and their dwelling places to all Generations Psal 49.11 but even here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Families and Houses falls some sodainly as by a marked open judgement signally others insensibly piece after piece but at length totally they having either their ground-work in blood or their structure by fraud sacriledge and perjury Zach. 5.3.4 Habb 2.9.10.11.12 Ier. 22.13 c. If then we will have our Families to stand and Houses to continue endeavour to demolish and pull down the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Fortresses and strong holds of sin cast down every imagination which exalts it self against the Knowledge of God break and weaken the power of lust otherwise still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the unmortified sin will down with all follow that counsell Break off your sins by Repentance while we have the Priests of the Lord lifting up their Voyces like Trumpers and alaruming us thereunto Deale with our sins as Joshuah with Iericho destroy all leave none alive no reserved beloved bosom sin no accursed thing lest the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fall on us as on the Israelites Iosh 7.13 and as there was a curse upon the re-builders of Iericho to which the Apostle alludes Gal. 2.18 If I build again the things which I destroyed I make my self a transgressour So for fear of this curse let not us destroy sin to day and build it up to morrow repent to day and call it in to morrow falling away afterward from Repentance Heb. 6.5 turning from the holy Commandement 2 Pet. 2.21 but finish and perfect this work till we come to the Hevenly Canaan 5. As Iericho fell and was destroyed by the sound of the Trumpets and was after burnt to nothing so at the last day the whole World at the sound of the Trumpet and the Voyce of the Arch-Angel shall be destroyed and burnt with Fire 2 Pet. 3.10 and it is our part to remember the Apostles inference there ver 11.12 Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse Looking for and hasting unto the comming of the day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat Let us strive to escape though it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as by fire 1 Cor. 3.13 that we be not condemned with the world let us now hearken to the Voyce of God and the sound of the Gospel denouncing woe to them who know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes 1.8 calling us to repentance proclaiming to us pardon if we repent inviting us to obedience and promising us a great reward in Heaven For which let us Pray The Third Part. O Most holy Lord who hast made all things by an infinite wisedom in a most wonderfull and decent order and by the same wisedom and in the same order hath made thy self a Church among the sons of men and therein instituted holy Orders Rites and Offices Sanctifie those whom thou hast called to those Orders and separated by thy truth thy Word it is truth and preserve them for the carrying of the Ark the government and guidance of the Sanctuary Keep thy holy Offices and Rites from contempt and prophanesse and when we addresse our selves to thee in the dutifull observation of them grant we may lift up holy hands and pure hearts we be diligent to entertain and welcome all opportunities of holy living and while the Gospel calls us to Repentance to pull down the strong holds of sin and Satan and to run with patience that Christian race which is set before us even to run so and untill we obtain even till we be admitted and received into the Heavenly Canaan Make us frequently and seriously meditate upon the day of death and of judgement that we may apply our hearts to wisedom that so we be not condemned with the World but may escape and be saved for thy mercies O Lord God and for thy merits O Lord Jesus Christ to whom be Prayse for ever and ever Amen RAHAB Saved Heb. 11.31 By Faith the Harlot Rahab perished not with them that beleeved not when she had received the Spies with peace RAhab seeing the great Miracles of mercy which God had declared in behalf of the Israelites and hearing of those large Concessions and Grants which God had demized to them proved a Convert and turned a true Israelite indeed And God was pleased to reward this her Faith with a Deliverance from that common destruction which befell her fellow Citizens and with a communion of those blessings which attended her now approved and selected Party For By Faith the Harlot Rahab perished not with them that beleeved not c. The First Part. And in this there are these following severalls to be considered and cleared 1. The Jews and Rabbines quarrell with the Attribute the Apostle gives here to Rahab of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Harlot conceiving the appellative and expression to be odious and dishonourable and affirming That the Word signifies not an Harlot but an Hostesse and this they confirme from the Version of the Chaldee Paraphrase Reading it Rahab an Hostesse But supposing the Hebrew word Zonah to signifie an Hostesse yet it is most certain that in Scripture it is used most frequently in the worst sense as Ezek. 16.41 1 Kings 3.16 and it is the Toar Foeminine Adjective from the root Zanah which in the first sense signifies to commit Whoredom and is indifferently taken for Fornicari tam animo quam corpore Spirituall and fleshly Fornication Deut. 31.16 Ezek. 16. Numb 25.1 Lev. 19.28 and because of both these acceptations of the word though the latter be more proper Juneus interprets it Meretricis cauponae a certain Hostesse an Harlot or Harlot Hostesse and so the Jews quarrell will in this be but malitious and groundlesse And for that other pretence That this Attribute of disgrace should be a disparagement to those holy Persons and that chaft Matron Sarah pre-mentioned in this Catalogue this will appear to be vain also and nothing If we remember 1. That the Apostles did not conceive it any dishonour for Matthew the Publican to be received into their Order nor did they think much that Paul the Persecuter and blasphemer was joyned in Commission with them 2. It is so far from being matter of envy or grief to any sanctified soule That an humbled penitent finner should communicate of that grace and mercy which it hath received that it is plentifull matter of joy and gladnesse for every true convert rejoyceth when there are supernumeraries when there is dayly some added to the Church and the number increased both because every such is an Advocate at the Throne of Grace for such and it must be great satisfaction and delight to have their Petitions granted and also because If there be joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth Luke 15.7 then in every
and practises should combine and conspire unanimously to destroy themselves and deceive others both because we suppose them holy men and also men of admirable parts of great strength and clearnesse of understanding And as their holinesse preserved them from worldly designes and contrivances in their profession witnesse that high esteem they had thereof as even to suffer death for it so their wisedome and learning kept them from grosse oversights of misunderstanding and prejudice in these things they both professed and suffered which was the diseipline of the holy Jesus who could and would highly and honourably crowne their sufferings And hence it will undeniably follow these all Primitive Fathers and Christians which is a very wonderfull thing notwithstanding their severall tempers and inclinations their severall Ages and Successions their severall distances and Countries yet did agree for the space of fifteen hundred years constantly and unanimously in all those things which were revealed and recommended by our Saviour Christ as important and necessary to salvation for if they were ignorant of any Article necessary to salvation how could they be saved it follows I say by their such agreement and consent That this is an Article of the Christian Discipline in what they held and observed is a strong and solid proofe to all godly sober men That Tenet so held is a Catholique Tenet and that Observation so used is a Catholique Observation and to oppose or contradict either is Heresie and Schisme or which is all one an Hereticall or Schismaticall separation and departure from the true Christian Catholique Faith Adde to all this That the differences in Opinions and disagreements among themselves in many Points of Religion which are not de symbolo of necessary beleise but truths onely of an inferiour natute will to any indifferent unbiassed Persons take off and clearly acquit their consent and agreement in the maine Fundamentalls the Prims Fundamentalia from all suspition that it proceeded from some combination correspondence or mutuall intelligence and common cousultation and withall fully satisfie and convince that it proceeded out of a serious examination and consideration of the things themselves And then secondly as the concurrence of these all is a valid Testimony in necessary points so in these points and means of salvation the generall silence of the Ancients these all would be a very proper and unanswerable Argument to prove the nullity or falsenesse of it as this Doctrine was not known or beleeved in the parest and Primitive times therefore it is not an Article of Faith a Catholique verity but a Novelty or upstare Opinion As for Example If we find nothing either in whole or in part either in grosse or in retaile concerning the Monarchicall Authority of the Pope or the supream Authority of the present Roman Church or concerning Purgatory and Transubstantiation among the Writings of the Fathers and Records of the Antient Church we may safely conclude they are not such as they pretend them to be necessary such whereon our salvation dependeth for if they be such as they would have us beleeve it would be too great injustice to the Ancients to say They knew nothing of them or that knowing them they would not speak any word of them and discharge their trust And lastly it hence also follows That in those unhappy controversies which are continued in this Nationall Church it is not faire and ingenuous dealing in some of those Disputants to aver and avow the practise and perswasion of some reformed Churches in the last Contury or hundred when others put in their Plea from the consent and practise of the former fifteen Centuries For what is this but to oppose a part against the whole a part in one Centurie against it selfe and all other Churches for fifteen a few against all these But above all they are grossely absurd who to these all have none to oppose but themselves have no Authority but their power no reason but their fancy no Testimony but their own approbation and they themselves so inconsiderable in respect of these all that they are not so much as the Gleanings of a full Corne Feild in a large Campania to the whole Cropp And yet they deale subtilly too for they take a safe course that they shall never satisfie you nor you confute them For their Argument and Evidence is their Conscience and what that is you cannot they will not know And hence they are such Vagrants in their Faith you shall never know where to have them and so they may justly be excluded out of the Catalogue of these all and be in the pack of Saint Judes Bruites They speak evill of those things they know not and corrupt themselves in those things they know naturally Jude 10. And yet there is a third sort who though not so bad as these yet bad enough disparaging and decrying the testimonies of these all in the Christian Church fleighting and undervaluing their Authority and Writings and rejecting them as uselesse except the Apostles themselves and their Writings The vanity of this misprision will presently appear if we remember That the whole dispute is what is Apostolicall or not what they practised or not And then the result is obvious Those Persons who lived in or immediately after the Apostles times should know better their usage then we at this distance of time can guesse at they who searched into all Records to discover what was Apostolicall and were after carefull to keep them should know better then they who care for no Evidences Testimonies or Records and all this upon no other pretence but this That the mistery of iniquity then wrought and since notorious forgery hath been used to corrupt all Testimonies and Books the former of which is most unjust because even then though corruptions and Haeresies crept in yet were they zealously opposed and punctually confuted by the Writers of those Times The latter is partly false altogether impertinent For the same Objection might be used against the Canonicall Books of holy Scripture if in the instance it be admitted good and against all Records of Kingdoms and Common-wealths that from them it were impossible to find out what the former Laws and Customes have been for in all these there may equally be suspition of Fraud and Forgery as in the other kind And yet no wise man because the Discovery is somewhat intricate and perplext and the businesse a work of difficulty will therefore conclude it altogether uselesse and to no purpose Certainly they who labour for the finding out the truth by the search of Antiquity next after holy Scripture are more likely to discover it by that way then any other As they who would know our Laws and Customs are more probable to find them out by searching the Antient Records and Law Writers then by consulting present Authors unlesse we take all upon trust and at the second hand But now to prevent mistakes it may be worthy our enquiry to examine what
the letter and Circumcision doe transgresse the Law that is those who have not those profitables helps and means as thou hast to enable to the performance of the Law condemn thee of negligence ingratitude and contempt by their endeavours to out goe thee in obedience yea who out-strip and out-goe the being destitute of these forces and therefore thou having but not using them art reproveable and inexeusable In summe no pious man will unne cessarily neglect the means of Piety as no good Husband the helps of thriving Every pious man will make use of assistances to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2. It is the Duty of the Supreme Magistrate to provide that the outward Offices of Divine Worship and the holy Ordinances be duely and decently Celebrated and in ease of neglect by their Authority to enjoyn and command their Celebration For the Chief Magistrate is Utriusque Tabula Custos Vindex as appears from the Example of Hezekiab 2 Chron. 29.5.21 30.1 compared with 2 Kings 18.4.6 and of Moses Deut. 33.3.4.5 of Iosâ—uah Iosh 24.1 28. David 1 Chron. 15.4.16.43.23.2.3.6 So Solomon Iehoshaphat Nehemiah and so it was believed and received all along by the Christian Church as is obvious to all who have any knowledge in Ecclesiasticall Stories and Customes 3. Nature by it's suppositions doth conclude against us That we ought to Worship God The Egyptian Sciences brought Moses to the contemplation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Eternall Being if we may beleeve Saint Basill Hom. 54. ad adolescentes for Nature as blind as she is doth at long running find an Eternall Power and Being on which all things depend for their conservation because from it all derive their Being Creation and production conservation being nothing else but the same act of Creation in fluxu passing and going on from an instant to a duration and therefore of necessity there must be intercourse between God and Man the excellency of the Creation and Master-piece of all his works But Faith advances higher having received a nobler light from Heaven and discovers how to Worship God acceptably unto all well-pleasing and by such rites as may expresse our experience and thankfulnesse for former speciall favours and bespeak our hope and dependance for the future continuance of them and addition of better according to his exceeding precious Promises and this is indeed to Worship and keep a Passeover an holy Feast through Faith to God Nature discovers in grosse and darkly where Faith proposeth clearly and distinctly Nature might tell Moses a dark and dimne generall that God was the preserver of man-kind but Faith particularly assures him what Reason could not Eye that in one Night by a most terrible Execution an Angel would make a totall destruction of all the First-born in the spacious Country and among the numerous people of Egypt And further yet That in this so speedy and universall ruine of them he would distinguish the Habitations of the Israelites then mixed and sojourning among them by the effusion of the blood of a Lambe upon the Lintell c. This Moses beleeved and therefore kept the Passeover True Faith makes men devout holy to keep all Gods Ordinances and Institutions 4. Moses kept c. The Iews had their Passeover so have we ours 1 Cor. 5. For even Christ our Passeover is is Sacrificed for us Ecce Agnus Dei Behold the Lambo of God Iohn 1.29 They had an Altar so have we Heb. 13.10 We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle They a Circumcision so we Col. 2.11 In whom also ye are Circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ We a Baptisme so they 1 Cor. 10.2 And were all Baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and the Sea Christ the end of the Law to all Beleevers both Iews and Gentiles But of this formerly 5. Moses kept c. He Killed the Sacrifice and Feasted on it Here was both Sacrificium and Sacrum epulum alwayes in their Sacrificing they did Eat with Mirth and Festivity on some parts of the Sacrifice Exod. 18.12 Deut. 12.6 to the 16. 1 Sam. 9.12.13 When we keep our Passeover let us Feast and be joyfull before the Lord our King It is very meet right and our bounden Duty so to doe To appoint and observe a Fast and prohibit all Christian rejoycing and Feasting on our Passeover our great Festivall the Lords Day is to confound a Day of Humiliation and Thanksgiving and to oppose the practice of the Universall Church and hath by it been alwayes adjudged a Schisme Saint Faul hath otherwise ordered the matter 1 Cor. 5.8 Therefore let us keep the Feast not with old leaven neither with the leaven of malice and wickednesse but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth by his illution therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solemnly Feast saith Calvin Festum Celebremns so Erasmus keep the Feast make an holy day not for Heathenish sports but Heavenly Duties that as the Saints glorified have their Hallelujahs so we our Rejoycings Triumphs and Thanksgivings for the Resurrection of our Lord. 6. Lest the Destroyer c. They who are in great tribulation are for all that so respected by the all Wise God That the Destroyer of their Soules shall not touch them Psal 91.5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by Night nor for the Arrow that flyeth by Day for God limits his Power as he layes commands upon the Sea Hitherto shalt thou goe and no further Which is clear in Jobs case Job 1.12 And the Lord said unto Satan Behold all that he bath is in thy power onely upon himself put not forth thine hand So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. The Third Part. O Almighty God and Heavenly Father who gave thine onely Son to be our Passeover and to be Sacrificed for us as the Lambe of God Grant that we may keep the Peast continue the memory of that Sacrifice with a Sacramentaell Communion and solemne joy and Thanksgiving that so thou may be pleased by the effusion of the precious Blood of the Immaculate Lambe to wash and clense us from all unrighteousnesse that though our sins be as red as Scarlet yet being bathed in that Blood they may be white as Snow and by the power of the Death of thy Son redeem us from the strength and sting of Death and the Destroying Angell who bad the power of Death that he touch us not And lastly when the great Supper and Marryage of the Lambe shall come we may sit down with Abraham Isaae and Jacob to Feast and Banquet with them and the Assembly of Saints in Heaven before the Throne of God to all Eternity for our Passeovers sake by whom we are saved and for whom we blesse and prayse thee to whom with the holy Spirit be all Honour
proofes are Catholique or not Or how we may know whether this Doctrine or Observation be truely Catholique such as these all have acknowledged and wherein this Universality consists And the rather because it is confessed both by the Romanists and Reformed That that Church which can evidence it to hold that Faith once delivered to the Saints without Haereticall Innovation or Schismaticall Violation is undoubtedly the true Church of God And it is further acknowledged by the Reformed De meliori notae of the best Ranke That the Title Catholique doth most properly and fitly expresse whether Christian or Christian Societies which hold the common Faith without particular divisions from the maine body of Christianity in opposition to all Heretikes and Schismaticks But since the Church is divided and rent by Heresie and Schisme To whom should this Title be rightly appropriated or who can be truely called Catholique but they who agree and joyne with these all Apostles Fathers Martyrs for what the Patriarkes and the rest were to the Hebrews the Apostles and their Successors are the same to us Beleevers the maine Body of Christians the Universall Church And for this we must have recourse to that approved Rule of Vincentius Lyrinensis lib. cont Haret cap. 3. Magnopere curandum est ut id teneamus quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditam est hoe est etenim vere propriè Catholicum We are to take care that we hold that which hath been beleeved by all in all places and at all times for that is truely Catholique which Rule in effect is no more but this that which should direct a Christian or Christian company in their examination of the Catholique Truth or Points of Faith is the consenting Testimony of the Universall Church truely such and that by this Rule is that which is Universall in all respects in respect of Persons Place and Time and even the strength of this Apostolicall Induction depends on these considerations all your beleeving Ancestors have acted and suffered at all times from Abel downwards to the present times and of all Places in Chaldea and Egypt as well as in Palestine And these respects we shall declare as followeth 1. The Testimony which is truely Universall must be so in respect of Persons not as if there were not in the Church such who diffented from the generally beleeved Truths But this consideration respects either the Universall of the livers of the first Ages bearing Testimony that such or such a Doctrine was from the Apostles Preachings delivered to all Churches by them Planted or their generall uniforme Testimony herein without any considerable dissenters producible for even such Testimony is worthy of beleife and hath been deemed and is sufficient for the rejection of any new Doctrine Bibl. Patr. Tom. 1. pag. 30. c. pag. 275. for as the generall consent and practise of all Nations to adore and set up a Deity as Divine Power some one or other hath been and is an Argument of force and efficacy against the Atheists which have appeared in any Age inasmuch as nothing besides the ingraffed Notion of a Deity or Divine Power could have inclined so many severall Nations of such severall tempers and dispositions of such contrary Principles in other cases of such severall Educations and civill Government to affect and practise that duty of Adoration or Worshipping some Deity even so the Unanimous consent of distinct Churches agreeing in any Point of Faith or that this was an Apostolicall depositum tradition derived from the Apostles and their followers is a pregnant Argument to any impartiall understanding man of great force against Heretikes and Hereticall dissenters who as Atheists desciverunt à natura have Apostated and fallen away from Nature and the Law of Nature and Nations So these desciverunt à veritate have forsaken the way of Truth the Doctrine of Christ and his Churches for their conviction and confutation and for the confirmation of all consenters and adhaerents to that universall agreement inasmuch as nothing besides the evidence of Truth delivered unto the Christian World by Christ and his Apostles could have kept so many severall Churches in the unity of the same Faith and in this case every particular Church is a competent and authenticke witnesse of every other Church and so of the Catholique Church her integrity and fidelity in servando depositum in carefull preserving the Truth committed to their speciall trust And to presse this more fully as it cannot be a prejudice to any Rule or Custome grounded on the Law of Nations because their have some dissenters though otherwise generally received allowed and practised so neither can it be any prejudice to any Rule or Observation grounded on the Law of Christ because some have opposed and contradicted though generally averred beleeved and conformed unto by all Christians And as it doth not follow this is not a Law of Nature viz. That there is a God and that God to be Worshipped or Nations because some have spoken against it and acted too so doth it not follow this is not the Discipline of Christ because some nominall Christians have adjudged otherwise this is not the common Faith because some stragler or wanderer hath either wilfully deserted it or unwarily fallen out of it this is not that delivered to the Saints because some who deliver themselves Saints and would be called so have not liked it or that it is not the Catholique Faith because some who have usurped and would engrosse the Title have so determined contrary to the generality of all Beleevers But then as the Civilians speak In re consensia emnium Genttum Lex Naturae putanda est The consent of all Nations is to be esteemed the Law of Nature And Quod naturalis ratis inter omnes homines constituit id apud omnes peraequè â—â—stoditur vocaturque jus Gentium That which naturall reason doth constitute among all men is observed by all alike and termed the Law of Nations not as though every individuall thus did constitute and consent for many have depraved Nature and transgresse naturall right so here the common consent of all Churches that this is Apostolicall Tradition or depositum though every single member doe not concurr But the Common Law or Custome of the World in which three circumstances are to be considered Antiquity Continuance and Generality and thus as Nature is immutable in abstracto but not in concreto it is not changed it is often transgressed so Faith is immutable in it selfe semper eadem but men often chop and change it that is violate it To give you an instance to cleare this the fuller yet Arrius sprung an Heresie had many adhaerents and those of great power and parts yet is that Doctrine which he broached justly adjudged contrary to the Catholique Faith professed in the Church of God inasmuch as the severall distinct Visible Churches of the Christian World by unanimous consent communicating and exhititing their severall
Confessions and Registers Catechismes and Testimonies of their fore-fathers Faith and their own to the Councell of Nice upon diligent search and inquiry found it contrary to the generall belelfe of the whole Chuch since the first Plantation He who would take the pains for further satisfaction herein let him consult St. Austin lib. 7. de Baptis cont Den. c. 53. Nobis tutum est in c. l. 2. c. 4. Quomodo potait c. 2. In respect of Place for if the Doctrine have not received a good report from all Places it is not qualified for a Catholique inasmuch as the same Faith which was delivered and received in one Place in any Apostolike Plantation was likewise found in all other Plantations it being one and the same Faith which all the Apostles taught all the World over the same in Germany Britaine France which was in Spaine Affricke and Egypt the middle World and in Asia and the whole Orient or East of the World even as the same Sun shines through them all And to this Tertullian gives his Testimony at large lib. de Praefeript advers Haeret. cap. 20. Statim igitur Apostoli c. Presently therefore the Apostles having testified the Faith first in Judea according to their Commission they took their Journey over the World and promulgated the same Doctrine of the Faith to the Nations c. whereunto accords fully his follower Saint Cyprian lib. de Vnitate Eccl. Ecclesia Domini luce perfusa c. The Church having received light from her Lord diffused and spread abroad his beames farr and wide Vnum tamen lumen est and yet it is the same light which is in every Church thus diffused And the same Tertullian seconds this also in his following Chapter Si haec ita sint c. making this deduction if these things be thus then it is plain Every Doctrine which agrees with the Apostolicall Churches as the Roman Ephesian Antiochian Alexandrian Hierosolymitan the Mothers in respect of the Daughter Churches Metropoles originals whence the Faith sprung forth and issued is to be adjudged true as holding that which the Churches received from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ and Christ from God Reliquam vere omnem Doctrinam de mendacio prajudicandum c. and that all other Doctrine is under the prejudice of being false which is contrary to the truth of the Churches of the Apostles of Christ of God And so again in the 36. and 37. Chapters of the same Book where he proves they are onely the true Charches of Christ who follow the Faith of those Mother Apostolicall Churches 3. In respect of Time not as if the true Faith had in all Ages been Universally received for then Haeresie had never prevailed and got the upper hand for Arrianisme did so in Constantine his time and the Goths and Vandals Arrian Princes Ruled in the West and Anastasius the Emperour of the East was an Eutychian Heretike but that this or that was received in the first or purest and though in after ages by one or more it was opposed and oppressed yet even then there were such who by having recourse to the first Ages have discovered these guilty of novelty and have constantly asserted proved and vindicated the ancient Doctrines and Christianly suffered for them and so by little and little the Church at last recovered and gained the possession of her former Doctrines That then which by diligent search is to be found in the Monuments and Testimonies of the first Age for that is truely so called Antiquity hath this qualification but that which is of latter date falls short of it that is a new Faith which commenced since the Faith was once delivered to the Saints and so that Church which hath not the consent of Primitive Antiquity is in respect of those Doctrines wherein she varieth from it and doth stand convicted of Heresie and Schisme because it is not part of the Depositum Quod tibi creditum non quod à te inventum Vin. Lyr. cap. 27. For no man or Society of men ought to commend any thing as a point of Faith to Posterity which cannot be evidenced from Antiquity derived from the Apostles times a proficiency or growth in Faith there ought to be so it be in eodem genere in the same kinds issuing from the same root but all addition of after inventions are the notes of Heresie and Schisme And having thus far proceeded let us see what Doctrines or Observations or some of them may deserve or can challenge this Testimony of these all or all the Christian Churches so that we may conclude this to be the Faith and usage of the Universall Church of Christ and for the credenda alwayes supposing the sacred Scriptures which is the most certain and safe Rule both for Credenda and Agenda points of Faith and practise as having obtained the highest report from these all nothing so universally attested and approved as they it will be hard to prove or produce an universall Testimony for any Doctrine or Point of Faith besides those which are contained in the Creed nay indeed impossible inasmuch as this hath the repute of an abridgement or full Epitome of all Fundamentall Truths necessary to be known or beleeved by all Christians to salvation composed by the Apostles themselves for the preservation of the unity of the Faith nothing but this hath Primitive Antiquity and full consent of all called generally Regula fidei una sola immobilis irreformabilis the one onely immoveable and unreformable Rule of Faith that all might have a short summe of those things which are of meer beleife and are dispersedly contained in the Scripture So Valentia himselfe 1. 2. Dist 1. qu. 2. p. 4. in fin and so probably conceived to be that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.13 That forme breviate or summary of wholesome words or sound Doctrine that depositum or trust Timothy received 1 Tim. 6.20 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common Faith Tit. 1.4 Pufillis magnisque communis Aug. Ep. 57. ad Dard. See Davenant in lib. De pace inter Evangelices procuranda pag. 9.10 c. Et in adhortatione cap. 7. throughout And for the agenda these either immediately relate to the worship of God or the Discipline and Government of his Church And supposing the Scriptures as the standing Law both for matters of Faith and Practise Use which is the best Interpreter of the Law is the best Directory for our Practise and when the Texts of holy Scripture are in these eases interpreted by the perpetuall practise of the Church according to the premised considerations then the Interpretation is the more authentique and worthy beleise and the proofes grounded thereupon more cogent and convincing according to that determination of the Nicone Councill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let ancient customes stand in strength of this kind is the observation of the Lords day Whereupon it is Observed by that Noble and Learned
French Protestant Du. Pless lib. 1. de Missa cap. 3. That the Apostles retained the pure worship and service of God used in the Synagogue of the Jews as far as they contradicted not the Dispensation under Christ and so though they changed the Sacrifices and the Sabbath Christ being the substance shadowed by them and the Lords Day being appointed to succeed this yet the service it selfe in other particulars did continue and this appears to be the practise of the Jews for we find their Confession saith he Mat. 3.6 Mar. 1.5 Acts 13.38 their Lessons Acts 15.21 Acts 13.14 Luke 4.18 Their Psalmes and Hymnes Eph. 5. Col. 3. Their Sermons and other such holy Offices Et primi Christiani huie Officis se accommedarunt id lib. 1. Demiss cap. 4. the first Christians confirmed hereunto c. So also the Observation of the Anniversary Festivalls of the Church of Baptizing Infants and after their Confirmation The admission of separated Persons to the Calling of the Ministery by imposition of Hands The different Offices of those so called and separated by the known Titles of Bishops Presbyters and Deacons and this according to the received Doctrine of the Universall Church for 1500. Years without any considerable opposition in Church censures and that these were such practises of the Universall Church these all who have gone before us in the Profession of that holy Discipline of out Lord Jesus hath been abundantly proved out of their Testimonies and Records And from these premised Grounds we may take an estimate what Church or Churches holds the truest and most perfect correspondence with the Catholicke Certainly they who glory most in that Attribute and Title have the least Reason and Right both because they have not the good report of these all nor the Testimony of the Universall Church for their Doctrines which they maintain and also because the Universall Church hath defined against their Innovations both in Faith and Practise Witnesse the Decree of the Councill of Ephesus the third of those foure which are generally received for undoubted Generall Councills which runs thus Nemini licere c. It should not be lawfull for any to Produce Write or Compose any Beleise beside that which was establisht by the Fathers at Nice and that c. Can. 7 And so Conc. Floren. Sess 10 Now they who would Engrosse and Monopolize this Title have changed the Apostolicall Creed by making a new one which holds no Analogy with the old Apostles Creed all which their superadditions are extrinsecall to that Rule of Faith and so no parts of the Christian Religion And this New Creed which they made is ratified by Bulla Pii 4. super forma juramenti professionis fidei thus mixing the Tares of their own inventions and policies with the Wheat of Gods Word and corrupting the masse or lump of holy Faith by the leven of the new additions And their practise is as grosse and un-Christian in dividing the Apostolicall Communion by Excommunicating full three parts of the holy Catholicke Apostolike Church That Church which holds the one Catholike Faith holy and undefiled holds the truest conformity with the Catholike which the Roman Church at present doth not because she hath defiled the Old Faith with New Doctrines for which she neither hath the consent of Antiquity nor of the Universall Church of this Age and those Churches which either in part or in whole admit not the Apostles Creed or oppose any truth therein contained or any of the Explications thereof by the foure first Generall Conncells are justly adjudged Hereticall and so is the opposing any practise which is truely and genuinely Apostolicall and so received by the Universall Church in all Ages hereticall and a voluntary separation from the Communion of that Church which requires nothing for matter of Faith but the Apostolicall Creeds according to the Decree of the Councell of Ephesus and nothing in point of practise but the observations of the Catholike Church since the Apostles Ages the known Worship and Service of God in the use of Liturgies Prayer the Word and Sacraments the standing Government in the distinct and severall Orders and Officers thereof and the exercise of Ecclesiastique Discipline is directly Schismaticall as tending to the breach of the Catholique Communion dividing that body into two opposite parts which should be whole one and entire so that according to the sore going Grounds which are confessed by the Roman party and so will be evidence and proofe against them the English Reformed Church cannot be guilty of Heresie because She holds the Apostolicall Creed without addition or diminution The Romish Synagogue or Court is truely and properly Hereticall and Schismaticall too inasmuch as she hath Composed a New Creed and so made an addition to the standing Rule of Faith and hath obtruded the beleife thereof to all other Christians under pain of damnation And again the Reformed English Church cannot be guilty of Schisme because she holds Communion with the whole Church in all her ancient Apostolicall Catholike usages and customes and disclaims all which are not so as to her practise but condemns not nor censures any other particular Church further then by Apologizing and defending her selfe to be truely Apostolicall and if herein she be wanting to her selfe yet she can produce the Testimony and good report for her Apostolicalnesse of the best Reformed Churches and indeed the Universall Church of this Age. But I have extended this digression further then I intended or may be adjudged by others convenient and pertinent But sure I am not so far as the weight and importance of the subject doth deserve for in such subjects there should not be à nonnulla desiderantur somewhat more expected and yet here much more might be added A good report and a good name is better then precious oyntment and nothing entitles a particular person to that but his own Faith he is too flat and Stoicall nay Cynicall who cares not what others report concerning him especially if those others be in number of these all men of good report and fame It is true a good man will not be offended at a rayling cursing Shimei an evill man reporting false evill things yet a good man will endeavour to keep his credit with good men as well as a good Conscience to himselfe For ordinarily as Tacitus observes and it was well observed by an ingenious Person that it is pitty St. Augustine said it not Contemptu famae contemnuntur virtutes they that neglect the good opinion of others neglect those vertues which should produce and beget that good opinion Therefore St. Hierome protests to abhorr that Paratum de trivia that vulgar dunghill language I care not what all the world sayes so long as my own Conscience checkes me not for we unlesse we will be debaucht must study not onely to be but to appear also vertuous Let your light saith our Saviour Mat. 5.16 so shine before men and we must follow