blessed the Gods that he was a Man not a Beast a Grecian not a Barbarian and an Athenian amongst the Grecians the Jews are wont to Praise the Lord every Day that they are born of the stock of Israel and are within the Covenant of Abraham Buxt synag cap. 5. But we have much more reason to give Thanks to our Heavenly Father who hath acquainted us with the Grace of his Gospel and taught us the true Catholick Faith and when we make this confession of his Mercy to us and to this now to be admitted Christian it is very fit we should pray both for our selves that we may make a good progress in this true Religion whereinto we are already entred and for this Infant that it may be effectually sealed for a Christian and so prepared to enjoy the Kingdom with those that have gone before in this Faith this is the most common and obvious sense But we may confine this Thanksgiving to the present occasion Namely That whereas God hath in the Gospel foregoing made known unto us his grace and good will towards Infants and thereby begot in us a lively hope and Faith in him so that we are perswaded he will receive this present Infant First We give him most humble thanks for it And secondly We beseech him to let us know him more fully and make us believe more firmly this his merciful purpose toward this present Child by Giving his Holy Spirit unto it as a new and further testimony of his Grace For by so fresh an Experiment of his Goodness not only our knowledge will be encreased and our Faith confirmed but this poor Infant also shall thereby be regenerated and made an Heir of Glory Wherefore we entreat him to fulfil his Promises unto it and unto us and to answer all our expectations through Jesus Christ who though he liveth and reigneth on high yet despiseth not one of these little ones but admits their Angels daily to behold the Face of his Heavenly Father §. 7. The Preface to the Covenant Dearly Beloved ye have brought this Child here to be baptized c. The Persons spoken to in this Admonition are the Godfathers and Godmothers the use of which in the Church of Christ was derived from the Jews as well as the Initiation of Infants it self was 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 c Gemara tit Chetub c. 1. and there was one appointed to hold the Child in Circumcision called the Master of the Covenant d Elias Thisb Rad. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the modern Jews who use it to this Day he is called the Surety e Tum puelli circumcidendi sive sponsor sive susceptor accedit Buxt Synag Cap. 2. Who is to Answer also as appears by that Relation of Rabbi Juda sirnamed Pious who being Surety for the Child of a rich Jew of Germany stood mute in the midst of the Office discerning as they say by a Prophetick Spirit the Child would afterward turn Christian wherefore he refused to answer his Part. And very learned Men do believe this Custom to have been as Antient among the Jews as the times of Isaiah f Ex hoc ritu profectum esse illum nostrum constat quo certi homines speciatim adhibentur testes accessus ad Christum ad Ecclesiam per baptismum c. Jun. Tremel in Jesai 8.2 it being highly probable that those Witnesses Chap. 8.2 at the naming of his Son were of the same nature with those we call Godfathers and Godmothers In the Primitive Church the use of them was so early that it is not easie to fix the time of their beginning only the most antient Fathers who speak of Baptism do mention them g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dionys Areop Sponsores Tertulliano Fidei jussores Augustino vocantur Out of whom we might have abundant Testimonies but that they will come in more seasonably in their several places where we speak of their Duty afterwards Only it may be remembred Platina affirmeth that Hyginus Decreed Baptism should not be Administred without one such Surety at least in vit Pontif. R. But besides the very nature of the Ordinance especially as it is Administred to Infants seems to require some such Persons in the solemnizing thereof For as Circumcision was a Covenant of old h Gen. 17.13 1 Reg. 19.10 Foedus tuum deseruerunt Vid. Gal. 5.4 whereby the Jews were bound to keep the whole Law Galat. 5.4 So is Baptism a Covenant i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianzen de Baptism Sed nunc nos paciscimur in Baptismo ut abrenunciemus Diabolo operibus ejus Hieron in Psal 128. also wherein we Promise to obey the Gospel Now because Infants cannot promise for themselves the Laws of all Nations have allowed them Guardians to contract for them in secular matters which contracts if they be fair and beneficial the Minor must make good when he comes to Age. And in like manner the Church hath given them spiritual Guardians to promise those things in their Name without which neither old or young can obtain Salvation if they stay out of this Covenant they are liable to perish and they can enter into it no other way but by having some to engage that they shall stand to Gods terms They need the grace of Baptism and yet they cannot express that Faith and Repentance which are the necessary conditions of it wherefore the Church hath found out this Suppletory appointing some to undertake in their Name And thus Infants may receive the good things of Baptism by the Faith of those who represent them k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Responsor ad Orthod quaes 56. even as the Antients note l Cyril Hierosol Catech 5. Theophylac Math. 9. the Centurions servant was restored by his Masters Faith the Man in the Palsie by the Faith of those who brought him and Lazarus though Dead was raised by his Sisters Believing But fully to this purpose Rabanus Maurus In the Church of our Saviour the Salvation of Infants which by their tender age are uncapable of renouncing the Devil or believing in God is compleated by the hearts and mouths of those that bring them For it is manifest that as Children drew those sins from others which are remitted to them in Baptism so also by others they may believe unto Salvation And thus also if any dumb or deaf Persons who could neither hear nor profess their Faith should by any Christians be presented to Baptism they are believed to be saved by the Faith of the Offerers for the infirmity of humane Nature cannot hinder the grace of Almighty God de instit Cler. l. 1. c. 26. So that we ought to believe till the Child be capable the Faith of its Sureties is so far accepted
present with us For thus the Greek Liturgy orders ſ Sapientiam sermonem Dei hunc esse omnes credentes clamamus Gloria tibi Domine S. Germ. Theor. Et Liturg. S. Chrys Gloria tibi domine dicant omnes And the Ancients used to say before the Gospel Glory be to thee O God and afterwards Thanks be to God for his holy Gospel tanquam Christo praesenti as if Christ was then before their Eyes Do you but endeavour to hear it with Faith so as you may obey and imitate and then you shall have great reason to break forth into the Divine Praises If you remember the sad tidings of Condemnation which the Law lately sounded in your Ears Oh how welcome must the prospect of so sweet a Saviour and the news of so gracious a Pardon be unto you As for the particular use to be made of these Holy Portions of Scripture I refer the Reader to the Comp. to the Temple Sect. of the Lessons § 8. having no opportunity here to pursue that subject Sect. 2. Of the Creed in the Communion Office § 2. As the Apostles Creed is placed immediately after the daily Lessons so is this after the Epistle and Gospel since it is founded on the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and herein we follow St. Pauls Method Rom. 10.10 That as in the Gospel c Quia ut per S. Evangelium corde credatur ad justitiam per Symbolum ore Confessio fiat ad salutem D. Bern. we have 〈◊〉 the heart believed unto Righteousness so in the Creed we confess with our Mouths unto Salvation This Creed was composed in the second general Council at Constantinople probably by the famous Nazianzen An. Dom. 383. in the time of Gratian and Theodosius the Great approved by 150. Bishops the chief of which seems to be Cyril of Hierusalem and confirmed by the Imperial Authority it is sometimes called the Nicene Creed because it differs very little from that which was composed in the first general Council at Nice nor did this Council intend it for a new Creed d Custodiendam esse fidem 318. Patrum qui apud Nicaeam c. Can. 1. Concil Constant 1. but only a fuller explication of some Articles in order to a more particular confutation of the Arrians the Macedonian Photinian and Eunomian Hereticks And this Creed hath ever since been received and used in the Liturgies of both Eastern and Western Churches so that although we had the shorter Creed before in the Morning Office yet we here again repeat this First with good Authority Secondly For weighty Reasons First For Authority To omit the Command of God in the Case of the Passover Exod. 12.43.48 That no stranger or uncircumcised should eat thereof we have clear evidence of the Primitive practice who never celebrated this Mystery till they had solemnly excluded e Quibus vescentes confessionem fidei suae addebant Ambr. de Sacr. Diaconus inter precandum clamat Nullus Catechumenus nullus auditor nullus infidelis nullus Haereticus Constit Apostol quod probat Sozom. Hist Eccles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 6. c. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dionys Eccl. Hier. all unbaptized and unbelieving Persons so that they never administred it to any but those of the right Faith f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Mart. Apol. using this as a Touchstone to try who might and who might not stay to communicate so that by the third Council of Toledo about 600. years after Christ it was positively commanded That every Communicant should after the manner of the Eastern Church repeat this Creed with an audible voice that so they may both shew what Faith they profess and that by right believing their hearts may be purified and prepared for this holy Sacrament Can. 2. ap Caranz sum Secondly As for Reason we may assert the fitness of it upon these Accounts First Since in this Sacrament we are to renew our Baptismal vow the Foundation whereof is to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith we must not be admitted till we have declared that we stand firm in the belief of these Articles Secondly Because the Eucharist is the highest Mystery of Christianity and the sublimest priviledge of a believer on Earth The Communicants must not only hold the general Creed but shew themselves free from every Heresie and profess that they are in the strictest League of Union with the Holy Catholick Church Thirdly Since this Ordinance is the highest exercise and noblest Tryal of our Faith wherein we are to raise up our minds above the sensible objects to believe that which our bodily Eyes do not see g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys hom 2. in 2 Timoth. and to receive all the benefits thereof by Faith alone it is hugely necessary that we should first train this grace by imploying it on spiritual objects that in this divine office it may make a better flight § 3. How to improve the Creed and to recite it every day with a new devotion may be learned in the first Part h Compan to the Temple Disc of Creed Sect. 1. c. only we shall briefly remark the necessity and the manner of using it aright in order to the Holy Communion First You may remember that this Sacrament doth necessarily presuppose a firm and affectionate belief of every one of these Principles and is a superstructure raised upon this Foundation so that the least doubt or hesitancy in these main Articles will make the Soul lame in the whole Performance nor can you be a worthy receiver unless you do fully believe the Majesty of the Father whom you have offended the Divinity Incarnation Passion and Resurrection of the Son by whom you sue for Pardon as also the divine nature and sanctifying efficacy of the Holy Ghost whereby you hope to be enabled to keep your Covenant and so in all the rest Especially since this Communion is the peculiar badge and cognizance of Christians wherein we do avow the Lord Jesus to be our Master and publickly own our selves Disciples of his Religion for so both Jews and Gentiles by eating of their several Sacrifices did declare they were Servants of that Deity to whom the Sacrifice was presented 1 Cor. 10.16 And thus as Athenaeus tells us the various Sects of Philosophy had their Symposia and Commemoration Feasts wherein they did remember their Founder and profess themselves Abettors of his Opinions in like manner do we protest our Faith in Jesus by this divine Festival and therefore it is necessary that we do first repeat the proper Articles of this Religion as the Rules by which we resolve to live and as such infallible truths for which if need require we will not refuse to die Secondly Let us then devoutly say over this our Creed before the Sacrament especially and as we go along entertain every Article not only with an assent of the understanding but with the consent of our Will
and the compliance of our affections being not only confident of their truth because God hath revealed them but delighted with their excellency because they tend to make us holy and happy and then we shall believe them with a perswasion stronger than can be built upon the Scholastical Demonstration we shall adhere to them closely and for ever because they are amiable and lead us to God and immortality Let us not think our Faith sufficient till we so believe in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour that we are moved thereby to repent of our sins and cast our Souls on him for Pardon and then we have spiritually communicated already we have obtained the benefits and perfected the designs of this Sacrament and done that internally and nakedly by Faith which is more solemnly effected in the Mysteries themselves To which there is no better preparation than such a repetition of our Holy Faith The Paraphrase of this Creed Sect. 4. I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart in one God a pure and infinite Spirit distinguished into three Persons the first of which is God the Father declared to be Almighty as he is the Maker of Heaven and Earth Creator of the whole World and all things contained in any part thereof both visible as all bodily substances on Earth and invisible as spiritual beings and Angels in Heaven And I also believe firmly in one Lord Iesus Christ the second Person of the glorious Trinity who is not as Angels or Men the adopted but the only begotten Son of God not created in time but begotten of his Father from all Eternity before all Ages of the Coelestial or Terrestrial Worlds Of the same nature with his Father God begotten of God after a mysterious and spiritual manner as Light is kindled of Light not diminishing his Fathers substance and yet being very God of very God derived not as the Creatures for he was begotten and not made and is equal to God being of one nature and substance with the Father and of the same dignity and power for he is that Eternal Word by whom all things were made out of nothing I believe also it was this very Son of God who passing by the fallen Angels for us Men and for the effecting of our Salvation and deliverance out of the state of sin and death in which we miserably lay came down unto this Earth from Heaven and left his glory for he took our nature and was incarnate by assuming a body of flesh like ours only without sin because it was conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost in the Womb of the Virgin Mary so though he was still very God yet he took the form of a servant And was made Man living holily and working Miracles till at last he was unjustly condemned and was crucified also with intolerable torments to satisfie Gods justice for us and all Mankind who were become liable to Damnation which cruel Death he endured under Pontius Pilate the Roman President by whose unjust sentence he suffered till he was really dead and was buried and yet when he had paid the full price of our Redemption The third day after his Crucifixion by his divine power he rose again to life according to all those Prophecies and Types of him before recorded in the Scriptures After which he conversed with his Disciples fourty days and ascended in their sight into Heaven where he is restored to all his glory and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father interceeding for us And he shall come again at the end of the World with glory and Millions of Saints and Angels to judge all men according to their works both the quick then living and the dead who departed never so long since whereupon the wicked shall be condemned to endless Torments and the righteous received to immortal joy by the same Jesus whose Kingdom shall then fully begin but shall have no end but remain for ever and ever And I believe most firmly in the Holy Ghost the third person of the glorious Trinity who is also very God the Lord and giver of grace and all spiritual Life who is not made nor begotten but proceedeth from the Father and the Son yet is not less in dignity as who with the Father and the Son in all Offices of the Church together and in the same manner is worshipped and glorified being the inditer of holy Scriptures and he who spake by the Prophets in the Old Testament and by the Apostles in the New And finally I believe that the whole body of Christian people holding the right Faith do make one Catholick and Universal True and Apostolick Church in which Society I acknowledge there are great priviledges viz. One Baptis◠instituted by Christ not only as a sign of but a means for the remission of all those sins which we are guilty of when we enter into this Covenant Wherefore being my self baptized I hope for pardon and grace in this life And I look for and expect that my body though after Death corrupted and turned to dust shall be restored to life in the Resurrection of the Dead at the last day and I hope then for a Portion in glory and the life Everlasting and that I shall Reign in the blissful Kingdom of the World which is to come after this is utterly dissolved Amen Lord be it unto me according to my Faith Amen § 4. The Sermon which is here to follow comes not within the Method we have proposed so that we shall only note that it was appointed by Antiquity there should be Sermons i Concil 6. Constant can 19. Concil Mogunt can 25. or Homilies k Concil Vasense can 4. an Christi 460. every Lords Day especially when the Lords Supper was Administred l Acts 20.7 Post lectionem legis prophetarum Epistolarum c. Ordinatus-alloquatur populum verbis Exhortatoriis Const Apost c. 4. Leo. 1. Serm. 2. de Pasch Aug. confes l. 3. cap. 3. and surely this is the fittest place since the Sermon is either an explication of some Article of the Creed preceeding or an exhortation to the following duty of Charity But I do earnestly wish that when there is a Communion the Minister would sute his Discourse to that occasion for to treat of another subject then although otherwise never so good will too much divert the minds of those whose careful preparation hath composed their thoughts for this Ordinance whereas if the Sermon be chiefly tending to raise them still into a higher strain of Devotion for their communicating it will be a word spoken in due season Prov. 15.23 and rarely improve their Souls then made tender by Repentance and much more apt to receive impressions from all representations of the love of Christ and the means of our Union with him Yet withal the people must now hear with extraordinary attention and receive with great affection these holy Instructions and Exhortations drawn from the Word of
doth acknowledge himself to be thy Servant even CHARLES our King and Soveraign Liege Help him so to defend Religion execute Justice and subdue his Enemies that under him we and all his Subjects may be religiously and godly peaceably and quietly Governed and accordingly be obedient unto as well as happy in so gracious a Prince And that his excellent Laws may not be perverted in their Administration O Lord Grant such grace unto his whole Council with whom he adviseth in making Laws and to all Magistrates and Officers that are put in Authority to execute them under him That they may deliberately weigh every cause and truly and indifferently determine it so as to make it appear they do minister Iustice and imploy their Power To the punishment of wickedness and greater Crimes the correction of lesser enormities and Vice And the maintenancâ— and defence of the Profession of thy true Religion together with the Practice of all Equity and Vertue which is the endeavour of all Righteous Magistrates But that Piety and Justice may be taught by the Ministers as well as outwardly incouraged â—iâ—e grace O Heavenly Father for the same thy Son Jesus Christs sake to all whom thou hast made Bishops and Governours or Pastors and Curates over thy Flock Assist them so in those sacred offices that they may both by the holiness of their life and the purity of their Doctrine declare and set forth the excellencies of thy true quickening and lively Wâ—rd so that many may be won to live according to it And grant that they may also orderly and rightly frequently and duly Administer both Baptism and the Lords Supper which are thy Holy Sacraments And let them be particularly assisted in the Celebration of the present mystery And that all their labours be not in vain Do thou to all thy People throughout the Christian World â—ive thy Heavenly Grace to dispose their hearts rightly to receive divine things Especially grant to this Congregation and every person here present before thee that with meek hearts from a sense of their own ignorance and due reverence from the apprehension of thy Authority they may hear attentively and receive by Faith the directions of thy Holy Word O Lord let them be converted by it and become real Christians truly serving thee in all the duties of Piety and Holiness Charity and Righteousness and continue in this Obedience all the days of their life especially after this solemn renewing of their Covenant with thee And further reflecting upon thy pitty towards all afflicted persons for the sufferings-sake of thy dear Son We that yet are spared do most humbly beseech thee that though we and our Brethren deserve to suffer yet of thy goodness thou wilt be pleased O Lord effectually at present to comfort and speedily to deliver and succour not those distressed Creatures alone which we particularly love or know but all them who are capable of the benefit of our Prayers even all who in this transitory life the Scene of sorrows are in trouble and fear of some approaching Evil or in sorrow for some Calamity already sustained All that are in need and want as to their outward Estate or in pain and sickness as to their body Or who are visited with some or all of these or any other Adversity Oh pitty and relieve them all And Finally as we praise thee for all the Mercies which thou minglest with the Miseries of this life so we also bless and chiefly praise thy holy Name for those who have no mixtures of sin or sorrow in their Cup of pure and perfect joy even for all thy Saints and holy Servants who were once as frail as we but by thy grace are now departed out of this life but who did live in thy Faith and die in thy fear never forsaking Religion nor a good Conscience We rejoice in their happiness and though we need not pray for them yet we cannot forbear beseeching thee for our selves who are yet upon the Waves that thou wilt please to give us also the same grace which thou gavest them That we may be able so to follow their good Examples in all Piety and Charity while we live that with them and in that glorious Society we may when we die be Partakers by the like Mercy of thy Heavenly Kingdom and its unspeakable felicities Hear us we beseech thee and Grant this and all the rest O Father to thy poor Children who make not our Requests in our own Name or trusting in our own merits but for Iesus Christ his sake and through the most prevailing Sacrifice of his Death here Commemorated Nor do we need or desire to use any other name since he is Our only Mediator to make our peace and Advocate to plead our cause who also joins with us in these Petitions and therefore we hope thou wilt say to him and to us Amen and then it shall be so SECT VIII Of the warning before the Communion § 1. IT is fit that great Mysteries should be ushered in with the solemnities of a great preparation for which cause God gave the Israelites three days warning of his design to publish the Law Exod. 19.15 and ordered their Festivals to be proclaimed by the sound of a Trumpet some time before Levit. 25.9 Numb 10.2 The Paschal Lamb the Type of Christ in this Sacrament was to be chosen and kept by them four days to mind them to prepare for the Celebration of the Passover Exod. 12.3.6 And Christians having more and higher duties in order to this Holy Feast must not have less time or shorter warning whereupon as good Hezekiah published by particular expresses his intended Passover long before 2 Chron. 30. so hath our Church prudently ordered this timely notice to be given that none might pretend to stay away out of ignorance of the time or unfitness for the duty but that all might come and come prepared also It is needless to expect a President for this in the antient Church their daily or Weekly Communions made it known that there was then no solemn Assembly of Christians without it and every one not under censure was expected to Communicate But now when the time is somewhat uncertain and our long omissions have made some of us ignorant and others forgetful of this duty most of us unwilling and all of us more or less indisposed for it it was both prudent and necessary to provide these large Warnings and Exhortations Cautions and Instructions For the Composures themselves they are exact and rarely fitted to be the Harbingers to this blessed Sacâ—ament and if we duly weigh and carefully improve them they will exceedingly help towards our Preparation as will be evident enough without a Paraphrase in the succeeding Analysis and Discourse The Analysis of the Warning before the Communion § 2. This Warning consisteth of three principal Parts 1. Information concerning 1. The Time Dearly beloved on next I purpose c. 2. The Persons to administer to all
thy mercy These are thy words O Christ for thou hast spoken them and they are mine because thou hast spoken them for my Salvation O sweet and amiable words in the Ears of a poor Sinner by which thou invitest an indigent starved wretch to partake of thy holy body But who am I O Lord that I should dare to come the Angels and Archangels reverence thee thy Saints and holy ones fear before thee and yet thou sayst unto me Come c. unless thou hadst said it who could have believed it to be true unless thou hadst commanded it who durst have attempted this approach T. à Kempis de imitat Chris l. 4. c. 1. The Paraphrase O ye of contrite hearts Hear with joy and wonder what comfortable words he whose love you so much long for even our Saviour Christ himself saith to all such as you that truly grieving for your sins do turn to him to find mercy Lo he pities you and most affectionately calls upon you saying Come unto me with a perswasion that I am able and desirous to help you O all ye that travel with much grief and pains for your sins and are heavy laden with the apprehensions of my anger against you for them be not discouraged for I will bear this burden my self and I will by my sufferings make your peace with my Father and so refresh you according to your hearts desire § 3. So God loved the World that he gave his only-begotten Son to the end that all that believe in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life S. John 3.16 The second Assertion in the Absolution is confirmed by this Sentence viz. that Almighty God will forgive all that with true Faith turn unto him If he were willing to grant pardon on easier terms yet a man void of Faith could not receive it It was an absurd practice in some places of old to give the Sacrament to the Dead who had been surprized by mortal sickness and prevented to receive it living but an antient Council condemned this h Placuit ut corporibus defunctorum Eucharistia non detur Dictum est enim à Domino Accipite c. Conc. 3. Carthag Can. 6. because the Dead could not as Christ commands Take and eat it And for the same reason a Man without Faith cannot receive Absolution because he is dead i Vnde mors in animâ quia non est fides unde mors in corpore quia non est anima ergo animae tuae anima fides est Aug. in Johan void of all spiritual life and power to apprehend the benefit thereof Therefore if our sins and sorrows have wrapt us in such mists that we can scarce discern the light of Gods countenance let us throughly meditate of this one Sentence and the glories of it will dispel them all For here it doth appear that he first loved us and gave the noblest testimony of the biggest affection to us for he gave not a Creature nor a Servant a Prophet nor an Angel for us but he gave up his Son his only Son to a cruel Death for the World his Enemies and liable to his justice and all this for no other end but that we and the rest of this miserable World might be freed from the Damnation which we had deserved and be advanced to that glory which we could never have expected And do we still question his willingness to save us Did he give such a price to purchase our Salvation when we were Enemies and shall we think he will cast us into those flames out of which we were so dearly rescued now when we beg his mercy Did he send his Son on purpose to preserve us and will he lose his end in so glorious a work Away ye misgiving thoughts dishonour not the incomparable goodness of God hath he not given more when he gave his own Son for all than to grant life to a few for his sake Oh do not question that Love which is sealed with such an Evidence but believe admire embrace it and be thankful The Paraphrase Dost thou fear O my Soul that God will not have mercy on thee behold he that best knew his Fathers mind affirms that So wonderfully God loved his miserable Enemies even all the Sinners in the World that he when none else could help them freely gave up not some of his noblest Servants but his only-begotten and intirely beloved Son to die for them And this he did to the end that we and such like poor Sinners even all that believe this Jesus is able and willing to save them and so trust in him might be delivered from the wrath to come for all this was done on purpose that we should not perish in endless Torments but have everlasting life in his Heavenly Kingdom Doubt not then but this design shall be accomplished in thy Salvation § 4. This is a true saying and worthy of all men to be received that Iesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners 1 Timoth. 1.15 Although there needs nothing to confirm what Jesus saith yet since he himself was pleased to take his Apostles for his Witnesses we have here brought in two of the principal of them to avouch this excellent truth viz. That there is mercy for Penitent Sinners And first the certainty thereof is averred by Saint Paul who had found the experience of it and was himself so great an instance thereof that he thinks ver 16. no sinner will ever despair that can but consider how great an offender he was and yet that he found mercy whereupon he doth with great confidence assert this as a tried and infallible Maxim and because all men have sinned he propounds it as a Truth which every man is concerned to receive as unquestionably and believe as firmly as the Cabala l Cabala fig. receptam doctrinam qui docet enim apud Judaeos tradere dicitur qui discit recipere Vid. Ham. annot in 1 Tim. 1. Drus praeterit l. 8. was amongst the Scholars of Jewish Rabbins And he urgeth this the more vigorously because we are so apt to object what such as we shall we ever partake of such a happiness Yes such as you for our Lord Jesus had no other errand into this World no other design in putting on our nature no other end in dying than to save Sinners He came not to call the Righteous Math. 9.13 but to seek and save those which were lost Chap. 18.11 and he assures us there is more joy in Heaven at the difficult and unexpected Salvation of a Sinner than at the more likely and more looked for glorification of many righteous Luke 15.7 But you say you are grievous Sinners Are not all the World so if there had been no Sinners there had needed no Saviour if Sinners cannot be saved no man did ever enter Heaven if sin be unpardonable Jesus hath died in vain Do not argue against your own felicity but be assured if you
sight to see servants riding and Princes beside them walking on foot Eccles 10.7 But how much more abominable is it to see such evil and base servants as we are with proud hearts pretending to celebrate the memorial of the greatest and best Master who humbled himself to the death of the Cross if we are righteous why did he suffer if we be sinners why are we bold and puffed up be assured that this sin alone if there were no other would turn this Banquet into Poison or make us at least incapable to receive any benefit from it 2. Consider the great dignity of these terrible mysteries had we the purity of an Angel and the affections of a Seraphin we could scarce be worthy to come so near to a most holy and All-seeing God to lay such claim to the blessed Jesus and all his Merits and to be so wholly united to him as we are designing in this admirable Communion But thirdly We are so far from such excellencies that our late Confession is yet fresh in our memories wherein we did most truly accuse our selves of many and grievous offences and our own Conscience will check the vanity of all proud imaginations of our own merit by discovering to us that we have done very little good and that very imperfectly yet even that also by the grace of God and not by our own Power d Debetur enim merces si fiant sed gratia quae non debetur praecedit ut fiant Aug. in Julian How then can we fancy our selves worthy to make this approach Especially if we remember Fourthly That our preparation it self the only remaining suppletory hath been very imperfect if not deficient and who is there that can shew such a tender heart such strong desires so lively affections and so vigorous a Faith as this Ordinance doth require Upon all which accounts we have no reason to come presumptuously trusting in our own Righteousness We should be more likely to fly from this holy Table with shame and fear but only that we hear our God is merciful 1 King 20.31 and that Jesus will in no wise cast out those who come unto him John 6.37 We have manifold and great miseries and he hath manifold and great mercies and by these we are invited Our own righteousness is nothing the merits of others are insufficient for themselves but the compassions of God can never fail to these we fly for refuge and oh happy venture to take sanctuary in the divine mercy where there is no hazard e Pulchrum periculum confugere ad Deum D. Bern. but that he who is mercy it self should not pity us Wherefore behold O Lord we come unto thee thou mightest indeed justly censure this approach of such wretched Creatures to be the most daring presumption but we beseech thee condemn not the action but behold the motives that drew us hither even our own miseries and thy mercies and help us to supply in humility what we want in worthiness let our mean and just opinion of our selves our bended knees and broken hearts shew that we durst not have adventured so nigh if thy mercy had not held out the golden Scepter to us § 4. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the Crumbs under thy Table but thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy Our Saviour adviseth us even at an ordinary Feast to take the lowest room Luke 14.10 and Solomon warneth us not to put our selves too forward in the presence of a King Prov. 25.6 How much more then is it our duty to think the meanest place too good for us at this Heavenly Feast of the King of Kings How scornfully do the great ones of this World sometimes look upon their poor Brethren thinking their footstool f Jam. 2.3 Populus terrae scabellum pedûm Pharisaeorum Proverb Hebr. or a place among their Dogs good enough for them Job 30.1 and is there not a much greater distance between God and us When Mephibosheth was admitted to King Davids Table he in great humility compares himself to a dead Dog 2 Sam. 9.7 8. but we have much more reason to esteem our selves as such before the Majesty of Heaven Had we always been dutiful and obedient Children we might then have expected to have been fed at our Fathers Table but we have been Rebels and therefore with Adonibezeks Captives might justly be made to gather up the Crumbs Jud. 1.7 under the feet of our great Lord Nay by our Anger Luxury Intemperance and especially by falling back into our old sins g Canis ad vomitum rediens Prov. 26.11 2 Pet. 2.22 we have behaved our selves like unto Dogs and therefore how dare we challenge the Childrens Bread We may well confess with the poor Canaanitish Woman that the Crumbs and Reliques h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip Cress 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist 2. de gen which are the part of Dogs are too good for us That is the common mercies of food and raiment health and habitations and the least measures of grace and comfort which are but small i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl in Math. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz ep 45. considering the Power of God and his bounty to his own Children but very great considering our unworthiness If the Lord will please but to give us these necessary things and to bestow so much grace and comfort on us as will support us and encourage us in our Repentance we will be very thankful although we be not filled with extasies and assurance It is true this Heavenly bread is too good for us but only that our merciful Father is admirable in his condescensions he looks at our necessities but weigheth not our merits and doth most graciously receive us wherefore we will lie down in the dust and be as vile as may be before so good a God our acknowledgments shall lay us as low as ever our sins have done we will profess we are unworthy of the least favours that so we may the better set out the divine goodness which vouchsafeth to give us the greatest And no doubt they that thus humble themselves sincerely shall certainly be exalted Luke 14.11 For our God is always gracious and ever the same whose property it is to have mercy upon humble and contrite ones § 5. Grant us therefore gracious Lord so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Iesus Christ and to drink his blood that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body and our Souls washed through his most precious blood and that we may evermore dwell in him and be in us Amen In the midst of these our acknowledgments of our own unworthiness we are seasonably minded that we have a gracious Lord who is apt to pitty us even when we are justly miserable He sees our bodies are defiled and our Souls polluted and both empty and void of Christ and he hath appointed this
2. The World with all its Pomps and Vanities 1 John 2.16 for who so loveth these cannot love God The sinful fashions and inticing gayeties the gaudy splendor of Riches and all the Magnificence which ministers to Pride and Vanity these a Christian must renounce He must not desire them greedily nor delight in them at all nor use them so as to make him forget God or neglect the solid glories of a better World if he be in Place and Dignity and be obliged to somewhat of Gallantry or Grandeur to distinguish him and bear Proportion with his Quality he must be humble in the midst of all and learn to despise it and to understand the Vanity thereof and must not exceed the bounds of Moderation Thirdly The Flesh that is all the desires after filthy or unlawful pleasures all thoughts that do allure to wantonness or debauchery The Christian must not strive to please his Appetite his Palate or his Concupiscence but doth here vow he will not please them but please God and in order thereto that he will confine his Carnal as well as Covetous desires within the bounds of Reason Innocence and Moderation And this is a brief Account of the first part of the Baptismal Vow which together with the Answer I renounce them all is so exactly Primitive that it is very pleasant to compare ours and the Antient forms together and thereby we shall perceive that although they somewhat differed among themselves yet we have extracted the marrow and substance of them all u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Constit Apost l. 7. c. 42. ita Dionys Areop Aquam adituri sub Antistitis manu contestamur nos renuntiare Diabolo pompae Angelis ejus Tertul. Coron Militis Repete quid interrogatus fis recognosce quid responderis Renuntiasti Diabolo operibus ejus mundo luxuriae ejus voluptatibus Ambros de init c. 2. Quando te interrogavit Sacerdos Abrenuncias Diabolo operibus ejus Quid respondisti Abrenuncio Abrenuncias seculo voluptatibus ejus Abrenuncio Ambros de Sacram. l 1. c. 2. Seculo renuntiaveramus cum baptizati sumus Cypr. ad Rogat ep 7. Primum interrogatur si Abrenuntiat Diabolo omnibus damnesis ejus operibus fallacibus pompis Raban Maur. instit cler l. 1. c. 27. The only remaining part of our Care is that we do this with a Primitive Spirit that is That we make this renuntiation with all sincerity for we are obliged to it upon our own Account and that we perform it couragiously remembring that the Powers of Hell tremble to see their designed Vassals thus pass into the Tents of Jesus their invincible Adversary and let us together with this promise unfeignedly wish in our hearts that this poor Infant may never retract this beneficial Engagement nor become a Slave to so Cruel a Master any more for his work is deceitful and his Wages Death and Jesus hath now freed it from this Bondage into which it can never return till it renounce him who hath made it free indeed Quer. II. III. After the deserting and renouncing the Old Master the next act is to embrace Jesus Christ and to declare him to be our new Master w 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Const Apost l. 7 ca. 47. For he hath made Faith to be a necessary Qualification for Baptism Mark 16.16 and before St. Philip would baptize the Eunuch he asked him if he did Believe with all his heart and received his Answer That he Believed Jesus to be the Son of God Acts 8.37 From which remarkable President the Church doth ever since demand of all those who do enter into the Christian profâ—ssion if they believe all the Articles which Constitute that Profession and this was done either by way of Question and Answer x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril catech 2. Credis in Deum patrem omnipotentem dixisti Credo Ambr. de sacr l. 2. c. 7. Solenne sit in lavacro post Trinitatis confessionem interrogare Credis in S. Ecclesiam credis in Remissionem c. Hieron in Luciferian Vid. Cypr. Ep. 70. ad Januar. Ambros in Luc. or else the party baptized if of Age was made to repeat the whole Creed y Qui gratiam baptismatis aditurus est symbolum fidelium populo audiente recitat Augustin But even a Child cannot be made a Christian unless he be engaged to believe as Christians do believe which here by his Sureties he doth promise And they may very well promise that the Child shall believe these divine truths since they were all revealed from Heaven confirmed by Miracles sealed by the blood of holy Martyrs and attested by the constant consent of the Universal Church This Child is not left at random to take up its Religion by chance or interest but is here fixed in the true and unquestionable Verity which will lead it unto Everlasting Life and it hath confessed that Rule which God hath given us to unite us in one Bond of Peace But it is not only necessary that the party Baptized do believe the Christian Faith but he must desire to be joined to that Society by the solemn Rite of Initiation Wherefore it is demanded 3. Whether you will be baptized in this Faith because God will have no unwilling Servants nor ought men to be compelled by Violence unto Religion z Nemini deinceps ad credendum vim inferre liceat Concil Toletan Nec religionis cogere religionem Tertul. ad Scapul Nemo se ab invito coli volet ne homo quidem Id. Apol. c. 24. And yet the Christian Religion is so reasonable so sweet and easie so profitable both as to this World and the next that the Godfathers may presume to Answer They will for doubtless if the Child could understand the excellency of this Religion and speak its mind it would say the same Words and if it be early instructed in the Principles thereof it will soon come to know how much it owes to those who have brought it into so happy an Estate Quer. IV. Finally We are taught that we are delivered out of the Hand of our Enemies to the end that we may hereafter live a godly righteous and sober life Luke 1.74 75. Titus 2.11 12. and that every one who is a Christian must Depart from all iniquity 2 Timoth. 2.19 so that none can be admitted into this Holy Society unless they do promise to live according to Gods Commandments a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Mart. Apol. because Baptism is an Engagement to live purely as Greg. Nazianzene speaks and St. Paul saith they that are Baptized ought to walk in newness of life Rom. 6.4 before any can be enrolled a Souldier of Jesus Christ he must vow in the Words of this Sacrament to observe the Commands of his General b Recordare Tyrocinii tui diem quo Christo consepultus in sacramenti verba jurasti Hieron ad Heliodor
that we may be wise and apprehensive prudent and couragious discreet in our choice devout in our duties and pious in our Lives and if these can be obtained we may be assured all graces will spring from these Roots Charity and the love of God Humility and Watchfulness Faith and Holiness Meekness and Patience Temperance and Chastity and what not Let us therefore kneel reverently and join devoutly with the Holy Man let us open our hearts by earnest desires and stretch out the hands of Faith and Hope to receive these so much needed these so inestimable gifts and let us not doubt but God will hear his own Servant and gratifie our desires Christ hath promised to give these gifts to us and others have received them in the use of this very means so that if we ask heartily and believe firmly God will by the same means give them unto us also §. 5. The laying on of Hands The imposition of Hands is one of the most antient Ceremonies in the World observed by Jacob in the giving of his blessing Gen. 48.14 and by his Example ever after practised among the Jews in Benedictions in conferring of all holy Offices Numb 27.18 and to many other purposes in their Religion whereupon our Lord Jesus used it also when he blessed little Children Math. 19.13 as well as when he healed the sick Math. 8.15 and the Apostles adopted it to be the Rite for Communicating the Spirit in Confirmation Acts 8.17 which was so regularly observed that it gave name to the whole Office which is called Laying on of Hands Hebrews 6.2 as we noted before and not only St. Augustine l August in Donat. de Baptis lib. 3. cap. 16. but most of the Latine Writers call it usually Imposition of Hands nor was Confirmation ever Ministred without Laying on of Hands m Dehinc manus imponitur advocans invitans Spiritum Sanctum Tertul. The Roman Church of late hath left it out and instead thereof use anointing and giving the party a Box on the Ear But our Church hath restored this Essential and Apostolick Rite and as upon Moses laying his Hands upon the Seventy Elders God put his Spirit upon them Numb 11.17 so we hope he will impart it to us when the Bishop lays his hand upon us See Numb 6.27 and therefore we kneel most humbly that we may receive it It was antiently the manner for the Bishop to lay both his hands a-cross on the head of the confirmed not only in imitation of Jacob Gen. 48. but with allusion to the Death of Christ in whom we believe and from whom we receive the Holy Ghost But this is now laid aside It may seem more strange to some how our Reformers came to omit the Ceremony of anointing with Oyl used so antiently in the Latine Church and in the Greek also that it hath caused the whole Office to be called Chrism or Anointing and by that name it is called in some very antient Canons But it must be considered that this Oyl or Chrism is not of Apostolical Institution nor use in Confirmation but was added after their times in allusion to that Oyl unto which the Holy Spirit is compared for its healing and flaming qualities and I am apt to believe this anointing was first added to the office of Baptism but not used in Confirmation till afterwards which hath occasioned divers to mistake who apply many places of Antiquity where the Baptismal anointing is mentioned as if they belonged to Confirmation However this Chrismation is accompanied with much superstition in the Roman Church and hath excluded the more antient Rite of laying on of hands so that our Reformation hath restored the Primiâ—ive Ceremony and rejected the Anointing well-knowing it was not essential to this Office nor used by the Apostles so that if any shall object there is a deficiency in our Confirmation he may say there was a defect in that of the Apostles also since we do all that it is recorded they did Nor is our Church more careful to keep to the Apostolick pattern in the Ceremony than in the Person who performs this Rite appointing it only to be done by a Bishop because though Philip had libeâ—ty both to preach and to Baptize yet the Apostles only could confirm Acts 8.14 15. Chap. 18.6 and thereupon the Antient Church did ever reserve the honour of dispâ—nsing this Administration to the Bishops their Succâ—ssors as all the Fathers with one consent testifie n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · Dionys Eccl. hier cap. 5. Ad confirmationem unitatis in Ecclesiâ Christi à Pontificibus fieri solet Ambros in Heb. A solis Episcopis August quaest 44. in N.T. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · Chrysost homil in 18. Act. and though St. Ambrose mention the Presbyters in Aegypt who consign in the Bishops absence o Ambros Comment in Ephes 4. yet we may gather from St. Augustine p August Quaest 101. in Vet. Nov. Test that is meant of their Consecrating the Elements and if any where else we read of the Priests Anointing it is usually meant of the anointing in Baptism For that of Confirmation was ever thought to be the Bishops Prerogative But then as the Bishops have the sole honour so they have also the whole Charge of this Duty q Non est dignum ut inde exigis honorem unde refugis laborem Bern. Ep. 87. See the Lx. Canon of our Church and since it must be wholly undone if they perform it not the Church hath enjoined the frequent Administration thereof unto those Reverend Fathers whose peculiar priviledge of Confirming is apt to beget a greater Veneration of it in the minds of devout people and to make them expect nobler effects from that Office which none but the highest Minister of Religion can Celebrate §. 6. The Benediction Defend O Lord this thy Child or this thy Servant with thy Heavenly Grace that he may continue thine for ever c. The present Church of Rome is very Magisterial in the Words of this Rite for the Bishop saith I seal thee with the sign of the Cross and I Confirm thee with the Oyl of Salvation the Greek is something more modest saying only The Seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost Eucholog But ours is the humblest form of all being an earnest supplication to shew that the Bishop doth not pretend to give the Spirit from himself r Deus dat Spiritum Sanctum non enim humanum hoc opus neque ab homine datur sed qui invocatur à sacerdote à Deo traditur in quo Dei munus est ministerium sacerdotis Ambros but he begs it of God whose Steward he is and the instrument to convey it to us It is probable also that it was most antiently done by Prayer since St. Augustine saith Imposition of hands was a Prayer made over a person Å¿ Manûs autem impositioâ— quid est aliud nisi oratio
Eyes all things lie open If we were to pass the strictest humane Examination our thoughts would be unobserved and unpunished but we are now to pass a nearer Scrutiny for in this Ordinance our God comes into see the Guests Math. 22.12 and as the Priest in the Temple to search the very Inwards of those who are about to offer up themselves to him Secondly If we complain that our hearts are deceitful Jerem. 17.9 so that we have neither strength to root out nor skill to discover all the Corruptions that are lodged there Let us look up to him who is able to help us in cleansing this Augaean Stable for we may be assured if he see it is our unfeigned desire to be purified his Omnipotence shall not be imployed to ruine us but to destroy our Lusts and his Omniscience not to find them out to our shame but to our amendment And thus the same Attributes that did terrifie us from rude and impure approaches will incourage us again to draw near by shewing us how we may be cleansed § 4. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the Inspiration of thy holy Spirit This Petition is the Paraphrase of Davids Prayer Psal 51.6 7. Make me a clean heart c. and the moral of all those c Psal 26.6 Lavabo ut rem divinam faciam Plaut procul ite profani washings used by Jews and Gentiles before they came to the Altar And it is the more necessary for us because we are not only entring upon the most solemn part of Gods worship but also in hope that Jesus himself is coming to lodg in our hearts Wherefore being conscious that we are overspread with the Leprosie of Sin while we are yet a great way off Luke 17.12 13. We cry out unclean unclean Levit. 13.45 46. And do call upon Jesus saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make us clean Mâ—th 8.2 For unless he cleanse us before we come too near He will either abhor us and our offerings Or at least those impure thoughts like Abrahams Fowls will steal away the benefit and the Comfort of our Sacrifice and while our bodies are in the holy place d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo leg Allegor carry our minds after abominable things leaving a Carcass before the Altar And therefore that no filthy imaginations may defile us nor secular thoughts disturb us Let us pray to be inspired with that purifying Spirit Psal 51.10 11. which will not only eject but keep out all evil affections and preserve the possâ—ssion for the blessed Jesus For he that took up a pure lodging for our Lord in the Virgins Womb must also prepare his Apartment in our Souls if ever we have his Company It is not with Notions or sublime Revelations but with holy inclinations and pure affections that we desire to be inspired which are more excellent in themselves and more necessary for this Heavenly Feast § 5. That we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy holy Name throuâ—h Iesus Christ our Lord Amen It is a great affliction to a truly pious man to find that his heart retains the least affection to iniquity since he desires to love God with all his Soul and with all his strength and to worship him with all his power But whilest sin hath a party within and is a Rival to our Lord We cannot perfectly love him nor worthily praise him no not in this holy Sacrament in which we ought to profess that we love nothing more than God nay nothing equal to him and to shew forth the greatness and goodness of our Redeemer to all the World We are therefore taught to intreat so earnestly for a pure heart lest by any secret delight in wickedness our protestations of love should be adjudged feigned and our praises hypocrisie by him that sees we affect something more dearly and magnifie and esteem it more highly than we do God himself We cannot indeed love God so much as he deserves but if we love him sincerely that is accounted perfectly And although we cannot sufficiently set forth all the praise of which he is worthy e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non semper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed qualemcunque convenientiam denotat Grot. in Math. 10.11 Bene itaque Graeca versio Petlaei hoc loco 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet when we value him in our hearts above all things we are accounted to magnifie him worthily f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non magnum efficere sed magnum praedicare Deum Psal 34.3 Act. 10.46 that is suitably in some measure to his goodness Now since it is such a happiness thus to love and thus to praise God we must desire a clean heart the necessary means thereof through the merits and for the sake of Jesus Christ and then we may be assured that so excellent a thing asked for so noble an end and by so powerful and ingaging a name can never be denied to us and so this Prayer shall have its desired effect Amen The Paraphrase of the Collect for Purity § 6. O Almighty God whose power is terrible to all that approach thee with polluted Souls because thou art that Majesty unto whom the thoughts and imaginations of all hearts be open and apparent all Desires and wishes after any evil are known and evident And the God from whom no secrets in word or deed are hid or by any policy can be concealed The remembrance of our impurity makes us fear to draw near to thee till we have implored thee who alone art able to help us herein to cleanse and purge out all the thoughts of evil which are so commonly the Guests of our hearts lest they provoke thy pure Eyes to pass us by with abhorrency and deprive us of the comfort and benefit of this Communion Blessed Lord prepare thy lodging in our Souls by the inspiration of those pure thoughts and Heavenly desires which are the fruit of thy holy Spirit and the Harbingers of the King of Glory that we may as it is our unfeigned desire at all times and above all things most sincerely and perfectly love thee that thou maist have no secret lust to be thy Rival in our hearts and that we may also especially in this Sacrifice of Praise worthily magnify and agreeably set forth the glory of thy holy Name in giving so illustrious a Salvation to us through Christ Jesus for whose sake we beseech thee to hear us for he is thy Son and shall be our Lord for ever Amen SECT III. Of the Ten Commandments § 1. AS Moses by the special command of God did sanctifie the people before the first promulgation of this Law Exod. 19.14 15. So it is our care in the preceeding Collect that all may be pure which are now to hear it For Gods Law is so holy that such as have hearts defiled with the love of Sin are neither a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato Psal 19.8 9. worthy to
pro Vener tit de Feudis so that Princes as Constantine doth exprese it are Bishops without and the Ecclesiasticks within the Church They guard and direct the Externals while these Order and Administer the Internals of Religion Wherefore since God hath joined them in his Providence we must not separate them in our Prayers nor by any means omit to pray for our spiritual guides in this spirirual Sacrifice where the Antients did particularly remember all the Orders of the Church But having spoken of this before Comp. to the Temp. Sect. 17. § 2. we shall only note the comprehensiveness of the Petition here made for them which takes in the main part of their office viz. First To set forth the holy Word of God both as it is the Truth Joh 17.17 for the direction and instruction of the ignorant and as it is the lively Power of God unto Salvation p Acts 7.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hellenis pro. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grotius Deut. 32.47.70 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad Psal 19. ver 7 8. for the Conversion of those that are dead in sin which is to be done as is here intimated not only by plain and affectionate preaching but also by holy and unblamable living which doth better explain Gods will and more vigorously excite the People to observe it than the most learned Commentary or the molt eloquent Oration q Habent opera suam linguam habent suam facundiam etiam tacente linguâ Cypr. de dupl Mar. Hic est qui quale habet verbum talem habet vitam quoniam quae docet agit quae agit docet Christiani de Origene ap Euseb Ec. hist l. 5. c. 3. The second part of their Duty is rightly according to the Institution of Christ and duly as the necessities of the Church require to administer those two Sacraments which are of Divine Ordination viz. Baptism and the Lords Supper which no other Order of men can lawfully dispense so that if Ministers should neglect the Celebration of them or do it unduly it would be a great dammage and discomfort to the Church of Christ Let us therefore beg large measures of Grace for our Bishops and Pastors that their Preaching may convert us their lives invite us to imitation and their dispensing of the Sacraments may comfort and strengthen us in all goodness Let the Clergy pray heartily one for another for they understand the weight of this charge and let the people supplicate affectionately for their Ministers because the grace given to them is for their sakes and the benefit thereof finally descends upon the Congregation Especially let us all when this most holy Sacrament is to be Administred join our Petitions for those who officiate here or elsewbere that they may perform so grand a Mystery to the glory of God their own comfort and the benefit of all that partake thereof § 10. And to all thy People give thy Heavenly Grace especially to this Congregation here present that with meek hearts and due reverence they may hear ano receive thy holy Word truly serving thee in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of their life We have done well to pray for our spiritual Pastors but we must add this Petition also for the Sheep of their Pasture because the excellent gifts of Ministers do not profit unless the people also be indued with Heavenly Grace Hebrews 4.2 though all the Seed was good yet it prospered according to the condition of the ground on which it fell and where the soil was not prepared it came to no perfection though it were sowed by Jesus himself Math. 13. And sure it is a great pity that the Gifts and Graces the Time and Pains of so many learned and laborious Ministers should be all in vain and made ineffectual by the wickedness of those among whom they live which consideration makes the Priest here as Theophylact observes r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stand up as a common Father of the whole Church and pray that all Congregations of Christian People may increase in true Piety in imitation of the God he serves who takes care of all And yet he doth intercede with particular affections and regard for his own Auditory praying that they may profit by the present duties and live holily ever after But see how rarely withal the means of improving by the Word of God is couched in this request viz. to receive it with a meek and lowly heart free from pride and self-conceit Å¿ James 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ser. 1. Philosophus quaerenti quid primùm discipu is praecipere voluit Resp Fastum depâ—nere ap Arrianum and to hear it with an awful Veneration as believing it to be the word of God For he that is meek will be guided by its directions and amended by its reproofs he that is reverent will tremble at its Summons and give respect to all its Laws Let us then devoutly beg for all our Congregations these necessary Graces of humility and godly fear that so our Preaching may make them holy and pure from all sin Righteous and abounding in all good works when they hear it with reverence and obey it with meekness And that not only now for our present comfort but all the days of their life to their own endless happiness And let us think how happy it were for the Christian Church if this Petition might prevail to the total removal of that pride and irreverence stubborness and contempt which make many Ministers preach and more people hear in vain § 11. And we most humbly beseech thee of thy goodness O Lord to comfort and succour all them who in this transitory life are in trouble sorrow need sickness or any other Adversity Besides the spiritual wants for which we have craved a supply in the former Petition we know that many of our Brethren are labouring under temporal Evils in this miserable World and therefore we must remember them as St. Paul teacheth Hâ—b 13.3 as being our selves also in the body that is both by our nature and our sins liable to the same Calamities And where can we so properly commemorate the afflicted as at this Sacrament of Mercy wherein God is moved by the representation of his dear Sons sufferings to pitty all Mankind especially those who by suffering are made conformable to his Image and in which Mystery we must express more pity and Charity than our Alms can convey which is to be done by bringing in a greater Arm to their assistance for our gift may bring some present allay to the distressed but if we can obtain the divine favour for them they shall be constantly supported or speedily delivered if that be best for them At this Sacrament therefore our Church enjoins us to pray for all in misery and so do the best and most antient Liturgies t Vt infirmi convalescant Liturg. S. Jacob. Pro aegrotis pro afflictis in summâ
life-giving hand and lift us up who are bowed down and lie groveling upon the Earth under a grievous and deadly burthen We can hardly bear up under the weight of this momentany sorrow and how then are we like to endure the eternal Vengeance Thus then we must be affected when we say this Confession for let us remember that we do not confess to instruct an All-seeing God but to humble our selves And to reckon up our sins without such contrition is but a renewed provocation he that abhorred our wickedness when it was done will abhor us if we tell the story of it with an unrelenting heart Let him therefore not only hear the words of our lips but the sad groans of our penitent hearts saying a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo legis alleg l. 2. Ah me how long have I been sick of the Disease of folly Miserable wretch can I excuse or dare I deny any of this Indictment the facts are apparent the Law is plain and the sentence unavoidable I must confess I have been as unworthy and as grievous a sinner as ever the Earth bore and I am amazed at my self for I am here liable to all that God hath threatned to the greatest offenders Wo is me I have no refuge no sanctuary but in the divine mercy and thither will I fly for succour § 7. Have mercy upon us have mercy upon us most merciful Father for thy Son our Lord Iesus Christ his sake forgive us all that is past After the Confession of our sin and our hearty Contrition for it most regularly follows this supplication for Mercy We have clearly represented our miserable Estate how we lie groaning and oppressed with an intolerable load of guilt and terror and he that commands us not to see our Enemies Beast lie under his burden without relief Exod. 23.5 will never suffer our poor Souls to perish under this our grievous pressure but will pitty and help us especially because we do with so much Passion beg his Mercy with redoubled Cries Have mercy upon us have mercy c. We must not censure this as a vain repetition for it is the very words of David Psal 57.1 123.3 and doth rarely express our great necessity our earnest desire and our imminent danger b Repetitio ardorem precandi denotat clementiam divinam commovet ad opem accelerandam Muis. Gejer. in Psal 57. it is an importunity pleasing to our gracious God Mark 10.47 48. who is ready to give his mercy as soon as we are fit to receive it and when by our urgent cries we shew that we have found ouâ— want of mercy he rejoices in that opportunity to bestow it He is a most merciful Father and the fountain from whence all the pity in the World doth flow and if men who are often churlish and unnatural can scarce deny the cries or abuse the expectations of their Children Luke 11.11 12 13. how much more impossible is it for our Heavenly Father to reject so earnest and so necessary a request The Prodigal no sooneâ— pronounces the word Father Luke 15.21 but the resâ— of his speech was much of it interrupted by his Fathers embraces charmed with that endearing name which as we here use on the same occasion let us do it with like affections and it shall have the same success Mercy is the first but not the only thing we ask for we further beseech him to forgive us and this will follow thâ— other because the mercy of God is not a meer useless pity or ineffective condoling c Misericordia est animi condolentis affectiâ— cum additamento beneficii ut compatiamuâ— proximo largiamus de proprio August but it immediately brings us help for by removing our sin the cause it soon takes away our misery which was only the effect thereof we desire therefore his mercy may appear in our forgiveness and we have a powerful motive annexed not for our Righteousness d Non quia merui sed quia egeo justitia meritum quaerit misericordia miseriam Bern. but for our Lord Jesus sake whose Death is here set forth and who hath so purchased mercy as to satisfie justice e Misericordia tunc est vera misericordia si sic facta est ut justitia per eam non contemnatur Chrysos hom in Math. Wherefore we may most chearfully ask a pardon in his name even for all that is past because he hath deserved mercy for all the World if they will receive it and there are Millions of Souls now in Heaven that once lay under as great a burden as we now do who making their Confession and supplication in his name have for his merits sake been advanced to a state of glory Let us ask then also and that with all possible fervency considering how blessed we shall be when God hath crossed out all our debts and Jesus cancelled all our Obligations Oh how will this dispel all our Clouds of sorrow how chearfully shall we stand upright and praise God in the following Office when this dismal load is thus removed § 8. And grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life to the honour and glory of thy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen In the same breath that we ask for Pardon we must also Petition for Grace to amend our lives or else we affront the Holiness of God f Non est poenitens sed â—rrisor qui adhuc agit â—nde poeniteat S. Bern. while we pretend to crave his mercy He that only desires forgiveness to be quit of his present fear is an Hypocrite g Improbus quo ad metuit omnia est promissurus fimulatque timere desierit similis est futurus sui Cicero 2. Phil. and doth not hate or grieve for his iniquity but for the punishment annexed to it and when that fear ceaseth will be as bad as ever But I hope we have truly felt the weight of sin and duly apprehended the misery of having God to be our Enemy and if so we shall be as desirous to be kept from future sins as we are to be delivered from our past offences We have seen how base how foolish and how desperate a thing it is to displease the Lord let us now therefore beg it as a mighty favour that we may hereafter please him by an obedience that may last for ever and may extend to all parts of our duty so that we may be wholly changed into new Persons and live in newness of life Rom. 6.4 Proclus tells of one Eurynous who died and was buried at Nicopolis yet some days after was taken up alive h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Comm. in Plat. Rep. and afterwards did lead a much more holy life than he had done before h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Comm. in Plat. Rep. Even so should we who were dead in Law and by the sentence of our own Conscience being
sin 2 Sam. 12 13. And though David might by his Faith in the Promises have found some Comfort yet neither so sure nor so sweet a consolation as when he receives it from the mouth of a special Messenger So likewise if we would chuse to believe rather than dispute it would be a powerful Cordial to every troubled Spirit by a particular Officer from the King of Heaven to be thus saluted and he that cannot value this Absolution from the Priest can no other way receive satisfaction to his doubts and fears unless he expect to be assured of his Remission by an immediate Revelation or can be content to stay till the day of Judgment for the Resolution of this great enquiry Only let us but be careful that our Repentance be sincere and then we may with much joy hear the following Absolution which very briefly we shall now explain The Analysis of the Absolution Sect. 2. The Absolution hath three parts 1. The Original from whom it springs Almighty God our Heavenly Father 2. The ground on which it depends His promise 1. The motive to it who of his great mercy hath promised 2. The matter of it forgiveness of sins 3. The conditions annexed to it to all them that with hearty repentance and true Faith turn unto him 3. The Petitionary blessing or Absolution it self for 1. The Averting the Evil of 1. Sin Have mercy upon you 2. Punishment Pardon and deliver you from all your sins 2. The obtaining of good both 1. Present Confirm and strengthen you in all goodness 2. Future and bring you to everlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Practical Discourse of the Absolution § 3. Almighty God our Heavenly Father who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty Repentance and true Faith turn unto him The Spiritual Physician doth here proceed most regularly in the Cure of poor Sinners that labour under a burden of guilt and sorrow for he first premises such Considerations as may dispose them to believe that the following Blessing shall be ratified and the Absolution confirmed by a higher Power For first He minds them that he who is Almighty and only can forgive Mar. 2.7 is also their Heavenly Father and full of Compassion toward them yea like as a Father pittyeth his own Children even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him Psal 103.13 But of this before Secondly therefore that he is not only engaged by his affections but by his truth also to deliver them for he hath solemnly promised Isai 55.7 Ezek. 18.30 John 3.16 c. that he would freely forgive and fully be reconciled to all such as unfeignedly grieved for their sins and wholly cast themselves upon his mercy so that they cannot doubt of a pardon if they believe him to be faithful that promised d Qui credidit promittenti fidentèr promissum repetit promissum quidem ex misericordiâ sed jam ex justitiâ persolvendum Bern. de gr lib. It was indeed only his great mercy which moved him to promise this because he might most righteously have taken the first forfeiture made to his justice but now this gracious Promise is made by him that cannot lie there is a certainty of the performance He knew that as the stroke of his Vengeance was intolerable so the expectation thereof was terrible and amazing wherefore he promised forgiveness on purpose to prevent the despair of such as were willing to amend that by so great a favour he might engage them to obedience and encourage them in all the parts of duty Yet because it almost exceeds belief that ever God should receive such grievous Sinners and they that are most truly humble are most apt to Question this therefore is all this premised to prepare them with faith and hope to entertain that which follows § 4. Have mercy upon you pardon and deliver you from all your sins confirm and strengthen you in all goodness and bring you to everlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen When Jesus was to raise up Lazarus from the dead he commanded the men who stood by to remove the stone from the Grave and afterwards to unloose the Grave-Cloâ—hs even so though he only do give life to Sinners e Absolutio hominis in Dei miseratione non in hominis potestate est Ambr. in Job l. 1. c 6. yet he is pleased to use the Ministry of his Servants in the Dispensation of their Pardon f Nostrûm est onera removere illius exuere de sepulchro exutos vinculis idem de poen l. 2. cap. 7. The Prayer is made by the Priest but then it is directed to the Divine Majesty and though according to the antient manner g Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus dimittat vobis omnia peccata vestra Missal it be put into the form of a request yet being grounded on the promise and agreeable both to the nature and design of God it hath a mighty force and ascends Heaven Cum privilegio it is like the Fathers Blessing which hath always been believed to convey as well as crave the Benediction thus Isaac blessed Jacob Gen. 27.28 29. in the Imperative Mood God give thee c. Let the people c. Be thou Lord c. And thus Jacob blessed Josephs Sons Gen. 48.15 16. and the Lord accomplished all the particulars Let it therefore chear your hearts ye contrite ones to hear this Blessing from your spiritual Father for behold it contains all that you do need or can desire Are you miserable here is mercy are you sinful here is pardon are you liable to punishment here is deliverance are you desirous but unable to do good here is strength and confirmation are you fearful of Death and Hell here is Heaven and Everlasting Life And all this asked of God by one that he hath Commissionated to make this Prayer so that your only care is that your Repentance be such as your Minister believes it to be and then this Absolution shall certainly be confirmed in the High Court of Heaven and not one word thereof shall fall to the ground The Paraphrase of the Absolution § 5. Let not the multitude of your sins discourage any of you who are truly grieved for them for I am bound to speak peace to you in the name of Almighty God against whom you have offended because he is our Heavenly Father infinite in mercy and loving kindness And you may believe this the more firmly since it is he who of his great mercy and pity to poor Sinners so freely and frequently hath promised to grant forgiveness of sins and a gracious Pardon to all them that with hearty Repentance for their grievous offences and true Faith in his mercy and the merits of Jesus do turn unto him to seek remission and obtain his favour I his Substitute believing you to be such do according to mine office beseech and require
as many as had sinned even for all the World for all saith St. Chrysostom are many When therefore we see this so plainly represented in the pouring forth of the Holy Chalice let us not only shew a high estimation of that most meritorious Blood which saves so many Souls effectually and hath virtue enough to redeem all the World but also actuate our devotion in some pertinent Soliloquies after this or the like form Methinks O my dear Redeemer while thou art pouring forth thy most precious blood thou lookest on me with a Countenance mixed of pity and upbraiding that I should take so little care to save this Soul which thou hast bought at such a rate Do I not behold those drops and streams to trickle down that have sealed the Covenant of Peace and confirmed all the Promises of the Gospel why then am I not swallowed up with admiration why do I not breath and pant after it I came not to quench my bodily thirst but to wash my Soul in this salutary Fountain oh how freely it flows how perfectly it cures Lord let me tast thereof Make it unto me the blood of Jesus for it is that my Soul thirsteth after And now that thy powerful word hath hallowed it let me not by evil thoughts or unbelief malice or impenitence make it to my self an unhallowed thing but as thou hast fitted it for the mystery oh fit me also to receive it I cannot now have any more low or common thoughts about it I will by Faith esteem it as my Saviours blood and though I am unworthy of so divine a Cordial yet my Soul gaspeth for it and without it alas I must die and perish § 13. Do this as oft as ye shall drink it in remembrance of me Amen We have here again a renewed injunction to Do this and if we have any sense of our Redeemers love or any care of our own Souls we shall not need to be pressed to it but shall desire to Do it often and yet always to Do it well not Drinking it as common Wine but as the memorial of his blood-shedding in remembrance of him and his inestimable kindness but of this we have spoken before § 10. Only we must note that this Amen in the end of this Prayer was antiently spoken z 1 Cor. 14.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atque ubi Praeses orationes gratiarum actiones absolvit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Ap. 2. by the people with a loud voice not only to shew their joining in the desire that the Elements may become truly Consecrated but also to declare their firm belief that they are now to be esteemed as the very Body and Blood of Christ Let us therefore here most devoutly seal all that the Priest hath done and unfeignedly testifie our Faith by a hearty Amen Lord it is done as thou hast commanded and I doubt not but the mystery is rightly accomplished I am perswaded that here is that which my Soul longeth after a Crucifyed Saviour communicating himself to poor penitent Sinners Oh let me be reckoned among that number and then I shall assuredly receive thee holy Jesus Amen The Paraphrase of the Prayer of Consecration § 14. O Almighty God infinite in Power and wonderful in thy goodness Thou art our Heavenly Father who to save us from Eternal Misery of thy tender mercy and free Compassion didst give thy only and well-beloved Son Iesus Christ not only to be born in our nature but also to suffer a most grievous and bitter death upon the Cross that his life might be for our Redemption from everlasting Torments to which we were forfeited We believe and confess it was this thy Son who made there on the Cross by his own voluntary oblation of himsel◠to that accursed Death though he was but once offered in this manner a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and satisfaction to thy offended Justice not only for the sins of some times or some Persons but for the sins of all men that are were or shall be throughout the whole World so that there is none but might upon their Faith and Repentance be forgiven by the vertue thereof And because there needs no other Sacrifice for sin now therefore our Lord Jesus appointed and did institute this holy Sacrament to represent it And in his holy Gospel he doth accordingly plainly command us to observe this Rite thereby to continue a perpetual and lively memory of that his most meritorious and most precious Death So that his love may be fresh in our hearts until his coming again to judgment in the end of the World In obedience to this command we are now about to make this memorial of his Passion and that we may do it effectually Hear us O most merciful Father Consider our need of this Heavenly food We most humbly beseech thee in whose power it is alone to feed our Souls And grant that we receiving with a true repentance and lively Faith these thy Creatures of Bread and Wine which thou hast chosen to express this mystery and partaking of them according to thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christs gracious intention and most holy Institution namely in remembrance of his bitter Death and bloody Passion Let them Communicate him unto us that we by them may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood and of all the benefits of his Incarnation and his sufferings But it is not in us to make these Creatures to be a Sacrament wherefore we will do as our Lord did and say as he said And be thou pleased to grant that the Words of Jesus pronounced by thy Servant may have the same effect upon these Elements which they had when spoken with his blessed mouth Who in the same night that he was betrayed to his Crucifyers as one of the last tokens of his love Took Bread the staff of life as we now take this into our hands to resemble his taking our nature and when he had begged thy blessing as we do also thereon and given thanks shewing how chearfully he suffered for us He brake it as we this Bread into many pieces an Emblem of his broken and wounded Body and gave it to his Disciples to whom he designed the benefits of his Passion Saying Take this pledge of your Redemption most thankfully and by Faith Eat that you may be nourished by my Love for This is the Communion of my Body and shall make you partakers of it as it is a Sacrifice which is given to God to satisfie for you Provided you Do this in a most thankful remembrance of me and my all-sufficient Oblation Likewise also after the Paschal Supper that he might give himself wholly to us He took the Cup of Wine which maketh glad the heart of Man even as we take this And when he had begged thy blessing on it as we now do and also given thanks that his blood was accepted for the life of the World He
as much as the time will give us leave because to look about us or to unbend our thoughts while the Celebration is in hand is a sign of a carnal heart and a base spirit that is weary of conversing with God it is an affront to the blood of Christ it exposeth us to Satans malice and prepares us for evil suggestions which unguarded Souls fall into sooner here than elsewhere and to conclude it will make our Lord abhor us the Spirit forsake us and turn the Cup of Blessing into poison and a Curse Wherefore be very watchful that no evil or impertinent cogitation do divert you till the Post-Communion doth begin and then you must have no other imployment but to join with the Minister in that part of this holy Office also PARTITION IV. Of the Post-Communion SECT I. Of the Post-Communion in general and in particular of the Lords-Prayer § 1. IT is a rudeness in manners to depart from the House of our Friend as soon as the Tables are removed and an Act of Irreligion to rise from our common meals a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porphyr de Essenis de abst lib. 4. Sect. 12. Gratias agere debent cum hymno à mensâ devenire Chrysos hom 83. in Math. without Prayer Thanksgiving How much more absurd and impious then were it for us to depart so abruptly from the Lords Table Our Church hath therefore here provided this concluding Banquet of Prayers and Praises imitating our Saviours Pattern who concluded his last Supper with that excellent Prayer John 17. as well as with that Hymn Math. 26.30 which is supposed to have been the Paschal Hallelujah and all Churches do finish this Heavenly Feast in like manner as the following particulars will demonstrate It is our part therefore to take care that the vigour of our devotion do not remit for we ought to perform these duties also with the same affections It is the first Testimony which we give of that Piety that we have vowed and if well done will be like the digestion and turning this Heavenly food into spiritual nourishment We do not eat our common meat only to please our palate but to support and strengthen our nature and to make us more fit for our imployment in like manner we do not partake of the Blessed Eucharist to put us into holy raptures at present only but to strengthen our Souls and put them into better frame for all Duties which we owe to Almighty God so that now we must give the first experiment of our having worthily received § 2. The Lords Prayer is placed in the first entrance upon this part of the Office both in imitation of Antiquity b Docuit Apostolos ut quotidiè in Corporis illius sacrificio credentes audeant loqui Pater noster Hieron in Pelag l. 3. Vid. Aug. ep 59. Greg l. 7. ep 63. and because it cannot any where be used more properly For having now been made partakers of Jesus and his Spirit it is fit the first words which we speak should be his as if not we but he lived and spake in us and surely these divine words can never be more effectual than when we have the blessed Author of them so fresh in our memories and have so lately set forth his most meritorious Death We have in this Sacrament received him and we know that unto as many as receives him he gives them power to become the Sons of God so that we may all with one heart and voice now say most chearfully Our Father and apply every Petition to the present occasion in this or the like manner The Paraphrase of the Lords-Prayer O Lord who hast now sealed our Adoption and made us Members of Christ we make bold to call thee Our Father and do lift up our hearts to thee which art in Heaven to bless thee for this mighty favour wishing that Hallowed and for ever blessed may be thy Name throughout all the World Thou hast made us thy servants now by grace therefore O let thy Kingdom of glory Come as soon as thou pleasest In the mean time since we have been fed with Angels food we pray that thy Will may be done by us thy servants in Earth as readily and as constantly as it is ever done by those blessed Spirits in Heaven We cannot distrust thy Providence for Earthly things since thou hast given us thy own Son and fed us with his Body and Blood wherefore we will only beseech thee to Give us this day so much as is necessary for our subsistence even our daily Bread to enable us to serve thee And â—orgive us by the merits of that prevailing Sacrifice now commemorated all our trespasses by which we have deserved that wrath which Jesus hath endured Lord pardon us therefore as we by thy Example in this Feast of love do freely forgive them that have done any trespass against us And do thou not only remit what is past but lest we lose our comfort and break our Vows O Lead us not neither suffer us to fall into temptation which we expect with more violence now that we have renounced the bondage of Satan But we trust in thee O Lord and call upon thee to deliver us from all Evâ—l temporal spiritual and Eternal * Note that the Doxology is here used because this part of the office is Eucharistical For thine is the Kingdom over all especially over us who have now sworn Allegiance unto thee Thou only hast the might and the Power to secure us And therefore to thee shall all the Praise and the Glory be given by Men and Angels for ever and ever O do thou therefore to these our requests say Amen that we may also join in thy Praises So be it SECT II. Of the first Prayer in the Post-Communion § 1. THat the Eucharist was always concluded with a Hymn is observed by all but we affirm there were Prayers also made after it as appears by that Prayer of our Saviour John 17. and also from the Custom of the Jews who finished the Paschal Solemnity with Prayers as well as Hymns a Hoc ita gesto pater familias precationes mensarias ad finem precari pergit Buxt Synag Cap. de Pasch 13. And for the Christians St. Cyril warns them b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cyril Mystag cat 5. not to depart till the last Prayer be done Besides the joint consent of all the antient Liturgies shew that all Churches had such Prayers As for this form the principal clause thereof of offering up our Bodies and Souls is taken from St. Paul Rom. 12.1 and it is a main end of this Sacrament though the Roman Mass is wholly silent in it the rest of this Prayer although the words be modern in sense agrees with many of the antient forms and is so well contrived as it may not only serve to exercise our devotion at present but teach how to demean our selves
may fitly be used when we fear or feel any Temptation to Sin as the other when we apprehended any danger For so long as our hearts and bodies are kept in the ways of Righteousness we may be assured of universal and continual safety The Paraphrase of the Second Prayer O Almighty Lord Eternal and Everlasting God whose Power is infinite and always the same Remember the frailty of us thy finite Creatures and vouchsafe we beseech thee to keep us wholly and throughout h 1 Thessal 5.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl Direct by thy Wisdom sanctifie by thy grace and govern by thy Providence both the affections of our hearts where sin is wont to begin i Spiritus enim dominatur caro famulatur Tertul. de Bapt. and the members of our Bodies by which it is too often accomplished Keeping them both in the right and pleasant ways of thy Laws assisting them in the duties and in the holy and good works of thy Commandments Let us never stray from thy sure paths so that through thy most mighty Protection which is always over those that are exercised in well-doing Both here in this present life and ever hereafter We may be preserved from all sin and danger and kept safe both in Body and Soul until we come to thy Kingdom Which we beg through his merits who is our Lord to govern us and our Saviour to deliver us even for Iesus Christ his sake Amen III. A Prayer for a Blessing upon the Word of God § 4. This short Collect is of excellent use after the Sermon or Lessons in publick as also when the Scripture hath been read in private And because it is not the hearing of Gods word with our Ears but the engrafting it in our hearts James 1.21 which makes it powerful to our Salvation we ought always after it to pray as here 1. That it may take root in our hearts 2. That it may spring forth in our lives The Paraphrase of the third Prayer O Lord we have brought forth little fruit of all the excellent things which we have hitherto heard Grant we beseech thee therefore O Almighty God who only givest increase to this spiritual Seed k 1 Corinth 3.6 Cathedram in coelo habet qui corda docet Aug. in Ep. Johan That the words which we have heard this day Preached or read out of holy Scripture with our outward Ears which are so apt to let good things slip l Nec retinent patulae commissa fidelitèr aures Pauci illam quam conceperunt mentem domum perferre potuerunt Sen. ep 108. even that they may through the working of thy Grace which quickens all things be so grafted and planted m James 1.23 Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syriac plantatum benè nam Verbum Dei saepe confertur semini Math. 13. c. inwardly in our very hearts and affections that they may never be forgotten but take root there and bring forth in us so plentifully that our whole Conversation may abound in the fruit n Coloss 1.6 James 1.22 of good works Which blessed effect of thy Word we pray for because it will not only tend to our benefit but to the spreading of the Honour and setting forth the Praise of thy Name who hast so happily reformed our ways Do thou therefore thus teach us through the merits and for the sake of Iesus Christ our Lord be it so Amen IV. A Prayer for Success in all our actions § 5. If we acknowledge Gods Providence we must undertake nothing till we have first asked his Counsel to direct us o Ita Scipio referente Plutar. Et ap Platon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Timae and as we go on we must call for his assistance to further us and when we have done we must wait for his blessing to Crown all with success All which we are taught to do in this compendious and pious form which is never unseasonable but very fit to be used especially in the Morning before we begin our work The Paraphrase of the fourth Prayer O God our ways are not in our own Power p Jer. 10.23 wherefore we commit them to thee who art able to bring them to pass q Psal 37.5 And be thou pleased to Prevent r Prevent vex media Psal 88.13 in malo sensu Psal 18.18 in bono 21.3 Psal 59.10 Bonitas tua O Deus meus antevertat Vulg. praeveniet me Vatabl. Psal 79.10 Vulg. Antevertat nos Misericordia tua Vide item Hammond Psal 21. ver 3. Annot. b. us O Lord before we expect it in the beginning of all our doings and come early to meet us before hand with thy most gracious savour so that we may begin things pleasing and then as we go on further us all the way with thy continual help And leave us not till we have accomplished them by thy prospering our endeavours Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demosthen Olynth 2. So that in the performance of all our works since they are Begun by thee and thy direction continued through thee and thy assistance and ended t Hinc omne principium huc refer exitum Horat. Carm. l. 3. Od. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in thee and with thy blessing We may have continual cause to glorifie and speak good of thy holy Name when we find how we prosper by trusting in thee And finally having advanced thy Glory in this short life let us though unworthy and without any merit in our selves yet by thy mercy obtain that everlasting life where we may praise thee for ever through Iesus Christ our Lord for whose sake we beseech thee to hear us Amen V. A Prayer to supply the defects of our other Devotions § 6. When St. Paul had asked all he could for his Ephesians he commits them to him that was able to do more for them than he could ask or think u Ephes 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl And from thence we have taken this suppletory Prayer being very proper for the beginning or ending of publick or private Supplications because it sets before us 1. The incomparable Wisdom of God 2. Our own Imperfections And thence deduceth 1. A general Petition for Compassion as to all the defects of our Prayers 2. A particular request for the adding of that which we omitted The Paraphrase of the fifth Prayer x Note this Prayer is very proper to be said to our selves when we kneel down at our first coming into the Church to Prayers O Almighty God the Original of all Power and the fountain of all Wâ—sâ—om y Proverbs 2.6 We make not our Prayers to instruct thee z Math. 6.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl who knowest our necessities and all our wants before we ask of thee to supply them And who discernest our Ignorance and folly in asking hurtful things because we do not well know what is good for ourselves
for it as to intitle it to all the Blessings of the Covenant and it is an excellent Charity of the Church to lend them hands to receive such a mercy without which they must remain under the power of Death There are other Reasons also given of the Institution of Godfathers and Godmothers viz. 1. For the security of the Church that the Children shall not Apostatize hence they are called Sureties 2. That every Christian may have a Monitor who was present and concerned in his Vow hence they are called Witnesses 3. That the New-birth may be better represented by new and spiritual Relations whence they are termed Godfathers and Godmothers For God and Nature have sufficiently obliged the natural Parents already yet for the greater care of the baptized's Salvation the Church hath added two or three more that if some neglect their Duty the others may supply their defects Now to these Sureties is this plain admonition directed as an introduction to the Covenant into which they are about to enter And first it looks back and briefly remembers them what hath been done already 1. They have presented the Child and in the two first Collects begged that God will accept it Pardon it Sanctifie it and make it an Heir of his Kingdom 2. On Gods part they have heard from the mouth of Jesus that this Child is capable to receive and he is willing to give all these blessings as well unto it as to those of riper Years provided the Child be engaged to perform those conditions without which God will not grant these blessings to old nor young Secondly Therefore this Exhortation looks forwards and as briefly tells them what it is which the Lord expects from them viz. To become Sureties in the name of this Child and to promise to him in its behalf First Repentance Secondly Faith Thirdly Obedience Let them therefore stand forth with seriousness and sobriety remembring they are bound to all these things already for themselves Yet now God is pleased to accept them as Bondsmen for a poor helpless Soul in whose stead they stand and Covenant for it to save it from Hell and to procure it a right to glory the particulars of which stipulation do next follow §. 8. The Interrogatories and Answers I demand therefore Dost thou in the name of this Child renounce the Devil c. Almighty God hath promised Eternal Life but it is upon certain Conditions viz. of Faith Repentance and Obedience and since the Master requires these the Servant cannot dispense with them it were vain in the Minister to offer and impudent in any Person to expect Salvation upon other terms m Avidus ad mercedem piger ad laborem quâ fronte speras quod promisit Deus qui non facis quod jussit Deus August de Sanct. 4. As God promiseth on his part we must engage on ours and he is willing to deal with us after the manner of men amongst whom n In omnibus pactis stipulatio subjici debet ut ex stipulatione actio nasci possit Paulus jurisc 2. sent 22. Sect. ult all contracts are made by mutual promises Wherefore he hath placed the Priest in his stead to take security that this Infant shall observe the conditions of the Covenant and because it cannot Answer for it self the Church hath lent unto it the tongue of its Surety to promise for it o Accommodat illis mater Ecclesia aliorum pedes ut veniant aliorum cor ut credant aliorum linguam ut stipulent Aug. in Act. 2. Since for want of Age Children saith S. Augustine p Aug. de bapt in Donatist cap. 24. cannot believe with the heart to righteousness nor confess with the mouth unto Salvation therefore others answer for them that the Sacrament may be Administred compleatly to them and this sufficeth for their Consecration because they cannot Answer Where we may Observe that this Baptismal Covenant was always made by Question and Answer which is taken notice of by all the Antients and seems to have been the method in the Apostles days because St. Peter calls Baptism the Answer or as the word rather signifies q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulg. Conscientiae bonae interregatio Beza stipulatio The asking of or concerning a good Conscience 1 Peter 3.21 for there was always Queries put to the party Baptized which adult Persons did Answer themselves and Children by their Representatives who are here to Answer in the first Person as the Advocate doth speak in the Person of his Client I renounce c. because the contract is made properly with the Child And since this is so solemn a Covenant these Sureties must speak with a plain and audible Voice r Praeterea inutilis est stipulatio si quis ad ea quae interrogatus fuit non Respondeat Justin instit l. 3. Tit. 20. Sect. 5. to the several Queries which we will now consider in Order being four in all The first Concerning Repentance and forsaking of Evil. The second and third concerning Faith and believing of the Truth The fourth Concerning Obedience and the doing of that which is good Query 1. When we enter into League with God and become his Confederates we must have the same Friends and Enemies especially because the same which are Enemies to him are also Enemies to our Salvation Nor can we be listed under Christ unless we engage to fight against the World the Flesh and the Devil ſ Neque enim potest esse quis Domini nisi prius renuntiaverit mundo Ambros Luc. 20. Vide Rom. 6.18.22 And First because Satan is the chief Agent in opposing our Salvation and all his Works tend to subvert us we must Renounce him and all his Works and vow that we will never serve under him nor do his Commands nor entertain his suggestions Now this renuntiation was done in the Primitive times with great Solemnity by such as were of Age and had been Converted from the actual service of the Devil and Idolatry These did turn toward the West and three times repeat I renounce c. and then spitting as it were in defiance of their old Master they were signed with the Cross and marked for Christs Souldiers and finally Consecrated with many holy Prayers called Exorcisms to secure them in the possession of Jesus as may be seen in the Antient Doctors t Cyril Cateches 1. Ambros de initiand c. 2. Hieronym in Amos 6. Dionys Eccles Hierar c. 2. But now since we commonly Baptize Children many of these Ceremonies are omitted and yet the substance is retained still because Children are by nature slaves of Satan and though as yet they have not been actually in his service yet they will be apt to be drawn into it by the pomps of this alluring World and the Lusts of their Flesh so that it is necessary to secure them for God betimes and engage them to take all these for their Enemies viz. 1. The Devil
Fathers or our Brethren SECT III. The Close and Consequents after Baptism §. 1. The Exhortation to the Congregation SEeing now Dearly Beloved Brethren that this Child is regenerate c. We must not presently turn our backs upon God so soon as the Holy Rite is finished but compleat the Solemnity by Thanksgiving and Prayer and that we may do both not only with the Spirit but with Understanding the Minister doth here teach us what must be the Subjects of our Praises and Petitions 1. Our Praises must look back upon the Grace already shewed and the benefits which are already given to this Infant which are principally two 1. Internally it is regenerated 2. Externally it is grafted into Christs Church for which we must give hearty thanks to Almighty God To which we must add 2. Our Prayers which must look forward upon the grace which will be needful to enable it to live answerable to this Estate into which it is admitted and this we must beg of Almighty God also or else the former blessings will be altogether in vain Now all this is so plain that no more would need to be added but only that some with Nicodemus are apt to say How can these things be John 3.9 judging it impossible that so great a matter as regeneration can be effected so soon and by so mean an instrument b Simplicitas sacramenti quibusdam derogat effectûs fidem cum sumptu plurimo pompis idolorum arcana sibi authoritatem conciliant Tertul. de Bapt. as they account it whereas the effect is to be ascribed to the Divine Power of the Author not to the intrinsick efficacy of the outward means Yet in regard we can never bless God heartily for a mercy unless we believe he hath bestowed it we must labour to remove these scruples by a fuller Account of this Baptismal Regeneration that we may not withhold the divine praises by our doubting and unbelief The word Regeneration is but twice that I know of used in Scripture first Math. 19.28 Ye that have followed me in the Regeneration where though by altering the point followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of man c. it may signifie in the Resurrection yet as we read it signifies the renewing of men by the Gospel and Baptism Secondly Titus 3.5 he saved us by the Laver of Regeneration b Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per Lavacrum Regenerationis Vulg. Syr. Vatab. Beza and renewing of the Holy Ghost which is a Paraphrase upon that of our Saviour John 3. Except a man be born of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God ver 5. And because Persons come to Age before their Conversion are first taught and perswaded by the Word of God the Language of Holy Writ enlarges the Metaphor and saith such are Begotten by the Word of God 1 Cor. 4.15 and then Born again or Regenerated in Baptism In like manner speak the Fathers who do constantly and unanimously affirm that we are Regenerated in or by Baptism c In novam vitam lavacro aquae salutaris animatus Cyprian de seipso ep 2. ad Donat. Regeneratione coelesti Christo consurreximus lib. de zel livor Lavacrum inde Dionysius vocat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Ambr. de Sacram. l. 3. c. 1. So that we must next enquire wherein this Regeneration doth consist And first whereas both Children and those of riper years are by nature dead in Sin so that they lie under the guilt and power thereof our gracious Father doth here in Baptism Seal a Covenant with us wherein he promiseth to pardon them and when this deadly load is removed the Soul receives as it were a new life and takes new hopes and Courage being restored to the divine favour and being set free from the sad expectations of unavoidable condemnation for former sin Original in Infants and both it and Actual in those of riper years Before this Covenant we were dead in Law and by the Pardon of our Sins we are begotten again to a lively hope and herein stands the first particular of our Regeneration viz. in the Remission of Sins wherefore both Scripture and Antiquity d Luke 3.3 Acts 2.38 Chap. 22 16. Omnem autem enormitatem sceleris baptismi sacramenta diluunt teach us that Baptism is the means for Remission of Sin and hence they join Pardon and Regeneration commonly together e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Catech 2. because this forgiveness puts us into a new Estate and an excellent condition in comparison of that which our natural Birth had left us in 2. But further by Baptism we gain new Relations and old things being done away all things become new Hence the Jews called their Proselytes New-born Children because they forsook all their Heathen Kindred so we although we do not renounce our Earthly Parents because they also are Christian yet we gain new Alliances for God hereby doth become our Father and Jesus our Master and all the Saints both in Heaven and Earth our Brethren so that it is as if we were born over again since Baptism doth intitle us to this Coelestial Kindred But this is not all For Thirdly Our corrupt nature is changed in Baptism and there is a renovation effected thereby both as to the mortification of the old affections and the quickning of the new by the Holy Spirit which is hereby given to all that put no bar or impediment unto it This was the Antient Doctrine who affirmed a real Change to be wrought f Da injustum insipientem peccatorem continuò aequus prudens innocens erit uno enim lavacro malitia omni◠abolebitur Lact. Inst 3. 26. Vndae genitalis auxilio superioris aevi labe detersâ in expiatum pectus purum desuper lumen infudit Cypr. de seipso 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril catech 3. and believed the Spirit to be therein bestowed as God had promised Ezek. 36.25 26. That he would sprinkle clean Water upon them and they should be clean from all their filthiness and then a new heart would he give them and put a new Spirit within them And it is manifest that in the first Ages of the Church there was abundance of gifts and graces miraculously bestowed upon Christians in their Baptism and no doubt if the Catechumens of our days who are of Age would prepare themselves as strictly by Repentance Fasting and Prayer as they of old did they should find incomparable effects of this sacred Laver if not in as miraculous measures yet to as real purposes that is they should be truly regenerated and their hearts changed by the influence of the Divine Spirit But some may doubt whether Infants be regenerate in this sense because they are not capable of giving any Evidences of their receiving the Spirit nor doth there any immediate effects of their Regeneration appear hence the