THE Naked Truth OR THE TRUE STATE OF THE Primitive Church BY AN Humble Moderator Zach. 8. 19. Love the Truth and Peace Gal. 4. 16. Am I therefore become your Enemy because I tell you the truth Printed in the Year 1675. An Humble Petition to the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament MY Lords and noble Gentlemen You have fully expressed your Zeal to God and his Church in making Laws for Unity in Faith and Uniformity in Discipline for as our Saviour said A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand so the same may certainly be said of a Church the reason being the same for both And I call the Searcher of all hearts the God of life and death to witness that I would most readily yea most joyfully sacrifice all I have in this world my life and all that all Non-Conformists were reduced to our Church But it falls out most sadly that your Laws have not the desired effect our Church is more and more divided such is the perverse nature of man Niti in Vetitum obstinately to oppose Authority especially when they can pretend the colour of Religion and Conscience this carries so great an applause among the Vulgar still envious at Superiors that it is as it were Nuts to an Ape sweeter to them than any other thing this world affords for the enjoyment of this they will endure any thing imprisonment loss of goods yea sometime of life also And this is it which mainly nourishes our Divisions gives great advantage to the growth of Popery and threatens the total ruine of our Church Many who were formerly very zealous for our Church seeing these our sad divisions and not seeing those of the Roman-Church nor their gross Superstitions which their Priests conceal till they have got men fast are easily seduced by their pretended Unity and daily fall from us This makes my heart to bleed and my soul with anguish ready to expire rather than live to see that dismal day of relapse into their manifold Idolatries Wherefore I humbled my Soul before God in fasting and prayer begging dayly the assistance of his holy Spirit to direct me to some healing Salve for these our bleeding Wounds and therefore I have some reason to believe that what is contained in these following Papers comes from the great goodness of God who never fails those who seek him in humility and sincerity both which I am confident I have done and this I am sure of that no Worldly designs have moved me to this but have often tempted me to give it over I am also sure that there is nothing contained therein which is contrary to the known Laws of the Land in this only I confess I have transgressed in putting it forth without licence and for this I beg of God and you as Naaman did of Elisha In this thing the Lord and you pardon your Servant and I hope you will say unto me as Elisha did unto Naaman Go in peace and I farther hope this shall not cast such a prejudice upon it as to make you cast it by or read it with disgust I do not expect you should approve any thing upon the account of my seeking God in this but upon my Reasons alledged nor do I expect that upon my Reasons you should approve all yet I beseech you seriously consider all and God of his infinite goodness direct you to that which may make for the Unity of our Church by yielding to weak ones if not wilful Ones also as far as your Reason and Conscience will permit sure you cannot so loath all condescention as not to loath more and detest Papal confusion which certainly comes on apace by our division and of two evils both Reason and Religion require us to chuse the less now doubtless you cannot think condescention if evil at all sure not so evil as Papal Idolatry and that Papistry is Idolatry is so clearly proved by our Learned Dr. Stilling fleet as it were lost labour to say more of it Condescention may seem in some respects imprudent but whether in this conjuncture of affairs imprudent I beseech you again consider well The Wisest men have changed their Counsels and Resolves upon second thoughts much more upon experience and approaching evils not at first discovered It is a common thing with Princes when they find their main enemies power encrease much to make peace with lesser enemies on conditions never before to be endured Self-preservation being the prime principle in all Creatures rational and irrational springing from Nature it self it should in nature and reason over-ballance any other consideration and whatever is done to this end if not sinfully done must needs be wisely done I most humbly beseech the All-wise God and sole giver of wisdom to pour down his Holy and Wise Spirit upon you Amen To the READER CHristian Reader so I term you hoping you have in some measure the Spirit of Christ and desire it more the spirit of meekness humility charity not to censure my errors and enveigh against them but to pity and endeavour to rectifie them if you find any and I assure you in the word of a Christian I shall be far more ready to recant than to vent an error If you be not thus Christianly disposed I earnestly beseech you read no furtner for I am sure you will be displeas'd with it and can you think it wisdom to run your self into displeasure enjoy your present quiet and let me rest But if you be so Christianly disposed as I mentioned then I as earnestly heg of you to proceed to discover my errors and amend them But perchance you will ask who I am why did I not tell you by putting my name to this Pamphlet I will ingenuously confess the cause I am a weak man of great Passions not able to bear Commendations or Reproach my small ability puts me out of danger of the first but in great fear of the later Why then was I so forward to publish my weakness to have it cured yet truly I have not been very forward for it is now above two years since I had these thoughts in which time I have read and conferred all I could to discover if I were in an error but for all I yet could meet with do not find it so but hope all I say is truth and that it may he useful to the Publique in this present conjuncture of affairs Therefore I proceed and in the next place most humbly beseech all that read this to lay aside all bias of interest or education both are very great I am sure I found it so very long before I could master them and that of education most difficult were it not so there could not be that difference of opinion in Christian Religion all allowing the Bible for the Rule of Faith the Papists themselves do not reject it but add to it the authority of the Church I verily believe there are thousands of Papists Lutherans Calvinists
both Learned and Religious who would lay down their lives for the truth they profess and yet are divided in opinion meerly by education having in their youth so imprinted their own opinions in their mind as you may sooner separate their body than their opinion from their Soul Nay I have heard that among the Turks there are many wise and moderate persons that are as zealous to maintain their ridiculous Alcaron as we our Bible which cannot proceed from any thing but the strong bias of education which so wheels about and intoxicates their brain And to say somewhat more particular of our own Nation here Those that have been educated in that way as to sit at the Communion and baptize their Children without the Cross had rather omit these Sacraments than use kneeling or the Cross and those that have been educated in kneeling and crossing though they acknowledg they are meer Ceremonies indifferent yet had rather omit the Sacraments than omit the Ceremonies just as if a man had rather starve than eat bread baked in a Pan because he hath used bread baked in an Oven So that Religion in many is really hut their humor fancy passeth for reason and custome is more prevalent than any argument This is the thing which makes me fear I shall meet with very few that will calmly and indifferently consider what I write but will presently startle at it as new and cross to their Genius or to their interest or their reputation which they value above all I mean the esteem and kindness of their best friends and acquaintance whose taunts and reproach they cannot bear but I humbly beseech them to pause a while and lay it by till the passion be over 'till they have mastered all these difficulties I beseech them to set before their eyes the beauty the honour the stedfastness of Truth the comfort the delight the everlasting felicity of a clear and rectified Conscience then resume it and consider again But they cry Pish 't is not worth it 't is a ridiculous toy and savours something of the Sectarian I grant there are some things among the Sectarians I approve of I will not reject and condemn any truth uttered or any good action performed though said and done by the Devil I consider the things and if good embrace them whoever utters them though I detest his errors in other things You will say the same then I heseech you do the same consider what I say simply in it self whether the Papists or Anabaptists say the same it matters not I hope you will not reject Christ because they both profefs him But if after all your serious patient unbiast consideration you find it an erroneous contemptible Pamphlet yet contemn not the person that wrote it in the sincerity of his heart lest you receive the same measure again from Christ who hath assured us that shalt be his rule to meet unto us the like Christ died for the salvation of my poor soul as well as yours contemn it not therefore but endeavour to rectifie it if God hath given you more knowledg and wisdome than me be not high-minded but fear and let him that stands take heed lest he fall Thus I pray for you do you the like for me and however we differ in Opinion let us accord in Charity and in Christ Iesus the Redeemer of us all Amen Concerning Articles of Faith THat which we commonly call the Apostles Creed if it were not Composed by them yet certainly by Primitive and Apostolick Men and proposed as the Summe of Christian Faith the Summe total necessary to Salvation It can't be supposed they lest out any thing which they thought necessary to Salvation they might as well have omitted half or all as one Commandment broken is the same in effect with all so one necessary Principle of Faith denyed Cancels all and shuts outfrom Heaven When I speak of believing the Apostles Creed I do not mean that we believe all there contained with a Divine Faith because it is there contained for we have no assurance that the Apostles Composed that Creed but we are sure all that is in that Creed is evident in Scripture to any common understanding therefore we believe all with a Divine Faith But I mention this Creed onely to shew that the Primitive Church received this as the sum total of Faith necessary to Salvation why not now Is the state of Salvation altered If it be compleat what needs any other Article You would have men improve in Faith so would I but rather intensivè than extensivè to confirm it rather than enlarge it One sound grain of Mustard-seed is better than a bushel of unsound chaffie stuff 'T is good to know all Gospel-Truths and to believe them no doubt of that but the Question is not what is good but what is necessary I pray remember the Treasurer to Candace Queen of Ethiopia whom Philip Instructed in the Faith his time of Catechising was very short and soon proceeded to Baptism But Philip first required a Confession of his Faith and the Eunuch made it and I beseech you Observe it I believe that Iesus Christ is the Son of God and straitway he was Baptized How no more than this No more this little grain of Faith being sound believed with all his heart purchased the Kingdom of Heaven Had he believed the whole Gospel with half his heart it had been of less value in the sight of God 't is not the Quantity but the Quality of our Faith God requireth But sure the Eunuch was more fully Instructed it may be you are sure of it but I could never yet meet with any assurance of it nor any great probability of it I am sure he saw Philip no more and I am sure Philip required no more but baptized him on this and had the Eunuch departed this Life in the same instant that Philip parted from him I believe I have better assurance that this faith would have saved the Eunuch than any Man hath that he ever was taught more See 1 Iohn 4. 2. Every spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh is of God but the more the better still I grant though no more necessary Hast thou more Faith have it to thy self before God happy is he who condemneth not himself in the thing which he alloweth happy is he who is thankful to God for having received much and despiseth not him that hath received little God dispenseth his gifts and graces according to his free Will and Pleasure nor doth he require more of any Man than according to the proportion he hath given no more should we Nothing hath caused more mischief in the Church than the establishing new and many Articles of Faith and requiring all to assent unto them I am willing to believe that zealous men endeavoured this with pious intentions to promote that which they conceived Truth but by imposing it on the diffenters caused furious Warrs and lamentable
whom I could more readily submit than to St. Austin a Person of wonderful sharpness in understanding and yet of great modesty no way affecting to take new Opinions much less to impose them no others Now I pray consider How can we have assurance of any Doctrine he delivers more than another I mean assurance from his own authority or reason what he delivers from Scripture authority is another matter we believe St. Austin erred in some things whereof he was most confident he believed it absolutely necessary for Children to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as I say'd he believed it a direct heresie to hold there were any Antipodes Lactantius another great Wit and great Scholar believed the like with divers others Who then can doubt but that they might be mistaken in other things also Wherefore let God be true and all Men lyars in this sense to deliver lyes materially that is falsities for truths What I have said of Fathers must certainly hold good of Councels also though ever so general ever so Primitive for this and that Father may and have erred surely then that and that may also erre I can have no assurance in Men nor can I be saved by faith in Men. The general Objection made against this is The promise which Christ made unto his Church That the gates of Hell should not prevail against it and that he would be with the Apostles unto the Worlds end As for that other saying of our Saviour He that will not hear the Church let him be to thee as an Heathen and a Publican I can't but wonder that Men of any brains or modesty should so grosly abuse this saying spoken of several differences between Man and Man to be referred to the termination of the Church that is the Congregation of the Faithful which they usually and by order should assemble in and refer this to the Church in general in matters of Faith not in the least pointed at there Wherefore I pass this over as very impertinent and proceed to answer the former Objection of more weight yet no way concluding as they would have it No Man in the Christian World can more firmly believe than I do That the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it and that Christ will be with his Church unto the end of the World but I do not believe nor am I bound by Scripture to believe such Expositions as the Popish Church makes of this place By what authority doth the Romish Church challenge to themselves to be Expositors of Scriptures more than other Churches I find nothing for it in Scripture which is my Rule of Faith I proceed then to the business of general Councels Whether they may erre in some points of Faith and why not All the Evangelical Doctors grant the later general Councels have erred if so why not the former what promise had the former from Christ more than the later what period is there set in Scripture for their not erring or what promise is there at all for any not to erre The gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church I grant what 's this to a General Council not the thousand part of the Clergy not the thousand thousand part of the Church which is Scripture is alwayes put for the whole Body of the Faithful though of late it be translated into quite another notion and taken for the Clergy only But you will say a General Councel is the representative of the whole Church what then what promise is made in Scripture that the representative shall not erre You further urge If the representative erre 't is probable the whole Church will receive their errour I answer We are now treating of matter of Faith which must not depend on humane probabilities but Divine certainties besides 't is not so probable the Church will receive the error of the representative We know the whole Church hath not received a Truth determined by them much loss an errour And I pray have not Councels been against Councels Put then the case a General Councel should erre in some matters you can't therefore say the whole Church hath erred the gates of Hell have prevailed against the Church I pray consider can you truly say the Great Turk hath prevailed against the Christian Army because he hath kill'd the thousand part of it and yet the greatest General Councel holds a less proportion to the whole Church But I will grant yet more Put the case the whole Church should deviate into some erroneous Superstitions had the Devil therefore prevailed against it Can I say I have prevailed against another Man because I gave him some slight hurt in his Leg or Thigh as long as his Head his Heart his Arm are whole he still is able to fight and wound me as bad or worse till the Devil can so wound the whole body of the Church as to destroy the Vitals the Fundamentals and make it no Church the gates of Hell can't be said to have prevailed against it Now God be blessed there have continued all along several Churches as great or greater than the Roman Church which have still maintained in defiance of Satan One God the Father of whom are all things and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and several other sound Doctrines of Christianity how then hath Satan prevailed when so many millions have waged war against him and upheld the Kingdom of God and his Christ The Scripture plainly tells us that in the dayes of Anti-Christ's great power the Church shall be driven into the wilderness scarce visible in the world neither Pope nor Devil hath yet so prevailed but as then Christ shall have so Christ hath still had a Church warring against Satan Sure no learned Papist will deny but that about the second Century the Millenaries were far the greater part of the Church scarce any writing Doctor in those dayes but had this error Did Satan then prevail And in St. Austin's dayes the necessity of Infants receiving the Lords Supper was so general and held so necessary a Principle that it was made use of to prove the necessity of Infant Baptism this Sacrament being to precede the other in those dayes a Lanthorn would have been necessary to find out a Church without this error Did Satan then prevail But say you No General Councel determined those errors why because none was called about them had any been called who can doubt but that they would have avowed that in the Councel which they all taught in their Churches No the Spirit of God would have preserved them from it Shew me that promise in Scripture if Gods Spirit did not preserve them from teaching the whole Church so I fear the Spirit would not have preserved them more in Council than in Congregation where all sucking in this error from their Infancy would hardly have quitted it by a determination in Council I humbly crave pardon for this bold presumption being lead into it
particulars and you will find a small remainder that preach piously and edifying also very few to equal the Compilers of our Homilies and then calmly consider the great use yea the great necessity of such Homilies But if you can furnish all our Churches with pious discreet edifying preaching Pastors I am abundantly satisfied and do you seal up the Book of Homilies till a new dearth of spiritual food which God in his great mercy prevent Amen Concerning Bishops and Priests WHoever unbiass'd reads the Scripture thence proceeds to the first Christian Writers and so goes on from Age to Age can't doubt but that the Church was always governed by Bishops that is by one Elder or Presbyter or President or what else you please to call him set over the rest of the Clergy with authority to Ordain to Exhort to Rebuke to Judg and Censure as he found cause no other form of Government is mentioned by any Authority for Fifteen hundred years from the Apostles downwards Now who can in reason and modesty suspect those Primitive Bishops who lived in the days of the Apostles chosen by them into the Church succeeded them in Church Government yea and in Martyrdom also for the Faith as Clemens Ignatius Polycarpus and others who I say can suspect them to be prevaricators in Church Discipline and take upon them another form of Episcopal Government contrary to Apostolican Institution These great Masters of Self-denyal who gave their Lives for the Truth would they transmit unto Posterity a Church Government contrary to the Truth let who will believe it I can neither believe it nor suspect it And there is yet another thing very observable that all the Orthodox Church dispersed all the world over some parts having no correspondence at all with the other by reason of distance some by Warrs divided and made cruel Enemies yet all agreed in this form of Government and not only the Orthodox but also the Schismaticks and Hereticks who separated from hated and persecuted the Orthodox Church they likewise retained still this form of Government as if all were of necessity compelled to acknowledg this having never known heard nor dream'd of other And therefore nothing but necessity if that can excuse those who first set up another form of Government to their own Masters let them stand or fall I will not presume to censure them I will only say That from the begining it was not so and I thank God 't is not so with us but as it was in the beginning so it is now with us and ever shall be I trust in God Amen But notwithstanding all this yet 't is very much to be doubted whether they were of any distinct superiour order from and above the Presbyters or one of the same order set over the rest with power to ordain Elders to exhort rebuke chastise as Timothy and Titus were constituted by St. Paul For though they were of the same order with the other Elders and Pastors yet there was great reason for some to be placed with greater Authority to rule over the rest The Scripture tells us That even in the days of the Apostles there were several seducing teachers leading the people into errors and heresies and more were to follow after the Apostles times grievous wolves in sheeps clothing and therefore it was very necessary to pick out some of eminent soundness in faith and godliness of life and set them up on high with great Authority as fixed Stars in the Heavens so styled Revel 1. to whom all might have regard in dangerous times as Marriners observe in their Sea-faring journies But the Scripture no where expresses any distinction of order among the Elders we find there but two orders mentioned Bishops and Deacons Of Deacons we shall treat afterwards Let us now proceed to the Order of Bishops and Priests which the Scripture distinguishes not for there we find but one kind of Ordination then certainly but one Order for two distinct Orders can't be conferred in the same instant by the same words by the same actions They who think Deaconship and Priesthood distinct the one subservient to the other though they intend in the same hour to consecrate the same Man Deacon and Priest do they not first compleat him Deacon then Priest I pray let any Man shew me from Scripture as I said Timothy or Titus or any one ordained twice made first Priest then Bishop which is absolutely necessary if they be distinct characters and 't is generally affirmed though I humbly conceive they scarce understand what they affirm I mean they understand not what these characters are whether Greek Hebrew or Arabick or what else But let that pass I desire them only to shew me how a Man can make two characters with one stroke or motion A. and B. at the same instant If then neither Timothy nor Titus nor any other were but once ordained whence can we gather these two distinct characters these two distinct Orders We find the Apostles themselves but once ordained those by the Apostles but once ordained and so on When St. Paul left Titus in Creete to ordain he mentions only one ordination that of Presbyters so the word in Greek no other ther 's no commission given him to ordain Bishops and Presbyters Who then was to ordain Bishops there not Titus he had no such command we do not find that St. Paul himself did And sure you will not grant that the Presbyters which Titus ordained that they could ordain Bishops there for you will not allow them to ordain so much as Presbyters Yet Bishops you will needs have in every City and in Creete were very many who ordained Bishops for them all Truly I can't find nor you neither I believe But you will say The superior order contains in it virtually the inferior order let this pass at present doth Presbyter then virtually cantain Bishop If so then all Presbyters are Bishops No say you Bishop is the superior order and that contains in it Presbyter You say so but by your leave you are to prove so or give me leave to say otherwise especially seeing I have Scripture for my saying and you have none for yours But should I grant Bishop the superior what then we find Titus ordained not any but Presbyters as he was commanded by St. Paul so we are still at a loss for our Bishops we find not their Ordination Or did St. Paul mistake in his expression and meaning Bishops in every City said Presbyters in every City let this pass also and I pray let us see what you mean by this The superior order virtually contains the inferior Do not you say they are two distinct Orders two real distinct indelible characters imprinted in the Soul as the School-men affirm give me leave to talk their Language though I understand it not If I take a fair paper and make an A. upon it for the character of Presbyter and then make a B. upon it for the Character of
religion or reason is it not apparently wilfulness and faction I beseech you my Brethren take heed of thus dissembling with God and the world or take heed of giving your selves up to these delusions of a mistaken spirit Humility and Obedience are evident marks of the Spirit Learn of me saith Christ Math. 11. 29. for I am meek and lowly in Heart God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Wherefore I I beseech you first put on the Lord Jesus with all humility that he may give you the grace of his holy Spirit to discern clear Truths from conceited fanciful errors Secondly I beseech you consider whether of the two it be not safer to erre in the way of Humility then to erre in the way of Pride which makes it doubly damnable void of all excuse I say this because you think or pretend to think our way erronious not that I have any such thought or doubt whereas the Humble Soul hath great excuse to plead and if Charity cover a multitude of Sins sure Humility will cover some a Soul clothed with Humility can't easily be displeasing to our humble Saviour but clothed with pride can scarce be acceptable but rather hateful like the proud Pharisee with all his enumerated Virtues and my Brethren 't is most evident your spirit savours somewhat of the Pharisee magnifying your own holiness and despising all others as Publicans and Sinners and refusing all communion with them whereas the Holy of Holies our Lord Jesus chose chiefly to converse with such really I can't but think your case very dangerous on this account only were there no more to accuse you of Thirdly I beseech you to consider the great mischief you bring upon this Church and Nation by your separation from the Church You pretend to be the great Zelots against Popery and yet give me leave to say Your indiscreet disobedient Zeal mainly brings it in your separation and many following divisions have caused many to abhor our Church and turn to Popery and doubtless you are to give an account to God for the ruine of those Souls for I can never yield that you have any reasonable and true conscientious cause of separation but meerly mistaken-reason and conscience which I much pity but no way approve and therefore I must lay the advance of Popery to your charge to your separation for I am sure 't is the main snare wherewith they catch unstable Souls perswading them our Church is not guided by the Spirit of Truth seeing it is confounded by the spirit of division it cannot be of God who is both Verity and Unity Now though it be well known to the Learned that their Church hath neither Verity nor Unity yet this is not discernable to weak Souls especially here in this Country where their Church is under a cloud and therefore their foul spots nothing so visible as abroad where it walks barefaced but are here by their Priests either with great confidence deny'd or with great cunning disguised Wherefore again I most earnestly and most humbly beseech you for Jesus sake put on our Lord Jesus in all humility and obedience submitting your selves to the Ordinances of those Superiours and Powers which God hath set over you and if out of meer humility and obedience you conform though you were guilty of some error therein I am confident there is none yet were it so my Soul for yours that guilt shall never be laid to your charge by our most Gracious Saviour and most mereiful Judge Christ Jesus our Lord to whom be all honour and glory for ever Amen FINIS
the Schooles by Syllogismes If then our Reason understands not what is declared How can we by Reason make any deduction by way of Argument from that which we understand not As for Example Some hold That the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son some that he proceeds from the Father by the Son I pray Doth any man understand how the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father from the Son or by the Son no certainly how then can he affirm or believe a tittle more of the Holy Ghost than the Holy Ghost hath declared Seeing as I said He understands not at all what is declared Discourse must be of things intelligible though Faith believes things not intelligible Can any man prove that rotation and circulation are all one who understands not what rotation or circulation is the like may be said of procession or mission of the Holy Ghost The Scripture plainly tells That the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and that he is sent by the Father that he is sent also by the Son but whether he proceeds from the Son or by the Son the Scripture is silent and I am therefore ignorant having no knowledge at all of any Divine Mysteries but from the Scriptures I grant That by rational deductions and humane way of argumenting 't is probable that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Son as from the Father but if in divine matters we once give way to humane deductions a cunning Sophister may soon lead a weak Disputant into many Errours By humane deduction you may infer that the Son is inferiour to the Father as begotten by him the Holy Ghost inferiour to both being sent by both with us the less is sent by the greater by humane deduction from three distinct persons you may prove three distinct substances I hope you will make no such inferences in the Divine Persons Again What a business have the School-Men made about these words of our Saviour This is my Body with their praedicatum and subjectum and copula and individuum vagum in the pronoun This. Innumerable are their intricate Impertinencies in this matter and in their conclusions The Papists hold Christ to be present in the Sacrament Transubstantialiter the Lutherans Consubstantialiter the Calvinists Sacramentaliter and yet all confess they understand none of these ways as St. Paul saith Desiring to be Teachers they understand not what they say neither whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1. 7. Had the Scripture affirmed any of these wayes we ought to have submitted our Reason in things above Reason though we understand them not and 't is reasonable so to do but to go about to prove by reason what is above reason is wonderful and to discourse of what we understand not is doubtless a spice of madness and the conclusions we draw from such discourses must needs be very dangerous we following the ignem fatuum the uncertain light of humane reason in Divine matters so totally beyond our reach Wherefore we have no other safe way to speak of Divine matters but in Scripture Language ipsissimis verbis with the very same words according to that 2 Tim. 1. 13. Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in Faith Mark Hold fast not onely the matter of Faith but the form of sound words these are safe humane words in Divine and high Mysteries are dangerous Man can no more set them forth in humane words than express the Divine substance by humane painting 't is the sole work of the Holy Ghost who is also Divine There hath not been a greater plague to Christian Religion than School-Divinity where men take upon them the liberty to propose new Questions make nice distinctions and rash conclusions of Divine matters tossing them up and down with their Tongues like Tennis Balls and from hence proceed all the dangerous Heresies and cruel Bickerings about them falling from words to blows The first Divinity School we read of was set up at Alexandria by Pantaenus and from thence soon after sprang forth that damnable Haeresie of the Arrians which over ran all Christendome and was the cause of destruction to many Millions of Christians both Body and Soul The Haeresies before this were so gross and sensual that none took them up but dissolute or frantick people and soon vanish't but after this School subtile way of arguing was brought into Christianity Haeresie grew more refined and so subtill that the plain and Pious Fathers of the Church knew not how to lay hold of it and repress it the School distinctions and evasions quite baffled them and these Sophisters proud of their conquest triumphed and carried away a specious appearance of Truth as well as Learning or rather cunning insomuch that many godly persons were also deluded and fell in unto them and many of their Haeresies continue unto this day This great bane of the Church took it's rise from hence Many of the Primitive Doctors and Fathers being converted from Heathenisme and having by long and great Industry acquired much knowledge in natural Philosophy Antiquity History and subtil Logick or Sophistry were very unwilling to abandon quite these their long studied and dearly belov'd Sciences falsly so called and therefore translated them into Christianity applying their School terms distinctions Syllogismes c. to Divine matters intending perchance through indiscreet zeal to illustrate and imbellish Christian knowledge with such artificial forms and figures but rather defaced and spoyled it which the wisdome of St. Paul well foresaw and therefore fore-warned us of it Col. 2. 8. Beware lest any man spoyl you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ. I humbly conceive it nad been far better for them and all Christendome had they determined with St. Paul To know nothing but Christ and him Crucified and not to intermingle mans Wisdome and excellency of speech with Divine Knowledge and Scripture Doctrine which is to be taught by the demonstration of the Spirit and of power as is set forth 1 Cor. 2. not with Logical Syllogisms and Sophistical Enthymems for as the wisdome of God was foolishness to the Greeks and Gentiles so the wisdome of the Greeks and Gentiles was foolishness to God and destruction to his Church who by the foolishness of preaching had overcome all their wisdome and captivated their understandings in obedience to the Faith But when the Christian Doctors left this plain and simple way of preaching and sell to cunning disputing introducing new forms of speech and nice expressions of their own coyning some approving some opposing them great Discords Warrs and Confusions soon followed Had that most Prudent and most Pious Constantine the first and best of Christian Emperours had he pursued his own intentions to suppress all disputes and all new questions of God the Son both Homoousian and Homoiousion and commanded all to acquiesce in the very Scripture expressions without any addition
must as well yield to others in that and so by degrees abolish all your Ceremonies I beseech you Is not the body more then rayment substance more then Ceremony will not you quit the later to preserve the former but you will preserve both God graut you lose not both But you will say This is the way to lose both first take away Ceremonies thereby you displease and loose your Friends and then lye exposed to your Enemies to spoil your Goods If your Goods be the substance of your Religion and you preserve your Ceremonies to preserve these then really my fear of your loosing all is encreas'd this is a very sandy and dirty foundation can't hold out against stormes but if Faith Hope and Charity be the substance of your Religion as I hope it is these stood firm and encreased in the primitive times in the greatest stormes when the whole world of Jews and Gentiles were enemies to the Church and not one of your Ceremonies in the Church to preserve it the simple naked Truth without any Surplice to cover it without any Ecclesiastical Policy to maintain it overcome all and so would do now did we trust to that and the Defender of it Perchance I appear a great Enemy to the Surplice so often naming that I confess I am would you know why not that I dislike but in my own Judgment much approve a pure white Robe on the Ministers shoulders to put him in mind what purity becomes a Minister of the Gospel But such dirty nasty Surplices as most of them wear and especially the singers in Cathedrals where they should be most decent is rather an intimation of their durty lives and have given my Stomack such a surfet of them as I have almost an aversness to all and I am confident had not this decent habit been so undecently abused it had never been so generally loathed I will name another Ceremony which gives great offence with greater reason The bowing towards the Altar which in my own judgment I allow and practâ—ce in some measure when I come into such congregations as generally use it avoiding still to give offence to any as far as I may with a safe conscience I affirm 't is a very fitting thing to shew reverence in the House of God and to shew it by bowing as well as any other means and to bow that way as well as any other way and in bowing if the congregation did it to the South or West I should as readily conform to that But you will say the primitive Christians as we read did generally bow towards the East the primitive Christians did so I grant but not the prime Primitive what then is this any obligation on us now the Primitive did also use Chrysme or consecrated Oyl yet we retain it not it grew into an abuse therefore left off so hath this bowing towards the Altar by the Papists supposing Christ corporally present there and truly many of our Church men give great suspition to the people that they also believe some such thing otherwise pray answer me when a Minister at his entring into the Church hath bowed to shew his reverence in the House of God and when he ascends up to the Altar bows again to shew some particular reverence in that place where that blessed Sacrament is consecrated let this pass for good also Though something may be said against it yet I pray tell me why the Reader passing from one side of the Church to the other and the Minister passing from one end of the Altar to the other bows again Surely in reverence to the King of Kings he supposes there sitting who can imagine any other cause of his homage and yet I verily believe this is not the cause but meerly a causeless custome taken up one from another the common beginning of all superstitions having no reason for it but much against it giving thereby great scandal to weak ones and ground of Slander to malicious ones who lay hold on any occasions to accuse them of Papistry for certainly 't is done with little or no reason or with a great deal of Superstition Now as to that grand debated Ceremony of kneeling at the Lords Supper I think there is no reason to condemn those that use it nor much reason to press it on those that disuse it Why Are we not to perform this great act of devotion with all possible reverence I grant it but is this to be exprest altogether in the outward posture of the body if so then your opposers thus retort it upon you If outward humility be the thing you contend for you ought to shew it to your God in the humblest way and that is by prostrating rather then kneelng but if inward Humility sure that consists chiefly in obedience to what Christ commanded and to do it as he practised it who can doubt but this is the most perfect obedience and you know when our Saviour instituted this blessed Sacrament he gave this command in the close Do this in remembrance of me and sure he remembers our Saviour best who doth every thing as he did both in Substance and Ceremony and so we find the primitive Christians did observing also to receive it at Supper as our Saviour did but when this grew into a sinful abuse the ceremony was altered to preserve the substance in more purity so was kneeling abused by the Papists and turned into great Superstition why not therefore changed in like manner But you kneel without any superstition you do not adore the Elements on the Table as the Papists do but Christ in Heaven And so this man receives sitting and at supper without any irreverence he doth it so meerly in obedience to Christ's command both in ceremony and substance Do this in remembrance of me But you do not conceive Christ's command extended to the Ceremonies but only to the substance and the Church hath expressly commanded kneeling as the more reverend Posture therefore you ought to obey I think so too but this man conceives Christ command's both substance and ceremonies to be observed and consequently conceives the Churches command contrary to Christs therefore he ought not to obey till you can rectifie his judgment if you can then he ought to obey also if you cannot have patience with your weak Brother require no more of him in this matter then Christ required of his disciples sure Christ would not have allowed any unfitting posture be not over-wise nor over holy condemn not that which Christ allowed God is so infinitely gracious as to accept our poor devotions in any form if but sincere in substance nay though weak and frail in the substantial part he will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax his tender Fatherly bowels yern upon his dear Children coming to him afar off Oh then let us learn to be like minded tender and compassionate to our weak brethren admit them into Cods worship in any posture if
people and honour to the Church then now they are I most humbly beseech all in the spirit of meekness and humility to consider these things laying aside the veil of pomp and vanity which blinds their eyes and hinders them from discovering the naked truth and simplicity of the Gospel I call the Searcher of all hearts to witness I wish unto all Clergy-men both double honour and double maintenance also I can't think any thing too much for those who conscienciously labour in the Ministry But seeing as I said there is no hopes of regaining the Church maintenance we in prudence should seek out such helps as may be had And truly I have great reason to hope that were this rule observed of putting only grave discreet and consciencious persons into the Ministry whether University men or not it matters not so as fully instructed in the Doctrine of the Gospel by sound Commentators many persons of good rank and Estate would think it no dishonour but rather a high honour to enter into it as they did in the Primitive time Iulian neerly related to the Roman Emperour and afterwards Emperour himself thought it an honour to be admitted a Reader one of the lowest Offices in the Church And for the better advancing this business and fitting all sorts of men with convenient Knowledge for the Ministry I humbly conceive it very fit there should be one good and brief English Comment of Scripture selected and compiled out of those many voluminous Authors laying asid all impertinent criticismes abstruse questions nice speculations and the like setting down only the plain and most obvious sence in matters of Faith and good life necessary to salvation such a book to be set forth by Authority with a command that no man in Sermons Exhortations or Catechisings teach any thing contrary to it and what ever Learning beyond that is brought into the Pulpit let it rather be exploded then applauded for if any countenance be given to excursions there will be no end the itch men have to shew their Learning will soon bring us again into the vain unedifying practice we now are in I humbly conceive it fit also that the book of Homilies be reviewed not to correct any thing in them for they are most excellent sound Exhortations containing the true Primitive Spirit but to add to them what ever is wanting to the necessary Doctrine of Faith and good manners to teach every person how to behave himself in his several vocation and these commanded to be read once over every year for I have observed several even good and conscientious Preachers to take quite another method and preach on this or that Chapter and so in the whole year yea perchance in two or three years never preach on the duty between Man and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Servants Magistrates and Subjects or omit to treat of Pride or Malice or Cheating or the like by reason of which omissions several in the Congregation are ignorant in necessary duties though rightly instructed in many things unnecessary I expect that many will cry out of this as a means to introduce laziness into the Ministry and a hindrance from exercising those Talents God hath endowed them with To this I answer First That I had rather the Ministers should be lazie then the People ignorant in their duty But secondly I answer That besides Pulpit Preaching the Minister may find enough to do to keep him from laziness and exercise the best that is the most useful Talents of a Minister to visit and comfort the Sick and Afflicted to compose Differences and reconcile Janglers to examine and instruct the meaner and duller part of his Flock who are not capable of Pulpit preaching to whom they must inculcate both Doctrines and Admonitions ten times over and scarcely so make them apprehend any Spiritual matters Experience only can raise a belief how extreamly dull the common people are in the mysteries of Faith and but little quicker in the principles of a good life Christ dyed to save these poor vulgar Souls as well as those of the Gentry and more learn'd yet the labour of most Ministers is to entertain those that know enough and are very lazy in Catechising those poor souls that know nothing let these be fully instructed and then for me let them shew their Talents by preaching as often as they please to others All that I labour for is that those may have it who most want it either by injoyning such Homilies as I mentioned to be yearly read or such Sermons to be yearly preached I am no enemy to true Apostolical preaching God forbid I should but to vain Scholastical useless preaching to have the Pastor who should daily watch over his Flock sit in his Study all the Week long picking from that or this Quaint Author a few beautiful Flowers and then come on Sunday with his Nosegay in his hand to enterâ—ain Ladies and Courtiers for my part I count this far more sinful laziness then to read a Pious Homily on Sunday and all the Week after go up and down from house to house taking pains to instruct and exhort such as I mentioned But these shall be called dumb Dogs yet surely by none but barking Curs who are wholly ignorant in true Apostolick Preaching Pardon me if I return them their due who speak evil of that they understand not They will Object The Apostles and Primitive Disciples did not read Homilies but Preach'd themselves Neither do I desire that any one Homily should ever be read so as we had the true Apostolick preaching both oâ— Sundays in publick and Week-days also in private where there is need But I am sure such pious Homilies as I mentioned are no ways contrary to the Apostolical and primitive practice and are far more useful then such preaching as we have now adays And I am also sure that in the purest and most primitive time Homilies under another name were read in the Churches that is the Epistles of Apostolick godly Bishops written to other Churches were read in the Congregation with great Veneration Shall the name of Epistle make the one applauded the name of Homily make the other reproached the contents and the intent being the same to stirr up the people to godliness If this will satisfy let the Homilies be styled Epistles to such or such a Church and then I hope they will pass for current But you will say The Compilers of our Homilies are not of equal authority to those primitive Epistlers Let that pass but I am sure they are of far more authority then most of our Preachers I pray consider how many giddy Youths are of our Ministry how many of greater age but of as little gravity or discretion how many that vainly preach themselves and their own abilities not Christ and his Gospel how many that preach piously and yet not usefully but as I said before many things unnecessary omitting many necessary Summ up all these