which must therefore be unlawful according to this Argument because prescribed by no Apostle in the Holy Scriptures This is a business which if it were necessary would be equally necessary to all Ages Ob. 2. Ibid. and parts of the Catholick Church and therefore it cannot be necessary but it must be the matter of an universal law now God hath made no such law in Scripture and so Scripture sufficiency as the Catholick Rule of faith and universal obedience is utterly overthrown Answer The Answers given to the first objection do also manifestly shew the vanity of this for may it not as well be said of the Festivities of the Apostles and first Martyrs of the Church as of the feast of Christmas the Ascension of our Lord c. That If they are necessary to be observed they must be necessary to all Ages that God in Scripture hath made no law concerning them c. May it not as well be said that if Publick Assemblies are necessary to be set apart now that if any unprescribed forms of Prayer are necessary to be used now or any words in Scripture not prescribed in consecration or celebration of the Sacraments that if standing on the Lords day in time of Prayer if Stationary days if the Penitential Discipline observed in the Primitive Church were necessary in any Age or part of the Church they must be necessary in all Ages and parts of the Catholick Church and that God hath in Scripture made no laws concerning them and so Scripture sufficiency is and was by the observation of them overthrown 2ly Tho we do judge the observation of these Festivals expedient yet we by no means hold it necessary not by necessity of precept for we pretend not to any precept of this kind not as a necessary means for we acknowledge God may be duly praised and Worshipped and magnified for the mercies we then celebrate on other days and therefore we confess that * Non putandum Ecclesiam Christianam aliquancessitate astringi ad obser vationem immotam festorum dierum sed statuendum dies hosee humanâ authoritateconstitutos eddem posse tolli mutari c. Dav. in Coloss 2. v. 16. if the Church thinks fit she may leave all men to their liberty in the observing or not observing of these days only we add that sure the General Rule of doing all things for edification will warrant her appointment of them for the forementioned ends as well as the appointment of a Lecture-day or of a Sermon before the Assizes God himself hath appointed a day for the same purposes as these are pretended for Ob. 3. Ibid. for the Lords day is to commemorate the Resurrection as the great triumphant act of the Redeemer implying all the Rest of his works so that tho it be principally for the resurrection above any single work of Christ yet also for all the work of Redemption and the whole is on that day to be commemorated with Holy joy and praise now when God himself hath set apart one day in every week to commemorate the whole work of Redemption it seems an accusing of his Institutions of insufficiency to come after him to mend them and say we must have an Anniversary day for this or that part of the work Answer 1. That God did institute the Lords day for the particular Commemoration of the whole work of the Redemption is Gratis dictum what Scripture or what declaration of Any Father of the Church saith so 2ly This Argument makes it unlawful to set up a lecture upon any day but the Lords day for that day being appointed for publick reading and hearing of Gods Holy word for men to set up another day for that end is to accuse his institutions of insufficiency 3ly This Argument condemns the universal Church of Christ from the Apostles days for they did then observe the feast of Easter and so tho God had set apart a weekly Commemoration of the resurrection of our Lord they did come after him and observe an Anniversary day for the same thing and so according to this way of Arguing did more apparently accuse his institutions of insufficiency 4ly This objection seems to accuse the wisdom of Gods own institutions for tho the Jewish Sabbath was instituted with a peculiar respect to their deliverance out of Aegypt Deut. 5.15 yet for that mercy which was far inferior to those which Christians do enjoy by our Lords Birth his Death his Resurrection and Ascension he required other solemnities to be observed yearly viz. The great feast of the Passover why therefore may not the wisdom of the Church in imitation of this pattern besides the Lords day weekly set apart for celebrating the work of our Redemption require other solemnities to be observed yearly for a peculiar Commemoration of the most Signal parts of that Redemption Obj. 4 The fourth Commandment being one of the Decalogue seems to be of so High a nature that man must not presume to make the like Ibid. but it seems a doing the same or of like nature to what God hath done in the fourth Commandment if any man will make a necessary stated Holy day to the universal Church Answer 1. Who goes about to make a Necessary stated Holy day to the Universal Church sure none besides the Church of Rome pretendeth to give laws unto her But what the Universal Church hath thought fit to observe I hope our Church may prudently comply with and call upon her Children so to do 2ly Is not this done as much by the stated Festivals which you allow of as by those you do condemn was it not done as much by appointing the feast of Purim to be observed yearly and by ordaining that these days should be remembred and kept throughout every Generation Esth 9.27 28. every Family every Province and every City and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews nor the memorial of them perish from their seed was it not done as much by the whole Congregation of Israel when they ordained that the days of the Dedication of the Altar should be observed from year to year by the space of eight days And yet neither our Lord 1 Macc. 4.59 nor any of the Prophets charged them with violation of the 4th Commandment on that account or with presuming to do the like to that which God had done in the institution of it Object 5 Where there is no law sure we are there is no transgression but there is no law of God Commanding Christmas or other Holy-days therefore there is no trangression in not keeping them But then it is not sure that there is no transgression in keeping them therefore the surer side is to be taken Answer 1. That this Argument plainly destroys his former grant of the expedience of observing and enjoyning other Holy-days for which no law of God commanding them can be produced 2ly That this Argument may be retorted thus
neglect his Imployment at home and Travel up to Jerusalem at a charge double or treble to the charge of the Sacrifice which was to be Offered laying all other things aside till that be done this being not declared expresly in the Law of Moses they determined in this case that he that became lyable to any Offering might defer the paying of it till the next Solemn Festival of the three came when all must appear before the Lord at Jerusalem The Law had said thou shalt Reverence my Sanctuary but had not particularly declared in what Actions that Reverence should be expressed they therefore ordained in the pursuance of that general Precept that no Man should go into the Temple to Worship with a Purse a Staff p. 116 117 118. or his Shoes on no Man was to spit no Man to sit there during the time of Divine Service nor use any irreverent Gesture To these we may add the Gizbarin or the three common Treasurers and Overseers of the Temple stock p. 39. and all consecrated things and the Catholikin who were Head Treasurers over them The singing of the Levites Children with their Fathers as our Choristers now do p. 36. p. 53. p. 83 84. p. 96. p. 103 105. p. 108. 119. The suspensive Trespass Offering The Cross upon the Wafer made in Oyl The manner of their Lotteries for the Service of the Priests Their Publick and private Prayers and their Worshipping in time of Prayer the way of discovering the New Moon before their Feast p. 122 123. p. 138 139. p. 174 175. p. 180 181. p. 189. and giving notice of it The manner of saying the Aegyptian Hallel and the manner of conveying the Scape Goat and giving notice of it when done The Branches of Pome-Citron used at the Feast of Tabernacles and the Psalms then sung Lastly the time place and person for reading the Law at the Seventh year All these to omit many more of the like Nature were things needful or at least useful to be determined and yet the Law of Moses hath said nothing of them If therefore notwithstanding any Precepts forbidding the addition to the Law of Moses or the exactness of the Prescriptions of that Law the Rulers of the Jews found cause or at least thought themselves impowered to appoint and to determin of these things why may not Christian Magistrates and Governours use the same Power in the Church of Christ If doing this was no derogation from the fidelity of Moses in writing of the Jewish Law why should we think that doing matters of like Nature is any derogation from the fidelity of Christ in giving us that Gospel which is stiled the Law of liberty Answ 3 3ly Certain it is Christ hath done what this objection doth assert his faithfulness obliged him to do viz. He hath not in the Writings of the New Testament given us a perfect Rule which clearly and expresly mentions all Ceremonies which are needful to be used in his Service or hath determined all things indifferent in their own Nature but disjunctively necessary or after which way or manner we must Act continually in the performance of his Worship For instance He hath said nothing of the time or place where and when he would have us to Assemble for his Worship or of the Ornaments of the place or the disposal of the Seats for Priest or People or whether Men should Sit or Stand during the hearing the Word Read or Preached or of the Number which should Assemble at one place or be under the care or the inspection of one Pastor nor how long we shall continue so Assembled and when the Solemnity shall be dismist And yet he who commands us to Assemble for his Solemn Worship must command some Number to Assemble with some Minister in some place and at some time He hath enjoyned Publick Prayer but he hath not determined whether we must Pray in a set form of words or only in words premeditated Or 3ly without Antecedent Meditation what we shall say or whether we shall Pray in words composed by our selves or prescribed by others He hath not told us who shall pronounce the Prayers whether the Minister alone or whether the People may not bear a share in the performance of that duty by saying with or after him or by responses or alternate sentences as was the Custom in the Jewish Church He hath not told us how oft we shall meet publickly for the performance of this duty whether every morning and evening Wednesday and Friday or only on the Lords day He hath appointed the Scriptures to be read in our Assemblies but then he hath not told us who shall be appointed for that work whether a person shall be Ordained for that Office as in the Latin and the Eastern Churches or a Clark as it is usual in our Churches whether Scripture alone may be read there or the Epistles and writings also of Pious Men as in the Primitive Church they did He hath not told us what Chapter or what Book we are to read or in what Method or how much whether in the Old or the New Testament or what Translation shall be approved by any Church He hath commanded that his word be Preached in our Assemblies but hath not plainly told us who alone shall Preach whether ordained persons only or also gifted Brethren whether with License or without nor in what Method whether by Doctrine and use or any other way whether with Study or without whether by chusing of a Text or only chusing of a Subject to discourse upon whether with Notes or only by the help of Memory whether in a place dedicated to that service or not dedicated whether in a Church or in the open Field nor lastly hath he told us how often nor how long we are to Preach He hath Commanded us to sing Psalms but then he hath not told us whether all should sing together as is the Custom in our Parish Churches or only some as in Cathedrals Whether the Psalms we sing should be in Rythm or Meeter or not whether we should siâ—g with Vâ—â—al only or with Instrumental Musick also nor what 〈…〉 or what Translations of the Psalms shoulâ— bâ— appâ—oved or allowed to be sung in Churche◠〈…〉 we should sing before or only after Serâ—â—â—â— or whether we should do it standing or in the sitting Posture He hath said Go and Baptize all Nations but hath not clearly told us who shall Baptize and in what cases whether the Priest alone or any other Christian especially in cases of necessity whether Baptism shall be Administred to Infants is not expresly said in Scripture but is left to be collected thence by Analogy and rational deductions whether all Infants are to be Baptized or only those of Christian Parents or of true Believers whether with stipulators or without whether we should Baptize in a River Pond Spring Font or Basin whether Infants should be Baptized at Eight days old within a
apart unto a sacred use to sanctifie it then is only usurpare prout sanctitatem ejus decet to use it sutably unto its holiness in which sense we are said to sanctifie the Sabbath day c. Christ by thus using the Baptism of John appointed for the remission of sin did in this sense also sanctifie it and by thus making use of it he did encourage saith Epiphanius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 153. and provoke others to use it to that end Q. 9 Why do you say after the Repetition of the Fourth Commandment Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law Are you turned Sabbatarians Answer Our Prayer then to God prescribed in the Liturgy is not to beseech him to encline our hearts to keep this Law according to the special form and circumstance of time there spoken of viz. the seventh day from the Creation but in such a manner as is agreeable to the state of the Gospel 1. By duly considering of and bringing to our remembrance the great and glorious works of God performed for the good of men viz. of creation redemption the passion resurrection and exaltation of our Lord which are actions no less considerable to us both in respect of glory due to God and benefit accruing to us than was the creation formerly to the Jews 2. That upon the Lords Day and all other days appointed for publick Assemblies to worship God and Christ and to hear his holy word and receive his Sacraments we may by the assistance of Divine Grace be enabled devoutly reverently and holily to engage in those duties to the Glory of God and the edification of our selves in faith and true obedience Q. 10 What mean you by these words in the office of Matrimony with this Ring I thee wed were they not man and wise and therefore wedded before what by this phrase with my body I thee worship is not the man the head of the woman and so not to use any sign which may import subjection to her as that of worship doth what lastly by those words with all my worldly goods I thee endow will you leave nothing for their Children Answer 1. This phrase with this Ring I thee wed doth not import that they were not man and wife before but only is a declaration of the fact as is apparent from the following words Forasmuch as N. and N. have consented together in holy wedlock and have declared the same by giving and receiving a Ring c. 2ly That phrase with my body I thee worship may have these three senses 1. I give unto thee honour according as Gods Law requires in these words husbands live with your wives according to knowledge giving honour to the wife 1 Pet. 3.7 Or 2ly I vouchsafe thee the honour of my Body i. e. I deem thee worthy of the honour belonging to my person as Mr. Selden doth explain the words Uxor Hebr. l. 2. c. 27. Or 3ly I promise to thee due benevolence as H. L'Estrauge saith this old word imports and so it is only a promise to obey St Pauls command 1 Cor. 7.2 3ly This phrase with all my worldly goods I thee endow bears this sense I promise thee a share in all my wealth and give thee right and liberty to use it as there is occasion But then the Husband being dead the Wife according to the common Law of England cannot lay claim unto the whole but only to the thirds of her deceased Husbands estate if he leave any Children or others who have right to any part of his inheritance Other things have been scrupled in the office for the visitation of the sick the form of burial and of commination but since the Churches constitutions do not oblige the Laity to use or to be present at them I wave the consideration of them and beseeching God to give a blessing to what I have written and make it successful to the desired end and to pardon the errors I may unwittingly have committed in it I humbly submit it to my ever honoured Superiours and so conclude FINIS