and as it grew more ancient its Constitutions grew more numerous and so the men of this opinion had they lived then as they did not none that we read of in those times ever pretending separation from any Church on these accounts they must have been obliged to separate from all the Churches then in being Come we to all the Churches of this present Age and we shall find that this opinion will oblige the Authors of it to separate from them also For the Church of Rome and all the Eastern Churches they must much more abominate on this account than any others because their Ceremonies are more numerous and many of them superstitious The Lutheran Churches have not only Lyturgies and other ancient Ceremonies which we observe but they have also Images many other observations which these men stile Superstitious Popish Antichristian Ceremonies In the Reformed Churches they will find Lyturgies of humane invention and change of Apparel for Divine Service even at Geneva they will find enjoyned a Book of Common Prayer composed by Calvin the Wafer Cake the use of God-Fathers in Baptism bidding of Prayer with divers other Coremonies no where commanded in the Holy Scripture and so as Dr. Durel largely proves it is in all Reformed Churches of the West I am not able saith Mr. Baxter to bear the thoughts of separating from almost all Christs Churches upon Earth but he that separateth from one or many Def. of the Princip of love p. 55. upon a Reason common to all doth virtually separate from all Since then it hath been proved that separating on the Account of this principle is virtually condemning and separating from all the Churches of this and all preceding Ages of the Christian World the Authors of it must renounce the principle or bear the blame both of condemning and separating from the whole Church of Christ throughout all Ages This Tenet gives a great advantage to Popery for it asserts that nothing circumstantial must be performed in Gods worship without particular direction from the Word Now it is certain that many circumstances of worship which concern Prayer Preaching of the Word Administration of the Sacraments Church Government the Exercise of Church discipline are not determined in the written Word of God and therefore it is needful if this principle be true either to own Traditions touching matters of this Nature to be received as the Word of God or to confess he hath appointed some infallible persons whether Pope or Councils it is not much material whose determinations in these matters must be received as the Word of God Now these two Tenets are the fundamental parts of Popery on which their other Doctrins and Practices depend and which if we admit we cannot rationally reject whatsoever these infallible Judges shall determine or deliver as the unwritten Word of God I shall conclude this head with a large Passage out of Mr. Baxter who in his defence of his principles of Love speaks thus There are men otherwise very honest and truly Godly who think that the Scripture is intended by God not only as a general Rule but a particular Law for all the very circumstances of worship and that the second Commandment in particular condemneth all that is the product or invention of man in or about the Worship of God and that to deny this is to deny the perfection of the Scriptures If this opinion prevail saith he what abundance of hurt will it do For 1. It draweth men into the dangerous guilt of adding to the Word of God under pretence of defending its perfection and extent For what is adding to the Word of God but making that to be commanded or forbidden by that Word which is not there commanded or forbidden Since therefore evident it is that all particular circumstances of worship are not by that Word prescribed as I have proved already whence it must necessarily follow that some necessary circumstances not there prescribed cannot be forbidden it is plain that this opinion which saith that all circumstances of worship are particularly prescribed in Scripture and that all not prescribed are forbidden there must add unto the Word of God 2ly It prepareth men for Infidelity and the denyal of the Authority of Holy Scripture for when men are made to believe that Scripture if it be a perfect Rule must be a Rule for those things which are not found in it at all they must be tempted when they cannot find all Accidents of worship particularly determined in it to suspect it as a delusory imperfect thing The Divine Will say it tells me not sufficiently and particularly what Books of Scripture are Canonical nor which of the various Readings are right nor whether it be to be divided into Chapters and Verses nor into how many nor in what Metre and Tune I must sing Psalms nor what persons shall be Pastors of Churches nor what Text I shall chuse next nor what Words or Method I shall use in my next Prayer or Sermon 3ly This opinion which seems to plead for the perfection of the Scripture Rule doth plainly charge it with imperfection and obscurity for it asserts that it is necessary in Order to the perfection of this Rule that it should have prescribed every particular circumstance and mode of worship fit and requisite to be used in Gods Service and it is farther requisite that it should do this clearly in all the instances forementioned since otherwise we cannot be assured that we act in all these modes and circumstances according unto its directions Now seeing it is certain that it hath not done so in all the instances forementioned in answer to the former Arguments since learned pious and judicious men can find no such determinations there and therefore judge dispute and act so variously in those matters because they find nothing delivered in those cases with so great clearness and particularity as may determine them in all these cases how to act I say this being so it must be evident that Scripture cannot be according to this supposition a sufficient plain and perfect Rule 4ly This mistake tends to cast all rational worship out of the Church by deterring men from inventing or studying how to do Gods Work aright for if all that man inventeth or deviseth without a particular direction from the Holy Scripture be forbidden by it then must we not study to find out the true Method of Praying or Preaching nor must we study what to say till we are speaking nor what time gesture place or words to use there being no particular direction for these things it being only said in general Study to shew thy self a Workman that needs not be ashamed Now banish Study and you banish Knowledge and rational Religion from the World 5ly This opinion will bring in all confusion instead of pure reasonable worship whilst every man is left to find that in Scripture which never was there one will think that he findeth one thing there and another
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
before we venture upon that which is by most judicious persons in this Age and was by all the Primitive Fathers of the Church pronounced Schismatical as were all Altars set up in opposition to the Bishop of the Diocese wherein they were all Churches separating from and independent on his Government This therefore cannot prudently be done by us nor can we when we find it done by others safely join in Communion with them without plain evidence and full conviction of our freedom from that guilt And surely he must have a very good opinion of himself who confidently dares to say he hath plain evidence that what all Christians of former Ages and the most able and judicious persons of the present Age pronounce a Schism is indeed the duty of all good and pious Christians Now to confirm this motive let me request you to weigh these following Questions well Q. 1 If Schism in the general be of a dreadful and pernicious nature Whether the disturbance of the Churches Peace by erecting opposite Communions to the perpetuating Schism through all succeeding generations will not much aggravate the guilt of it and render it more dreadful to every peaceable and pious Christian consider therefore I beseech you that this if any is your Schism Q. 2 Who would not think it safer to yield to any imposition how heavy or how inconvenient soever provided that it were not plainly sinful than run the hazard of contracting such a pernicious guilt to chuse to hazard our exclusion from the body the Communion of Christs Church the priviledges of her Ordinances rather than yield unto a Constitution not directly sinful is certainly a great imprudence For seeing in matters of practice the dangerousness as well as the falsehood of an Assertion is very fitly and conscientiously to be considered especially when the danger is of offending God and ruining our souls Can it be prudent to venture upon that which if performed without good ground will certainly expose us to that danger where there appeareth no such evident conviction for the doing of it as can make amends for the danger of venturing on it Q. 3 Is it not reasonable to conceive that the wisdom of Christ should lay down Rules for the government and preservation of his body proportionably plain unto the moment of them and give us a full evidence in matters absolutely needful to be done or lest undone If then you only have some probabilities and plausible pretences for setting up or joining with these separate Communions or against joining in Communion with us but have no evident conviction of the necessity of the one or the unlawfulness of the other may you not rationally conclude that neither of them can be needful to be done in order to your everlasting welfare when then our actions tend so much unto the prejudice of our own souls and to the damage of the Church of Christ as doth our present Schism 't is Argument sufficient that God never intended to oblige us to it that he hath given us no clear conviction of that obligation Q. 4 Lastly Would any Prudent Legislator think it convenient for the publick that his greatest and most important commands should be neglected as often as there might appear some little probable evidence for some lesser duty that were inconsistent with them would he not think you be much better pleased with him that in such a case should stick to the greater duty and neglect the less than with him who should extreamly prejudice the publick by his adherence to his scruples about little matters And if so can it reflect dishonour upon God to presume him also pleased with that which we have reason to believe would please a good and prudent Governour in regard of its good influence on the publick for which he is especially concerned § 7 To these convincing Arguments collected from that Author I add these following conderations First That St Paul seems clearly to insinuate that a wilful departure from ordinary practice in such cases as these are doth argue a contentious disposition for when he treats of the dispute arising in the Church of Corinth whether their Women should be veiled or covered in the Church or not he argues for their being veiled from decency and the design of Nature in giving hair unto them for a covering and thus concludes his Argument if any man have a mind to be contentious so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth import it is sufficient to let him know that he contending for the appearance of Women in the Church unveiled contends against the custom of the Church 1 Cor. 11.16 for we at Jerusalem and all the other Churches of God have no such custom and if by this he will not be concluded he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of contention Why therefore may it not be said to you if you are minded to contend for sitting at the Sacrament for Baptizing without the sign of the Cross and without God-Fathers and God-Mothers for Praying without a stinted Liturgy in publick and without a Surplice and for separating on the account of all or any of these things imposed we have no such custom neither the Churches of God And if by this you will not be concluded in these matters how will you scape the charge of being lovers of Contention And sutable to this determination of St Paul was both the practice and advice of the most Holy Fathers of the Church St Austin truly saith Ep. 86. ad Casulanum presb That in those matters concerning which the Scripture hath delivered nothing certain the customs of the people of God and the Statutes of our Ancestors are to be received as a Law Epist 118. And again All matters of this kind may freely be observed nor can a grave and prudent Christian observe a better discipline Ad quam fortè Ecclesiam veneris ejus morem serva si cuiquam non vis esse scandalo nec quenquam tibi Ibid. than in these maters to act according to that custom which is observed by the Church to which he cometh And thus St. Ambrose did himself practise advising others to whatsoever Church they came to observe its customs if they would neither give nor take offence § 8 Secondly Consider that the same Apostle commands all Christians to give no offence to Jew or Gentile or the Church of God that is 1 Cor. 10.32 as one well descants on the place whatsoever without prejudice to Christian piety you can perform or leave undone be careful for the avoiding of offence to Jew or Gentile and much more to the Church of God to do or to abstain from doing Now do not you my Friends conceive your selves obliged to abstain from doing of the things enjoyned though lawful in themselves because they minister unto the scandal of weak Brethren why therefore should you not much more conceive your selves obliged to do them on the like supposition that you may not transgress
I shall first lay down plainly the Assertion or Doctrine of the Church of England in reference to the Perfection of the Holy Scriptures and from it give a direct Answer to this Objection 2ly I shall lay down the contrary Tenet of some Non-Conformists which is here asserted in this Argugument 3ly I shall endeavor to shew the Dangerousness of this Opinion and the Swarms of evil consequences which do naturally follow from it And 4ly That they who hold it did do many things repugnant to it And 5ly That it doth necessarily make the Holy Scripture an imperfect Rule 1. Then when we assert that Scripture is a perfect Rule we mean it thus that it doth perfectly contain all that is necessary to be believed or done in Order to our acceptance with God here or to our happiness with him hereafter not that it doth particularly prescribe what ever Circumstance of Order Decency or Convenience may be observed in the Service of God And this doth seem to me to be the true Distinction in this matter betwixt the Protestant of the Church of England and the Rigid Puritan that the Protestant of the Church of England asserts the Holy Scripture to be a full and perfect Rule of all the Articles of Christian Faith and Christian Piety but notwithstanding he maintains that Holy Scripture hath left it in the Power of the Church Governors Sacred and Civil to appoint such Rites and Ceremonies to be used in the Service of God as they shall judge convenient and conducing to the ends of Unity and Order Peace and Love Decency Uniformity and the Edification of the Church And that by virtue of these General Rules Follow after the things Rom. 14.19 Phil. 3.16 1 Cor. 14.40 which make for Peace and whereby we may edify one another Let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Let all things be done decently and in order Let all be done to Edification and to the Glory of God Give no offence to Jew or Gentile or to the Church of God c. They in the General are authorised to appoint such Rites and Ceremonies as they judge most conducing to these ends and that all Christian people who live under their Care and Jurisdiction are bound to yield obedience to them in matters of this Nature by vertue of those Seriptures which command them to obey those that Rule over them and to submit to them Hebr. 13.17 â— Pet. 5.5 Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13 To be subject to their Elders and to the higher Powers and to every Ordinance of man for the Lords Sake I say their Tenet is that by vertue of these Scriptures they are bound to yield obedience to them in all lawful things that is in all those things which God hath not forbidden in his Word for where there is no Law of God forbidding there can be no transgression and therefore to refuse obedience to our Superiors Civil or Sacred in those matters is to refuse obedience in things lawful and therefore to offend against the Precepts which call upon us to be subject and obedient to them So that we do assert in Answer unto this Objection 1. That the Scripture is a perfect Rule of all Ceremonies that are good Works antecedently to the Command of man so that in Scripture some express for them may be found but that it is not such a Rule of indifferent Ceremonies 2ly That 't is as perfect a Rule as it needs to be in reference to Ceremonies uncommanded in particular 1 By giving us the general Rules which should direct Superiours in the imposing of these things indifrent but not in a particular Prescription of them as this Objection doth suppose it being a plain contradiction that any thing should be to us indifferent and yet prescribed to us in the Word of God Dissenters therefore must deny that there is any circumstance of Worship be it Time Place Gesture or the Words in which it is to be performed left indifferent or that being so that circumstance must not be used in Gods Worship or else they must confess the weakness of the Argument produced And 2ly Because it doth command us to obey Superiors Civil and Sacred in all lawful matters and so instructs us to submit to what is not forbidden by Gods Word when by Superiors it is commanded This is our Tenet and this is a direct and a sufficient answer to this Argument But on the other hand the Tenet of some Nonconformists owned by this Argument is this That no Church Governors ought to ordain or introduce into the Service of God any other Rites or Observations than such as God hath in his Word commanded or Christ and his Apostles by their Examples which they esteem as Precepts hath approved and that if they enjoyn such things we must not yield obedience to them but must reject them as humane inventions superstition and will worship This is that Doctrine in which the Mystery of Puritanism doth consist and the pernicious consequences of it are so many that any person who doth weigh them seriously will if he be indeed a Lover of Christianity abhor and heartily renounce that Doctrine whence they so naturally flow And 1. This Doctrine casts a reproach upon Religion it gives just cause to Magistrates to scruple the admission of the Christian Faith and to the Atheist and the Polititian to represent it as the great instrument of sedition and disobedience For this opinion obliges men to thwart the Magistrate in all indifferent matters which he commands with a respect unto Gods Worship If he commands them to come to Church on the Lords-day at such a time in such a place they must stand bound in conscience by this Rule to refuse to do so because in Scripture God hath not determined how oft what hour or where they should assemble if he commands them to be uncovered in the House of God to stand or kneel whilst they are praying to sit whilst hearing or the like they must not do it because God hath not told them in his Word that they should be uncovered in his presence that they should kneel or stand whilst they do pray or sit when they do hear Now what a Scandal what a base impeachment is it to our peaceable Religion to say that it obligeth us to disobey Authority in matters God hath left us all to do or not to do at pleasure only because he doth command us so to do them as we might have performed them had he not commanded us and that nothing doth so much engage us to be refractory to the higher Powers as that perfect Law of Liberty which Christ hath left us 2ly Upon the same account it must be sinful to obey those Civil Laws which do concern those Laws of Justice Charity and Mercy towards our Christian Brother which cannot clearly be collected from the written Word For it is plain from Scripture that these are the more weighty matters of
the Law Matt. 23.23 viz. Judgment and Mercy Mark 12.33 That to love God with all our hearts and our Neighbour as our selves is more than all Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices That to pray hear read the Word receive the Sacrament to fast are but the means which God hath in his Word ordained for the encrease of Justice Equity Mercy Love Peace Humility and Temperance and such like Christian Graces and therefore these must be the things in which God is concerned mostly that we should yield obedience That when the Scripture reckoneth the Graces of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 it tells us they are Love Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Righteousness and Temperance not prayer fasting hearing receiving of the Sacrament c. And lastly 't is observable that we are call'd to imitate our heavenly Father in acts of Love and Mercy our Lord and Saviour in Meekness and Humility Bowels of Mercy Compassion and Self-denyal but not in prayer and fasting and in such like duties Since therefore God is more concerned for matters of this Nature than for his outward worship his Word must be more perfect in prescribing of these duties than any circumstances of his worship if then it be unlawful for us to submit to any Ceremonies commanded by man which respect his worship because Gods Word must be a perfect Rule not only of all parts but of all modes of Worship it must be more unlawful to submit to any humane constitutions touching Equity and Justice Mercy and Compassion Love Charity and Peace because Gods Word must be supposed in these more weighty and substantial matters to be a Rule more perfect And therefore all the Laws and Statutes respecting matters of this Nature which cannot be collected from the Words of Scripture must by this doctrine be cashiered as vain Inventions and Christians must stand obliged to refuse obedience to them For instance I am commanded to worship God in publick but whether I must do it in a Church or in the Field in black or white or any other garb by stinted Words or by Expressions of my own immediate Invention in this or that or a 3d posture is not expressed in Holy Scripture If therefore in these cases I must not yield obedience to any power that will command me to worship God in white to pray in stinted Words to do it kneeling or the like because that Scripture which is a Rule of Worship hath not determined of these things must I not do the like in other cases of an higher Nature and because Scripture hath commanded that I should be charitable and give Alms but hath not said what portion I shall give nor when nor in what place or to what persons nor in what manner whether by my self or by the Overseers of the Poor am I not bound as much to shew my disobedience to those Laws which rate me to the Poor and which give power to Officers to strein on my refusal to pay that rate If I must not joyn with an Assembly that doth use a stinted Form of Words that riseth up at the rehearsal of the Creed or with a Pastor that doth officiate in white because these things are not commanded in the perfect Rule of Worship how dare I to commence a sute of Law to arrest a person for a debt or to indite him for a trespass without Scripture warrant these things being no where commanded in that perfect Rule of Equity and Justice The Scripture having said There is utterly a fault among you that you go to Law one with another 1 Cor. 6.7 Luk. 6.35 Matt. 5.40 lend hoping for nothing again if any man take away thy Cloak let him have thy Coat also but never said If any man officiate in white or by a Form of Words do not joyn with him is it not matter of just admiration that they who never scruple to act contrary unto the letter of the Scripture in the former cases should be so very scrupulous in things no where forbidden in the Word 3ly This dangerous opinion will force men to be troublesome in all the Churches of the World and to refuse communion even with those Assemblies they are joyned with nay had they lived in the Jewish Church or any other Age of Christendom they must have been continual Separatists For where I pray you could they have found a Precept for all the Jewish Practises and Observations which I have mentioned in the foregoing Arguments If they had lived in the next Age to the Apostles with Polycarp and Ignatius who did converse with the Apostles where would the Scripture have afforded any warrant for observation of the Feast of Easter which both the Churches of the East and West observed in the days of Polycarp L. 5. c. 24. as is recorded by Eusebius or any Precept for bowing to the East Resp ad quest 118. which Pseudo-Justin mentions as a thing practised in his days or for the Observation of the days on which their Glorious Martyrs died Apud Euseb l. 4. c. 15. which yet the Church of Smyrna mentions as a thing practised by the Christians not long after the death of the Apostles or for the Water mixed with the Sacramental Wine of which both Justin and St. Cyprian speak Apol. 2. Cypr. Ep. 63. Just M. ibid. or for the portions of the Sacramental Bread sent to the Sick and absent to signify they were partakers of the same Sacrifice and belonged to the same Altar or for their standing in their publick worship from Easter unto Whitsunday Resp ad quest â—15 Can. 19. and every Lords-day to testify their belief of our Lords Resurrection which yet by the Great Nicene Council was required to be observed by all Christian People and which they did accordingly observe Tertullian gives us a Catalogue of many observations which the Church used in his days and which she vindicated not from the Scriptures De Coron Milit. c. 3 4. but from the Patronage of Custom and Tradition I will begin saith he with Baptism where coming to the Water we testify before the President or Bishop that we renounce the Devil his Pomps and his Angels then are we thrice dipt answering something more than Christ commanded in his Gospel The Sacrament of the Eucharist which our Lord instituted after Supper we partake of in our Meetings before the day arise we think it wickedness to fast or to pray knâ—eling on the Lords day we kneel not from Easter to Whitsunday whensoever we go forth or come in or whatsoever we are conversant about we sign our Foreheads with the sign of the Cross and if you do require a Law of Scripture for these Observations you will find none Tradition will be alledged as the Author and custom the Confirmer of them For these are observations which we defend not from Scripture but from the title of Tradition and the Patronage of Custom This was the Practice of the first Ages of the Church
the person to whom they are performed are parts of Civil Worship And so also is the case with reference to Religious Worship Nor are our Ceremonies Religious but only Ceremonies used in Religion 12ly Nor would the Command of God to use a Surplice or sign with the Cross to signifie to the Congregation the Reception of the Baptized Person into the Society of Christians make these Ceremonies parts of Divine Worship any otherwise than the doing of them would be an Act of Obedience to Gods Command and therefore the doing of them without that Command can be no Worship and therefore no false Worship Nor is all that God tieth in a particular manner to his Worship any part thereof Obj. 4 To bring in any Ceremonies of Ordained and Mystical signification appropriated to the Worship of God without any License from Christ himself is to Trespass against his Kingly Office for he is the only Law-giver to his Church and hath committed to her no Authority of appointing new things but a Ministry to observe and do such things as Christ hath appointed with order and decency unto Edification It also is a derogation from the fulness of Christs Prophetick Office For Christ is the only Teacher of his Church and the Appointer of all means whereby we should be taught and admonished of any holy Duty and whatsoever he hath thought good to teach his Church and the means whereby he hath perfectly set down in Holy Scripture so that to acknowledg any other means of teaching and admonishing us of our Duty than such as he hath appointed is to receive another teacher into the Church besides him and to confess some imperfection in the means he hath ordained to teach us by This I would learn saith Ames how we can acknowledg and receive any means of Religious teaching with Faith except it appear to be appointed by an Authentick Teacher and Law-giver and how our Prelates in appointing means of Spiritual teaching which Christ appointed not can be accounted therein Ministerial Teachers under him as their and our only Authentick Teacher As also if Christ be our Authentick Teacher in all good that we learn about Religion who taught our Prelates so good manners as to put Fescues of their own making into his hand and so appoint him after what manner and by what means he shall Teach us To this objection I Answer Answ 1 That this Argument is grounded upon this false supposition that the Rulers of our Church have instituted any Ceremonies to teach Spiritual Duties by their Mystical significations or to be Authentick means of Spiritual Teaching whereas I know no Ceremonies appointed to be used to that end so that both the use of the Ceremony and the end are matter of the Churches Precept and it were folly for her to make such Constitutions for since the Church cannot discern whether I have learnt that Spiritual Duty by using of her Ceremonies or not She cannot punish the Offenders against such an Ordinance and so must vainly make it She hath indeed appointed such Ceremonies as she conceiveth apt to stir up the dull mind of Man to the remembrance of his Duty Preface to the C. prayer of Cer. c. by some notable and special signification and therefore hath enjoyned them because she so conceiveth of them but she hath no where said that she enjoyns them to Teach Spiritual Duties or assigned any determinate signification of them v. g. she hath enjoyned her Ministers to wear a Surplice when they Officiate but hath not said that she enjoyns it to Teach them Innocence or Purity or any other Spiritual Duty Rubr. after the Communion She enjoyns her People to Kneel at the Sacrament and tells us that we should signifie thereby our humble and grateful acknowledgment of the benefits of Christ but then she doth not say that she designs thereby to Teach us Humility and Gratitude for those benefits but only calls upon us to express that humility and gratitude which she supposeth we have learnt already In a Word these Ceremonies are not by her appointed to signifie at all much less to signifie what being used without her institution they would not signifie but they are appointed to be used as being apt when used to mind us of or bring into our minds our Duty or as fit to excite within us Pious meditations and reflections Answ 2 2ly I answer that if it be no derogation from Christs Kingly or Prophetick Office to stir up our minds to the performance of our duty by things apt to stir them up unto it or to express and signify our duty by things apt to express and signify it then can it be no encroachment on those Offices to impose or require such things as have an aptness thus to signify and mind us of our duties for in it self it cannot be unlawful to require what may be lawfully performed tho it be not required Now if it be a derogation from Christs Prophetick or his Kingly Office to use such things as are apt to put us in mind of our duty it must be unlawful to toll a bell to put us in mind of going to Prayers to keep by us a skull or skeleton to mind us of our Mortality or a pare of Leathern Breeches as Dr. Prideaux did to mind us of our former low Condition to have our vaults or burying places ready fitted and prepared as the Eastern Nations had and some great persons have because these things are apt to mind us of our latter ends or to set apart a closet in our Chambers for private devotions that so our coming thither may mind us of our duty Moreover then the ingenious Meditations of pious Mr. Boyle and Quarles his Emblems and all the History of the five Books of Moses graven in Stone in the Chapter House of Sarum and all things of like Nature which are apt to bring to our Remembrance good things and are not by our Lord in Scripture appointed to be used to these ends must be all Sacrilegious usurpations upon Christs Kingly and Prophetick Office Again then must that pack of Cards which Contains the whole History of the Popish Plot and our deliverance from it be guilty of this Crime because they were designed to stir up our minds to an abhorrence of their wickedness and a Thanksgiving to the Author of our Deliverance and we with equal reason may ask that profound Question of Dr. Ames who taught the Author of them such good manners as to put Fescues of his own making into our hands to mind us of these things Lastly Upon the same account it must be a derogation from Christs Prophetick and his Kingly Office to require men to come gravely into the House of God or be uncovered there or to kneel at their devotions because these things are apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the Remembrance of the Majesty and Greatness of that God with whom he hath to do By these and
of divine service the Lord Jesus Christ shall be mentioned due and lowly Reverence shall be done by all persons present as it hath been accustomed testifying by these outward Ceremonies and Gestures their inward Humility Christian Resolution and due Acknowledgment that the Lord Jesus Christ the true and Eternal Son of God is the only Savior of the world in whom alone all the Mercies Graces and Promises of God to mankind for this life and the life to come are fully and wholly comprised And 3ly When we Kneel at the Reception of the Blessed Sacrament Rubrick after the Communion we do not pay that outward act of Worship to the Elements of Bread and Wine but to that Savior whom they represent for the Church of England hath declared that thereby no adoration is intended or ought to be done unto the Sacramental Bread and Wine there bodily received So that from the express declarations of the Church of England it appears that none of these things are by her made the objects of Religious Worship but only the occasions of tendring that Worship which we owe to God and therefore there is no appearance of Idolatry in the performance of these things Obj. 3 We are commanded to Separate from every Brother that walks disorderly 2 Thessal 3.6 § 3 And are forbidden to keep Company with any man who being call'd a Brother is a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a Rayler or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such a one we must not Eat 1 Cor. 5.11 And if we may not Eat with Such a Person at our own Table may we Eat with him at the Holy Table of the Lord Now through the want of Discipline such Persons are admitted amongst you saith the Dissenter and therfore we dare nor joyn with you in that Ordinance Answ 1 I pray God this objection doth not make you meet together as the Apostle saith of the Corinthian Schismaticks 1 Cor. 11.17 not for the better but the worse For I much fear there may be found in those Assemblys which you resort to as more pure besides a crew of Schismaticks with whom according to the Discipline observed in the purest Ages of the Church the Christian ought not to communicate many who rail against Superiors and speak evil of Dignities and many who have once been open Rebels and have not publickly repented of those crimes and if you can communicate with them why not with such as usually do meet at our Communion Tables The wisdom which is from above is impartial Answ 2 Consider I beseech you that this argument will drive you as well from our Assemblies and from our Prayers as from our Communion Table for you may as well Argue thus him that I may not keep company with at home I may not keep company with at Church him that I must not joyn with in my Civil Converse I must not hold Communion with in Sacred him that I may not Eat with I may not Pray with as you do Argue thus him that I may not Eat with at my own I may not Eat with at the Table of the Lord. This is apparent from the occasion of the objected Precept viz. The Incestuous Person who was to be taken from among them v. 2. To be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the Flesh v. 5. To be purged out from the new lump v. 7. To be put away from among them v. 13. If therefore after admonition they continue obstinate and Refractory Offenders they are to be excluded from all Christs ordinances and to be esteemed as Publicans and Heathens Matt. 18.17 Accordingly they by the discipline observed in the purest Ages of the Church were actually excluded from Communion with her in all her Offices if then we may not joyn with them in one we may not joyn with them in other Ordinances till they have satisfyed the Church they being by this precept equally to be excluded from them all Scripture may also be as plausibly produced for the declining of Communion with them in publick Prayer and family devotions in hearing of a Sermon and the like as in receiving of the Sacrament for doth not David make it the Character of good and blessed men that they stand not in the Congregation of Sinners Doth he not say Psal 1.1 Psal 101.4 I will not know a wicked Person Answ 3 That even wicked Persons who are not Scandalously and Notoriously such but make profession of Obedience to the laws of Christ and are not by the Church cast out for acting contrary to their profession may be unblameably communicated with seems undenyable from the Example of our Saviour by whom Judas was certainly admitted to that Passover which spiritually did signify and represent Christ to them 1 Cor. 10.3 And by which rite they owned themselves the servants of the God of Israel v. 18. Whence none might eat thereof who were not Circumcised Exod. 12.48 That he was also present at the supper of our Lord I have fully proved already If then a person so unworthy and so regardless of the Law of Moses that he had actually resolved to take a reward to betray Innocent-blood If a Thief Psal 15.5 and a Covetous person was by our Lord admitted to the Passover If one who by our Lord was known to be in heart a Murtherer and a Betrayer of his Master was yet admitted by him to his Sacrament you see that sinners must be first notorious before they ought to be excluded and when they are so our Rubrick and our Canons give every Minister Authority to with-hold the Communion from them and therefore Authorise them to exercise the Discipline required in this case Hence also we may learn that to communicate with those whom we know to be wicked in this duty derives upon us no Communion in their Guilt for otherwise our Lord and his Disciples would not have joyned in Communion with that wicked one Answ 4 This precept is not directed to particular persons but to the Church of Corinth in the General as you may learn from v. 4. And therefore hence it only follows that it is the duty of Church Governors to exclude such persons from Communion with her but not that private persons should refrain Communion with the Church because they judge that they neglect their duty And therefore we do never read that Christ or his Apostles refused Communion with the Jewish Church or did neglect to go unto the Temple or the Synagogue because the Scribes and Pharisees neglected to perform their duty and our Apostle here doth never call the members of the Church of Corinth to separate from them who caused disorders in the Celebration of this Sacrament but only calls upon them to reform those disorderly proceedings And I beseech you to consider what a Gap would be laid open to perpetual Schisms if private persons were permitted to judge when their Superiors did neglect their duty in any part of publick worship
to be found among the People of Israel So Christ our Paschal Lamb being now Offered no Leaven of Malice and Wickedness and consequently no such wicked Persons ought to be left in the Church of the true Israelites but wholly purged out of it That the exercise of this Discipline doth highly tend to the Glory of God Prop. 2. and to the credit of Christianity And surely this cannot be doubted by them who know that this alone is that by which the Church can be preserved pure and like unto that God who will have no Communion with the works of Darkness with whom no Person can have fellowship who walks not in the light as he is in the light 1 Joh. 1.7 That this alone can make the light of Christians to shine forth so as to Glorifie their Father which is in Heaven Matt. 5.16 and cause them to shew forth the virtues of him that hath called them from darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 and that this only can render us able to commend Christianity to others from the prevailing topick of the Strict and Holy lives of the allowed professors of it by which it chiefly was promoted in the first and purest Ages of the Church In nobis Christus patitur opprobrium l 4. p. 140. v. p. 139. 141. That the Name and Doctrine of our Lord is Blasphemed among Heathens Atheists Scepticks and profane Persons by the ungodly lives of its Professors as Salvian sadly doth complain and by finding many who are owned as Christians and permitted to partake of the highest Ordinances and Priviledges of Christians who lead lives worse than Heathens and who were constantly rejected from the Communion of Christians in the best Ages of the Church When if at any time it was Objected by the Heathens that such persons bore the Name of Christians her Answer was they went out from us but they are not of us nor owned or †Just M. p. 70.253.306.308 vid. Tertull ad Scap. cap. 4. allowed of by us but are excluded by the Churches censures or by their voluntary separations which may deserve to be considered The exercise of this Discipline is necessary to perserve the Members of Christs Body from the danger of pollution Prop. 3. This cannot easily be questioned 1. By him who well considers that enquiry of St. Paul Know you not that a little Leaven leaveneth the whole lump 1 Cor. 5.7 purge therefore the Old Leaven from you that you may be a new lump 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the neglected evil may defile the whole Body of the Church say Oecumenius and Theophylact. 2. By him who knows how properly is the shame and punishment inflicted upon others for confess'd or palpable enormities to restrain us from the like practices and how exceeding apt Men are to run into those vices without fear which by experience they find connived at by Superiors As then the Man who was defiled by Leprosie or by an Issue Numb 5.2 3. or dead Body was by Gods command to be removed out of the Camp of Israel that they defiled not the Camp in the midst of which God dwelt so on the same account should the Spiritual Leper when the marks evidently do appear upon him be excluded from the Christian Camp that he desile not that Church in which God dwelleth now as in his Temple It seemeth probable that the exercise of this Discipline is that which will alone preserve the Church Gods Temple Prop. 4. and consequently will continue his presence with her Assemblies by the influences of his Holy Spirit on them in greater efficacy and measure And that on these considerations 1. That every Christian Church or Assembly is in the Scripture represented as Gods Temple the place in which he dwelleth as he of Old dwelt in Jerusalem for by inspection of the places where this Phrase Gods Temple is used in the New Testament it seemeth evident that it is not so much each private Christian as the Assemblies and Churches of them which are stiled Gods Temple So the Apostle speaks to the Corinthians in the general Know you not that you are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God doth dwell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among you 1 Cor. 3.16 and v. 17. The Temple of God is Holy which Temple you are So also 2 Cor. 6.16 What Communion hath the Temple of God with Idols For you are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell and walk among them and they shall be to me a People and I will be their God Which words are manifestly taken from Lev. 26.11.12 and therefore they must speak of Gods presence with his Christian Churches the Israel of God in such a manner as he was present with the Jewish Church by placing of his Tabernacle among them and giving demonstrations of his gracious presence with them Accordingly we find this promise made with respect unto the Gospel times I will set my Sanctuary in the midst of them for ever my Tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my People Ezek. 37.26 27. Thus also the Apostle speaks to the Church of Ephesus saying You are fellow Citizens of the the Saints and of the Household of God and are built upon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ being the chief Corner Stone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy Temple in the Lord in whom also you are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Ephes 2.19 20 21 22. Hence Lastly the Members of Christs Body or the Community of Christians seems to be stiled Christs house Heb. 3.6 his Spiritual house 1 Pet. 2.5 2ly That the condition of Gods continuing to dwell in or to abide with this his Temple as it was this of Old that the Lords People should be Holy that is be free from Ceremonial pollution and from such sins as were committed wilfully and with an High hand against the Law of Moses and so deserved cutting off that they should be to him an Holy Nation Exod. 19.6 a Holy People Deut. 7.6 an Elect peculiar People Deut. 14.2.26.18 So it seems plainly now under the New Testament to be the same For Christians under the New Testament are in like manner called the Elect of God 1 Pet. 1.2 Col. 3.22 a chosen Generation 1 Pet. 2.9 a Holy Nation and Peculiar People ibid. And they are in like manner called to come out from the Sons of Belial the Children of Darkness and Unrighteousness with whom they can have no Communion and to be separate that the Lord God may dwell among them 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. and consequently the continuance of Gods Spirit with his Church and his assistance in the Dispensation of its Ordinances seems likewise to depend on their continuance to be such a People and therefore on the execution of the censures of the
by executing of them only should rebuke the Scorner which the Wiseman forbids Prov. 9.8 Here then our Saviors Rule seems to take place Give not that which is Holy unto Dogs Matt. 7.6 lest they turn again and rent you Such persons ought therefore only to be excluded from the Sacrament according to the Counsel and Direction of the Church of England but not entirely and without exception excommunicated from the Church Prim. Christian Part 3. p. 377. To this effect it is observed by Dr. Cave that the Primitive Church Relaxed the severity of their Discipline when great multitudes were concerned or such persons as were like to draw great numbers after them in this case saith He they thought it prudent and reasonable to deal with persons by somewhat milder and gentler methods lest by holding them to terms of Rigor and Austerity they should provoke them to fly off either to Heathenism or to Heresy This Course St. Cyprian and his Brethren took for as the concord of his Collegues and the benefit of uniting the Fraternity and healing the wound in the Church required they 1 Necessitati temporum succubuisse p. 52. §. 3. yeelded to the necessity of the times and admitted the lapsed to Communion upon tolerable hopes of their true repentance 2 Ad gentiles se vias saecularia opera convertat vel ad Hereticos Schismaticos rejectus ab Eccle. transeat ibid. §. 10. v §. 3 9. lest being excluded from the Church they out of desperation should fly back to the Worldy or joyn with Hereticks or Schismaticks And in like manner saith he did our Brother 3 Cornelius yield to the necessity of the times Cornelius necessitati succubuit ibid. §. 6. Admitting to Communion plebis maximam partem maximum Fratrûm numerum a great part of the common people or the Brethren which separated with him upon the satisfaction and repentance of Trophimus alone with whom as they first separated they returned Moreover to this accords the judgment of St. Austin who declareth that 4 Neque enim potest esse Salutaris à multis correptio nisi cum ille corripitur qui non habet sociam multitudinem cum autem idem morbus plurimos occupaverit nihil aliud bonis restat quà m dolor gemitus Contr. Epist Parmen l. 3. p. 61. B. Correption cannot be salutary when the offendor hath many partners and that when the same disease hath seiz'd on many there remains no other Remedy for Good men to use but Prayers and Sighs and Sorrow And again that when 5 Et revera si contagio peccandi multitudinem invaserit Divinae Disciplinae severa misericordia necessaria est nam Consilia separationis inania sunt perniciosa atque Sacrilega quia impia superba fiunt plus perturbant infirmos bonos quam corrigunt animosos malos ibid. lit D. the Contagion of sin hath ceased the whole multitude the severe mercy of Divine Discipline is necessary for then all Councils of separation are vain pernicious wicked and Sacrilegious because they will more disturb the pious that are weak then correct the wicked that are sturdy And to confirm the judgment of St Austin the 6 Synop Pur. Theol. disp 48 §. 30. Authors of the Dutch Synopsis have observed that the Prophets and pious Priests among the Jews did never in a general declension of the people recur to these severer Methods And * Neque enim duris remediis locus est ubi tota Ecclesia in morbo cubat Grot. 2 Cor. 12.6 Grotius and Estius observe from these words of St Paul to the Corinthians that he was in a Readiness to revenge all disobedience when their obedience was fulfilled that there was no place for severe Remedies when the disease had infected the whole Church And that the Apostle was forced to yield to this necessity Esth in locum because the Offendors in the Church of Corinth being many Compan to the Temple part 4. p. 548.549 they could not easily be excommunicated I conclude therefore with the judicious Dr. Cumber that till men be so humble as to be willing to suffer shame and undergo severities in this world that their Souls may be saved in the next we may advise them to private and particular acts of mortification and repentance but it will be in vain to impose them on this untractable generation since by imposing them in these circumstances the Church would make this holy means of Reformation rather despised then obeyed Prop. 8 Altho it is the Christians duty to withdraw from and to avoid the scandalous Professor and the disorderly Walker yet is this only then a duty when we can serve no Higher ends of piety or mercy in holding correspondence with them For he that doth command us to withdraw from him that walks disorderly doth leave it still our duty to admonish him as ae Brother and therefore still to maintain that correspondence with him which is necessary to that admonition 2 Thess 3.14 15. and to all other good endeavors to reclaim and gain our Brother And therefore tho our Lord knew well the obligation of this duty and the great scandal which the Scribes and Pharisees would take at his free converse with Publicans and Sinners he doth not only justify the fact as being done in order to their reformation and conversion but also represents it as an higher duty and more incumbent on him then the avoiding the familiarity of wicked men and bids those Pharisees who reckoned it their duty to renounce all familiarity with such men learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not Sacrifice And tho St. Paul permits not his Corinthians to have any fellowship with Unbelievers Matt. 9.13 or go unto their Idol Temples or their feasts yet he allows the coming of the unbeliever into their Assemblies 1 Cor. 14.23 as being that which might be instrumental to his conviction and conversion And v. 24 25. which is more observable St. Jude speaking of those impure Dreamers who defiled the Flesh c. saith thus v. 8. These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you they therefore did intrude into these feasts and consequently joyned with them at the Table of the Lord of which these feasts were an Appendix and yet St. Jude prescribes no separation of the Saints from these Assemblies on that account Lastly tho Eli's Sons were Sons of Belial Sam. 1.2 12. and knew not the Lord Altho they caused the People to abhor the offering of the Lord v. 17. and therefore to neglect to come to Shilo with them v. 24. yet are they also said to make the Lords People to transgress viz. By this neglect it therefore was the Peoples duty still to attend upon these Ordinances of the Lord tho this could not be done under these circumstances without Communion with these Sons of Belial and Ministring
Christian sort and by a disuse of any other to incapacitate our own and our admirers devotions for the other and make both our selves and them uncharitably censorious of all Forms of Prayer and those who use them that is of the whole Catholick Church except a new and inconsiderable party CHAP. XI The Contents The Proposition That there is nothing in the Liturgy prescribed by the Church of England to which her Lay Communicants may not yield obedience The general Objections against it Answered are 1. That the phrase throughout the several Offices is such as presumes all persons in the Communion of the Church to be regenerate and in an actual state of Grace § 1. The falseness of which suggestion is shewed in ten instances and the phrase of the Liturgy is justified from like expressions of the Holy Scripture ibid. 2. Obj. That the people do not only say Amen but bear a part in the Prayers Answ This is justified from the practice of the Jews and Primitive Christians and the benefit of so doing § 2. 3. That the same Prayers are oft repeated which seems to be the vain Repetition forbidden by Christ Matth. 6.7 8. Answ These Repetitions are justified from Scripture-Examples and the practice of Christ § 3. Objections against several parts or expressions of the Liturgy Answered As 1. That in several parts of the Liturgy all profess to put their trust in God whereas it is to be feared that many in our Congregations do not so § 4. 2. That we all profess to Repent and be heartily sorry for our sins We all say on Sexagesima Sunday that God seeth that we put no trust in any thing that we do after the Communion we all give thanks to God that he hath assured us of his favour and goodness to us And in the Third Collect after Trinity we all profess that God hath given us an hearty desire to pray which professions cannot be thus generally made in truth § 5.3 That we pray that God would give to all Nations Unity Peace and Concord that he would save among the remnant of true Israelites all Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks that he would have mercy upon all men which petitions cannot be put up in Faith there being no promise of so large extent in Scripture § 6.4 That we pray to God to succour help and comfort all that are in danger necessity and tribulation to preserve all that travail by land or by water all Women labouring of child all Prisoners and Captives and so we pray for Robbers Pyrats Whores c. § 7. Some passages in the Liturgy which seem obscure or Metaphorical explained As 1. There is no health in us 2. Give peace in our time O Lord Because there is no other that fighteth for us but only thou O God 3. Lighten our darkness 4. From Fornication and all other deadly sins 5. From sudden Death Good Lord deliver us 6. By the Mystery of thy Holy Incarnation by thy Holy Nativity and Circumcision and by the coming of the Holy Ghost Good Lord deliver us 7. That our bodies may be made clean by his Body and our souls washed by his most precious blood 8. That God by the Baptism of his Well-beloved Son did sanctifie water to the mystical washing away of Sin 9. The Prayer after the Fourth Commandment Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law 10. With this Ring I the Wed with my body I thee worship and with all my worldly Goods I thee endow § 8. The Conclusion THAT there is nothing in the stinted Liturgy prescribed by the Church of England to which her Lay Communicants may not yield obedience or which can render their Communion with her sinful or unlawful to them As will be evident by answering the scruples Dissenters do suggest against the whole or any portion of that Service in which they are obliged to join with us And to begin with the Objections which respect the whole body of the Liturgy § 1 1. It is Objected That in the whole Common Prayer there is not any Petition or Confession which imports any doubt Dr. Chambers paper of unaffected scruples or fear that any of those who join in that Service are in a state of unregeneration or enmity to God whereas there are many in our Congregations of whom the Lord hath cause to complain as of the Jews that they hold fast deceit and refuse to return Jer. 3.5.11.15 To this effect runs the Objection of the Commissioners at the Savoy viz. P. 7. That throughout the several Offices the phrase is such as presumes all persons within the Communion of the Church to be regenerated converted and in an actual state of Grace which had Ecclesiastical discipline been truly and vigorously executed in the exclusion of scandalous and obstinate sinners might be better supposed but there having been and still being a confessed want of that as in the Liturgy is acknowledged it cannot rationally be admitted in the outmost latitude of Charity Answer This plainly seems to be a great mistake or false suggestion against the frame and constitution of our Liturgy For 1. The Sentences of Scripture appointed to be read at the beginning of Morning and Evening Prayer are fitted to the state of unregenerate and wicked persons and call upon them to turn from their wickedness that they have committed Ezek. 18.27 and do that which is lawful and right that they may save their souls alive To rent their hearts Joel 2.13 Dan. 9.9 10. and turn unto the Lord their God To acknowledge that they have rebelled against the Lord their God And have not obeyed the voice of the Lord to walk in his ways which he set before them Luke 15 18 19. And that they have sinned against their heavenly Father so as to be no more worthy to be called his servants 2. The Exhortation calls upon them to confess their manifold sins and wickednesses and not to dissemble or cloak them but confess them with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart to the end that they may obtain forgiveness of the same through Gods infinite goodness and mercy and so it manifestly doth suppose that many of them who are thus exhorted have not yet obtained forgiveness of their sins 3. The General Confession doth acknowledge that we are miserable offenders and that there is no health in us and prays that God would restore them that are penitent according to his promises declared to mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord and so suggests that they have need of Repentance to interest them in those promises 4. The Absolution begins with a declaration that God desires not the death of a sinner but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live adding that God will pardon and absolve all those that truly repent and therefore calls upon us to beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit and doth suppose that many present want
Which could not be if Peace and Concord could not obtain amongst those Nations where they dwell That precept therefore doth in effect oblige us to put up that Prayer which our Dissenters do except against 'T is true indeed so long as Satan and evil Men do sow the seeds of discord this is an happiness scarcely to be expected yet because it is an happiness to be wished for and because God alone is able to procure it we ought to beg it of him In this distracted State of Christendom we have but slender expectations that she should be a City wholly at unity within her self but yet I hope we may pray with our dear Lord that they may be one John 17.11 21. that they may be made perfect in one v. 23. and with blessed Paul that they may be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus Rom. 15.6 that they may with one mind and mouth glorify God As to the second instance of the Good-Friday Collect I answer Answ 2 That it doth perfectly accord with the devotion of the Antient Church of Christ See Comber p. 139 140. which put up their petitions for those that were without and were deceived that God would convert them saith the Liturgy of Clemens Sacram. p. 104. For Pagans and the calling of the Gentiles saith S. Ambrose and Gregory * Praesules tota secum congemiscente Ecclesia postulant precantur ut infidelibus donetur fides ut Idololatrae ab impietatis suae liberentur erroribus ut Judaeis ablato cordis velamine lux veritatis appareat ut Haeretici Catholicae fidei perceptione resipiscant ut schismatici spiritum redivivae charitatis accipiant Gennad de dogmat Eccles c. 30. For Hereticks and Schismaticks so that to quarrel with this Form of Prayer is to reproach the universal practice of the Church of Christ Secondly Since Scripture clearly saith that blindness in part is hapned to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved Rom. 11.25 26. And that God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all v. 32. seeing the Psalmist prays Psal 67.2 that Gods way may be known upon Earth his saving health among all Nations Seeing the Prophet Isaiah doth foretell that all the ends of the Earth shall see the salvation of God Isai 52.10 and the Divine that all the kingdoms of the world should become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 since God hath promised to give unto his Son the Heathen for his inheritance Psal 2.8 and the outmost part of the Earth for his possession and sent this great diffusive light into the world to enlighten every one that comes into the world John 1.9 even those that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death Luke 1.79 and to guide their feet into the way of peace I say seeing these things are so I know not how we can scruple the praying for all Jews Turks Infidels without disputing the veracity of these Divine Predictions or the propriety of these Prayers And yet if there were any need of a distinction it is wonderful that they who do relieve themselves when pressed hard with the evidence of Scripture by the well known distinction of singula generum and genera singulorum will not allow the Church the benefit of that distinction and suffer her to mean in this most charitable collect All the Tribes or the dispersions of the Jews all sorts of Infidels all Nations professing themselves Servants of the great Prophet Mahomet all Sects of Hereticks and then their little scruples will have no shadow of appearance left To the third scruple the Prayer continued in the Litany that it may please God to have mercy upon all men Answ 3 I answer as before First L. 4. p. 152. That this also was the Prayer of the whole Church of Christ in which pax cunctis venia postulatur saith Arnobius whose Litany ran thus pour out the riches of thy mercy upon all men and women so the Liturgies of St. Basil Quam legem supplicationis sc quâ preces fiunt pro omnibus hominibus ita omnium sacerdotum omnium fidelium devotio concorditer tenet ut nulla pars mundi sit in qua hujusmodi orationes non celebrentur à populis Christianis de vocat Gent. l. 1. c. 12. p. 798. Siquidem Apostolus cujus ista sententia est ut omnes homines salvi fiant Deum velle sollicitissimè praecepti quod in omnibus Ecclesiis piissimè custoditur ut Deo pro omnibus hominibus supplicetur Idem ad Object Vincent Ob. 2. p. 336. Chrysostome St. James This rule of supplication saith Prosper the devotion of all Priests and all the faithful do so unanimously observe that there is no part of the world wherein such prayers are not celebrated by Christian people and therefore they cannot be scrupled or pronounced disagreeable to the mind of God in Scripture without accusing the whole Church of Christ as being guilty of that crime Secondly Seeing the Royal Psalmist saith that God is good to every man and that his tender mercies are over all his works Psal 145.9 and the Apostle that he is the Saviour of all men 1 Tim. 4.10 I rather think with the Apostle that it is very sit that prayers intercessions 1 Tim. 2.1 and giving of thanks be made for all men and that this notwithstanding the exceptions of Dissenters is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all men to be saved v. 3 4. Moreover must not all faithful Pastors pray that God would bless their labours and render them successful to the salvation of them that hear them and if this may be done acceptably why may they not then pray thus for all the members of other Congregations doth not God peremptorily command all men in all places to repent Acts 17.30 and may we not then pray that all may do what he commandeth yea doth not God himself thus wish concerning them whose carcases fell in the wilderness through unbelief O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always that it might be well with them and their Children for ever Deut. 5.29 and of them who walked after their own lusts O that they were wise that they would consider this that they would understand their latter end Deut. 32.29 And may not Christians comply with the example of their God and wish what he doth wish or can such wishes be contrary to his dispensations of hardning obstinate and stubborn sinners Dr. Comber Having then so good Authority so great Examples and so excellent Reason for this Universal Charity we ought not to be moved at the trifling objections of those men who scruple this Petition because it will not suit their systems of absolute Election and Reprobation And
lawful to Communicate with us in Prayer and hearing of the word and in Receiving of the Sacrament upon occasion stand bound in Conscience so to do as oft as by the Magistrate you are required so to do and it can only be pretence of Conscience which doth induce you to forbear such Communion with us at these times for seeing negative precepts do bind always and at all times so that no man at any time may do what is forbidden by God It follows that there can be no prohibition against doing that at other times which we can sometimes do and which cannot be more or less lawful or unlawful for being done at one time than another as clearly seems to be the case with reference to your occasional Communion It therefore is to be suspected that men only pretend Conscience against that Communion with us at all times which they at sometimes can maintain And yet I wish there were no instances of men of your perswasions who when they are presented or when they find it necessary to qualifie them for an Office or to give a vote in which they may do service to their party will attend upon the publick worship used in our Churches and will receive the Sacrament according to the order of the Church of England who before never did and afterwards neglect to do so Now whilst men do thus vary in their practice according as their interest and as their circumstances vary they tempt men shrewdly to suspect that they act rather out of interest than Conscience in these matters and that they notwithstanding all their pretence to Conscience have either none at all or a bad Conscience for if they thought Communion with us in those Ordinances unlawful by doing it in the forementioned circumstances they only must be doing evil that good may come and making Conscience and Religion stoop to interest which is the proper character of Hypocrites but if they did conceive it lawful their Separation and refusal of it cannot be excused from Schism or from transgression of the injunctions of St. Paul If it be possible as much as in you lies live peaceably with all men follow after the things which make for peace give no offence unto the Church of God obey Superiors and submit your selves Ah my Dear Brethren by doing of these things you have given greater scandal unto others than your submission to the Constitutions of the Church of England could have done and therefore if you do indeed abstain from our Commuon for fear of giving scandal to weak Brethren do you more carefully abstain from matters of this nature which carry with them such a plain semblance of Hypocrisie that no pretence can hide no Charity excuse it Under this head I cannot pass by your violence in Petitioning His Sacred Majesty against His Royal Proclamation to the contrary for be it granted that the Law did authorize or give permission to you to Petition sure I am it laid upon you no necessity to do so and so this might have been forborn in compliance with the pleasure of his Majesty And if you do Reply That then you may by Proclamations be abridged of that liberty the Law affords you Consider I beseech you what it is that you expect and call for from Superiors viz. That for your sakes and out of pity to your weakness they would abate the exercise of their own power and with what equity and justice can you expect they should do this if you at their request will abate nothing of that liberty and power which the Law allows you § 17 2. If you cannot conform let me intreat you Religiously to abstain from censuring reproaching or speaking evil of your Governours in Church or State For this undoubtedly you may do and it doth very much concern you so to do For they who being Christians do reproach and do speak evil of their Civil Governours do that which the Wiseman would not permit the Jew to think of for his command runs thus Eccles 10.20 Curse not the King in thy heart or Entertain not any light vain contemptuous or dishonourable thoughts of him Assemb Annot. wish thou no evil to his Person Crown or Dignity in thy most secret retirements They do what all good men should tremble to commit for of such men St. Peter gives this Character Presumptuous are they 2 Pet. 2.10 self-willed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they do not tremble when they speak evil of Dignities Such persons dare to offer that to Gods Vicegerents to those who bear his Name or Character on Earth which Michael the Archangel durst not offer to the vilest and the worst of Creatures Jude 8 9. for he contending with the Devil durst not bring against him a railing accusation and yet it well deserves to be observed that if this sin was capable of pardon or excuse in any case or circumstances it must have been so in the reproaching of the then present Governours they being by consent of all Historians the greatest monsters of mankind and the most bloody Persecutors of the Christian Faith Moreover they who offend in the like kind against their Ecclesiastical Superiors do that which blessed Paul when he had ignorantly done to a corrupt High-Priest acknowledged as a crime condemned in the Law of God I wist not saith he that he was the High-Priest Acts 23.5 for it is written thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people they do that which the Conscience of a Jew could not let pass without just indignation and reproof for when St. Paul had said God shall smite thee thou whited wall v. 3 4. they presently cry out Revilest thou Gods High-Priest There lies indeed no obligation on us to call evil good or flatter our Superiors in their sins or judge well of them against the clearest evidence of Sense or Reason but then we are obliged not to cherish evil thoughts or harbour groundless jealousies of our Superiors much less must we express our inward apprehensions of them by opprobrious language or disrespectful carriage towards them And yet 't is but too evident that both the Writings and Discourses of Dissenters are too often stuft with these malevolent reflections in which they take the liberty of speaking evil of the Rulers of the people and of blaspheming Dignities and representing the Reverend Bishops as Popish Antichristian and Ithacian Prelates § 18 Lastly Let me conjure you by that affection which you bear unto the Name and Doctrine of our common Lord and Saviour and to the credit of the Protestant Religion to abstain carefully from all Seditious and Rebellious Principles and Practices and to do all you can to clear your selves from all suspicion of maintaining or approving of them For to deal plainly with you this is one great fault among you that you have many of you vented and more of you have practised sutably to those Opinions which are Seditious and Rebellious and these Opinions
used by the Church from the 3d. Century at least unto this present Age. And thence to shew that our Dissenters do by condemning these things in the Church of England in effect condemn the Church of Christ throughout all Ages and all Places Def. of the principles of love p. 55. for as Mr. Baxter well observes they who condemn our Church for reasons common to all the Ages of the Church must virtually condemn all the fore-going Ages of the Churches But because Laymen are ignorant of what was practised by Antiquity and have been taught that Anti-christ began to work in the Apostles days and therefore have but little Reverence for Arguments of this Nature I shall endeavour to convince them of the lawfulness of holding Communion with us in these Ordinances by the Example of our Blessed Lord and Saviour who in like cases did yield Obedience and Submit to the Prescriptions of the Rulers of the Jewish Church And 2ly I shall endeavour to return a full and a perspicuous Answer to all the Arguments they urge from Scripture or from Reason to prove that 't is unlawful to submit unto the things required by the Church of England in order to Communion with her Beginning first with those Arguments which do suppose the things required by the Church of England as the Conditions of Lay Communion to be sinful in themselves or things forbidden by the Word of God And 2ly Proceeding to the Consideration of those Arguments which do allow the things imposed to be lawful in themselves but yet suppose it is unlawful for them to submit unto them 1. Because the Imposition of them is a Violation of their Christian Liberty 2ly Because by their Submission to them as they imagine they shall be indirectly guilty of the sin of the Imposers 3ly Because they have been abused to Idolatry and Superstition and therefore are become unlawful to be used And 4ly Because by using of them they may scandalize the Weak which God having forbidden no Precept of the Magistrate can oblige them to do § 2 And 1. The Practice and Example of our Lord is such a President as our Dissentors cannot reasonably except against nor can they justify their own Refusal to be Followers of Christ or to submit unto such Constitutions made by the Rulers of the Church of Christ as our Dear Lord submitted to being appointed by the Rulers of the Jewish Church or to hold Communion with such a Church as he became a Member of Now 1. Our Blessed Saviour was a Member of the Jewish National Church and of the Synagogue at Nazareth the Confirmation of this Assertion I shall deliver in the Words of Doctor Leightfoot who speaks thus Harm part 3. p. 124. What did Christ all the while he liv'd at Nazareth a private Man Did he never go to the Synagogue upon Sabbath and Holy Days and Synagogue-days Whilst others went to the Congregation and to the publick Service did he stay at home did he not appear before the Lord at the appointed Seasons in the place which he had chosen We are assured he did so for his Parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover and when he was twelve years old they went up to Jerusalem after the Custom of the Feast and the Child went with them 2. Luke 41 42 43. That he went up unto the Feast of Tabernacles we are informed Joh. 7 10. And being circumcised he became a Debtor to do the whole Law Gal. 5 3. being made under the Law Gal. 4.4 he was obliged to the Performance of those things which were enjoyned by it Now the great Business of these Feasts was to offer Sacrifice to rejoyce in the Assembly of Gods People to put up Prayers and Praises for all the Blessings they did then commemorate at these times all Israel met together Lam. 2 22. they heard the Reading of the Law Deut. 31 9 10. and they sang Praises to God Isai 30 29. Ye shall have a Song as in the Night when a Holy Solemnity is kept If then our Saviour did observe these Feasts if he did celebrate the Passover then certainly he did communicate with the Jewish Church for these Appearances were Ordinances and Symbols also of Communion § 3 2ly That Christ himself neglected not the times of publick Prayer that he declared it not unlawful nor did prohibit his Disciples to attend upon them is evident from this that he still owned the Temple as his Fathers House Joh. 2 16. the House of Prayer that his Disciples after his Resurrection continued daily in the Temple and went up to it at the hours of Prayer Act. 3 1. And they esteemed it a very commendable Action of the Widow Anna to serve God there continually with Prayer and Fasting Luke 2.37 Whence we may certainly conclude that Christ himself did not refuse nor did advise his own Disciples to refuse Communion with the Jewish Church in common Prayer but did approve Communion with them in that publick Service Now since the Jews themselves observed no time for Prayer no number of Prayers seeing no dayly Forms of Prayer were appointed by the Law of Moses Therefore saith Dr. Leightfoot Harm part 3. p. 217. the Sanhedrin in several Generations made Canons and Constitutions to decide and determin upon all these particulars as their own Reason and Emergences did lead them and give occasion as in one Generation they prescribed such and such times for Morning and Evening Prayer in process of time they found these times allotted to be too strait therefore the Sanhedrin of another Generation did give Enlargement as they thought good and so concerning the number of Prayers to be said dayly one Sanhedrin appointed so many but time and experience found afterwards that these did not answer such and such occasions as it seems was not observed when they were first appointed therefore the Sanhedrin of another Generation thought good to add more and more still as occasions unobserved before did emerge and so the number of their dayly Prayers grew at last to be eighteen To all which Additions to the Law of Moses our Lord and his Disciples did submit attending the publick Service of the Temple and the Synagogues where they were used And § 4 3ly That he was particularly a Member of the Synagogue at Nazareth is proved from that Passage of St. Luke Luke 4 16. who tells us that he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his Custom was he went into their Synagogue on the Sabbath-day and stood up for to read for Illustration of which place observe that there were Seven Readers appointed in their Synagogues who Leightf Harm part 3 p. 125. when the Angel of the Church or Minister of the Congregation call'd them out did read Now that our Saviour was a Member of this Congregation may be argued thus ibid. p. 124. You find not in the whole Gospel tho Christ preached in
6. §. 16. Hence do we argue That the Presence of wicked and ungodly Men should not deter us from joyning with the Church in the Participation of the Holy Sacrament because Christ did not scruple as many Passovers as he participated of to eat with Judas him he admitted to the Holy Sacrament as being by Profession one of his true Disciples and one who had done nothing openly which contradicted that Profession altho Christ knew that he was a covetous Wretch into whom Satan had already entred and who would certainly betray him Hence also we infer Inf. 7. §. 17. That we stand not obliged to refuse Communion with other Churches in their Sacraments and other publick Offices because of some additions to the Institution which are imposed for the sake of Order Uniformity or Decency but are declared to be no parts or necessary appendants to the Institution You see how many things the Jews had added to the Passover the Wine because it was a Feast of Joy the Benediction of the Cup before they drank it the Breaking the unleavened Cake the Hymn and yet our Saviour did not scruple to observe these things And you may see in Dr. Leightfoots Service of the Temple how many Ceremonies they had added to the observance of the other Festivals at which our Lord and his Disciples were still present And therefore on the same account we need not scruple that antient Ceremony of Crossing which we use in Baptism seeing our Church declares that she doth not intend it as any part of Baptism or any necessary appendant of it on which account she doth command us to omit it in our private Baptisms but only as a convenient Ceremony to testify unto the Congregation that the baptized Person hath Relation to the Society of Christians and stands obliged to maintain the Christian Faith As therefore when the Children of Reuben and Gad had built themselves an Altar their Brethren were troubled at it but when they understood it was not built for Sacrifice or in Rebellion but to entitle themselves and their Posterity to a Share in Gods publick and solemn Worship Josh 22.16 30 31. And to an Interest in his Tabernacle and Altar they were well pleased and declared their hearty Satisfaction so would our Brethren consider that the Cross in Baptism is enjoyned not as a part or necessary appendant of that Ordinance but only to be Ed a Testimony to the Congregation that the baptized Person had an Interest in the Society of Christians and was obliged to maintain and own the Christian Faith they would have equal reason to be well pleased and to declare their Satisfaction in the Matter Hence it is evident that our Dissenters have no just cause to fear Inf. 8. §. 18. or plead for the Refusal of Submission to the Constitutions of our Church and of Communion with us that by Communicating they should approve of the imposing of these things and should partake with them in that supposed sin or countenance them in the imposing of those Grievous Burthens as they do esteem them for our Dear Lord you see submitted to the Constitutions of the Jewish Church and enjoyned others so to do and yet I hope they will not say that he approved or countenanced their heavy Burthens or partook with them in their sins were then the Impositions of the Church of England such as they imagine them to be they could have no just cause to fear that their Submission to them would derive this guilt upon them CHAP. II. The CONTENTS Corol. 1. That the Scriptures of the Old Testament cannot prohibite this Submission The Objections answered Obj. 1. Thou shalt not add unto the Word that I command you Deut. 4 2. Deut. 12 32. Answ 1. That these Words do as much prove that our Superiours may make no Laws about civil as about Sacred Matters 2ly That the Dissenters are as much condemned by them as the Church of England because they also do use many uncommanded Ceremonies 3ly The Jews themselves never conceived that by these Precepts they were restrained from Instituting upon occasion sacred rites as is proved by many Instances 4ly To add unto the Word of God is only to avouch such things as the Commandment or Word of God which he hath not commanded 5ly Hence it follows that the Dissenters do transgress this Precept § 1. Obj. the 2d That God in Scripture declares that he abhorrs that way of Worship which he hath not commanded Answ 1. That this Objection is impertinent as only proving what we deny not 2ly That it condemneth the Dissenters 3ly Not to command is in the places cited to forbid § 2. Obj. 3d. That the 2d Commandment forbids the likeness of any thing to be made for religious use and-so forbids the use of significant Ceremonies of mens devising Answ The 2d Commandment only forbids the making any Likeness to be the Object of religious Worship or Veneration § 3. A 2d Corol. From the Example of our Lord and his Apostles § 4. Obj. 4th From Christs Rejecting the Traditions of the Scribes and Pharisees Answ 1. That our Saviour only rejecteth such Traditions as were taught for Doctrines or held equal to the written Word of God Particularly their holding these Washings to be necessary to avoid that Defilement which would render them displeasing or unacceptable unto God 3ly This Text rather condemns them who hold that indifferent Ceremonies may not be submitted to in obedience to Superiours as teaching for Doctrins the Commandments of Men § 4. CHAP. II. FRom what hath been discoursed it clearly follows that all those Texts of Scripture Corol. and all those Reasons which Dissenters offer from the Old Testament to prove it is a thing unlawful to use or to submit unto the Ceremonies appointed by our Church and that they are forbidden by those Texts to use them must be meer fallacies and sophisms seeing our Saviour who doubtless was acquainted with the true Sense and Import of them did submit unto the use of Ceremonies of a like Nature to them when by the Rulers of the Jewish Church they were imposed and prescribed And tho this instance is a sufficient Answer to all that is or can be urged from the Old Testament against Submission to the Ceremonies imposed by the Church of England yet for the farther Satisfaction of our Dissenting Brethren I shall particularly answer all that they have hitherto produced with any shew of Reason to this purpose Which was the second head proposed to be spoken to And § 1 1. It is objected by them That God in Scripture hath commanded that nothing should be added to what he had enjoyned in his Worship to this effect they cite these Words Deut. 4.2 Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish from it that you may keep the Commandments of your God which I command you And Deut. 12 32. What thing soever I command you observe to
of by any but Dissenters 2ly If this be true I know not any thing more forbidden by this Commandment than this Book of Dr. Ames so full of Phantasies of his own devising that nothing can be more all which undoubtedly were intended by him for some religious use Nay this very Interpretation is forbidden here it being certainly a Phantasy of the Mind without all ground from the Commandment Nay all our pious Books our conceived Prayers our Method in composing Sermons and an hundred things of like Nature will be here prohibited The Argument whereby the Dr. Labors to confirm this fond intepretation is p. 297. that the Word likeness used in the second Commandment is General and comprehendeth under it all religious similitudes because they are Homogeneal to Images they are expresly forbidden Answ The Foundation of this Argument is a plain falshood for the Word Likeness is not General but by the Text is plainly limited to Images or Likenesses of Male or Female Deut 4.16 17 18. The Likeness of any Beast that is on the Earth The Likeness of any winged Fowl that flyeth in the Air The Likeness of any thing that creepeth on the Ground The Likeness of any Fish that is in the Waters The Likeness which may be seen is that which is forbidden v. 15. 'T is the Likeness of any thing in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath or in the Waters under the Earth Exod. 20.4 Dr. Ames goes on to Argue from the Affirmative part of the second Commandment thus p. 299. This Commandment enjoyns Obedience to all the Worship appointed by God all which was significative for it served to the Example and Shadow of Heavenly things Heb. 8.5 Heb. 10.1 The Law having a Shadow of things to come Therefore it forbiddeth any significative Ceremonies to be brought into the Worship of God devised by man Answ to omit the Illogicalness of this Argument and the many terms in the conclusion which are not vertually contained in the premisses which every fresh Man may perceive I Answ 1. That it is falsly or at least precariously affirmed that this Commandment enjoyns Obedience to all the Worship appointed by God It is the first Commandment which commands us to have God for our God that is to give him all the Internal Acts of Devotion and the External Acts of Piety which are proper to God and are in Scripture signified by loving God with all our Hearts by fearing worshipping and serving him The second Commandment doth limit the manner of exercising and expressing our Devotion to the true Object of it interdicting that mode which in the Practice of Antient times had so generally prevailed of representing the Deities they apprehended to be such in some corporeal shape thereto yielding such expressions of respect as they conceived suitable and acceptable to such Deities The Affirmative part of this Precept seems therefore to be chiefly this Thou shalt give outward Religious Worship by bowing humbling of thy Body or falling down to me so that our kneeling at the Sacrament or bowing to the Lord Jesus when we hear his Sacred Name which minds us of the great Blessings which he hath procured for us and of the Honour due unto him for them our bowing of the body to him when we go into the place of Worship is only doing what in the General is here commanded which if Dissenters well considered they would see the vanity of their Exceptions against those laudable Practices of the Church of England Farther the positive part of this Precept may imply that in our Devotions and Religious Services of God we should raise our mind above gross Sense and Phancy that we should entertain high and worthy conceptions of God that we should apprehend him incomparably Superiour to all things which we see and know in a word that we should worship him in Spirit and in Truth not as the Samaritans in the Image of a Dove who therefore are said to worship they knew not what nor as the Jews by Types and Shadows of good things to come and such like Carnal Ordinances In these two things seem fully to be comprised the special positive Duty of this Commandment Answ 2. When Dr. Ames adds that all the worship appointed by God is here commanded and that it was all significative and proveth this from Hebr. 8.5 Hebr. 10.1 Which manifestly speak only of Shadows of things to come it clearly follows from his Argument that all Worship of God is now abolished and become unlawful for all the Worship spoken of Hebr. 8.5 Hebr. 10.1 is clearly abolished and rendred unlawful to us by the appearance of the substance of which they were Types and Shadows 3ly 'T is certain that we owe Obedience to all the parts of Worship appointed by God significative or not significative but how doth it hence follow that significative Ceremonies which are declared to be no parts of Gods Worship but only accidental Circumstances may not be required by men any more than it will follow that because God hath commanded Obedience to all the Honour due to my Natural Spiritual and Civil Parents and hath commanded all the Love I owe unto my Brother that therefore I may use no expression of honour to my Parents or love unto my Christian Brother which he hath not commanded Thus have I answered all that is considerable in Dr. Ames on this Head and all that the Dissenters urge from the Old Testament against Submission to the Ceremonies appointed to be used in the Church of England § 4 From this Example of our Lord and his Apostles it doth also clearly follow Coroll 2. that those Texts of Scripture which our Dissenters urge from the New Testament and all those reasons which they plead from the fulness of Scripture the Office and the Faithfulness of Christ in the discharge of that his Office can never prove that 't is a thing unlawful to submit unto or use the Ceremonies appointed by our Church seeing our Saviour and his Disciples whose Practice certainly agreed with their Precepts and who did nothing repugnant to the fulness of the Scripture c. submitted to the use of Ceremonies of a like nature to them when by the Rulers of the Jewish Church they were imposed and they found it best conducing to the promotion of the Gospel to submit unto them Nevertheless I also shall proceed to answer all that they have produced hitherto with any shew of reason from the N. Testament Obj. 4 To this effect then it is objected That Christ himself condemned and rejected the washings of the Scribes and Pharisees altho they were but decent Ceremonies imposed by the Elders of the Jewish Church and not forbidden by the Law of Moses And he not only doth refuse to conform to them but also justifyes his own Disciples in their Nonconformity doth pronounce of all such things that being plants which his Heavenly Father had not planted Matt. 15.13 they should be
joyn not with these that use it or with the Minister who wears a Surplice kneel not at the Receiving of the Sacrament do not stand up at the rehearsal of the Creed bring not your Children to receive the sign of the Cross in Baptism all these they teach for Doctrines asserting that they are actions which God hath forbidden and therefore may not lawfully be used in his Worship or by them be submitted to since therefore God hath not forbidden any of these things and yet they teach he hath forbidden them they plainly must be guilty of adding to his Word and teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men which they who do declare these things to be indifferent and no where commanded in Gods Word cannot be guilty of CHAP. III. The CONTENTS Answering the Objections of Dissenters from reason grounded upon Scripture as Obj 1. God would have for the Tabernacle and the Temple an exact pattern how he would have all things done and that in writing and therefore Christ being faithful in his House as Moses was must have done as much in Scripture towards the building of his Spiritual House Answ 1. This Argument holds as well in Civil Matters as in Sacred and by arguing from such similitudes many false things may be concluded Answ 2. That it is falsly supposed that Moses was so full in his Institutions that nothing afterwards was to be added to them or ordained by the Rulers of the Church for the better Observation of them 3 'T is certain Christ hath not done what this Objection saith his faithfulness obliged him to do 4ly There is a manifest disparity betwixt the Christian and the Jewish State and thence good reason may be given why thô all things were determined then it should not be so now 5ly The fidelity of Moses consisted in this that he concealed nothing of that which God commanded and sutably the fidelity of Christ in this that he declared to us the whole Will of God § 1. Obj. 2. The Scripture is a Rule of Ceremonies for it prescribeth Ceremonies respecting Baptism and the Lords Supper if therefore it prescribe not all it must be an imperfect Rule Answ 1. The absurdity of this Argument is shewn by instances of a like Nature 2 The Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the perfection of the H. Scriptures is this viz. that it doth perfectly contain all that is necessary to believed or done in Order to Salvation Thô not all Ceremonies in particular of Decency and Order That the Scripture is a Rule of all Ceremonies that are good works antecedently to the Command of man 2. That it is sufficiently perfect in reference to uncommanded Ceremonies by giving general Directions to Superiors in the imposing of them And 2ly By Commanding Obedience to their impositions in all lawful matters The Tenet of some Non-Conformists that no Church-Governors ought to ordain or introduce into the Service of God any other Rites or Observations than such as God hath in his Word commanded or Christ and his Apostles by their Examples which they esteem as Precepts hath approved and that if they enjoyn such things we must not yield Obedience to them but must reject them as humane Inventions Superstition and Will-worship The pernicious Consequence of this Tenet 1. It casts a reproach upon Religion and gives just cause to Magistrates to scruple the Admission of the Christian Faith 2. It makes it necessary to disobey all Civil Laws concerning Charity and Justice which are not contained in Scripture 3ly This Opinion will force men to be troublesome in all the Churches of the World 4. It gives a great Advantage to Popery Mr. Baxters solid Confutation of this Opinion by 8 Arguments 5ly They who assert this Tenet do many things in Contradiction to it § 2. CHAP. III. HAving thus dispatched the Scriptures produced in this cause I proceed to consider the Objections of Dissenters from reason grounded upon Scripture and Obj. 1. It is objected That there was nothing appertaining in the least to the Worship of God but was fully set down even to the pins of the Tabernacle in the Law of Moses when Gods Material House was to be built he gave to Moses for the Tabernacle and to David for the Temple a Pattern according to which he would have every thing made or done And of this Pattern which God gave to David for the Temple it is expresly said God gave it him in Writing 1 Chron. 28.19 Nothing then might be done by Moses or by Solomon tho they were two of the wisest Men that ever lived about the Tabernacle or Temple or about the whole Service of God performed in them but according to that Pattern Exod. 25.9 40 39 42 40 16. and this charge the Lord repeats to Moses four times to shew the great Importance of it and the Author to the Hebrews Notes that it was said unto him Hebr. 8.5 see that thou make all things according unto the Pattern that was shewed thee in the Mount Hebr 3.6 Since therefore Christ was faithfull in his House as Moses was he must say they in building his Spiritual House have given us a Pattern according to which he would have all his works done and that pattern must be contained in the H. Scriptures Answ 1 Of this almost all the Arguments produced by Dissenters on this Subject it is observable that they hold as much against all Laws concerning Civil matters as concerning sacred For instance Moses as he prescribed those Laws whereby the Jewish Nation was to Act in sacred matters so did he from Gods mouth prescribe them a Judicial Law a Law for Civil Government and he moreover saith of that as well as of those Laws which did concern Gods Worship you shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath Commanded you you shall not turn aside to the right hand or the left If then the Argument here holds from the fidelity of Moses to that of Christ or from Gods care of his Churches Service under the Old Testament to his care of it under the New Christ must have given us a form of Civil Government as well as Sacred a Statute Law by which our Courts of Justice must be regulated and to which 't is not in the Power of King and Parliament to add on Statute or else Christ must be thought less faithful in his House then Moses was and God less carefull of the Christian than the Jewish Church And indeed Arguments of this Nature taken from Similitudes may be used to conclude things manifestly false as V. G. God is not less kind to his Ministers under the New Testament than under the Old and therefore as in the Law of Moses we are told punctually what they should receive from the People so must we be told also under the New Testament under the Law there was on Earth an High Priest over the Jews therefore we must have an universal Bishop over the Christians Moses
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
Month or only at Easter and Penticost as was the ancient Custom of the Church of God Whether Baptism should be Administred by Dipping or by Sprinkling only whether by Dipping thrice as was the Custom of some Churches or only once as other Churches did whether only Men or Women only or both indifferently were to assist at the Baptizing of Adult persons He hath said do this in remembrance of me but hath not told us on what days the Lords Supper shall be Administred or how oft whether it should be received every day or every Sunday as in the Primitive Church the Custom was or every Month as in Cathedrals it is or thrice a year as is required by the Rubrick He hath not told us in plain words whether consecration of the Elements to be received be necessary and what words must be used in Consecration nor hath he told us who alone may Consecrate whether a Deacon or a Priest only or who alone shall be admitted to the Sacrament whether all visible Professors or sincere Believers only whether they must be first examined by Church Officers or only should examin their own Consciences He hath not told us whether the Bread to be received shall be of Wheat or of some other Grain whether one great Loaf or more Whether the Wine shall be mixt with Water or not or whether it shall be Claret Muskadine or any other sort of Wine whether we shall receive after Supper as Christ and his Apostles did or in the Morning as the Christians under persecution did whether we should receive it Full or Fasting Sitting Leaning Standing or Kneeling whether we should receive at a Communion Table or in our Seats and whether that Table shall be of Wood or Stone whether it shall be Round Long or Square whether it shall stand in the East or West end or in the Middle of the Church whether it shall have Rails or no Rails All or many of these things to omit many other Circumstances respecting Ordination and Church Discipline are left by Christ and his Apostles undetermined and if this Argues in him a defect of care and providence or of fidelity towards his Church as this objection doth Blasphemously suppose what remains but that our Blessed Saviour should be charged with these neglects it being certain from experience that he hath left us no particular injunctions for the determination of these matters And if he must be deemed less faithful in his House than Moses was because he is not so particular in the prescribing of such Rites I know not how we can excuse him from that guilt so Blasphemous is the result of this Objection And lastly seeing these Acts of Worship cannot be performed without some of these Circumstances which are thus left undetermined if the determination of them by Superiours be a sufficient cause for our Refusal to be present at or to joyn with them in these Ordinances we must have cause sufficient to renounce all Publick Worship Answ 4 4ly We say there is a manifest disparity betwixt the Gospel and the Jews state and that good reason may be given why tho all punctilio's were determined then it should not be so now For the People of the Jews lived all under one Civil Government whereas we Christians live under different forms of Government and are dispersed throughout divers Nations using divers Customs and therefore could not if at all conveniently practise such an uniformity of Ceremonies as we must have done if Christ had determined every Circumstance of his Worship as Moses did v. g. dipping in Baptism might be subject to little inconvenience in hot Countries but if this should have been enjoyned under the frozen Zone it might have hazarded the life of the Baptized person The Custom of some Countries doth make that decent and a sign of Reverence and therefore fit to be imposed or observed in those Countries which is in other Countries where no such Customs do obtain neither decent nor a sign of Reverence and so unfit to be required in those Countries See many other disparities in the Irenicum of Dr. Stillingfleet Answ 5 Lastly The fidelity of Moses here spoken of is only this that he did faithfully declare unto the Jews what God had spoken to him concealing nothing of what God had commanded from them he was faithful saith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a Testimony of what was to be spoken Hebr. 3.5 And therefore the fidelity of Christ compared with it must not consist in prescribing Ceremonies but in declaring the whole Will of God discovered to him which that he punctually performed he himself assures us saying The Word which I speak is not mine Joh. 14.10 Joh. 12.49 50. but his that sent me I speak not of my self but the Father which sent me he gave me a Commandment what I should say As the Father hath said to me so I speak Obj. 2 The Scripture is a Rule of even Ceremonies in Gods Worship for it gives prescriptions and directions in the New Testament concerning the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper Now if it doth not prescribe all Ceremonies requisite and convenient then it is only a partial and imperfect Rule of Cemonies in Gods Worship whereas we cannot but hold it to be a perfect adequate and total Rule of Ceremonial as well as Moral Worship for it is able to perfect the man of God and throughly to furnish him unto all good works Reply to Dr. Hammond p. 85 Answ 1. and so unto all Ceremonies that are good works So M. Jeans Answ To shew the Absurdity of this Argument take these few Instances of a like Nature The Scripture is a Rule of Justice and of Charity betwixt Man and Man and of Temperance towards our selves for it gives prescriptions and directions in the New Testament concerning all those Matters Now if it doth not prescribe all that is requisite and convenient to be prescribed in respect unto them then it is only a partial and imperfect Rule of Justice Charity and Temperance whereas we cannot but hold it to be a total adequate and perfect Rule of all particulars respecting Justice Charity and Temperance For it is able to perfect the man of God throughly furnish him to all good Works and so to all particular Acts of Justice that are good Works and so all Humane Laws concerning any Act of Justice Charity or Temperance which are not meerly penal but directive must be a Derogation from the Sufficiency of Scripture as well as the prescribing of a Ceremony Answ 2 2ly According to this Argument the Scripture must have prescribed both Time and Place and all the things which I have mentioned in Answer to the last Objection or else no Time or Place or any of those things which are left undetermined by it can be requisite or convenient to be used in the Worship of God So monstrously absurd is this way of Arguing In farther Confutation of this Argument
another thing Yea every man will be apt to think he findeth that there which his own corrupt mind brings thither It will bring confusion into Families as well as Churches whilst every Child and Servant will by this principle be tempted to reject the Instructions of his Master or Father who would teach him a Catechisin or form of Prayer for which the Scripture affords him no particular direction 6ly And hereby all possibility of Union among Christians must perish till this opinion perish for if we must unite only in that which Scripture doth particularly direct us to we must not unite at all If we must all in singing Psalms agree in no Metre or tune in the Church but one that Scripture hath prescribed us we must not sing at all If we must pray in publick only in Words prescribed by Scripture to be used in publick we must not pray at all in publick If we must receive the Sacrament only when it is consecrated in Words prescribed by Scripture we must not receive at all 7ly Hereby Christian love will be quenched when every man must account his Brother a Transgressor against the perfect Rule of Scripture that cannot shew a Text of Scripture for the hour the place of worship the bells the hour-glasses the pulpit the utensils which are used in the Service of God Hereby those pious Men Calvin Cartwright Sibs Perkins Hildersham who used a form of Prayer yea almost all the Christians in the World must be condemned 8ly This Doctrine will rack and perplex the Conscience of all Christians by forcing them to think that they are guilty of sin by every Tune Metre Word Gesture Time Place or any other Circumstance of worship which they use without a Scripture warrant On this account some dare not pray in their Families some dare not think what they shall pray some dare not teach their Children to pray some dare not hear a studyed Sermon or read a printed Book To conclude this Tenet will affright poor people from Scripture and Religion and make us our doctrine and worship ridiculous in the sight of all the World Lastly I add that they who do assert this Tenet do many things repugnant to it As v. g. They introduce Lay Elders unordained of whom there is no mention in the Scriptures or in the Church of the first Ages They sing in stinted Metre Hymns of their own devising for which no Precept or Example can be produced from the Book of God Besides where hath our Lord or his Apostles enjoyned a Direrectory for publick worship and that which they imposed what Authority could it pretend to but that of man They when they take an Oath do not refuse to lay their hands upon and kiss the Holy Scriptures Now all agree that Oaths are solemn Acts of Divine Worship for they are Invocations of God and thereby we acknowledge his Omniscience and that he knows the uprightness of our intentions and that his Justice will avenge it self on the false Swearer and that his Power is able to inflict upon him the severest Judgments and that he by his promise stands bound to help and to reward all those who do believe and act according to the Holy Scriptures Here therefore is an outward Ceremony of Humane Institution joyned with many acts of religious worship Again when they enjoyned the solemn League and Covenant they ordered that the whole Congregation should take it 1. uncovered 2 standing 3. with their right hand lift up and bare Now let any man of reason say if it be unlawful to submit to our three Ceremonies of kneeling crossing and wearing a white Garment in Gods Service why it is less unlawful to use three other Ceremonies in that more solemn act of worship viz. the taking of an Oath or if men may appoint these Ceremonies to be used in taking of an Oath what hinders but in other acts of worship they may do the like CHAP. IV. The CONTENTS Obj. 3. It is unlawful to add unto the parts of Gods worship but to add our Ceremonies to Gods worship is to add to the parts of Gods worship which they endeavour to prove by 12 Arguments To this Argument we answer 1. By shewing what outward worship in the general is viz. The Acknowledgment of some Excellency in the Person worshipped by actions proper to express our Sense or Apprehension of that Excellency Whence 't is concluded that our Ceremonies can be no parts of worship because not in themselves or by their imposition intended to express our Sense of any Divine Excellency The Arguments to the contrary are briefly but fully answered § 1. Obj. 4. To impose our Ceremonies without license from Christ is to invade his Kingly Office he being the sole Law-giver to his Church and derogate from his Prophetick Office which is the only Teacher of his Church and the Appointer of all means whereby we should be taught Answ 1. That it falsly is supposed that the Rulers of our Church have ordained any Ceremonies to teach Spiritual Duties by their Mystical Signification or to be Authentick means of Spiritual Teaching 2 That it can be no derogation from Christs Prophetick or his Kingly Office to stir up our minds by things apt to stir them up to the performance of their duty or to express and signify our duty by things apt to express and signify it 3ly That it is not true that Christ in Scripture hath set down all things by which we may be admonished of our duty 4. That this Argument concludes with equal strength against the imposition of all Ceremonies even time and place 5ly That the Injunction made by Rulers for Decency and Order if they do truly answer these ends are made by virtual Commission from Christ and therefore can be no Entrenchment on his Legislative Power Mr. Baxters Objection answered § 22. CHAP. IV. § 1 IT is not lawful to add unto the parts of Gods worship Obj. 3 but to add our Ceremonies to Gods worship is to add to the parts of Gods worship Repl. to Dr. Ham. p. 85. therefore it is not lawful to add our Ceremonies to Gods worship The Minor is proved by Mr. Jeans thus Because our Ceremonies are external worship and therefore parts of Gods worship That our Ceremonies are external worship he proves by these Arguments Arg. 1 1. Those external Ceremonies whose proper use is the honouring of God are external worship but our Ceremonies are such Ergo. Arg. 2 2. All external Ceremonies in their Nature formally elicited from Religion are external worship but our Ceremonies are such Ergo. Or thus All meer and immediate actions of Religion are parts of Divine worship but our Ceremonies are meer and immediate acts of Religion Another argues in the like manner thus Arg. 3 1. As the means that God hath appointed to teach obedience be acts of Divine Service so the means that man deviseth for that end and purpose must needs be worship also Arg. 4 2. Those signs
many other things of a like Nature which he most truly saith are all left to humane Determination ibid. §. 27.28 and to humane Prudence And yet according to his Argument seing no reason can be given why the Determination of most of them would not be equally useful in all Ages and all Churches they must be the matter of an Universal Law if of any and so of an Universal Law-giver and so cannot be left to humane Prudence or Determination Again when the same Person Argues against the Imposition of our Ceremonies thus Disp 5. Chap. 4. §. 3. If these things are needful now why not throughout all Ages and all Churches if therefore Christ did neither by himself nor his Apostles institute and impose these Rites then either the imposing of them is needless and consequently noxious or else you must say that Christ hath omitted a needful part of his Law which implyes that he was either ignorant what to do or neglective of his Affairs This Argument again condemns all the Churches of Christ throughout all Ages since the Apostles times who have always used some Ceremonies which neither Christ nor his Apostles thought fit to institute And 2ly It also renders it unlawful for humane Prudence to determine any of those things which saith he Christ and his Apostles have left undetermined they being mostly such as are or may be equally useful in all Ages of the Church and such of which it may be said whensoever they are determined by humane Prudence if they are needful now why not always c. CHAP. V. The CONTENTS Obj. 5. Those Ceremonies which God himself appointed to teach his Church by their signification may not now be used much less may those which man hath devised § 1. Answ 1. That as St. Paul submitted to some Jewish Rites unlawfully required by the Jewish Christians that he might gain the Jew and Minister to their Salvation so may the Christian submit to Ceremonies unfitly imposed by Superiors for like good ends Answ the 2d This Argument offers nothing against signs Natural and Customary such as are kneeling at the Sacrament the Cross in Baptism standing up at the Creed But only against signs arbitrary from the imposing of which the Excellent Bishop Taylor doth excuse our Church § 2. Obj. 6. The use of the Ceremonies is superstitious and therefore cannot be submitted to Answ By stating the true Notion of Superstition and shewing 1. That Superstition is a species of false Worship and therefore where no Worship is exhibited by the act done or intended by the Doer or Imposer of it as in the case of our Ceremonies there can be no Superstition in that Act. 2ly That Superstitious Worship undue as to the manner of it can only be performed by offering that as acceptable and pleasing to God or as an Exercise of Religion or an Acknowledgment of some of Gods Perfections which is not so 3ly All Superstition consisting Fundamentally in this mistake and formally in the ensuing Practice It follows that the Forbearance of an Act upon the like mistake viz. That we conceive it well-pleasing to God and tending to his Honor to forbear it when indeed it is not so is Superstition § 3. Hence our Dissenters must be Superstitious provided that the Rites that they refuse Submission to be lawful in themselves 1. Because they do and must esteem this their refusal as an Act of special Honour done to God 2ly Because they must esteem themselves by this forbearance Preservers of Gods Worship pure and spiritual 3ly Because they must esteem themselves under a necessity of displeasing God by joyning in Communion with us § 4. § 5. What is the true Import of Edification § 6. Obj. 7. We must not submit to the Institution or Introduction of New Sacraments And therefore not to the Institution of the Ceremonies of the Church of England they having the Nature of Sacraments § 7. Answ 1. That the Ceremonies of the Church of England are not appointed to be signs of Spiritual Grace or to confirm Grace to us 2ly That the designing of these Ceremonies to express signify or bring into our minds Spiritual Duties cannot make them Sacraments With reasons why the Representation of some Spiritual Duty by a mystical Rite cannot as properly pertain to the Nature of a Sacrament as the sealing some Spiritual Promise doth § 8. Many things required in Sacraments which are all wanting in our Ceremonies § 9. Mr. Baxters Arguments to prove the Cross as used in our Church a Sacrament are answered § 10. CHAP. V. BUt say Dissenters Obj. 5 If those Ceremonies which God himself ordained to teach his Church by their signification may not now be used § 1 much less may those which man hath devised now God hath abrogated his own not only those that were appointed to prefigure Christ but such also as served by their signification to teach moral duties and so as now without great sin none of them can be continued in the Church no not for signification and therefore to bring in others of like Nature is to Judaize To confirm this Argument they add that if men may impose such Ceremonies because of their significancy they may reduce into the Church of Christ all the whole Mass of Jewish Ceremonies as v. g. 1. Those of moral signification as the not eating of Blood to teach us to avoid cruelty towards the life of man and beast the not eating of unclean beasts to denote our abhorrence of the impurities and immoralities which by that abstinence the Jews were taught to refrain from the not touching any thing unclean to mind us of avoiding all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit to omit infinite instances of like Nature 2ly By the like reason many Jewish Rites which were Types and Shadows of things to come may be reduced into the Church upon other accounts as v. g. Circumcision to mind us of the Circumcision of the Heart the Paschal Lamb to signify our Gratitude for passing from Darkness unto Light or from our Spiritual Thraldom unto sin into the Liberty of the Sons of God all Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and all whereby they owned God to be the Author of Life and Death and all their temporal Mercies and did Acknowledge that they deserved to die for sin and all the Jewish Garments importing Spiritual Duties to be performed by their Priests with many things of a like Nature And indeed saith Bishop Taylor If the Church might add things Duct Dub. l. 3. c. 4. R. 20. § 7. or rituals of Signification then the Walls might be covered with the Figures of Doves Sheep Lambs Serpents Birds and the Communion Table with Wine Herbs Tapers Pidgeons Raisins Hony Milk and Lambs and whatsoever else the wit of man can invent But the manner of teaching these truths by Symbolical things actions is too low too suspicious too dangerous to be mingled with Divine Lyturgies Christ may as he please consign his own good things
with respect unto the manner And therefore it is well observed by Dr. Stillingfleet That many Superstitions condemned in Scripture chiefly consist in the forbearance of things lawful Serm. of Superst p. 37. on supposition that the forbearance of them was well pleasing to God The Superstition condemned Coloss 2.22 lay in supposing God to be pleased with their Forbearance of things lawful with their not touching tasting handling them and therefore was a negative Superstition And so it was in the dispute between Christ and the Pharisees about healing on the Sabbath day they thought it unlawful and therefore did abstain Christ thought it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day and therefore did it here was no positive observance on the Pharisees part yet here was Superstition in them and therefore the true Notion of Superstition doth extend to the Forbearance of things in themselves lawful as displeasing to God § 4 Now to apply these things that the Forbearance of the Ceremonies required by the Church of England on supposition that they are lawful in themselves and yet are by Dissenters abstained from as unlawful must be superstitious will be exceeding evident 1. Because they do and must according to their Principles esteem this their refusal to submit unto them when imposed as an act of special honor to God it being a declaration of their minds that they think God dishonoured by such acts and therefore dare not comply with them it can be only fear of sinning against God which can engage them with the hazard of their Estates and Ease c. thus to refuse obedience to the Commands of their Superiours They then must look on this refusal as a product of the fear of God and as an act of true obedience to him in opposition to the unjust Commands of men or an obeying God more than man and consequently they must esteem themselves more holy acceptable and well pleasing to God on the account of this Forbearance than Conformists are 2ly Because they do and must esteem Gods Worship corrupted by the use of these our Rites as to the Purity and the Spirituality of it and so they do esteem themselves by this Forbearance Preservers of his Worship pure and spiritual and free from that Idolatry and Superstition with which they charge it upon these accounts 3ly Because they do and must according to their principles rather refuse to joyn in the external Communion of our Church and rather bound to set up separate Communions than to comply with these our Rites now surely nothing but a necessity of displeasing God by joyning in Communion with us can warrant their refusal of it nothing but a necessity by God imposed on them of setting up such separate Communions in Order to the acceptable Worship of God can justify their Separation if therefore they mistake in Judging that such necessity is laid upon them as they must do if it be lawful to submit unto these Rites and hold Communion with us notwithstanding the necessity which lyes upon them to submit unto them they must be superstitious in that Practice which follows from this grand mistake § 5 In answer to the Close of this Objection it is said That these things edify by their Signification and therefore must be good and profitable and so not like unto vain Words and Actions To this it is replyed by Dissenters that many things of a like Nature when they are used by devout and thinking men may edify by their Signification and yet the imposition of them upon that account would scarce exempt them from the appearance of vanity As v. g. Should a Church Governor command his Subjects to appear in Armor in the Church to signify their Spiritual Warfare or to put on an Helmet to signify that they would manfully fight under Christs Banner or to drink Milk in token of their desire to feed on the sincere Milk of the Word or to use Vinegar and Gall in token of their Resolution to undergo the greatest Hardships for the Sake of Christ or to put on a pair of Spectacles to signify we are dim sighted in the things of Christ tho the Signification of these things might tend to edify the things required could hardly be excused from vanity 2ly They add that Edification in the Scripture Sense is quite another thing from this obscure way of teaching by Signification To edify our Brother in the Scripture Sense is to build him up and to confirm him and help him forward in the Christian Faith 1 Tim. 1.4 Jud. 20. The things by which the Church is said to receive Edification are of a better Nature viz. Walking in the Fear of God and in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost Act. 9 31. The Preaching of the Word 1 Cor. 14.3 4 5. Christian admonition and discourse Administring Grace unto the Hearer Eph. 4.29 The Graces of the Holy Spirit descending on Christs Members Eph. 4.16 Of the Edification of any indifferent and humane Ceremony the Scripture speaketh not one Word We are then said in Scripture to edify our Brother when we forbear indifferent and unnecessary things which through his weakness do cooperate towards his ruine Rom. 14.19 20. We do it by our Charity towards him in these things for Charity edifyeth 1 Cor. 8.1 By our Promotion of unity and so by the removal of such unnecessary things as do obstruct it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Edifie your selves into one 1 Thes 5.11 Answ But were this granted that some one or more of our Ceremonies seemed to you unprofitable and unserviceable to the use of Edifying what is that to you who only are concerned to know whether what your Superiors Command may lawfully be done by you and who Transgress your bounds when you presume to judge whether the things imposed be in their own Natures profitable edifying or convenient to be imposed for if they be as you conceive the fault supposed in the imposing of them is not yours but theirs whereas the fault in not submitting to them if lawful will most certainly be yours 2ly Whatsoever they are in themselves yet your submission to them in obedience to the lawful Commands of your Superiors for preservation of the Churches Peace for the prevention of Schism and all its dreadful consequents for the obtaining freedom to joyn in the Communion of the Church will doubtless highly tend to your Edification and your Profit as being a Submission to them for such Pious Christian ends as Christianity most stirictly doth oblige us to aim at and pursue and which are in themselves sufficient to sanctifie an action otherwise unprofitable and render it a Christian Duty Lastly to Kneel at the receiving of the Sacrament to express our Reverence and Humility to sign a Child with the Cross in token to the Congregation that he is listed among Christs Members or wear a Surplice for decency or distinction cannot be proved to be vain by any of the Instances forementioned Obj. 7 We cannot say Dissenters
lawfully submit to the institution § 7 or introduction of New Sacraments into the Church of God or use them being introduced without Divine Institution For a Sacrament according to the Catechism of the Church of England being an outward visible sign of inward Spiritual grace and both a means thereof and a pledg to assure us of it he only can have power to appoint a Sacramental sign who has right to promise and power to Minister that grace and therefore he alone who is the God of all grace can institute a Sacrament now that our Ceremonies some at least of them are Sacraments they endeavour to prove by these Arguments 1. All Mystical Bodily rites and signs of Spiritual grace administred to the Church of God in his Solemn Service to confirm grace and that by him who represents the Person of Christ are Sacraments but such are the greatest part of our Ceremonies for they being Administred to Edifie the Soul and Conscience must be Administred to confirm grace the Sacrament of the Lords Supper being for this cause alone a Sacrament because it is a Mystical Rite whereby the Soul Spiritually feedeth upon Christ i. e. is Edified in Christ these being Mystical Rites whereby the Soul is Edified must be also Sacraments 2ly No reason say they can be given why the representation of some Spiritual Duty by a Mystical Rite should not as properly pertain to the Nature of a Sacrament as the shadowing or Sealing some Spiritual promise and it seems altogether as lawful for Man to devise signs for the confirmations of his Faith as to admonish of and teach his Duty for what difference is there between an addition to the means of instruction appointed by God and to the means of our assurance prescribed by him the Commandments and Promises being so knit together that we cannot perform our Duty without assurance of some benefit by it from God Moreover to be a teacher of the understanding and exciter of devotion requireth power supernatural no less than to be a confirmer of the heart and he who hath Authority to ordain means effectual for any of these ends can bless them all and Man hath as much power to Seal what he cannot bestow as to teach by his own sign that which he cannot bless to that end Answ 1 1. It must be granted that it is not in the power of the Church to introduce new Sacraments truly and properly so called but then unto the Arguments produced to prove our Ceremonies to have the Nature of true Sacraments I Reply 1. That I know not any Ceremonies which by the Church of England are appointed to be signs of Spiritual grace or to confirm grace to us for it is one thing to appoint or use such Rites as in themselves are apt to signifie or mind us of Spiritual things or bring such things to our remembrance which the Church confessedly doth and it is another thing to appoint such Rites to be used to that end which the Church doth not by the bare using of the thing appointed we comply with the institution in the first sense but only by using of these Rites to such an end do we comply with it in the Second now where doth the Church of England require us to use her Ceremonies to such ends Where doth she say you shall wear a Surplice to put you in mind of that purity of Conversation which is required by the Ministers of Christ you shall Kneel to signifie or mind you of that Reverence you owe to God you shall receive the sign of the Cross to put you in mind of your Duty to confess and own a Crucified Saviour no sure that Ceremony is used to Persons not capable of being put in mind of any Duty only in token to the Congregation that they are listed amongst them who are engaged so to confess What enquiry doth the Church of England make whether any of her Members have used her Ceremonies to these ends or not When did she ever quarrel with or punish any for neglecting to use them to these ends Wherefore the whole foundation of this Argument is in my judgment false and rather grounded upon some fanciful expressions of some Writers of the Church of England than upon any of her own institutions and decrees she having no where said that she administers any of the forementioned Rites to confirm grace or doth appoint them to be signs of grace but only that she doth appoint them as being apt and proper in themselves to put good thoughts into us or to express our Reverence as beating on the Breast or sighing is apt to signifie or to express our Godly sorrow and looking up to Heaven to mind us of the wisdom and the power of the great Creator and of that Majesty who dwelleth there Answer 2 2ly If the design of these Ceremonies to signifie express or bring into my mind Spiritual things would make them Sacraments Then 1. the kiss of Charity and the love Feasts used and approved in the Apostles time and all the Ancient Ceremonies of the Church designed to signifie or represent Spiritual things must also be esteemed Sacraments they being all designed to Edifie the Soul and consequently the whole Church of Christ from the beginning to this present day must justly be obnoxious to this Sacrilegious guilt of adding to the Sacraments of Christ 2ly Then must all visible Creatures become Sacraments they being all designed by God to Edifie us by instructing us in and minding us of the Almighty power and Majesty of God Then 3ly Every Crucifix and Picture relating to Spiritual things every piece of Tapestry or Turky-work which contains any piece of sacred History whereby we may be Edified Every good Ballad Pious Book and Frontispiece set before it and even that Pack of Cards which lately was contrived to mind us of the Popish Plot must be a Sacrament If as the first Objection saith all Rites and Signs whereby the Soul is Edified or which have been designed to that end are Sacraments then all the Moral signs of the whole Jewish Law must be reputed Sacraments The Tabernacle the Altar the Sacrifices the Golden Candlestick the Lamp and Snuffers the Priests Garments the Phylacteries and Fringes which God Commanded them to wear for a Memorial the clean Beasts appointed to be Eaten and Offered and the unclean to be abstained from must all be Sacraments according to this Rule they being Rites appointed to signifie Spiritual things or Duties and so to Edifie the Soul and Conscience yea every good word we speak every instruction we deliver to our Child or Friend or our Parishioners every Publick Prayer must be a Sacrament for words are signs and these are words and therefore signs designed to Edifie the Soul Lastly If every thing designed to teach the understanding or to excite devotion only as objects and as occasions which the mind of Man may use or may reflect on to that end must be a Sacrament then every
the Magistrate to cut off all that Liberty we have in matters of this Nature and to oblige us not to do what ever we are left at Liberty by God to do 6ly Because this pretended Liberty is the occasion of lamentable Mischiefs to the Church of God whereas the good which can accrue unto her Members by it is but little 7ly Because such a pretended Liberty is contrary to the Practice of Church Governors laid down in Scripture and to the Rules prescribed for their Government § 3. Corollaries 1. Hence it is evident that Christian Liberty cannot be violated by these impositions because Conscience is bound to yield obedience to them when they are imposed Nor 2. By requiring Persons to do that of which their Conscience being erroneous doubts or which it doth condemn A direct Answer is returned 1. To that Passage of St. Paul ye are bought with a price be not ye the servants of men 1 Cor. 7.23 2ly To that of Coloss 2.20 If ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World wherefore are ye subject to Ordinances § 4. Obj. 2. Our Ceremonies have been abused to Superstition and Idolatry and therefore being not of necessary use should be abolished and cannot be submitted to without disobedience to many Precepts of the Old and New Testament requiring the abolition of things so abused § 5. Answ 1. That these Commands were given only to the Jewish Nation and where no Natural Analogy or moral reason can be shewed for their perpetual Obligation cannot be binding to the Christian and that the contrary Tenet will be very mischievous to Christian Kingdoms and People Ans 2. That it cannot rationally be supposed that God by any of the Texts alledged forbids the doing of a lawful action meerly because it hath been is or may by others be abused to Superstition or Idolatry provided we do not continue to be ensnared by it nor is there any ground of fear that we should be so 1. Because this Interpretation of them would rob us of our Churches and our Bells and many other things which the Dissenters do allow of 2ly Because then many things which both Jews and Christians practised would be unlawful 3ly Because neither the Jews nor our Lord Jesus nor his Disciples did scruple such material Conformity with Heathens in indifferent matters as our Dissenters do condemn Ans 3. That Superstition and Idolatry can cleave no longer to such Actions than the mistake of mens opinions of them doth remain Ans 4. That tho it be not necessary to impose our Ceremonies yet when they are imposed by Authority they become necessary in their use and so are not to be accounted things unnecessary in respect of us § 6. A direct Answer is given to the Text objected 1. By shewing that the things in which the Jewish Nation are forbid to do after the manner of the Canaanites or the Aegyptians are either Idolatrous Actions or Ceremonies or Actions tending to Idolatry or contrary to the Service of God As in Exod. 23.24 Lev. 18.3 Deut. 12.4 Not to Name their Gods Exod. 23.13 is not to Worship enter into covenant with or to swear by them 3. The import of that Phrase thou shalt call me no more Baal Hos 2.16 4. The reason why God commanded his own People to destroy the Altars and the Images of Heathens and not to take unto themselves the Silver Gold and other Furniture belonging to them was the prevention of their erecting of them and preserving them to give Idolatrous Worship to them or make them Instruments of Idolatry As Exod. 34.13 Deut. 7.25 Esa 30.22 5. Why the Jews were forbid to round the Corners of their Heads or mar the Corners of their Beards Lev. 19.27 28. 6ly 2 Cor. 6.17 Touch not the unclean thing And Jude 23. Hate even the Garments spotted with the Flesh are impertinently produced against the using of our Ceremonies 7ly The eating of things sacrificed to Idols condemned Revel 2.14.20 was only eating of them in the Idol Temples and at the Feasts of Idols so as to be Partakers of the Table of Devils or to commit Idolatry by the Participation of them § 7. Answer to the Examples objected as 1. To that of Jacob causing his Family to give him the Ear-Rings which were in their Ears 2ly Of Daniel who would not defile himself with the portion of the Kings Meat Dan. 1.8 3ly Of Mordecai refusing to bow to Haman 4ly Of Hezekiah who brake the Brazen Serpent when it was abused to Idolatry § 8. Obj. 3. We must abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thess 5.22 Now the Ceremonies at least have an appearance of evil in them Answ 1. The Words may be well rendred thus abstain from every sort or kind of evil or thus from every appearance that is evil A. 2. The Apostle only adviseth us to abstain from that which after tryal seemeth evil to our selves and not from that which only doth appear to others to be evil The absurdity and mischief of the Exposition of these Words obtruded on us by Dissenters And the Argument retorted § 9. CHAP. VI. § 1 I Have now finished my Answer to those Arguments whereby Dissenters to endeavour to prove the Rites required by the Church of England as the Conditions of Communion to be sinful in themselves and by the Word of God forbidden I proceed therefore in the last place to answer those Pretences which do and must proceed on this Concession That the things required are in themselves indifferent and not forbidden by the Word of God and yet they who grant this contend that they are rendred sinful or such as they cannot with a good Conscience do by reason of some circumstances which attend the Rites imposed the imposition of them or their Practice of them And 1. The imposition of these things indifferent is represented by them as a Violation of their Christian Liberty in which they are commanded to stand fast and consequently are obliged not to betray by their Submission to these Impositions 2ly The Rites imposed say they tho lawful in themselves have been abused by others to Superstition and Idolatry now things indifferent and unnecessary having been thus abused become unlawful to be used 3ly We are required say they to abstain not only from all kinds but also from all appearances of Evil now the imposed Rites have in them an appearance of Evil at the least 1 Thess 5.22 and therefore are to be avoided 4ly We say they are commanded to forbear the Practice even of things indifferent when by the doing of them we minister occasion of Scandal to the Weak now by the Practice of the imposed Rites we shall be sure to minister occasion of Scandal to our Weak dissenting Brethren and therefore we conceive our selves obliged in Conscience to forbear the Practice of them Lastly We must not say they be partakers of the sins of others now by imposing of these Rites as the Conditions of Communion
the Magistrate required it of me cannot be therefore sin when done because he doth require it but any thing indifferent relating to Gods Worship may be done by me tho no Injunction of the Magistrate required it for if it be a thing indifferent it cannot be forbidden and what is not forbidden it cannot be unlawful to perform now to assert that what I lawfully may do must be my sin if done because the Magistrate commands it is in effect to say what is the plainest Contradiction viz. That 't is unlawful to yield obedience to Gods Vicegerents in any lawful matter Moreover thô the Magistrate should not determine in matters of this Nature if we will practise any of these duties we must our selves determine of them v. g. If we will meet for Publick Worship we must appoint some time and place in which to do it if we will minister in Sacred Things we must be clothed with some Habit a cloak a gown or surplice which we do thus minister If we will consecrate the Sacrament we must determine upon some kind of Wine and Bread in which to do it and if we will receive the Sacrament we must pitch upon some Posture in which we will receive if we will sing it must be done in Prose or Meire and the like If therefore a necessity doth lie upon us to determine in matters of this Nature before we do perform them how can it be a Violation of our Christian Liberty for the Superior Power to do that which we must do our selves and which when once the Minister determines for himself the Peoples Liberty is equally restrained as it would be by the Command of their Superior 4ly If by imposing of these things indifferent relating to Gods Service which we may leave undone the Magistrate so violates our Christian Liberty that we may not do them because he thereby doth restrain our Liberty of leaving these things undone then by like reason should the Magistrate forbid the doing of the things enjoyned we must not leave undone what he forbids because he thereby doth restrain our Liberty of doing of these things for it is easy to perceive that 't is as great a Violation of our Liberty to have indifferent things forbidden us as to have them commanded that 't is no less Encrochment on our Liberty to be tyed up from what we antecedently to the Command of our Superiors might do as to be bound to the performance of what we might omit If then Dissenters think themselves obliged to refuse Submission to these things indifferent because commanded by the Magistrate 't is but forbidding them to yield obedience to them and then by their own Principle they must become exact Conformists Now is not this a Foolish Liberty which tends to make men humoursome and cross to their Superiors so that what he desires they should do he must forbid what he desires they should leave undone he must command if this be worthy of the name of Christian Liberty let any Reasonable Person judge 5ly If by imposing of a thing indifferent relating to the Service of God the Magistrate doth violate our Christian Liberty and we stand bound not to obey or to perform the thing commanded then is it in the power of the Magistrate to cut off all that Liberty we have in matters of this Nature and to oblige us not to do what ever we are left at Liberty by God to do as v. g. If he commands us to meet for Publick Worship at such a place or time we must be bound to do it at another place and time If he commands the Minister to consecrate such Wine and Bread he must be bound to consecrate some other kind of Bread and Wine If he require the people to stand or sit at the receiving of the Sacrament they must be bound to kneel or use some other Posture and so in other cases of like Nature So that this Doctrine puts it into the power of the Magistrate to restrain both our Consciences and Practices in matters of this Nature and to determine them to one and so to take away that Liberty which is so eagerly contended for And 6ly This pretended Liberty is the occasion of lamentable mischiefs to the Church of God whereas the good which can accrue unto her Members by it is but little the disadvantage they can suffer by the want thereof is inconsiderable We can receive but little good by such a Liberty from the Commands of our Superiors in things indifferent because they being such if we do them we are not the better or more acceptable to God and if we do them not we are not the worse or the less pleasing to him for otherwise they could not rationally be stiled things indifferent If then our Freedom from obedience in such matters can only be a Freedom of doing or omitting that which whether we omit or do we are neither worse nor better what good can we receive by such a Freedom what disadvantage by the want thereof Is it not the whole design of the Gospel to make us obedient to the Laws of Christ to make us holy and free from the Dominion and the Power of sin and may we not be therefore certain that those actions which are neither good nor evil in themselves neither commanded nor forbidden by Christ and therefore no way tend to the obstructing our obedience to Christ our Holiness of life or to the depraving of our Souls and bringing them in bondage to sin cannot be prejudicial to any interest or design of Christian Doctrine whether they be performed or omitted Now is it not absurd to think our Lord should purchase for his Church a Liberty to disobey Superiors in matters wherein their obedience would bring no disadvantage to them their disobedience will do them no good Moreover our obedience to our Superiors in such matters visibly doth rend to the promoting Love Peace Unity Humility Self denyal orderly Walking and such like Christian Virtues and therefore it is most improbable Christ should have purchased our Freedom from it Our disobedience as we by sad experience see doth tend to the promoting Schisms Dissentions Uncharitableness Calumnies Wrath Strife Contention it procures Strokes for the Backs of Fools exposes both the Persons and Families of disobedient Persons to temporal and spiritual Evils it excludes them from Sacred Ordinances and the Communion of the Church and therefore such a Liberty from doing things not evil or displeasing to God must be so far from being worthy of our Saviours purchase that it doth contradict his great Design that Love Peace Union might flourish in his Church and that the contrary fruits of the flesh might be entirely banished from among his Members 7ly Such a pretended Liberty is contrary to the Practice of the Church Governors laid down in Scripture and to the Rules prescribed for their Government 't is contrary to that Liberty the Rulers of the Jewish Church did exercise as I have shewed
Apostle speaks not there of Rites or Constitutions required by Authority and owned as things indifferent in their own Nature but of Doctrins Dogma's and Commands of Jews and of Philosophers and false Apostles who could have no Authority to require from them submission to these Doctrines and Commands but on supposal of the goodness and excellency of the things Commanded He therefore speaketh of such things as the Colossians could not be Subject to on any grounds but such as in themselves were Superstitious and were reproachful to the Gospel and to Christ the Author of it as representing him deficient in wisdom by his neglecting to Command things so exceeding good and excellent 2ly The things here mentioned are manifestly things which in the judgment of these Dogmatisers were things by which God would be better Worshipped and his Religion be advanced or the Professors of it would be rendred more Perfect and Sublime and for neglect of which they were to be Condemned tho no Authority of Man did interpose for their injunction as will be evident 1. From this consideration that they were things for the neglect of which the false Apostles did condemn the Christian as is insinuated in these words let no Man judg censure or condemn you in meats or in drinks v. 16. yea they were things for want of which Christianity it self was represented as imperfect and inferior in Wisdom to the Promoters of these institutions whence the Apostle in opposition to these false Apostles declares that in Christ were hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg v. 3. and adds that this I say lest any Man should belie you with inticing words v. 4. Hence he exhorts them to beware lest any Man spoil them through Philosophy and vain Deceit v. 8 9. after the Traditions of Men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ and gives this reason of his caution that in him did all fulness dwell and that we were compleat in him v. 23 2ly Because these things are stiled Will-Worship they therefore who did introduce them must look upon them as things conducing to the more acceptable service of God or the advancement of his Worship 3ly Because they who performed them did it out of pretence of that Humility Mortification and Austerity which they conceived highly acceptable and well pleasing to God v. 23. wherefore the Church which doth acknowledg that the things enjoyned by her in their own Nature are indifferent and such as in themselves do not conduce to make our service more acceptable and well pleasing to God can be no ways concerned in this prohibition Obj. 2 All things and Rites which have been notoriously abused to Idolatry § 5 and Superstition if they be not such as either God or Nature hath made to be of necessary use should be utterly abolished and purged away from Divine Worship so as not to be used by us as sacred things or Rites pertaining to the same but the Cross Surplice Kneeling in the act of receiving are such Rites as have been thus abused and therefore being not of necessary use they ought say they to be abolished The Major they prove 1. From many Texts of Scripture which enjoyn'd the Israelites not to do after the works of the Canaanites Exod. 23.24 or of the Aegyptians or to walk in their Ordinances Levit. 18.3 not to do so unto the Lord their God as they did Deut. 12.4 and in particular not to Name their Gods Exod. 23.13 not to use the Name of Baal because it had been given to Idols Hos 2.16 but to destroy their Altars break their Images and cut down their Groves Exod. 34.13 to burn the Graven Images of their Gods with fire and not to take unto themselves the Silver and Gold that is upon them Deut. 7.15 to defile the covering that is upon their Graven Images of Silver and the ornaments of their molten Images of Gold to cast them away as menstruous Cloths and say unto them get ye hence Isa 30.22 and also from those places which Command them not to round the corners of their Heads nor mar the corners of their Beards not to make any cuttings in their Flesh for the dead nor Print any marks upon their Bodies Levit. 19.27 28. to which they add those Texts of the New Testament which require us not to touch the unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.17 but to hate the Garments spotted with the Flesh Jude 23. 2ly Rov 2.14 20. Because the Churches of Pergamus and Thyatira are by Christ reproved for suffering Men to teach their Children to eat things offered unto Idols which in themselves were not unlawful to be eaten but only did become unlawful because they were abused to Idolatry And 3ly From examples of good Men in Scripture who abstain'd from things in themselves lawful upon this account v. g. the example of Jacob who abolished the Ear-rings of his Family as being Ensigns of Superstition Gen. 35.4 of Hezekiah who brake in pieces the Brazen Serpent being abused to Idolatry of Mordecai who would not bow to Haman Esth 3.2 of Daniel who would not eat of the Kings meat which was converted to an Idolatrous use lest he should be defiled Dan. 1.8 Now that our Ceremonies have been notoriously abused to Idolatry they prove because they have been consecrated to the service of Idols and commonly imployed in Idolatrous Worship by the Papists To this Objection I Answer Answ 1 That these Commands of the Old Testament were given only to the Jewish Nation where no Natural Analogy § 6 or Moral reason can be shewed for their perpetual obligation I know not why they should be binding to the Christian any more than other Laws of the like Nature which do not now oblige by the confession of our Adversaries as v. g. they were to kindle no fire on the Sabbath day Exod. 35.3 but must we therefore kindle none on the Lords day they were forbid to take Usury of their Brethren and yet Dissenters do not Scruple the taking usury one of the other They were to destroy the places wherein the Inhabitants of Canaan served their Gods Deut. 12.2 and yet Dissenters did not Scruple to use the Churches which the Papists had abused to Idolatrous Worship They were to make no Covenants with the Idolaters of Canaan Exod. 23.32.34.12 Deut. 7.2 may therefore Protestant Princes make no Leagues with Papists They were utterly to destroy them Deut 7.2 and that lest they should teach them to do after their abominations Deut. 20.16 18. not to have mercy on them ibid. may we therefore without mercy destroy all Papists out of our Dominions lest they should teach us to do after their abominations or might they when they had the power in their hands deal so unmercifully with us whom they deem guilty also of Idolatry and an abominable Worship Lastly They were obliged to kill the Person who inticed them to Idolatry Deut. 13.9 and utterly to destroy all who did Sacrifice to any
here not to touch the unclean thing is only to purge our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit as is evident from the context of the words for the Apostle having mentioned the promises God had made to those who did separate themselves and touch not the unclean thing viz. that God would receive them and be a Father to them he infers wherefore beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit chap. 7.1 So that this Text cannot concern our Ceremonies unless it be asserted that whilst we use them we cannot cleanse our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit And 4ly The unclean thing here spoken of is plainly the Idolatry of the Heathens as that expression intimates what conjunction hath the Christian who is the Temple of God with Idols to touch this unclean thing is to Communicate with them in their Idolatry by eating of their Idol Feasts in the Temple of their Idols which is saith the Apostle to have Communion with Devils 1 Cor. 10.20 to partake of the Table of Devils v. 21. let us not therefore saith he who have taken upon us the Yoke of Christianity be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drawing in a contrary Yoke with the unfaithful for that the Apostle cannot by the unclean thing mean Marriage with an Infidel is evident because he saith the unbelieving Husband is sanctified to the beliving Wife 1 Cor. 7.14 if then these Ceremonies which we use cannot be proved to be Idols they must be unconcerned in this prohibition To the Argument from the Apostle Judes exhortation to hate the Garments spotted with the Flesh Defence of Dr. Morton p. 437. it is well Answered by Dr. Burges That as a Garment spotted with the Flesh of the unclean was no longer to be hated than till it was washed and being washed might again be used so is it with Ceremonies of indifferent nature which have been defiled 2ly To hate or flie the Garments spotted with the Flesh is only to hate every thing that doth defile tho in the least degree for so the Leprous and Unclean Garments did Hate saith the Reverend Dr. Hammond all the beginnings and the least degrees of impurity and uncleanness when therefore it can be proved that there is any degree of impurity or uncleanness in the use of our Ceremonies then only may this Text be urged against them And 3ly The refusal to Submit unto them tending to Disobedience and Schism and all the dreadful consequences which do follow from them may seem more likely to be forbidden by this Text than our Submission to them in Obedience to Authority Again whereas it is Objected That Christ reproved the Church of Pergamus and Thyatira for suffering Men to teach her Children to eat things Sacrificed to Idols Rev. 2.14 20. I Answer 1. That St. Paul hath taught us that it was not necessary in it self to eat Flesh offered to Idols for the Earth saith he is the Lords and the fulness thereof 1 Cor. 10.28 and so we may sufficiently be fed by other meat and yet he tells us that this meat may lawfully be eaten by the Christian that it is clean to the clean Tit. 1.15 and that 't is only through weakness that it can defile the Conscience and only is unclean to him that thinketh it to be so Rom. 14.14 and he gives free commission to all Men to eat it asking no question for Conscience sake 1 Cor. 10.27 and bids us as it were in flat contradiction to this Objection not to enquire or be follicitous whether the meat we eat have been by others so abused to Idolatry and if the offering of Flesh to an Idol doth not debar our freedom of using it to the sustaining of our Bodies why should the Superstitious use of a Ceremony make it unlawful to be used by others without that Superstition the eating therefore of things Sacrificed to Idols and teaching others so to do which was the thing condemned in those Churches by our Lord was only eating of them in the Idol Temples and at the Feasts of Idols so as to be partakers of the Table of Devils or to commit Idolatry by the participation of them which is so evident from the Context that he who runs may read it For 1. They are there also said to teach their Children to commit Fornication and to eat things offered to Idols Revel 2.14 20. Now all Men know that Fornication in the spiritual sense imports Idolatry 2ly They of the Church of Pergamus who taught her Children to eat things Sacrificed to Idols are said to hold the Doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the Children of Israel that is to Sacrifice to their Gods to eat and to bow down unto them or to entice them by the Daughters of Moab to this sin Numb 25.1 2 3. Lastly The Woman who seduced the Church of Thyatira to commit Fornication and to eat things Sacrificed to Idols is called Jezabel a Woman famous for her promotion of Idolatry Proceed we now to Answer the examples propounded in the Objection And § 8 1. Gen. 35.4 To that of Jacob who caused his Family to give unto him the Ear-rings which were in their Ears I Answer 1. That these Ear-rings were say some Interpreters the Ear-rings which adorned their Gods and so were parts of their strange Gods they were say others Ear-rings in which were graven the effigies of their Gods after the manner of the Gentiles and so they were plain Idols which ought to be abolished they were say others dedicated to some Numen according to the manner of the Syrians and the Phaenicians and so were actual instruments of Idolatry Now what doth this concern the Ceremonies of the Church of England which as she useth them are neither Idols nor instruments of Idolatry 2. Dan. 1.8 To the example of Daniel who would not defile himself with the portion of the Kings Meat nor with the Wine which he drank I Answer that it is on many accounts impertinent 1. Because according to the judgment of Mr. Calvin the pollution spoken of was not a Ceremonial pollution arising from the Idolatrous use of the meats but only Moral and occasional by their being Bates and Allurements to draw him to an irreligious forgetfulness of the service of God 2ly If the pollution was Ceremonial it might arise from a mixture of Meats forbidden by the Jewish Law with others lawful to be eaten and which if he refused he would not have eaten the full portion allowed by the King 3ly Esth 3.2 To the example of Mordecai refusing to bow to Haman 1. If he himself may be believed he did not refuse what he conceived lawful in it self because it was by others abused to Idolatry but because the Worship which by Haman was required was in it self Idolatrous as being Worship proper to the God of Heaven For thus he speaks Thou knowest Lord that it was neither out of Pride nor
have done so had they not been before these creatures since the command runs thus to worship him Ps 99.5 9. and to fall down before his footstool moreover how often do we find them falling down and worshipping at the appearance of that cloud or fire which was the Symbol of Gods presence When they saw the fire fall and consume the burnt offerings they fell upon their faces 1 Kings 18 38 39. When they saw the fire of God come down and the Glory of the Lord upon the house they bowed themselves with their faces to the Ground 2 Chron. 7.3 And yet because they did this not to the cloud or fire but to God there could be no Idolatry in this their action 4ly It is a thing impossible that such an action as this is should any ways be Guilty of Idolatry for Idolatry is false worship of a creature now where there is no worship of the creature as in this action there is not there can be no false worship of the creature And to evidence to every rational Capacity that nothing used in the Service of our Church can rationally be charged with any semblance of Idolatry and manifest the great and signal difference there is betwixt the actions of our Church which our Dissenters call Idolatrous and those which in the Church of Rome we do accuse as such I lay down this distinction viz 1. That we may Kneel bow down or may perform like acts of outward worship before any creature either so as to make that creature only the circumstance or the occasion of that worship or else so as to make that creature the object of those acts of worship When any Creature is rendred the object of our worship the mind doth actually or virtually intend to worship or pay an act of Reverence to the Creature which is thus made the object of our worship but when the Creature is only made the Circumstance or the occasion of the worship the mind intends to pay the act of worship only to another object in such a place or upon intimation or apprehension of the object which I worship which apprehension or intimation is caused by that Creature Thus when I come to Common Prayer read in the Church the Church is the circumstance of place the hour of time for the performance of that worship but God is the sole object of it when at the hearing of the Ave Mary Bell the Roman Catholick begins his Ave Mary the Blessed Virgin is the object the Bell is only the occasion of it and when they then Kneel down and bow they do not Kneel unto the consecrated Bell but to the Blessed Virgin 2ly This being so it is ridiculous to say we worship any thing because it is before us when we direct our outward worship to another object Since on the same account the Wisemen of the East who worship'd Christ before the Manger must be supposed to pay their worship to the Manger and they who meeting Christ Riding upon an Ass Saluted him with their Hosannas and bowed towards him must also pay their worship to the Ass And if upon appearance of the Devil we should fall upon our Knees and beg of God to be delivered from him we must be said to worship the very Devil by that action Moreover when we lift up our eyes and voices to the Heavens we also lift them up towards the Clouds and Stars but will it follow thence that by so doing we do not only worship God but the Material Heavens and those Glorious lights we see as was objected by the Pagans against the People of the Jews Wherefore to say that Protestants worship the Altar or the Eucharistick Elements because they worship God before them is to calumniate the Protestants as antiently the Heathens did the Christians affirming that they worshipped the Sun because they worshipped God toward the East and so by consequence towards the Rising Sun Wherefore to give a clear and Satisfactory Answer to all the instances of this nature which are alledged by Dissenters to prove the Church of England Guilty of this crime I say 1. That when we bow towards the Altar as we enter into or come out of the Church Chancel or Chappel where we worship God the Altar is not the object of our worship but only an accidental circumstance of it for we do not in the least intend by this obeysance to do an act of worship to the Communion Table or any thing placed there or elsewhere but to God alone for this the Church of England hath solemnly declared in these words Constit and Canons A.D. 1640. Can. 7. Whereas the Church is the house of God dedicated to his Holy worship and therefore ought to mind us both of the greatness and goodness of his Divine Majesty certain it is that the acknowledgment thereof not only inwardly in our hearts but also outwardly with our bodies must needs be pious in it self profitable to us and Edifying to others we therefore think it very meet and behoveful and heartily commend it to all good and well affected People Members of this Church that they be ready to tender to the Lord the said acknowledgment by doing reverence and obeisance both at their coming in and going out of the said Churches Chancels or Chappels according to the most Ancient Custom of the Primitive Church in the purest times and of this Church also for many years in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth The reviving therefore of this Ancient and laudable Custom we heartily commend to the serious consideration of all good People not with any intention to exhibit any Religious Worship to the Communion Table the East or Church or any thing contained therein in so doing or to perform the said gesture in Celebration of the Holy Eucharist upon any opinion of a Corporal Presence of the Body of Jesus Christ on the Holy Table or in the Mystical Elements but only for the advancement of Gods Majesty and to give him Alone that honor and glory which is due unto him and no otherwise Which Canon as it declares this act of Worship not to be given or intended to the Altar so doth it give us the true Reason why it is accidentally done towards the Altar viz. Because it is performed at our entrance into the immediate place of Worship to which entrance the Altar standeth opposite 2ly When at the name of Jesus we are wont to bow that bowing is not intended by us to the very name which is the occasion only of the Worship by putting us in mind of him that is named and of our highest obligation to him as being Jesus a Saviour to whom therefore we address our selves and recognize him as our only Saviour by that especial and peculiar act of devotion So that the adoration then performed is wholly and absolutely directed to the Lord Jesus as is declared by the Church in these words Constit can A. 1603. can 18 When in time
supposition that the Neglect is such as is suggested and that the Church of England may be charged with it I now proceed by way of farther Answer to it to consider of that Charge and therefore say Prop. 10 That our Church Officers cannot be truly said to own or to approve of this supposed neglect of Discipline in suffering the notoriously prophane and Scandalous Offender to remain uncensured by the Church For 1. The Rulers of the Church do openly acknowledg and declare even in their Publick Lyturgy Preface to Commin That the putting those to open Penance who stood convicted of notorious crimes is both a Primitive and Godly Discipline and that the restoring of the said Discipline is much to be wished 2ly They call upon all sinners with the greatest seriousness and affection to repent of those iniquities which render them obnoxious to her censures which call would they give ear unto they would be fit for her Communion and so exempted from the severity of her Discipline this call we find both in the Commination Read upon Ash-Wednesday and in the exhortation Read at the giving notice of a Sacrament where she thus speaks If any of you be a Blasphemer of God a Hinderer or Slanderer of his Word an Adulterer or be in malice or envy or in any other grievous crime repent you of your sins or else come not to that Holy Table 3ly They make all Persons whom they admit unto the Priestly Office solemnly to promise to give faithful diligence always so to minister the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded And 4ly Can. 26. They require every Minister in no wise to admit to the receiving of the Holy Communion any of his Cure or Flock which he openly knows to live in sin notorious without repentance and they moreover Authorise them Rubr. before the Commun To advertise all open and notorious evil livers and all who have done any wrong to their Neighbours by word or deed so that the Congregation be thereby offended to call them and to advertise them that by no means they presume to come to the Lords Table till they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty life that the Congregation may be thereby satisfied and say that he shall not suffer them to be partakers of the Lords Table betwixt whom he perceiveth malice and hatred to reign until he know them to be reconciled Since then it is apparent from these considerations that our Church daily calls upon these persons to repent both in the Publick Preaching of the Word and in the Office stiled Commination and in her Homily upon repentance And 2ly that she doth Authorise all her Parochial Ministers to call and advertise such Persons as they know privately to be unworthy not to presume to come unto the Holy Sacrament and doth require them when they give notice of a Sacrament to read an exhortation to that effect seeing she also grants them power to put back any Scandalous Offenders from the Sacrament whose faults are so notorious as to give offence to the Congregation and doth allow both them and the Church-Wardens or rather charge them to prosecute such Men in order to their Amendment or Excommunication seeing at their admission to their Sacred Function she doth strictly charge them to give faithful diligence so to minister the Discipline of Christ as he hath commanded Since Lastly Private Persons in her Communion may avoid familiar conversing with them and withdraw from their company and so avoid being polluted by the corruption of their manners I say seeing these things are so I see not but the Objections made against the Discipline of our Church might be removed if the things allowed and required by the Rules of it were duly practised § 7 Hitherto I have discoursed in Answer to this Objection as if the Scriptures and Reasons produced to confirm it were all true and well applyed whereas indeed the grounds of this Objection are uncertain and infirm for to omit the uncertainty of the exposition of 1 Cor. 5.13 you shall take away the evil from you and not the evil Person which sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth rather signifie and the uncertainty of Dr. Hammonds exposition of Rev. 2.20 I say Tently Prop. 10. That the continuance of Gods presence by his Spirit with his Church and her Assemblies cannot be proved to depend entirely upon the Separation of wicked Persons and scandalous offenders from her The Place produced to this Effect from 2 Cor. 6.16 17. only concerns the Christians Separation from Communion with Heathens in their Idolatrous Worship or their Idol feasts this is the touching the unclean thing there spoken of as I have fully proved in the foregoing Chapters it therefore is impertinently alledged to prove that God requires us to separate from the Communion of wicked Persons in celebrating of his Publick worship that so we may enjoy the presence of his Spirit with us Moreover God may destroy the person who defiles this Temple as he threatens 1. Cor. 3.17 and yet may not withdraw his Spirit from them that do assemble with such Persons purely to serve God and to enjoy Communion with him in his Publick Ordinances And indeed were this so that the presence of a known wicked Person would cause the Holy Spirit to depart from the Assemblies of pious Persons then Christ and his Disciples had not the presence of the holy Spirit with them when they assembled with Judas to eat the passover and to receive the holy Sacrament 2ly Then seeing Covetous malitious Persons since secret Hypocrites and Atheists are as odious to God as Persons otherwise notoriously wicked and profane they also must pollute the Church and cause the holy Spirit to depart from her Assemblies and if so the Church can never be assured of his presence with her Then 3ly much less would the holy Spirit be present at those Publick offices designed to conveigh this Spirit when they were celebrated by wicked Priests and so we could have no assurance of his gracious influence upon us at the preaching of the Word the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism and of the Supper of the Lord because we can have no assurance of the sincerity of him who doth officiate For if the presence of wicked Persons who do only joyn with the Officiator will cause the holy Spirit to depart from that Assembly much more the wickedness of the Officiator And 4ly then we must have cause to fear that this good Spirit hath wholly left the Church of Christ and doth no longer move upon the waters of the Sanctuary there being in these latter Ages of the Church such a neglect of Discipline as that scarce any one of her Assemblies can be supposed free from some mixture of profane and even notorious wicked Persons which yet seems plainly to contradict Christ's promise to be with his Church unto the end
therefore certain that God will give his Grace and Spiritual aid to all who do sincerely promise and engage to live according to their Baptismal Vow and this Sign being apt to signifie that aid and favor and used throughout so many Ages to that end I see not why the Bishop may not certifie the confirmed person of this truth by such a Sign And 2. It being only an indicatory Sign or Adumbration of this grace not an exhibitory Sign cannot be properly a Sacrament Having thus Answered the Objections against those Ceremonies which have been scrupled most and with most color and pretence of Reason by Dissenters it will be easy to Answer or to shew the vanity of their remaining scruples by attending to these following Propositions That the laudable Customs of the Catholick Church which are of present observation Prop. 1. Bishop Taylor Duct Dubit l. 3. c. 4. R. 15. §. 1. are fit to be observed by all Christians This we learn from St. Paul who reproves the Contentiousness of those who against the usages of Christians and of the Places where they lived would wear long hair with this We have no such Custom 1 Cor. 11.16.14 36. and pleads for order from the practice of all Churches of the Saints And also from the evidence of Reason for in such cases where there is no law the manners of Christians introduce a Law so far that we cannot recede from it without some probable cause i. e. we cannot do it without scandal and indeed it is an act of love to conform to the Customs of Christians with whom we do converse who either will think you blame their Customs or despise their persons if you comply not And that you look upon them as a company of ignorant persons who know not what they should do or as wicked persons who inconsiderately will do what they should not Besides it is a piece of Singularity to thwart and Cavil at and to refuse complyance with the Customs of the Churches where we are which have in them no apparent evil now Singularity is only laudable in matters that are excellent and pious never in matters of indifferency And therefore This is sufficient reason for the Custom of our Church in delivering the Sacramental Elements into the hand of the Communicant and Speaking to them severally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ap. 2. p. 97. E. For Justin Martyr declareth that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Bishop having given thanks those who were called Deacons did distribute to every one that was present Bread and Wine mixt with Water and Tertullian informs us that they receiv'd the Eucharist non de aliorum manibus quà m presidentium De Cor. mil. c. 3. from the hands of no other persons than those who presided in the Church Moreover it was the Custom of the Priest to say to every on of them The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ c. August Resp ad Ores q. 49. Ambros de sacram l. 4. c. 5. And of the People severally to say Amen when they received it this was said every where saith Austin and so the Custom of distributing to all and of receiving severally by all must be the constant custom of the Church of Christ 2ly This is sufficient Reason for the retaining of God-Fathers and God-Mothers Compan part 3 p. 400. for in the Primitive Church the use of them was so early saith the Learned Dr. Comber that 't is not easie to fix the time of their beginning the most Ancient Fathers who speak of Baptism do mention them under the name of Offerers of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Justin Martir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Susceptores as Donysius Areop of Sponsores as Tertullian of Fideijussores or Suretys as St. Austin 2ly p. 399. This Custom was derived from the Jews as also was that of Infant Baptism for it is certain that the Rector of the house of judgment was to take care to Baptize the Infants of Proselytes and accordingly was to be called their Father And there was one appointed to hold the Child in Circumcision called the Master of the Covenant and by the Modern Jews who still retain this custom the Surety And very learned men believe this custom to be as ancient among the Jews as the times of Isaiah it being highly probable that those Witnesses mentioned chap. 8.2 at the naming of his Son were of the same nature with those we call God-Fathers God-Mothers And 3ly Tho one of the Reasons which made them the more necessary in the first Ages of the Church viz. those persecutions which cut off the Parents and so left the poor Infants uncapable of Christian education without the help of Sureties hath long since ceased yet are they still continued for Good ends As 1. 'To convenant in behalf of those Infants who cannot enter into covenant by themselves 2ly For the Security of the Church that the Children may be brought to Confirmation and own their covenant hereafter whence they are called Sureties 3ly That every Christian may have a Monitor who was present and concerned in his Vow whence they are stiled Witnesses And 4ly Whereas some object that the use of Sureties is made a necessary condition in our Lyturgy of administring Baptism to Infants because it is said This Infant must also faithfully for his part promise by you that are his Sureties The contrary to this is evident because no Sureties are required at the administration of private Baptism where our Baptismal Office declareth the child to be lawfully and sufficiently Baptized and so those words can only intimate that this which is in it self a thing expedient must be practised according to the Order and Constitution of the Church And 5ly Whereas it farther is objected that by these Sponsors the Parents are excluded and the Child is not admitted to Baptism in the Parents right Answer To this it is judiciously Answered by the Excellent Dr. Still Vnrens of Sâ—pâ— p. 381. That the Church by requiring Sponsors doth not exclude any title to Baptism which the child hath by the right of his Parents for the Sponsors may be supposed to appear in a threefold Capacity 1. As representing the Parents in offering up the Child to Baptism and so whatever right the Parents have that is challenged when the Child is brought to be Baptized 2ly As Representing the Child in the Answers that are made in Baptism And 3ly In their own Capacity when they promise to take care of the Good Education of the Child in the Principles of the Christian faith 3ly Ibid p. 404. This is sufficient Reason for the Answering of the Sureties in Baptism For as it is judiciously observed by Dr. Comber ' the Baptismal covenant was always made by Question and Answer which is taken notice of by many of the Ancients and seems to have been the Method in the Apostles days because St. Peter calls Baptism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
together in our Petitions and with one mouth to glorifie God to secure the publick Service from dark extravagant erroneous Petitions too oft put up by the contenders for and practisers of this Extemporary Devotion If therefore care ought to be taken that our publick Sacrifice should be as near as can be without blemish and that we do not offer unto God the lame and the blind Mal. 1.13 14. I think this cannot be done better than by prescribing of a well composed form of prayer to be dayly offered up unto God as our Morning and our Evening Sacrifice Lastly Whereas it is objected That in set Forms of prayer we restrain and confine the Spirit and in conceived prayers the Spirit is free unlimited and unconstrained I Answer That by restraining of the Spirit the Objectors mean the restraining of their own Spirits or of the blessed Spirit If by restraining of the Spirit they mean restraining the spirit of the Minister I ask 1. Why his Spirit may not be restrained by the wisdom of his Superiors as well as the spirit of the people by his conceived prayer And tell me Is not their spirit restrained when the whole Congregation is confined to the form of this one mans composing or unto words which on a sudden he doth utter 2. Did not Christ restrain the Spirit of his own Disciples when he taught them to pray the Lords Prayer if he had only said pray thus after this manner and given only a Directory for the matter of prayer this was a restraint but if he said pray this or pray these words as I shall prove he did he then prescribed both the matter and words too and therefore did restrain the Spirit of his Disciples as truly as any other form could do 3. The Spirit of the Minister must in some cases be restrained and that by precept Apostolical for otherwise what means St Paul by saying 1 Cor. 14.32 the Spirit of the Prophets must be subject to the Prophets what greater restraint than subjection for if subjected then they must be ruled if ruled then limited or prescribed unto and as much under restraint as the Spirit of the superior Prophets shall judge convenient In fine when the Assembly of Divines appointed the matter of prayers to all particular Ministers was that appointment by the Spirit or no if no then for ought appears the Directory not being made by Gods Spirit may be an enemy to it But if this appointment were by the Spirit then the determination and limitation of the Spirit in either sense is by the Spirit himself and such indeed is every pious and prudent constitution of the Church in matters spiritual such was that of St Paul to the Corinthians when he prescribed orders for publick Prophesying and Interpretation and speaking with Tongues All these are Answers to this Objection transcribed from the excellent Bishop Taylors Discourse concerning Prayer ex tempore And it seems reasonable to suppose with him that after all these Answers this Objection should trouble us no more If by the Spirit they mean the Holy Spirit I enquire 1. By what Argument shall any man make it so much as probable that the Holy Ghost is injured if every private Ministers Spirit shall be guided and so by necessary consequence limited by the Authority of the Church What prohibition what Law what Reason or Revelation is against it what inconvenience in the nature of the thing for can any man be so weak as to imagine a despite is done to the Spirit of Grace when men pray by such well composed Forms as the whole Church approves of and doth not in opposition to them use his private Gift 2. Is not the Holy Spirit as much restrained by premeditated prayers since the design of that premeditation is only to consider after what form or manner they should pray for what and in what words so that the Holy Spirits assistance is restrained to their conceptions and meditations men therefore must be bound to pray they know not what or else according to this Objection must lay restraints upon the Holy Spirit 3. Doth not the Directory that thing which is here called restraining of the Spirit Doth it not appoint every thing but the words and after this is it not a goodly Palladium which is contended for and a princely liberty they leave unto the Spirit to be free only in supplying the place of a Vocabulary or a Copia Verborum for as for the matter it is all there described and appointed and to these determinate senses the Spirit must assist or not at all only for the words he shall take his choice Now I enquire which is the most considerable of the two Sense or Language matter or words if the former is it not a greater injury to the Spirit to restrain his matter than to appoint his words so that in the greater of the two the Spirit is restrained when his matter is appointed and to make him amends for not trusting him with the matter without our directions and limitations we trust him to say what he pleaseth so it be to our sense 4. Is it not as much a restraint of the Spirit to sing a Psalm in Metre by appointment as to use a Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving by appointment yet this is done daily by Dissenters without any scruple made which seems to argue great partiality or want of judgment There being then no Scripture precept no evidence of reason against Forms of prayer we may hence rationally conclude that they are lawful For had it been the will of God that publick prayers should be performed by Christians in an extemporary manner and not by forms we may rationally conceive the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of supplication would somewhere have admonished us to pray ex tempore and to beware of Book-prayers and the use of Forms as well as of neglecting this duty altogether or performing it in a careless and undue manner and this the rather because Forms of Prayer and Thanksgiving were used in the Jewish Church and because the modesty of many good Christians and the inabilities of many more would naturally prompt them to the use of so ready a help to Devotion as pious and useful Forms of prayer are but so far are we from finding any command in Scripture to pray upon suddain invention that we find no preference given to this way in Scripture above the use of Forms but rather the contrary for when our Saviour taught his Disciples to pray he enjoined them the use of a form As for all other vices by which this duty is corrupted or rendred less acceptable to God the Holy Ghost hath fully cautioned us against them Matt. 6.7 v. 5. Matt. 15.8 Luke 18.10 1 Cor. 14. James 1.6 1 Tim. 2.8 John 9.31 putting in caveats against Battology or much speaking against performing of this duty for ostentation against honouring God with our lips when our hearts are far from
of Alexandria makes mention of the Hymns used by the Christians in his time now these were Forms of Prayer or Praises De Orat. Dom. p. 152. That Cyprian doth sufficiently intimate the use of some Forms in the Carthaginian Church by describing the entrance or beginning thereof saying Sursum corda Lift up your hearts and the people Answering Habemus ad Dominum We lift them up unto the Lord. That Eusebius informs us concerning Constantine that he would take Books in his hands for the expressing with his Court 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De vita Constant l. 4. c. 17. the appointed Prayers and that he by so doing ordered his Court 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the manner of the Church of God That the Council of Laodicea decreed that there should be always the very same Service of Prayers Morning and Evening i. e. that there should be the same Morning Service Can. 18. and the same Evening Service continually And to assure us that the Council had a particular respect to FOrms of Prayer then in use in the next Canon Can. 19. it gives an account of some part of the order of that Service viz. that after the Sermon or Homily they had first the Prayer for the Catechumeni then the Prayer for the Penitents then three Prayers for the Faithful And that this Canon was received into the Code of Canons of the universal Church which was cited confirmed and established in the General Council of Chalcedon A. D. 451. Can. 1. That the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the three prayers of the faithful were then so well known L. 2. cap. 59. that in the constitutions of the Apostles they are represented as saying the three Prayers standing every Lords Day without reciting what they were That when Paulus Samosatenus about the year 262. Euseb ubi supra took away the Psalms and Hymns which had been used to be sung in the Church pretending they were new and made by men of later date by a numerous Council called at Antioch he was censured for it and cast out of the Church of God Lastly that whereas the Constitutions Apostolical were first composed saith our incomparably Learned Bishop Pearson from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vindic. Ignat. p. 60 61 62. or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the instructions orders and constitutions made by Apostles and Apostolick men much changed indeed and interpolated in the seventh and eighth Books of those Constitutions we find Forms of prayers under their names for all Church Offices for the Catechumeni the Baptized the Penitents the Faithful the Ordination of Bishops Priests and Deacons the Celebration of the Lords Supper So that unless this whole eighth Book be wholly spurious and not only interpolated Haer. 45. n. 5.11 12.80 n. 7. we must have evidence of Forms of prayer like ours still used in the Church not only from the Fourth Century when Epiphanius cites thess constitutions but even from the days of the Apostles and haply these were the Liturgies of the Apostles so much spoken of and since so much encreased § 8 Moreover to convince men from plain evidence of reason in this matter it only will be needful to advertise them 1. That all premeditated Prayer in which we do consider what to say and in what words we should express our thoughts to God is in effect a stinted prayer for it is not the Writing or the Printing but the ordering and composing of the words which makes the Prayer a Form if therefore this be be done before we pray our prayer must be a Form 2. This being so the true state of the Question can be only this whether in our addresses to the most immense infinite eternal God we should use consideration or pray and praise him inconsiderately Whether we should deliberate and take good heed that we offend not with our tongues or speak without deliberation whatsoever cometh first into our thoughts Hos 14.2 Whether we should take unto our selves words and speak unto him as the Prophet Hoseah doth advise or should present our selves before him not knowing what to say And for our better satisfaction the Wise man doth advise us Eccles 5.2 not to be rash with our mouths nor let our hearts be hasty to utter any thing before God and that for an eternal reason viz. because God is in Heaven and we are on Earth Now what man in the world is hasty to offer any thing before God if he be not who prays ex tempore or who speaks rashly with his mouth if he doth not who speaks without deliberation or consideration what to say Secondly our own experience will inform us how natural it is to all mankind to take such good advice before hand when they present their thanks or their petitions to an Earthly Prince as may secure them that they deliver their requests in grave and decent Forms of words and can it therefore stand with the reverence we owe to the most Glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth to use to him what we durst not present unto a Prince or prudent Governour in such a serious matter as ought to be the subject of our Prayers This is the Argument by which God pleads against the lame and the imperfect sacrifices of his people saying if ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not evil and if you offer the lame and sick is it not evil Mal. 1.8 offer it now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person implying that the great King of Heaven and Earth must be served with the best sacrifices we can tender to him and therefore with the best prayers and praises which we can conceive and that what earthly Princes may slight as beneath them must be unworthy to be offered to the King of Kings Moreover if we compare together both these kinds of prayer by Form and by extemporary effusions we shall find the former to be more expedient in our publick Worship for several momentous reasons concerning both our selves and others For 1. The Apostle doth require us 1 Cor. 14.15 and even reason doth inform us that we should pray with the understanding and that we cannot say Amen to that Prayer we understand not now what assurance can the people have in joining with a Minister who prays ex tempore and oft in mystical expressions of the Old Testament that he shall understand the meaning of his words whereas if constant Liturgies be used we may be well assured by our own reading or by the information of others of the meaning of them 2ly The Apostle intimates that 't is the duty of the hearer to say Amen to the Prayers offered up in publick and indeed otherwise we cannot well be said to join with the Minister in Prayer now this we cannot do sincerely unless we do approve the matter of the Prayer now what assurance can the people have in that great difference of
judgments and opinions that there is among us and that great liberty men take to vent their private sentiments in Prayer when they are not restrained that they shall honestly be able to say Amen to a conceived Prayer whereas in a set Form of Liturgy this inconvenience is avoided seeing we know before hand to what we are to say Amen and therefore if we do not like it may absent our selves 3ly How can we sollicite any persons or perswade any strangers to come to our Churches or join in Communion with us where we cannot promise them that the Devotions to be used there shall be innocent we cannot shew them how we worship God and thereby put them in a condition to judge for themselves or promise them as in the Primitive Church they might whilst prayer by the Spirit lasted that all our prayers shall be agreeable unto the mind of God or how can this be done without producing some prescribed Form by which we pray This seems to be one reason why all the Churches of the World have had their publick Forms of prayer that they might let every-body know how God is served by them And why the best men in the Reformed Churches have wished those happy days might come Thes Salm. de Liturg. part 3. n. 46. in which the same Form of Divine Worship might be observed in the Church and all her members with one heart and mouth might glorify God that so the unity of the spirit and charity among Believers might be preserved as far as may be 4ly By set Forms many mischiefs are prevented to which conceived prayer doth stand obnoxious for hereby care is taken that nothing through the ignorance of some or the negligence of others should be offered up to God which is contrary to the Faith or unworthy of his Divine Majesty on which account it was long since resolved by the Milevitan Council Cap. 12. that no prayers should be used in the Church but those which had been weighed by the most prudent or approved in a Synod And this the wisdom of the Heathens saw whence Plato adviseth De. Legibus l. 7. that whatsoever prayers or Hymns the Poets composed to the Gods they should first shew them to the Priests before they published them lest they should ask evil things instead of good L. 4. c. 17. And Alexander ab Alexandro saith that the Gentiles read their prayers out of a book before their sacrifices ne quid preposterè dicatur that nothing might be spoken preposterously which two may pass for Christian Reasons as seasonable with us as they were among them these times being very subject to these infirmities as our experience hath too sadly found 5ly Our Saviour saith Matt. 18.19 20. where two or three were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agreeing in the same voice to request any thing it should be granted and the Apostle prays Rom. 15.6 that with one mouth as well as heart we may glorify God now sure there is more Symphony in a good Form of prayer jointly put up by a whole Nation than there would be in mens extemporary effusions and in it we may be better said to glorify God with one mouth than by the great variety of prayers conceived and so the use of well composed Forms in publick Worship are upon this account to be preferred before extemporary effusions And Lastly To confess my own infirmities I find one great advantage in a form of prayer that being naturally thoughtful and apt to make deductions from what I read or hear I very often make some observations from the Psalms and Lessons of the day as I attend unto them and my thoughts eagerly pursuing them my Devotions are too often interrupted with wandring thoughts which though they may be pious in themselves yet must be my infirmities as far as they withdraw my heart from diligent attention to the prayers then put up to God Now when this happens to me whilst others are using their conceived prayers I know not what are the desires I have neglected and so I cannot when I recal my self offer up those desires to God begging his pardon for my wandrings but when I find my thoughts thus wandring in any part of the Church Service I presently recollect where they began to wander what the petitions were which thus escaped me and either presently if I have any opportunity or when I make up my accounts with God in my retirements I humbly offer them up to God beseeching his forgiveness of my wandring thoughts This to me seems a kind of satisfaction made to my good God and is a satisfaction to my mind and therefore whatsoever others may think of it it seems to me no small advantage of a Form above a new conceived prayer though no man that I know of hath taken any notice of it since therefore by the use of Forms we may best pray with understanding and more securely and assuredly may join with him that doth officiate and say Amen to his petitions since hereby others may be assured beforehand that they can join sincerely with us in the publick service and may particularly prepare their hearts beforehand so to do Seeing hereby the benefit which is promised to the Church from the Symphony of her petitions is best acquired and both people and Ministers may be relieved best against their various distractions and seeing hereby all unbecoming scandalous expressions which disturb the most devout and minister occasion of derision to the looser Christian are in the most considerable and solemn parts of Divine Worship best prevented seeing a Form may be used no probability of any prohibition of them being made apparent and Christians stand bound to yield obedience to their Superiors in lawful matters seeing a Form must be used in our publick Prayers by virtue of our Lords command to say Our Father and in our publick Hymns and Psalmody by reason of our inability to conceive them suddenly and lastly seeing the whole Church of God hath constantly used Forms in the performance of her publick service for thirteen hundred Years upon all these accounts I think it is highy convenient that they should be retained in the Church of God especially if we consider that our Church doth not wholly exclude the use of any Ministers pretended gift in this kind but gives him liberty to use it both before Dr. Whitnal of Gifts in publick Worship p. 48. and after Sermon provided we acknowledge this habit to be what it is and use it according to the Laws of God with reverence to the Divine Majesty and care we speak not unadvisedly of him or to him according to the Laws of the Church with sobriety modesty peaceableness and order so as not to disturb or divide the Church by bringing thereby the publick and stated order into disesteem and finally with justice to our selves and the common Christianity so as not to make this the sole way of praying in a due or
may redound unto us from the Observation of these Festivals unto the ends for which they are appointed by the Church now she appointeth them to be employed in hearing of God's Word read and taught in publick Prayers Can. 13. Injunct Q Eliz. 1559. N. 20. in acknowledging our offences to God and amendment of the same in being reconciled to our Neighbours where there hath been displeasure in oft receiving the Communion in visiting the Poor and Sick and using all sober and Godly conversation Which Christian fruits of Piety were they more plentifully brought forth they would sufficiently recommend those times and seasons which gave occasion to them And surely the benefit of such Holy Exercises is so great that the use of particular times appointed for that purpose ought not to be rejected though some men do abuse them to far other ends And if Dissenters have thought fit to appoint weekly Lectures for some of these good ends Why may not our Church Governours appoint these Anniversaries for the promotion of them all Especially if we consider that they are so exceeding profitable unto the weaker sort of Christians who are instructed by them in many Articles of Christian Faith and caused to reflect on many signal Mercies which they might entirely forget did not these Days return to strengthen and rub up their Memories The common sort of those who seem to be Believers want these Remembrances saith Origen Contra Celsum l. 8. p. 393. That such things may not slip out of their Minds and so these Festivals must needs be useful to them for this end And since the Wisdom of the Church prescribeth Daies to be observed for the Commemoration of the chief things that either were performed by or hapned to our Saviour if the plain Man saith Bishop Hall would but ply well his Almanack that alone would teach him so much Gospel as to shew him the History of his Saviour Remains Serm. on 1 Joh. 15. for there upon the Feast of the Annuntiation might he see his Saviours conception declared by an Angel upon the Feast of 〈◊〉 Nativity he might understand that he was boâ—â— of the Virgin Mary and at last after infinâ—â— and beneficial Miracles he would see him câ—â—â—cified on Good Friday rising from the dead 〈◊〉 Easter and ascending to Heaven on Holy Thuâ—â—day and might be well instructed in these thiâ—â—â— by coming to the Church which hath excellenâ—â—â— fitted these Solemnities with Services which 〈◊〉 explain their meaning and the use we are to mâ—â—â— of them If then we are to follow after the thiâ—â— whereby we may edifie one another Rom. 14.19 we must â—â—â—tinue the Observation of these Festivals 3ly That 't is expedient to observe these 〈◊〉 is evident from the continued custom of the wâ—â—â—â— Church of Christ it being laudable and deâ—â—â—â— to observe the Customs of the whole Church 〈◊〉 Christ and to conform to her Example 〈◊〉 in things no where forbidden by the Word of 〈◊〉 and being reasonable to judge she had good 〈◊〉 to do what was so universally performed whoâ—â— St. 1 Cor. 14.33 11.16 Paul doth admonish his Corinthians to do as 〈◊〉 all Churches of the Saints was done and doth pronounce him a Contentious Person who 〈◊〉 thwart her customs Now all these Festivals of Christ's Nativity his Passion Resurrection cension and of the Advent of the Holy Ghost are by * Illa autem quae non scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quidem toto terrarum orbe observantur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolis vel plenariis conciliis 〈…〉 atque statuta retineri slucti quod Domini passio Resurrectio 〈…〉 in Caelum adventus de Caelo Spiritsis Sancti anniversaria soleâ—â—â—â—e celbrantur st quid aliud cale occurrerit quod servatur ab universa quacunque se diffundit Ecclesia Epist 1.18 Cap. 1. vid. Epist 119. Cap. 1. St. Austin reckoned among those things which were observed ab universa quacunque se diffundit Ecclesia by the whole Universal Church and which he therefore doth conjecture that the Observation of them derived it self from the Apostles or the Decrees of General Councils Since therefore it is evident unto all learned men that all the Holy-days prescribed by the Church of England from the Fourth Century at least were universally observed by the Church of Christ it must be fit and laudable to conform to her Example by observing of them as she did Now to return an answer to the Objections of Mr. Disp 5. of Cer. cap. 2. §. 46. Baxter against the Holy-days foremention'd of which the First is Object 1 Object 1. § 14 That the occasion of these Holy-days was existent in the Apostles days if therefore God would have had such days observed he could as easily and fitly have done it by his Apostles in Scripture as he did other the like things Answer 1. This Argument confutes his former grant that the Festivals of the Holy Martyrs and Apostles might lawfully be observed For of the Protomartyr St. Stephen and of James the Brother of John Kill'd by the Sword Act. 12.2 the Scripture maketh mention and yet saith nothing of the observation of their Festivals nor doth the Beloved Disciple tho He survived the rest of Christs Apostles mention in his Epistles or his Revelations any thing touching the observation of them which notwithstanding Mr. Baxter and which is more considerable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 the Universal Church of God even from the second Century approved of observing Martyrum Natalitia the Birth days of the Martyrs that is the days when they were crowned with Martyrdom with Great Solemnity witness the * Epistle of the Church of Smyrna touching the Martyrdom of Polycarp 2ly By this Argument no places may be set apart for Celebration of Gods publick Worship no Churches and no Tabernacles may be erected for that end no time appointed for that Worship No Synods may convene no Presbyterian Classes may assemble to determine any matter or make any Rules for the due Government of Christians no forms of Prayer excepting the Lords Prayer may be used in Publck no words in Celebration of the Lords Supper or the Sacrament of Baptism to omit many other things of a like nature but what by the Apostles were prescribed in Scripture for if God would have had such things done the occasion of them was existent in the Apostles days and he could as easily and fitly by his Apostles have given command concerning them as touching other the like things 3ly This Argument condemneth the Decrees of the great Nicene Council for praying standing on the Lords day the occasion of it being as old as our Lords Resurrection and it condemneth the whole Church of Christ in the exercise of her Discipline concerning Penitents her Stationary days and almost all her other rites the occasions of which were as well existent in the Apostles days as in succeeding Ages and