bien de l'honneur de la gloire Mais il ne doit pas seul jouir de la Victoire Ce sage juste Anglois tout plein de Charité Fait passer chez les siens ce Traitté véritable Il doit donc avoir part au Laurier honorable Le Peré en ce partage exalte l'Equité Desaguliers M. A Monsieur Walker sur sa version en Anglois de la Discipline des Eglises Reformeés de France QV I te doit plus des deux l'Angleterre oú la France O genereux Walker Ton Travail Excellent Honore l'une l'autre donne l' Esperence D'un Amour qui du Ciel tient son vray fondement J. D. M. CONFORMITY OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE OF THE Protestants of France With that of the PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANS CHAP. I. Of MINISTERS ARTICLE I. TO proceed to the Election of those which are to be Imployed in Preaching the Word of GOD the Rule of the Apostle must be observed that Examination and Inquiry must be made of their Doctrine Life and Conversation and that as diligently as may be CONFORMITY Jesus Christ having established the Preaching of the Gospel to conduct his Children to the enjoyment of the Salvation which he purchased for them by the Merits of his Death it is with great Reason that the Authors of our Discipline have begun this Excellent Work with the Articles which Treat of the Election and Establishing of Ministers which are the Instruments which God employs for assembling the Saints and for building up the Body of Christ as St. Paul speaks The more weighty this Office is the more care ought to be taken that those which are called to it should be enrich'd with Gifts necessary to discharge themselves as they ought that 's to say That they should be apt to teach which the National Synod of Gergeau added in the Year 1601. to the Article which we examin after these Words of their Doctrine 'T is true that the purity of Doctrine should be accompanied with Holiness of Life to the end that if they are the Light of the World by their Preaching so also they should be the Salt of the Earth by their good Living The Apostle who perfectly knew the importance of this Divine Employment took particular care in Chap. 3. of the 1st Epistle to Timothy and in Chap. 1. to Titus to prescribe all the Qualities he desires in a good and faithful Minister of the New-Testament St. Peter also Treats of them but in a more general manner in Chap. 5. of his 1st Epistle Thence it is that St. Clement observes in his Epistle to the Church of Corinth Page 54. Edit Oxford 1633. That the Apostles Preached the Word in the Cities and in the Countrey and that they Established for Bishops of those which were to believe the first Fruits of those which they had Converted that is to say The first Fruits of those which being awakened at their Preaching had imbraced the Profession of the Gospel but he observes also that he made them not Conductors of the Faithful until after he had proved them by the Holy Ghost Tertullian in all likelihood thought of this practice when describing in Chap. 39. of his Apology the Assemblies of Christians of his time he saith That the Elders which had been tried presided over them this proof undoubtedly comprehending that of their Life and Doctrine It is also in the same design that the fourth Council of Carthage Assembled in the Year 398 and Composed of above 200 Bishops ordered in the first Canon before all things To examin him that was to be Consecrated a Bishop Tom. 1. Concil pag. 727. to see if he have a good Natural Wit if he be apt to Teach moderate in his Conversation sober in his Life diligent in his Affairs humble affable full of Compassion If he be Learned if he be Instructed in the Law of the Lord if he Interprets the Word of God soberly and prudently if he be vers'd in the Dogma 's of the Church and if he can explain in a clear and plain manner the Doctrines of Faith The first Council of Nice also made mention of this Tryal in the Ninth and Tenth Canons and it shall be shewn on the fourth Article the exactness that was us'd to have good Testimonies of those which were to be Established in the Ministry of the Church II. Those which are newly introduced into the Church especially Priests and Fryars are not to be admitted into the Ministry without long and diligent inspection and examination not only of their Life but also of their Doctrine and must be approved of at the least for two years from the time of their Conversion and confirm'd by good Witnesses of the places wherein they have lived and they shall not receive Imposition of Hands no more than if they were meer Strangers without the advice of Provincial and National Synods CONFORMITY This Article is grounded upon the Authority of St. Paul and upon reason I say on the Authority of St. Paul who declares positively That the Minister of the Gospel should not be a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride 1 Tim. 3.6 he fall into Condemnation of the Devil I say in the second place on Reason for if we diligently examine the Doctrine and Manners of those that aspire to the Office of the Holy Ministry altho they are Sons of the Church by Birth or at least that they have joined themselves to her Communion for several years past of much greater reason should the same Care and Precaution bind rather more in regard of those which are turn'd to us but very lately A Tree newly planted cannot so well resist Winds and Storms the extremity of Cold nor great Heat as if it had taken deep root in the earth a new Convert has not so much Light or Experience for the guiding of a Flock besides it is requisite time should be allowed to judge of the sincerity of his Conversion because Men cannot penetrate into the heart and that moreover the Actions of a Hypocrite have in outward shew much resemblance with those of a good Christian But if this Article now in question be grounded on the Authority of Scripture De Presc c. 41. edit Paris 1664. and on the Light of Reason it is no less on Tradition Tertullian reproaches Hereticks That they established in the Ministry of the Church Neophites and such as were newly converted The great Council of Nice in the year of our Lord 325. made a Canon on purpose wherein the Fathers complain Can. 2. that several things had been done either through necessity or otherwise to the Prejudice of the Ecclesiastical Rule as for having too soon granted Baptism to those which passed from Paganism to Christianity without having been long enough Catechised and in having advanced them to the highest Offices in the Church presently after Baptism upon which they prohibit That the like shall not be done for the
towards it by putting the Cup as near their Mouth as they possible can to avoid giving any manner of Offence CONFORMITY This is a wise and charitable condescendence towards an insurmountable weakness of Nature it was by this Principle the Antient Church gave the Sacrament mixt and soaked to those who lay at the point of Death Apud Euseb l. 6. c. 44. so it was practis'd in the Third Century towards a certain Old Man called Serapion who was a dying Penitent for a Priest of Alexandria sent by a Young Man a little or a Portion of the Sacrament commanding it should be steept and put in the Old Mans mouth that he might swallow it down but this was not done but in case of great necessity as Hugh Maynard a Learned Benedict in observes in his Notes on the Book of Sacraments of Gregory the First The same favour was used towards Young Infants in the times as they were admitted to the participation of the Sacraments and not that only but Pope Paschal who succeeded Vrban the Second in the year 1099 commanded that the Two Symbols should be distributed apart except 't were to little Children and to such as are extream sick for to such he permits that they might be communicated with the Wine only because they cannot swallow Bread The charitable Indulgence then allowed by our Discipline towards such as have an invincible aversion and antipathy against Wine ought not to be blamed VIII It remains in the Liberty of Ministers in distributing the Bread and Wine to use the accustomed words the thing being indifferent provided words are used that tend to Edification CONFORMITY When Jesus Christ gave to his Apostles the Sacrament of Bread he said this is my Body and in giving them the Symbol of Wine this is my Blood or this Cup is the New Testament in my Blood As for the Apostles we do not find they said any thing In the time of Justin Martyr Apol. 1. pag. 97. the Giver nor the Communicant said nothing but the Deacons gave to the faithful Bread and Wine which had been Consecrated And 't is gathered from Clements of Alexandria Strom. lib. 1. pag. 271. that 't was so practis'd at the end of the Second Century sometime after it was said to Communicants in giving them the Sacrament The Body of Christ The Blood of Christ In the Sixth Century and after it was said particularly in the West The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve you to Everlasting Life The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ Redeem you to Eternal Life Euchol p. 83. The Greeks say at this time You participate and communicate of the Holy Body and Pretious Blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for the Remission of your sins and to Life Everlasting Amongst us is commonly said This is the Body of Jesus Christ this is the Blood of Jesus Christ The Church as any one may see having at all times used a great freedom in this matter IX The Churches shall be advertis'd that the Cup is to be administred by the Minister CONFORMITY As Jesus Christ Blessed and Consecrated his Eucharist so he also administer'd it for there was none but him that did the Office and Duty of a Minister A little more than a Hundred years after Apol. 1. pag. 97. Christians received the Communion from the hands of Deacons as we find by Justin Martyr a practice observ'd a long while but with some difference and 't is probable those who did so grounded themselves on what is said in the VI. chap. of the Acts that Deacons should serve at Tables as if by this Expression was to be understood the distributing the Sacrament at the Holy Table whereas it means no more but the distributing of Alms and Charities to Widows and Orphans and in general to the Poor of the Church After all lio de Coron c. 3. Tertullian observes it was not received but of the hand of him which presided that is to say of Pastors and probably 't was in his time the use of the Churches of Africa which doubtless were more conformable to the Example and Practice of Jesus Christ to which we may add what is said by St. Chrysostome in his Forty Sixth Homily on St. Matthew The Priest only is permitted to distribute the Cup of the Blood of Jesus Christ The Greek word designs also Bishops as well as Sacerdos which the Interpreter has used X. Inasmuch as distributing the Lords Supper several sick Persons came to receive which occasions that several make scruple of drinking the Wine after them the Pastors and Elders shall be warn'd to take prudent care and give good Order therein CONFORMITY It is a prudent and cautious Establishment to avoid greater inconvenience XI Those who have been a long time in the Church and will not communicate of the Lords Supper if they do it through contempt as for fear of being obliged to forsake all manner of Idolatry after several admonitions they shall be cut off from the body of the Church but if it be by infirmity they shall be borne with for some time until they can be Established CONFORMITY There 's nothing in this Article that differs from the practice of the Antient Church which obliged all those which heard the Word of God to participate of the Lords Supper 't is what is intimated by the Second Cannon of the Council of Antioch Those which enter into the Assemblies and hear the Holy Scriptures but by a certain looseness do not communicate in Prayer with the People and deprive themselves of the participation of the Lords Supper let such be cast out of the Church The Ninth of those attributed to the Apostles and which probably was borrowed of that of Antioch is no less positive All the Believers which enter into the Church and that hear the Reading of the Scriptures but which stay not for the Prayers nor do receive the Holy Sacrament let them be cut off because they give offence to the Church Thence it is that in the Eleventh chap. of the Eighth Book of Constitutions called the Apostles it is Ordained That the Deacons should stand at the Doors where the Men sit and the Vnder-Deacons of that of the Women to hinder that no body go out during the time of the Oblation that is to say during the time of celebrating the Eucharist XII Those which frequent the Christian Congregations but on the Communion Day shall be reprov'd and warned to do their Duty and even to this purpose to joyn to one certain Church CONFORMITY The Author of Constitutions which go in the Apostles Names prescribes to Believers to frequent the Holy Assemblies not only when the Lords Supper is celebrated but also on all other Dayes Lib. 2. cap. 59. there to attend on calling on the Name of God in singing Psalms and the hearing of his Word The 80th Cannon of the Sixth Oecumenical Council does depose Church-men Tom. 5. Conc. pag. 344.
neighbouring Churches shall join together that at least there might be a maintenance for each Colloque and that rather than fail the 5th Penny of the Alms-money be set apart for this use if it may be conveniently done CONFORMITY It appears by the 14th Canon of the Synod of Epaum Assembled in the Year 517 That it was practis'd at that time just as our Discipline prescribes for it appoints to him of the Clergy that shall have received any Gratification and Present from the liberality of the Church wherein he liv'd that he should return it back again if he be advanced to be Bishop of another Church it appears to me this cannot be understood but of the assistance was given him during the time of his studies seeing that from the very moment any one entred into the Service of a Church he was to have his support and maintenance from it It was in this regard Theodolphus Bishop of Orleans permitted the Priests of his Diocess in the Year 797. to send their Nephews or some of their Relations unto the School he names which they shall like best there to be Taught and Educated There 's something like this in the Seminaries which the 2d Council of Toledo as 't were founded in the Year 530. and the 4th of the same place An. 633. Can. 23 or 24. Tom. 4. Conc. Page 588. Not so much as the Council of Trent but made a Decree in the 29th Session Anno 1563. for the Establishing these Seminaries Tom. 9. Conc. Page 409. cap. 18. V. In each Church there shall be appointed Propositions of the Word of God amongst the Scholars according as the convenience of the place and persons shall permit where the Pastors shall be present as well to preside as to direct and help the said Students CONFORMITY The Exercises here prescrib'd have no other scope but to fit and prepare Students in Divinity for Preaching and to put them in a condition to Preach the Gospel to Edification with profit which agrees very well with the Establishments of the Synods of Chalons and Meaux which we cited on the first Article CHAP. III. Of ELDERS and DEACONS ARTICLE I. IN those places where the Order of Discipline is not yet Established the Election as well of Elders as of Deacons shall be made as well by the common voice of the People as of the Ministers but where the Discipline is already established it shall pertain to the Consistory with the Pastors to make choice of the fittest Persons by ardent Prayers to that effect And the Parties shall be expresly nominated publickly in the Consistory and to those which shall be chosen the Office shall be read to the end they may know the business they are to be employed in If they consent to it they shall afterwards be nominated to the People two or three Sundays that so the consent of the People may also intervene and if there be no opposition the third Sunday they shall be publickly admitted by solemn Prayers they standing before the Pulpit and so shall be setled in their Office subscribing the Confession of Faith and the Ecclesiastical Discipline but if there be opposition the Matter shall be decided in Consistory and if it cannot be there determin'd the whole shall be transmitted to a Colloque or Provincial Synod CONFORMITY Having treated of Ministers and the Schools where they ought to study to attain to the Office of the Holy Ministry it follows in order to speak of those which partake with them of the care in Governing the Flock That is of Deacons and Elders which amongst us are Secular persons serving in the Church and distinguished from Ministers or to speak with the Fathers from the Clergy it is then of these two sorts of Persons and of their Election that I am to treat in examining this Article according to the design and intention of the Compilers of our Discipline I 'll begin with the Deacons which as every body knows are of Apostolical institution In effect we find in the 6th Chapter of the Acts That the Apostles giving themselves up wholly to the Preaching of the Gospel they desir'd the Church of Jerusalem to chuse out certain persons of good repute for Wisdom and Piety that they might commit unto them the care of the Poor which they express by serving of Tables that by this means they might the more conveniently attend to Prayer and Preaching of the Word St. Chrysostom observes on this place that this was the first establishing of Deacons the very name not being till then known that is in the Christian Church as for the Jewish Church they had their Deacons as Epiphanius writes in the Heresie of the Ebeonites which is the 30th they were called Azanites and thence probably 't was that the Apostles took the Original of Christian Deacons and they called them so because they served at Tables and at the distributing of Money to the Poor It was to that time those which followed St. Chrysostom and wrote of the first institution of Deacons writing on the Acts of the Apostles as Beda and Orcumenius have refer'd it As for Lay-Elders such as ours be I do not find their institution in Scripture as that of the Deacons is found as for the Elders of the Christian Churches whereof there is mention made in several places in the New-Testament I am fully persuaded that by them is to be understood Pastors themselves which were called indifferently Elders or Priests and Bishops I do not except that famous passage chap. 5. vers 17. of the 1st Ep. to Timothy It is certain that these Elders were all of the same Order that is to say They were all Pastors but because there were several in the same Church and that some were sitter for Preaching the Word than others they gave them different employments according to the diversity of Gifts in my judgment there needs no other proof of this Truth than the right of Precedency which St. Paul attributes indifferently to all which he would not have done had they not been all of one Order the Greek word also which he uses ordinarily imports a precedency which is due only to Pastors which the Ancients frequently design by this name particularly Justin Martyr But notwithstanding this I make no question but the Original of our Elders is very Ancient and that it approaches very near to the Apostles days if they be not rather themselves the Founders of them and what confirms me in this Opinion is that they establish'd in the Church a Government like that of the Synagogue a Christian Presbytery instead of a Jewish one and as there were Elders amongst the Jews which had share in Governing the Synagogue it is very probable that there were also Elders amongst the Christians People which had part in that of the Church if not at the very first birth of Christianity at least there was as soon as the number of them was increased in so great a manner for then it was
Virgin proceeding from their Blood and Seed and that the substance of his Body was formed not only of the Virgin according to what the Apostle saith that he was of the Seed of David according to the Scriptures that he was made of a Woman and that he partook of Flesh and Blood like other Children Answ Yes Quest Do you not believe that the baptizing of young Infants is grounded in the Scriptures and in the continual practice of the Church Answ Yes Quest Do you not with all your heart renounce the Errors of those which deny it and are you not sorry for having hitherto slighted it Answ Yes Quest Do you not believe that the Establishing of Magistrates is an Ordnance of God to the which those which refuse to submit draw down damnation on themselves And that all manner of Obedience after the Will of God is due to them Answ Yes Quest Do you not believe that this good God which calls us all by the Preaching of his Word to Life and Salvation has instituted some Signs and Sacraments in his Church which Seal and Confirm to us the Covenant of Grace which is offer'd to us by the Preaching of the Gospel Answ Yes Quest How many Sacraments think you there are in the Christian Church Answ Two to wit Baptisme and the Lords Supper Quest Do you not desire to be instructed in the Nature and Vse of Baptisme which you desire in the Church Answ Yes Quest The Minister shall say Our Lord shews us all in what poverty and misery we were born in telling us we must be regenerated for if it be needful our Nature be renewed to have admission into the Kingdom of Heaven it is a sign 't is wholly sinful and cursed therein therefore he warns us to be humbled and cast down in our-selves and in this manner he prepares us to desire and seek his favour whereby all the perverseness and evil of our first Nature shall be abolished for we are not capable of receiving it until first we have wholly laid aside all trust in our own Strength Wisdom Righteousness even to condemning all that is in us Now when he has shewn us our misery he then comforts us by his mercy promising to regenerate us by his Holy Spirit to a Holy Life which shall be to us as the entrance into his Kingdom This Regeneration consists in two parts which is that we should deny our selves not following the way of our own reason our Pleasure and own Will but subjecting our understanding and heart to the Wisdom and Will of God mortifying all that is of us and of the Flesh afterwards we should follow the light of God to comply and submit to his Holy Will as he commands us by his Word and bads us by his Spirit The accomplishment both of the one and the other is in our Lord Jesus whose Death and Passion is of such Vertue that partaking thereof we are as it were Dead to Sin to the end that our fleshly Lusts should be mortified In like manner by vertue of his Resurrection we may be raised to a new Life which is God being Govern'd and Conducted by his Holy Spirit which worketh in us things well pleasing in his sight Nevertheless the first and principal point of our Salvation is that by his Mercy he pardon and forgives us all our sins not imputing them to us but blotting them out that they should not rise up in Judgment against us All these Graces are bestow'd on us when he is pleased to ingraff us into his Church by Baptisme for in this Sacrament he assures us of the pardon of our sins And to this end he hath appointed the Sign of Water to shew us That as by this Element Bodily filthiness is washed away he will also wash and purifie our Souls that there might be no spot in them Then he shews us our Renovation the which lyes as has been said in the Mortification of our Flesh and in a Spiritual Life which he worketh in us So shall we receive double Grace and benefit of our God in Baptisme provided we do not frustrate the vertue of this Sacrament by our ingratitude which is that we have therein certain assurance that God will be a merciful Father to us not imputing our Sins and Offences Secondly That he will assist us by his Holy Spirit to the end we may resist the Devil Sin and the Lusts of the Flesh even till we triumph over them to live in the liberty of his Kingdom which is the Kingdom of Righteousness Seeing then 't is so that these two things are accomplish'd in us by the love of Jesus Christ it follows that the vertue and substance of Baptisme is compris'd in him and indeed we have no other cleansing but his Blood nor no other renewing but in his Death and Resurrection but as he communicates to us his Riches and Blessings by his Word so also he distributes them to us by his Sacraments Now herein appears the wonderful Love of God towards us that those Graces he bestows upon us having before the coming of the Messias been restrain'd within the People of the Jews and the partition Wall which separated the Jews and Gentiles being taken away by the Death of Jesus Christ he shed abroad the Waters of his Saving Grace in such abundant manner on the Children of Men that in him there is now neither Jew nor Greek Male nor Female Circumcision nor Vncircumcision nor any other Creature else which can hinder us from this great Salvation that Jesus Christ will be preached to all Nations and the Covenant of his Love confirm'd by Baptisme according to the Commission given to his Apostles saying Go Preach to all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And it is this Grace Brother which you desire to partake of by Baptisme is it not true Answ Yes Quest But because entring into the House of God every one should take care of his wayes fearing to prophane the the Sanctuary in adventuring according to the saying of the Wise Man least he should offer the Sacrifice of Fools and that he should be cleansed from the Leven and Error of Malice do you not detest all the Errors which are contrary to the Holy Doctrine taught in our Churches Answ Yes Quest Seeing you are about to receive Holy Baptisme do not you promise to live and dye in the Faith of the Lord Jesus heretofore confessed by you accompanying it with a Holy Life and Conversation and to imploy all your Thoughts Words and Actions to glorifie God and edifie your Neighbours submitting your self to the Order of the Church and to the Discipline whereby this Holy Order shall inviolably be maintain'd Answ Yes This being done the Minister shall add Let us pray to God that he would be pleased to Bless this Holy Action and shall pray after this manner Lord our God infinitely Wise and Merciful we Praise and Bless thy Holy