on my forehead the banner of the Cross The custome then being ancient and innocent because observed in the best times it ought to be retained and for its better observation be enjoyned by authority certainly not laid aside to gratifie humorous people 3. As for kneeling at the receiving of the holy Sacrament though there be not so clear a constat yet this is plain the Ancients used the same gesture they did at prayer which never was that of sitting which neither in it self hath nor in the esteem of the Ancients ever had any thing of reverence Tert. de Orat. c. 12. protests against it and Amesius c. 18. de Consc p. 191. rejects it because not expressive of reverence nor approved in Scripture Now kneeling was the ordinary custome Euseb l. 8. c. 5 8. standing was at particular times and places which they used as a significant Ceremony yet when they stood they bowed the body after the manner of worshipping which is sufficiently proved by that received rule Nemo manducat c. Let none communicate but he who first adores so that ordinarily they kneeled when they received and when they did not they worshipped The best reformed Churches use kneeling and the best learned of those who do not acknowledge it a gesture of humility and reverence which where it is constituted ought to be uniformly observed The Genevians in their Annot. on the harmony of Confessions are well content every particular Church should use her liberty in such cases particularly they make mention of kneeling at the Communion and use of all such Ceremonies as now are observed by the Lutherans Copes Organs c. and had been used before by Papists Annot. Sect. 14. Obs 4. ad Confes Bohem As an upshot to this when an English fugitive Separatist proposed his Thesis de Adiaphoris at Geneva he could not be permitted to discuss them The whole may be drawn up in this order Ceremonies are lawfull things some of this kind are expedient these expedients ought to be significant these may and occasionally ought to be imposed these so imposed are to be observed and those we practise caeteris paribus are to be settled rather than any other because thereby we honour our first Reformers we obey our lawfull Superiours we keep up our alliance with other reformed Churches sure with the chiefest and best and which is more we hold a firm correspondence with the primitive and present Catholick Church CHAP. VI. AS for the observation of Holidays the Grandees of the Sectarians seemed once willing to admit Festivals provided they were not called Holidays which was nothing else in them but a silly sour singularity and morosity for more learned and much better men than they never scrupled at the name Mr. Perkins Demonst Problem p. 232. n. 6. asserts this Holy they are not in and for themselves but for the holy duties then performed to God Dr. Rivet in Ex. 20. p. 167. declares A relative holiness belongeth to them and they might very properly be called Holidays ratione finis in respect to their ends and uses being separated for holy exercises So they were constituted and observed in the primitive Church S. Chrys Hom. in Ascen hath assured us The Catholick Church observed six recurring anniversary Solemnities in memory of Christ's Nativity Epiphany Passion Resurrection Ascension and mission of the Holy Ghost The matter of fact is notorious In the Reign of Dioclesian an 294. and by the Greek Menology on the twenty fifth of December the Christians assembled to commemorate the Birth of our Lord whereof the Emperour having received intelligence commanded the doors of the Church to be shut and fire set to it which soon consumed both them and it Julian in an hellish design joyned with the Christians in their publick Assembly on the sixth of January called the Epiphany The Festival for it 's called by Phil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Fast of our Saviour's Passion was solemnly celebrated and that from long custome Eus l. 2. c. 16. The dispute so early started about the time of the observation of Easter puts that beyond dispute Just Mart. Resp ad Orthod 115. speaks of its being kept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Apostles time Euseb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. Eus l. 5. c. 23 24 25. and S. Aug. Ep. 119 ex authoritate Scripturarum universae Ecclesiae consensione The Ancients called Ascension Tessaracostae Scal. de Emend Temp. many are their Homilies on that day Conc. Elib c. 43. treats of Whitsuntide as an ancient Solemnity censuring all those who neglect it as Hereticks The matter of fact is backed with a good reason For if the primitive Christians were strict in the observation of the Birth-days as they were called but indeed Death-days of the Martyrs we cannot imagine they would be forgetfull fo the joyfull days wherein the Lord and the Lord of the Martyrs begun continued and perfected the work of the Redemption of mankind But evident it is those days were religiously observed S. Cypr. l. 3. Ep. 6. expressed his great care and zeal those commemorations and solemn Offices should not be slurred Rivet in Ex. 20. p. 154. saith Ratio postulat c. Reason requires that not onely certain days but sufficient be retained even as many as the right constitution safety good of the Church and the glory of God requires For we being exonerated from the Jewish yoke may have more ought not have fewer days for the service of God than they had but they had more than one in seven some whereof were of humane institution This he confirms p. 163. Quod de die c. that which was expresly said of the seventh-Seventh-day by analogy and parity of reason respects any day which the Church hath appointed and in common use hath observed for holy Meetings whereupon all Interpreters do conceive not onely the Lord's day but all other lawfully instituted Festivals are comprehended under the Fourth Commandment But a good word from Geneva may doe more service than all other authorities and reasons Hear a whole gang of Genevians at once Every Church may use her liberty in observing Ember-days and Holidays consecrated to the godly memory of the Saints Annot. in Harm Confess Sect. 16. Obs 1. ad Conf. Boh. and retain the use of singing Christian Hymns and Songs upon the Holidays Obs 2. Zanch. in Expl. c. 2. ad Col. so far approves them that though he thinks there is no absolute necessity for them yet there is a profitable necessity in their due observation Bishop Dav. in his exposition of the same words hath furnished us with three substantial reasons who will may consider them CHAP. VII THE last which is opposed is the Doctrine of the Church exemplified in the Book of Articles The Independent Sophi hath expressed so great kindness for 36 of them that by his Verdict woe be to him that shall dispute them no less correction will satisfie his tender Conscience than exile but away
him upon a Puritan Vote or Republican Resolution as they who prove and prosecute it upon the Pope's Placet or Fiat that cannot be the mystery of Godliness and Saintship in a Presbyterian or Independent which is presumed to be the mystery of Iniquity in the Pope and if the Doctrine of Rebellion be the mark of the Beast in a Pontifician it cannot be a sign of Election in a Smectymnuan or Owenist for if the Pope by the plenitude of his power can discharge Subjects from the Oath and bonds of Allegiance then the Sectaries by what names or titles soever divided or subdivided can free themselves upon easier terms for one will absolve himself by a dormant dispensation of the spirit another excuse himself by the pretence of a new light a third will plead Providence a fourth Conscience and the Blades of Fortune will stand upon their privileges The result of this tedious Chapter is God had always a Church this Church had always a Government this was always detemined by God who in the first Ages of the world settled this power on the first-born who were both Kings and Priests after he separated these Offices Moses to hold the Kingly power Aaron the Priestly yet he so ordered that the Priestly power should be subordinate to the Regal he foretold the like order should be established in the Christian Church that Nations should flow into it Isa 2. 2. and the Kings of those Nations should be nursing Fathers to it Isa 49. 23. that together with them should be spiritual Fathers Bishops as Prefects therein Isa 60. 17. for Clement according to that Copy which the Apostle useth reads that Comma thus viz. I will make thy Bishops peace so do the Seventy who in nineteen other places render the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop so Pagnine from R. Abraham and Buxtorf what we translate Office Psal 109. 8. they reade Prefecture which S. Peter Acts 1. 2. calls Bishoprick what was thus prophesied God in the fulness of time determined by his all-wise providence verified when the Church was first governed by our Lord Jesus Christ who had under him Commission-officers his Apostles and under them the Seventy Disciples After his Ascension and descent of the Holy Ghost the Apostles ruled in chief having Attendants and Assistants to them whom they after substituted as the necessities of the Church required for Bishops with Deacons and Priests under their Jurisdiction Thus the Church stood and was governed for 300 years till the nursing Fathers appeared then and ever since Kings and Bishops have presided in it Kings having the Dominion Bishops the Jurisdiction in the Catholick Church This was one great end of the Reformation to restore our Kings and Bishops to their universally acknowledged Rights due to them by Divine Law this of all other Governments is the most Christian rational and practicable because most suiting with the main end of Government which is that we may live quiet and peaceable lives without any Faction or Schism in all godliness and honesty and this therefore and no other is to be retained in the Church both upon the true measures of piety and prudence CHAP. IV. THE next thing canvassed in this Church is the constituted Worship of God by Liturgy with Ceremonies and Holy-days SECT 1. If it can be evinced that prescribed Forms were used in the Three first Centuries it will follow in the judgment of all unprejudiced persons they are still to be practised and imposed Num. 1. Our Lord and Saviour prescribed a Form to his Disciples Matt. 6. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. not onely for the Matter but very Form for this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. is the same with that Numb 6. 23. according to the Septuagint which did not respect onely the Substance but the Words as they were dictated S. Luke makes it clear When ye pray say Verba recitationem certam praescribit saith Melanch he gave them an Express saith Diod. long before them S. Cypr. de Orat. Dom. Christ consulting the salvation of his people delivered them Etiam orandi Formam and before him Tert. de Or. c. 1 9. Novam c. he ordered a new Form of Prayer and before them both in Trajan's Reign the Christians ordinarily used it as our Greg. observ'd from Lucian The Context will confirm the interpretation for it is generally received the Jewish Teachers did compose Forms for their Disciples S. John Baptist did whereupon Christ's Disciples moved him also for a Form Luk. 11. 1. that thereby they might be owned for such In compliance whereto our Saviour granted their Petition yet with that caution to decline novelty that he took much of it from the Jewish Euchologue as not onely our Greg. hath noted but Drusius also and Capellus plain it is from the manner of its composure it was not delivered as a Directory but as a Liturgy not onely as a Rule to form our Prayers by but a form to pray in good reasons also there are to persuade us notwithstanding the silence of the Scripture that the Disciples constantly so used it for it was a Symbol of their Discipleship not unto them as common Jews who onely used the Church Ritual but as Christ's retainers whose privilege and honour it was to have a Form of his setting they under this relation moved him for a Form in order to its observation and to discriminate them from other Jews or Disciples of other Masters Num. 2. Our Saviour himself practised composed Forms Matt. 26. 30. which Cam. assures us was the solemn customary Hymn which concluded the Supper and it is the more probable because the Disciples joyned with Christ in it which they could not have done unless they had been well acquainted with it Again he used the same prayer thrice Matt. 26. 44. so upon his complaint upon the Cross he used the words of David Psal 22. 1. and when he gave up the Ghost Luk. 23. 46. he took a Form from Psal 31. 7. Num. 3. We have the Presidents of S. Peter and S. John attending the ordinary service Acts 3. 1. which the circumstances of time and place do evince for if they neglected the daily Service or used any other they would have given an offence to the Jews whose conversion they endeavoured this is confirmed from that observation of learned men that the first Christians accommodated all their Offices to the Jewish Ritual and revived the moral Service of God practised in the Jewish Church which was always by a determinate Form saith Capel from Maim Syn. Crit. in Loc. and appears from Luk. 1. 10. compared with Rev. 8. 4. for at the time of Incense they had three Forms called Emeth Gnaboah and Shemshalom because they began with these words Lightf Desc of the Temple Service Mr. Selden in his Notes on Eut. p. 41. from Maim relates The Jews were permitted to have their voluntary prayers yet not on the Sabbath
and Feast days nor with the solemn appointed Sacrifices because prescribed Prayers were then to be observed but onely at the Free-will Offerings and then too with these restrictions they should not be extemporary but prepared Prayers nor were they permitted to the whole Congregation which was tied up to the daily Offices Those places of Saint Paul Eph. 3. 19. Col. 3. 16. are a plain reference to the Jewish practice for there he useth those three Greek words by which the Septuagint renders the three Hebrew Mismorim Tehillath or Rabbinice as Buxt Tehillim and Shirim Diod. interprets this Text by reference to Psal 55. 17. as others to Dan. 6. 10. Num. 4. Primitive practice is deduced 1. From Acts 13. 2. where the Church is said to be solemnly at her Liturgy ministring not to the people by Alms or other acts of Charity but to God in the acts of his Worship in publick Prayers and other parts of the Evangelical Ministery saith Diod. This is agreeable to that Text Acts 2. 42. which in Mr. Calvin's judgment delineates the true state of the Church treating of publick Prayers And to that Acts 4. 24. when the hundred and twenty Converts prayed unanimously and uniformly there were no dissenters amongst them nor mutes all joyned and all in one Form and this a set Form as it is set down in the Text. 2. From 1 Cor. 11. 5. every man and woman c. This at first sight is obvious all of both Sexes prayed and prophesied and from the Context this was done in the publick Assemblies when the Church met v. 20. and this according to an Apostolical Tradition which S. Paul charged them to keep v. 2. But what then is this praying and prophesying 1. This praying here is not by an extemporary faculty or volubility of language it may be questioned whether that was then in use for if when S. Paul Rom. 12. Gal. 5. Eph. 4. 1 Cor. 12. enumerated the gifts of the Spirit he gave a full Catalogue thereof then this pretended gift is begged because no such is mentioned in that Company that of praying by the Spirit 1 Cor. 14. 15. was praying in an unknown Tongue v. 14. which required an interpreter however this be those gifts were not common to all Believers neither was any of them communicated to select persons for popularity and ostentation but for profit and edification yea their proper purpose was to prevent that licentiousness that was taken from the pretence thereof and even to restrain arbitrary prayers and to confine the gifted to such suggestions as the holy Spirit dictated to them this is evident the Apostle censures some of the pretenders for clashing one with another 1 Cor. 14. 21. it was never heard that the Spirit was given to any to pray upon their own heads or according to their own lusts interests and passions but supposing there were such a gift yet it was not to be used at every meeting for if an Interpreter were wanting at any such meeting then all they had to doe was either to resort to the Common Prayers or to break up and be gone neither lastly was this gift given promiscuously to all of all Sexes it being pretended as a peculiar to the Minister or some inspired person endowed therewith therefore praying here must be praying in the Church v. 20. 22. by the Churches prayers according to the order and custome thereof 1 Cor. 14. 40. and then the meaning is Every man or woman meeting at the Church or observing the customary constituted devotions ought to be thus habited and thus to demean themselves 2. By Prophesying here we are not to understand prediction of future events nor the gift of interpreting what was spoken by the gift of Tongues 1 Cor. 14. v. 2 3. nor for speaking to men for edification 1 Cor. 12. 29. all are not Prophets nor is it to be taken passively as some imagine for hearing a Prophecy for then every one that hears a Prophecy is a Prophet and by the same reason every one that hears a Sermon is a Preacher and a reason ought to be rendred why praying should not be interpreted passively as well as prophesying but the notion here is the same with that of 1 Sam. 10. 5. 1 Chron. 25. 1. Luk. 1. 67. for singing Psalms and Hymns so the sense is perspicuous viz. Let every man and woman singing and praising God in the Church appear in such habits as are suitable to their Sex This should not seem odd to them who allow all to sing but silence the whole Congregation in the act of Prayer because in such singing the Psalms which are used contain in them prayers supplications intercessions and thanksgivings but others are verily persuaded that all both men and women have joynt interest in the publick Service of God with the officiating Ministers who as they are for order's sake to direct and lead the Congregation so all assembled have their parts to act A bare corporal presence is mockery and dalliance an Eye or Ear service will never be accepted as the reasonable service of God Thus it hath been from the beginning which is our Saviour's way of arguing Matt. 19. 8. ever since men called upon the name of the Lord for thus it was practised in the Patriarchal ages as our Greg. hath exemplified p. 120 121. Under the Law examples are numerous Ex. 15. 1. 1 Chron. 15. 36. and 29. 20. 2 Chron. 6. 29. the manner is described Ez. 3. 10 11. and the practice proved Psal 34. 3. and 107. 8 15 21 31. Mr. Selden observes the Eighteen composed Prayers by Ezra began with that Psal 51. 15. O Lord open thou our Lips to which the People answered And our mouths shall shew forth thy praise the very Form retained in S. James his Liturgy which is very much for its credit and in ours soon after the beginning S. Paul urgeth it as a Gospel duty Rom. 15. 6. to glorifie God not with distracted or divided minds but with one mind not that of the Minister onely but of all as one in consort for that form v. 11. viz. Praise ye the Lord was the Peoples Hallelujah our Saviour with the Disciples sung the great one on which Musculus observes Ipse ita praelocutus est ut verba illius fuerunt excepta vicissim reddita just as the people with us repeat the Confession Lord's Prayer c. S. Paul reports the unlearned had his Amen to give in at the Eucharist but probably he did more in the other Offices if we believe Just Mart. Apol. 2. sub fin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. where he distinguisheth between the joynt Prayers of Priest and People and those peculiar and proper to the Minister his part lay in those Offices which solely depended on the power of the Keys as Absolution Consecration of the Elements and Benediction the rest which had no such relation were common both to Minister and People who were to accompany him as it
we may truly call them Traitours and Hypocrites which are as hard words as can be used and if they may not be used they were invented to no purpose But to salve the matter some have found out a moderate way of compounding it by joyning an hard and soft word together calling them dissenting Brethren For as the former is a very ungratefull unsociable and offensive word synonymous to Recusant Separatist and Schismatick the other is a sweet pleasant and comfortable appellative Now I cannot yet understand why the same may not be attributed to Romanists unless partiality or popularity prevail too much For the relation is founded either on Nature Profession or Office which are the common ways of appropriating that title but they are our Brethren by Nature as Men by Profession as Christians Dr. Burnet confesses them to be so and sure I am they are Ministers of the Gospel by designation and Function so that a reason should be rendred why Father Garnet Creswell Oldcorn Whitebread and Gawen may not be dubbed Brethren as well as Smectymnuus Brother Baxter Owen Lob or Ferguson If Idolatry destroy the Fraternity on one side of the House Sacrilege will on the other if positive Superstition break off the Brotherhood on the one hand negative will on the other if the Colliers Creed make us ashamed of the relation the no Creed or no Determinate will give us occasion to grieve and mourn if an implicite Faith in the Church or a blind obedience to the Pope make us like to Horse and Mule which have no understanding then it will so happen if we resign our reason to the resolutions of a pack of Demagogues unless we at last be contented the Pope's Chair be removed to the Speaker's at Westminster with a Nemine Contradicente But to shut up all it 's an hard case when men will censure others in that wherein they themselves are faulty For these mellow soft Souls when they are pinched or twitted make use of words as hard in sense though not so harsh in sound and can for a Friend's sake smother stifle and excuse their hard deeds as if we were faln back into Jeoffrey Chaucer's days when words were sins but deeds were not However if any think I have been too rude or bitter against those whom I believe upon good grounds to be dough-baked Ephraamites King-haters Church-Mountebanks Interlopers Barratours a most prodigiously ungratefull profligate Sect let them I say who think so prove it by good authority and reason I will confess and amend which is all the Reformation I yet know is needfull to them who live and are resolved by God's grace to die in the Communion of this most Christian Apostolical Catholick Church James 1. 10. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways Ecclus. 2. 12. Wo be to fearfull hearts and faint hands and the sinner that goeth two ways THE END ERRATA PAge 27 ult after Sylvanus add a full point and dele c. p. 34. 10. for Bidell r. Videli p. 35. 1. after martyr'd add was ib. 21. r. Aera p. 40. 27. r. Heming 41. 18. after day dele full point 42. 2. r. Caranz ib. l. 15. after find add in p. 46. 9. r. in moderate S. Aug. 60. 26. r. Tithes 77. 3. for blame r. clann 78. 21. for its r. which 84. 7. del for 96. 23. r. Evaristus 101. 18. del an honest 102. penul r. Weir 116. antepen r. judaicall 119. 3. for all r. date 124. 16. add to whom 131. 26. r. preside 133. 5. r. Martin in his Lexicon 139. 10. r. their Lord. 145. 12. r. at their own c. ib. l. 18. dele especially 150. 26. for by admitting r. for removing an incon c. 182. 11. r. misnomered 189. 5. r. Royalists 205. 6. for exposed r. opposed