a meer taking of the name of God in vain When the Lord shall reject all their sacrifices c. as vain and hide his eyes from their Addresses as in Isa 1.10 to 16. Then shall they be in danger of the greater damnation with them mentioned Mat. 23.13 14 viz. The Scribes and Pharisees ☞ Come we nearer yet and look we amongst our selves and here we shall find Formalists Separatists and Atheists to add to and fill up this number of Will-worship and Error to make up a Monster with seven heads like the Dragon or Beast Rev. 12.3.17.3 The fifth sort of Fanaticks are Formalists I say 5. Formalists mistake me not I mean such persons as are all for Service and Ceremony that is the observation of the Liturgy and other Rites inteneded only at first for decency and order and for the instruction of the weak and ignorant in the first principles of Christian Religion This being done our Formalist sits down with a Sufficit It is enough all is done that need to be done Hereupon he slights the powerful Preaching of the Word of God as a thing useless needsels or to very little purpose which yet is so often and strictly commanded and by which we are led on to perfection Heb. 6.1 And without which we shall still remain Children in understanding against the Apostles mind 1 Cor. 14.20 Brethren c. It is or may be well known that none hath a more reverend esteem of well-composed Orthodox Forms of diviue service c. for Order Peace and Unity in the Church then my self yet was I never so simple since I studied Divinity as to think this to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Col-Ha-Adam the only and whole work of a Christian as if nothing else were to be done though I thought it ausual preparation to the rest but our Formalist here takes up his rest slights and sets preaching aside and values the Preacher accordingly if he suit not with his humour the Gourd and Pine Shrub and Cedar Bramble and Vine are all one to him and if he had power to his will he would as soon strip a Church or Nation of the faithful powerful Soul-saving-Preachers of the Word of God as any Schismatick Anabaptist or other Sectarian in the world would do it And this leads me to the next sort of Fanaticks viz. Separatists Separatists These are of many sorts and have multiplied marvellously in these late times of licentious liberty Here you may see Brounists Barrowists Independents Anabaptists Fifth Monar Quakers Seekers Ranters and I know not how many more yet this you may observe That all or most of these can hold communion one with another but none of them conjoyn in communion with the Orthodox all these you know I have parallelled with Papists those grand Fanaticks in four particulars viz. 1. Schism They begin with Separation and divide themselves 2. Uncertainty of Doctrine Therein they had no bottom 3. Independency They will endure no controule of any other Church Synod or Counsel 4. Antichristianism in their opposition of Magistracy and Ministry in the right use and power of them Besides their Church-gathering Church-number Church-Preachers Church-Censures their Self-conceitedness Censoriousness their rigid Discipline and vain dependance upon Revelations Inspirations and Enthusiasms with Papists and others that do so and generally their common Tenets about Tythes Relations as Husband and Wives divorces c. Christs worship Church-covenants and Administration of the Sacraments c. of which I have observed about the Number of twenty particulars Ap. All which are the fruits of their own devices and after the imagination of their own heart without warrant and Authority from the Word of God as hath been excellently discovered by many Learned and worthy Pons which doth justly intitle them to be Fanaticks Lastly Atheists These are they that fill up the Number and do bring up the Rear These are such as have set God aside and do reject his Word and in Scripture-phrase are said with the rest to walk after their owne devices the Imaginations of their own hearts and in their own wayes Now that which fixes this Title upon them is this Look what the Conceit and Fancy the Vision Revelation or Enthusiasme of any of the rest is to them the same is this mans inbred-Corruption and Sathans suggestion to him they say that they must do that which the Spirit doth suggest to them Ap. So saith this man That which his own Spirit or Sathan the evil Spirit suggesteth to him that he will do he is resolved upon it and nothing shall divert him from it Tell him the Word of God is against him and that his wayes do tend to destruction c. he will bid you depart from him he cares not for the knowledge of those wayes Job 21. He will quickly answer you and perhaps desperately as they did the Prophet Jer. 2.25 That as they had done formerly so they would do still and as for the Word of the Lord in his mouth they would not hearken to it nor obey it nor be perswaded by him but they would persist in their own Courses and let come what would And you may soon know what did come and that did cost them dear because they would take no warning Thus desperately do these Atheists rush on to Destruction whom I do therefore stile Fanaticks because they do reject the Word of God the most infallible Rule of Life and are wholly steered and guided by the devices inventions and evil imaginations of their own wicked heads and hearts to avarice how hainous or hurtfull soever before God and to men Thus have I opened to you the word Fanatick and applyed it to whom it doth most properly appertain viz. to Pagans Turks Jewes Papists Formalists Separatists Atheists Of all which for they differ much in degres and Qualities 1. The Pagan is most to be pittied 2. The Turk is to be destroyed 3. The Jew is long since rejected of God Rom. 11. for Vnbelief 4. As for Antichrist the Papacy the Lord shall consume it with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy it with the brightnesse of his coming 2 Thes 2.8 9. 5. Let the Formalist add to his Formality the true practice of piety and power of godlinesse the Life of Religion 6. And the Separatist abate of his self-conceitednesse and Censoriousnesse and get an humble peaceable and charitable Spirit ☞ So both these may be reduced to the old and good way which like Vertue is seated in the middest betwixt Extreams on either hand to which it declineth not but remains like Mount Zion or the Rock which is unmoveable on which it is founded Psalm 125.1 7. As for the Atheist there is no hope of him untill he be converted which if in Mercy it do ever befall him he will reject with indignation his own devices and wholly submit to the Dictates of Gods Holy Spirit manifested in the Word of God Ap. So that of all these the Formalist
PANOPLIA Or the whole ARMOUR OF GOD Explained and applyed for the Conduct and Comfort of a CHRISTIAN in all his Tryals and Tentations AS ALSO The Dying Preachers LEGACY in several Sermons being the last Labours of the Reverend Author in the course of his Ministry TOGETHER With certain seasonable Considerations proving the Lawfulness and Expediency of a set Form of Lyturgy in the Church All prepared for the Press by the Reverend Authour before his decease and now made publick for the Common Good By RICHARD VENNER late Rector of St Maries in Warwick 2 Cor. 10.4 For the Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds c. LONDON Printed by T. Ratcliffe for John Durham and are to be sold at the Rofe and Crown in St Paul's Church-yard MDCLXII TO THE Right Honourable Right Worshipful and others his Worthy Parishioners and diligent frequenters of the Ordinances of God of the Parish-Church in St. Maryes in Warwick together with the whole Body of the said Burrough Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ his dear Son IT was never want of good Will that hindered me from appearing to you in Print before this time that after my Decease you might have a more visible remembrance of the Truths you have been taught by me and which I hope you have received and practised to your own Everlasting Comfort but other Indigencies or Shortness of Means and the like and the Incessant Exigencies of so great a place have prevented me thus doing until now you know that about a year and six moneths since it pleased God to visit me with very sharp sickness yet continuing me with strength for the discarge of my Place I bethought my self upon what fit Text I should pitch whence I might express my Last Farewell to so worthy an Auditory And by Gods Providence lighting upon this the Apostles Farewell to his beloved Thessalonians I was resolved to speak something of this to you In the perusal of which My Labours you will find variety of matter suitable with the Text and with these times There may be some will find more then they look for And others I am sure will find those things which will be very welcome to them I hope all will be candidly accepted for I am sure it was so intended and delivered But howsoever preaching takes with men yet your dying Pastor had always an eye to what might please God in the practise of his Ministry I do now leave this with you as the last Legacy of my Love nor could it be with greater affection and greater desire of your good and growth in grace If it had been from the hands of more eminent Worthies in the Church Elegances of Speech and Complements in serious things suit not with sick beds and dying groans Whatsoever this small piece be I leave it to you from the deepest bowels of my dearest love to you in the Lord Jesus and the good Lord crown this with my other labours and seal them upon you to your Eternal Good Your faithful Pastour and Servant in the Service of the Lord Jesus RICHARD VENNER Memorandum A Speech made in St. Maries Church in Warwick the second day of September 1660. for the satisfaction of the Congregation there assembled upon my beginning to Read the Book of Common-Prayer again publickly in the Church after sixteen years discontinuance BEloved Before we begin Prayers let me preadvise you of some things Sudden Changes in the Church or State have often been attended with sad consequences and events Many have been the sad changes and wofull alterations of which we of this Nation have had miserable experience for these eighteen years last past Amongst which after the most execrable murther of the late Kings Majesty of blessed memory and with him the abolition and extirpation of Kingly Government to the utter undoing of the whole Nation both Church and State as much as in them lay and the irrecoverable and irreparable ruine of them both I say after such a nefandum scelus a wickednesse not to be named amongst Christians There have befallen two other things which do much reflect upon the Church which are 1. The extirpation of Episcopacy and 2. The expulsion of the Liturgy or form of Common-Prayer or Gods publick Worship and Service and of divine Administrations 1. For the first viz. Episcopaay It is I think sufficiently proved and may therefore be easily granted that there is ground enough in the Gospel and the practice of the Primitive and succeeding Ages for the continuance of Evangelical Paternal Primitive Episcopacy in the Church to the end of the World so long as the Lord Jesus is the chief Bishop of our souls 1 Pet. 2.25 See King Charles Answer to Alex. Henderson and to our English Divines at the Isle of Weight See also Bish Bilson Bish Hall Yet this Government must down Root and Branch without either conviction or tryal or any consideration of Primitive practice and all this only to satisfie the ambition and avarice of some men who did eagerly desire and greedily gape after the Bishops Authority and Estates Which Government thus overthrown we have been left without any Government in the Church ever since Septemb. 1. 1642. just eighteen yeares compleat this day to the great distraction and confusion both of this Church and Nation But I shall say no more of Episcopacy at this time of which much might be said but I leave it to the wisdome of the King and Parliament to settle such a Government as shall be most conducible to the Churches welfare faxit Deus Episcopacy being thus rooted out yet the mischief of these men is not ended 2. The next thing which must be expulsed and quite excluded in the Church is the Liturgy or form of Gods publick worship divine Service and Administrations commonly called the Book of Common-Prayer c. And neverthelesse that Set-forms of Prayer c. have good authority from the Word of God 1. God Commanded a set-form of blessing the people Num. 6.23 2. And David appointed set-psalmes for several occasions as the Titles of them do shew Psalm 92.3 And Joel a set-form of prayers for a solemn Fast Joel 2.17 4. Yea and Christ himself that commands us to pray after such a manner and prescribes us a Rule of prayer Mat. 6.9 even he commands us to use the set-forms of words by him prescribed Luke 11.2 Thus you have divine Authority enough for a set-form of Prayer yet add 5. Of all prayers premeditated prayers are the best Eccl. 5.1 and of such those allowed by publick Authority are to be preferred before those which are to be uttered by any private Spirit 6. Besides all the Churches in the Christian World in the first and best times had their set-forms of Liturgy many of which are extant in the writings of the Fathers 7. And yet more Let our Liturgy be compared with the Liturgies
for the proof of this point I might add Arguments 1. Excellency of this sword and that both in the offensive and defensive properties of it 2. From the Author of it viz. The Spirit But these in the Application will have their further Amplification and Enlargement Ergo I descend to it Uses are Use I. The first Use informs us of the Excellency of this sword both for Offence and Defence to the Enemy and our selves I. For Offence to the Enemy See 1. Satan For with this our Saviour wounded the Devil Mat. 41. 2. The sins of great ones How plain were the Prophets with Kings Nathan Micaiah Ezek. 21.25 with King Zedekiah 3. Errours Heresies and evil Opinions 4. Self-Interests and Unrighteousness 5. And the unruly Transgressions of all But now 1. Satan will try many tricks and wiles as Balack did by Baalam 2. Great ones will endure no Controul like the Princes in Jeremy 3. Errour pleads the Spirit 4. Self-Interests and unrighteous innocence Jer. 2.35 3. And the cross Multitude the vulgarity are all for Tumults and Uproars as Acts 19.24 and are set on mischief as they Exod. 32.19 Thus concerning this sword of the Spirit You have heard that the Sword is either Material or Spiritual And this spiritual sword is either Essential and uncreated or Theological Doctrinal or Evangelical created and inspired and conveighed from God to men That this Doctrinal Word is good pure true gracious precious sound and healing Qui me sanum fecit seu valetudini restituit Pas Lex p. 713. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrina sana 1 Tim. 1.10 The Apostle commands Timothy To hold fast the form of sound words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exemplar seu expressam formam Habe teneto sanorum verborum quae a me audisti c. Arias Montan. Pas Lex p. 712. 7. This word is said to be quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword Heb. 4.12 which is applyed to 1. The Essential uncreated Word the Son of God 2. The Word of God and Christ to the world called the Rod and spirit of his mouth And 3. To the Word of God in the mouths of his Messengers 1. To subdue mens souls to the obedience of it 2. To be for evil or good death or life destruction or salvation to the obstinate or obedient Ap. And this is the work of Prophets Apostles and Ministers of Christ in all Ages which himself doth explain to them Ier. 1.7 At what instant I shall speak of a Nation ☞ Not that God doth repent out of over-sight or defect of fore-cast or mutability of mind as men do but when he revoketh the doom he had passed and stays the Execution what he had denounced when his own end is accomplished either in the Repentance of the wicked or perseverance of the godly c. to whom and to which end all the Menaces and Promises Threatnings and Encouragements of God are made All which Menaces and Promises are ever to be understood with the condition or reservation there expressed by Almighty God How absolute soever they appear or by us may be apprehended in their Terms or Words 8. You have also heard the praises of this Sword the Word of God out of Psalm 19.7.8 9. in fix particulars 9. And that it is usually compared to incorruptible seed in several Scriptures 10. And also the Arguments or Reasons of this point viz. That Doct. The word of God is the true Christians sword wherewith he doth defend himself and offend his spiritual adversaries I say the Reasons do arise from its own Excellency in the use of it And the Author of it viz. The Spirit of God Here the War is spiritual and so is the Enemy and so also is the Sword All are spiritual and Ergo Thus suited one to another in this Warfare ☞ But the Reasons will meet with a further illustration in the Application of this point To which now I do now descend 11. And the Uses of this point are of Information Doct. The Word of God is the sword of all the faithful wherewith to defend themselves and to offend their spiritual adversaries to withstand repel subdue and cut off all Satans temptations and other corruptions which war against our souls 1 Pet. 2.11 ☞ Now the Word of God is called The sword of the Spirit because 1. The Spirit maketh this Weapon to our hands 2 Pet. 1.21 For holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2. This Sword slayeth our spiritual enemies Isa 11.4 3. It is so sharp that it pierceth to the dividing of the Soul and Spirit Heb. 4.12 of the Joynts and Marrow yea of the Heart 4. Because it is no carnal but a spiritual Weapon 2 Cor. 10.4 The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal but mighty c. You have a brief account of what hath been already done we are now come to the Use improvement of the point You know upon this I entered the last day but I could only name some particulars to you not having time to prosecute any of them Of these therefore let me now speak a little more at large The spiritual Enemies I then named unto you were 1. Satan 2. The Sins of great ones 3. Errours Heresies and evil Opinions Self-interests and unrighteousness And 5. The unruly Transgressions and wickednesses of all people I. Use of Information This Use doth inform us of the Excellency of this Sword in the use of it both in the way of Offence and Defence to subdue and support 1. And for Offence the first enemy to be encountered with is 1. Satan He is a fierce cruel and crafty Adversary Of whom you have heard before vers 11 12. This is he that encountered our Saviour in the wilderness Mat. 4.1 In which Temptation you shall find him Proteus-like changing his skin and acting a threefold person but a Tempter he will be in every shape still aiming at evil and endeavouring to seduce men to sin 1. He will be an Hermit in the wilderness and will visit Christ as a friend to advise him not to fast over-long nor to hurt himself with hunger and mark here the 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Satanae the Devils entrance upon the ensuing Temptation 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christi the Risistance of Christ thereunto Christ had fasted long and was now an hungred and hereupon he takes occasion to begin The devil takes Christ at the weakest this is his practise still note Doct. As he did by Christ so he will do by all when we are weakest then he will be busie at work with us to seduce and destroy us 1. The Devil observed the preaching of John the Baptist Iohn 1.34 I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God 2. And that voice from heaven at the Baptism of Christ Mat. 3.17 Yet he doubted whether Christ was so indeed and Ergo now he comes to try and sift it out by this Temptation for saith he thou
Nature appear in time and succession so have their errours done yet to answer directly we are not ignorant when their Principal Deformities befel them the Councel of Trent with many Acts before and since fay enough to this but I wave this at present only this much let me say He is no studied Scholler that is not acquainted with the grounds of an unreconcilable difference betwixt us and Rome See Bishop Hall Dr. Gauden c. Thus let old Rome take the Glory of Religion as of old but now statu quo as it is a Religion made up only of Heathenism Judaism and antient Heresies they are become more then the parallel of Scribes and Pharisees whom yet they do much resemble in many things 1. None pretend to more piety and devotion and to the honour of Christ then they None perform less or do more dishonour Christ then they 2. The reject the Commandment of God to observe the Popes Decretals What he saith must be good though against the express Word of God 3. The Pharisees were very quarrelsome about their Ceremonies and superstitious observations so are these to the height 4. They presecuted the Lord Jesus the great Shepherd of the Sheep and at last put him to death as an Imposter Deceiver These persecute the Pastors of Christs Flock and slaughter the sheep of Christ from Generation to Generation in the most cruel and barbarous manner imaginable Thus do they imitate the Jewes the persecuting Priests the hypocritical vain-glorious Scribes and Pharisees of those times But yet our Papists stay not here but having rejected the Scriptures the word of God and betaken themselves to their unwritten verities as they call them c. To gain credit to these they have recourse as much as any to Dreams and Visions to Apparitions and Revelations to Extasies and Enthusiasms yea and Diabolical Delusions for many amongst them have been and are the most skilful and exquisite Conjurers and Necromancers in the world And all this is only by such tricks and lying Miracles to gain credit and reputation to their own inventions and de 〈…〉 These things do sufficiently evidence to all that and how the Romanists are fallen from being amongst the first of Christians To be the prime Fanaticks of the world and indeed the principal Authors Patrons and Incouragers of all those kind of people wheresoever For if Fanaticks do pretend much piety and devotion reject the Holy Scriptures be zealous of their own Superstitions and be very violent against them that oppose them and persecute them to the utmost and if they do lean to visions revelations strange miracles c. more then to the Word of God The persecuting Popish Priests c. do act all these things to the utmost ☞ And yet further if I should descend to their Devotions and Religions Performances c. I should lead you into an endless Labyrinth of Idol-imaginations and ridiculous inventions in which they out-strip the very Pagans c. there you shall see such Congies and Crowching such Beads and Babies such Altar-worship and Image-worship such Crossings and Cursings with book bell and candle such advancement of mans and abatements of Christs merits such Adoration of holy Reliques of I know not whom for they have their holy bones and holy stones holy rags and holy bags holy wells and holy bells c. holy graves and holy knaves For some of their Saints were never men and others no better then monsters of men surely never honest men at the best In a word for why should I be endless in this they have so much Vanity and Foppery in their divine service as doth far exceed either Pagan Jew or Hereticks other then themselves in their Religious performances 4. If you add their most unwarrantable uniting the Apocriphal to the Canonical Books of holy Scripture a if of the same Authority and Spirit And that intollerable errour of Transubstantiation rightly styled A Subabomination above all other evils as being a complicated errour against Reason Sense the nature of subsistences and things real in being Against Faith Scripture and the limits of true Religion an Errour of Blasphemy Cruelty and abominable absurdity in changing the food of our souls into corporal food making us Cannibals and Deniers of the true humane nature of Jesus Christ with some antiekt Hereticks In a word The vanities of their divine service are innumerable and their abominations intollerable They have maimed the ten Commandments wounded the Sacraments turned prayer into vain babling and Preaching into legendical lying They defile whatsoever they touch Even the best things that remain amongst them what with their Additions Diminutions strange Interpretation and injurious concealment from the people they do plainly dicover themselves to be the right successors of those Hypocrites the Scribes and Pharisees that did shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men so that they did neither go in themselves nor suffer them that would to go in Mat. 23.13 Thus have they lost their wheat corn in a heap of chaff their Needle in a bottle of straw or mow their Pearl in a Dung-hil their true first and best Religion in a Colluvies a Sink a Quagmire a Quick-sand of Ceremonies Superstitions and humane Inventions so that upon the whole matter they are the greatest Schismaticks Fanaticks yea and Hereticks now throughout the whole world Now to conclude with these whose Errours admit no period and their Superstition no conclusion If God be well pleased with such toyes and trinkets with such fine babies and rattles fit to please Children c. then no doubt they are in the best way to please God and far beyond any others whose Devotions are not so attended with Pageants and brave shews as these be 1. But if the Lord shall say as to them of old Isa 1.12 Who hath required this at your hands to do as you do to sacrifice and to serve me in such a strange manner and then shall proceed against them as there he did against Judah and Jerusalem see vers 21.25 of that Chapter How is the faithful City c. 2. And if Christ shall say of them as he did of those hypocritical Pharisees saying In vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments Decrees These things do sufficiently evidence and Traditions of men and turn them off with an Ironical speech a scorn saying Full well i.e. full ill ye do reject or frustrate the Commandment of God that ye may keep your own Tradition as it is in Mat. 15.9 Mark 7.9 And then proceed against them with all those woes thundred out against Scribes and Pharisees their Compeers by our Saviours own mouth and inflicted and executed accordingly Mat. 23. per totum Alas What will then become of all 1. Their Will-worship ceremonious and superstitious Devotions 2. Their Tantalogical repetitions of the name of Jesus c. 3. Their Innovation of Saints Images and holy Reliques all will then prove to be no better then vain-babling or