Practice and set up themselves against the Authority of the whole Catholick Church I come now to consider the Opposition it self their Allegations and Reasons Such is the Wit of Man and the Subtilty of Satan that scarce any Truth is so evident but they can find out some specious Appearances to set up against it But such is the Mercy and Wisdom of God that he hath provided sufficient means for Direction for all such as keep within the Bounds of Humility and Obedience that is in Subjection not only of their Wills but also of their Intellects and Understandings to his Orders Ordinances and Prescriptions the very Business of their Lives in this World for Preparation for another And to such besides the Common Means he will kindly vouchsafe a special Guidance sufficient for their Circumstances Of the Danger our Saviour and his Apostles have given to all fair Warning and great Caution acquainting us with the End why the most Wise and Gracious God permits it for Tryal and Exercise the Danger and Subtilty of the Ministers of Satan such as should deceive if it were possible the very Elect the special Marks to know and avoid them viz. Their Fruits specious Pretences Sheeps Clothing and Distraction and Disagreement among themselves crying Here is Christ and There is Christ and special Directions Believe them not Go not out after them All this Provision hath the Devil attempted to undermine partly by raising real Scandals and Offences and partly by strongly representing Imaginary ones But against all this Humility and Charity will fortifie us and the Grace special Guidance and Mercy of God will preserve us if we be careful to continue in those Graces It was Pride and Arrogance and Discontent in Aerius which gave the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epiphan p. 905. a. Devil Advantage to instigate him to the first Opposition of such a Catholick Practice It was Pride Vanity and Ostentation of Parts by which he set Gobarus to work to shew his Learning and Acuteness in finding out Differences of Opinions among them who perhaps in many of those things differed no more than the Writers of the Sacred Scriptures seem to do For I do not find that he made any special Opposition against this Practice But I doubt it was not imaginary but real Scandal and gross Abuses of a good Practice by which Waldo and his Followers and the Albigenses were moved to oppose all without Distinction tho' there seems to have been in him with a Zeal for God but without Knowledge a Mixture of Pride and Conceitedness And it was real and not imaginary Scandal by which Luther was at first moved to oppose Indulgencies and his Followers at first to oppose even this innocent and commendable Practice But in such Men as Vsher and Bucer it was the Reputation of the Cause they had espoused in gross and Compliances with the Times and their particular Interests by which they were moved But let us but carefully follow our Saviour's Admonitions and Directions wisely distinguish the Ingredients of the Composition of Truth and Falsehood and honestly imbrace hold fast and own the Truth when we have the Opportunity and we shall not want sufficient Light and Evidence to find it The specious Appearances set up against this Catholick Practice of the Church of Christ are these 1. That there is no Scripture Authority for it 2. That the Ancient Practice was to Pray for all such as were at Rest 3. That the Ancients were not agreed in their Opinions concerning the State of Separate Souls or the general Intention of the Church in those Prayers To detect the Fallacy Falsity and Impertinence of these Allegations as briefly as may be To the first I say it is a meer Fallacy and grounded upon a false Supposition that nothing is to be admitted in Doctrine or Worship but what there is Scripture Authority for if it be understood of a special Authority and their usual Pretences of not Adding or Diminishing are to be understood of those particular Parts or Books of the Scripture as is plain by the Additional Writings and Practices of Holy Men afterwards 2. It is inconsistent with the Tradition of the Doctrine and Institutions of the Gospel and of the Ordinances of the Apostles which were all by Word and Deed without Writing as the Common Laws of this Nation were at first settled and much of what was written was written upon special Occasions and much with that Brevity and Conciseness by the special Providence of God as was sufficient for them for whom it was intended and yet so as should need an Authentick Explication to preserve the Authority of the Catholick Church 3. It is contrary to the express Directions of the Scripture to contend for the Doctrine once delivered to the Saints in general and to hold the Traditions they had received whether by Word or Epistle c. And if it be understood of a general Authority the Allegation it self is false For it is contrary to all those Scriptures which declare the Authority of the Church and require Obedience to Superiors And either way it is contrary to the Sentiments Testimony and Practice of the Ancient Christians who in Questions of Difficulty and Contests with Hereticks always inquired not only what was written by the Apostles but also or principally what was delivered by them to the Churches which they founded in all Parts of the World of which the Catholick Church doth consist which the Scripture it self stiles the Pillar and Basis of Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 v. Grot. not only for the Sense and Meaning of the Scripture as Lawyers with good reason do when in doubts about the Construction of Writings they inquire how the Usage hath gone for in that case the Writing is the Principal Evidence but in this case what was delivered to the Churches which were compleatly and plainly instructed and ordered by the Apostles was the principal Inquiry and the Scriptures but an accessory Evidence as our Year-Books are of the Common Law in Questions concerning the Common Law But I doubt not but there was a special Providence in it that so much was written and no more and that it was written in such a manner Lastly This hath been the Practice and Pretence of Hereticks and Schismaticks in all Ages to the intent with the better colour to set aside the Authority of the Catholick Church that they might so make way to set up their own private Opinions and Conceits in the Place thereof but never more grossly nauciously and scandalously than by some of the Principal of the late Reformers Calvin especially on the one side inculcating and crying up The Pure Word of God The Pure Word of God and on the other abusing it by straining wresting it to serve their own turns and eluding and evading what is plainly contrary to them which is now past all doubt not only by the Confessions of Mr. Baxter and Le Blank but the many of all
of Temporal Interest or Concern of Applause Reputation Power or Gain This is often very subtle and prevalent where and when it is little suspected 8. Lastly though it be not last in the Order of Causes Abuse or Misuse of the Sacred Scriptures a thing subtilely practised by the Divel and simply many times though not always so but too often craftily dis-ingeniously and dis-honestly by Men. There is in the Scriptures a Divine Perfection such as is in all the Works of God but as much different from that Perfection which Men are apt to imagin as the Wisdom of God exceeds Man's Wisdom And they who endeavour to set up a Humane Conceit of Perfection though they may mean well yet pretending that for Perfection which they can neither prove nor others find there they do great Injury to the Scriptures by raising Prejudices and Scandals in the Minds of many ingenious People against them and against themselves too as either silly weak People or Cheats who impose upon others The Scriptures are of no Use to such as understand not the Language wherein they were Written unless they have them faithfully Translated and How shall they know which is so amongst so many Translations Yet is there enough for the Unlearned in what all or most do agree Nor is the bare Knowledge of the Language sufficient for a compleat Understanding of the Scriptures without the Knowledge of divers Orders Usages Customs Observations c. of the Jews before our Saviours Time for the Old Testament and of both Jews and Christians for the New This is so certain that they who have presumed to set up their own Imaginations without due regard to those Means have left to Posterity so many Monuments of their Self conceitedness Presumption and either Ignorance and Folly or Disingenuity and Dishonesty in handling the Word of God deceitfully And though we cannot comprehend the Wisdom of God in many such things yet may we perceive sufficient Reasons why he was pleased to order it so in this but this is no place to insist upon that And therefore it is an Argument of Ignorance and Errour or something worse in any one who shall require Scripture for such Particularities as it pleased God should not be recorded there but be transmitted to after-Ages by other Means It is found by Experience that some who have mightily cry'd up the Pure Word of God have under that Pretence set up and impos'd upon the World their own meer Fancies Under this Pretence hath the Spirit of Antichrist as mischievously prevailed and imposed upon People in some Places as in others under Pretence of Apostolical Traditions They who would confine Antichrist to Rome are as much mistaken as they who deny him to be there He hath no less prevailed to suppress or oppress some important Truths under the odious Name of Popery elsewhere than he hath done at Rome to oppose others under the like odious Name of Heresie It is a Question which may bear some dispute and deserve Consideration Whether the Superstition of the Papists leading them to Idolatry and Subjection to one of the greatest Impostures in the World or that of some Protestants who have pretended highly to Reformation precipitating them into Sacriledge Prophaneness Selfconceitedness and Contempt of Lawful Humane Authority hath done most Mischief But certain it is that the taking away of the Daily Sacrifice is as notorious a Mark of the Spirit of Antichrist according to the Apprehensions of the Ancient Christians as any and the Operations of Satan must have been very subtle and his Delusions very strong upon Mens Minds to prevail with them so inâ—ustriously to abolish so considerable a Part of the most Solemn Worship of God for Popish Superstition and so to expunge the genuine Notion of it out of Peoples Minds that they know not what it means and therefore neglect it as a needless thing By Men of these Principles was this Church abused and imposed upon and the True English Reformed Liturgy disordered dismembred and defaced to gratifie their Humour in the Reign of K. Ed. 6. But God did not connive at it but took off the Contriver of those Disorders within a Month the King himself who imposed upon the Parliament in it within a Twelvemonth and him who misled the King by a violent and blemished Death not long after and hath made that Generation of Men to them of the Church of England Pricks in their Eyes and Thorns in their Sides ever since just Corrections for so pernicious a League and continued Compliance therein And though he hath not hitherto connived at it yet doth he now in a special manner call to Repentance by new Admonitions First By setting up an Example of Reformation and next By discovering the Shame of the Miscarriage a manifest Call to take Shame to our selves and give Glory to God by humble publick Confession and speedy Reformation I may add and 3. By this late great Mercy and so manifest Declaration of the continuance of his Favour yet towards us notwithstanding all our Ingratitude and Unworthiness The Concurrence of all these together are obliging Calls both of Encouragement if we answer as we should and of Danger by Provocation if we neglect It is a New Declaration of His Gracious Condescention and Readiness still to receive us into Favour if we will wisely imbrace it consider our Ways and set to our Duty in good earnest and not think to satisfie Him with the Formality of a Day of Thanksgiving without any just Act of a real hearty Gratitude Who can or dare say that this Divine Favour hath not been obtained of Almighty God by this Beginning of a Restitution of the Daily Christian Sacrifice under the Conduct of His special Providence as a principal means for a Manifestation of his Approbation thereof to the whole Nation If we well consider the Judgments both of Ancient Christians and of Learned and Judicious Divines of our own Church in this Age concerning the Prevalence of this Holy â—eans together with the Circumstances we are under it will appear no unreasonable thing to think so The Celebration of the Holy Sacrament saith a late Bishop Dr. Jeremy Taylor is in its self and in its own Formality a Sacred Solemn and Ritual Prayer in which we invocate God by the Merits of Christ expressing that Adjuration not only in Words but in Actual Representment and Commemoration of his Passion And if the Necessities of the Church were well considered we should find that a Daily Sacrifice of Prayer and a Daily Prayer of Sacrifice were no more but what her Condition requires And I would to God the Governours of Churches would take Care that the Necessities of Kings and Kingdoms of Churches and States were represented to God by the most Solemn and Efficacious Intercessions and Christ hath taught us none greater than the Praying in the Virtue and Celebration of his Sacrifice And this is the Counsel that the Church received from St.
we from time to time most grievously have committed by Thought Word and Deed against thy Divine Majesty provoking thy most just Wrath and Indignation against us We do sincerely Repent and are heartily sorry for these our Misdoings the Remembrance of them is grievous to us the Burthen of them is intollerable Have Mercy upon us have Mercy upon us most merciful Father for thy Son our Lord Iesus Christs sake forgive us all that is past and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in Newness of Life to the Honour and Glory of thy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Lord we beseech thee mercifully hear our Prayers and spare all those who confess their Sins unto thee that they who by Conscience of Sin are accused by thy merciful Favour may be absolved through Christ our Lord. Amen Then rising up and turning toward the People ALmighty God our Heavenly Father who of his great Mercy hath promised Forgiveness of Sins to all them that with hearty Repentance and true Faith turn unto him Have Mercy upon you Pardon and Deliver you from all your Sins Confirm and Strengthen you in all Grace and Goodness and bring you to Everlasting Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Hear what Comfortable Words our Saviour Christ faith unto all that truly turn unto him COme unto Me all that travel and are heavy laden and I will refresh you S. Matth. 11.28 So God loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son to the end that all that believe in him should not Perish but have everlasting Life S. John 3.16 Hear also what S. Paul faith This is a true Saying and worthy of all Men to be received that Iesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 Hear also what S. John saith If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins 1 S. John 2.1 The OFFERTORY Note It being an Ancient Holy Rite among all Mankind to pay Honour to God by making their Address to Him with Presents and Offerings in Recognition of his absolute Dominion and their Dependance upon and Subjection to Him as with us Freeholders pay their chief Rents to the Lord of whom they hold and a Rite observed in the Christian Church all over the World so Anciently that it is not to be doubted but it was retained by the Apostles according to their Instructions received from our Saviour as other such Rites were the People are to be instructed and admonished to present their Offerings with Reverence as the Offerings of God and to God for the Purpose aforesaid and as Symbolical Oblations of themselves and all they are and have unto Him v. Sparrow's Rationale And anciently those who could not come and yet desired to be remembred in the Solemn Prayer at the Altar did use to send their Offerings by some other and were remembred accordingly if their Offerings were accepted LET your Light so shine before Men that they may see your good Works and glorifie your Father who is in Heaven S. Matth. 5.16 Lay not up for your selves Creasure upon Earth where the Rust and Moth doth corrupt and where Chieves break through and steal but lay up for your sewes Creasures in Heaven where neither Rust nor Moth doth corrupt and where Chieves do not break through nor steal S. Matth. 6.19 20. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven S. Matth. 7.21 Godliness is great Riches if a Man be content with that he hath for we brought nothing into the World neither may we carry any thing out 1 Tim. 6.6 7. HOnour the Lord with thy Substance and with the Principal of all thine Increase Prov. 3.9 Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name bring an Offering and come into his Courts Psal 96.8 1 Chrom 16.29 Let all that be round about him bring Presents unto Him that ought to be feared Psal 76.11 None shall appear before me empty Exod. 23.15 Every Man shall give as he is able according to the Blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee Deut. 16.17 If there be a willing Mind it is accepted according to that a Man hath 2 Cor. 8.12 WHO goeth to Warfare at any time at his own Cost Who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the Fruit thereof or Who feedeth a Flock and eateth nor of the Milk of the Flock 1 Cor. 7.9 If we have sown unto you Spiritual things is it a great matter if we shall reap your Wordly things 1 Cor. 9.11 Do ye not know that they who minister about holy things live of the Sacrifice and they who wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar Even so hath the Lord also ordained that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.13 14. TO do good and to distribute forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 The Administration of this Service not only supplyeth the want of the Saints but is abundant also by many Thanksgivings unto God 2 Cor. 9.12 An Odor of a sweet Smelt a Sacrifice acceptable well pleasing unto God Phil. 4.18 He that soweth little shall reap little and he that soweth plenteously shall reap plentenously Let every Man do according as he is disposed in his Heart not grudgingly or of necessity for God loveth a cheerful Giver 2 Cor. 9.6 7. God is not Vnrighteous that he should forget your Works and Labour of Love which ye have shewed for his Names sake who have ministred unto the Saints and do minister Heb. 6.10 When the People have all presented their Offerings the Priest is to take them and present them reverently upon the Altar then take the Bread and Wine * v. Mede Chr. Sacr. c. 8. present them place them decently in the middle of the Altar And then turning toward the People say THE Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God the Father and the Communication of the Holy Spirit be with you all evermore Amen Lift up your Hearts Ans We lift them up unto the Lord. Pri. Let us give Thanks unto our Lord God Ans It is Meet and Right so to do IT is very Meet Right and our Bounden Duty that we should Adore Worship and Glorifie thee and at all Times and in all Places give Praise and Thanks unto thee O Lord Holy Father Almighty Everlasting God for all thy Goodness and Loving-kindness to us and to all Men We bless thee for our Creation Preservation and all the Blessings of this Life but above All for thine inestimable Love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Iesus Christ for the means of Grace and for the hope of Glory And therefore with Angels and Arch-angels and with all the Company of Heaven we laud and magnifie thy glorious
relied not upon any Hypothesis but upon the received Custom of the Church And that he did rely upon as is confessed But he did not in the least rely upon any thing at all of the pretended Sibyl Nor hath this Champion produced I think any one Proof that either Tertullian or any other of the Ancient or Modern Christians did at all rely upon any such Authority for that Practice but all unanimously relied upon Tradition from the Apostles His whole Book is full of Fallacy and Deceit and of the very Spirit and Genius of an Heretick who makes no scruple to abuse the whole Church of Christ and the most Excellent Persons in it to maintain his own Principles It is certain that divers of the great Truths of Christianity were known to the Gentiles long before and received by Tradition from the Common Parents of Mankind but received as Articles of Faith by Christians upon the Authority of Christ and his Apostles And such was this which he fathers upon an Impostor and pretends the Church received it from him without any Proof of either whereas if he was a Christian it is much more likely that he received the Hypothesis from the Practice of the Church at that time and is therefore rather an Evidence of it Other matters of this Book have been considered by learned Men of our own Country and I think I need say no more of this with any regard to him But as to the Practice besides all this positive and Affirmative Evidence I do deny that any competent Evidence can be produced among all the Churches of the World of any where the Christian Religion was planted without it or where it was introduced by any particular Person upon any special Occasion at any different time after the first planting of Christianity there in all those Ages since the Apostles being verily persuaded that no such thing can be produced but what will strongly confirm and illustate the contrary Evidence like Mr. Vsher's Flourish with his most ancient Manuscript Missals wherein the Commemoration of the Dead doth no where appear which yet were but two in all if not all but one mentioned by two several Authors and that no compleat Missal neither but only Liber Sacramentorum an Abstract and it self at last not to be found as his expression habebatur seems to imply a good Argument of the Agreement of all or most others in that particular that so industrious a Searcher into ancient Records and Monuments of Antiquity of that kind especially could neither see nor hear of any other either at home or abroad wherein it was not Such another Exception may perhaps be met with which may serve to confirm the general Rule but not any thing considerable I believe to any other purpose Certain it is it must either have been settled in all those several Places in the World where Churches were planted together with the rest of the Christian Doctrines and Institutions and then it must have proceeded from the same Founders who agreed as unanimously in this as they did in other necessary things of which sort this may therefore be concluded to be one or it must have had a several distinct particular Introduction by it self in all or most of those several Places and be derived from several Authors Originals Occasions and Times and then the Accounts of its special and particular Introduction in all probability would have very much varied in several places at least have remained upon Record or by Tradition in some But not a word of any such thing can I find that was ever heard of in any part of the World but a Unanimous Agreement in all both in the Practice continued by Custom and Original by Tradition from the Apostles And thus much for Proof à posteriori from Evidence of Matter of Fact which I think enough to satisfie any reasonable Man of competent Ability and to convince any Man of Modesty and Sincerity yet because simple genuine Truth is always consistent with all that is such it may ex abundanti gratifie an honest ingenuous Reader to observe briefly the Vniversal Agreement of this Catholick Practice of the Church of Christ 1. With common Reason and the Nature of things 2. With the common Sentiments of the Primitive Christians concerning the middle State of Souls 3. With divers plain Texts of the Holy Scriptures And 4. with the common Practice of the Jews in and before our Saviour's time never reprehended by him or any of his Apostles and therefore allowed by all and indeed practised by them and on the contrary the Inconsistence of the obstinate Opposition with Truth and Justice in divers respects As for Common Reason The Universe is of vast and unconceivable extent in it we see are many great Bodies Orbs and Regions the Life of Man upon this of the Earth is very short the Time from the Resurrection of our Saviour to this is near 1700 years and how much more it may be to the General Judgment no Mortal knows in the mean time the Souls of Mortals go out of their Bodies in infinitely various States of Purity and Impurity And certainly it is most reasonable that there should be not only one general Distinction of Souls but moreover many distinct Places States and Conditions wherein the separate Souls are disposed according to their several Qualifications when they go out of the Body And as that curious Observer of the Works of Nature as well of the Holy Scriptures the late Lord Chief Justice Hale speaking of towardly Plants by Death transplanted into another Region a Garden of Happiness and Comfort adds And possibly by continuance of time as they received Improvement and Perfection here so in that other Region they add to their Degrees of Perfection and are promoted to farther Accessions and Degrees and Stations of Happiness and Glory till they come to the State of Spirits of just Men made perfect Now in all these Varieties of States is there nothing capable of receiving Benefit by the Prayers of the Living Is there no Communion of Saints between those in the Body and those out of the Body But if there be how can it better be exercised or expressed than in the solemn Offices of the Church For the Common Sentiments of the Primitive Christians because it would be too long to recite so many Testimonies in this place and they are collected already to my hand by Sixtus Senensis and others I need but refer the Reader to them But this also is confessed and asserted by Blondel and Dalle but they would have us believe that they received them from an Impostor a Counterfeit Sibyl a groundless impudent and impious Calumny The Agreement with plain Scriptures is observable in that expression of our Saviour concerning the Sin which shall not be forgiven neither in this World neither in the World to come Mat. 12.32 and that which agrees with this of being cast into Prison and not coming out by any means till