But I would desire such Men to consider First That this Notion of a purer Church and purer Ordinances varies with every Man's fancy as having no Foundation in Scripture Reason or Antiquity when you distinguish a purer Church from a pure Church I would desire to know what greater degree of purity they find in a Presbyterian or Independent Conventicle than in our Parochial Churches If this Purity consists in Doctrine Government or Worship that Doctrine and Government which is most Ancient and most Apostolical is purer than some novel and upstart Opinions Church Forms and Models and that Worship which retains all the Institutions of Christ and administers them with the greatest order and decency and most to Christian Edification is as pure a Worship as that which is slovenly and unbecoming the gravity and solemnity of Divine Worship That Church wherein Christians may enjoy all the means and conveyances of Grace without any corrupt Mixtures to spoil their Vertue and Efficacy is a pure Church such a Church wherein a Christian may communicate without doing any injury to his Soul is a pure Church and has all the degrees of purity which is necessary to External Communion If by a purer Communion they mean only the Communion of better Men and of greater Saints they ought to consider that it is impossible to exclude Hypocrites out of any Church unless they pretend to a Gift of discerning Spirits nor is it fit they should be excluded while they are not openly scandalous for to shut such Men out of the Church deprives them of the Means of Grace and all hopes of proving better Men. And I hope Christian Communion is not confined to any single Congregation but every good Christian who lives in the Communion of the Church enjoys the Communion of Saints in all the World is a Member of the same Body which consists of all the true Disciples of Christ. Nay I would desire them to consider that the Glory of the Christian Communion is this That our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ with the glorious and triumphant Church in Heaven as well as with the Church Militant on Earth But ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the First Born which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudg of all and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than the Blood of Abel This is the Church-Fellowship which those enjoy who live in Communion with the Universal Church and which Schismaticks have no right to and those who think to meet with better Company at a Conventicle let them take it But must not the Christian Church consist of all ranks and degrees of Christians as our natural Body does of several sorts of Members of different honour and worth and is it fitting for strong and well-grown Christians to separate from the weak and imperfect as if the eye should separate from the Body as despising the Communion of the Foot and yet if St. Paul says true that Schism is a work of the Flesh and the sign of carnal Men we have no reason to look for the best Christians in Schismatical Churches But secondly it was never till of late days thought lawful to separate from a lawful Communion tho as the state of the Church in this World is it were subject to some defects and therefore the Brownists who separated from the Church of England pretended that her Worship and Government was Unlawful Idolatrous and Antichristian and the old Nonconformists who though they could not conform as Ministers yet very religiously conformed as Lay-men both in Prayers and Sacraments condemned this Schism and proved that Communion with the Church of England was lawful and therefore Separation was sinful and I dare challenge any Man to shew me from the first beginnings of Christianity that ever it was thought lawful to separate from a Church where we might communicate without sin And thirdly let these Men consider that this Notion of separating from a lawful Communion for a purer Communion lays the foundation of eternal Schisms for there being no certain rule for the degrees of this Purity every Man according to his own fancy may refine for ever Fourthly If they do indeed think the Communion of the Church of England to be unlawful and sinful I would desire them to enquire how they came at first to think so for this is a very material Enquiry if Men desire to know their honesty and sincerity in this Matter for if Men are at first by their own fault ensnared in an Error and drawn into Schism how firmly soever afterwards they believe their Separation to be lawful and necessary it will not excuse them It is impossible to know all the several ways whereby Men come at first to be engaged in Schism but I shall take notice of some few which seem to be most common Such are these 1. Education 2. Lightness and giddiness of Mind 3. Some distast at Publick Affairs 4. Some quarrel with the Ministers of Religion 5. Interest or the Perswasion of Friends 1. Education when Men have been nursed up in Schism from their infancy and have been taught to despise the Common Prayer before they could read and to call the Church Antichrist and the Ministers of it Baal's Priests as soon as they could speak Now it must be acknowledged that this is the most pitiable case and the fairest Excuse and Apology that can be made for any Man for we all know what the power of Education is and how hard it is to deliver our minds from the first Impressions of Childhood and Youth but yet this will not excuse a Man when he has attained to Years of discretion and has opportunities of being better informed for if it would Pagans Mahometans and Papists who labour under the same prejudices of Education have the same excuse We must offer up to God a reasonable Service and that requires the exercise of our Reason in the choice of our Religion as well as in the discharge of Religious Duties Nay Papists Mahometans and Pagans have a better excuse upon this account than our Dissenters because their Prejudices may reasonably be thought more invincible as will appear if we briefly consider three or four things First That theirs is the Religion of their Country which they have been in quiet possession of for many Ages and thus that reverence they pay to the wisdom and memory of their Ancestors adds to the prejudices of their Education whereas every one knows that this present Schism and the pretences whereon it is founded are but late Innovations a Novelty which is not yet grey-headed And tho Antiquity in it self considered is no Argument for an ancient Error nor Novelty any
greatest concernment Pag. 104 CHAP. II. COncerning Publick Worship Pag. 110 Publick Worship to be preferred before private tho it were not expresly commanded by God Pag. 111 Publick Worship a greater honour to God than private Devotions Pag. 116 External Worship must be publick Pag. 118 God is a publick Benefactor and therefore publick Worship is due to him Pag. 120 Publick Worship instituted by God under the Law Pag. 122 And by Christ under the Gospel the true Notion of a Church requires it Pag. 125 This proved from the nature of Christian Communion and Sacraments Pag. 126 The same proved from the Institution of the Gospel-Ministry and the power of the Keys Pag. 130 And from the publick profession of Christianity Pag. 133 And from the Duty of Princes to encourage and propagate Religion Pag. 134 CHAP. III. Section 1. COncerning those who plead Conscience for Separation and set up distinct Communions of their own Pag. 138 Some Inquiries with reference to their honesty and sincerity in this Matter Pag. 139 1. Whether they separate upon true Principles of Conscience the difference between private Opinion and Conscience and the use of this Distinction ibid 2. Whether they consider the great Evil of Schism Pag. 151 3. Whether they believe our Communion to be unlawful Pag. 156 4. How they came to think our Communion unlawful Pag. 156 5. Whether they ever impartially examined the Reasons of their Separation Pag. 170 6. How they behave themselves towards their Governors Pag. 184 Section 2. Some general Considerations in order to remove those Prejudices which some have entertained against the Worship of the Church of England Pag. 188 1. From the Nature of God Pag. 190 2. From the Nature of Christian Religion Pag. 193 3. From the Example of our Saviour Pag. 207 4. From the practice of the Apostles and the first and best Churches Pag. 208 Section 3. An answer to some popular Cavils Pag. 215 Concerning Will-Worship Pag. 216 Concerning Superstition Pag. 222 The Church of England charged with Idolatry Pag. 235 And with Popery Pag. 236 PART II. CHAP. I. COncerning Parochial Communion CHAP. II. Concerning irreverence in Worship 267 CHAP. III. Concerning the neglect of the publick Prayers of the Church 281 CHAP. IV. Concerning the publick administration of Baptism 289 CHAP. V. Concerning the publick instruction of Youth 296 CHAP. VI. Concerning the great neglect of the Lord's Supper ERRATA PAge 6. line 26 read Apollos P. 9. l. 13. r. and that none P. 18. l. 15. r. that they either P. 50. l. 14. f. we r. be P. 105. l. 18. r. you 'l P. 124. l. 26. r. who P. 164. l. 9. r. fell P. 185. l. 2. r. them P. 208. l. 6. r. so P. 212. l. 11. f. if r. that P. 219. l. 24. r. now though P. 224. l. 12 13. r. difficult P. 230. l. 5. r. had P. 331. l. 18. f. rule r. rite P. 346. l. 28. f. truth r. faith A Practical Discourse OF Religious Assemblies The INTRODUCTION 1. Containing a short Account of the nature of Christian Assemblies for Publick Worship 2. A Scheme of the Design of this following Treatise 3. The seasonableness of such a Discourse 1. RELIGION is the greatest Concernment of Mankind both with respect to this life and the next and the Worship of God is the most excellent part of Religion as having GOD the most excellent Being for its immediate Object This is the Work and constant Imployment of Angels and blessed Spirits in Heaven who see the Face of God dwell in his Presence admire his essential Glory and infinite Perfections and sing Eternal Hallelujah's to Him When we come to Heaven we shall have no unruly Passions and Appetites to govern and tho our Souls shall be transformed into a pure Flame of Divine Love yet there will be no place for the laborious exercise of Charity in pitying and relieving one another where all the Inhabitants shall be perfectly happy in the enjoyment of the most perfect Good Indeed in this World Temperance and Charity are no Christian Vertues but as they are acts of Worship that is as they flow from a great sense of God and veneration for him for God is the sole Object of Religion and to be sober and to be charitable upon some meaner Considerations without any respect to God as the last end of all is to serve our selves or our Friends or to follow the inclinations of our nature but is not properly the Service of God Whatsoever we do out of a just sense of God is in some respects an act of Worship for it is to honour the Deity which may as effectually be done by actions as by words verbal praises are of no value with God are meer lip-labour and formal complements when they are alone and produce no answerable effects in our lives This is what the Apostle calls a form of Godliness without the power of it Religion is nothing else but such a vital sense of God as excites in us devout affections and discovers it self in a divine and heavenly Conversation But yet that which we more strictly call Worship is the most visible and solemn expression of our Honour for God when we lift up our hearts and our eyes and hands to God in Prayers Praises and Thanksgivings and when it is sincere and hearty has a powerful influence upon the government of our Lives For what sincere Worshipper can be so void of all fear of God as to break his Laws and contemn his Authority and despise his Judgements and therefore that vain and hypocritical semblance of Religion wherewith some bad Men deceive themselves and flatter God is called the form of Godliness without the power it being only an external imitation of Religious Worship without that powerful sense of God which governs the Lives of truly devout and pious Men. And as the Worship of God is the most excellent part of Religion which has the most universal and most powerful influence upon our Lives So publick Worship is the most excellent Worship as you shall hear more hereafter Indeed the right and power of holding Publick Assemblies for Worship is the fundamental right of the Church whereon all Church-Authority depends as has been well observed and proved by a Learned Man of our Church The Power of the Keys signifies no more than Authority to take in and to shut out of the Church the first is done by Baptism the second by Church-Censures the highest of which is Excommunication which debarreth Men from all parts of Christian Communion And therefore the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews makes forsaking Christian Assemblies either to be an Apostacy from Christianity as it was in those days or at least a fair step towards it he exhorts those to whom he writ to hold fast the profession of their Faith without wavering that is to continue firm and stedfast in the profession of Christianity and in order to this gives them this Caution Not
for our sins this is represented to us by Bread and Wine that he was Flesh and Blood as we are that bread of life which came down from Heaven to give life unto the world This is a great and stupendious Mystery which the Angels themselves desire to pry into the lowest condescension of eternal love but the highest advancement of humane nature above the glory of Angels into a union with the Deity it self How should our Souls triumph in God-man a Saviour of our own race and stock and with a litle variation sing the Song of the Blessed Virgin My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour for he hath regarded the low estate of our nature for behold from henceforth all generations even the Angels themselves shall call us blessed for he that is mighty hath done great things to us hath magnified us hath greatly exalted us and holy for ever blessed and glorified be his name How zealous should we be to advance his name and praise who debased who humbled who emptied himself and made himself of no reputation for our sakes when he suffer'd so low a debasement by becoming man and hath so greatly exalted us by it does it not become us in this holy Feast to advance his name to sing his praise to publish his con descending love and with a greater passion and wonder adore the Deity cloathed with our nature how should our hearts leap within us when we see such a visible representation of an humble and incarnate Deity when we see that mysterious bread and Wine which represents to any eye of Faith a God Incarnate a God cloathed with Flesh and Blood a God in the nature and subject to all the sinless weaknesses and infirmities of a man Oh amazing and surprizing sight which does as much puzzle our passions as our faith and is as much too big for our love and joy and wonder as it is for our finite and narrow understandings and yet oh how pleasant it is to be lost in the contemplation of such love and condescension as this to find an object too big for our highest raptures and ecstasies of devotion where we launch out beyond the sphere of words and thoughts and are swallowed up in silence and wonder This is one great design of the Lords Supper that we may celebrate the praise and glory of an Incarnate God 3. The Lords Supper is the proper worship of a Crucified Saviour for here we see his body broken and his blood shed for our sins it is a Feast upon the Sacrifice of the Cross wherein we visibly declare and profess our Faith in a Crucified Saviour and return him our joyful praises for his great love in dying for us here we offer up our selves Souls and Bodies to him as the purchase of his blood Souls fired with zeal and devotion and transported with a passionate admiration of his dying love a love without any bounds or measure without precedent or example a love stronger than fear or shame or death a love which had no cause but it self which did not find but make its object which pitied us when we did not pity our selves which suffered such hard such unsufferable usage from the hands of sinners to deliver them from those punishments which they had deserved from God and can we do less than love him who hath loved us first than live to him who hath died for us and give up our selves to be governed by him who gave himself a ransom for us Blessed Iesus thou hast conquered thou hast captivated us by thy astonishing love we are thine we give up our selves to thee take the intire possession of us we lay our selves and our dearest concernments at thy feet use us as thou pleasest we have no greater ambition than to serve thee and to advance thy name and glory whether in life or death riches or poverty honour or disgrace we will follow thee whither soever thou leadest us though it be to the Cross and through the valley of the shadow of death and will rejoyce that we are accounted worthy to suffer shame for thy sake and account the reproach of our Lord greater riches than all the treasures of this world Nay in this holy Feast we do not only admire and praise his dying love but extol his power and conquest over death that he was dead indeed but is alive and hath the Keys of hell and death Our Lord is risen again and become the first-fruits of them that sleep and now in the death of our Saviour we see the eternal conquest of death and the grave for by death he hath destroyed him who had the power of death that is the Devil and delivered them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ at this holy Table we feast on the spoils of death this is that bread which giveth life to the world by putting an end to death and becoming the principle and earnest of Immortality Glory be to this mighty conquerour whom all the powers of darkness could not detain prisoner this is our crucified Lord who died with scorn and ignominy but rose again with glory and power we do not eat the Sacrifices of the dead but feed on a living Saviour So that you see the Lords Supper contains in it self or is admirably fitted to all the parts of Christian worship which is no more than expressing that in words and actions which is represented by visible signs in this holy Feast we cannot beg of God the pardon of our sins or any blessings which we want either Temporal or Spiritual but in the merit of that Sacrifice which is here represented the proper subject of Christian praises and thanksgivings is the work of our redemption and the worship of an Incarnate and Crucified Saviour must relate either to his great humility and condescension in becoming man his great love in dying for us or the glory of his resurrection and that power to which he is now advanced at the right hand of God all which is either signified or represented in the Supper of our Lord and therefore that question how often we should communicate at the Lords Table is easily answered by another how often we are bound publickly to worship God and our Saviour Christ for the Lords Supper being instituted by our Saviour as a sacred and venerable rule for worship for so I must beg leave to call it for want of a more proper name and fitted to all parts of Christian worship ought to be as often repeated as we worship our Saviour and publick worship is very lame and imperfect without it For if it be urged that it is sufficient to pray to God in Christs name and to praise him for that wonderful manifestation of his goodness in all the