a Minister about Holy Things or one that attends about holy service Neh. 10.36 Esay 61.6 Jer. 33.21 and therefore Scripture it self gives this interpretation of their names in very many places For though there were diverse Offices in the Jewish Hierarchy as the High-Priest the Priests the Levites Nethemims Porters Singers c. yet were they all Ministers about Holy Things though some in a higher others in a lower rank For the Levites Ministred immediately to the Priests the Priests to the High Priest and he immediatly to God as in our Church the Deacon whose name signifies a Minister Ministers to the Priest and the Priest immediatly to God Therefore Priest Levite Ezr. 7.24 Nethemims c. are all sum'd up in this name of Ministers see Joel 1.9 and 13. where they are all called Ministers of the Altar So Joel 2. Ezech. 46.24 c. Thus you see what the Hebrew word signifies which we turn Priest and what the Greek word Priest signifies which we would not have the Clergy called by and yet it is the very word given them by the Holy Ghost in the New-Testament viz. Elders Now I pray The Dignity of the Priests if they who waited on the Altar were called Ministers of God or of the Sanctuary or of the Holy Things why may not we of the Gospel be so called that is Priests for that the Interpreters ment when they translated the Hebrew Cohen which word likewise signifies a Prince to intimate the great Dignity of that Function which consisted in Ministring unto God about Holy Things And of no less Dignity is the word Priest or Elder And therefore these terms were premiscuously given to the Jewish Clergy and an Elder with them sometimes signifies a Prince So the Elders of the People of the City of the Congregation fignifies Rulers and Governours To be God's Ministers is to be the Peoples Elders We are the Ministers of God not men 2 Cor. 6. 4. 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2 Cor. 3. 6. Rom. 13. 6. for we are not the Ministers of men but of God and so we are stiled Ministers of Christ Ministers of the Spirit God and Christ set us on work he sends us forth to him we Minister though for you When we administer the Holy Word the Sacraments we are not therein your Ministers but his Dispensers or Stewards For we do it not at your appointment or command or by your Authority but by Gods from whom we have our Calling and Commission As the King is not his Subjects Minister though he doth administer Justice to them and therefore he is called Gods Minister Angels likewise Ministring Spirits to God even then when they are sent out for the good of them who shall be Heirs of Salvation Psal 103.21 104.4 For though the material Object of their Ministry or that whereabout their Ministery is conversant be men yet the formal Object or he in reference to whom this Ministery is executed is God Hence ye Priests ye Ministers of his that do his pleasure and he maketh his Ministers a flame and Daniel saith of them thousand thousands Ministred unto them Thus you see then whose Ministers we are Gods Dan. 1.10 not mens Secondly What a Dignity this is it is no less than what is attributed to Kings and Angels You see likewise that what the Interpreters translated Priests signifies that which you call us Ministers and the executing of their Office Ministring or Ministration As also that the word Elder Luk. 1.23 that the Holy Ghost calls us by is all one with the word Priest And therefore if you be so much against the Jewish terms you should rather call us Priests than Ministers but indeed we are both and the Holy Scripture useth both words promiscuously as well in the Old as the New Testament For we are Elders in respect of the people Ministers in respect of God and we Minister to God about Holy Things unless you will say that our Gospel is not so Holy as their Law our Preaching as their Expounding our Prayers and Service and Sacraments wherein is the Body and Blood of our Saviour are not as Holy as their Incense Oblation and Sacrifice for about these things are our Ministers conversant Now I come to the main Question concerning Adoration or Worship of God before or towards the Altar in our ingress into his house or at any other time when we shall approach thereunto Where first I will shew you what is meant by Adoration or Worship Secondly what is meant by the House of God 1. By Worship What is meant by Worship I do not understand here in the Latitude of the word the whole Act of Religion the whole Duty of Man which sometimes is generally so called the Worship of God the Fear of God nor yet only or primarily the inward Reverence and Devotion of the heart but in special the outward expression of Reverence and Humility in the posture or gesture of the Body not excluding but implying the inward worshiping of the mind In this sense the word is often taken in Holy Scripture as in the second Commandment Thou shalt not bow down to them Gen. 24 26.48.5 Rev. 19.10 nor Worship them So Saint John fell at the Angels feet to Worship him but the Angel refuseth it and biddeth him worship God that is give the outward Worship that he was ready to do to him to God to whom alone it was due For had not the outward Worship been an Act of Religion in regard of Saint John's intention and inward Reverence the Angel needed not to have refused it for outward Worship if it be only Civil is such as one man may give to another a Subject to his Prince much more to an Angel You see then the Holy Scripture by the name of Worship doth oftentimes mean in special the outward Adoration of the Body in visible gestures and so do I here Now this Act of outward Worship I make a part of Religion which that you may the better conceive I will tell you the Nature and Parts thereof For it is not generally believed that outward Worship is due unto God and consequently that it is part of Religion Religion Religion the Nature and Parts which is derived from a word that signifies binding Implies three things 1. An Act of Duty 2. The Object of that Act God 3. The Bond or Tye imposed upon us for the performance of such a Duty to such an Object The Object of Religion is God most Infinite most Glorious most Excellent and Perfect and therefore our Act of Duty in reference to such an Object ought to have three Properties 3 Properties of it 1. It must be an universal Act or Act of the whole Man 1 Vniversal of Soul and Body Soul and Body of all the Faculties of the Soul and of all the Members of the Body All are to concur in this Act of Duty to God and that for these
washed from the pollutions thereof with water so in our second or new birth they that were born into the Church and made Members of the same were washed from the pollutions of their Sins by the Sanctifying of the Holy Spirit who in Holy Scripture is frequently Signified under the name of Water John 7.38 39. Now though our blessed Saviours death and blood-shed be the ground of that Sacrament yet it is not his Blood that is represented by the water but the Sanctifying of the Holy Spirit whence our Saviour said to Nicodemus Vnlhss a man be born again of Water and of the Spirit c Besides Baptisme is the Sacrament of our Initiation the Lords Supper of our Conformation Baptisme might be Administred to Infants the Lords Supper only to men of Ripe years By Baptisme we have only the beginning of our Spiritual Life by the Lords Supper we have our Conservation in it and Continual food and nourishment This is the Commemoration Representation Exhibition and Application of that one most perfect Sacrifice of our Lord once offered upon the Cross So that upon this Table is prepared God's Heavenly Banquet for our Souls our Manna the Bread of Life in Comparison whereof all Earthly Feasts and Dainties are but poor Course and despicable From hence we drink the Cup of Salvation and Heavenly Benediction yea we eat and drink the very Body and Blood of our Saviour in a Mistery Whence the Antient Fathers are wont to call them Reverend and Dreadful Mysteries the Viands of Immortality the earnest of our Inheritance and the place in Reference thereto The Holy Altar the Sacred Table the Seat and Throne and Chair of Estate of our Lord Christ Jesus Thus I hope I have proved this Table to be the Highest and most Honourable part of the Church and therefore the fittest towards which our Devotions to God should be tendred Now I shall prove it to be Consonant to Scripture and approved by the Constant practice of the Saints in all Ages Perhaps you expect some place of Scripture containing this Proposition in express terms But this Demand were unreasonable For if we should believe no more than what we have express words of Scripture for in the New-Testament Then we shall be never able to prove our Baptizing of Infants The Analogy of the H. T. a Rule in many things or our substituting the Lords day in place of the Jewish Sabbath which are two points of main Consequence and yet we have no Rule given expresly concerning them in the New-Testament Nor was it needful for in such things where God hath not given or prescribed to us any new Rule to guide us In Tithes he hath refered us to the Analogy of the Old This the Apostle teacheth us where he proves the due of the Ministers miantainance under the Gospel from the Analogy of the Old Law Do ye not know that they that Minister about Holy things live of the Holy things of the Temple 1 Cor 9.13 and they that waitat the Altar are Partakers of the Altar even so hath the Lord Ordained that they that preach the Gospel would live of the Gospel But where hath God Ordained that but in the Old Law whence the Apostle proveth this for what need God give a new Commandment concerning Tithes in the New-Testament while the Reason and Ground of the Commandement first given doth as much concern us as them It was reason that they who waited at the Altar should live of it It is as much reason that they who Preach the Gospel should live by it God hath reserved to himself the Tithes to bestow upon his Ministers in the Old-Testament for their maintainance and it was not needful he should give any new Command for Tithes under the Gospel seeing he never abolish't them that he hath not abolish't them is plain because he hath not abolish't the cause for which he did at first Ordain them viz the mainitainance of his Ministers as the Apostle here shews Thus you see the folly of those that will admit of no proofs out of the Old-Testament for any thing even there where is the same ground and reason which the Apostle confutes here by his own practice and by citing a place out of Deuterinomy 25.4 Thou shalt not muzzel the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the Corn. which saith the Apostle God spake altogether for our sakes that are Ministers of the Gospel And whence arose the Auncient practise of the Church in Baptising Infants I Pedo Baptiand the Lords day but from the Analogy of Circumcision or the Hallowing of every first day in the week as one in seven but from the Analogy of the Jewish Sabath By the same reason it was not necessary for God or Christ in the Gospel to give us any new rule for the manner of our worship of him in his house Euseb line 3. line 14 Ir. line line 3. line 3. or to specify the place towards which we should Adore him in express words having therein left us to the Analogy of the Old Law there being the same reason to tye us to worship God towards this place that there was to tye the Jews to worship him towards the Altar I might alledge to this purpose a place out of Clemens a man of the Apostolique age and whose name saith St. Paul was written in the Book of Life in his true and genuine Epistle to the Corinthians We p. 52. where he saith ought to do all things rightly and orderly which our Lord hath Commanded us to Celebrate our oblations and Lyturgyes at appointed times for he would not have these things done rashly and out of order but at set times and hours He hath likewise defined by his most High will where and by whom he would have these things performed But where I pray do we find any of these things Specified by God unless he hath left us to the Analogy of the Old-Testament For the only reason that moved the Jews to worship toward the Ark was the Memorial of his Name that is The same Reason ties us to worâ—ship God towards the Altar that tied the Jews to worship towards the Ark. of his Special presence The whole Temple was the Place of Gods Special Presence but the Ark was as it were his Front or Face where he did most chiefly testify his Presence Simil. as the whole Chamber where the King manifests himself to his Subjects is called the Presence Chamber but the Chair of Estate doth most principally represent the Kings Person But first I will shew that places in the Old Testament set a part for Gods Worship were places set a part for the Memorial of his Name and therefore Sacred and also that God did promise a special Exhibition of his presence and blessings in those places This I prove out of Exod. 20.24 where God after the promulgation of the Decalogue forbidding the People by Moses to make with him gods of Silver
of my Blood poured out for you that is of my Sacrifice for your sins For for what else could our Saviour be remembred or what else do the Elements represent or commemorate but that Sacrifice Thus then you see that as the old Jewish Sacrifices were Typical Sacrifices so the Christian Sacrament is a memorative Sacrifice And that one and the same thing might be both a Sacrament and a Sacrifice none will deny that considers the Paschal Lamb was both Yet that was but a Typical Sacrifice and a Typical Sacrament this both a true Sacrifice and Sacrament For although that Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross was performed once for all yet the Commemoration of it was to be often iterated in the Church till Christ's second coming Again why should we not as well call it a Sacrifice in memory of Christ's which it signifies as a Sacrament in token of his which it Seals or in token of a Covenant which it ratifies The Scripture I am sure no where calleth it by the name of Sacrament Sacrament the word not found in the Bible for there is no such word in the Bible And therefore they that will have a Proof out of the Scripture for every thing they say 'T is a Seal to the Covenant and therefore a Sacrifice and give no respect to the Custom and Language of the Church must desist by their own principles from the use of this word for they can have no Authority for it but the constant and unanimous tradition of the Church Moreover God never made Covenant with man but with Sacrifice For a Covenant since the fall was always made for the redintegration of our peace with God violated by sin Now there was no peace that is no Covenant renewed where there was no first remission of sin past and no remission of sin without satisfaction of Justice no satisfaction without the blood of a Sacrifice viz. Christ's Sacrifice For that is the ground of our Covenant with God and therefore wheresoever it is renewed that Sacrifice is withall commemorated in vertue whereof it was at first made and ever since renewed Besides as in Sacrifices God in token of Covenant and Attonement with man did as it were eat with him and Feast him at his own Table eating and drinking having been always esteemed tokens of Peace and Friendship For the Sacrifices were first presented and given up unto God consecrated unto him in Recognition of his Lordship over all Creatures then afterwards Slaughtered and Offered part whereof was consumed the other part was for the Sacrifice to Feast withal in token of Reconciliation with God so also is the Sacrament a Foederal Rite of our Address unto God to renew a Covenant The Bread and Wine are first Consecrated and made the Body and Blood of Christ that is a memorial of that Sacrifice which is the ground of our Covenant and then are given as meat from Gods Table to be a Sacrament sealing unto us his Reconciliation in vertue of his Sons Sacrifice there commemorated You see then that this Sacrament is how it is and why it is a Sacrifice Now if it be truly a Sacrifice Holy Table may fitly be called an Altar the Holy Table may fitly be called an Altar For as the Cross was the Altar of our Saviours Sacrifice corporally offered so is the Table the Altar of his Sacrifice mystically offered in the Supper And as a Cross did suit to his Body so a Table to the Bread As he did not institute any Carnal Body and Blood to be the memory of his Sacrifice but Bread and Wine so he did not institute a Cross for an Altar but that which was proportionable to the signs which he instituted As in the Old Law it was not necessary that the Type should in every thing be so Analogal as to have a man Crucified for a Sacrifice and a Cross for an Altar to represent the Sacrifice of Christ but a Beast for the one and a Table for the other so neither is it necessary in the New Testament the substantial Body of a Man should be the sign of Christ's Sacrifice or a Cross of an Altar for the memory thereof And this I have the more fully enlarged to answer those who will perchance confess our Saviours Cross to have been an Altar but not our Tables Furthermore Table and Altar promiscuously used what great material difference is there between an Altar and a Table that we are so scrupelous were not the Altars of the Old Law Tables else what means the promiscuous use of these words Mal. 1.7 Ye offer polluted Bread upon mine Altar mark it and ye say wherein have we polluted thee The answer of God by his Prophet is in that ye say the Table of the Lord is contemptible That which in the beginning of the Verse is called an Altar in the end is called a Table Obj. The word doth not infer Popery What 's this but by little and little to bâ—ing in Popery underhand when we begin to use their Language for so Popery came in and got head at first Resp No such matter Let the Papist take away their Doctrine of Transubstantiation or Corporal presence and we shall not differ from them in the use of this word for it is not theirs but the Speech of the Scripture and the Primitive Church The Papist may with as good reason say that the Table is transubstantiated into a Cross as the Bread into the Body For if our Saviour by those words This is my Body did mean to exhibit substantially that once offered Sacrifice even that very Body Crucified every time the Eucharist should be administred and so to make it a propitiatory Sacrifice for the Quick and Dead then it is necessary that he should mean also to turn the Table into the Cross For that was the real Altar of his real Sacrifice And therefore if they will have the true Body and Blood litterally understood to be then Crucified and Offered I see not how they can avoid the inferring of a true Cross whereinto the Table must be likewise turned For a Table was not the Altar of Christ's Bodily Sacrifice but a Cross I know no reason why I should imagine the same Indentical Numerical real bodily Sacrifice and not the same Indentical Numerical real Altar The same Numerical Sacrifice say they was offered on the Cross nay his Crusifying was his Sacrificing but no Crucifying but on a Cross therefore if his Numerical Sacrificing be there his Numerical Crusifying is also there if his Numerical Crusifying then his Numerical Cross These things do necessarily result one from another and all joyntly shew the absurdity of the Popish Error But now because they mix falshood with truth shall we relinquish the truth Because they make the Sacrament a real Corporal Sacrifice shall not we hold it to be a commemorative one as Christ teacheth us Because they say in the Sacrament Christ is Bodily shall we therefore
or would not hear him any where else Or that Solomon thought God could not or would not hear any prayer but what was made in his Temple certainly he did not For the reason why he beseeched God to have respect unto the Place which he had made and to hear the Prayers of those that prayed in it or towards it was only this because it was built for the Memorial of Gods Name for the place of his special presence and God had promised to place his Name there And mark Gods Answer 2 Chr. 7.14 2 Chr. 7.14 If my People shall humble themselves and Pray c. Then will I hear and forgive Now mine eyes shall be open and mine ears attent to the Prayert that are made in this place Would you know the reason why God would hear in this place rather than in another Though God did not abridge himself of hearing in anyother place It is expresly set down in the next Verse For now I have chosen and Sanctified this house that my Name that is my Memorial or special presence might be there for ever and my Eyes and my Heart shall be there perpetually Is there not the same reason for Gods presence in our Churches as in their Temple if they be as much Sanctified to this end viz. Gods Memorial or Name to Inhabit in as that was And to what other end were these ever Consecrated Now unless you can shew this promise of Gods meeting and blessing men by a peculiar manner in all places where he recorded his Name was proper to the Jews or hath been since reversed by God then certainly our Churches have as much of Gods special presence as the Temple And God will there meet with us and bless us especially and we are to adore God as much towards our Memorial as the Jews towards theirs Thus I have proved the Lawfulness of Adoration towards the Altar out of Scripture Now for the Opinion and Pratise of the Church That it was the Opinion and Practise of the Old Church 1 Kings 8.22 2 Kings 19.14 2 Chr. 7.3 is apparent by what is said Hezekiah in his distress went into the Temple and their Prayed towards the Place of his presence Viz. the Mercy Seat and therefore compellates God by this Title Thou that dwellest between the Cherubims Might not the King have Prayed at home was not God present in his house or had he confined him between the Cherubims No but Hezekiah knew that God had more especially promised his Presence in this Place and therefore here he comes and prostrates himself before Gods Memorial How the Christians Esteemed ever and reverenced their Churches Vid. c. And how highly they regarded their Altars Chrisost Hom. 20. In the Second Epistle to the Corinthians Optatus in his 6th Book describing the Dignity of the Altar illustrates it from this Viz. That it was the Seat of the Body and Blood of Christ Alexander Bishop of Constantinople falling down at the foot of the Altar besought God that he would subvert the furious Plots and Endeavours of the Arrians the next day Arrius as he was exonerating nature withal voided his Guts and Bowels Nazians Or. p. 1. or in some 25. tells That his Sister Gorgonia being Sick applies her self to the chief Physitian of all mortals and casting her self down before the Altar and Invocating him who was Honoured upon the same she recovered her former health By which Examples it may seem that God by his miraculous benefits hath confirmed this Reverence Tertull tells how penitents after they are restored to the Church at their entrance into it were wont to cast themselves down before the Priests from whom they were to receive absolution and to bow themselves submisly before the Altar of God c. God cares not for any complements He requires the Heart Object and the Inward Devotion thereof and so our Saviour teacheth us to serve God John 4.23 The hour cometh and now is that they that worship the Father must worship him in Spirit and Truth This Text is much abused to prove that God in the Gospel allows not of External or Bodily worship or Service but requires this of the Spirit only and consequently to make this the main difference between Gods worship under the Old-Testament and the New Now first I will shew the absurdity of this meaning which they give of the words and then declare the true sense This sense is inconsequent from our Saviours Words The absurdities of the Puritance exposition for he did not speak any thing to the woman about Bodily worship but only about the place of worship and the Object For her question to our Saviour perceiving him to be a Prophet was about a main controversy between the Jews and Samaritans who were bitter Enemies about the Place of worship They mistake the Scope so whether Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem were the place appointed for Gods worship This you may see is nothing concerning the manner of worship whether it should be Outward or Inward But our Saviour in answering waves the question and tells her that was not so material a controversy but that there was a greater Question than that about the place Viz. about the object of their worship for you saith he worship you know not what but we Jews know what we worship After which follows the words cited But the hour cometh c. This is the first absurdity it hath not Consistance with the contest Secondly They add to the Letter Their interpretation addeth to the very Letter of the Text For our Saviour saith not we must worship him in Spirit only there is no such word This exclusive particle our Saviour useth not So that though he might mean that we must worship him cheifly or Principally in Spirit yet it follows not but we might worship him with our bodies also Subordinately for the Principal doth not exclude the Subordinate but include it And none dare say that outward worship is opposite to inward This is the Second Absurdity they add to the letter what our Saviour never said or thought Thirdly This Exposition is directly contrary to the words For our Saviour saith God must be worshipped in Spirit and Truth but God is not nor yet can be worshipped in Truth without Bodily worship for his worship is not true 'T is conerary to the Doctrine and practise of Christ and of all Christians in all Ages unless it be entire and Universal as hath been shewen and entire it is not without the Joynt-worship of the Body Fourthly This Exposition contradicts the Ordinances of the Gospel expresly together with the practise of our Saviour his Apostles and the Church in all Ages For the blessed Sacraments are External Rites and Services Baptisme wherein we make our first Stepulation with God to become his Servants The Eucharist which is substituted in place of those Bloody Sacrifices of the Law to be a Rite and mean of our Address to