always religiously forborn let the pretence be what it will the least Alteration in these Laws For to abolish or reject what has been always and every where observ'd is not only to change an Ecclesiastick Rite but also the Church it self and render it different from all the Churches of God. Which yet never cou'd nor I hope ever will be said of our Church For truly such was the care and diligence of our Reformers whose happy memory we can never sufficiently extol and reverence such their Piety and Religion such their divinely inspir'd Prudence that thinking it as necessary to keep firm Communion with the Catholick as to recede from the Roman Church renouncing all her Superstitious Innovations they themselves religiously preserv'd whatever had been approv'd by all the Churches of God and so ordain'd it in our Church the most illustrious Image and Resemblance of the Catholick And hence 't is that our Church has always been the envy of the Roman But so great an honour to all the Reform'd Churches that I don't doubt but that they wou'd imitate her pious Examples were it in their power So that we must not impute it to them but to the necessities of time and place that they are not in all things agreeable to us Since therefore God has committed such a Church to our care and since his Vicegerent here has now given us an opportunity to prosecute all things that may tend to the peace and advantage of his Church let us employ all our powers and faculties for its accomplishment Let us leave no means unattempted to make all English-men to be of the Church of England Let us endeavour all we can to make her Faith her Worship and her Discipline if possible the wonder of the whole world and she her self perpetual by whose guidance we of this Kingdom may obtain everlasting Salvation thro' Christ till his second coming That all posterity may laud and magnifie our God for moving so religious a Prince to assemble this Sacred Synod and assigning such a preparation for it to the advantage of this our Church If this Convocation shall be so pleas'd to whose disposal all things are left But whilst we are considering of these things we call to mind the ancient Customs observ'd by all God's Churches in the calm and sedate Celebration of their Synods And let ours take example by that Let us throw off all prejudiced Opinions presumptuous Suspitions and litigious Contentions which only confound and disturb such Sacred Councils But let all be done with that agreement and consent as becomes Christians Clergy-men and more especially all us of the Church of England when we consult about the Establishment of her Peace Whatsoever we do let it be done by universal Approbation That in this we may truly say with the Apostle If any man seem to be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God. But whatsoever pains we take for the good of our Church they 'l avail not unless adorn'd with good works Wherefore most Reverend Fathers in Christ and dearly beloved Brethren give me leave to beseech you in the name of Christ so to comport your selves as Becomes Fathers and Sons of so holy a Church Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorify your Father in Heaven Let all see and admire the eminent Sanctity of the Church of England in producing men most holy By this means we shall engage not only men but God to be of our side Who alone is able to defend and for ever preserve a Church first of his own building and then restoration from all the Machinations of its enemies Let God therefore arise and his enemies be scatter'd God grant that our Church may flourish and increase daily more and more God grant that the Gates of Hell may ne're prevail against it Lastly God grant that his most holy Spirit may guide this Sacred Synod assembled in his name and lead them into all truth that whatsoever they do may end in the glory of God the good and settlement of the Universal Church and more especially this of England through our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and holy Spirit be ascrib'd all glory and honour now and evermore Amen FINIS
the Corinthian But this is contrary to the receiv'd Custom of all the Churches Ergo. Now if the Church of Corinth was not oblig'd to accommodate her self to and observe the Rites of all the other Churches this Argument of the Apostle would be of no weight For by this supposition that Church might have admitted that Rite notwithstanding 't was contrary to a Custom Universally receiv'd And therefore the major proposition wou'd be false But undoubtedly the Apostle argued rightly being divinely inspired when he penn'd these Words Which is a cogent reason because he could not deceive by the Argument nor be deceiv'd in the manner of arguing And therefore a principal reason obliges every such Provincial Church as the Corinthian was diligently to observe the Rites of the Universal For if any neglect the observance of them he is by this infallible Argument convinc'd of a grievous Error and Schism Neither is it possible for him to defend himself by any Pretence since God himself dictated this Argument to the Apostle and from thence it necessarily follows That 't is the Will of God that every Provincial Church should conform to the Universal And also that we always use this way of arguing which he has taught us to determine all Controversies of the like nature Moreover the same appears from the very nature and notion of a Church For the Church generally so called is a vast Society or Congregation of Men professing the Christian Faith in all parts of the World Whereof all Provincial Churches are so many Parts or Members Now in all such Societies every Part ought to agree with its whole And consequently the lesser with the greater Reason tells us this The Law of nature commands it and the Universal consent of Mankind judges it necessary So that if any thing enacted by the greater obliges the remaining part much more what is ordain'd by the greatest part of each Society which it ought to observe if it wou'd continue a member and enjoy the Priviledges of the same Society Which rule since it prevails in all manner of Societies ought much more in the Church which of all things should be the most Regular Accordingly Christ himself is the head of this Church called Universal who equally diffuses his Spirit thro' all its parts The Apostle in the Epistle to the Ephesians and elsewhere in many places explains this idea or notion of the Church Seeing therefore the Spirit of Christ himself is diffused thrô all the Members of this Body and both guides and governs them whatsoever is performed by these Members let it be as it ought ascrib'd to his Holy Spirit For althô each Member is able perhaps to suffer some humane affliction which yet all have done conjointly at all times it cou'd scarcely proceed from any thing less than a common if I may so say Principle of all things namely the Spirit of God which generally actuates all things And therefore it can't but be necessary to be still observ'd as much as may be by every Member The next Argument on this occasion is fetcht from the Apostolical Institution of all such Rites which are observed by the Universal Church For whatsoever the Apostles in the first institution of the Churches delivered for their observation is undoubtedly necessary to their legitimate constitution For otherwise they must have appointed something superfluous which can't be alledg'd against the Apostles considering that they have instituted nothing in the Church but what was enjoyn'd them by Heaven Which since all Christians believe they agree in nothing more than that the Apostolical Institution of the Churches is a Rule and Measure according to which every present Church is to be model'd So that no Constitution of any Church can be accounted Legitimate unless it be consonant thereto Now this being granted it follows that no particular Church is lawfully constituted unless it observes all the Rites of the Universal For whatsoever she hath observed in all ages must be of Apostolical Institution For how is it possible for any one to imagine that all the Churches dispersed over the face of the Earth shou'd every where use the same modes unless they received them together with their Faith by Apostolick Tradition 'T is very clear that the Apostles went about almost all Parts and appointed Churches where ever they came 'T is clear that they were conducted by the same Spirit And lastly 't is clear that they endeavour'd Uniformity in all Churches And therefore 't is no wonder if they have every where ordained the same Rites ' Twou'd have rather been a wonder if they had done otherwise Now if such general Rites were not by Apostolick appointment how cou'd they every where come into Chucrhes so far distant from each others Cou'd they from General Councils For that indeed remains to be spoken to For they must of necessity either be ordained by the Apostles or by Oecumenical Councils as Saint Augustin observes in his Epistle to Januarius wherein he says We preserve things not written but delivered which are indeed observ'd all the World over whereby we may understand that things recommended and decreed either by the Apostles or General Councils whose authority the Church venerates are retain'd Now we in this place speak only of such Rites as were observ'd by the Universal Church before General Councils had their being and which for this reason cou'd not be instituted by them It remains therefore that we attribute them only to Apostolical Institution according to that common rule of the same Learned Father who says That the Vniversal Church holds not what 's instituted by Councils but always retain'd which being deliver'd only by Apostolical Authority is truly believed Therefore since 't is necessary to legitimate the Constitution of every Church that the Rites instituted by the Apostles be retain'd And since all the Rites of the Universal are appointed by the Apostles themselves none can doubt but that the observing the same is necessarily requir'd to the Legal Constitution of every particular Church And this indeed is not my private Opinion but is and ever was the common Sentiment of all Christians especially the Primitive This appears from hence that in times past if any Controversy arose concerning any Ecclesiastical Rite which some peculiar Church had receiv'd 't was always customary to enquire into the Practice of the Universal and her constant usage touching that Rite and afterwards to give in their Verdict Examples are very obvious how ever I 'le chuse one for the present The Primitive Church you all know was long perplex'd with a grievous Contention concerning the time of the celebration of the Passover For the Church of Asia contended with the Jews that 't was to be celebrated on the fourteenth day after the appearance of the Moon let it fall on whatsoever Holy-day of the Week it would Now all other Churches were wont to fast and celebrate that Feast only on the day of our Lord's Resurrection This controversie
A SERMON Preach'd before the CONVOCATION OF THE Bishops and Clergy OF THE Province of Canterbury at Westminster Novemb. the 18 th 1689. By WILLIAM BEVERIDGE Archdeacon of Colchester Printed in Latin By the Bishops Command Made English by J. G. a Member of the Church of England Let ancient Customs still take place Syn. Nic. Can. 6. Licens'd and Entred London Printed for N. R. and J. Bullord at the Old Black Bear in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1689. Dr. BEVERIDGE's SERMON Before the CONVOCATION ENGLISHED TO THE AUTHOR Reverend Sir PERVSING your Learned Discourse lately Preached before the Sacred Synod and finding in it such admirable Matter so harmoniously handled and so suitable to this present Age wherein the best Church and Religion in the World wou'd be in great danger of being Crucified like their blessed Author were they not maintain'd and defended by such Props as You I thought 't wou'd not be amiss to render it into English for the benefit of those who understand not the Latin Tongue and being well assur'd 't wou'd be very acceptable to the English Reader as coming from You whose known Candour and Sweetness of temper I doubt not will pardon my presumption in this Attempt which I fear has not escaped the too common fate of all such sublime and excellent Subjects which is to be foul'd and sullied by ill Version However such as it is it 's humbly presented by him who is SIR Your most devoted Servant J. G. A SERMON Before the CONVOCATION c. 1 Cor. XI 16 But if any Man seem to be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God. WITH what and how great Controversies the Church of England now a-days is exercised and with how potent and likewise malicious Enemies surrounded we all indeed see and grievously resent but no wonder considering we are well assured that this has been almost the constant and perpetual fate of Christ's Church wheresoever constituted For if we peruse all the Ecclesiastick Histories derived down to us from the very times of the Apostles we shall find no Age wherein the Catholick Church has not been molested either by Hereticks or Schismaticks or both together That is to say Tares are sown by the Enemy near the Wheat in the Lord's ground and they 'll grow together till the harvest But truly such is the love of our God to his Ground such the benevolence of the Almighty towards his Church that he 'le ne're permit the Wheat to be suffocated by the Tares the Evangelical Doctrine by Heresy and Discipline by Schism And therefore we have no reason to fear our Church's sustaining so many Assaults of its Adversaries seeing 't is buoy'd up by an omnipotent God as a pure and sound Member of his Universal Church But truly the purer and sounder our Church is and therefore more acceptable to God the more and fiercer Enemies it has among Men who from one side to t'other set themselves wholly against it and if they can't destroy at least Endeavour to disturb it For on the one hand Popish Priests on the other Sectaries traduce slander and wound it in their words and actions they try all ways to obtrude their new Fangles and Ceremonies on us and that so they may either utterly pull down or corrupt our Church But we in the mean while relying on Divine assistance fly to God alone daily beseeching him in the name of his only begotten Son that he wou'd vouchsafe to defend and maintain a Church of his own making And he has been so propicious to our Prayers contrary to our Deserts in wonderfully delivering Us at least from one sort of our Adversaries to wit the Popish Recusants and has given us reason to hope that they 'l ne're be capacitated again to molest our Church But even now one part remains who tho' seemingly of the same Faith and Doctrin yet being seduced either by Ignorance or Error or peradventure some scruple of Conscience alledge I know not what crimes against the Discipline and Rites of our Church and for that reason refuse Communion with us in God's Worship And 't is strange how great mischiefs may arise from this apparently small beginning For hence it is that Altars are erected against Altars hence proceed Factious Tumults and Mutual Hatreds among Brethren hence 't is that God's Worship is neglected and the very Sacraments one being thrust into corners the other seldom celebrated hence it is I am amaz'd to speak that impious words are rashly spoken against God and against all Religion as if it rather did afford matter for Discord than Peace hence lastly those popular calamities which threaten both Church and State and thereupon perpetually disquiet both Now that some remedy at length may be opportunely apply'd even to these diseases His most Serene Majesty has been pleased doubtless by Divine inspiration to assemble the Bishops and whole Clergy of this Kingdom that they may consult by what methods these pernicious differences may at last be so composed our Church loosing nothing of its Purity and Glory nothing of its Authority and Right that they who dissent from us may be reduced to our Holy Communion or at least remain for ever destitute of all reasons I don't say just which they never had but of all specious colours which hitherto they have pretended for their Separation I confess that this is a great and very difficult undertaking but as pious as necessary and therefore worthy of the utmost endeavours of our Clergy And how great soever the Labour and Work may seem although not less than to strive against the Stream yet we must not despair if so that God be present and influence our undertakings And indeed we have so ofteen experienced his singular Providence in defending our Church that we have no reason to doubt but that He will be present and propitious to our Importunities for it whilst all things are directed according to His Divine Will reveal'd to us in Holy Writ Which both we and our Dissenting Brethren hold to be the Supream Rule whereby all Ecclesiastical Controversies are to be judg'd Now if we consult these Sacred Oracles we shall find all things in them necessary for the obtaining Eternal Salvation But not so many things touching the external Polity of the Church much less particular Rites necessarily requisite for it For truly God has left these to be us'd in every particular Church according to those general Rules he has deliver'd in the Holy Scriptures for that purpose Such are Let all things be done decently and in order Let all things be done for Edification And others of the like nature with which the usual Rites of our Church exactly agree But what if a Contention shou'd arise between two Provincial Churches or between divers Members of the same Province concerning any Ceremony have we no Precept nor Example in the Holy Scriptures to stifle it 'T is true we have an Example which shou'd indeed have the force of a
Precept in as much as 't is prescrib'd by the Holy Spirit of God and upon this account committed to Sacred Writ that it might be observ'd by all But lest I shou'd seem to speak this for nothing I think 't will not be amiss to explain briefly that of the Apostle which we just now cited especially since nothing can be of greater use and more necessary to be observ'd in all such Controversies as are to be decided by this Sacred Synod Therefore in the first place you are to take notice That there were among the Disturbers of the Corinthian Church newly setled those who held it decent for Men to be conversant in Publick Meetings with their Heads cover'd but Women uncover'd Now the Apostle in this Chapter from the First to the Sixteenth Verse copiously reasons against this Custom which some at that time began to introduce and shews that the contrary ought to be observ'd every where He argues first from Divine Testimony not indeed directly but by implication for as much as it appears from the Word of God that Man is the Image and Glory of God and the Head of the Woman but the Woman the Glory of the Man made of Him and for Him. The Apostle largely handles this Argument to the Twelfth Verse and then takes another from the Law of Nature and the common Customs of Men. Judge in your selves says he is it comely that a Woman pray unto God uncovered Doth not even nature it self teach you c. But in the last place he produces his clearest Argument compris'd in these words But if any Man seem to be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God. Which is the same as if he had said But if any Man is so contentious as notwithstanding these Reasons still to contend that 't is lawful for a Man even cover'd but a Woman uncover'd publickly to pray unto God yet there 's one Argument behind by which both he and all Christians must of necessity confess themselves convicted which is this That we have no such custom neither the Churches of God Now amongst us and all other Churches the quite contrary Custom hath obtain'd whereby Men are taught to uncover but Women to cover their Heads when they join in the Service of God. I know that these words of the Apostle are interpreted a little otherwise by some as if he affirm'd thus viz. That neither they nor the Churches of God have such a Custom to contend about Matters of this nature But besides that admitting this Exposition the Apostle wou'd contradict himself because in this very place he sharply disputes with the Corinthians Again if we shou'd grant that the Words may be thus expounded it equally makes for our side because 't is evident even from this very sense of the words as well as the other which is the true and genuine and so conspicuous and manifest that it requires no further explication that the Apostle disputing concerning an Ecclesiastick Ceremony with the Corinthian Church appeals to the Custom of the other Churches of God. Nevertheless this one thing we may note That these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are read in some Greek Manuscripts in the singular Number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Syrian Interpreter has it Which are also the words of the Vulgar Latin Version and the same is to be seen in St. Cyprian and other Latin Fathers But the sense is all one For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural tho indefinitely put signify all the Churches of which the Universal consists Therefore both ways recourse is had here to the Universal Church and the Argument is drawn from her Custom For this reason St. Theodoret says of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Argument is sufficient to confute even the most contentious For the Apostle shews That not only he but all the Churches of God think the same So that he that acts contrary opposes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Universal Church as Theophylact and before him St. Chrysostom comments upon the place These Words of the Apostle being thus concisely explain'd fore-shew a plain and safe way to us by which we may proceed in the determination of all such Cases But if any Rite us'd by some Provincial Church is controverted we must make a diligent Enquiry into the Sentiments of all other Churches and see whether the same has been approv'd by them For the illustration whereof we must observe That in all Ages even from our Saviour's Passion several Provincial Churches have been constituted in the greatest part of the World which all together make that one Church which we therefore commonly call Catholick or Universal Which doubtless must be computed from all the Churches not only those that exist at one and the same point of time but that ever had a being Moreover all these in all Ages and at all times have agreed with the Church in necessary Articles of Faith. Now as to the Rites they have been partly proper and peculiar to particular Churches partly common to all Rites that are proper to one or two Churches may be abrogated or retain'd by the same or admitted by others at pleasure For they put on the nature of things indifferent and therefore are of no force unless what they receiv'd from that Church by whose Authority they are establish'd But Rites that have been always common to the Universal Church that is to all Churches throughout all Ages or which is all one to the greatest part of them the very same ought still to be observ'd by every particular Church For neither is it in the power of every particular Church either to reject Rites when observ'd or observe them when rejected by the Universal Church If any of these shall do either of the two 't is Schismatical disjoining it self from the Body of Christ at least in that particular But that every Church may be rightly constituted so as to be made a sound Member of the Catholick 't is absolutely necessary for her to conform her self to that in all things as long as it may be done and religiously embrace her Discipline and Rites as well as her Doctrin Which lest I may seem to speak without reason I 'le confirm with the following Arguments These very Words of my Text supply us with one For certainly the Corinthian was a Provincial Church into which some endeavour'd to bring new Rites The Apostle being ascertain'd of this disputes against it in this place and proves that that Church cou'd by no means admit of it And his last and chief Argument he draws from the Custom of the Universal Church as we observ'd before Forasmuch as all other Churches should have no such but a quite contrary Custom But if any man says he seem to be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God. From which words I thus argue What 's contrary to the receiv'd Custom of all the Churches ought not to be admitted by