his Vicisti Galilaee leaves out himselfe and sets up a God Lucian 1 Tom Timon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which old repentant Eli upon Gods sentence against him hath indenizon'd into a Scripture-expression Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good and if we may apply another orthodox sense to the same words the practise both of the ancient Fathers and of the Moderne most learned devout Writers It is our Saviours almost literally It is I be not afraid From what I have hitherto said Mat. 14.27 as the severest eye cannot discerne a quarrell against my King to whom there is not only an obligation laid upon my words but my very thoughts are also tyed up Eccles. 10 20. so I hope no moderate indifferent man will arraign any piece of my language against his great Court I know I am bound there also for Thou shalt not revile the Gods i.e. as some read the Judges Exod. 22 28. I would faine perswade my selfe that at least that one ingredient of an intire Christian spreads it selfe throughout my spirituall composition to love the whole world I meane the persons for I was never baptized into that hatred and would bee loath which in another kinde of contraries is the divells tallest stratagem to stir up and inflame a contentfull pride out of humility it selfe to make my love of one though of him who is the very breath of our nostrills and whose safety is worth ten thousand of us protect Lament 4.20 2 Sam 18.3 and patronage my contempt of some others In the next place give me leave to speake a few words in the behalfe of my languishing mother the Church and you shall have them as from a true sonne of the Church in the spirit of meeknesse In which there are three points of moment which struggle for the Truth Power of Ordination Jurisdiction and Discipline The two former I conceive to be essentially in the Bishops as succeeding the Apostles for the latter I humbly conceive the forme already establisht by full act of Parliament to be the purest in Christendome All these I shall now much wrong as being removed from the advantage of bookes which led me away a willing captive to them my unconstrained opinions having not tasted the edge of any sword but that of the Spirit which hath subdued my very minde yet I shall venture upon the strength of that reason quae nec decipitur nec decipit unquam at least to wooe a Toleration of them I have some Scripture by me for the former though I wish I could readily recall those other texts also which have so irrefragably convinced my assent In the 6 of Acts and the 2. The twelve called the multitude of disciples unto them and said v. 3. Seeke ye out among you men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisedome whom we may appoint over this businesse which Dr. Gerhard applyes to the Ordination of Deacons and if to the appointing of them the care of the Apostles did descend much more to the appointing of Priests or Presbyters being a superiour Order it is the kinde of argument à fortiori with which our Saviour himselfe does incourage his Apostles against the feare of Persecution and death it selfe The very haires of your heads are all numbered Feare yee not therefore Mat 27.30 not them that can kill the body nor did the Apostles only do this but the injunction lay upon their successours the Bishops upon Timothy the first Bishop of the Church of the Ephesians Lay hands suddenly on no man upon Titus the first Bishop of the Church of the Cretians 1 Ep. 5 c. 22. v. For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest ordaine Elders in every City The case is thus farre plaine that it hath been so 1 Ch. 5 v. it is plainer yet that it may be so by the Concession of the greatest Divine-Antagonists who having received their orders from such hands performe their Ministeriall function without any new qualification Now since their power is confest lawfull on all hands and necessary on some the designe certainly of inlarging the Kingdome of Christ and setting up his throne in the hearts of men might goe on more cheerfully whilst that way of receiving it is indulged to those thousands who can no otherwayes receive it It is as true as Scripture Except we eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud St John 6.35 we have no life in us That flesh and blood are imparted in the Eucharist that Eucharist by the Ministers of the Word that those whom the Bishops ordain can administer the Sacrament is granted by All that those who are otherwayes ordained cannot say also that they are not ordained is beleeved by many by very much the greater part of Christendome and what then shall become of those many soules who hunger and thirst to be thus made righteous who passionately cry out Lord evermore give us this bread v. 34. when they beleeve the Hand that reaches it out might to as good purpose hold forth a stone and when they call for this blood to drinke they shall only finde that the Well is deep and there is nothing to draw Certainly this is not such a common dyet John 4 6. 1 King 17.6 that with the Prophet Elijah wee should be beholden to the Ravens to bring us bread and flesh in the morning that bread which is flesh also I meane such of whom wee suspect they have nothing else of the Priest about them but the black they weare I cannot before I proceed but humbly desire the Reader to be as impartiall as my selfe and not to conceive any thing here to be dispatcht by an Incendiary but from a conscience which groans under these very pressures and poures it selfe out to heaven for a reliefe I would not like her who dreamt herselfe with childe of a Firebrand adde the least sparke to the combustion already made but only beg a plaister for the sores and scorchings which rankle and fester our soule in the best part of it our minde when thou hast beleeved my sincere purpose I may goe on to tell thee that if we looke upon all Christendome and all antiquity the universality of time and place will be out loud Advocates if I should tell a heathen who like King Agrippa was almost perswaded to be a Christian how much the Church of Rome agrees with us it should be no disadvantage to the Generall Cause and it should have moment too amongst our selves wherein we are at one unlesse with the Invocation of Sâ—â— we would also renounce the calling upon God because the Papists say Our Father especially which had its full operation upon that learned compacted friend of Truth and enemy of Romish errour that our acknowledgement must render unto God the things that are Gods Sir Edwin Sands in spec Eur. p. 77. considering that all
reasonably conclude that God hath set forth some more peculiarly inabled by one gift then others and therefore thinke it unfit to be equally claimed by all Wee are already in a Conflagration but we may remember that the whole world was set on fire when the Novice-Phaeton would needs hold the Reines and misguide the Chariot of the Sun If yet this Parlty must be inforc't I would desire that Church-man to ruminate the reply of Lycurgus one of the wisest Legislators that ever sate at Sterne who when he was sollicited to set up a Democracy slack't the importunity of the rash adviser with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereupon he went away like the rich man in the Gospel very pensive for he had many Servants and shall Gods House indure that confused Anarchy which thy owne abhorres Certainely if wee thinke it meet to transcribe from Heaven wee shall finde that without repining of the starres 〈◊〉 â—â— 10. God made two great Lights the Sun to rule the day and the Moone to rule the night and shall it be otherwise with those who are called the Light of the world Shall the seven Golden Candlestickes be remooved Mat 5 14. Rev. 2 22. or else a Blazing Star or a Rush be put into them Nay in Heaven amongst the very stars one differs from another in glory and when your selves come thither 1. Cor. 15 â—â— though every one of you shall be full of glory yet there shall be a different measure according to your severall Capacities Christ hath told us there shall be a least in the Kingdome of Heaven and I have somewhere read it well illustrated by glasses of a different size Math. 11.11 dived into the River of which though one holds more none is fuller then another the Amphora and the Vrcens are both brimmed up and therefore no roome either for more Drops into it selfe or for Envy at anothers streame to which I may apply that of Seneca Hic plus edit ille minus quid refert Vterque iam satur est hic plus bibit Epist 85. ille minus quid refert Vterque non sitit Yet if the Episcopall word be only excepted at as I have heard some moderate judging adversaries give in their verduit that the Authority must be retained or else themselves shall fall out with any new intrusion and the name and thing may still be allowed us if a Pastour or a super-intendent the Latine-English of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall turne out the Notion and leave behind the Rem substratam I should not much straine at it though I know not how justly queazy others might be and feare the Title be onely parted with as an Earnest that all the Appendages shall follow though any Bargaine may be legally evacuated with the losse of Earnest such a Gnat though with reluctancy wee might perhaps at length swallow though the other Camell would down-right choake us and like the Picture of Jonah in the Whales mouth stick in our throat for ever it would neither feede us it selfe and would also stop up the Avenew that no other sustenance might have passage in this case I should blesse God for one of Jobs Messengers that the Caldeans had fell upon these and the like Camells and carryed them all away Job 1.17 as fearing also that such Beasts of space and compasse might fill up the narrow way and lie as another Gate before the strait-gate of Heaven to lock us out Math. 7.14 But it is of late said by the Compilers of the Annotations upon the whole Bible that this kind of Cleargy is inclined to Popery Preface pag. 2. and have used meanes for the introduction of it that I may not over-expresse any thing and my relation be charged with malice I will give it you in their owne language which is of it selfe so high that I confesse I have not fancy enough to soare at that rate And if ever those Masters of the Mystery of iniquity having a long since set on foote their designe to make the Kingdome retrograde in Religion in turning toward the Tenets of Doctrine and Forme of Worship of the Romish Church have any cause to mount it on horsebacke it must be by putting downe the most found sincere and zealous preaching of the Word as by some experimentall preparations wee have seene of late and our reason may fore-see and fore-cast for the time to come for this hath been and it is like may be hereafter their manner who labour to extinguish at least to eclipse the light of Evangelicall Doctrine first by picking a quarrell with the most sufficient diligent and conscionable Preachers to stop their mouthes imprison their persons or to drive them from their Country Pudet haec opprobria a heavy charge I confesse to betray the truth but since the bare assertion is the whole argument I shall thinke it an honest payment to returne that Romish answer Ais Nego unlesse themselves introduce a Doctrine of the R. Church and speake infallibly yet if these kinde of men thus insimulated of Apostacy have not beene the stoutest Propugners of our Religion against the Church of Rome many of them by writing some by sealing the Truth with their blood I have read no books to the meanes they are said to use for the incompassement of so darke a designe I will not returne that answere Quid minus est non dico Oratoris sed hominis quam id objicere Aduersario Tull. Philip. 2. quod ille si verbo negarit longius progredi non possit qui objecerit the times give me another reply and I am sorry I must par pari referre lay downe payment in the same coyne Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur that many sound sincere and zealous Preachers are put downe that the mouthes of the most sufficient diligent conscionable Preachers are stopt that the persons of many of theÌ„ are imprisoned here and many others have got leave to be driven out of their Country Servi ut taceant Jumenta loquentur Canis Postes Marmora of which though wee who are yours and would be their Servants in Christ should be as silent to you as wee are to our Flocke the stone out of the wall shall cry and the beame out of the timber shall answer it Habak 2 1â— for want of the Antiphonaries the Vox clamantis in the Priest and the responsals of the people for that at the present there are many hundred Churches in England lye speechlesse or have no constant certaine known voyce for the sheep to follow the Epitome of it London can witnesse at large This Altum silentium is but a sad off-spring of Reformation especially when the generall cry of it in those common mouths where there is vox praeterea nihil and that not halfe so weet as the Nightingale does most vehemently breath it selfe against dumb dogs unlesse this late sacred silence be deem'd extaticall and a
devout imitation of that spirit Rom. 8.26 which sometimes inwardly makes intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered But where I said Priest I may perhaps be asked why I did not call him a Presbyter or Elder and it is not much amisse if I had called him so but then let me briefly cleare in what acception I would take the word and acknowledge my information received from that learned impartial Indagatour of Truth Jos Mead B. D. in his Diatribae or rather from God by him for I may more immediately apply that here to a full explainer of Gods owne word which Zanchius acknowledges as a due panegyrique to Aristotle Tom. 1. pars 2. lib. 4. c. 2. Ad singula sophismata dignoscenda utilissimam nobis prabuit operam Aristoteles imo Deus per Aristotelem It is in his Tractate upon 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elders that rule well especially they that labour in the word and doctrine From whom I learne that the New Testament useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments that hence was raised the Saxon word Priester and from that neither from Jew nor Pope the English word Priest Hence some will have two sorts of Elders the Ruling-Elders from the first words and the Teaching-Elders from the last but the ancient Fathers Chrysostome Jerome Ambrose Theodoret Primasius Oecumenius or Theophylact as they had no Ruling-Elders so from these words understood Priests onely The words from the originall would be thus rendered Let the Elders that rule well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chiefly those of them who labour So that there are two duties but not two sorts of Elders so Chrysostome and other Greek Writers Another Interpretation is that the Apostle speakes here of Priests and Deacons considering both as Members of the Ecclesiasticall consistory and then the words beare this Let the Elders that rule well whether Priests or Deacons especially the Priests who rule and labour also without this bee meant no provision is made here for Deacons which is improbable to be omitted seeing the very Widows are cared for in the verse before Others admit two sorts of Elders but both Priests the one residentiary who were affixed to certaine Churches and so did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other of such that Travelled to preach the Gospell where it was not or to confirm it where it was preacht to this latter sort the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may relate being used by St. Paul in this very sense 1 Cor. 15.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it is manifest he travelled much more then they all Now whether a Text capable of so various exposition be a sufficient as it is the only foundation for a New government never heard of in the whole Church of God since the Apostles time till this last age He that can judge let him judge But what if from hence we also grant them Lay-Elders not Church-officers but Civill Magistrates So we read of the Elders of Israel of the Elders of Judah of the Elders of the Priests of the Elders of the people and then the sense is Let the Elders which rule well even the Civill Magistrate also especially those Ecclesiasticall Elders that labour in the word Is not this good sense And does not the Apostle begin this Chapter with an Elder in the larger sense V. 1. Rebuke not an Elder but intreat him as a Father and the younger men as brethren So St. James calls the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments Ch 5.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were in distinction from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Elders of the Church being one and those of the Commonwealth another Nor is this exposition ambitious as preferring the Elders of the Church before those of the Common-wealth for the name of Elder is never given in Scripture to the supreame Magistrate but to the subordinate only I have Analised this peice from an heroicke pen that I might not wholly frustrate HIS READER but tender something worthy his eye I confesse my selfe if I were displumed of my borrowed ornaments and lookt upon in puris naturalibus as empty and naked as Aesops Crow after Restitution made but withall would have thee remember that Truth also is wont to be limbed naked and that the drawne colours are not put upon her but are herselfe I count my selfe the more happy whilest I doe thus Aliena vivere quadra yet so too that the taste of my owne judgement does relish and approve the meat though another provides the dish it is my owne stomach which makes the concoction and bids the dyet sustaine me The next sad object which would be grieved for is the utter change of our forme of worship in our publique prayers to God and woe is it with the repute of our first and second Reformers whose Ashes would deserve very ill of mournfull posterity fit to be racked out of their Urnes and if the Liturgy there be queathed to us were indeed such an Idoll as some blacke mouthes would make it like the dust of Aarons Calfe to be strawed upon the water Exod. 32.20 and we as the Israelites be compelled to drinke of that brooke in our way if their undiscreet piety their zeale without knowledge had defiled our worship of God into such an intire abomination as that it is left uncapable to be any other way reformed then by exact abolishment by a very contradiction no great need of a tough laborer to winnow that harvest and separate the chaffe if there be any from the wheat none of a choice subtle head-peice to distinguish Truth from colors and reality from errour to purge out the one and to polish refine and approve the other when the impartiall doom shall strike at all not tainted with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unallured with the beauties and graces of the best face amongst them which could implead no exception from that sweeping common ruine Vna litura potest should the Spanish Inquisition Isay 14 23 or the Popes Bulls nay should the Sword and Alcoran of Mahomet which have both beene wont to take their progresse together and to succeede alike the Alcoran has beene the Booke but the Sword the Pen should all these defloure our shoare with uninterrupted passage the worst of them could doe no more then put downe All pardon me if this sounds like passion and a boisterous Surge furrowes the Calme face I promised such a losse affects the most sensible part it touches to the quicke of the soule quod in anima tenerrimum est and the weight of it must squeeze out a word and a sigh tread the Wine-presse and marke if it doe not bleed thou can'st not so much as beat thy own drum but it will speak till it deafes thy eares with clamour Yet all this noise like those sobs after the departure of a best friend doe not murmure at God for any Instrument he shall please to
begirt with his permissive Commission to goe out and destroy to root out I and branch out and to pull downe our most holy desires because of our former neglect of them wee acknowledge it just in him to let our after-sins be an additionall punishment to those which went before so that what ever is here said is but an unreflecting bewaylement of our owne sad condition and I hope as it is lawfull for us to be wretched it is so too to bemoan our selves and not to let God alone though we interpose not amongst men till he restore these blessings For the lawfullnesse nay the Energy of set Formes of Prayer because I confesse my selfe too low of wing and not piniond for such a slight capeable of so much majesty of naturall historicall and scripturall reason with which it is richly furnishd by those solid substantiall pens some of whose deliberations I have formerly perused and some I have now by me and thanke God for all that I may give you the more light and not eclipse them I shall impart to you the Streame and the Fountaine their reasons and the Authours together with some slender supernumerary account of my owne observation and greivance though I well know this will only call backe your intent eye from the magnificent buildings and stately inward ornaments to beg at least one broken glance upon the homely disfigured out houses Where first Mr. Mead will tell you In his Diatribae pag. 1. that our Saviours Prayer is prescribed not only as a Patterue though so also Pray thus Math. 6.9 but in the very Forme of these words when you pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say say these very words Luke 11. v. 2. Our Father where t is marke-worthy that the delivery of this Prayer in St. Mathew as part of Christs Sermon upon the Mount was not upon the same occasion nor at the same time as that in St. Luke which was upon a speciall motion of his Disciples at a time when himselfe had done praying that of St. Mathew in the 2. that of St. Luke in the 3. yeere after his Baptisme whence it followes that his Disciples tooke that in St. Mathew for a Patterne only and not for a Forme had they taken it for a Forme also they were already provided and then neede not still aske how to prays that they may take it for a Forme also t is commanded to be performed in haec verba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was a precedent and warrant to his Church to give the like Formes Next he tells us the practise of the Old Testament is a good rule to follow in the New and instances in those 2 set Formes appointed by God himselfe Numb 6.23 On this wise Deut. 26.13 Then thou shalt say I have brought Next that the Booke of Psalmes was the Jewish Liturgy or the cheife part of their vocall worship in the Temple evidenc't by the Titles of the Psalms which commend them to the severall Quires in the same to Asaph to the Sons of Korah to Jeduthun and almost 40 of them to the Magister Symphonia in generall the like wee are to conceive of those which have no titles as of the 105. and the 96 Ps which wee finde in 1 Chron. 16.7 to be delivered by David into the hands of Asaph and his brethren for Formes to thanke the Lord wee our selves also and all the Reformed Churches sing the Psalmes not only as set Formes but set in Meeter i. e. after a humane composure are not the Psalmes set Formes of confession Of Prayer Of praysing God If they say these are rehearsed only as Chapters for Instruction though my owne generall observation amongst military men and others disinclined to our Liturgy will reply them to be their devotionall and not only their hearkning part else certainly they would give as favourable and submisse an Audience to a Samuel and a Matthew as they doe to a Hopkins and a Sternhold they would not else be so familiarly covered to a Prophet and an Evangelist when they appeare themselves and bare presently to the advice of a David when he only comes abroad by proxi and the King is lessened in the Ambassadour unlesse perhaps the Reverence is the more because however he is now disguised he was once a King Though I never forbeare to communicate in this Matter-Liturgy yet I alwayes looke upon them cum venia as an under-forme in the Schoole of Liturgy whose skill I never yet heard any dare to equall with those grand Archi-Compilors whom a very stake and faggot could not confute yet no doubt wee may and ought sing the Psalmes as they in the Old Testament did the Churches of Israel used the Psalmes for Formes of praysing and invocating God what else meane those formes cantemus Domino psallite Domino c But there are two more direct and expresse Testimonies 1 Chron. 25.1 It is expressely said of the Sons of Asaph and Jeduthun that their Office was to Prophesie with a Harpe to give thankes and to praise the Lord. 2 Chron. 30.21 Wee reade that the Levites and the Preists Praised the Lord day by day singing with lowd Instruments unto the Lord and lastly to leave no place for further doubt wee reade Ezra 3.10.11 that the Levits the Sons of Asaph were sent with Cymbals to prayse the Lord after the Ordinance of David King of Israel and that they sung together by course in praysing and giving thankes Thus it was then and thus it should be now for the Priest is called the Month of the people whose Mouth he is not if they are unacquainted with what he sayes It should be so for uniformity for the Church being a mysticall body cannot better testifie her unity before God then in her uniformity in calling upon him Thus farre he to whom I also refer thee in the same Tractate for an ample satisfaction to all voluntary extemporaneous prayer in publique To these I will adde some few reasons yet so that there shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Ilyad of proof bosomed within the slender compasse of a Nut-shell which I have borrowed from Dr. Hammond In his practicall Catechisme and which doe lesse coincidere with the former whose holy life who ever knowes will easily beleeve he is such a man who does not stare à partibus is of no side but Truths and Christianity and that his reading had taught him the practize and the practize wrote his booke Where first let the practize of our dying Saviour give life to the legality of a prescription when he repeats the ancient words of his Father David My God my God why hast thou forsaken me to quicken us to repeat His own words who is now Our Father in Heaven Secondly The no-objection against a prescribed Forme for as it is lawfull to use them after the uncontroled example of all Churches throughout all times so it is lawfull to prescribe them at some times and for