and the compliance of our affections being not only confident of their truth because God hath revealed them but delighted with their excellency because they tend to make us holy and happy and then we shall believe them with a perswasion stronger than can be built upon the Scholastical Demonstration we shall adhere to them closely and for ever because they are amiable and lead us to God and immortality Let us not think our Faith sufficient till we so believe in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour that we are moved thereby to repent of our sins and cast our Souls on him for Pardon and then we have spiritually communicated already we have obtained the benefits and perfected the designs of this Sacrament and done that internally and nakedly by Faith which is more solemnly effected in the Mysteries themselves To which there is no better preparation than such a repetition of our Holy Faith The Paraphrase of this Creed Sect. 4. I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart in one God a pure and infinite Spirit distinguished into three Persons the first of which is God the Father declared to be Almighty as he is the Maker of Heaven and Earth Creator of the whole World and all things contained in any part thereof both visible as all bodily substances on Earth and invisible as spiritual beings and Angels in Heaven And I also believe firmly in one Lord Iesus Christ the second Person of the glorious Trinity who is not as Angels or Men the adopted but the only begotten Son of God not created in time but begotten of his Father from all Eternity before all Ages of the Coelestial or Terrestrial Worlds Of the same nature with his Father God begotten of God after a mysterious and spiritual manner as Light is kindled of Light not diminishing his Fathers substance and yet being very God of very God derived not as the Creatures for he was begotten and not made and is equal to God being of one nature and substance with the Father and of the same dignity and power for he is that Eternal Word by whom all things were made out of nothing I believe also it was this very Son of God who passing by the fallen Angels for us Men and for the effecting of our Salvation and deliverance out of the state of sin and death in which we miserably lay came down unto this Earth from Heaven and left his glory for he took our nature and was incarnate by assuming a body of flesh like ours only without sin because it was conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost in the Womb of the Virgin Mary so though he was still very God yet he took the form of a servant And was made Man living holily and working Miracles till at last he was unjustly condemned and was crucified also with intolerable torments to satisfie Gods justice for us and all Mankind who were become liable to Damnation which cruel Death he endured under Pontius Pilate the Roman President by whose unjust sentence he suffered till he was really dead and was buried and yet when he had paid the full price of our Redemption The third day after his Crucifixion by his divine power he rose again to life according to all those Prophecies and Types of him before recorded in the Scriptures After which he conversed with his Disciples fourty days and ascended in their sight into Heaven where he is restored to all his glory and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father interceeding for us And he shall come again at the end of the World with glory and Millions of Saints and Angels to judge all men according to their works both the quick then living and the dead who departed never so long since whereupon the wicked shall be condemned to endless Torments and the righteous received to immortal joy by the same Jesus whose Kingdom shall then fully begin but shall have no end but remain for ever and ever And I believe most firmly in the Holy Ghost the third person of the glorious Trinity who is also very God the Lord and giver of grace and all spiritual Life who is not made nor begotten but proceedeth from the Father and the Son yet is not less in dignity as who with the Father and the Son in all Offices of the Church together and in the same manner is worshipped and glorified being the inditer of holy Scriptures and he who spake by the Prophets in the Old Testament and by the Apostles in the New And finally I believe that the whole body of Christian people holding the right Faith do make one Catholick and Universal True and Apostolick Church in which Society I acknowledge there are great priviledges viz. One Baptis◠instituted by Christ not only as a sign of but a means for the remission of all those sins which we are guilty of when we enter into this Covenant Wherefore being my self baptized I hope for pardon and grace in this life And I look for and expect that my body though after Death corrupted and turned to dust shall be restored to life in the Resurrection of the Dead at the last day and I hope then for a Portion in glory and the life Everlasting and that I shall Reign in the blissful Kingdom of the World which is to come after this is utterly dissolved Amen Lord be it unto me according to my Faith Amen § 4. The Sermon which is here to follow comes not within the Method we have proposed so that we shall only note that it was appointed by Antiquity there should be Sermons i Concil 6. Constant can 19. Concil Mogunt can 25. or Homilies k Concil Vasense can 4. an Christi 460. every Lords Day especially when the Lords Supper was Administred l Acts 20.7 Post lectionem legis prophetarum Epistolarum c. Ordinatus-alloquatur populum verbis Exhortatoriis Const Apost c. 4. Leo. 1. Serm. 2. de Pasch Aug. confes l. 3. cap. 3. and surely this is the fittest place since the Sermon is either an explication of some Article of the Creed preceeding or an exhortation to the following duty of Charity But I do earnestly wish that when there is a Communion the Minister would sute his Discourse to that occasion for to treat of another subject then although otherwise never so good will too much divert the minds of those whose careful preparation hath composed their thoughts for this Ordinance whereas if the Sermon be chiefly tending to raise them still into a higher strain of Devotion for their communicating it will be a word spoken in due season Prov. 15.23 and rarely improve their Souls then made tender by Repentance and much more apt to receive impressions from all representations of the love of Christ and the means of our Union with him Yet withal the people must now hear with extraordinary attention and receive with great affection these holy Instructions and Exhortations drawn from the Word of
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas whether he were fitted to come or no. The Magistrates of Sparta were wont to examine all the Citizens how well they observed Lycurgus's Rules honouring those that were found blameless with the Title of Approved h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persons and shall we not think our pains well bestowed if our merciful Father give that Character of us I grant that after our strictest Examination we cannot bespeak our God with the confidence of the Grecian Wrastler who challenged Jove as he was just to give him the Victory if he had duly prepared all things for the Exercise Clem. Alex. but yet the severer search we make before we come the greater Comfort and the more success we shall have in our approaches Obj. But some will say it is too late for men to consider now when they are come to the Altar and it is impertinent to urge it here since all is done that can be done in this matter in order to this Communion Ans Not so for if any have presumed to come altogether unprepared it is not yet too late to warn them of their sin and danger And it were better for them to go out to day saith St. Cyril i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hieros praef ad Catechum Meliùs est de mediâ viâ recurrere quam semper currere malé that they might come better fitted against the next opportunity yea Christ himself adviseth Math. 5.23 24. in some Cases to leave our gift before the Altar and retire till we are better disposed intimating that it offends Godâ— less to withdraw even from the beginning of his service than to proceed if we are unfit St. Ambrose knowing the Emperour Theodosius to be guilty of blood unrepented of although he was come to the Church with purposes to Communicate sent him back from thence with a serious Exhortation to Repentance k Recede igitur ne conare novo scelere scelus ante editum augere in vit D. Ambros So also St. Chrysostome being disturbed by a malicious and impertinent request just as he was about to consecrate the holy Symbols went out of the Church and desired another to finish the mystery which he durst not do being discomposed in his mind l Palladius in vit Chrysost Secondly But if we have in any measure prepared our selves yet is not this Exhortation to be thought unseasonable for as the most famous Orators though they had composed their Orations some days before yet were wont privately to recite them immediately before they spoke them to the Pâ—ople so it becomes us Christians to review the Records and sad Catalogues which we saw yesterday and briefly to act our Examination over again lest if the number and heinousness of our sins be at present out of our mind we should become as obdurate as if we never had beheld them What was done yesterday was to humble us just now and we are at this instant m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arr. in Epic. l. 1. to give the proof what we did in private and St. Pauls adding and so let him eat seems to direct us to make this the immediate duty before our receiving Let us then remember afresh what we found upon our inquiry and if we pass directly to the participation from this review of our offences we shall no doubt become so penitent and desirous of Pardon as not to be judged presumptuous Receivers § 4. For as the benefit is great if with a true penitent heart and lively Faith we receive that holy Sacrament for then we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood then we dwell in Christ and Christ in us we are one with Christ and Christ with us Although the command of God by his Apostle is enough to require our obedience yet it is here backed with two of the most prevailing motives of all shewing that it is not only required of us to examine our selves but necessary for us and that we ought to do it for our own sake n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian in Epic. l. 2. 1. Because of the great benefits of worthy receiving 2. The dreadful danger of coming unprepared And first if we bring with us a penitent heart and a lively Faith the benefits are so many and so excellent that whosoever considers them cannot but long for them and they that obtain them may despise all other pleasures because they are as blessed as they can be on this side Heaven and are they not worth a little pains to dispose our selves for them They are surely most unworthy of them who will lose them rather than submit to the trouble of a sincere Examination of themselves The particular benefits are here expressed in the words of Christ John 6.54 55 56. in that mystical Sermon wherein he did secretly prepare the minds of his Disciples for this Sacrament shortly to be instituted and clearly alludes to the same The first benefit is the spiritual eating Christs body and blood For the humbled Sinner believing in the Incarnation Death and Passion of Jesus and receiving this Bread and Wine in token that God hath given him for his sins and that he doth rely on him as his only Redeemer This doth convey to such a penitent Believer all the benefits of the Birth and the Death of Jesus and as the Bread and Wine being received do communicate to us all the strength and comfort that they contain so the worthy Receiver by apprehending and embracing a Crucified Saviour draws perswasions of his pardon and encouragement to his Graces and so hath spiritually eat the flesh and drunk the Blood of Christ and hence flows the second benefit viz. His Dwelling or remaining in us and we in him that is when he have thus received our Saviour there is a blessed Communion between him and our Souls for he communicates of his fulness to us and we open our necessities to him and Thirdly hereby there is produced so near an Vnion that God esteems us as members of his dear Son lays our sin upon him and imputes his satisfaction to us and consequently all those benefits are derived to us which are mentioned by many and found by the Devout Communicant hope of pardon encrease of Grace assurance of our Resurrection and the expectation of Eternal Glory O Blessed mystery which dost communicate my Saviour and convey his Graces to me which givest me an interest in him and makest me one with him whom my Soul loveth How am I ravished with the sweetness of this Heavenly Feast how strongly do these benefits attract me if any pains or cost trouble or difficulty stand in my way I will account the pains to be pleasures the cost gain the trouble delight and the difficulty easiness which leads me to such blessedness O my Soul dost thou not wish with all thy Powers to be reconciled to God to be one with Christ and to be filled with the Spirit behold the
life-giving hand and lift us up who are bowed down and lie groveling upon the Earth under a grievous and deadly burthen We can hardly bear up under the weight of this momentany sorrow and how then are we like to endure the eternal Vengeance Thus then we must be affected when we say this Confession for let us remember that we do not confess to instruct an All-seeing God but to humble our selves And to reckon up our sins without such contrition is but a renewed provocation he that abhorred our wickedness when it was done will abhor us if we tell the story of it with an unrelenting heart Let him therefore not only hear the words of our lips but the sad groans of our penitent hearts saying a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo legis alleg l. 2. Ah me how long have I been sick of the Disease of folly Miserable wretch can I excuse or dare I deny any of this Indictment the facts are apparent the Law is plain and the sentence unavoidable I must confess I have been as unworthy and as grievous a sinner as ever the Earth bore and I am amazed at my self for I am here liable to all that God hath threatned to the greatest offenders Wo is me I have no refuge no sanctuary but in the divine mercy and thither will I fly for succour § 7. Have mercy upon us have mercy upon us most merciful Father for thy Son our Lord Iesus Christ his sake forgive us all that is past After the Confession of our sin and our hearty Contrition for it most regularly follows this supplication for Mercy We have clearly represented our miserable Estate how we lie groaning and oppressed with an intolerable load of guilt and terror and he that commands us not to see our Enemies Beast lie under his burden without relief Exod. 23.5 will never suffer our poor Souls to perish under this our grievous pressure but will pitty and help us especially because we do with so much Passion beg his Mercy with redoubled Cries Have mercy upon us have mercy c. We must not censure this as a vain repetition for it is the very words of David Psal 57.1 123.3 and doth rarely express our great necessity our earnest desire and our imminent danger b Repetitio ardorem precandi denotat clementiam divinam commovet ad opem accelerandam Muis. Gejer. in Psal 57. it is an importunity pleasing to our gracious God Mark 10.47 48. who is ready to give his mercy as soon as we are fit to receive it and when by our urgent cries we shew that we have found ouâ— want of mercy he rejoices in that opportunity to bestow it He is a most merciful Father and the fountain from whence all the pity in the World doth flow and if men who are often churlish and unnatural can scarce deny the cries or abuse the expectations of their Children Luke 11.11 12 13. how much more impossible is it for our Heavenly Father to reject so earnest and so necessary a request The Prodigal no sooneâ— pronounces the word Father Luke 15.21 but the resâ— of his speech was much of it interrupted by his Fathers embraces charmed with that endearing name which as we here use on the same occasion let us do it with like affections and it shall have the same success Mercy is the first but not the only thing we ask for we further beseech him to forgive us and this will follow thâ— other because the mercy of God is not a meer useless pity or ineffective condoling c Misericordia est animi condolentis affectiâ— cum additamento beneficii ut compatiamuâ— proximo largiamus de proprio August but it immediately brings us help for by removing our sin the cause it soon takes away our misery which was only the effect thereof we desire therefore his mercy may appear in our forgiveness and we have a powerful motive annexed not for our Righteousness d Non quia merui sed quia egeo justitia meritum quaerit misericordia miseriam Bern. but for our Lord Jesus sake whose Death is here set forth and who hath so purchased mercy as to satisfie justice e Misericordia tunc est vera misericordia si sic facta est ut justitia per eam non contemnatur Chrysos hom in Math. Wherefore we may most chearfully ask a pardon in his name even for all that is past because he hath deserved mercy for all the World if they will receive it and there are Millions of Souls now in Heaven that once lay under as great a burden as we now do who making their Confession and supplication in his name have for his merits sake been advanced to a state of glory Let us ask then also and that with all possible fervency considering how blessed we shall be when God hath crossed out all our debts and Jesus cancelled all our Obligations Oh how will this dispel all our Clouds of sorrow how chearfully shall we stand upright and praise God in the following Office when this dismal load is thus removed § 8. And grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life to the honour and glory of thy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen In the same breath that we ask for Pardon we must also Petition for Grace to amend our lives or else we affront the Holiness of God f Non est poenitens sed â—rrisor qui adhuc agit â—nde poeniteat S. Bern. while we pretend to crave his mercy He that only desires forgiveness to be quit of his present fear is an Hypocrite g Improbus quo ad metuit omnia est promissurus fimulatque timere desierit similis est futurus sui Cicero 2. Phil. and doth not hate or grieve for his iniquity but for the punishment annexed to it and when that fear ceaseth will be as bad as ever But I hope we have truly felt the weight of sin and duly apprehended the misery of having God to be our Enemy and if so we shall be as desirous to be kept from future sins as we are to be delivered from our past offences We have seen how base how foolish and how desperate a thing it is to displease the Lord let us now therefore beg it as a mighty favour that we may hereafter please him by an obedience that may last for ever and may extend to all parts of our duty so that we may be wholly changed into new Persons and live in newness of life Rom. 6.4 Proclus tells of one Eurynous who died and was buried at Nicopolis yet some days after was taken up alive h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Comm. in Plat. Rep. and afterwards did lead a much more holy life than he had done before h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Comm. in Plat. Rep. Even so should we who were dead in Law and by the sentence of our own Conscience being
sin 2 Sam. 12 13. And though David might by his Faith in the Promises have found some Comfort yet neither so sure nor so sweet a consolation as when he receives it from the mouth of a special Messenger So likewise if we would chuse to believe rather than dispute it would be a powerful Cordial to every troubled Spirit by a particular Officer from the King of Heaven to be thus saluted and he that cannot value this Absolution from the Priest can no other way receive satisfaction to his doubts and fears unless he expect to be assured of his Remission by an immediate Revelation or can be content to stay till the day of Judgment for the Resolution of this great enquiry Only let us but be careful that our Repentance be sincere and then we may with much joy hear the following Absolution which very briefly we shall now explain The Analysis of the Absolution Sect. 2. The Absolution hath three parts 1. The Original from whom it springs Almighty God our Heavenly Father 2. The ground on which it depends His promise 1. The motive to it who of his great mercy hath promised 2. The matter of it forgiveness of sins 3. The conditions annexed to it to all them that with hearty repentance and true Faith turn unto him 3. The Petitionary blessing or Absolution it self for 1. The Averting the Evil of 1. Sin Have mercy upon you 2. Punishment Pardon and deliver you from all your sins 2. The obtaining of good both 1. Present Confirm and strengthen you in all goodness 2. Future and bring you to everlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Practical Discourse of the Absolution § 3. Almighty God our Heavenly Father who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty Repentance and true Faith turn unto him The Spiritual Physician doth here proceed most regularly in the Cure of poor Sinners that labour under a burden of guilt and sorrow for he first premises such Considerations as may dispose them to believe that the following Blessing shall be ratified and the Absolution confirmed by a higher Power For first He minds them that he who is Almighty and only can forgive Mar. 2.7 is also their Heavenly Father and full of Compassion toward them yea like as a Father pittyeth his own Children even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him Psal 103.13 But of this before Secondly therefore that he is not only engaged by his affections but by his truth also to deliver them for he hath solemnly promised Isai 55.7 Ezek. 18.30 John 3.16 c. that he would freely forgive and fully be reconciled to all such as unfeignedly grieved for their sins and wholly cast themselves upon his mercy so that they cannot doubt of a pardon if they believe him to be faithful that promised d Qui credidit promittenti fidentèr promissum repetit promissum quidem ex misericordiâ sed jam ex justitiâ persolvendum Bern. de gr lib. It was indeed only his great mercy which moved him to promise this because he might most righteously have taken the first forfeiture made to his justice but now this gracious Promise is made by him that cannot lie there is a certainty of the performance He knew that as the stroke of his Vengeance was intolerable so the expectation thereof was terrible and amazing wherefore he promised forgiveness on purpose to prevent the despair of such as were willing to amend that by so great a favour he might engage them to obedience and encourage them in all the parts of duty Yet because it almost exceeds belief that ever God should receive such grievous Sinners and they that are most truly humble are most apt to Question this therefore is all this premised to prepare them with faith and hope to entertain that which follows § 4. Have mercy upon you pardon and deliver you from all your sins confirm and strengthen you in all goodness and bring you to everlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen When Jesus was to raise up Lazarus from the dead he commanded the men who stood by to remove the stone from the Grave and afterwards to unloose the Grave-Cloâ—hs even so though he only do give life to Sinners e Absolutio hominis in Dei miseratione non in hominis potestate est Ambr. in Job l. 1. c 6. yet he is pleased to use the Ministry of his Servants in the Dispensation of their Pardon f Nostrûm est onera removere illius exuere de sepulchro exutos vinculis idem de poen l. 2. cap. 7. The Prayer is made by the Priest but then it is directed to the Divine Majesty and though according to the antient manner g Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus dimittat vobis omnia peccata vestra Missal it be put into the form of a request yet being grounded on the promise and agreeable both to the nature and design of God it hath a mighty force and ascends Heaven Cum privilegio it is like the Fathers Blessing which hath always been believed to convey as well as crave the Benediction thus Isaac blessed Jacob Gen. 27.28 29. in the Imperative Mood God give thee c. Let the people c. Be thou Lord c. And thus Jacob blessed Josephs Sons Gen. 48.15 16. and the Lord accomplished all the particulars Let it therefore chear your hearts ye contrite ones to hear this Blessing from your spiritual Father for behold it contains all that you do need or can desire Are you miserable here is mercy are you sinful here is pardon are you liable to punishment here is deliverance are you desirous but unable to do good here is strength and confirmation are you fearful of Death and Hell here is Heaven and Everlasting Life And all this asked of God by one that he hath Commissionated to make this Prayer so that your only care is that your Repentance be such as your Minister believes it to be and then this Absolution shall certainly be confirmed in the High Court of Heaven and not one word thereof shall fall to the ground The Paraphrase of the Absolution § 5. Let not the multitude of your sins discourage any of you who are truly grieved for them for I am bound to speak peace to you in the name of Almighty God against whom you have offended because he is our Heavenly Father infinite in mercy and loving kindness And you may believe this the more firmly since it is he who of his great mercy and pity to poor Sinners so freely and frequently hath promised to grant forgiveness of sins and a gracious Pardon to all them that with hearty Repentance for their grievous offences and true Faith in his mercy and the merits of Jesus do turn unto him to seek remission and obtain his favour I his Substitute believing you to be such do according to mine office beseech and require
relent for your offences though you be a Sinner you may go with comfort to him for you are the proper object for his power and mercy The Paraphrase If any say they cannot hope because they have been so great Sinners let them Hear also what one that had been once a great offender even St. Paul saith I have found saith he that This is a true saying I do affirm it to be infallible and worthy of all men especially Sinners to be received and firmly believed That Iesus Christ the Eternal Son of God left â—s glory and came into the World for no other end but only to save such wretched Sinners as I was so that if they believe this and come in to him they shall be delivered even as I also have been § 5. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins 1 John 2.1 Finally that no shadow of a jealousie may remain if any disconsolate Penitent shall yet ask how can these things be John 3.9 the beloved Disciple doth here shew by what means our Pardon is effected We have sinned indeed against a glorious Majesty who dwells in Heaven whither we cannot come our selves but we have a Friend there a Mediator to make our Peace an Advocate m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est ap Targum Job 16.20 exponitur esse Oratorem bonum pro homine facundè dicentem lib. Musar Advocatum bonum qui causam alicujus agit coram Rege à Mose Aegypt notante Drusio to plead our Cause who appears in our stead and intercedes for our Pardon in the High-Court of Heaven If God had designed to let us perish he would have endured none to speak for us much less would he have appointed us such an Advocate who hath been acquainted with our infirmities to encourage us and is his well-beloved Son to engage him an Advocate peculiarly stiled the Righteous as being wholly innocent and without exception for one sinner cannot effectually interceed for another with him that heareth not Sinners But above all he hath paid our Debt and was himself that Sin-offering which made his Father so propitious and apt to be reconciled wherefore he with great Authority urgeth the merits of his own blood by which God may save his justice and yet forgive us and is it possible he should be rejected I know we did very evil to offend nor must we take encouragement from hence to sin more easily n Absit ut aliquis ita interpretetur quasi eo sibi etiam nunc pateat ad delinquendum quia patet ad poenitendum redundantiam clementiae coelestis faciat libidinem humanae temeritatis Tert. de poen c. 7. Only now that we have been deceived and are exceedingly grieved for it we are hereby encouraged to repent and not to sit down under a sad despair for how can we perish that have such an Advocate and such a Propitiation The Paraphrase For the greater confirmation of your Faith Hear also and believe what St. Iohn saith viz. Although we ought not at all to sin yet If any man be betrayed so that he do Sin he is not left to perish nor must he despair of being forgiven for We Sinners who cannot approach to God our selves have an Advocate in Heaven to plead our cause whose interest is most prevalent with the Father For he is his only Son Iesus Christ and our loving Saviour the Righteous One who never did offend And besides he is the Sacrifice and the Propitiation whereby the Divine Justice was satisfied for our sins and so may intercede most effectually by the merits of his own most precious blood SECT VI. Of the Prefaces and the Trisagium § 1. AFter we have exercised our Charity Repentance and Faith the next part of the office is Eucharist and thanksgiving which is so considerable a part of our present Duty that it hath given name to the whole and caused it to be called the Sacrifice of Praise and that we may Celebrate the Mystery with the greater Joy and offer up our Thanks with more Devotion let us consider First The Nature of this Ordinance which is a Festival of joy The Feasts of the World are made for laughter and looser jollities Eccles 10.19 but this is made for spiritual rejoycing Cicero reproves it as a great incongruity in Atticus to come in a black Vestment to the entertainment of his Friend C. Arcius and asks him who ever came to a Festival Supper in Mourning And thou shalt rejoice in thy Feast saith God Deut. 16.14 When Aaron was in trouble for the loss of his Sons he durst not eat of the Type of this Sacrament lest he should displease God by eating in his grief a Levit. 10.19 Vulg. Quomodo potui comedere eam aut placere domino in ceremoniis mente lugubri Chal. Par. Quia occurrit mihi angustia Agnoscit quód cum laetitia debet edere sacrificium potius itaque elegit omittere quam cum moerore perficere Munster in loc It is true sorrow is a good preparative before but if it stays upon the spirit now it is unseasonable and indisposeth us for a material part of this duty To this we may add Secondly The practice of the antient Church for even in the Apostles days they did eat this meat with gladness Acts 2.46 and it was always accompanied with Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs the Praises of God being as St. Ambrose b Reliqua omnia quae dicuntur laudem Deo deferunt Ambr. de Sacr. l. 4. c. 4. notes a great part of this Office And an Excellent Author hath proved that for this Reason the Primitive Christians did forbear to communicate in the days of Fasting and Humiliation as being incongruous to the joy which ought here to be expressed c Sacrificare Deo festivae celebritatis est at quo pacto moerori ac lachrymis indulgere idemque simul exultari laetitiâ ac triumphari gaudio queat Albaspin ex Zonar Balsam Vide l. 1. obs 12. 14. And for this cause they were forbid to shew any signs of sorrow after the Communion was over And further to move us let us Thirdly Look back to the new assurances of our Pardon and the late confirmation to our Faith and Hope which we have now received and as the poor Woman bound by Satan as soon as ever Jesus had unloosed her did glorifie God Luke 13.12 so should we when we are loosed from the bonds of our sins If ever we duly felt the weight of them or apprehend the mercy of our deliverance we are doubtless full of gratitude and shall gladly embrace this occasion to let our mouths tell the joy and the pleasure which we feel within upon so admirable a mercy Lastly Let us also look forward and consider that we are just going to eat of these Coelestial Dainties and so must not with a greedy
as many as had sinned even for all the World for all saith St. Chrysostom are many When therefore we see this so plainly represented in the pouring forth of the Holy Chalice let us not only shew a high estimation of that most meritorious Blood which saves so many Souls effectually and hath virtue enough to redeem all the World but also actuate our devotion in some pertinent Soliloquies after this or the like form Methinks O my dear Redeemer while thou art pouring forth thy most precious blood thou lookest on me with a Countenance mixed of pity and upbraiding that I should take so little care to save this Soul which thou hast bought at such a rate Do I not behold those drops and streams to trickle down that have sealed the Covenant of Peace and confirmed all the Promises of the Gospel why then am I not swallowed up with admiration why do I not breath and pant after it I came not to quench my bodily thirst but to wash my Soul in this salutary Fountain oh how freely it flows how perfectly it cures Lord let me tast thereof Make it unto me the blood of Jesus for it is that my Soul thirsteth after And now that thy powerful word hath hallowed it let me not by evil thoughts or unbelief malice or impenitence make it to my self an unhallowed thing but as thou hast fitted it for the mystery oh fit me also to receive it I cannot now have any more low or common thoughts about it I will by Faith esteem it as my Saviours blood and though I am unworthy of so divine a Cordial yet my Soul gaspeth for it and without it alas I must die and perish § 13. Do this as oft as ye shall drink it in remembrance of me Amen We have here again a renewed injunction to Do this and if we have any sense of our Redeemers love or any care of our own Souls we shall not need to be pressed to it but shall desire to Do it often and yet always to Do it well not Drinking it as common Wine but as the memorial of his blood-shedding in remembrance of him and his inestimable kindness but of this we have spoken before § 10. Only we must note that this Amen in the end of this Prayer was antiently spoken z 1 Cor. 14.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atque ubi Praeses orationes gratiarum actiones absolvit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Ap. 2. by the people with a loud voice not only to shew their joining in the desire that the Elements may become truly Consecrated but also to declare their firm belief that they are now to be esteemed as the very Body and Blood of Christ Let us therefore here most devoutly seal all that the Priest hath done and unfeignedly testifie our Faith by a hearty Amen Lord it is done as thou hast commanded and I doubt not but the mystery is rightly accomplished I am perswaded that here is that which my Soul longeth after a Crucifyed Saviour communicating himself to poor penitent Sinners Oh let me be reckoned among that number and then I shall assuredly receive thee holy Jesus Amen The Paraphrase of the Prayer of Consecration § 14. O Almighty God infinite in Power and wonderful in thy goodness Thou art our Heavenly Father who to save us from Eternal Misery of thy tender mercy and free Compassion didst give thy only and well-beloved Son Iesus Christ not only to be born in our nature but also to suffer a most grievous and bitter death upon the Cross that his life might be for our Redemption from everlasting Torments to which we were forfeited We believe and confess it was this thy Son who made there on the Cross by his own voluntary oblation of himsel◠to that accursed Death though he was but once offered in this manner a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and satisfaction to thy offended Justice not only for the sins of some times or some Persons but for the sins of all men that are were or shall be throughout the whole World so that there is none but might upon their Faith and Repentance be forgiven by the vertue thereof And because there needs no other Sacrifice for sin now therefore our Lord Jesus appointed and did institute this holy Sacrament to represent it And in his holy Gospel he doth accordingly plainly command us to observe this Rite thereby to continue a perpetual and lively memory of that his most meritorious and most precious Death So that his love may be fresh in our hearts until his coming again to judgment in the end of the World In obedience to this command we are now about to make this memorial of his Passion and that we may do it effectually Hear us O most merciful Father Consider our need of this Heavenly food We most humbly beseech thee in whose power it is alone to feed our Souls And grant that we receiving with a true repentance and lively Faith these thy Creatures of Bread and Wine which thou hast chosen to express this mystery and partaking of them according to thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christs gracious intention and most holy Institution namely in remembrance of his bitter Death and bloody Passion Let them Communicate him unto us that we by them may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood and of all the benefits of his Incarnation and his sufferings But it is not in us to make these Creatures to be a Sacrament wherefore we will do as our Lord did and say as he said And be thou pleased to grant that the Words of Jesus pronounced by thy Servant may have the same effect upon these Elements which they had when spoken with his blessed mouth Who in the same night that he was betrayed to his Crucifyers as one of the last tokens of his love Took Bread the staff of life as we now take this into our hands to resemble his taking our nature and when he had begged thy blessing as we do also thereon and given thanks shewing how chearfully he suffered for us He brake it as we this Bread into many pieces an Emblem of his broken and wounded Body and gave it to his Disciples to whom he designed the benefits of his Passion Saying Take this pledge of your Redemption most thankfully and by Faith Eat that you may be nourished by my Love for This is the Communion of my Body and shall make you partakers of it as it is a Sacrifice which is given to God to satisfie for you Provided you Do this in a most thankful remembrance of me and my all-sufficient Oblation Likewise also after the Paschal Supper that he might give himself wholly to us He took the Cup of Wine which maketh glad the heart of Man even as we take this And when he had begged thy blessing on it as we now do and also given thanks that his blood was accepted for the life of the World He
gave it to his Disciples to declare he would freely pour out his blood for them saying Drink ye all who desire a part in me of this Cup and apply to your selves the benefits of my blood-shedding For this is the Communion of my Blood which sealeth the New Covenant and is the Confirmation of the New-Testament with the promises thereof And it shall give you a right unto them for this is it which is shed to make Attonement for you in particular and for as many as believe it to be sufficient for the Remission of Sins Wherefore I charge you Do this as oft as may be and whensoever ye shall drink it let it be with great devotion in remembrance of me and of my love in laying down my life for you Amen It is finished according to thy will So be it and let all the people say Amen SECT III. Of the form of Administration § 1. WHen the time of distribution is come the Guests must not rudely and disorderly take every one his own part 1 Cor. 11.14 because God is the Master of the Feast and according to the Eastern Custom he hath provided Officers to divide to every one their portion a Gen. 42.34 1 Sam. 9.24 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esth 2.9 fercula singulis apposita secundum morem Orientalem Vide Ham. Annot. Luke 8. a. Wherefore the people are to receive this from the Minister as from the hands of God himself and accordingly they ought to kneel in the most lowly manner as those do who are to receive a favour even from an Earthly Prince For it is now the Custom of the Eastern and Greek Churches of the Latine Church and Lutherans also yea of all the World saith Erasmus to receive kneeling and which is most considerable to us our own Church which hath power to determine these circumstances hath prescribed this posture and withal declared it is only for order and comeliness and to express our humility to God not to give any worship to the Elements * Non enim inclinaverunt carni sanguini sed tibi terribili domino Lit. S. Chrysos and it is a wonder any should refuse to receive kneeling meerly because the Church enjoins it since every considering and humble Christian would chuse that way if it were left indifferent The whole time of Communicating is spent in Prayers and Praises and therefore sure we ought to be upon our b Nemo carnem illam manducat nisi prius adoraverit August in Psal 98. knees if it were only that we might be ready to offer up our Prayers to God It is highly probable that this gesture hath obtained in the Western Church at least 1200. years and although of Old in the East they did stand c Stemus benè stemus in timore Lit. Basil yet it was with fear and trembling with silence and down-cast eyes for they groaned in spirit and kept their joy within saith St. d Chrysost homil de encoeniis Chrysost They came near saith St. Cyril c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Catech. Mystag 5. versus finem bowing themselves in the posture of Worship and Adoration As for the Words of Administration some think they contain a double form Both the Old Roman form and that which Calvin did prescribe both united by the Revisors of the Liturgy under Queen Elizabeth It is most certain that the Antient Church did use the first words The Body of our Lord Iesus Christ in the Administration To which the people answered Amen f Dicit tibi Sacerdos Corpus Christi tu dicis Amen h. e. verum quod confitetur Lingua teneat affectus Ambros de Sacram l. 4. c. 5. Vniversa Ecclesia accepto Christi sanguine dicit Amen Aug. Resp ad Oros qu. 49 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Catech. myst 5. both to express their desire it might be Christs Body unto them and their firm belief that it was so The next words Preserve thy Body and Soul unto everlasting life as we are told by Durantus de Rit Eccles Cathol l. 2. c. 55. were added in St. Gregory lib. de Sacram. although the modern Missals have altered this now The other part Take and Eat c. have for their Author Christ himself who did Administer in these words and if we should leave them out as the Roman Church doth we should have but half his form And if we do well consider the whole frame it appears to be nothing else but a necessary Paraphrase upon our Saviours Words which doth expound and sit them for every ones private Meditation for therefore the Church appoints all these words to be repeated to each partaker that every one may have time and subject matter afforded for his own particular Meditations yet because all are not able themselves to fix and to enlarge their thoughts so as to deduce suitable Soliloquies and Devotions to entertain themselves within the time of Administration we judge the most practical handling of this rare Composure will be to draw proper Meditations from all the parts thereof when we have first discovered the method in this Analysis The Analysis of the form of Administration Sect. 2. The form of Administration hath three parts 1. A Commemoration declaring what it is The Body Blood of our Lord Iesus Christ Which was given shed for thee 2. A Petition that we may partake of the benefits thâ—â—eof Preserve thy Body and Soul unto Everlasting Life 3. A direction how to receive it 1. Externally Take and Eat this Drink this 2. Internally 1. In remembrance that Christ died Christs blood was shed for thee 2. And feed on him in thy heart by Faith with thanksgiving Be thankful Discourses and Meditations upon the Administration § 3. We must now lay by all other thoughts and diligently compose our Souls for the Acts of holy Communion remembring that we must feast with God by silence and Heavenly Contemplation Let us now therefore consider how great a work we are about to perform let us think what benefits we shall lose and what evil we shall fall into if we do it unworthily what Comforts and advantages we shall receive if we do it acceptably let us call to mind what need we have of the divine assistance and pray with Sampson Strengthen us O Lord only this once Jud. 16.28 Let us remember our sins afresh to humble us and review our wants Both that we may have them ready to spread before our Lord and that we may thereby stir up in our selves most fervent desires after his Grace and Mercy And let nothing divert us from these thoughts unless our Charity to our Brethren For when we hear the Minister use these words to the rest of the Congregation we shall do well most heartily to wish this holy Communion may be life to every Soul so that all who sit together at this blessed Feast may also meet in life everlasting And as the Minister is drawing near
yea upon all thy Merits and Graces Lord thou reachest out most freely that which I need infinitely and that which I wish for above all things Adored be thy admirable bounty in complyance wherewith unworthy though I am I do stretch out a trembling hand I do open my mouth yea my heart to receive thee Open your Doors O ye Gates of my Soul and the King of Glory shall come in Rejoice and be exceeding glad for behold thy King cometh meek and lowly to visit the meanest of his servants Come Lord Jesus come quickly A Meditation while we Eat the Bread §. 8. In remembrance that Christ died for thee An Act of Contrition O my Soul behold how thou hast incensed the Majesty of Heaven see how he gives up the most innocent and most holy Jesus thy best thy only friend and his own dear Son to be tortured and tormented for thy Sins O how cruelly was he scourged with whips wounded with Thorns loaden with the Cross torn with Nails pierced with a Spear and rackt on the most painful instrument of Death His lovely Face is defiled with blood and spitting his Ears filled with taunts and curses his Eyes drenched in tears for the ruine of his Enemies and his Soul amazed at the terrors of the divine wrath till at length all wounded broken and bloody with many groans yet with admirable patience he breaths out his holy Soul And yet whatever he suffered was my portion My pleasure hath been his pain my wicked life hath caused his bitter death Wretch that I am to live in such a manner that nothing else could satisfie or make my Peace But here I come this day to call my sin to remembrance I will look on thee whom I have pierced with a most tender and sympathizing affection and while I break this holy Bread with my Teeth I will commemorate how thou wast bruised for our iniquities and how our offences did grind thee with grief and pain Holy Saviour I am angry at my self and full of anguish to see what I hâ—ve brought upon thee I am sorry with all my heart that I have given harbour to thy Murtherers but I hope this most dismal spectacle l Est enim tanta vis crucis Christi ut si ante oculos ponatur in mente fidelitèr retineatur ita ut in ipsam mortem Christi intentis oculis adspiciatur nulla concupiscentia nulla libido nullus furor nulla potest superare invidia Origen in 7. ad Rom. shall mortifie in me all desires after Evil and make me abhor all those desperate pleasures which must be so dearly paid for by thee or else stand charged upon my Account for ever No no I will never crucifie thee again by renewing my disobedience for I have done too much already A Meditation after the receiving of the Bread §. 9. And feed on him in thy heart by Faith with thanksgiving An Act of particular Application and Gratitude Hail holy Lamb of God thrice welcome art thou to a poor perishing Sinner was it not enough that thou shouldst suffer so much for me but thou wilt also give all the purchase of those sufferings to me thy loving kindness is truly admirable Thou hast taken my sins on thy self and communicated thy Righteousness unto my Soul Lord while I believe and consider the benefits of thy Passion I am revived and filled with an unwonted vigour My Conscience doth accuse me of many and grievous sins but I do here most humbly and thankfully set forth this perfect Sin-offering before thy divine Majesty and I know thou canst not except against it I believe it is sufficient to attone thy anger what I owe he hath discharged what I have deserved he hath endured so that for his sake I hâ—pe thou wilt set me free Blessed Jesus how is my Soul refreshed that it is thus restored again to thy Fathers Love Let Heaven and Earth praise thee and declare the merit of this glorious Sacrifice and I will bless thee while I have my being I will love thee because thou hast loved me better than thy own life my heart shall feast with joy and Eucharist upon the pleasures and Comforts which I expect to draw from this Coelestial food I have received thine immaculate Body and it shall cleanse my sinful body and teach me by the vertue of so rare an example to relieve my poor Brethren for whom thou hast died and to conquer my Enemies by my Charity for thus thou hast done to me And both my lips and my life shall set forth thy Praise I begin to feel my self one with thee already and I will wait till I am perfectly united to thee in Everlasting Glory Amen Meditations before the receiving of the Cup. §. 10. The blood of our Lord Iesus Christ An Act of Acknowledgment It will not suffice me Dearest Saviour to receive thee in part only for I must be wholly thine and blessed be thy Name thou art willing to be wholly mine also Thou hast already given me thy holy Body to cleanse my nature and now thou art preparing thy precious Blood to wash away my guilt My sins have poured out every drop thereof wherefore thou presentest it to me by it self to shew how truly thou didst suffer Death for me And now O my Redeemer thou hast said this Cup is the Communion of thy blood and thy Truth is unquestionable thy power is infinite and thy love was such that thou gavest thy hearts blood for me I will receive it therefore as the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant the seal of all the Promises of thy holy Gospel I have indeed vile Sinner that I am drunk in iniquity like water and therefore am unfit to taste this Water of Life and yet I shall perish without it for I am all over defiled and this is the fountain which thou hast opened to cleanse us I am scorched with the flames of evil Lusts and unruly Passions and this is the Cup which thou hast provided to cool and refresh us O thou Medicine of immortality my Soul longeth for thee what value is sufficient for me to put upon this Heavenly Cordial how can I reverence it enough since the God of Heaven esteemed it a price sufficient for millions of perishing Mankind Lord let me taste and my soul shall live let me wash in this Laver before I come to thy great Tribunal so shall I be whiter than Snow §. 11. Which was shed for thee An Act of Repentance mixed with Faith Was there ever so base a wretch as I have been who have accounted those sins small and trivial yea and made them my sport and pleasure which have pressed down and wounded the holy Jesus till he is all over drenched in his own blood Woe is me I have easily committed that which nothing but these streams can wash away O ye accursed Lusts ye have by wicked hands taken Crucified and slain the Lord of Life and if he had
back again to thy self better than I received thee There needs no application but that every Communicant do as sincerely make oblation of their Souls and Bodies to God for this the poorest may give and yet this is more acceptable than thousands of Gold and Silver If these reasons do convince us of the justice and the necessity of our making this Oblation we may learn in the next place from the very form in this Prayer how and in what manner it may be done for we are taught therein I. What it is which we must offer viz. our whole selves not only our Bodies but our Souls also n Quodâ—si corpus quo inferiore tanquam famulo utitur anima sacrificium est quanto magis anima ipsa cum se refert ad Deum August Deinde cum plena resignatione integrâ voluntate offer teipsum in honorem nominis mei corpus tuum scil animam mihi fidelitèr câ—mmittendo Tho. à Kemp. de imit Christi l. 4. c. 6. for we consist of both these God hath created and redeemed both and each of them in their capacity can do him service wherefore we must give him both or he will accept neither o Pectora vestra duanon admittentia curas Juven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macrob. Saturn because he hath no equal he will have no Rival All the members of our Bodies and all the powers of our Souls our Limbs and Senses our Will and Affections our Reason and Understanding must be dedicated to him for so long as any of these are under the bondage of sin the rest cannot be intirely the Servants of God Math. 6.24 II. To what end we make this Oblation of our selves First To be a reasonable Sacrifice The offering up of our Souls and Bodies since we are rational Creatures is not like the Sacrifices of brute Beasts by dying but by living agreeable to the will of God and the rules of right reason p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epicharmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrat. ap Stobaeum for reason as it is inlightned in us Christians doth direct us to approve of all things that are good and doth attest and confirm the Duties which God requires He therefore makes himself a reasonable Sacrifice who doth live prudently and piously and walk according to the dictates of the best reason he that is religious and just sober and humble meek and patient compassionate and charitable q Qui innocentiam colit Deo supplicat qui justitiam Deo libat qui hominem periculo subtrahit optimam victimam caedit Min. Foelix Vis Deos propitiare bonus esto satis illos coluit quisquis imitatus est Sen. ep 95. for these things are in themselves the most rational and we have the greatest reason and the highest obligations to perform them Secondly We offer our selves to be an Holy Sacrifice that is to be pure and spotless as all those offerings were appointed to be r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · Athenaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · Suidas which were offer'd to the Divine Majesty And as all such offerings were set apart and sanctified never to be accounted the owners Å¿ Nullius autem scil hominis sunt res sacrae religiosae quod enim Divini juris est id nullius in bonis est Justinian instit l. 2. tit 1. Sect. 7. or to be used to any common or prophane use afterwards so when we are purified by the blood of Christ and dedicated to God it is with intent never to use our faculties as the servants of sin nor our members as the instruments of unrighteousness any more Our Eyes must not look towards wantonness our Ears must not hearken to vanity our tongues must not speak lies or slanders our hands must not wrong nor oppress nor our feet spurn the poor neither may our wit or reason our passions or our will be the slaves of Sin hereafter For we are Holy 1 Cor. 3.16 17. and if we unhallow our selves again it is a crime equal to Belshazzers sacrilegious drinking in the holy Vessels of the Temple Thirdly That we may be a Living Sacrifice for we do not vow to kill or destroy our selves as some of the Heathens did in honour to their less-deserving Deities but we resolve to Sacrifice our Lusts t Non enim sicut tunc corpora pro corporibus immolanda sed vitia corporis perimenda sunt S. Ambros in 12. ad Rom. by mortification because so long as they live we are dead to the service of God We engage to be living u Aqua viva Hebr. Dialecto est aqua fontana ebulliens perennis jugitèr manans that is lively and strong vigorous and persevering in all religious duties and that we will perform all kind of good works with such an alacrity as may express life and spirit so that although we do not or cannot return the love of Jesus by dying for him as he hath done for us yet we will live to him and desire our life no longer nor for no other end than to advance his glory and do his blessed pleasure And now if we do so far understand our own interest and are so really weary of the bondage of Satan as to desire and long for a better Master and do wish unfeignedly that we may be accepted as the servants of God let us resign up and dedicate our selves to him in this or the like form An Act of Oblation of our selves or the form of a Vow after the Holy Communion O most merciful Lord God I am amazed at the mighty faâ—â—â—â—s which thou hast shewed to me a sinful wretched Creature I cannot but acknowledge thy goodness although I can make no retribution had I all the World at my disposal I could freely give it all to thee as a testimony of my unfeigned gratitude but I hear thy gracious voice saying My Son give me thy heart It is not mine dearest Lord but me thou seekest sinful and miserable though I am yet I am that purchase for which Jesus hath left his glory laid down his life done and suffered all these things O marvellous condescension I am nothing I have nothing I am void of all good full of evil and deserving thy wrath so that I abhor my self and canst thou delight in me Be it so then for I will dispute no more with unsearchable mercy I believe O my God and wonder I can no longer resist thy condescending and Almighty Love I will with all the joy imaginable give my se f to thee for thou hast but lately restored me to my self Alas I have been a Prisoner to Satan a Slave to Sin and marked for destruction but thou hast procured my Pardon my Liberty and my Life requiring no more for so unexpressible bounty but only that I will intirely become thine Had I the life of an Angel the understanding of a Cherubin or the powers of one of the Heavenly Host
be forgiven by Faith in their Baptism as St. Cyprian argues how much more shall Infants who have no actual sin but only the Contagion of Death which they drew from Adam and will the more easily gain remission here because it is not their own but others Sin which is forgiven to them Epist 59. The Fathers also of the II. Council of Carthage Anathematize those that say Children are not by Baptism delivered from Hell and made partakers of Eternal Life The same is affirmed by St. Augustine n Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 21. cap. 16. Fulgentius o Fulgentius de fide cap. 30. and all the Catholick Fathers And the Heretick Hierax is censured for denying it by Epiphanius p Epiphan l. 2. Tom. 2. haer 67. But the Waldenses made it an Article of their Confession That Baptism was necessary to Salvation and that Infants were saved thereby q Hoveden Annal. ap Usher de Christian Eccl. success cap. 8. Sect. 34. and none have any reason to oppose so pious and so received a truth I confess some of the later Doctors and the Assembly at Trent have been too positive in asserting the Damnation of Infants which die unbaptized as if God could not save without it forgetting that it is commonly the Parents neglect and that it is they who despise the Covenant r Non infans qui discernere necdum valuit verum majores ejus qui id servare poterant noverant debuerant irritum fecerunt pactum Beda in Luc. 2. and deserve the greatest punishment And yet we may affirm there is no promise for the Salvation of such their Estate is uncertain if not evil Wherefore let no Parents who love their own or their Childrens Souls upon pretence of Gods power or mercy presume to neglect that which is so certainly a means of Salvation neither let them think it indifferent whether their Children be baptized or no for this springs from a dangerous mistake And it is evident saith St. Ambrose how great a negligence and carelesness it breeds in the hearts of Christian Parents concerning their Childrens Baptism when they think no harm can come to them either by their own neglect or the Childrens dying before De vocat gent. l. 2. c. 8. If Children be weak the Parent must immediately endeavour to procure their Baptism but if notwithstanding all possible care they die before we must not then confine the Almighty to the outward means but believe he may save without where he did not give the opportunity And in such Case the Parent may take Comfort in his having done what he could and ought to hope in the Divine mercy Of the Baptism of those of riper years § 4. In the Baptism of Persons who are of Age and Understanding there is more required than in that of Infants for they being capable to receive Instruction to declare their Faith and to exercise an actual Repentance our Church commands that they be first Taught and Catechized Math. 28.19 which of Old lasted all the fourty days of Lent and then that they be Examined concerning their Faith and Repentance Lu e 3. 8 9 10 11. Finally the Persons themselves are advised according to the Primitive Discipline Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Apol. Ingressuros baptismum orationibus crebris jejuniis geniculationibus pervigiliis orare oportet c. Tert. de bapt cap. ult to prepare themselves for this Seal of Remission by Fasting and Prayer and a serious Consideration of the Covenant into which they are about to enter This variety between their duty and that of Infants hath occasioned the compiling of a peculiar Office but alas there is too seldom occasion to use it for we see but few Converts to Christianity in these days and may justly lament the scandal which is given to the Unbelievers by the wickedness and the divisions of those whose manners are the disgrace of their Principles t Aut haec non est Christiana Religio aut vos non estis Christiani Dictum Hominis Pagani S. Scripturam inspicientis And it is sad to consider that the several Sects of Christians are more concerned to diminish each others party than to add to the whole Church u Hâ—c sit negotium illis non Ethnicos convertendi sed nostros evertendi hanc magis gloriam captant si stantibus ruinam quam si jacentibus elevationem operantur Tertul. de praescrip c. 41. The first poor despised Planters of our Religion brought in thousands and in despite of all the Wit and Learning Power and Malice which did oppose them they daily added to the Church of God whereas now when we have all imaginable advantages on our side such is our sloth that an Age scarce produceth an hundred Converts of Jews Turks or Infidels Yet this office is sometimes used for the unhappy Children of those licentious Sectaries who not content to oppose all the prudent Institutions of the Church have cast off both those Sacraments which are of Christs own appointing by reason whereof those who spring from them want their Baptism till they come to understand and hate the accursed Errours of their deluded Parents But on what occasion soever it is used the Person to be baptized may by this discourse be instructed in order to so great a work by altering some few circumstances and applying all unto their own Case and it will be proper also for those who are Sureties to learn here how far their obligation doth extend yea all that are baptized may from hence be instructed in and remembred of their great Baptismal Vow For although we treat principally of Infant Baptism yet a little variation will make this Discourse sute the other Cases But before we begin with the several Parts let this Table give you the method of the whole Office SECT I. Of the Preparation before Baptism The Analysis of the Office of Publick Baptism § 5. The Office of Publick Baptism is divided into Three Parts 1. The Preparation before Baptism which concerns either SECT I. 1. The Child it self 1. Enquiring if it want Baptism The first Question § 1. 2. Shewing the necessity of Baptism The first Exhortation § 2. 3. Praying it may be fitted for it The two Collects § 3 4. 2. The Sureties in its behalf 1. Encouraging them by 1. The Gospel and its Application § 5. 2. The Thanksgiving § 6. 2. Engaging them by 1. Perswasion The Preface to the Covenant § 7. 2. Stipulation The Interrogatories and Answers § 8. 2. The Administration of Baptism which consisteth of SECT II. 1. Devotions for the sanctifying of 1. The Child The Short Prayers § 1. 2. The Water The Prayer of Consecration § 2. 2. Holy Actions in The Form of Baptism § 3 4. 3. Solemn Declaration The Reception of the Child into the Church § 5. 3. The Close and Consequents after Baptism being SECT III. 1. A Recital of the Benefits of Baptism in The Exhortation
blessed the Gods that he was a Man not a Beast a Grecian not a Barbarian and an Athenian amongst the Grecians the Jews are wont to Praise the Lord every Day that they are born of the stock of Israel and are within the Covenant of Abraham Buxt synag cap. 5. But we have much more reason to give Thanks to our Heavenly Father who hath acquainted us with the Grace of his Gospel and taught us the true Catholick Faith and when we make this confession of his Mercy to us and to this now to be admitted Christian it is very fit we should pray both for our selves that we may make a good progress in this true Religion whereinto we are already entred and for this Infant that it may be effectually sealed for a Christian and so prepared to enjoy the Kingdom with those that have gone before in this Faith this is the most common and obvious sense But we may confine this Thanksgiving to the present occasion Namely That whereas God hath in the Gospel foregoing made known unto us his grace and good will towards Infants and thereby begot in us a lively hope and Faith in him so that we are perswaded he will receive this present Infant First We give him most humble thanks for it And secondly We beseech him to let us know him more fully and make us believe more firmly this his merciful purpose toward this present Child by Giving his Holy Spirit unto it as a new and further testimony of his Grace For by so fresh an Experiment of his Goodness not only our knowledge will be encreased and our Faith confirmed but this poor Infant also shall thereby be regenerated and made an Heir of Glory Wherefore we entreat him to fulfil his Promises unto it and unto us and to answer all our expectations through Jesus Christ who though he liveth and reigneth on high yet despiseth not one of these little ones but admits their Angels daily to behold the Face of his Heavenly Father §. 7. The Preface to the Covenant Dearly Beloved ye have brought this Child here to be baptized c. The Persons spoken to in this Admonition are the Godfathers and Godmothers the use of which in the Church of Christ was derived from the Jews as well as the Initiation of Infants it self was for it is certain that the Rector of the House of Judgment was to take care to baptize the Infants of Proselytes and accordingly was to be called their Father c Gemara tit Chetub c. 1. and there was one appointed to hold the Child in Circumcision called the Master of the Covenant d Elias Thisb Rad. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the modern Jews who use it to this Day he is called the Surety e Tum puelli circumcidendi sive sponsor sive susceptor accedit Buxt Synag Cap. 2. Who is to Answer also as appears by that Relation of Rabbi Juda sirnamed Pious who being Surety for the Child of a rich Jew of Germany stood mute in the midst of the Office discerning as they say by a Prophetick Spirit the Child would afterward turn Christian wherefore he refused to answer his Part. And very learned Men do believe this Custom to have been as Antient among the Jews as the times of Isaiah f Ex hoc ritu profectum esse illum nostrum constat quo certi homines speciatim adhibentur testes accessus ad Christum ad Ecclesiam per baptismum c. Jun. Tremel in Jesai 8.2 it being highly probable that those Witnesses Chap. 8.2 at the naming of his Son were of the same nature with those we call Godfathers and Godmothers In the Primitive Church the use of them was so early that it is not easie to fix the time of their beginning only the most antient Fathers who speak of Baptism do mention them g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dionys Areop Sponsores Tertulliano Fidei jussores Augustino vocantur Out of whom we might have abundant Testimonies but that they will come in more seasonably in their several places where we speak of their Duty afterwards Only it may be remembred Platina affirmeth that Hyginus Decreed Baptism should not be Administred without one such Surety at least in vit Pontif. R. But besides the very nature of the Ordinance especially as it is Administred to Infants seems to require some such Persons in the solemnizing thereof For as Circumcision was a Covenant of old h Gen. 17.13 1 Reg. 19.10 Foedus tuum deseruerunt Vid. Gal. 5.4 whereby the Jews were bound to keep the whole Law Galat. 5.4 So is Baptism a Covenant i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianzen de Baptism Sed nunc nos paciscimur in Baptismo ut abrenunciemus Diabolo operibus ejus Hieron in Psal 128. also wherein we Promise to obey the Gospel Now because Infants cannot promise for themselves the Laws of all Nations have allowed them Guardians to contract for them in secular matters which contracts if they be fair and beneficial the Minor must make good when he comes to Age. And in like manner the Church hath given them spiritual Guardians to promise those things in their Name without which neither old or young can obtain Salvation if they stay out of this Covenant they are liable to perish and they can enter into it no other way but by having some to engage that they shall stand to Gods terms They need the grace of Baptism and yet they cannot express that Faith and Repentance which are the necessary conditions of it wherefore the Church hath found out this Suppletory appointing some to undertake in their Name And thus Infants may receive the good things of Baptism by the Faith of those who represent them k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Responsor ad Orthod quaes 56. even as the Antients note l Cyril Hierosol Catech 5. Theophylac Math. 9. the Centurions servant was restored by his Masters Faith the Man in the Palsie by the Faith of those who brought him and Lazarus though Dead was raised by his Sisters Believing But fully to this purpose Rabanus Maurus In the Church of our Saviour the Salvation of Infants which by their tender age are uncapable of renouncing the Devil or believing in God is compleated by the hearts and mouths of those that bring them For it is manifest that as Children drew those sins from others which are remitted to them in Baptism so also by others they may believe unto Salvation And thus also if any dumb or deaf Persons who could neither hear nor profess their Faith should by any Christians be presented to Baptism they are believed to be saved by the Faith of the Offerers for the infirmity of humane Nature cannot hinder the grace of Almighty God de instit Cler. l. 1. c. 26. So that we ought to believe till the Child be capable the Faith of its Sureties is so far accepted
there is no impediment we may then very justly receive them into our Communion and sign them with the cognizance of Christs Religion as we do in this present Form 1. By Words 2. By a Sign concluding Thirdly with a practical Application 1. The Words are a solemn Proclamation made by a Sacred Herald according to the Custom in humane Creations Investitures and Admissions to Honourable Orders declaring the party is now and ought to be reputed a Christian and this ought to be spoken with a loud voice that all the Congregation may rejoice in beholding one more listed under Jesus Christ Now if we seek any Precedent for this in Scripture methinks it may very well be deduced from that solemn Proclamation made by God the Father immediately after the Baptism of Jesus Christ Math. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased As he by the Master so we by the Servant are declared to belong to God He as his own only-begotten Son we as adopted by him into the Family of our Heavenly Father Again St. Paul speaking of the Ephesians who were baptized which is meant by their being raised up together in Christ c Ephes 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylac in loc he declareth that whereas they were before Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and Strangers to the Covenant of Promise ver 12. they were now become fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God ver 19. Our Lord Jesus hath rescued this poor Soul from the Bondage of Satan he hath found this strange and straying Sheep and hath sent it home wherefore let us joyfully receive it The Church on Earth is compared to the Moon daily diminishing and encreasing we see many of our Brethren do die and are parted from us but God hath now filled the vacant places and by these continual accessions the visible Church shall be continued to the end of the World Our Saviour himself is the great Shepheard but under him the Pastors of the flock of Christ are to admit the Sheep into his Fold and accordingly the Priest here saith We receive c. and withal sets the mark of Christ upon the new Baptized Person declaring by Actions as well as Words the self-same thing Even that this Person is of the Religion of Jesus Christ and one of the Society that do profess the same But because this Signing with the sign of the Cross hath been scrupled by some and reviled by others as abominable superstition c. I will endeavour somewhat more fully to vindicate the Church in this particular and to give satisfaction to those whose prejudice hath not made them inflexible 2. The Sign which is Ordered to be annexed to the foregoing Words is the Sign of the Cross which seems designed from the beginning to some great mystery for not to mention that it is the figure of Mans Body when the Arms are Extended we find that God did chuse it to be the mark which should be set upon those who should be saved from a common Destruction Ezek. 9. ver 4. And though the Rabbins the sworn Enemies of the Cross do expound the Hebrew word Tau there to signifie a mark I see no reason why the Christians should follow them having Translators d Omnem autem super quem videris Thau non occidetur Vulg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquil. Theod. ita Explicat Tertul. in Marcion l. 3. c. 22. Origen Homil. de Epiphan Hieronym in loc c. and the most learned Fathers against them particularly St. Jerome affirming that it signifies the letter Thau which in the old Samaritan Alphabet had the form of a Cross even as Τ among the Greeks which it may be from thence was the mark of the Living and Τ was set in the Muster-roll after a Battel against the names of the living e Sixt. Senens bibliothec l. 2. Thau as θ was against the names of the slain And further it is very remarkable what is related in the Church History f Ruffin Eccl. Histor l. 11. cap. 29. Socr. l. 5. cap. 17. Sozom. l. 7. cap. 15. Niceph. l. 21. c. 16. Isidore l. 1. Orig c. 3. and observed by others g Hor. Apollo Hieroglyph cum notis Nicolai Caussini That one straight line upright and another transverse was an Eminent Hieroglyphick among the Aegyptians and signified sometimes the one upholder of all things sometimes Eternal Life which was so well known to the Worshipers of Serapis at Alexandria that when they saw this Figure of the Cross so often used by the Christians they did many of them believe by remembring the Antient signification of the Cross among them supposing it was a mysterious prediction that the Christians were the Servants of the one true God and were in the right way to Eternal Life But to come nearer when our Blessed Redeemer had expiated the Sins of the World upon the Cross the Primitive Disciples of his Religion who as Minutius Foelix affirms did not worship the Cross yet they did assume that figure as the Badge of Christianity and long before material Crosses were in use they did with their finger make this sign either in the Air or upon their Foreheads or Breasts in their rising up and lying down going out and coming in in washing eating c. as might abundantly be proved out of Tertullian St. Basil Cyril and many others but only that it is too evident to be denied wherefore we must condemn the purest Ages of the Church if we shall censure the making this sign to be idolatrous or superstitious and it may be become injurious to the Spirit of God who did work many Miracles in the first Centuries by the sign of the Cross as is apparent to all that are versed in the History of those Times All this is confessed by many who yet pretend that it was not used in Baptism although they alledge no sufficient reason why they might not have used it there as well as upon all other occasions But as to the matter of fact it seems to me very plain that the sign of the Cross was used in Baptism also for Lactantius speaking of the Converted Heathens saith They came under the Wings of Jesus and did receive his great and noble sign upon their Foreheads which like the blood on the Lintel causeth the destroying Angel to pass over h Lactant. Instit l. 4. c. 27. yea he calls a Christian one with a signed forehead And Tertullian i Mithra signat illic in frontibus milites suos Tertul. de praeser adv haer c. 40. saith that Satan not only imitated the Christians in the washing but the signing his Souldiers in the forehead which shews it to have been then a known rite of Christianity St. Basil also affirms it to be an antient tradition to sign those with the sign of the Cross who had placed their hope in Christ k Basil de Sp. S. c. 27. that is
Fathers or our Brethren SECT III. The Close and Consequents after Baptism §. 1. The Exhortation to the Congregation SEeing now Dearly Beloved Brethren that this Child is regenerate c. We must not presently turn our backs upon God so soon as the Holy Rite is finished but compleat the Solemnity by Thanksgiving and Prayer and that we may do both not only with the Spirit but with Understanding the Minister doth here teach us what must be the Subjects of our Praises and Petitions 1. Our Praises must look back upon the Grace already shewed and the benefits which are already given to this Infant which are principally two 1. Internally it is regenerated 2. Externally it is grafted into Christs Church for which we must give hearty thanks to Almighty God To which we must add 2. Our Prayers which must look forward upon the grace which will be needful to enable it to live answerable to this Estate into which it is admitted and this we must beg of Almighty God also or else the former blessings will be altogether in vain Now all this is so plain that no more would need to be added but only that some with Nicodemus are apt to say How can these things be John 3.9 judging it impossible that so great a matter as regeneration can be effected so soon and by so mean an instrument b Simplicitas sacramenti quibusdam derogat effectûs fidem cum sumptu plurimo pompis idolorum arcana sibi authoritatem conciliant Tertul. de Bapt. as they account it whereas the effect is to be ascribed to the Divine Power of the Author not to the intrinsick efficacy of the outward means Yet in regard we can never bless God heartily for a mercy unless we believe he hath bestowed it we must labour to remove these scruples by a fuller Account of this Baptismal Regeneration that we may not withhold the divine praises by our doubting and unbelief The word Regeneration is but twice that I know of used in Scripture first Math. 19.28 Ye that have followed me in the Regeneration where though by altering the point followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of man c. it may signifie in the Resurrection yet as we read it signifies the renewing of men by the Gospel and Baptism Secondly Titus 3.5 he saved us by the Laver of Regeneration b Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per Lavacrum Regenerationis Vulg. Syr. Vatab. Beza and renewing of the Holy Ghost which is a Paraphrase upon that of our Saviour John 3. Except a man be born of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God ver 5. And because Persons come to Age before their Conversion are first taught and perswaded by the Word of God the Language of Holy Writ enlarges the Metaphor and saith such are Begotten by the Word of God 1 Cor. 4.15 and then Born again or Regenerated in Baptism In like manner speak the Fathers who do constantly and unanimously affirm that we are Regenerated in or by Baptism c In novam vitam lavacro aquae salutaris animatus Cyprian de seipso ep 2. ad Donat. Regeneratione coelesti Christo consurreximus lib. de zel livor Lavacrum inde Dionysius vocat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Ambr. de Sacram. l. 3. c. 1. So that we must next enquire wherein this Regeneration doth consist And first whereas both Children and those of riper years are by nature dead in Sin so that they lie under the guilt and power thereof our gracious Father doth here in Baptism Seal a Covenant with us wherein he promiseth to pardon them and when this deadly load is removed the Soul receives as it were a new life and takes new hopes and Courage being restored to the divine favour and being set free from the sad expectations of unavoidable condemnation for former sin Original in Infants and both it and Actual in those of riper years Before this Covenant we were dead in Law and by the Pardon of our Sins we are begotten again to a lively hope and herein stands the first particular of our Regeneration viz. in the Remission of Sins wherefore both Scripture and Antiquity d Luke 3.3 Acts 2.38 Chap. 22 16. Omnem autem enormitatem sceleris baptismi sacramenta diluunt teach us that Baptism is the means for Remission of Sin and hence they join Pardon and Regeneration commonly together e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Catech 2. because this forgiveness puts us into a new Estate and an excellent condition in comparison of that which our natural Birth had left us in 2. But further by Baptism we gain new Relations and old things being done away all things become new Hence the Jews called their Proselytes New-born Children because they forsook all their Heathen Kindred so we although we do not renounce our Earthly Parents because they also are Christian yet we gain new Alliances for God hereby doth become our Father and Jesus our Master and all the Saints both in Heaven and Earth our Brethren so that it is as if we were born over again since Baptism doth intitle us to this Coelestial Kindred But this is not all For Thirdly Our corrupt nature is changed in Baptism and there is a renovation effected thereby both as to the mortification of the old affections and the quickning of the new by the Holy Spirit which is hereby given to all that put no bar or impediment unto it This was the Antient Doctrine who affirmed a real Change to be wrought f Da injustum insipientem peccatorem continuò aequus prudens innocens erit uno enim lavacro malitia omni◠abolebitur Lact. Inst 3. 26. Vndae genitalis auxilio superioris aevi labe detersâ in expiatum pectus purum desuper lumen infudit Cypr. de seipso 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril catech 3. and believed the Spirit to be therein bestowed as God had promised Ezek. 36.25 26. That he would sprinkle clean Water upon them and they should be clean from all their filthiness and then a new heart would he give them and put a new Spirit within them And it is manifest that in the first Ages of the Church there was abundance of gifts and graces miraculously bestowed upon Christians in their Baptism and no doubt if the Catechumens of our days who are of Age would prepare themselves as strictly by Repentance Fasting and Prayer as they of old did they should find incomparable effects of this sacred Laver if not in as miraculous measures yet to as real purposes that is they should be truly regenerated and their hearts changed by the influence of the Divine Spirit But some may doubt whether Infants be regenerate in this sense because they are not capable of giving any Evidences of their receiving the Spirit nor doth there any immediate effects of their Regeneration appear hence the
Pelagians denied it but they are therefore condemned by the Milevitan Council Can. 2. and confuted by St. Augustine ad Bonif. l. 3. It is confest they can shew no visible signs of spiritual life in the operations thereof no more can they of their having a rational Soul for some time and yet we know they have the power of reason within them and since all Infants are alike either all do here receive a Principle of New Life or none receive it wherefore I see no reason why we may not believe as the Antients did that Gods Grace which is dispensed according to the Capacity of the Suscipient is here given to Infants to heal their nature and that he bestoweth on them such measures of his Spirit as they can receive for the malignant effects of the first Adams sin are not larger than the free gift obtained by the second Adams righteousness Rom. 5.15.18 And if it be asked how it comes to pass then that so many Children do afterwards fall off to all impurity I answer so do too many grown Persons also and neither Infants nor Men are so regenerated in this life as absolutely to extinguish the concupiscence for the flesh still will lust against the Spirit g Baptizatus caret quidem omni peccato sed non omni malo remanet siquidem concupiscentia Aug. advers Julian Dimittitur concupiscentia carnis non ut non sit sed ut in peccatum non imputetur id de Bapt. Concup l. 1. c. 5. ad agonèm manet non consentientibus nihil omnino nocitura idem de remiss l. 2. c. 4. but then God gives the Spirit also to lust against the flesh Gal. 5. He leaves the Corruption to try and exercise us but so that he engageth to enable us to get the better through this new nature planted in us if we will improve it and follow the Dictates of his holy Spirit but by neglect or wilful complying with the flesh we may lose this grace again Our Gracious Father hath already done his part and will do it more and more as the Child shall be capable and willing to receive it and if this seem strange to any whose Opinions are taken up from later Definitions of Regeneration let them dispute with holy Cyprian not with me who saith h Eadem gratia spiritualis quae aequalitèr in Baptismo à credentibus sumitur in conversatione atque actu nostro postmodum vel minuitur vel augetur Cypr. ep 76. ad Magnum The Grace of God is equally distributed in Baptism but it may either be diminished or encreased afterward by our Acts and Conversation The sum is That Baptism doth seal a Pardon to us for all former Transgression and begets us again to the hope of Eternal Life that it restores us to the favour of God and gives us a new Relation to him and finally it heals our nature by the Spirit hereby conveyed to us and though all this be upon condition of our keeping our part of the Covenant yet that makes not Gods mercy less nor ought it to diminish any of our Praises but only it must make our Prayers at present more earnest and the Childs care hereafter more strict to make this its calling and Election sure This is I hope the sense of our Church as well as of the Primitive and if so it will not be material to a judicious Christian for any to say it doth not agree to some modern Systems The other Parts of this Exhortation we shall not need further to explain here because we mentioned them in the begining and there are no objections against them and they are all repeated in the ensuing Collect where we will speak more practically of them §. 2. Of the Lords Prayer Our Father which art in Heaven c. Whensoever we pray we are Commanded to say Our Father Luke 11.2 because whatsoever we need is comprized in that divine form and when this leads the way it prepares God to hear all the rest giving efficacy to them and supplying the defects of them But still we must apply it to the present occasion And now let us consider we could never say Our Father with respect to this Infant before whereas the whole Congregation being about to Petition for this new Member of their Society and lately adopted Child of God may fitly now say Our Father which art in Heaven and since he hath given to it and to us the Holy Name of Christian we ought to pray that this his Name may be Hallowed in our lives and that his Kingdom of Grace may be compleated by these daily accessions till the coming of his Kingdom of Glory in the mean time that all we his Earthly Children may do his will and submit to his Providence as those in Heaven ever do We must pray that God will henceforth take a Fatherly care of this Infant among the rest of his Children Giving both to it and to us our daily bread And that he will please to forgive to it its Original and to us our Actual Sin even as we are engaged in a Covenant of Charity and promised to forgive all the World as one of his prime commands Finally we must beseech him to defend both it and us from the Temptations which we have renounced that so we may not fall into the Evil of Sin or Punishment nor fall off from the Grace in which we stand All which for this new Brother of our Society which yet cannot pray for it self and also upon our own Account we must conclude with a hearty Amen §. 3. Of the last Collect. We yield thee hearty thanks most merciful Father for that it hath pleased thee c. As the foregoing Exhortation did perswade us to conclude this Office with Praises and Prayer so here the Church hath prepared an excellent form to express both and according to the method there prescribed here is First most hearty Thanksgivings for the benefits of Baptism 2. Most humble Petitions that the Party which hath received them may walk answerably 1. We begin with Acknowledgments and Praises in imitation of the Jews who when the Child is Circumcised do use to say Blessed be the Lord our God who hath sanctified us with his Precepts and commanded us to bring this Child into the Covenant of Abraham i Fagius in Deuter. 10.6 Buxtorf Synagog cap. 2. But this Child enters into a better Covenant established upon better promises so that we have more cause to bless God than they nor ought we to Question whether the Grace of the Sacrament be received or no since the Church of old did ever suppose it even in Adult Persons because they knew the Lord was ever ready on his part and had promised to be with his Church to the end of the World in this very Administration Math. 28. ult Hence in the East they sung after Baptism the 32. Psalm Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven c. and St.
this our gracious Lord to Have mercy upon you and to pity your misery as also to Pardon the guilt and deliver you from the punishment temporal spiritual and Eternal due unto you for all your Sins And when he hath acquitted you and so engaged you to live more holily hereafter Let him confirm you in the purposes and strengthen you in the performance of all goodness and virtue so that finally he for his mercy may save your Souls and bring you safely through all the dangers of this World to everlasting life Let all this be granted and made good unto you every one through the Merits and the Intercession of Iesus Christ our Lord who hath purchased all these benefits for repentant Sinners Amen Be it so SECT V. Of the Sentences of Scripture § WHosoever hath been truly sensible of his sins and deeply humbled for them will find it no easie matter to believe that God hath yet any favour for him for although it be most desirable yet it is a happiness so strange and undeserved that it is often too big for the hope of a poor Penitent a Proprium hoc miseros sequitur vitium Rebus nunquam credere laetis Redeat foelix fortuna licèt Tamen afflictos gaudere piget Sen. Thyeste Wherefore we must now labour by all means to beget in those that come hither a firm perswasion of Gods mercy for Faith is as necessary in a Communicant as Repentance the Antient Church calling those properly the faithful b Is igitur vocabatur fidelis non qui baptizarus aut confirmatus est sed qui Eucharistiae sacris participasset Albaspin obs l. 1. who had received the Lords Supper The Germans allowed none to come unto their Sacrifices who had lost their Shield c Tacitus de mor. Germ. nor do we approve that any should come to this Christian Sacrifice who wants the Shield of Faith for how can they repent kindly whose hearts are not softned with the hopes of mercy d Nemo enim potest bene agere poenitentiam nisi qui speraverit indulgentiam Ambros de poen l. 1. or how can they delight in Jesus or give him thanks who doubt whether they shall receive any benefit by his Death or no Fears and misgiving thoughts trembling and despair must by all means be removed before we feast at this Holy Table And for this reason our Church hath subjoined these Sentences to the Absolution Some may be so scrupulous or so fearful as to question the power or the fidelity of the Servant but who can or dare doubt of the Authority of the Truth of God e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Al. strom 5. Can any deny what he affirms in his own word or shall any suspect that which he promiseth with his own mouth Be the Sinner never so much disconsolate surely it will revive him to hear the Majesty against whom he hath sinned so kindly speaking peace unto him Yet these Sentences are not to be thought a different kind of comfort from what we had before in the Absolution for these are those Promises there mentioned and are in pursuance of it and a further Confirmation to it There is but one thing in that Act of Grace which the most timorous person can doubt viz. Whether it be certain that Almighty God hath promised forgiveness to such as they are Now to satisfie this enquiry here are selected four of the most full and proper Sentences in all the New Testament containing in them the very marrow of the Gospel so overflowing with sweet and powerful comforts that if duly considered they will satisfie the most jealous Souls and chear the most broken heart if believed and embraced they will utterly banish all the Clouds of sorrow and despair There are it is true Sentences also in the Roman Missal but those generally taken out of the Psalms f Deus tu conversus laetificabis nos Et plebs tua laetabitur in te Ostende nobis c. Psal 85.6 7. Sacerdotes tui c. Psal 132.9 Miss secund usum Ebor. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini c. Psal 121.2 Benedictum fit nomen Domini Psal 113.2 sec usum Sarum for as their form of Absolution hath no mention of the Evangelical promise of forgiveness so their Sentences are out of the Old-Testament and seem too much to forget the Redeemer by whom this Pardon is obtained As for these Sentences before us they have nor need no other method than that order in which they lie in the New-Testament the words of the Master first and those of his two principal Apostles following them only that we may derive seasonable comfort from them we will briefly discourse upon them severally § 2. Come unto me all that travel and are heavy laden and I will refresh you St. Math. 11.28 This gracious invitation is the proof of the first assertion in the Absolution viz. that our Lord doth promise forgiveness to all them that with hearty Repentance turn to him For whereas all Sinners do lie under a heavy burden yet the impenitent do not perceive it g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Only those that discern the baseness and foresee the punishment of their iniquity these travel that is in the antient English labour with great pains these are heavy laden therewith and cry out that their sins are a burden too heavy for them to bear Psal 38.4 these therefore are they that truly repent who are oppressed with trouble and sorrow shame and fear And Jesus though he be the offended party doth most courteously call all such to come unto him that is to believe that he is able and willing to help them John 6.37 Heb. 11.6 and saith he will refresh them by taking this burden off from them for he hath born it upon the Cross Isai 53.4 6. nay taken it away for ever by satisfying the Divine Justice to which we were obnoxious nor doth he require any merit in us to deserve thus to be eased or expect any other qualification than only that we be sensible of our own Sin and Misery and find our need of his Mercy Sweetest Saviour how excellent is thy goodness we cannot doubt thy power to ease us because thou hast born the sins of the whole World we may not question thy willingness who callest us to thee of thy own accord nor dare we suspect thy sincerity who art Truth it self and always in earnest with poor Sinners Our guilt made us think to fly from thee but thy melting voice hath encouraged us to turn to thee and laid us prostrate at thy feet groaning under the offences we have done against thee and now if thou dost pity us we are safe if thou art pleased we are eased if thou dost pardon us the burden is gone And if thou wilt take away this intolerable load we shall then venture to come nearer even to thy holy Table there to receive still more refreshment from
of the World Math. 28.19 It is true our Saviour hath not prescribed any more in this Sacrament neither than the essential and necessary part leaving the Rites and Circumstances of Administration to the Determination of the Apostles and the Church Yet without doubt the form of Baptism was very early agreed upon because all the Christians in the World e Quod universa tenet Ecclesia nec Conciliis constitutum sed semper retentum est non nisi Autoritate Apostolicâ traditum rectissimè creditur August in Donatist l. 4. c. 23. almost do practise it much after the same manner The latter Ages had made some superfluous Additions but our Reformers have removed them and certainly restored this present office to a nearer Resemblance to the antient model than any other Church can shew We have three several Offices of Baptism 1. For Infants in publick 2. For Infants in danger of Death 3. For those of riper years But because the first is now most used and the other two differ very little from it we shall make that the measure of the rest and only treat of that in particular but first we must speak something to each of the three in general before we conclude this Introduction Of the publick Baptism of Infants § 2. As Baptism was appointed for the same end that Circumcision was and did succeed in the place thereof so it is most reasonable it should be administred to the same kind of Persons and as God commanded Infants to be Circumcised Gen. 17.12 so doubtless he would have them to be baptized Nor is it necessary that Christ should particularly name Children in his Commission Math. 28.19 it is sufficient that he did not except them nor forbid to baptize them for that supposeth he intended no alteration in this particular but that Children should be initiated into the Christian as well as into the Jewish Religion Besides if the Apostles had left Children out of the Covenant and not received them as Members of the Church it is certain the Jews who took such care to circumcise them would have made this a great objection to the Religion and have been highly scandalized thereat Wherefore since Infants are a part of all Nations and we read of whole Housholds baptized Acts 16.15.33 1 Corin. 1.16 it is highly probable that the Apostles themselves baptized Infants only the Baptism of Men and Women converted from Paganism being more for the honour of Religion and more illustrious did obscure the Infant Baptism which being done with less solemnity and at the same time with the Parents it sufficed to note it in general words This we are sure of that all Antiquity affirm that the Apostles did teach the Church to baptize Infants f Pro hoc Ecclesia ab Apostolis traditionem accepit etiam parvulis baptismum dare Origen hom in Rom. 6. Idem Hom. 8. in Levit 12.13 Hom. 14. in Luc. 2. Cypr. Epist 59. c. Consuetudo matris Ecclesiae in baptizandis parvulis nequaquam spernenda est Aug. l. 10. de gen c. 23. by Tradition as they did the change of the Sabbath and other things g Quas sine ullius scripturae instrumento solius traditionis titulo deinde consuetudinis patrocinio vindicamus Tert. de Coron Mil. c. 3. which the Church doth observe as Religiously as if there were a written command for them Besides the Antient Constitutions do command it h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constit Clement And about 200. years after Christ St. Cyprian with 66. Bishops in Council with him determined that the Church had allowed of it and therefore Children had rather better right i Quod cum circa universos observandum sit atque retinendum tum magis circa infantes ipsos recens-natos observandum putamus Cypr. Epist 59. to Baptism than Elder persons And the Orthodox Fathers did press the Pelagians who denied Original Sin in Infants with this Question viz. Why the Church did baptize them The II. Canon of the Council of Milevis to which St. Augustine subscribed finally pronouncing an Anathema against those who denied That Infants were to be Baptized for the Remission of Sins Since which time it hath been universally practised in all Churches until some wild Enthusiasts of late revivers of old Heresies presumed to oppose it But it is not the giddy attempts of such unstable Persons can shake this Holy Practice which is so reasonable and so antient so beneficial to the Infants so comfortable to the Parents yea and so great a security to Religion by binding these future hopes of the Church in early Vows of Piety and that it may be carefully performed and in due time we shall next shew the necessity thereof Of private Baptism of Infants in Cases of Necessity § 3. Our Saviour himself hath said that Except a Man be born again of Water and of the Holy Ghost he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 3.5 and Mark 16.16 he makes Baptism as well as Faith necessary to Salvation whereupon the Antient Christians did constantly affirm that there could be no Salvation in an ordinary way without Baptism k Tertul de bapt cap. 12. Ambros de Vocat gent. l. 2. c. 8. and whosoever died without it their Estate was believed doubtful unless it were in such a Case as that of Valentinian the Emperour whom St. Ambrose hopes might be saved l Ambros de obitu Valentin by the desire of Baptism because he had no opportunity Upon the stock of this Principle grew that great care that no person might die unbaptized insomuch that it was allowed in danger of Death to baptize them who had not past through all their Preparations Provided that they should answer more fully if God restored them m Qui in agritudine constituti baptisma perceperunt facti sani Fidei symbolum dâ—ceantur ut noverint quâ donatione digni sunt habiti Concil Laodicen Can. 47. Anno 364. The like care hath our Church taken of little Children for though the require according to the 59. Can. of the 6. Council at Constantinop That they should be speedily and publickly Baptized in the House of God yet in Cases of extremity she admitteth of that which is done in private Houses even without Ceremony upon condition there may be added more of the solemnity afterwards when it is published in the Church And that it may not be neglected we are taught That it is certain by Gods word that Children baptized dying before they commit actual sin are undoubtedly saved For it is certain by Gods word that Baptism is appointed for remission of sins Acts 22.16 Chap. 2.38 and it is also certain that all they whose sins are forgiven are undoubtedly saved Psal 32.1 But Infants have no other sin but their Original Corruption which being remitted in Baptism they are undoubtedly saved And it is plain the first Christians believed the same Doctrine For if the most notorious offenders