utmost with meditation prayer and practice But on the contrary we must resist and crush every exorbitant thought which draws to sin at the first rising Tutissimum est It is most safe saith S. Austin Epist. 142. for the Soul to accustom it self to discern of its thoughts ad primum animi motum vel probare vel reprobare quid cogitat ut vel bonas cognationes alat vel statim extinguat malas and at the first motion thereof either to approve or else to disallow what the Mind is thinking of and so either to cherish and improve the thoughts and motions of the Mind if goodâ— or presently to extinguish them if evil 3. Lastly Let him that will indeed guard his Heart as it should be take heed of familiar and friendly converse with lewd prophane and ungracious company There is a strange attraction in ill company to poison and pervert even the best dispositions He that toucheth pitch saith the Son of Sirach shall be defiled therewith Can a man take fire in his bosom saith Solomen and his clothes not be burnt For believe it when a man is accustomed once and wonted to behold lewd and ungodly behaviour there steals upon him insensibly first a dislike of sober courses next a pleasing approbation of the contrary and so presently an habitual change of affections and demeanour into the manners and conditions of our companions It is a point that many will not believe but few or none did ever try but to their cost It was wise counsel had it not been in a sinful business which Ieroboam advised If this people saith he go up to sacrifice at Ierusalem then shall the heart of this people turn again to their lord even to Rehoboam king of Iudah and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam king of Iudah O that some men would be as wise for their good as he was for his sin THUS I have done with the first part of my Text The Admonition Keep thy heart with all diligence or above all keeping Now I proceed to the Motive For out of it are the issues of life that is All spiritual life and living actions issue from thence All living devotion all living service and worship of God issues from the Heart from those cleansed and loyal affections and dispositions of the Soul and inward man whereof I spake before Where such a Heart is not the Fountain there no action to God-ward liveth but is spiritually dead how gay and glorious soever it may outwardly seem No outward performance whatsoever be it never so conformable and like unto a godly man's action yet if it be not rooted in the Heart inwardly sanctified it is no issue of spiritual life nor acceptable with God Even as Statues and Puppets do move their eyes their hands their feet like unto living men yet are they not living actions because they come not from an inward Soul the fountain of life but from the artificial poise of weights and device of wheels set by the workman So is it here with heartless actions they are like the actions of true Christians but not Christian actions because they issue not from a Heart sanctified with purity and loyalty in the presence of God who tries the heart and reins but from the poise of vain-glory from the wheels of some external respects and advantages from a rotten heart which wrought not for the love of God but for the praise of men As therefore we judge of the state of natural life by the Pulse and beating of the Heart so must we do of spiritual No member of the body performs any action of natural life wherein a Pulse derived from the Heart beats not So is it in the spiritual man and the actions of Grace That lives not which some gracious and affectionate influence from the Heart quickens not Now this Issuing of our works and actions from the Heart is that which is called Sincerity and Truth so much commended unto us in Scripture For this Sincerity and Truth which is said to be in the works and actions of all such as fear and serve the Lord with acceptance is nothing else but an agreement of the outward work seen of men with the inward and sutable affection and meaning of the heart which God and our selves alone are privie to For as our words and speeches have truth in them when we speak as we think so our works and actions are done in sincerity and truth when they are done according to our heart's affection Sincerity therefore and Truth is the life of all our works of devotion and obedience unto God without this they are nothing but a carkase they are dead they live not neither doth God accept them For he desireth truth in the inward parts Psal. 51. 6. that is truth which proceedeth or issueth from the inward parts The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him that call upon him in truth Psal. 145. 18. For God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Iohn 4. 24. Whatsoever ye do saith S. Paul Col. 3. 23. do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men Our faith must be unfeigned 1 Tim. 1. 5. that is in truth and in sincerity Also our Love must not be in speech and tongue only but in deed and truth 1 Iohn 3. 18. And this is the highest Perfection attainable in this life for which God accepteth of our obedience as perfect which springeth from it though it be stained with much corruption and full of imperfection That which is wanting in the measure of obedience and holiness is made up in the truth and sincerity thereof If it have not this whatsoever it be it is good for nothing because it wants the Issue of life And such Actions are all the Actions of Hypocrites For Hypocrisie is the contrary to Sincerity and wheresoever Sincerity and Truth is not there Hypocrisie is being nothing else but a counterfeiting and falsehood of our actions when they come not from a Heart sutably affected and therefore is otherwise in Scripture understood by the name of Guile when those who serve God in sincerity and truth are said to be without guile that is without hypocrisie So Nathanael Iohn 1. 47. is called an Israelite indeed in whom there was no guile And of the Virgin-Saints Rev. 14. 5. it is said that in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God that is they served God without hypocrisie in sincerity and truth and therefore God accepted of their obedience as if it were without fault and imperfection as he is wont to do the works of those who serve him in that manner If therefore Sincerity be the life of our obedience and that which makes it graceful in the eyes of God then is Hypocrisie the death thereof which makes him loath and abhor it as a stinking carkase Hitherto have I
Impure Souls are not admitted to any inward converse with God most Pure and Holy That Wickedness is destructive of Principles is also Aristotle's observation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immorality or a Vicious life unfits men for the noblest Speculations so that they can neither know Divine nor Moral Truths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they ought to know and as they might have known had they had a true resentment of Morality and an inward esteem of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that are just pure and lovely and of good report And though such men may sometimes hit upon some Philosophical Notions yet even in the discovering the Mysteries of Nature they had done far better and had excell'd themselves had they been more purged from brutish Sensuality and all filthiness of flesh and spirit I will only add this That for a most clear and undeniable proof of this Assertion That Morality and a Good life affords the greatest advantages to a more excellent knowledge of not only Divine but Philosophical Truths we have in this Age the unparallel'd Works of some eminently-learned and nobly-accomplish'd Writers who really are Virtuosi according to the ancient Latine importance of the word and not merely in the Italian sense which applies only to the Wits and such as are any way Ingenious be they or be they not morally Vertuous But that which I chiefly intended under this last Particular was to acquaint the Reader how deeply sensible Mr. Mede was of the indispensable necessity of a Purified Mind and Holy Life in order to the fuller and clearer discerning of Divine Mysteries This was his firm belief and it obliged him to endeavours worthy of it To which purpose I shall here produce a very observable passage out of a Letter of his to an ancient Friend in Lincolnshire who having received and with great satisfaction read some Papers from Mr. Mede containing his first Essays upon part of the Apocalyps and thereupon writing to him with all serious importunity That he would earnestly pray for and endeavour after a great measure of Holiness to the mortification of Sin more and more that thereby he might be prepared to receive a greater measure of Divine Illumination and be as a Vessel of honour chosen by God to bear and convey his Truth to others with much more of the like import concluding with this request You see how bold I am with you but let love bury that Exorbitancy c. To this his Christian advice Mr. Mede return'd this excellent Answer Sir I thank you heartily for your good Admonitions and am so far from interpreting your Love Exorbitancy that I confess my self to have much need of this and more and therefore desire you to second this your Love with Prayer to God for me that he would vouchsafe me that his Sanctifying Spirit and that measure of Grace which may make me capable of such things as he shall be pleased to reveal and hath in some sort praised be his Name already revealed unto me in the contemplation whereof I find more true Contentment than the greatest Dignities which Ambition so hunteth after could ever have afforded me I have considered what S. Paul saith The Natural and Carnal man is altogether uncapable of the things of God's Spirit neither can he know them c. and what our Saviour saith If any man will do his Father's will he shall then know of the doctrine whether it be of God and I give thanks to Almighty God who hath made the Light of these his wonderful Mysteries to kindle that Warmth in my Heart which I felt not till I began to see them and which have made me that which they found me not This passage out of Mr. Mede's original Letter I thought very worthy to be made publick and inserted here upon so fit an occasion both for that excel-cellent and genuine relish of an humble and serious Piety in every line thereof as also because it is an illustrious Attestation to the forementioned Truth That an Holy Heart and Life is a necessary Qualification to the right discerning of Divine Mysteries agreeable whereunto is that in the Greek Version of Prov. 1. 7. which yet is rather a Paraphrase than a bare Translation there being more in the Greek than in the Original Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AND now I have passed over the Three long Stages of this Preface In the last Head of Advertisements I have acquainted the Reader by what Methods and Helps the Author arrived at so great a measure of skill in the Scripture particularly in the more abstruse and mysterious parts thereof And thus may others also attain to a considerable Knowledge and purchase this goodly Pearl this Treasure hid in the field of Prophetical Scriptures if they are willing to be at the same cost and bid to the worth of it and not ignorantly nor sordidly undervalue it For Wisdom and particularly this kind of Wisdom and Knowledge is not to be had at a cheaper rate it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Pearl of great price and worthy of all that we have to bestow to purchase it They that look as little into the Apocalyps as some do into the Apocrypha and mind the Book of Daniel no more than they do the Apocryphal Story of Bell and the Dragon and therefore exercise not their good parts nor bestow that serious diligence about the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture as they use to do about other kind of difficulties whether in Philosophy or other parts of Learning it 's no wonder they complain the Iewel is too dear when they have no mind to give the full price for it and that all Labour after such knowledge is either excessively hard or useless whenas yet through their delicateness and love of their own ease or for some other reason they never made any due trial But in other things Difficulty is no argument it rather whets and animates men of brave spirits and that all Excellent things are hard is so confess'd a Truth that it has pass'd into a vulgar Proverb The first and least therefore that is to be done by such as are of another spirit and are minded to search these as well as the other Scriptures is by a frequent attentive reading of the Prophetical Visions to fix the main passages thereof in their minds otherwise both the style and matter the great things of the Prophets as Hosea speaks of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great things of the Law will be always counted as a strange thing This being done they must if they would succeed in their search apply themselves to those Five Means and Instruments of Knowledge as Mr. Mede did and prosper'd and by his Writings hath lessen'd the difficulty of these Studies and made the way plainer for others than he found it for himself And as the study of the Prophetick Scriptures would by an heedful attending to those
Acts 2. 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They continued in breaking of Bread and in Prayers As for bodily expressions by gestures and postures as standing kneeling bowing and the like our Blessed Saviour himself lift up his sacred eyes to heaven when he prayed for Lazarus fell on his face when he prayed in his agony S. Paul as himself saith bowed his knees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ He and S. Peter and the rest of the Believers do the like more than once in the Acts of the Apostles What was Imposition of hands but an external gesture in an act of invocation for conferring a blessing and that perhaps sometimes without any vocal expression joyned therewith Besides I cannot conceive any reason why in this point of Evangelical worship Gesture should be more scrupled at than Voice Is not confessing praising praying and glorifying God by Voice an external and bodily worship as well as that of Gesture why should then the one derogate from the worship of the Father in Spirit and Truth and not the other To conclude There was never any society of men in the world that worshipped the Father in such a manner as this interpretation would imply and therefore cannot this be our Saviour's meaning but some other Let us see if we can find out what it is There may be two senses given of these words both of them agreeable to Reason and the analogy of Scripture let us take our choice The one is That to worship God in Spirit and Truth is to worship him not with Types and shadows of things to come as in the Old Testament but according to the verity of the things exhibited in Christ according to that The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ. Whence the Mystery of the Gospel is elsewhere by our Saviour in this Evangelist termed Truth as Chap. 17. ver 17. and the Doctrine thereof by S. Paul the word of Truth See Ephes. Chap. 1. ver 13. Rom. 15. 8. The time therefore is now at hand said our Saviour when the true worshippers shall worship the Father no longer with bloudy Sacrifices and the Rites and Ordinances depending thereon but in and according to the verity of that which these Ordinances figured For all these were Types of Christ in whom being now exhibited the true worshippers shall henceforth worship the Father This sense hath good warrant from the state of the Question between the Iews and Samaritans to which our Saviour here makes answer which was not about worship in general but about the kind of worship in special which was confessed by both sides to be tied to one certain place only that is of worship by Sacrifice and the appendages in a word of the Typical worship proper to the first Covenant of which see a description Heb. 9. This Iosephus expresly testifies Lib. 12. Antiq. cap. 1. speaking of the Iews and Samaritans which dwelt together at Alexandria They lived saith he in perpetual discord one with the other whilst each laboured to maintain their Country customs those of Ierusalem affirming their Temple to be the sacred place whither sacrifices were to be sent the Samaritans on the other side contending they ought to be sent to Mount Garizim For otherwise who knows not that both Iews and Samaritans had other places of worship besides either of these namely their Proseucha's and Synagogues wherein they worshipped God not with internal only but external worship though not with Sacrifice which might be offered but in one place only And this also may seem to have been a Type of Christ as well as the rest namely that he was to be that one and only Mediator of the Church in the Temple of whose sacred body we have access unto the Father and in whom he accepts our service and devotions according to that Destroy this Temple and I will rear it up again in three days He spake saith the Text of the Temple of his Body This sense divers of the Ancients hit upon Eusebius Demon. Evang. Lib. 1. Cap. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not by Symbols and Types but as our Saviour saith in Spirit and Truth Not that in the New Testament men should worship God without all external services For the New Testament was to have external and visible services as well as the Old but such as should imply the verity of the promises already exhibited not be Types and shadows of them yet to come We know the Holy Ghost is wont to call the figured Face of the Law the Letter and the Verity thereby signified the Spirit As for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Spirit and Truth both together they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but once found in holy Writ to wit only in this place and so no light can be borrowed by comparing of the like expression any where else to expound them Besides nothing hinders but they may be here taken one for the exposition of the other namely that to worship the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with to worship him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But howsoever this exposition be fair and plausible yet methinks the reason which our Saviour gives in the words following should argue another meaning God saith he is a Spirit therefore they that worship him must worship in Spirit and Truth But God was a Spirit from the beginning If therefore for this reason he must be worshipped in Spirit and Truth he was so to be worshipped in the Old Testament as well as in the New Let us therefore seek another meaning For the finding whereof let us take notice that the Samaritans at whom our Saviour here aimeth were the off-spring of those Nations which the King of Assyria placed in the Cities of Samaria when he had carried away the Ten Tribes captive These as we may read in the second Book of the Kings at their first coming thither worshipped not the God of Israel but the gods of the Nations from whence they came wherefore he sent Lions amongst them which slew them Which they apprehending either from the information of some Israelite or otherwise to be because they knew not the worship of the God of the Country they informed the King of Assyria thereof desiring that some of the captiv'd Priests might be sent unto them to teach them the manner and rites of his worship which being accordingly done they thenceforth as the Text tells us worshipped the Lord yet feared their own Gods too and so did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Chrysostome speaks mingle things not to be mingled In this medley they continued about three hundred years till toward the end of the Persian Monarchy At what time it chanced that Manasse brother to Iaddo the High Priest of the returned Iews married the daughter of Sanballat then Governour of Samaria for which being expelled from Ierusalem by Nehemiah he fled to Sanballat his Father in Law and after his
example many other of the Iews of the best rank having married strange wives likewise and loth to forgo them betook themselves thither also Sanballat willingly entertains them and makes his son-in-Law Manasse their Priest For whose greater reputation and state when Alexander the Great subdued the Persian Monarchy he obtained leave of him to build a Temple upon Mount Garizim where his son-in-Law exercised the office of High Priest This was exceedingly prejudicious to the Iews and the occasion of a continual Schism whilst those that were discontented or excommunicated at Ierusalem were wont to betake themselves thither Yet by this means the Samaritans having now one of the sons of Aaron to be their Chief Priest and so many other of the Iews both Priests and others mingled amongst them were brought at length to cast off all their false gods and to worship the Lord the God of Israel only Yet so that howsoever they seemed to themselves to be true worshippers and altogether free from Idolatry nevertheless they retained a smack thereof inasmuch as they worshipped the true God under a visible representation to wit of a Dove and circumcised their Children in the name thereof as the Iewish Tradition tells us who therefore always branded their worship with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or spiritual Fornication Iust as their predecessors the Ten Tribes worshipped the same God of Israel under the similitude of a Cals This was the condition of the Samaritan Religion in our Saviour's time and if we weigh the matter well we shall find his words here to the woman very pliable to be construed with reference thereunto You ask saith he of the true place of worship whether Mount Garizim or Ierusalem which is not now greatly material forasmuch as the time is at hand when men shall worship the Father at neither But there is a greater difference between you and us than of Place though you take no notice of it namely even about the Object of worship it self For ye worship what ye know not but we Iews worship what we know How is that Thus Ye worship indeed the Father the God of Israel as we do but you worship him under a corporeal representation wherein you shew you know him not But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth In Spirit that is conceiving of him no otherwise than in Spirit and in Truth that is not under any corporeal or visible shape For God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not fancying him as a Body but as indeed he is a Spirit For those who worship him under a corporeal similitude do beli◠him according as the Apostle speaks Rom. 1. 23. of such as changed the glory of the Incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man Birds or Beasts They changed saith he the truth of God into a lie and served the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 juxta Creatorem as or with the Creator who is blessed for ever v. 25. Hence Idols in Scripture are termed Lies as Amos 2. 4. Their Lies have caused them to erre after which their Fathers walked The Vulgar hath Seduxerunt eos Idola ipsorum Their Idols have caused them to erre And Esay 28. 15. We have made Lies our refuge And Ier. 16. 19 20. The Gentiles shall come from the ends of the earth and shall say Surely our Fathers have possessed the Chaldee hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have worshipped a lie vanity wherein there is no profit Shall a man make Gods unto himself and they are no Gods This therefore I take to be the genuine meaning of this place and not that which is commonly supposed against external worship which I think this Demonstration will evince To worship what they know as the Iews are said to do and to worship in Spirit and Truth are taken by our Saviour for one and the same thing else the whole sense will be inconsequent But the Iews worshipped not God without Rites and Ceremonies who yet are supposed to worship him in Spirit and Truth Ergo To worship God without Rites and Ceremonies is not to worship him in Spirit and Truth according to the meaning here intended DISCOURSE XIII S. LUKE 24. 45 46. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures And said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day OUR Blessed Saviour after he was risen from the dead told his Disciples not only that his Suffering of death and Rising again the third day was foretold in the Scriptures but also pointed out those Scriptures unto them and opened their understanding that they might understand them that is he expounded or explained them unto them Certain it is therefore that somewhere in the Old Testament these things were foretold should befall Messiah Yea S. Paul 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. will further assure us that they are I delivered unto you saith he first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures Both of them therefore are somewhere foretold in the Scriptures and it becomes not us to be so ignorant as commonly we are which those Scriptures be which foretell them It is a main point of our Faith and that which the Iews most stumble at because their Doctors had not observed any such thing foretold to Messiah The more they were ignorant thereof the more it concerns us to be confirmed therein I thought good therefore to make this the Argument of my Discourse at this time to inform both you and my self where these things are foretold and if I can to point out those very Scriptures which our Saviour here expounded to his Disciples Which that I may the better do I will make the words fore-going my Text to be as the Pole-star in this my search These are the things saith our Saviour which I spake unto you while I was yet with you That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Then follow the words I read Then opened he their understanding c. These two events therefore of Messiah's death and rising again the third day were foretold in these Three parts of Scripture In the Law of Moses or Pentateuch in the Nebiim or Prophets and in the Psalms and in these Three we must search for them And first for the First That Messiah should suffer death This was fore-signified in the Law or Pentateuch First in the story of Abraham where he was commanded to offer his son Isaac the son wherein his seed should be called and to whom the promise was entailed That in it should all the Nations
the nature and grounds of what they practised lest for want thereof they might cherish some unsafe conceit And notwithstanding I preached for Bowing as you say to Altars yet I have not hitherto used it my self in our own Chappel though I see some others do it If I come into other Chappels where it is generally practised I love not to be singular where I have no scruple But you would not have me have any hand in killing the Witnesses God forbid I should I rather endeavour they might not be guilty of their own deaths And I verily believe the way that many of them go is much more unlikely to save their lives than mine I could tell you a great deal here if I had you privately in my chamber which I mean not for any mans sake to commit to paper Siracusae vestrae capientur in pulvere pingitis As for Bowing at the name Iesus 't is commanded by our Church And for my self I hold it not unlawful to adore my Saviour upon any Cue or hint given Yet could I never believe it to be the meaning of that place of the Philippians nor that it can be inferred thence otherwise than by way of a general and indefinite consequence I derive it rather from the Custom of the World in several Religions thus to express some kind of Reverence when that which they acknowledge for their God is named as we find the Turks do at this day Besides I conceive to do this reverence at the name Iesus only is proper to the Latine Church and it may be of later standing For if some Greeks have not deceived me the custom of the Orient is to bow the head not only at the name Iesus but at the name Christ and sometimes though not so frequently at the name God And if that were the fashion of the elder Christianity that out of S. Hierom would found more to the purpose Moris est Ecclesiastici Christo genu-flectere This is all I can say to this point having had fewer Notions thereabout than about any of the rest That the worship of the Inward man is that which God principally requires and looks at I think no Christian man denies But what then Doth not our Saviour's rule hold notwithstanding in such a comparison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And consider that the Question is not here as most men seem to make it between Inward worship and Outward worship seorsim for in such case it is plain the Outward is nothing worth but whether the Inward worship together with the Outward may not be more acceptable to God than the Inward alone As for that so commonly objected Scripture in this question Of worshipping the Father in spirit and truth as the Characteristical difference of the Evangelical worship from the Legal I believe it hath a far different sense from that it is commonly taken to have and that the Iews in our Saviour's sense worshipped the Father in spirit and truth But my work grows so fast that I must let it pass and be content with that vulgar answer viz. That under the Old Testament God was worshipped in types and figures of things to come but in the New men should worship the Father in spirit and truth that is according to the verity of the things presignified not that they should worship him without all gestures or postures of Body to which purpose it is wont to be alledged But all this while my mind is upon another matter which at length I am gotten unto viz. your strange construction and censure of the pains I took in opening my thoughts so freely unto you concerning these matters of reverential posture and gesture in respect of that interlaced piece wherein I intimated the Eucharist to have in it ratio sacrificii For 1. Because in the close of my Letter I expressed my fear of some Iudgment to befall the Reformed Churches because out of the immoderation of their zeal they had in a manner taken away all Difference between Sacred and Prophane you will needs suspect I aimed to make the present Iudgments of God upon Christendom to be for neglect of that Sacrifice which I had spoken of a thing I never thought of nor thought so plain an expression of my meaning could ever have been so mistaken I pray let me intreat you to read over those papers once again and then tell me with whom the fault is For why Is not to esteem the Eucharist a Sacrament to account it a Sacred thing unless it be accounted a Sacrifice 2. It seems strange to you that a matter of so great importance as I seem to make this Sacrifice to be should have so little evidence in God's Word and Antiquity and depend merely upon certain conjectures As for Scripture if you mean the name of Sacrifice neither is the name Sacrament nor Eucharist according to our Expositions there to be found no more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet may not the thing be But when you speak of so little Evidence to be found in Antiquity I cannot but think such an Affirmation far more strange than you can possibly my Opinion For what is there in Christianity for which more Antiquity may be brought than for this I speak not now of the Fathers meaning whether I guessed rightly at it or not but in general of their Notion of a Sacrifice in the Eucharist If there be little Antiquity for this there is no Antiquity for any thing Eusebius Altkircherus a Calvinist printed Neustadii Palatinorum 1584. 1591. De mystico incruento Ecclesiae Sacrificio pag. 6. Fuit haec perpetua semper omnium Ecclesiasticorum Patrum concors unanimis sententia Quòd instituta per Christum passionis mortis suae in Sacra Coena memoria etiam Sacrificii in se contineret commendationem Bishop Morton in Epist. Dedicator prefixed to his Book of the Eucharist Apud veteres Patres ut quod res est liberè fateamur de Sacrificio Corporis Christi in Eucharistia incruento frequens est mentio quae dici vix potest quantopere quorundam alioqui doctorum hominum ingenia exercuerit torserit vexaver◠aut è contrà quà m jactanter Pontificii de ea re se ostentent And that in the Age immediately following the Apostles the Eucharist was generally conceived of under the name and notion of a Sacrifice to omit the Testimonies of Ignatius and Iustin Martyr take only this of Irenaeus Lib. 4. cap. 32. Dominus discipulis suis dans consilium primitias Deo offerre ex suis creaturis eum qui ex creatura Panis est accepit gratias egit dicens Hoc est Corpus meum Calicem similiter qui est ex ea creatura quae est secundùm nos suum Sanguinem confessus est Novi Testamenti novam docuit Oblationem quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in universo mundo offert Deo c. And chap. 34. Igitur Ecclesiae Oblatio quam
wanted the Original Manuscript to examine them by are in Book I. Discourse 40 41 42 43 44 45 47 48 49. In Book IV. Epist. 4 6 10 12 29 34 93 97. THE LIFE Of the Reverend and most Learned Ioseph Mede B. D. 1. IT hath been the practice of the best Historians sometimes in short Characters and sometimes in larger Descriptions to represent the Nature Sayings and Manners of those Persons whose Actions have rendred them Illustrious whether in War or Peace And it is a Custom very commendable for by this means a just Right is perform'd to the Glory of their Memories their Exemplary Vertues are preserv'd in the world by Monuments w ch Time cannot demolish and Ingenuous Readers are highly gratified who are naturally desirous to know as much as they can of those of whom they have heard any thing which is extraordinary 2. The same Reason hath made it a Custom to write the Lives of Authors eminent for their Learning and to annex them to their Works And indeed such Historical Pictures seem no where plac'd more fitly than in the Beginnings of those Books which were design'd by their excellent Authors to promote true Religion and Piety in the world Men being no less prepar'd for a chearful reception of Divine Truth when they see it presented by a Worthy person than they are apt to give an easie credit to good News when they are perswaded of the Integrity of him that brings it We have therefore attempted to give a Faithful though Imperfect Pourtrait of this Excellent Person the Author of the ensuing Discourses that the Reader may know what he was who in so high a degree obliged not only the Age wherein he lived but all succeeding Generations by his excellent Studies and exemplary Life The History whereof is briefly as follows 3. IOSEPH MEDE was born in October 1586. of Parents of honest rank at Berden in Essex and related as the learned Mr. Alsop did particularly remark in his Funeral Sermon to the Family of Sir Iohn Mede of Lofts-Hall in the same County who did much please himself in so worthy a Kinsman to whom also when Fellow of Christ's Colledge he sent his eldest Son to be his Pupil accounting it a singular felicity to have him under the care and conduct of so worthy and accomplish'd a Tutor 4. When he was about Ten years old both he and his Father fell sick at the same time of the Small pox to the Father it proved mortal to the Son very hazardous But Almighty God who designed him for a great Blessing to the world delivered him then out of that and afterwards out of other Dangers of which merciful Preservations he had by him his thankful Memorials the better to excite himself to a due celebration of the Divine Goodness His Mother afterward married one Mr. Gower of Nasing in Essex by whom he was sent to School first to Hodsden and after that to Wethersfield in Essex In which time going to London upon some occasion he bought Bellarmine's Hebrew Grammar His Master having no skill in that Language told him it was not a Book fit for him but he being of the same generous temper with Demonax who as Lucian reports was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would not be discouraged from the perusal of it but setting upon it industriously attain'd no small skill in the Hebrew Tongue before he left the School by these fair Blossoms giving an early assurance to his Friends of those excellent Fruits which he afterward brought forth being planted in a very fertile Soil and one of the most delightful Seats of the Muses in the University 5. His Friends being encouraged by the pregnancy of his Parts his assiduous Industry and Proficiency in Learning the best grounds of Hope sent him in the year 1602 to Christ's Colledge in Cambridge where he was admitted Pupil to Mr. Daniel Rogers Fellow of that Colledge When he had been there three years Mr. Rogers leaving the Colledge Mr. William Addison became his Tutor to whose Pupils after he was Bachelour of Arts he us'd to read as afterward when he was Master of Arts he moderated at Dis's upon the desire of his Tutor one of the then Proctors of the University 6. The Emprovements which he made in a short time by his industrious Wit were so conspicuous that they drew upon him the eyes not only of his own Colledge but of the whole University which could not but be the more observable in him because he wanted that felicity of Utterance which useth to set off slight parts and had so great an Hesitation in his speech as rendred his expression painful to himself and less pleasing to others Which made him decline as much as he might all publick Disputations and other Exercises as not to be perform'd by him without great difficulty his Labour in them as he was wont to tell his familiars being double to that of others in regard he was put to study not for matter only but for words not to express his mind for such words the matter being excogitated do not unwillingly follow and even offer themselves but for words that he could utter yea and to take care to dispose them too in that order that the contexture might suit with his Ability Wherein yet he in time became a rare Example how much a discreet observation of such an Imperfection can work toward the cure of it For by an heedful inspection into the nature of his defect what words he most stuck at either single or in conjuncture and at what times he was more or less free he attain'd so great a mastery over that Infirmity that he was able to deliver a whole Sermon without any considerable Hesitation 7. That also of his own relation is here not unworthy the remembring That not long after his entrance into Philosophical studies he was for some time disquieted with Scepticism that troublesome and restless disease of the Pyrrhonian School of old For lighting upon a Book in a neighbour-Scholars Chamber whether it were Sextus Empericus or some other upon the same Subject is not now remembred he began upon the perusal of it to move strange Questions to himself and even to doubt whether the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole Frame of things as it appears to us were any more than a mere Phantasm or Imagination The Emprovement of this Conceit as he would profess rendred all things so unpleasant to him that his Life became uncomfortable He was then but young and therefore the more capable of being abus'd by those perplex'd Notions by which Pyrrho had industriously studied to represent the Habitation of Truth as inaccessible But by the mercy of God he quickly made his way out of these troublesome Labyrinths and gave an early proof that he was design'd for profound Contemplations by falling so soon upon the consideration of subjects so subtil and curious 8. By that time he had taken the Degree of Master of Arts he
in brief his present Conjectural thoughts which afterwards at better leisure he would bring to the Test and pursue with more accurateness Pitching upon some of these he hath done me the honour to promote me to be his Amanuensis And then first causing me to turn to Texts in the Hebrew Fountain and in the LXX he would Critically give the Importance of the words and here drop many a rich Observation That done he would take down many of the Ancients whether Church-Historians or Fathers Greek and Latin c. and directing me to what places I should turn make me read them to him Upon which again he would by the By give out very considerable Notes and still as he had done with each Author would say You see it holds yet and yet c. So at last one of those Conjecturalls and What Ifs as he call'd them became an adopted Verity And this he called Hunting of Notions At this Sport no less profitable than pleasant we have upon Fasting-days continued from three after Mid-day until the knocking of the Colledge-gates at Night and then he has dismissed me richly laden 3. Of his Advice to young Students in Divinity TO those who intended Curam Animarum he would give among many other these Three Counsels 1. That they familiarly acquaint themselves with and constantly make use of that Golden Observation of Is. Casaubon viz. Vniversam Doctrinam Christianam Veteres distingâ—ebant in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idest ea quae enunciari apud omnes poterant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arcana temere non vulganda It is in his Exercit. XVI ad Annal. Eccles. Which whole Exercitation he would commend to their often reading and indeed the whole Book And here he would sadly complain to the same effect and almost in the same words with the Admired Lord Verulam It is a Point of great Inconvenience and Perill to entitle the People to hear Controversies and all kinds of Doctrine They say no part of the Counsel of God is to be suppressed nor the People defrauded So as the Difference which the Apostle maketh between Milk and Strong Meat is confounded and his Precept That the weak be not admitted unto Questions and Controversies taketh no place Upon neglect of which sage Counsel we have lately seen those Dismal and Tragical Consequences which Mr. Mede did indeed Prophetically presage would be thereupon And for the present he gave some Instances but not without Indignation of them who under pretence of Revealing the whole Truth to the People would make choice of strange Texts in Leviticus and elsewhere and out of them vent such Stuffe as no modest Ear could endure to hear 2. His next Counsel was That with other Practical Doctrines they should not forget to preach and press Charity and this not in a slight perfunctory manner but Studiedly and Digestedly to give the People the true Nature of it the full latitude of it the absolute and indispensable Necessity of having it both Praecepti and Medii and as the L. Verulam hath express'd it to bring down Doctrines and Directions ad Casus Conscientiae otherwise the Word the Bread of Life they will but toss up and down and not break it 3. His last Counsel was When they had some Necessary Truths to deliver against which the present Humour of the Times ran counter that in this case they should go Socratically to work as to lay down at a convenient distance first one Postulatum and then another that will be clearly inferred from the former and so a third and a fourth c. still depending upon and strengthning each other A Truth brought in thus Backward saith he will be swallowed down unawares Whereas if you first shew its Horns there will be such startling and flinging that there will be no coming near with it 4. How far he was from Ambition FOR proof hereof we cannot desire a clearer Evidence or Demonstration then his so constant declining Preferments even then when they sought him out Witness his Answer to the Letter of the Fellows of Trinity Colledge near Dublin And by the way that Election into that Provostship was so firm as well as free that he was desired to make a Formal Resignation before his Successor could be elected and admitted into it which he did as himself hath told me more than once Witness again his Third Letter to the then Lord Primate what time some new hopes began to be raised of his acceptance of the same Provostship upon the remove of Bishop Bedel To all this I can add two more Instances which I believe are not known to many One That divers years after the refusal of the Provostship he received a Letter from a Friend in Ireland assuring him there was then kept for him a Dignity worth at the least 1000â— per ann and staied only for his acceptance To persuade him to which he used many potent arguments among the rest this The great freedom from molestations and incumbrances that place would indulge him in c. This Letter he was pleased to communicate to my self when freshly received concealing indeed the Name subscribed though that was not hard to guess at But here again his Modesty proved inflexible The other Instance is this When he newly related to his then Grace of Canterbury and now glorious Martyr neither of whom I believe had seen each others face in all their lives I am sure he told me so not long before his death he desired me to tell him freely what I heard men say concerning his Chaplainship c. The sum of my Answer was That I perceived he was looked upon as a Rising man and that many rejoyced at it because of his known merits c. To the latter part of my Answer he replied I am much beholden to my Friends for their good opinion of me c. But no man knows my Defects so well as my self And this was but the native Language and Dialect of his innate Modesty But when he came to reply to the former part which spake him a Rising man here he used more than ordinary Solemnity and with a grave composed countenance uttered these words At to my Rising come now I will make you my Confessor I can safely appeal to that Infinite Majesâ—y who hears me which words were accompanied with a gesture of great Reverence that if I might obtain but a Donative sine cura sine cura he repeâ—ted it which I may keep with my Fellowship I would set up my staffe for this World And the reason why I desire this is that I mought be able to keep a Nag for my Recreation sometimes in taking the air and in visiting my friends in the Countrey since this my Corpulency then growing upon him makes me unwieldy for walking In pursuance of this discourse I chanced to smile at a Conceit then coming into my mind which he quickly observed and was very earnest to know the reason of it
before they knew of it as to Mr. Boys Mr. Fuller c. And I can never forget with what a Gusto that Brave Sir William Boswell was wont to relate this among the infinite more observable Passages in the Happy Reign of Q. Elizabeth That she gave a strict Charge and Command to both the Chancellors of both Her Vniversities to bring Her a Iust True and Imparâ—ial List of all the Eminent and Hopeful Students that were Graduates in each Vniversity to set down punctually their Names their Colledges their Standings their Faculties wherein they did eminere or were likely so to do Therein Her Majesty was exactly obeyed the Chancellors durst not do otherwise and the use She made of it was That if She had an Ambassador to send abroad then She of Her self would nominate such a Man of such an House to be his Chaplain and another of another House to be his Secretary c. When She had any places to dispose of fit for Persons of an Academical Education She would Her self consign such Persons as She judged to be pares Negoâ—iis Sir William had gotten the very individual Papers wherein these Names were listed and marked with the Queen 's own hand which he carefully laid up among his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now as Sir William pursued this could not be long concealed from the young Students and then it is easie to be imagined or rather it is not to be imagined how this Consideration that their Sovereign's Eye was upon them and so Propitious upon the Deserving among them how this I say would switch and spur on their Industries I end these Additionals to Mr. Mede's Character with that plain ordinary Vote wherein yet I believe I shall have very many joyn with me Sic mihi contingat vivere sicque mori God grant we may all in some proportion live as humbly as faithfully as fruitfully and Christianly and then die as peaceably and comfortably as he did Amen THE END If any one should scruple my Fidelity in relating some speeches of Mr. Mede's because spoken so many years since he may please to satisfie himself with this That it was my Custom presently when I went from Mr. Mede's Chamber to set down in writing what I conceived observable which writings I have yet by me and consulted with them in these my Narratives DIATRIBAE THE FIRST BOOK OF THE WORKS OF The Pious and Profoundly-Learned Ioseph Mede B.D. SOMETIME Fellow of CHRIST'S Colledge in CAMBRIDGE Containing as many DISCOURSES On Several Texts of SCRIPTURE as there are Sundays in the Year Corrected and Enlarged according to the Author 's own Manuscripts August de Doctr. Christ. l. 2. c. 6. in Psal. 140. Praefat. Spiritus Sanctus magnificè ac salubriter ità Scripturas modificavit ut locis apertioribus fami occurreret obscurioribus autem fastidium detergeret Si nusquam aperta esset Scriptura non te pasceret Si nusquam occulta non te exerceret THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST BOOK DISCOURSE 1. â— Page 1 S. Matthew 6. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thus therefore pray ye Our Father c. DISC. II. pag. 4 S. Matthew 6. 9. S. Luke 11. 2. Sanctificetur Nomentuum Sanctified or Hallowed be thy Name DISC. III. pag. 19 Acts 17. 4. There associated themselves to Paul and Silas of the worshipping Greeks a great multitude DISC. IV. pag. 23 2 Peter 2. 4. For if God spared not the Angels which sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ... but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Iudgment c. so we translate it To which of S. Peter answers that of S. Iude as almost that whole Epistle doth to this vers 6. And the Angels which kept not their first estate or principality but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the Iudgment of the great Day DISC. V. pag. 25 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God DISC. VI. pag. 28 S. Iohn 10. 20. He hath a Devil and is mad DISC. VII pag. 31 Proverbs 21. 16. The man that wandreth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the Congregation of the Dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in coetu Gigantum DISC. VIII pag. 34 Genesis 49. 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Iudab nor a Law-giver from between his feet untill SHILOH come and unto him shall the gathering of the People be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DISC. IX pag. 36 Psalm 8. 2. Out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings thou hast ordained strength â— because of thine Enemies that thou mightest quell the Enemy and the Avenger DISC. X. pag. 40 Zachariah 4. 10. These Seven are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth DISC. XI pag. 44 S. Mark 11. 17. Is it not written My House shall be called a House of Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all the Nations DISC. XII pag. 46 S. Iohn 4. 23. But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth For the Father seeketh such to worship him DISC. XIII pag. 49. S. Luke 24. 45. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures 46. And said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day DISC. XIV pag. 52. Exodus 4. 25. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the fore-skin of her son and cast it at his feet and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sponsus sanguinum tu mihi es DISC. XV. pag. 55. Ezekiel 20. 20. Hallow my Sabbaths and they shall be a sign between me and you to acknowledge that I Iehovah am your God DISC. XVI pag. 58. 1 Cor. 11. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head DISC. XVII pag. 62. Titus 3. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost DISC. XVIII pag. 65. Ioshua 24. 26. And Ioshua took a great stone and set it up there viz. in Sichem under the Oak which was in the Sanctuary of the Lord Alii by the Sanctuary Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DISC. XIX pag. 70. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double Honour especially they that labour in the Word and Doctrine DISC. XX. pag. 74. Acts 2. 5. And there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sojourning at Ierusalem Iews devout men out of every Nation under Heaven DISC. XXI pag. 77. 1. Cor. 9. 14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DISC. XXII pag. 80. Psalm 112. 6. The Righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance DISC. XXIII pag. 84. S. Matthew 10. 41.
by the Prophets for so Prophets are here to be understood and not of predictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to fulfil them that is to supply accomplish or perfect those Rules and Doctrines of Iust and Unjust contained in them by a more ample interpretation and other improvement befitting the state of the Gospel For surely this must be the meaning of this speech of our Saviour if we be more willing as we should to take a sense from Scripture than to bring one to it Doth not the whole context following evince it Indeed the Law that is the Legal Covenant or Covenant of works as Law is oft taken in the New Testament together with all the Rites depending thereon is dissolved by the coming of Christ and a better Covenant with new Rites established in stead thereof but the Law that is the Doctrine and Rule of life given by God contradistinct from those ordinances which were only appendages of that Covenant though these were also in some sense perfected by bringing the truth and substance in stead of the figure and shadow thereof is not disannulled but confirmed and perfected by him in such manner as became the condition of the Covenant of the Gospel For that this confirmation is not to be restrained to the Decalogue only is manifest because our Saviour in the following words insists upon other Precepts besides it If it be said they are reducible thereto this will not serve the turn for so are all the rest of God's Commandments Unless therefore it can be shewn that to honour God by an oblation of his creature is no part of the Law here confirmed by our Saviour let no man be so daringly bold as to exempt himself and others from the obligation thereof unless he means to be one of them of whom our Saviour speaks immediately saying Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these Commandments and shall teach men so to do mark it he shall be called i. he shall be the least in the Kingdom of heaven The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is loose or dis-bind as he doth both that abrogates and that observes it not much more he that affirmeth it unlawful to be observed Nay how dare we dis-bind or loose our selves from the tye of that way of agnizing and honouring God which the Christian Church from her first beginnings durst not do Irenaeus witness of that age which next succeeded the Apostles is plain Lib. 4. c. 34. Offerre oportet Deo saith he primitias creaturae ejus sicut Moses ait Non apparebis vacuus ante conspectum Domini Dei tui Et non genus Oblationum reprobatum est oblationes enim illic sc. in V.T. oblationes autem hîc sacrificia in populo sacrificia in Ecclesia sed species immutata est tantùm quippe cum jam non à servis sed à liberis offeratur Vnus enim idem Dominus proprium autem character servilis oblationis proprium liberorum uti per oblationes ostendatur indicium libertatis It behoveth us saith he to offer unto God a present of his creature as also Moses saith Thou shalt not appear before the Lord thy God emptie For offerings in the general are not reprobated there were Offerings there viz. in the Old Test. there are also offerings here in the Church but the specification only is changed forasmuch as offerings now are not made by bond but free-men For there is one and the same Lord still but there is a proper character of a bond or servile offering and a proper character of free-mens that so even the offerings may shew forth the tokens of freedom Now where in Scripture he believed this doctrin and practice to be grounded he lets us know in the 27. chap. of the same Book Et quia Dominus naturalia Legis per quae homo justificatur quae etiam ante legisdationem custodiebant qui side justificabantur placebant Deo non dissolvit sed extendit sed implevit ex sermonibus ejus ostenditur That is That our Lord dissolved not but enlarged and perfected the natural precepts of the Law whereby a man is just which also before the Law was given they observed who were justified by faith and pleased God is evident by his words Then he cites some of the passages of that his Sermon upon the Mount Mat. 5. 20. And a little after addes Necesse fuit auferre quidem vincula servitutis quibus jam homo assueverat sine vinculis sequi Deum superextendi verò decreta libertatis augeri subjectionem quae est ad Regem ut non retrorsus quis renitens indignus appareat ei qui se liberavit Et propter hoc Dominus pro eo quod est Non moechaberis nec concupiscere praecepit pro eo quod est Non occîdes neque irasci quidem et pro eo quod est Decimare omnia quae sunt pauperibus dividere That is It was needful that those bonds of servitude which man had before been inured to should be taken off that so he might without Gyves follow God but that the laws and ordinances of freedom should be extended and his subjection to the King encreased lest that drawing backward he might appear unworthy of him that freed him And for this reason our Lord in stead of Thou shalt not commit adultery commands not so much as to lust in stead of Thou shalt not kill not so much as to be angry in stead of To Tithe to distribute all we have to the poor c. All which saith he in the same place are not solventis Legem sed adimplentis extendentis dilatantis not of one that dissolves the Law but fulfils extends and enlarges it alluding still to that in our Saviour's Sermon upon the Mount Besides those who are acquainted with Antiquity can tell that the Primitive Christians understood the holy Eucharist to be A commemoration of the Sacrifice of Christ's death upon the Cross in an oblation of Bread and Wine 'T is witnessed by the Fathers of those first Ages generally Whereupon the same Irenaeus also affirmeth that our Saviour by the institution of the Eucharist had confirmed Oblations in the New Testament Namely to thanks give or bless a thing in way to a sacred use he took to be an offering of it unto God And was not David's Benediction and thanksgiving at the preparation for the Temple and Offertory Where note well That as he upon that occasion blessed the Lord saying Thine O Lord is the greatness and the power and the glory all that is in heaven and earth is thine thine is the Kindgom Both riches and honour come of thee Ergo because all things come of theâ— of thine own have we given thee so do Christ's redeemed in their Evangelical Sâ—â—â— Apoc. 5. ascribe no less unto him saying v. 12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and
openeth the womb shall be called Holy unto the Lord Ergo To be the Lord's and to be Holy are Synonyma's Though therefore the Gentiles Court had no sanctity of legal distinction yet had it the sanctity of peculiarity to God-ward and therefore not to be used as a common place The Illation proceeds by way of Conversion My House shall be called the House of Prayer to all Nations or People Ergo The House of Prayer for all Nations is my Father's House And the Emphasis lies in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators were not so well advised of when following Beza too close they render the words thus My House shall be called of all Nations the House of Prayer as if the Dative Case here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were not Acquisitive but as it is sometimes with passive verbs in stead of the Ablative of the Agent for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which sense is clean from the scope and purpose of the place whence it is taken as he that compares them will easily see and I shall make fully to appear in the next part of my Discourse which I tendred by the name of an Observation To wit That this fact of our Saviour more particularly concerns us of the Gentiles than we take notice of Namely we are taught thereby what reverent esteem we ought to have of our Gentile Oratories and Churches howsoever not endued with such legal sanctity in every respect as was the Temple of the Iews yet Houses of Prayer as well as theirs This Observation will be made good by a threefold Consideration First of the Story as I have related it secondly from the Text here alledged for warrant thereof and thirdly from the circumstance of Time For the Story I have shewed it was acted in the Gentiles Court and not in that of the Iews because it is not credible that was thus prophaned It cannot therefore be alledged that this was a place of legal sanctity for according to legal sanctity it was held by the Iews as common only it was the place for the Gentiles to worship the God of Israel in and seems to have been proper to the second Temple the Gentiles in the first worshipping without at the Temple-door in the holy Mountain only Secondly The place alledged to avow the Fact speaks expresly of Gentile-worshippers not in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only but in the whole body of the context Hear the Prophet speak Esay chap. 56. ver 6 7. and then judge The sons of the stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the Name of the Lord to be his servants every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of my Covenant namely that I alone shall be his God Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my House of Prayer their burnt-offerings and sacrifices accepted upon mine Altar Then follow the words of my Text For my House shall be called that is shall be it is an Hebraism a House of Prayer for all People What is this but a Description of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Gentile-worshippers And this place alone makes good all that I have said before viz. That this vindication was of the Gentiles Court Otherwise the allegation of this Scripture had been impertinent for the Gentiles of whom the Prophet speaks worshipped in no place but this Hence also appears to what purpose our Evangelist expressed the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely as that which shewed wherein the force of the accommodation to this occasion lay which the rest of the Evangelists omitted as referring to the place of the Prophet whence it was taken those who heard it being not ignorant of whom the Prophet spake Thirdly the circumstance of Time argues the same thing if we consider that this was done but a few days before our Saviour suffered to wit when he came to his last Passeover How unseasonable had it been to vindicate the violation of Legal and typical sanctity which within so few days after he was utterly to abolish by his Cross unless he had meant thereby to leave his Church a lasting lesson what reverence and respect he would have accounted due to such places as this was which he vindicated DISCOURSE XII S. IOHN 4. 23. But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth For the Father seeketh such to worship him THEY are the words of our Blessed Saviour to the Woman of Samaria who perceiving him by his discourse to be a Prophet desired to be resolved by him of that great controverted point between the Iews and Samaritans Whether Mount Garizim by Sichem where the Samaritans sacrificed or Ierusalem were the true place of worship Our Saviour tells her that this Question was not now of much moment For that the hour or time was near at hand when they should neither worship the Father in Mount Garizim nor at Ierusalem But that there was a greater difference between the Iews and them than this of Place namely even about That which was worshipped For ye saith he worship that ye know not but we Iews worship that we know Then follow the words premised But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth It is an abused Text being commonly alledged to prove that God now in the Gospel either requires not or regards not External worship but that of the Spirit only and this to be a characteristical difference between the worship of the Old Testament and the New If at any time we talk of external decency in rites and bodily expressions as sit to be used in the service of God this is the usual Buckler to repel whatsoever may be said in that kind It is true indeed that the worship of the Gospel is much more spiritual than that of the Law But that the worship of the Gospel should be only spiritual and no external worship required therein as the Text according to some meus sense and allegation thereof would imply is repugnant not only to the practice and experience of the Christian Religion in all Ages but also to the express Ordinances of the Gospel it self For what are the Sacraments of the New Testament are they not Rites wherein and wherewith God is served and worshipped The consideration of the holy Eucharist alone will consute this Gloss For is not the commemoration of the Sacrifice of Christ's death upon the Cross unto his Father in the Symbols of Bread and Wine an external worship And yet with this Rite hath the Church in all Ages used to make her solemn address of Prayer and Supplication unto the Divine Majesty as the Iews in the Old Testament did by Sacrifice When I say in all Ages I include also that of the Apostles For so much S. Luke testifieth of that first Christian society
God in him which is a Faith whereof there is no Gospel A true Faith is to believe Salvation to be attained through obedience to God in Iesus Christ who by his merits and satisfaction for sin makes our selves and our works acceptable to his Father A saving and justifying Faith is to believe this so as to embrace and lay hold upon Christ for that end to apply our selves unto him and rely upon him that we may through him perform those works of obedience which God hath promised to reward with eternal life For a justifying Faith stays not only in the Brain but stirs up the Will to receive and enjoy the good believed according as it is promised This motion or election of the Will is that which maketh the difference between a saving Faith which joyns us to Christ and that which is true indeed but not saving but dogmatical and opinionative only And this motion or applying of the Will to Christ this embracing of Christ and the Promises of the Gospel through him is that which the Scripture when it speaks of this Faith calleth coming unto Christ or the receiving of him Come unto me all ye that are heavy-laden and I will ease you Matth. 11. 28. See Iohn 5. 40. and chap. 6. 37 44 45. So for receiving Iohn 1. 12. As many as received him to them he gave power or priviledge to be the sons of God even to them that believe on his Name where receiving and believing one expounds another Now if this be the Faith which is saving and unites us unto Christ and none other then it is plain that a saving Faith cannot be severed from good works because no man can embrace Christ as he is promised but he must apply himself to do them Would we then know whether our Faith be true and saving and not counterfeit This is the only sign and note whereby we may know it if we find these fruits thereof in our lives and conversations For 1 Iohn 1. 6. If we say we have fellowship with Christ and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth Ch. 2. 3. Hereby we know that we know him namely to be our Advocate with the Father and the propitiation for our sins if we keep his Commandments And ch 3. 7. Little children let no man deceive you He that doth righteousness is righteous even as Christ is righteous For if every one that believes in Christ truly and savingly believes that Salvation is to be attained by obeying God in him and so embraces and lays hold on him for that end how can such a ones Faith be fruitless DISCOURSE XXVII Acts 5. 3 4 5. But Peter said Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Ghost and to purloin of the price of the land Whiles it remained was it not thine own and after it was sold was it not in thy power why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost IN the 110. Psalm where our Saviour is Prophetically described in the Person of a King advanced to the Throne of Divine Majesty glorious and victorious The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool c. amongst other Kingly Attributes and Graces it is said if it be translated as it should be That his people in the day of his power should offer him Free-will-offerings that is bring him Presents at the day of his Inauguration or Investment as a sign of their Homage For so was the manner of the East to do unto their Kings and therefore when Saul was anointed King by Samuel it is said of those sons of Deâ—ial which despised and acknowledged him not that they brought him no presents But of Messiah's people it is said Thy people in the day of thy power that is the day when thou shalt enter upon thy power or the day of thy Investment shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a people of free presents or shall bring thee Free-will-offerings It is an Elliptical speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rightly expressed in the Translation of our Service-Book Thy people shall offer or bring the Free-will-offerings This we see fulfilled in the Story of the foregoing Chapter when after our Saviour's ascension into heaven to sit at the right hand of God which was the day of his power or Inauguration in his Kingdom assoon as this his Investment was published by sending of the Holy Ghost presently such as believed in him that is submitted themselves to his power and acknowledged him to be their King dedicated their goods and possessions to his service selling their lands and houses and laying down the money at the Apostles feet namely to be distributed as were the sacred Offerings of the Law partly to the maintenance and furnishing of the Apostles for the work whereabout they were sent and partly for the relief of the poor Believers which belonged to Christ's provision According to this Example one Ananias with Sapphira his wife consecrated also a possession of theirs unto God and sold the same to that purpose but having so done covetousness tickling them they purloined from the price and brought but a part of the summe and laid it down at the Apostles feet Then said Peter according to the words I have read Why hath Satan filled thine heart that is made thee so daring to lie unto the Holy Ghost and to purloin from the price of the field c The words I have read contain two things Ananias his Sin and his Punishment therefore His Sin in the third and fourth verses his Punishment in the fifth Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost Concerning his Sin as appears by the relation I have already made it was Sacriledge namely the purloining of what was become holy and consecrate unto God not by actual performance but by vow and inward purpose of the Heart For as it is well observed by Ainsworth on Levit. 7. 16. out of Maimonid in his Treatise of offering the Sacrifice Chap. 14. Sect. 4 5. c. In vows and voluntaries it is not necessary that a man pronounce ought with his lips but if he shall be fully determined in his heart though he hath uttered nothing with his lips he is indebted And this is no private Opinion of mine the Fathers so determine it S. Augustine that Ananias was condemned of Sacriledge quòd Deum in pollicitatione fesellisset because he had deceived God had been false to him in what he had promised him And in another Sermon Ananiam detraxisse de pecunia quam voverat Deo Ananias purloined and kept back part of the money he had devoted to God S. Chrysostome in his 12. Homily upon this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The
spoken of the Influence of life into a Christian's actions in general But as in natural life so in spiritual are many Branches as the words of my Text imply speaking not singularly of one Issue but plurally of many Issues of life For that which lives exerciseth many living acts as so many streams flowing from the Fountain of life none of which belong unto that which liveth not These Issues in Nature are five Health Nourishment Growth Sense and Motion and the Heart is the Fountain of them all without it they are not they cannot be but as it fareth so fare they all The like unto these are to be found in our spiritual life of which I will speak somewhat in special the rather because every of them are as so many Motives to incite us to the attainment of this life to God-ward by serving him in Sincerity and Truth 1. The first Issue of Spiritual life flowing from the Heart is spiritual Health For the curing of our Souls of their Spiritual diseases must begin at the Hearts and the inward causes of corruption must thence be purged before there can be any true Reformation or sound Health in the outward parts Even as the heat of the Face is not much abated by casting water and cooling things upon it but by allaying inwardly the heat of the Liver Again That which seems to spring and flourish in our lives unless it be rooted in the Heart will wither and die The Fig-tree that only made a shew with leaves having no fruit in the end being cursed lost the leaves too wherewith it deceived our Saviour So the Seed which sprouted upon the stony ground is said to have withered because it had no root And if an Apple seem never so beautiful yet if it be rotten at the core it will quickly putrifie 2. The second Issue of spiritual life is spiritual Nutrition whereby the Soul continually feeds upon Christ in his Word and Sacraments But this is in none whose works and actions issue not from the Heart by Sincerity and Truth For where Hunger and Thirst is not the body is not nourished He must have a stomach to his meat that will have good by it Chewing in his mouth will not do it though he swallow it if his stomach be against it he will vomit it up again And can this spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst be where the inward man is not sanctified Can he have a Spiritual stomach whose heart is not cleansed 3. The third Issue of Spiritual life is spiritual Growth It is God's wont to reward the sincerity of a little grace with abundance of great graces Nathanael a man of no great knowledg yet being a true Israelite void of guile is further enlightened by our Saviour who gives him a sight of the true Messiah endues him with true faith and promises him still greater matters A weak and dim knowledg had the Eunuch and Cornelius in the Mystery of Godliness yet because they worshipped God sincerely an Evangelist was sent to the one and an Angel and an Apostle to the other to give them clearer light of the Gospel and a fuller largess of spiritual gifts The curse of God is upon Hypocrisie to destroy a great deal a great stock of grace but his blessing is upon Sincerity to improve a little portion to a greater measure A little Spring is better than a great Pond for in Summer when Ponds are dried up little Springs will still hold out 4. The fourth Issue of Spiritual life is spiritual Sense the Sense and feeling of the favour of God This no man shall ever find who lives not the life of sincerity For this is the most found and undeceivable evidence of our portion and interest in the power and purity of Christ's saving passion and sanctifying bloudshed 5. The fifth Issue of Spiritual life is spiritual Motion such I call Alacrity and Courage Sincerity is the cause of these It makes us chearful in all duties of service and obedience unto God it makes us valiant and courageous in all dangers trials and temptations begetting in us a true manly generous and heroical spirit The wicked saith Solomon Prov. 28. 1. flee when no man pursueth but the righteous are bold as a Lion DISCOURSE XXXVIII ISAIAH 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon I Will not speak of the coherence of these words for they are an entire sense of themselves and contain in them two parts First The Conversion of a sinner Secondly The Condition of one so converted The Conversion of a sinner is exprest in three degrees In the forsaking of wicked wayes In the forsaking of evil thoughts and thirdly In returning again unto the Lord. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord. The Condition or State wherein he stands who hath done all this is no state of Merit but of Mercy no not so much as a little Merit but even abundant Mercy If the Lord after all this accepts him it is because he will have mercy upon him if our God forgive he doth even abundantly pardon Of these I intend to speak in order and first of the First which is The Conversion of a sinner which is as I have said laid down in three degrees or steps the latter always excelling the former Even as in the Temple of Solomon he that would approach the Mercy-seat of God must ascend through three parts of the Temple the Court the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies So must he that will attain this Condition of Mercy mount these three steps of Repentance that he may enter into that glorious Sanctuary which is not made with hands where the great God that â—hews mercy unto thousands lives for ever and ever The first two of these forementioned degrees To forsake a wicked way To rid the heart of evil thoughts lest they seem but one thing expressed in many words I must handle both together that by comparing I may the better distinguish them As for the latter therefore of these words they have no great difficulty and therefore will not need much explication but in the former Let the wicked man forsake his way the Metaphor of way causeth some obscurity which I think is thus to be unfolded Every way implies a walking a way being that wherein men use to walk In whatsoever sense therefore the Metaphor of walking is taken elsewhere in Scripture in the same is way taken here But To walk in Scripture seems in a special and proper sense to signifie the outward life and conversation of men For as in the natural man the act of progression or moving to and fro is the most external act of all others and the most obvious to the sense of every one So in a man
and cast into the fire Matth. 21. 19. The fig-tree was cursed for having no fruit not for having evil fruit And the Sentence of condemnation as you heard before is to pass at that great day for not having done good works not for doing ill ones Go ye cursed for when I was hungry ye sed me not c. Matth. 25. 41 c. THUS having let you see how necessary it is for a Christian to joyn good works with his Faith in Christ I will now come to shew you How you must do them hoping I have already perswaded you that they must needs be done First therefore We must do them out of Faith in Christ that is relying upon him only for the acceptance and rewarding of them for in him alone God is well pleased with us and with what we do and therefore without saith and reliance upon him it is impossible to please God We must not think there is any worth in our works for which any such reward as God hath promised is due For alas our best works are full of imperfections and far short of what the Law requires Our reward therefore is not of merit but out of the merciful promise of God in Christ which the Apostle means when he says We are saved by grace and not by works that is It is the grace and favour of God in Christ which makes our selves acceptable and our works rewardable and not any desert in them or us Having laid this foundation The next thing required is Sincerity of heart in doing them We must do them out of the fear of God and conscience of his Commandments not out of respect of profit or fear or praise of men for such as do so are Hypocrites Not every one saith our Saviour that saith unto me Lord Lord but he that doth the will of my Father Now it is the will of our heavenly Father that we serve him in truth and uprightness of heart I know saith David 1 Chr. 29. 17. that thou my God triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness And so he said to Abraham Gen. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou upright or be thou sincere This manner of serving of God Ioshua commended to the Israelites Iosh. 24. 14. Fear the Lord saith he and serve him in sincerity and truth and the Prophet Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 24. Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart This sincerity uprightness and truth in God's service is when we do religious and pious duties and abstain from the contrary out of conscience to God-ward out of an heart possessed with the love and fear of God It is otherwise called in Scripture Perfectness or Perfectness of heart For it is a lame and unperfect service where the better half is wanting as the Heart is in every work of duty both to God and men And therefore it is called perfectness when both go together when conscience as the Soul enlivens the outward work as a Body And indeed this is all the perfection we can attain unto in this life To serve God in truth of heart though otherwise we come short of what we should and therefore God esteems our actions and works not according to the greatness or exactness of the performance but according to the sincerity and truth of our hearts in doing them as appears by the places I have already quoted and by that 1 Kings 15. 14. where it is said that though Asa failed in his reformation and the high places were not taken down nevertheless his heart was perfect with the Lord his God all his days A note to know such a sincerity and truth of heart by is If in our privacy when there is no witness but God and our selves we are careful then to abstain from sin as well as in the sight of men If when no body but God shall see and know it we are willing to do a good work as well as if all the world should know it He that findeth himself thus affected his Heart is true at least in some measure but so much the less by how much he findeth himself the less affected in this manner When we are in the presence and view of men we may soon be deceived in our selves and think we do that out of conscience and fear of God which indeed is but for the fear or praise of men either lest we should be damnified or impair our credit or the like But when there is none but God and us then to be afraid of sin and careful of good duties is a sign we fear God in truth and sincerity and not in hypocrisie The special and principal means to attain this sincerity and truth of heart is To possess our selves always with the apprehension of God's presence and to walk before him as in his eye Wheresoever thou art there is an Eye that sees thee an Ear that hears thee and a Hand that registreth thy most secret thoughts For the ways of man saith Solomon Prov. 5. 21. are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings How much ashamed would we be that men should know how much our hearts and our words and actions disagreed How would we blush that men should see us commit this or that sin or neglect this or that duty What horrible Atheism then doth this argue that the presence of man yea sometimes of a little child should â—â—nder us from that wickedness which God's presence cannot This having of God before our eyes and the continual meditation of his All-seeing presence would together with devout Prayer for the assistance of God's grace be in time the bane of hypocrisie and falshood of heart and beget in stead thereof that truth and sincerity which God loveth Another property of such obedience as God requires is Vniversality we must not serve God by halfs by doing some duties and omitting others but we must with David Psal. 119. 6 20. have respect to all God's Commandments to those of the second Table as well as to those of the first and to those of the first as well as those of the second The want of which Vniversality of obedience to both Tables is so frequent as the greatest part of Christians are plunged therein to the undoubted ruine of their fouls and shipwrack of everlasting life if they so continue For there are two sorts of men which think themselves in a good estate and are not The one are those who make conscience of the duties of the first Table but have little or no care of the duties of the second And this is a most dangerous evil by reason it is more hard to be discovered those which are guilty thereof being such as seem religious but their Religion is in vain Such were those in the Church of Israel against whom the Prophet Esay declaimeth Chap. 1. from the 10. verse to the 17. To what
unto Him as this Of the practice of Antiquity THAT the ancient Christians worshipped towards the East that is the same way they did their first homage to God in their Baptism is manifest to all that have but looked into Antiquity That their Altars also were usually placed toward the same in their Churches is a Truth that can hardly be questioned It follows therefore that when they worshipped they turned themselves or looked toward the Altar also If it be asked Which of the two they respected in this their posture I answer they respected both and therefore placed the Altar accordingly to the Eastward that both might be observed even as the Iews placed their Altars both of Incense and Burnt-offering toward the West because they worshipped that way But if they could not observe both then they preferred the Altar as in that Church at Antioch where if Socrates say true the Altar or place thereof the Chancel for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies stood toward the West contrary as he there acknowledgeth to the manner of other Churches Now he that considers well the Custome of Antiquity and remembers that which Gregory Nazianzen testifies of his mother Nonna will not think it credible they should either turn their backs upon the Altar or their faces from the Priest whilest he officiated thereat as then he always did which yet they must needs do if notwithstanding that situation of the Altar they had worshipped toward the East Howsoever if the nature of the things be considered there can be no difference given for the point of lawfulness between the one and the other nor why this should more intrench upon impiety and Superstition than that Thus much we find of the Christians posture in general when they worshipped God But what reverential Guise Ceremony or Worship they used at their ingress into God's House in the Ages next to the Apostles and some I believe they did is buried in silence and oblivion The Iews before them from whom the Christian Religion sprang used as I have already shewn to bow themselves down with their faces toward the Testimony or Mercy-Seat The Christians after them in the Greek and Oriental Churches have time out of mind and without any known beginning thereof used to bow in like manner with their posture toward the Altar or Holy Table saying that of the Publican in the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God be merciful to me a sinner as appears by the Liturgies of S. Chrysostome and S. Basil and as they are still known both Laitie and Clergie to do at this day Which custome of theirs not being found to have been ordained or established by the Decree or Canon of any Council and being â—o agreeable to the use of God's people of the Old Testament may therefore seem to have been derived unto them from very remote and ancient Tradition Nothing therefore can be known of the use of those first Ages of the Church farther than it shall seem probable they might imitate the Iews God's people before them or have given beginning to the custome of the Churches after them And if kneeling bowing or inclination of the head could be proved or for want of testimony may be supposed to have been their gesture at their ingress surely there were no reason why we should not believe they bowed kneeled or inclined their heads the same way then which they used to pray and worship at other times In the Latin Church this gesture of bowing towards the Altar may seem to have been proper to the Clergy in their approaches to it and recess from it at least to such as came into the Quire the Laity at their first entrance into the Church kneeling only Card. Bessarion a Greek in his Epistle to the Tutor of the Sons of Thomas Palaeologus instructing them how to carry and behave themselves among the Latines In Ecclesiam Latinorum saith he cùm ingredientur in genua procumbentes preces dicant ut Latinis mos est When they shall enter into any Church of the Latines let them kneel down and say their prayers as the manner of the Latines is For in Greece as is aforesaid their manner was to bow Yet whether they used not some other gesture in Spain would be enquired because of those words of Isidorus Hispalensis De Ecclesiasticis officiis lib. 1. c. 10. concerning those that came into the Church after the Service or Lessons were begun Si superveniat quisque saith he cùm Lectio celebratur adoret tantum Deum praesignatâ fronte aurem solicitè accommodet If any shall come into the Church when the Lesson is a reading let him only adore God and crossing his forehead attend diligently to what is read I will add here two the most ancient Testimonies I think extant of a Reverential respect used to be given to the Holy Table or Altar and that as I conceive if not both of them one at least of a more direct nature than that wherewith the same is honoured by being made the term only of our posture when we worship God One is out of Dionysius called Areopagita or whosoever were the Author for sure ancient he is Ecclesiast Hierarch cap. 2. De mysterio Baptismi where he saith That after the Hymn accustomed was sung the Priest or Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having saluted or kissed for either way may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be rendred the Holy Table he goes thence and questions the party to be baptized c. The other is of S. Athanasius in fine Sermonis adversùs eos qui Humanae in Christo Domino Naturae confessores spem suam in Homine defigere dicunt Edit Commel tom 2. pag. 255. in these words Quid quòd nunc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui ad sanctum Altare accedunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illúdque amplectuntur cum timore laetitia salutant velosculantur non in lapidibus aut lignis sed in Gratiâ per lapides aut ligna piis commemoratâ animo insistunt Understand here by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or GRATIA the holy EVCHARIST for so the Fathers are wont to call it See Casaubon Exercit. 16. § 46. The meaning therefore is That those who when they approach the holy Altar do with fear and joy embrace and kiss it as the manner then was attend it not as wood and stones but as that whereby the Body and Bloud of Christ is commemorated to his holy Ones CONCIO AD CLERVM DE SANCTUARIO DEI SEU DE SANCTITATE RELATIVA LEVITICI 19. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sanctuarium meum reveremini QUALEM Philosophi Virtuti sedem posuerunt ab Extremis utrinque remotam talem quoque Sacrae Scripturae stylus Pietatis laudat semitam Viam nempe mediam quâ neque dextrorsum iter neque sinistrorsum Hanc qui tenent viam rectam insistere perfectè coram Deo ambulare qui
hence it is that the Primitive Fathers which write against the Gentiles do so often upbraid them That their Temples were nothing else but the Sepulchres of dead men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clem. in his Protreptie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were indeed called by the specious and plausible name of Temples but were in truth nothing but Sepulchres that is the very Sepulchres of dead men were called Temples He goeth on speaking to the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be ye therefore at length perswaded to forget and relinquish your Daemon-worship and be ashamed to worship the Sepulchres of dead men To the like purpose Arnobius l. 6. advers Gent. Quid quòd multa ex his Templa quae tholis sunt aureis sublimibus elata fastigiis autorum conscriptionibus comprobatur contegere cineres at que ossa functorum esse corporum sepulturas Nonne patet promptum est aut pro Diis immortalibus mortuos vos colere aut inexpiabilem fieri Numinibus contumeliam quorum Delubra Templa mortuorum superlata sunt bustis Where he tells them that many of their Temples famous for their high and golden roofs were nothing but the Sepulchres of the deceased covering dead bones and ashes and that it was very evident that for the immortal Gods they worship'd men that were dead or that they were guilty of doing an horrible dishonour to the Gods whose Temples were built over the burying-places of dead men I might further add to these Oecumenical doctrines of Daemons that monstrous one of the AEgyptians for which their fellow-Gentiles derided them who worshipped living brute Beasts yea Onions and Garlick and Water it self with Divine worship as supposing some Daemon or other to dwell in them Such were their Cow-god Apis and their Bull-god Mnevis and their Water-god Nilus which it shall be enough to have only named to make the former compleat and that from it and the rest of that kind of abominations we may gather this Conclusion once for all That since the Sovereign and Celestial Gods as you heard before might not be approached nor polluted by these earthly and material things but kept always immovably without change of place or presence their heavenly stations therefore the adoring or worshipping of any visible or material thing for any supposed presence or other relation of a divine power therewith is to be accounted amongst the Doctrines of Daemons CHAP. VI. A Recapitulation or Summary of the Doctrines of Daemons How the Severals thereof are revived and resembled in the Apostate Christian Church That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometime in Scripture taken according to the Theology of the Gentiles and not always for an Evil Spirit That it is so to be taken in the Text was the judgment of Epiphanius an observable passage quoted out of him to this purpose AND thus have you seen the Theology of Daemons 1. For their Nature and degree to have been supposed by the Gentiles an inferiour and middle sort of Divine Powers between the Sovereign and Heavenly Gods and mortal men 2. Their Office to be as Mediators and Agents between these Sovereign Gods and men 3. Their Original to be the Deified Souls of worthy men after death and some of an higher degree which had no beginning nor ever were imprisoned in mortal bodies 4. The way to worship them to find and receive benefits from them namely by consecrated Images and Pillars wherein to have and retain their presence at devotions to be given them 5. To adore their Reliques and to Temple them Now therefore judge impartially whether S. Paul's Prophecy be not fulfilled already amongst Christians who foretold that the time should come that they should Apostatize and revive again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrines of Daemons whether the deifying and worshipping of Saints and Angles whether the bowing down to Images whether of men or other things visible breaden Idols and Crosses like new Daemon-Pillars whether the adoring or templing of Reliques whether these make not as lively an image of the Gentiles Theologie of Daemons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as possibly could be expressed and whether these two words comprehend not the whole pith and marrow of Christian Apostasie which was to consist in Spiritual fornication or Idolatry as appears by that name and denomination thereof given by S. Iohn in his Revelation The Whore of Babylon Is not she rightly termed the Babylonish whore which hath revived and replanted the Doctrines of Daemons first founded in the ancient Babel And is not this now fulfilled which S. Iohn foretells us Apoc. 11. That the second and outmost Court of the Temple which is the second state of the Christian Church together with the holy City should be trodden down and overtrampled by the Gentiles that is overwhelmed with the Gentiles Idolatry forty two months But perhaps I am yet too forward in my Application some things in our way must first be cleared For howsoever the resemblance indeed be evident yet First the Text seems not to intend or mean it because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the Scripture never taken in the better or indifferent sense howsoever prophane Authors do so use it but always in an evil sense for the Devil or an Evil Spirit Now the signification of words in Scripture is to be esteemed and taken only according to the Scripture's use though other Writers use them otherwise Secondly For the charge of Idolatry though much of that wherein we have instanced may be granted to be justly suspected for such indeed yet nevertheless that whereupon this Application mainly relieth namely The praying to Saints glorified as Mediators and Agents for us with God should not seem to deserve so foul a name For suppose it were a needless yea and a fruitless Ceremony yet what reason can be given why this should be more tainted with Idolatry than is the like honour given to Saints and holy men whilst they live on earth whom then to desire to mediate and pray to God for us was never accounted so much as an unlawful matter When these two Scruples are answered I will return to continue my former Application To the First therefore for the use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture I say That because those which the Gentiles took for Daemons and for Deified Souls of their Worthies were indeed no other than Evil Spirits counterfeiting the Souls of men deceased and masking themselves under the names of such supposed Daemons under that colour to seduce mankind therefore the Scripture useth the name Daemons for that they were indeed and not for what they seemed to be For no blessed Soul or good Angel would admit any honour which did derogate from the honour of the only true God who made them neither do the glorified Saints in heaven or the blessed Angels though Apostate Christians now invocate and worship them accept of this honour hear their prayers or condescend
I approve your Reasons for not proceeding to publish any more at this present but as Mariners provide against a storm so may we for a calm I have heretofore observed how after Civil Wars in Christendom many excellent things came forth which were studied in the time of Trouble Did not Cicero the like in times of like condition I am glad your thoughts reflect and I hope ever and anon on the same subjects that your friends in private may enjoy the benefit of your labours and talents In the matter of Gog and Magog you have acquainted me with new Mysteries that I never thought of Yet to one who first embraceth your way so I call it because God hath made you his Minister to bring it to light but I account it the way of Truth and so carried by you that in no particular I find just cause of exception concerning Regnum Sanctorum such light you bring to justifie your Conjecture that he will be driven to confess that you deliver nothing without fair ground fair probability and that in such a degree that any other way seems to me for the present nothing capable of the like Your grounds are very fair and clear to every one but never I think taken into consideration by any before your self to that end and purpose whereunto you direct them You cannot easily conceive what content you give me herein and what refreshing it is to my spirit First I perceive that Expedition of Gog against the Land of Israel is reckoned by you after their calling unto Christ and thereupon possessing themselves of the Holy Land the Prophecies of the Old Testament leading thereunto though Iews in former ages have joyned themselves with the Christian Churches of the same Countrey amongst whom they conversed Secondly Also that now you are resolved concerning the place of New Ierusalem namely the land of Iury. Thirdly I guess also you conceive the destruction of Gog and of Antichrist shall be at once by the coming of Christ. Fourthly And that the restoring of the Temple in the latter end of Ezechiel following upon the destruction of Gog is a Type of New Ierusalem Fifthly And that Gog is the Turk For which light that you have given me in all these particulars I most heartily thank you NOW I beseech you let me know what your opinion is of our English Plantations in the New world Heretofore I have wondered in my thoughts at the Providence of God concerning that world not discovered till this old world of ours is almost at an end and then no footsteps found of the knowledge of the true God much less of Christ. And then considering our English Plantations of late and the opinion of many grave Divines concerning the Gospel's â—leeting Westward sometimes I have had such thoughts Why may not that be the place of New Ierusalem But you have handsomely and fully clear'd me from such odd conceits But what I pray shall our English there degenerate and joyn themselves with Gog and Magog We have heard lately divers ways that our people there have no hope of the Conversion of the Natives And the very week after I received your last Letter I saw a Letter written from New England discoursing of an impossibility of subsisting there and seems to prefer the confession of God's Truth in any condition here in Old England rather than run over to enjoy their liberty there yea and that the Gospel is like to be more dear in New England than in Old and lastly unless they be exceeding careful and God wonderfully merciful they are like to lose that life and zeal for God and his Truth in New England which they enjoyed in Old as whereof they have already woful experience and many there feel it to their smart I am ashamed to urge you unto that which I do extremely desire that you would afford me your interpretation of the last verses of Dan. 11. concerning the Fourth Kingdom For I am confident by that you make of the first of them you have in like manner considered it throughout and your fetching the matter off from Epiphanes and the Greeks to the Fourth Kingdom gives great light to the whole Thus over shoes over boots I am run so far in your debt and withall I am so much in love with it that I care not how deep I plunge my self thereinto I commend me heartily unto your love which I prize more than I can express I shall rest Newbury March 2. 1634. Yours ever to love and honour you W. Twisse Post-script I had almost forgotten a special Argument against Regnum Sanctorum whereof I should crave the solution which is this All the Saints departed this life are with the Lord Christ 2. Cor. 5. 8. If all at his coming be not brought with him they shall be divided from Christ and consequently in worse condition than they were before Though he bring all with him yet in that Kingdom there may be place for different degrees of glory and that 1 Cor. 15. Every one in his own order is applied there only to Christ and them that are Christ's EPISTLE XLIII Mr. Mede's Answer to Dr. Twisse his Fourth Letter touching the First Gentile Inhabitants and the late Christian Plantations in America as also touching our Saviour's proof of the Resurrection from Exod. 3. 6. with an Answer to the Objection in the Post-script of the foregoing Letter SIR COncerning our Plantation in the American world I wish them as well as any body though I differ from them far both in other things and in the grounds they go upon And though there be but little hope of the general Conversion of those Natives in any considerable part of that Continent yet I suppose it may be a work pleasing to Almighty God and our Blessed Saviour to affront the Devil with the sound of the Gospel and Cross of Christ in those places where he had thought to have reigned securely and out of the dinne thereof and though we make no Christians there yet to bring some thither to disturb and vex him where he reigned without check For that I may reveal my conceit further though perhaps I cannot prove it yet I think thus That those Countries were first inhabited since our Saviour and his Apostles times and not before yea perhaps some ages after there being no sings or footsteps found amongst them or any Mounments of older habitation as there is with us That the Devil being impatient of the sound of the Gospel and Cross of Christ in every part of this old world so that he could in no place be quiet for it and foresecing that he was like at length to lose all here bethought himself to provide him of a seed over which he might reign securely and in a place ubi nec Pelopidarum factaneque nomen audiret That accordingly he drew a Colony out of some of those barbarous Nations dwelling upon the Northern Ocean whither the sound of Christ had not yet
some brand or stamp upon them which points at the Sin for which they are inflicted you may call it a Sin-mark If the passages and ground of the continuance of this German War be well considered would not a man think they spake that of the Apostle Thou that hatest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledge But I dare go no further it may be I have said too much already For I well know the way that I go pleaseth neither party the one loves not the Pope should be Antichrist nor the other to hear that these things should not be Popery Thus you see I have at length brought both ends together and end where I began Pardon me this one Letter and I will trouble you no more with this Theme your Reply to my short Answer to your Quere occasioned it I forget not my best respect unto your self nor my prayers to the Almighty for blessing to you and yours Thus I rest Christ's Coll. Iuly 15. 1635. Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede I sent by Mr. B. 4. or 5. Exercises upon passages of Scripture such as I had in separate papers and fit to be communicated For those that were in Books joyned with other things I could not and some that were apart for some Reasons I would not expose to danger of censure I hope those which I sent are safely arrived with you EPISTLE LIX Dr. Twisse's Ninth Letter to Mr. Mede thanking him for his pains in the foregoing Letter and desiring his resolution of a Doubt concerning the 7 Lamps signifying the 7 Angels in Zach. 4. Right dear and Right worthy Sir I AM somewhat of a more chearful spirit than when I wrote my last I have gotten more liberty of spirit to consider your large Discourse savouring of great Learning no less Iudgment and a distinctive Apprehension of things of good importance and that not in my judgment only but in the judgment of others though all require serious and further consideration And for mine own particular I cannot but reflect upon my self how deeply I am beholden unto you for intrusting me in so liberal a manner with these your Speculations We can never offend in putting difference between the Holy and Prophane neither can we offend in presenting our selves too reverently at the Lord's Table Never was the Mercy-seat so well known in the days of the Old Testament as in these days of the New We now behold the glory of the Lord with open face and accordingly our Saviour tells us the Lord requires the true worshippers should worship him in spirit and in truth in distinction from worshipping him either at Ierusalem or in the Mount the woman spake of And in this kind of worship we cannot exceed But as for outward Gestures I doubt I shall prove but a Novice as long as I breath and we affect not to make ostentation of our Devotion in the face of the world the rather because thereby we draw upon our selves the censure of Hypocrisie and sometimes if a man lifts up his Eyes he is censured for a P. and I confess there is no outward Gesture of Devotion which may not be as handsomly performed by as carnal an heart as breaths I am confident you are far from studia partium so should we be all and be ambitious of nothing but of the love and favour of God and of our conformity unto him in truth and holiness I heartily thank you for all and particularly for these Pieces which now I return I hope they will arrive safely in your hands What I wrote the last time I have almost utterly forgotten saving the clearing of one Objection concerning the Seven Angels standing before the Throne represented by the Seven Lamps which I much desired it arising from the Text it self the Lamps being maintained by the Oile which drops from the Two Olive-trees which are interpreted to be Zorobabel and Ieshua But I have troubled you so much that I fear the aspersion of immodesty in troubling you any further I cannot sufficiently express my thankfulness for that I have already received I desire ever to be found Newbury Iuly 27. 1635. Yours in the best respect Will. Twisse EPISTLE LX. Dr. Twisse's Tenth Letter to Mr. Mede desiring him to reveal unto him those Pluscula in Zach. chapters 9 10 11. which fit not so well Zachary's time as Ieremy's as also to resolve a Doubt about the 7. Lamps in Zach. 4. with some reflexions upon Mr. Mede's large Letter about Temples and Altars and the Christian Sacrifice Worthy Sir DO you not miss your Letter ad Ludovicum de Dieu And do you not find it strange it is not returned with the rest I assure you I took no notice of it till Wednesday last two days after the last week's Letter I wrote unto you In every particular it was welcome unto me as all yours always are But your Variae lectiones concerning the Old Testament and the pregnant evidences thereof which you alledge do astonish me and above all your adventure to vindicate unto Ieremy his own Prophecy which so long hath gone under the name of Zachary I never was acquainted with any better way of reconciliation than that which Beza mentions of the likeness of abbreviations of each name which might cause a mistake by the Transcribers O that you would reveal unto me those Pluscula which in those three Chapters of Zachary 9 10 11. do more agree as you observe to the time of Ieremy than to the time of Zachary Why may you not have a peculiar way also to reconcile the Genealogie in the LXX with that in the Hebrew where Kainan is found in the one which is not in the other Thus I make bold to put you to new trouble but I presume it is no more trouble to you than the writing like as that other whereabout I moved you How the Seven Lamps are maintained by the oyl derived from the two Olive-Trees if by the Seven Lamps are meant the Seven Angels that stand before the Throne of God Yet have I not done with your large Letter concerning Temples and Altars Since the writing of my last while I was reading that large Letter of yours to some Divines who were much taken with admiration at the Learning contained therein in an Argument wherein we had been so little versed I say in the reading of it I observed one thing which in all my former readings I took no notice of and that is in these words This is a point of great moment and consequent worthy to be looked into by all the Learned of the Reformed Religion lest while we have deservedly abolished the prodigious and blasphemous Sacrifice of the Papists wherein Christ is again hypostatically offered to his Father we have not but very implicitely and obscurely reduced that ancient Commemorative Sacrifice of Christians wherein that one Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross was continually by that sacred Rite represented and inculcated to his Father his Father
Times But whether your meaning were not That for God to be robbed of such a Sacrifice was a great Sacrilege I know not And by Mr. B. I heard as from your self the practice of Bishop Andrew's Chappel was that which first cast you upon such a way so as from thence to observe the course and practice of Antiquity But in my poor judgment it is very strange that a matter of such importance as you seem to make it should have so little evidence in God's Word and Antiquity and depend merely upon certain Conjectures That which you style your Conjectura de Gogo Magogo in my poor judgment is more rational by far and yet the matter thereof you know to be very strange but it prevails very much with me That Declaration of the Palsgrave's Churches since I came home I have seen I remembered your Censure of it as a laxe thing Others passe other judgments upon it on my knowledge and those Divines were accounted in those days as grave and learned Divines as most in Christendom Indeed the matter of Bowing at hearing the name of Iesus is nothing pleasing to some in these times But how doth B. A s. reading in Antiquity serve his turn for that Cornelius à Lapide is a Papist and a Iesuit he saith ad nomem Iesu in S. Paul is no more than ad Iesum I know it is the Father's pleasure that as we honour the Father so we should honour the Son and all the world shall never bring me to shew more reverence at the hearing of the name of Iesus then at the hearing of the name Iehovah and when we are as we should be intent upon our religious comportment before God according to the inward adoration in spirit that we should watch when a word comes to perform outward obaisance in my judgment is very strange And I remember how faintly Mr. H. carries himself in this and others in pleading for it most of all urge this that no body is troubled about it but now more than enough must yield or suffer I never had experience of the practice till now and that makes me the bolder to write as I do Yet whatsoever we shall be put unto I am glad that I have such liberty to confer with you thereabouts I am lately grown acquainted with my Lord of Armagh being encouraged to write unto his Grace about the matter of the Sabbath which I willingly apprehended and acquainted him with all my Grounds whereupon I proceeded and he justifies them all I intreated also help in Antiquity about the Notion of a Sabbath given to the Lord's-Day and he profest unto me that he never inclined his mind to observe that in all his reading and added this reason For he never thought to see such times as these to call into question Whether the Moral Law contains Ten or but Nine Commandments And Dr. Reynolds being ask'd what he thought of Beza's judgment concerning the Sabbath made no other answer but this You know the Commandment Thus have I made bold to write freely as to my dear friend I doubt not but whensoever I am put unto it I shall find you the readier to afford me your best satisfaction for certainly I will neglect no means to keep me out of the paw of the Lion as well as I can I commend you to the grace of God and with many thanks for your love and free communication of precious things I take my leave ever resting Newbury March 20. 1636. Yours to love and honour you Will. Twisse EPISTLE LXXI Mr. Mede's Answer to Dr. Twisse's several Expostulations together with his judgment of Mr. Potter's Discourse touching the Number of the Beast 666. Worthy Sir I Have received yours and heartily thank you for the Book you sent me which I find to be no laxe but a nervous close and well-composed Discourse as written by an abler hand than Voetius or any Dutch-man of them all yea I believe the ablest in that argument now living Concerning Mr. Potter's Discourse before I tell you my opinion I find I have some things else to answer and such as press me so hard as I cannot deny them the first place especially one of them which complains much of being mistaken As that I bad you hearing Prayers in our Master's Closet to stand up at Gloria Patri I 'le assure you you were mistaken My words were We stand up or They stand up I know not certainly which intending only to have you take notice of our manners and fashions as I did also the night before when they bowed at the name Iesus in the Creed I confess indeed when I saw you so suddenly to alter your posture I had some suspicion lest you misunderstood me and repented me I had spoken and thought of it sometimes afterward Yet mine was but doubting I would yours had been so too For why would you suppose me to be so uncivil as to speak unto a stranger and my better in degree in such a rude manner or note as you call it Surely in this you were to blame Nay I do not remember that ever I bad any one little or great either to stand up at Gloria Patri or how at the name Iesus or to conform to other the like posture all days of my life however my opinion hath been concerning them The plain truth is I had a desire to have talked with you about these things and to have acquainted you with something I had that way which now I find your mind so averse I shall never do For this end it was that I ever anone put you in mind to observe our postures and now and then at other times in our discourse touch'd upon something of that kind to have given occasion of conference about those matters And the rather I desired it because I had declared my self so far in my Letters unto you formerly as I thought might require more to be added to prevent such scruples as might arise from thence You may remember what hint I gave you in our Gate-house the first night concerning that place in Daniel And he shall think to change Times and Laws and they shall be given into his hand for a time times and half a time I would fain have entred with you upon that Scripture and told you I had some Notion thereabout which some friends of mine had termed Dog and Cummin-seed c. As for my Sermon at S. Marie's if I could have enjoyed you privately sine arbitris which I much but in vain desired in all probability you had been together with some other things better acquainted with some of the Contents thereof And as for preaching for Bowing to Altars if my memory fail me not the word Altar unless in citing a place of Scripture was never mentioned in my whole Discourse Sure I am there was no Bowing spoken of either with respect to it or to the Communion-Table but only of Bowing in general without any
But enough of this You long you say to hear my Answer to the particulars of your Letter Which do you mean I suppose chiefly that of Fundamental Articles But if such great Prelates and learned Doctors as you mention detrect the defining of the Ratio of a Fundamental Article or designing the Number of them as a matter not only difficult but inconvenient and dangerous Quid ego miser homuncio facerem I confess I am in part guilty of advising Mr. Dury to urge men to think of such a Definition as a ground to examine the points of difference by of what nature they are But I intimated withal how likely they would be to detrect it and wherefore namely lest by that means they might either declare some darling Opinion of their own not to be Fundamental and thereby prejudice their own cause or else exclude out of that number some Articles formerly determined by the Church and so incur a suspicion or be liable to be upbraided with favouring some condemned Heresie But what if to avoid the aforesaid Inconveniences we should go this way to work Make two sorts of Fundamental Articles Fundamentals of Salvation and Fundamentals of Ecclesiastical Communion one of such as are necessarii cognitu creditu ad Salutem simply and absolutely and therefore no Christian soul that shall be saved uncapable to understand them another of such as are necessarii creditu ad Communionem Ecclesiasticam in regard of the predecision of the Church The first not to be of such Truths as are merely Speculative and contained only in the Understanding but of such only as have a necessary influence upon Practice and not all those neither but such as have necessary influence upon the Act and Function of Christian life or whereon the Acts without which a Christian lives not necessarily depend Such namely as without the knowledge and belief whereof we can neither invocate the Father aright nor have that Faith and reliance upon him and his Son our Mediator Iesus Christ which is requisite to Remission of sins and the hope of the Life to come How far this Ratio of a Fundamental Article will stretch I know not but believe it will fetch in most of the Articles of the Apostles Creed And by it also those two main Errors of the Socinians the one denying the Divine Nature the other the Satisfaction of Christ may be discerned to be Fundamental For without the belief of the first the Divine Majesty cannot be rightly that is incommunicably worshipped so as to have no other Gods besides him For he that believes not Christ to be Consubstantial with the Father and yet honours him with the same worship worships not the Father incommunicably which is the Formalis ratio of the worship of the true God from whom we look for eternal Life And without the belief of the Second the Satisfaction of Christ there can be I suppose no saving Faith or reliance upon Christ for Forgiveness of sin After this manner may other Articles be examined Thus much of the first sort of Fundamental Truths measured by the necessitude they have with those Acts which are required to Salvation Concerning the second sort of Fundamentals viz. necessary ad Communionem Ecclesiasticam It is not fit that the Church should admit any to her Communion which shall professedly deny or refuse their assent to such Catholick Truths as she hath anciently declared by universal Authority for the Symbol and Badge of such as should have Communion with her And this sort of Articles without doubt fetches a greater compass and comprehends more than the other as being ordinate and measured by another End to wit of Discipline and so contains not only such Truths the knowledge whereof and assent whereto is necessary unto the being of Christian life but also to the well-being thereof and therefore not needful to be understood of every one distinctly and explicitely as the former but implicitely only and as far as they shall be capable or have means to come to the knowledge thereof This is the Sum of my thoughts concerning Fundamentals If I have not expressed my self so dilucidly as I should I pray help it with some intention of your conceit in the reading For the Book you speak of I like it not I knew by hear-say much of the Author and his condition some years before the High-Commissiâ—n took notice of him and wondred he escaped so long For in every company he came he took an intolerable liberty of Invectives and Contumelies against the Ecclesiastical State when no occasion was offered him Such Books as these never did good in our Church and have been as disadvantageous to their Party who vent them as they have been prejudicial to the common Cause I durst almost affirm that the alienation which appears in our Church of late from the rest of the Reformed hath grown for a great part from such intemperancy and indiscretion as this is and will be still increased more and more if those who seem to be the chief favourers of them go on in this manner He hath too ready a Faculty in expressing himself with his pen unless he would employ it better For who can excuse him from a malignant disposition towards his own Mother thus to publish her faults in Latin of purpose to discover her shame to strangers and to call her Sisters to see it as Cham did his Brothers Think what kind of crime it is for a man that is Civis and a Member to traduce the Rulers of his people among foreiners and what little good affection they are like to expect from ours who are made partisans in such a kind Thus with my best affection I rest and am Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Coll. Febr. 6. EPISTLE LXXXIV Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. Hartlib expressing his Opinion touching Mr. Streso's Book and his distinguishing of Three sorts of Fundamentals Mr. Hartlib I Read over your Streso with some attention and find many learned and considerable passages and discourses therein But for my Animadversions which you look for it were against my Genius for I am one that had rather give my opinion by much though the world hath taught me even there to be somewhat nice than censure another man's But in general I conceive his way to be somewhat ambiguous and intricate more than needs He distinguisheth Three sorts of Fundamentals One he calls Fundamentum ipsum The other two he measures by their relation to it either à parte antè and such he terms Sub-fundamentales or à parte Pòst which may be called Super-fundamentales The one of such Truths quae substernuntur Fundamento the other such as follow by immediate consequence from the same This I take to be the Sum of his opinion Now for that which is his Fundamentum ipsum or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I make no doubt but the acknowledgment of the truth thereof is Fundamental ad Salutem So I believe also are his
herein f I wonder sacred Fathers that ye demur so long about opening and consulting the Sibyll's books as if ye were treating or debating this matter in the Christians Church and not in the Temple of all the Gods * Hist. Eccl. l. 7. c. 29. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Thus was Paulus with great disgrace cast out of the Church by the Secular power b How shall any one be able to express those infinite multitudes of Christians assembling in every city those famous meetings of theirs in their Oratories or Churches and therefore they not being content with those smaller Churches which before they had those their ancient Edifices not being large enough to receive so great a number took care to erect from the very foundations fairer and more spacious ones in every city * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c The Penitents the Hearers the Catechumens or Learners and Probationers in Christianity and the Believers Wheresoever Ten men of Israel were there ought to be built a Synagogue Maiâ— in Tâ—phillah c. 11. Object 1. Answer Object 2. * No Temples Altars Images a Celsus saith Origen affirms that Christians decline the building or setting up of Altars Images and Temples * Lib. 8. contra Celsum b We do indeed saith Origen decline the building of Temples not for the reason which the Gentiles suppose but because we having learnt by the doctrine of Iesus Christ How God is to be worshipped and served we think our selves obliged in conscience to avoid and abstain from all such things as under a prerence and colour of Piety do make men really impious namely those who have erred and gone astray from the true way of worshipping God by Iesus Christ who alone is the way of worshipping God aright according to that most true saying of his I am the Way the Truth and the Life c Why do the Christians keep such ado to conceal and hide that whatsoever it be which they worship Why have they no Altars no Temples no Images unless that which they worship and keep so close were either worthy of punishment or shameful a Do you think that we conceal what we worship because we have neither Temples nor Altars But I beseech you What Image should I make for God whenas if we well consider it Man himself is the lively Image of God What Temple should I build for him whenas the whole world made by him is not able to contain him And whenas I who am but a man have a large habitation and room enough to be in shall I think to enclose and confine so Great a Majesty within one little House Tell me Is not God better sanctified in our Mind and Heart and where can we better prepare an habitation and consecrate a place for God than in the bottom of our Souls in the inmost of our inward man * Al. laxiú◠* Advers Gent. l. 6. b Herein ye are wont to charge us with most hideous impiety and irreligion viz. That we neither build Sacred Houses or Temples to perform the Offices of religious worship in nor make any Image or Representation of any God nor build any kind of Altars at all * See the Difference between Altare and Ara in the Treatise of Tlâ— Name Altar * See the Difference between Altare and Ara in the Treatise of Tlâ— Name Altar c For what use of the Gods should we desire to have Temples for what necessary purposes do we affirm these present Temples to be built or do ye think Temples should be built anew * Institut adversus Gentes lib. 2. cap. 2. d Why do ye not lift up your eyes to Heaven and invocating the Gods by name sacrifice openly and in publick Why do ye rather look to walls and wood and stone than look up thither where ye believe the Gods to dwell What then can Temples mean what do Images or Altars signifie Answer * Worshipping Places Acts 7. 4â— * According to this notion of Templum Tertull. cap. 15. de Idololatria Si Templis renunciâsti 〈◊〉 feceriâ— Temâ— plum januâ—â— tuam Et de Corona mil. cap. 11. Exâ—ubabit nempe Christiâ—nus pro Templis quibus renaâ—ciavit coeuabit ilâ—â— ubi Apâ—stolo non placeâ— id est in Idoko 1 Cor. 8. 10. a I wonder sacred Fathers that ye demur so long about opening and consulting the Sibyll's books as if ye were treating or debating this matter in the Christians CHURCH and not in the TEMPLE of all the Gods b Let us propound the case and suppose as it often comes to pass that the performance of these different Religions may fall out upon one and the same day wherein thou being a Christian must go to the CHURCH and he thy Husband a Gentile must at the same time repair to the TEMPLES a That he either destroyed the Churches of the Saints or else turned them into Temples b Although the Scythians the Numidians in Africk and the irreligious or Atheâ—stical Seres as Celsus characterizes them besides other Nations yea and the Persians too cannot endure TEMPLES ALTARS and STATUES or IMAGES yet is not their and our averseness from these things founded upon the same Grounds and Considerations And a little after saith Origen Among those that are averse from worshipping the Deity in and by ALTARS TEMPLES and IMAGES the Scythians Numidians and the irreligious Seres and the Persians also go upon other Grounds and Principles than the Christians and Iews who hold it utterly unlawful to worship God after that manner For none of those Nations is averse from erecting and setting up Temples Altars and Images upon this account as being apprehensive of that unworthy Hypothesis and notion of the other Gentiles who supposed that the Demons were enclosed and shut up fast in certain Places viz. Temples and Images being either confined thither by Magical Spells or else having preoccupied such places of themselves where they did greedily feed and feast themselves with the Nidour and Savour of the Sacrifices But now Christians and also the Iews are utterly averse from such things out of a conscientious respect to that in the Law Deuter. 6. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve as also in obedience to that in the Decalogue Thou shalt have no other Gods but me and again Thou shalt not make to thy self any Image c. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * So with Tertullian in the places before alledged in the margin Renunciôsse Templis dicitur qui Idolis * Strabo li. 15. in appeud ad Herodot Theodoâ—et li. 5. c. 38. Yea seâ— de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nâ—naeâ—e in Elymaide Persidis 1 Mac. 6. 2. 2 Mac. 1. 13. ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a If there were in you any zeal for your Religion any just indignation against what doth manifestly