that first execution of Iustice aggravates and argues the fault of the people abundantly in making the Temple a Market-place Saint John saith John 2.15 our Lord made a scourge of small cords and drove them all out of the Temple and the Sheep and the Oxen and poured out the Changers money and overthrew their Tables and said unto them that sold Doves take these things hence make not my Fathers house a house of Merchandize Marke how exact and particular he is in every thing and how reverently he speakes of the materiall Temple and calls it his Fathers house and by Saint Matthew The Temple of the Lord And it is further to be noted that all the foure Evangelists testifie to this act of our Saviour which wrought so upon their affections that it is said And his Disciples remembred that it was written The zeale of thy house hath eaten me up John 2.17 Hym. I thanke you for this satisfaction for these passages of our Lord are very considerable in all the circumstances I pray let me heare your judgement also of the last question the worship it selfe both for matter and manner Sil. For the matter of Gods worship it is clearly set down in both the parts of it by our Lord himselfe to the Samaritan woman John 4.23 The houre commeth and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth God is worshipped in â—irit and in truth when Gods Word is read and the truâ—â—nse and meaning opened and made knowne So Ezra the Scribe and the other Priests did truely worship God Ezra 8.8 The Text saith thus So they read in the book in the Law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading And Saint James preaching to the Church at Jerusalem saith For Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Acts 15.21 To this purpose speaks our Saviour of the Pharisees Matth. 15.9 But in vaine doe they worship me teaching for Doctrine the Commandments of men undenyably proving they had worshipped God truely if they had taught for Doctrines the Commandments of God Hymen It is cleare and proved plainly that Reading and preaching Gods Word are materiall parts of Gods worship but what are the rest Silv. Prayer and prayses are other parts of Gods publike worship to be performed in the Temple and especially Prayer and therefore all the rest are included in that denomination of prayer As the Lord saith It is written my house shall be called a house of prayer Matth. 21.13 Notwithstanding it was also the house of preaching and reading and praysing offering Incense and Sacrifice and of blessing God and the people And to prove prayses a part of Gods worship David is excellent Psal 149. Sing unto the Lord Sing unto the Lord a new song and his prayse in the Congregation of Saints And Psalme 150. Prasse yee the Lord And that 's not enough but he appoynts the place too Praise God in his Sanctuary yea his expressions are so full of excellent variety Psalme 100. Enter into his Gates with thankes-giving and into his Courts with prayse bee thankfull unto him and blesse his name And in another place My praise shall bee of thee in the great Congregation I will pay my vowes before them them that feare him Psalme 22.25 Yea this worship is so acceptable both in publike and in private that the Holy Ghost beareth witnesse that whosoever offereth praise glorifieth God Psal 50.22 Hym. The Scriptures thus consorting methinks makes a sweet harmony and excellent are these considerations from them but I pray proceed to shew the other parts of Gods publike worship Sil. Friend at this time I will speak onely of the Ordinance of the Lords Supper because the time will not permit me else to make you answer concerning the manner of these perticulars in their administrations Now the communion of the body of the Lord as the Apostle calls it is one of the parts of that dayes publick worship Acts 20.7 where he proves all that I have said in every particular to the office of administration to that hee himselfe was ordained as hee proves to Timothy 1 Tim. 2.7 whereunto saith he I am ordained a Preacher and an Apostle And because of the greatnesse and verity of the office he therefore speaks with the greater testimony saying I speake the truth in Christ and lye not a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity And in the faithfull administration of the Gospell comming to Troas Verse 6. met together with the Disciples upon the first day of the week there is the time And the place is said to bee an upper chamber where they came together verse 8. And the matter of their worshâ—â—nd service is expressed to bee preaching and breaking of brâ—â— and conference And that which is included is prayer 〈◊〉 giving of thanks for so the same Apostle doth prove to the Church of Corinth that our Lord did first institute the Sâ—â—â—â—ent with prayer 1 Cor. 11.23 saying the Lord Iesus the â—he night hee was betrayed took bread and when he had gâ—â—â—n thanks he brake it and sayd Take eate c. Yea praying and blessing at the Communion was this Apostles practice in this Church of Corinth as in all other Churches for so he testifieth himself in imitation to the first institution 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ the bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ Hym. These are all cleared and manifested by plain Scripture I pray is not the manner of the administration of these particular Ordinances prescribed in the Scripture also Sil. As I have shewed before that I find no forme in the Scriptures for Ordination neither can I find any Rule prescribed for the time when to receive the Lords Supper nor the place where nor the manner how nor the particular kind of Wine nor bread of what graine nor who shall provide them ready nor the gesture of giving nor receiving and yet without these we cannot Communicate in them Hym. Some say there is a word for all these things anâ— urge it upon this Scripture Hebrewes 1.2 3. Whereforâ— holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling consideâ— the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Christ Iâ—sus who was faithfull to him that appoynted him as alâ— Moses was faithfull in all his house Silv If there were a word in the Scripture they shoulâ— doe a good office to Gods people to shew them wheâ— they may finde them written I am sure there is no such thirâ— in those words you have read I know the bold audacioâ— Brownists and the ignorant seduced Annabaptists aâ— both as one enemy grossely falsifie and abuse wrong aâ— spoyle this holy testimony by affirming that Christ is mâ— perfect and exact in prescribing an outward forme for 〈◊〉 particulars in
of most or all reformed Churches p. 473 and pag. 499. And it is an Act and Statute Law in our Church of England Anno 5. 6. of Edw 6th Chap. the third in these very words Neither is it to be thought that there is any certaine time or definite number of days prescribed in holy Scripture but that the appointment both of the time and also of the number of days is left by the authority of Gods Word to the liberty of Christs Church to be determined and assigned orderly in every Country by the discretion of the Ministers and Rulers thereof or as they shall judge most expedient in the true setting forth of Gods glory and the edification of the people And it followes be it therfore enacted by the King our Soveraign Lord with the asseÌ„t of the Lords c. and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same that all the dayes hereafter mentioned shall bee kept and commanded to be kept Holy-dayes and none other that is to say all Sundaies in the yeare c. and so nameth all the rest particularly Hym. But you have not a Scripture for this day nor any of the rest Sil. For the first day of the weeke called Sunday wee have Apostolicall and Primitive example for it Acts 24.7 Hym. You know examples without precepts binde not in Divine things Sil. Therefore I have shewed you before the Act of Parliament the command of the Church And where Mans Ordinance is not against Gods command there St. Peter commends subjection in these words Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sike 1 Peter 2.13 There is no word in Scripture to command you to fast the last Wednesday of every moneth yet your practice shâ—wes you thinke you ought so to doe it being commanded Hym. You have fully satisfied mee by Scripture And the Churches Ordinance for the time and times commanded for Gods publick worship Now pray resolve my next question and shew me what warrant there is for commanding a place where to meet Sil. Authority commanding one for the publick doth not forbid any for the private And therefore there 's much cause and reason for it for if there be no place there can be no meeting Hym. I thinke the Scripture speakes against the appointment of a place Iohn 4.21 You shall neither in this mountaine nor at Ierusalem worship the Father Sil. Although our Lord did know and fore-tell to the woman the destruction of Ierusalem and the dispersion of both Iewes and Samaritants and that it should be done by Gods enemies and Idoll worshippers so that there should be no true worshippers to worship in those places which were the usuall places of their publick worship intimated in these words verse 21. Woman beleeve me the houre commeth when yee shall neither in this mountaine nor yet at Ierusalem worship the Father Yet it doth not follow but that in other places the true worshippers might and should worship God in spirit and in truth for so much our Lord saith ver 23. The houre commeth and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him we reade that Our Lord came often to the Temple daily teaching the people often worshipping in the Mount of Olives Hee appointed an upper roome for the celebration of the Passeover with his Disciples so it is said when the Eleven were together Christ cmae amongst them And also that they were altogether in the Mount of Olives at our Lords Assension into Heaven and they were not to depart from Ierusalem but there to waite for the promise of the Father And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place Peter Iohn went up together into the Temple at the houre of prayer wee finde Paul often in the Synagogue and abundance more instances to prove the publick places that Gods people met into worship Hym. But wee have no command for any in the New Testament Sil. No more you have for the time as before is shewed nor for the Femall Sex or Children of either Sex to be baptized it is warrant sufficient that authority commands them all Hym. I pray what reason is there to call the place appointed for publick worship the Church for you have proved before in our firâ—â—â—nference Peter 5. That the Elect of God called and sanctified are the Church of God And I am sure that is true but that wood and stone should be so called it seems strange to me Silv. It is strange â—mee that you should be such a stranger to the Scriptures â—r the Scriptures often give the name of the thing signified to the signification of it so our Lord calls the signification of his body His body it selfe in the words Take eate this is my body Matth. 26.21 So Moses and Abraham both call the signe of the Covenant Circumcision the Covenant it selfe Genesis 17.10 11. this is my covenant c. Salomon also calls the house hee built for Gods publick worship the Temple 2 King 11. And the Temple of the Lord 2 Chro. 26.16 when it is not so properly but by way of allusion and resemblance only For the regenerated ones the truly faithful men are Gods house his habitation and dwelling place as the Scripture speakes Yee are the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 and againe for the Temple of God is holy which Temple yee are ver 17. So likewise the materiall house is called the Church or the Temple of God also because it is appoynted and set apart onely for the holy services of this spirituall Temple there to converse with God in his holy Ordinances of praying and preaching and all other his holy services and in this respect hath beene and may be called a holy place And such Vessells and Vestments holy in regard of the holy use they are sanctified or set apart for Not that stones wood mettalls or cloathes are capable of holinesse but they are in Scripture called holy in regard they are assigned to serve about Gods holy worship Now as the Temple and all Vessells and Vestments are called holy in regard of their holy imployment so also they are called holy in regard of Gods holy presence who is more manifested present in the place of the administration of his Ordinances than in any other place and so the place is called holy Exodus 31. 1. and Vestments likewise And so is the ground also Exodus 3.5 The place where thou standest is holy ground And therefore we ought to have them in a reverent esteeme and respect Pull off thy shoes saith the Angel to Moses Those places and things therefore are not to be common as other things and places wherefore our Ministers are to be blamed that they doe not informe the people with the truth of this Doctrine our Lords owne practice that onely and alone act of corporall punishment
come as doing it by that place and seniority he had in the Church And therefore he speaks in the singular number I will and not in the plurall and so in another place he speaks as if the care of all the Churches lay upon him 2 Cor 11.28 And as the care was specially in gathering and edifying the Churches by Doctrine so also in ordering therefore he saith as he had given order to the Church of Galatia about things that had not beene ordered by the Scriptures even so doe yee saith hee to the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 16.1 And he rejoyceth in the holy Order that was in the Church of Collossia being much comforted in the order as well as in the grace it self in these words for though I be absent in the flesh yet am I with you in the spirit joying and beholding your Order and the stedfastnesse of your faith in Christ Col. 2.5 And this was not Saint Pauls practice alone but generall in all Churches by other Apostles Elders and Evangelists as appeares by his Epistle to Titus saying For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in every City as I had appoynted thee Titus 1.5 All which in totall in what hath beene said the Apostle to the Thessalonians makes a conclusion without any exception in these words Therefore Brethren stand stast and hold the traditions which yee have beene tâ—ught whether by word or by our Epistle 2 Thes 2.15 Hym. These Scriptures doe clearly shew that the Church hath power to prescribe Order and make rules for such things as Gods word doth not particularize so that the traditions be consonant thereunto Sil. That the rule for reading the Scriptures is agreeable to the Word I have sufficiently proved before but that you may beyond all exception be satisfied here what the Apostle saith to 〈◊〉 â—hurches of Collosse and and Laodicea And when th◠〈◊〉 is read amongst you cause that it be also read in the Church of the Laodiceans Col. 4.16 And the command of our Lord Christ to search the Scriptures is to read the Scriptures Iohn 5.39 According to that Matthew 29. Let him that readeth consider as also blessed is hee that readeth and they that here the words of this prophesie and keep those things that are written therein Rom. 1. Hym. But what warrant is there for the reading of those parts of the Scriptures appoynted of the Psalmes the Chapters the Epistles and Gospels Sil. If you grant it is warrantable to read them Order and conveniency calls to authority to appoynt which and how much for all the Scriptures cannot be read at one time therefore it was well done of the Church to divide the Prophesies of each Prophet that are long and the History of the Evangelists and the Epistles of the Apostles into severall parts or Chapters and in the use we find it profitable and therefore warrantable though there be no rule for it in Scripture but meerely of humane Order And for the Epistles and Gospells they are but parts of the Chapters for the most part of them but such portions of Scriptures as doe most fit the occasion and the time of solemne Feasts and dayes of humiliation According to our Saviour Christs example Luke 4.17 It is said there was given unto him the Book of the Prophet Esayas And when he had opened the book hee found the place wherein it was written The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath aunoynted me to preach the Gospell to the poore he hath sent me to heale the broken hearted c. to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord. And when he had read this portion of Scripture hee closed the book and gave it againe to the Minister By which it is plaine our Saviour Christ sought in the Prophesie for that part and such a part it was that fitted the particular occasion as himselfe saith verse 21. This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares Hym. I must confesse this is cleare to me But pray shew how the Statutes and the Scriptures agree in appointing set formes for prayer and prayses in the Congregation Sil. Authority in appoynting a forme for prayer and prayses doth not require nothing but set formes for the publick for before and after Sermons their prayers are left to their owne ordering and each man is free in regard of any forme imposed But the Church for the better direction of the Minister and edification of the many doth appoynt and command some to be used but they are such as are both for matter and manner without just exception 〈◊〉 onely observing there in words of Truth to the onely truâ— God to which we adding our spirituall affections make up the true Worship of God in every part of it as our Lord hath taught us God is is a spirit and hee that worships God must worship him in Spirit and Truth Iohn 4.29 T The brevity shortnesse and exactnesse of these formes â—f prayer following are agreeable to the wisedome of Soâ—omon his Order for Gods publike worship When thou goest saith he into the house of God bee not rash with thy mouth c. for God is in heaven therefore let thy words be few Eccles 5.1 2. And such is the councell of the King of Kings the wisedome of wisedome Matth. 6.7 When yee pray use no vaine repetition as the heathen doe c. for your father knoweth what things you have need of before you aske him According to which see and read the generall Confession of sinnes and that O God which art the Author of peace and lover of concord c. As also O Lord our heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God which hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day c. with the rest examine and see how plain and full the expressions are so briefe pithy and pertinent as words can possibly bee thought of termes of such excellent yet plaine meaning that the lowest and meanest capacity may joyne in affection that a sweet harmony may be made by the supplication of the whole Congregation in truth to the God of Truth Now to prove that such set-formes of words are lawfull to pray and invocate God by the Scriptures are plentifull both in the Old and new Testament as Luke 11.2 The Disciples desiring the Lord to teach them to pray as Iohn taught his Disciples our Lord saith unto them when yee pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. And he gives them a perfect forme of words And the example of our Blessed Lord himselfe is left written for our example Matthew 26.44 that he prayed the third time the same words Marke it here is a large consideration in a short Petition excellent in brevity pertinency fervencie and importunity all the men in the world cannot answer this command and example of our Saviour Christ which gives warrant without controule that God may be worshipped truely