Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
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A62456
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Just weights and measures that is, the present state of religion weighed in the balance, and measured by the standard of the sanctuary / according to the opinion of Herbert Thorndike.
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Thorndike, Herbert, 1598-1672.
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1662
(1662)
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Wing T1051; ESTC R19715
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213,517
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274
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Celebration of the Eucharist is so general and so antient that it cannot bee thought to have come in upon imposture but that the same aspersion will seem to take hold of the Common Christianity But to what effect this Intercession was made that is indeed The antient Church never Prayed to remove them out of Purgatory the due point of difference For they who think that the antient Church prayed and do themselves pray for the removing of them from a place of Purgatory pains into perfect happiness by the clear sight of God offend against the Antient Church as well as against the Scripture both ways For Justine Martyr makes it a part of the Gnosticks Haeresie that the soul without the body is in perfect happiness They indeed held it because they denyed the Resurrection But the Church therefore believing the Resurrection believes no perfect happiness of the Soul before it And the great consent of the Antient Church in this point is acknowledged by divers learned Writers in the Church of Rome Neither is the consent of it less evident in this That there is no translating of Souls into a new estate before the great Tryal of the general Judgement In the mean time then what hinders them to receive comfort To what purpose they were remembred at the Eucharist and refreshment rest and peace and light by the visitation of God by the consolation of his Spirit by his good Angels to sustain them in the expectation of their tryal and the anxieties they are to pass through during the time of it And though there bee hope for those that are most sollicitous to live and dye good Christians that they are in no such suspense but within the bounds of the heavenly Jerusalem yet because their Condition is uncertain and where there is hope of the better there is fear of the worse therefore the Church hath always assisted them with the prayers of the living both for their speedy tryal which all blessed souls desire and for their easie absolution and discharge with glory before God together with the accomplishment of their happiness in the receiving of their bodies Now all Members of the Church Triumphant in Heaven The Saints departed pray for the Militant Church according to the degree of their favour with God abound also with love to his Church Militant on earth And though they know not the necessities of particular persons without particular Revelation from God yet they know there are such necessities so long as the Church is Militant on earth Therefore it is certain both that they offer continual prayers to God for those necessities and that their prayers must needs bee of great force and effect with God for the assistance of the Church Militant in this warfare Which if it bee true the Communion of Saints will necessarily require that all who remain sollicitous of their tryal bee assisted by the prayers of the living for present comfort and future rest That the living beg of God a part and Interest in the benefit of those Prayers which they who are so neer to God in his Kingdom tender him without ceasing for the Church upon earth As for prayers for the translating of Souls out of Purgatory the beginning of their coming into the Church is visible And so is the coming in of those prayers which call upon the Of Prayers to the Saints departed Saints departed by name in any publique Office of Devotion in the Church The voluntary devotions of private persons most of them ignorant and carnal are no Argument of the Original and general practice of the Church And there is no mark of these invocations till Processions were frequented with Litanies which consisted most an end of them and could not bee in use before the time of Constantine but were not in use till a good while after it The abuse hath encreased so far especially in addresses to the blessed Virgin that the same things are desired of them and in the same terms in which they are desired of God even in the holy Scripture That the appearance of Devotion to the Mother is visibly and outwardly no less then to the Son So that were there not a profession of that Church extant contradicting the proper sense of such prayers and forcing them that address them unless they will contradict themselves to abate their own meaning and to expound them to signifie no more then obtaining that of God which they are desired to grant of themselves they could not bee excused of Idolatry But can by no means be excused for leading simple Christians upon a Praecipice of such horrible danger by encouraging both them and those that teach them such devotions For did not carnal Superstition hope for temporal blessings from such voluntary applications wiâ—hout that promise of God which the condition of our Christianity engageth how should a Christian bee induced to go about by a Saint that hath immediate access to God to the same effect That which hath been said of the Primitive Liturgy barreth No Common Prayer in the Pulpit by Gift but in a set form at the Communion Table the pretense of this time requiring the Liturgy setled by Law of this Kingdom to bee changed upon a ground never heard of in the Church for 1600 years That every Minister whether meaning Bishop Priest and Deacon or Priest only is to have a gift in praying and that his people ought to pray that which his gift furnisheth and not that which the Church prescribeth And to the end that such gifts may be used that no Minister be tied to celebrate the Eucharist above thrice a year and that in case hee have convenient company But that they whose age and infirmity enables them not to preach and pray thus in the Pulpit reading the Service over and above bee not tied to minister the Service prescribed Now would I have those that demand this to shew me that ever the prayers for which the Church meeteth were made in the Pulpit for 1500 years after Christ I know I have alleged a prayer of St. Ambrose before his Sermon I know there is a passage of St. Augustine alleged to the same purpose But neither of them signifies any more then a prayer to God to bless them in their preaching The Common Prayers of the Church are another thing even that which I have said The common prayers of the Church on all ordinary and solemn Assemblies were made at the Altar because the Eucharist was held always and ought to bee held always the principal Office of Gods service for which Christians ought to assemble more frequently then there can bee either ability or opportunity for preaching And that which I have said of the Primitive Liturgy is full evidence hereof For I have shewed a set form of it which these men return a non inventus of to his Majesties Commission but that ever there was any Prayer of the people used in the Pulpit will
they who should receive them worthily might bee filled with his Grace The common prayers of the Church that is of those who were admitted to Communion with the Church were always made at the Altar or Communion-Table in the action of the Sacrament Reason good How can Christians think their prayers so effectual with God as when they are presented at the Commemoration of the Sacrifice of Christ crucified the Representation whereof to God in heaven makes his Intercession there so acceptable Especially by those who maintain the Covenant of their Christianity contracted at their Baptisme by communicating in the Eucharist Here then that is at the celebrating of the Eucharist prayers The prayer of Oblation instituted by St. Paul and the â—ater of it supplications and intercessions were made for all estates in the Church and for their respective necessities For the averting of all Gods Judgements for the obtaining of all his blessings For publique Powers and their Ministers for the Governors and Ministers of the Church high and low for publique Peace and prosperity for the Seasons and Fruits of the Year for the Sick and Distressed for the helps of Gods Grace in all parts of that Christianity which wee profess passing by daily offenseâ— for particular occasions of interceding with God which each particular Congregation may have And there bee good and sufficient witnesses the Author of the Commentary upon St. Paul to Timothy under St. Ambrose his name the Author de Vocatione Gâ—ntium St. Augustine and Pope Caelestine in his Epistle ad Gallos that this was the practice of the whole Church and that in obedience to St. Pauls instructions to Timothy 1 Tim. II. 1-6 And this confirmes my opinion that St. Paul ordering prayers supplications intercessions and thanksgiâ—ings for Kings and all in authority means that prayers supplications and intercessions bee made for Kings and the rest at Thanksgiving that is when the Eucharist is celebrated For that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sense of antient Christians signifies the celebrating of the Eucharist I have produced plentiful evidence However the antient Chuch manifestly signifieth that they did offer their Oblations out of which the Eucharist was consecrated with an intent to intercede with God for publique or private necessities And that out of an opinion that they would bee effectual alleging the Sacrifice of Christ crucified then present which renders Christs intercession effectual for us And this is the true ground why they attributed so much to this Commemoration of the Sacrifice which makes nothing for the effect of it in private Masses but more then will bee valued for the frequenting of the Holy Eucharist The Consecration ended always with the Lords Prayer The Lords Prayer at theâ— Eucharist Which confirms my opinion that St. Paul when he saith How shall the unlearned say Amen to thy thanksgiving 1 Cor. XIV 16. means that Amen which came after the Lords Prayer taking Thanksgiving there for celebrating the Eucharist For there is nothing so generally evident in Antiquity as the beginning of the Consecration at Sursum corda or lift up your hearts And the ending of it with the Lords Prayer and the Doxology which in my opinion being so frequented upon this occasion by the licentiousness of Copyists in time came to bee crouded into the Text of the Scripture For it is manifest enough that the most considerable Copies do not own it But the Common Prayers for all estates as it seems sometimes The Place for the Common Prayers went before the Consecration sometimes came after it For I am to seek for evidence in the Records of the Latine Church importing that they came after the Consecration And yet I have made it evident that they were used of old by the Latine Church at celebrating of the Eucharist though now not found in the present Latine Mass And the Liturgy of the Church of Alexandria and the Aethiopick depending upon that Church have them before the Consecration But the best and most Greekish Forms and Authorities agreeing therewith make them come after it CHAP. XVI Difference in the state of Souls departed in Grace before Judgement The antient Church never prayed to remove them out of Purgatory To what purpose they were remembred at the Eucharist The Saints departed pray for the Militant Church Of Prayers to the Saints departed No Common Prayer in the Pulpit by Gift but in a set form at the Communion-Table Apostolical Graces subject to Order Of the Graces of the Spirit in St. Paul and the Original of Letanies The Prayers of the Eucharist how prescribed by the Apostles Prayers of the Reformed Churches in the Pulpit but by a form The effect of the Long Parliament Prayers by the Spirit ONe point of these prayers I must speak to here in particular Difference in the state of Souls departed in Grace before Judgment To wit the Commemoration of the dead for which the Mass is now pretended by the Church of Rome a Sacrifice for quick and dead to what effect the Scripture expounded by the practice of the whole Church may bee thought to allow it I have shewed out of the Revelation that the souls of Mâ—rtyrs appearing before the Throne of God in the Court of the Tabâ—rnacle to wit in the Jerusalem which is above The Throne appears to St. John indeed but is to bee understood in the Holy of Holies and therefore is not seen in the Couâ—t of the Tabernacle But those 144000 that were sealed and preserved from the destruction of Jerusalem appear not in the Court of the Tabernacle but on Mount Sion a place of inferior holiness And sing not the Martyrs song but are only able to learn it which no body else could do Sufficient Arguments of difference in the State of blessed souls though all beneath that which the Resurrection promiseth which all of them earnestly desire Suppose the place bee the third Heavens suppose that it is called Paradise because of necessity it answers the Figure of the earthly Paradise suppose that in respect of the Saints that dyed under the Law it is called Abrahams bosome There may bee inferior Mansions in the mean time before the Rusurrection for souls of inferior holiness though they depart in the State of Grace For how oft do the Apostles signifie a sollicitous expectation of the Day of Judgement in those whom they suppose to dye Christians A thing which can by no means stand with the estate of those that are before the Throne of God praising him day and night in the Court of the Tabernacle And therefore St. Ambrose and St. Augustine had great reason to follow the fourth Book of Esdras written without doubt by a very antient Christian though not authorized by the Church placing the generality of souls departed in the state of Grace in certain secret receptacles signifying no more then the unknown Condition of their estate For the practice of the Church in interceding for them at the