of which the Catholick Church doth consist which the Scripture it self stiles the Pillar and Basis of Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 v. Grot. not only for the Sense and Meaning of the Scripture as Lawyers with good reason do when in doubts about the Construction of Writings they inquire how the Usage hath gone for in that case the Writing is the Principal Evidence but in this case what was delivered to the Churches which were compleatly and plainly instructed and ordered by the Apostles was the principal Inquiry and the Scriptures but an accessory Evidence as our Year-Books are of the Common Law in Questions concerning the Common Law But I doubt not but there was a special Providence in it that so much was written and no more and that it was written in such a manner Lastly This hath been the Practice and Pretence of Hereticks and Schismaticks in all Ages to the intent with the better colour to set aside the Authority of the Catholick Church that they might so make way to set up their own private Opinions and Conceits in the Place thereof but never more grossly nauciously and scandalously than by some of the Principal of the late Reformers Calvin especially on the one side inculcating and crying up The Pure Word of God The Pure Word of God and on the other abusing it by straining wresting it to serve their own turns and eluding and evading what is plainly contrary to them which is now past all doubt not only by the Confessions of Mr. Baxter and Le Blank but the many of all
with the Spiritual Food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christ as Members incorporate in His Mystical Body and Heirs through Hope of thy Everlasting Kingdom by the Merits of His most Precious Death and Passion And we most humbly beseech thee O Heavenly Father so to assist us with thy Grace that we may continue in that Holy Fellowship and do all such Good Works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory World without end Amen Then this Hymn GLory be to God on high and on Earth Peace Good Will towards Men. We Praise thee we Bless thee we Worship thee we Glorifie thee we give Thanks unto thee for thy great Glory O Lord God Heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the onely begotten Son Iesu Christ O Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the Sins of the World have Mercy upon us Thou that takest away the Sins of the World have Mercy upon us Thou that takest away the Sins of the World receive our Prayer Thou that sittest at the Right Hand of God the Father have Mercy upon us For thou onely art Holy thou onely art the Lord thou onely O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high in the Glory of God the Father Amen Then the Priest or Bishop if he be present may let them depart with this Blessing THe Peace of God which passeth all Vnderstanding keep your Hearts and Minds in the knowledge and Love of God and of his Son Iesus Christ our Lord And the Blessing of God Almighty the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be amongst you and remain with you always Amen COLLECTS To be said as occasion may serve at the Discretion of the Minister ACcept us graciously O Lord in these our Supplications Prayers and Thanksgivings and dispose the Way of Servants towards the Attainment of Everlasting Salvation that among all the Changes and Chances of this Mortal Life they may ever be defended by thy most gracious and ready Help through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Almighty Lord and everlasting God vouchsafe we beseech thee to sanctifie direct and govern both our Hearts and Bodies in the Ways of thy Laws and in the Works of thy Commandments that through thy most mighty Protection both here and ever we may be preserved in Body and Soul through our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen GRant we beseech thee Almighty God that the Words which we have heard this Day with our outward Ears may through thy Grace he so grafred inwardly in our Hearts that they may bring forth in us the Fruit of good Living to the Honour and Praise of thy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PRevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious Favour and further us with thy continual Help that in all our Works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy Holy Name and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALmighty God the Fountain of all Wisdom who knowest our Necessities before we ask and our Ignorance in Asking We beseech thee to have Compassion upon our Infirmities and those things which for our Vnworthiness we dare not and for our Blindness we cannot ask vouchsafe to give us for the Worthiness of thy Son Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALmighty God who hast promised to hear the Petitions of them that ask in thy Sons Name We beseech thee mercifully to incline thy Favour to us who have made now our Prayers and Supplications unto Thee and grant that those things which we have faithfully asked according to thy Will may effectually be obtained to the Relief of our Necessity and to the setting forth of thy Glory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen In these Forms thus disposed is so much both of the Substance and of the Order of the most ancient Liturgies that a small matter more would make it One of the Compleatest Liturgies in the World In the First Part should be more of the Scriptures which may either be left to the Discretion of the Priest or some of the Lessons for the Day be used And the Prayers which are preposterous before the Creed or the Epistle and Gospel v. Heb. 11.6 should either be after the Creed and the Te Deum or be reserved to the Second Part which is most agreeable to the most ancient Office for the Catechumens and Penetents who were not admitted to the Prayers of the Faithful And in the Second Part the Eucharist or Thanksgiving is much shorter than they anciently used and the Commemorations for the Communion of Saints of the whole Mystical Body of Christ are not so express as anciently they were in all the Liturgies now extant I shall conclude with these Observations concerning Liturgies 1. That Prescribed Forms in the Publick Worship of God and also for Private Use are of Divine Original and Institution 2. That there is not any good and clear Evidence of the Ordinary Solemn Worship of God ever performed in any Christian Church or other Religious Society in any part of the World without them 3. That therefore it is great Ignorance and Inconsiderateness at the best but usually great Presumption and Impiety in those who dare to speak against them in general 4. That the Jews did use Forms before our Saviours Time and the most ancient Christian Liturgies are so conform to them that it is highly probable they were of Apostolical Original as to the Substance and Order or rather that our Saviour himself who certainly retained the Rite retained also the Forms with such Variations as were proper for the Christians Use 5. That these things consider'd and the Use of the Word Liturgy in the Christian Church so ancient universal and appropriate to this Purpose it is very disingenuous to deny that St. Luke Act. 13.2 did use that Word which we translate Ministring being joyned with Fasting for Solemn Prayer by Liturgy after the manner aforesaid comprising more in that Word than ordinary Praying by reason of the Solemnity of the Eucharist and Christian Sacrifice In the Preface p. 9. l. 6. for January r. June A PREPARATIVE For the Reception of Truth for a Prologue to certain Discourses design'd for a True Reformation and Restitution of Primitive Christianity TRUTH is what in its own Nature is very Excellent and Powerful is of Divine Original of great Importance to Mankind and greatly opposed by the Powers of Darkness and all Evil Spirits And therefore it is the Duty Interest and Wisdom of Man to have a great Esteem Veneration and Reverence for it in all things but more especially in things of greatest Importance Matters of Religion And because it is certain and manifest to all Men who will but consider it that there is not any more common visible Obstacle to it than Prejudice of Education
Payment of the last Farthing Mat. 5.25 Prisoners of Hope Zechar. 9.11 12. Sins blotted out when the times of Refreshing shall come Act. 3.19 Such as shew the Incertainty of many Souls in their separate State even such as were Professors of a high Form in this World of what their final Doom shall be at that Day as Mat. 7.22 23. and 25.44 45. c. And the Recompence of Rewards at that day 2 Thess 1.6 7. 1 Cor. 5.5 Luk. 14.14.2 Tim. 4.8 c. Which if our confident Opposers had sufficiently considered one would think they should not have presumed to make so light of that middle State as for the maintaining of Parties to deprive so many Souls there of all Benefit they might receive by their surviving Friends here which many Apparitions even among Protestants do frequently signifie The Practice of the Jews I have noted already and shall add only here That in Discourse lately with one of them he assured me that the Form they now use for that purpose is generally believed by all to have been composed by Eâ—ra and the Great Congregation I there also remembred an instance of the Practice of the Apostles themselves in St. Paul's Prayer for Onesiphorus in such a Form as is hardly to be met with for any Person living however proves it not in vain to Pray for any Person of whom there is Hope but not Certainty till that day So that tho' our great Man with more Considence I doubt than Conscience and without any Proof or Reason at all doth positively affirm him then living p. 210. he gets nothing at all by it Thus we see in this a Universal Agreement in all things but on the contrary if we examine the Obstinate Opposition of it throughout we shall find nothing solid and consistent in it neither with Truth nor Honesty nor any good Consequence but a plausible Pretence of the Pure Word of God to cover an impure Inclination and Desire to set aside the Authority which God instituted and set up themselves and their own Conceits in the place of it 2. Inconsistent with it self first denying or cavilling at the Antiquity or Universality of the Practice and then when they thought they had found out an Evasion confessing that which they could no longer for shame deny and betaking themselves to their new Invention 3. Inconsistent with the Sincerity Simplicity and Ingenuity of the Gospel in their shameless Shuffles Cavils and Evasions of which I have noted divers and many more might be observed but there is one not to be omitted here their alleadging the Writings of Epiphanius Chrysostome Augustin and others against not only their own but the confessed ancient Practice of the Church in their time in this Case Inconsistent with that Modesty Respect and Decency which the Gospel requires toward all in their Censuring as delirous not only some particular Persons but generally all the most Holy Ancient Christians in what was their common Sentiments and is believed by the most learned of the Church of England to be plainly taught in the Holy Scriptures 5. Inconsistent with that Reverence and Regard that Christians should have for the Honour of the Church of Christ his Promises to it and Care of it in so foul and scandalous an Imputation as that they received their common Notions of the present State of separate Souls in the other World from an Impostor which was not their Impudence therein as notorious as it is groundless and destitute of any proof at all might prove a Tentation to unsettled Souls to suspect all to be no better And for other Consequences it is plain they lead the way to all others to reject their own usurped Authority with the same Ease and Impudence that they do that of the Church of Christ and to set up their own Conceits against theirs and pretend Scripture for it and so to an endless Course of Separations Schisms Sects and Confusions and in conclusion set up that Authority over others which they themselves in the mean time reject as by their Synod of Dort and others in France appears And besides all this it is much to be feared that they lead multitudes of Souls into that miserable Security and Presumption wherewith our Saviour hath acquainted us that many will find themselves deceived at that day Mat. 7.22 And therefore if these be not pertinacious Schismaticks and Hereticks speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them and therefore carefully to be avoided I know not who are or what so many Cautions in the Scripture to that purpose do signifie FINIS The Doctrine of the Scriptures concerning The Middle State of Souls And the Tradition of the Church for Prayers for the DEAD Summ'd up by Dr. Jer. Taylor late Bishop of Down and Conner With the Judgment of Mr. Herbert Thorndike a late most Learned Prebend of Westminster ALtho' there hath been lately Printed a Discourse of Prayers for the Dead proving the Practice and Tradition thereof in the Church to be truly Catholick and a competent Evidence of Apostolick Original and Authority wherein divers Learned Protestants are alleadged to have been of the same Opinion yet for the Readers farther Satisfaction in that respect it hath been thought fit to Print the Discourse of these two other eminent Persons of the Church of England more at large than was thought proper for that place And first that of the late Bishop Dr. Jer. Taylor 1. Of the Middle State of Souls THE Holy Jesus promised to the blessed Thief That he should that Day be with Him in Paradice which therefore was certainly a Place or State of Blessedness because it was a Promise and in the Society of Jesus whose penal and afflictive part of his Work of Redemption was finished upon the Cross Our Blessed Lord did not promise he should that day be with him in his Kingdom for that day it was not opened and the everlasting doors of those interior Recesses were to be shut till after the Resurrection that himself was to ascend thither and make way for all his Servants to enter in the same Method in which he went before us Our Blessed Lord descended into Hell saith the Creed of the Apostles from the Sermon of St. Peter as he from the Words of David that is into the State of Separation and common Receptacle of Spirits according to the Style of Scripture But the Name of Hell is no where in Scripture an appellative of the Kingdom of Christ of the Place of final and supream Glory But concerning the Verification of our Lord's Promise to the beatified Thief and his own State of Separation we must take what Light we can from Scripture and what we can from the Doctrine of the Primitive Church St. Paul had two great Revelations he was wrapt up into Paradice and he was wrapt up into the third Heaven and and these he calls Visions and Revelations not one but divers for Paradice is distinguished from the Heaven of the