Christian sort and by a disuse of any other to incapacitate our own and our admirers devotions for the other and make both our selves and them uncharitably censorious of all Forms of Prayer and those who use them that is of the whole Catholick Church except a new and inconsiderable party CHAP. XI The Contents The Proposition That there is nothing in the Liturgy prescribed by the Church of England to which her Lay Communicants may not yield obedience The general Objections against it Answered are 1. That the phrase throughout the several Offices is such as presumes all persons in the Communion of the Church to be regenerate and in an actual state of Grace § 1. The falseness of which suggestion is shewed in ten instances and the phrase of the Liturgy is justified from like expressions of the Holy Scripture ibid. 2. Obj. That the people do not only say Amen but bear a part in the Prayers Answ This is justified from the practice of the Jews and Primitive Christians and the benefit of so doing § 2. 3. That the same Prayers are oft repeated which seems to be the vain Repetition forbidden by Christ Matth. 6.7 8. Answ These Repetitions are justified from Scripture-Examples and the practice of Christ § 3. Objections against several parts or expressions of the Liturgy Answered As 1. That in several parts of the Liturgy all profess to put their trust in God whereas it is to be feared that many in our Congregations do not so § 4. 2. That we all profess to Repent and be heartily sorry for our sins We all say on Sexagesima Sunday that God seeth that we put no trust in any thing that we do after the Communion we all give thanks to God that he hath assured us of his favour and goodness to us And in the Third Collect after Trinity we all profess that God hath given us an hearty desire to pray which professions cannot be thus generally made in truth § 5.3 That we pray that God would give to all Nations Unity Peace and Concord that he would save among the remnant of true Israelites all Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks that he would have mercy upon all men which petitions cannot be put up in Faith there being no promise of so large extent in Scripture § 6.4 That we pray to God to succour help and comfort all that are in danger necessity and tribulation to preserve all that travail by land or by water all Women labouring of child all Prisoners and Captives and so we pray for Robbers Pyrats Whores c. § 7. Some passages in the Liturgy which seem obscure or Metaphorical explained As 1. There is no health in us 2. Give peace in our time O Lord Because there is no other that fighteth for us but only thou O God 3. Lighten our darkness 4. From Fornication and all other deadly sins 5. From sudden Death Good Lord deliver us 6. By the Mystery of thy Holy Incarnation by thy Holy Nativity and Circumcision and by the coming of the Holy Ghost Good Lord deliver us 7. That our bodies may be made clean by his Body and our souls washed by his most precious blood 8. That God by the Baptism of his Well-beloved Son did sanctifie water to the mystical washing away of Sin 9. The Prayer after the Fourth Commandment Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law 10. With this Ring I the Wed with my body I thee worship and with all my worldly Goods I thee endow § 8. The Conclusion THAT there is nothing in the stinted Liturgy prescribed by the Church of England to which her Lay Communicants may not yield obedience or which can render their Communion with her sinful or unlawful to them As will be evident by answering the scruples Dissenters do suggest against the whole or any portion of that Service in which they are obliged to join with us And to begin with the Objections which respect the whole body of the Liturgy § 1 1. It is Objected That in the whole Common Prayer there is not any Petition or Confession which imports any doubt Dr. Chambers paper of unaffected scruples or fear that any of those who join in that Service are in a state of unregeneration or enmity to God whereas there are many in our Congregations of whom the Lord hath cause to complain as of the Jews that they hold fast deceit and refuse to return Jer. 3.5.11.15 To this effect runs the Objection of the Commissioners at the Savoy viz. P. 7. That throughout the several Offices the phrase is such as presumes all persons within the Communion of the Church to be regenerated converted and in an actual state of Grace which had Ecclesiastical discipline been truly and vigorously executed in the exclusion of scandalous and obstinate sinners might be better supposed but there having been and still being a confessed want of that as in the Liturgy is acknowledged it cannot rationally be admitted in the outmost latitude of Charity Answer This plainly seems to be a great mistake or false suggestion against the frame and constitution of our Liturgy For 1. The Sentences of Scripture appointed to be read at the beginning of Morning and Evening Prayer are fitted to the state of unregenerate and wicked persons and call upon them to turn from their wickedness that they have committed Ezek. 18.27 and do that which is lawful and right that they may save their souls alive To rent their hearts Joel 2.13 Dan. 9.9 10. and turn unto the Lord their God To acknowledge that they have rebelled against the Lord their God And have not obeyed the voice of the Lord to walk in his ways which he set before them Luke 15 18 19. And that they have sinned against their heavenly Father so as to be no more worthy to be called his servants 2. The Exhortation calls upon them to confess their manifold sins and wickednesses and not to dissemble or cloak them but confess them with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart to the end that they may obtain forgiveness of the same through Gods infinite goodness and mercy and so it manifestly doth suppose that many of them who are thus exhorted have not yet obtained forgiveness of their sins 3. The General Confession doth acknowledge that we are miserable offenders and that there is no health in us and prays that God would restore them that are penitent according to his promises declared to mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord and so suggests that they have need of Repentance to interest them in those promises 4. The Absolution begins with a declaration that God desires not the death of a sinner but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live adding that God will pardon and absolve all those that truly repent and therefore calls upon us to beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit and doth suppose that many present want
apart unto a sacred use to sanctifie it then is only usurpare prout sanctitatem ejus decet to use it sutably unto its holiness in which sense we are said to sanctifie the Sabbath day c. Christ by thus using the Baptism of John appointed for the remission of sin did in this sense also sanctifie it and by thus making use of it he did encourage saith Epiphanius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 153. and provoke others to use it to that end Q. 9 Why do you say after the Repetition of the Fourth Commandment Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law Are you turned Sabbatarians Answer Our Prayer then to God prescribed in the Liturgy is not to beseech him to encline our hearts to keep this Law according to the special form and circumstance of time there spoken of viz. the seventh day from the Creation but in such a manner as is agreeable to the state of the Gospel 1. By duly considering of and bringing to our remembrance the great and glorious works of God performed for the good of men viz. of creation redemption the passion resurrection and exaltation of our Lord which are actions no less considerable to us both in respect of glory due to God and benefit accruing to us than was the creation formerly to the Jews 2. That upon the Lords Day and all other days appointed for publick Assemblies to worship God and Christ and to hear his holy word and receive his Sacraments we may by the assistance of Divine Grace be enabled devoutly reverently and holily to engage in those duties to the Glory of God and the edification of our selves in faith and true obedience Q. 10 What mean you by these words in the office of Matrimony with this Ring I thee wed were they not man and wise and therefore wedded before what by this phrase with my body I thee worship is not the man the head of the woman and so not to use any sign which may import subjection to her as that of worship doth what lastly by those words with all my worldly goods I thee endow will you leave nothing for their Children Answer 1. This phrase with this Ring I thee wed doth not import that they were not man and wife before but only is a declaration of the fact as is apparent from the following words Forasmuch as N. and N. have consented together in holy wedlock and have declared the same by giving and receiving a Ring c. 2ly That phrase with my body I thee worship may have these three senses 1. I give unto thee honour according as Gods Law requires in these words husbands live with your wives according to knowledge giving honour to the wife 1 Pet. 3.7 Or 2ly I vouchsafe thee the honour of my Body i. e. I deem thee worthy of the honour belonging to my person as Mr. Selden doth explain the words Uxor Hebr. l. 2. c. 27. Or 3ly I promise to thee due benevolence as H. L'Estrauge saith this old word imports and so it is only a promise to obey St Pauls command 1 Cor. 7.2 3ly This phrase with all my worldly goods I thee endow bears this sense I promise thee a share in all my wealth and give thee right and liberty to use it as there is occasion But then the Husband being dead the Wife according to the common Law of England cannot lay claim unto the whole but only to the thirds of her deceased Husbands estate if he leave any Children or others who have right to any part of his inheritance Other things have been scrupled in the office for the visitation of the sick the form of burial and of commination but since the Churches constitutions do not oblige the Laity to use or to be present at them I wave the consideration of them and beseeching God to give a blessing to what I have written and make it successful to the desired end and to pardon the errors I may unwittingly have committed in it I humbly submit it to my ever honoured Superiours and so conclude FINIS
used by the Church from the 3d. Century at least unto this present Age. And thence to shew that our Dissenters do by condemning these things in the Church of England in effect condemn the Church of Christ throughout all Ages and all Places Def. of the principles of love p. 55. for as Mr. Baxter well observes they who condemn our Church for reasons common to all the Ages of the Church must virtually condemn all the fore-going Ages of the Churches But because Laymen are ignorant of what was practised by Antiquity and have been taught that Anti-christ began to work in the Apostles days and therefore have but little Reverence for Arguments of this Nature I shall endeavour to convince them of the lawfulness of holding Communion with us in these Ordinances by the Example of our Blessed Lord and Saviour who in like cases did yield Obedience and Submit to the Prescriptions of the Rulers of the Jewish Church And 2ly I shall endeavour to return a full and a perspicuous Answer to all the Arguments they urge from Scripture or from Reason to prove that 't is unlawful to submit unto the things required by the Church of England in order to Communion with her Beginning first with those Arguments which do suppose the things required by the Church of England as the Conditions of Lay Communion to be sinful in themselves or things forbidden by the Word of God And 2ly Proceeding to the Consideration of those Arguments which do allow the things imposed to be lawful in themselves but yet suppose it is unlawful for them to submit unto them 1. Because the Imposition of them is a Violation of their Christian Liberty 2ly Because by their Submission to them as they imagine they shall be indirectly guilty of the sin of the Imposers 3ly Because they have been abused to Idolatry and Superstition and therefore are become unlawful to be used And 4ly Because by using of them they may scandalize the Weak which God having forbidden no Precept of the Magistrate can oblige them to do § 2 And 1. The Practice and Example of our Lord is such a President as our Dissentors cannot reasonably except against nor can they justify their own Refusal to be Followers of Christ or to submit unto such Constitutions made by the Rulers of the Church of Christ as our Dear Lord submitted to being appointed by the Rulers of the Jewish Church or to hold Communion with such a Church as he became a Member of Now 1. Our Blessed Saviour was a Member of the Jewish National Church and of the Synagogue at Nazareth the Confirmation of this Assertion I shall deliver in the Words of Doctor Leightfoot who speaks thus Harm part 3. p. 124. What did Christ all the while he liv'd at Nazareth a private Man Did he never go to the Synagogue upon Sabbath and Holy Days and Synagogue-days Whilst others went to the Congregation and to the publick Service did he stay at home did he not appear before the Lord at the appointed Seasons in the place which he had chosen We are assured he did so for his Parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover and when he was twelve years old they went up to Jerusalem after the Custom of the Feast and the Child went with them 2. Luke 41 42 43. That he went up unto the Feast of Tabernacles we are informed Joh. 7 10. And being circumcised he became a Debtor to do the whole Law Gal. 5 3. being made under the Law Gal. 4.4 he was obliged to the Performance of those things which were enjoyned by it Now the great Business of these Feasts was to offer Sacrifice to rejoyce in the Assembly of Gods People to put up Prayers and Praises for all the Blessings they did then commemorate at these times all Israel met together Lam. 2 22. they heard the Reading of the Law Deut. 31 9 10. and they sang Praises to God Isai 30 29. Ye shall have a Song as in the Night when a Holy Solemnity is kept If then our Saviour did observe these Feasts if he did celebrate the Passover then certainly he did communicate with the Jewish Church for these Appearances were Ordinances and Symbols also of Communion § 3 2ly That Christ himself neglected not the times of publick Prayer that he declared it not unlawful nor did prohibit his Disciples to attend upon them is evident from this that he still owned the Temple as his Fathers House Joh. 2 16. the House of Prayer that his Disciples after his Resurrection continued daily in the Temple and went up to it at the hours of Prayer Act. 3 1. And they esteemed it a very commendable Action of the Widow Anna to serve God there continually with Prayer and Fasting Luke 2.37 Whence we may certainly conclude that Christ himself did not refuse nor did advise his own Disciples to refuse Communion with the Jewish Church in common Prayer but did approve Communion with them in that publick Service Now since the Jews themselves observed no time for Prayer no number of Prayers seeing no dayly Forms of Prayer were appointed by the Law of Moses Therefore saith Dr. Leightfoot Harm part 3. p. 217. the Sanhedrin in several Generations made Canons and Constitutions to decide and determin upon all these particulars as their own Reason and Emergences did lead them and give occasion as in one Generation they prescribed such and such times for Morning and Evening Prayer in process of time they found these times allotted to be too strait therefore the Sanhedrin of another Generation did give Enlargement as they thought good and so concerning the number of Prayers to be said dayly one Sanhedrin appointed so many but time and experience found afterwards that these did not answer such and such occasions as it seems was not observed when they were first appointed therefore the Sanhedrin of another Generation thought good to add more and more still as occasions unobserved before did emerge and so the number of their dayly Prayers grew at last to be eighteen To all which Additions to the Law of Moses our Lord and his Disciples did submit attending the publick Service of the Temple and the Synagogues where they were used And § 4 3ly That he was particularly a Member of the Synagogue at Nazareth is proved from that Passage of St. Luke Luke 4 16. who tells us that he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his Custom was he went into their Synagogue on the Sabbath-day and stood up for to read for Illustration of which place observe that there were Seven Readers appointed in their Synagogues who Leightf Harm part 3 p. 125. when the Angel of the Church or Minister of the Congregation call'd them out did read Now that our Saviour was a Member of this Congregation may be argued thus ibid. p. 124. You find not in the whole Gospel tho Christ preached in
Twelve and when enquiry was made among these Twelve which of them should betray him Judas particularly asketh Master is it I v. 25. Now as these Twelve were eating Jesus took Bread and brake it and gave it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to these Twelve Disciples and said to them Take eat this is my Body v. 26. He also took the Cup and gave it to the same Persons saying Drink ye all of this he therefore said to Judas Eat this is my Body and bad him drink the Sacramental Cup. 'T is said indeed Joh. 13 30. that Judas having received the Sop went immediately out but then as I have shewed Christ did not celebrate the Passover but another ordinary Supper before the Passover v. 1. Before their preparation for the Passover v. 29. which Dr. Leightfoot farther proves In locum because it was not lawful for any Person to depart from that Solemnity before the whole Solemnity was ended § 9 8ly Our Lord to cut off all occasion of Offence which the perverse and unbelieving Jew or Pharisee might take against him submitted to the payment of that Tribute which was not due from him as he demonstrates Matt. 17 25.26 Where 1. observe The Tribute here demanded was not the Tribute payd to the R. Emperours but the half Sickle yearly paid by the Jewish Nation to repair the Temple and buy things useful for the Service of it as the most skilful Commentators on the place conclude vid. Leightf in locum 2ly Observe The Scandal which our Lord was here concerned to avoid was not a Scandal given by himself but one that might be taken without ground by them who hence unduly might conclude that Christ and his Disciples did contemn the Temple and so the Efficacy of his Doctrine might through that Scandal be obstructed he then by this Example doth instruct us to submit unto those things which our Superiours may require or expect from us even without sufficient ground when our Refusal of Submission to them may be cause of Scandal or make them think we are Contemners of Authority or disobedient to those God hath enjoyned us to obey and much more must this be our duty when our Divisions and Contests about such Matters do bring a Scandal on the Christian Faith and we thereby in opposition to St. Pauls injunction do give Offence not only to the Jew and Gentile but to the Church of God And this Example seems also as effectually to prove that the Dispensors of the Gospel should be careful not to do any thing if it be in their power to avoid it which may give Scandal unto others or cause them to judge evil of them § 10 9ly Our Lords Commands were suitable to his Practice and he enjoyned to others what he himself performed For 1. our Saviour enjoyned the Leper that was cleansed to shew himself to the Priest Matt. 8 4. See Harm part 3. p. 205. and offer the Gift that Moses had commanded Where it deserves to be considered that altho the Priesthood was much degenerated both from its Institution and its Office yet Christ did not think fit on that account to advise any to a Separation from them or to renounce their Priesthood but would have all men to repair unto them for the Performance of those Offices which by the Law of Moses were to be performed by the Priests and to offer by his hands their Gift And yet it is observable that they to whom Christ sent this Man had added to the Institution many idle Customs to be performed by the cleansed Leper as you may see in Dr. Leightfoots Notes upon Matt. 8 4. Moreover in that very Chapter where our Lord giveth such opprobrious Titles to the Scribes and Pharisees lest that should tempt the multitude or any of his own Disciples to neglect Communion with them in hearing of the Word other Ordinances of like Nature our Saviour in the Preface of that Chapter speaks thus unto the multitude and to his own Disciples Matt. 23.2 3. The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses Seat all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do Where 1. observe who were these Scribes and Pharisees they were not always of the Order of the Priests and Levites for St. Paul tells us that he was a Pharisee and the Son of a Pharisee Act. 23.6 Philip. 3 5. In Matt. 2. v. 4. p. 29. And yet that he was of the Tribe of Benjamin And Matthew speaks of Scribes of the People who were saith Dr. Leightfoot Elders of the Sanhedrin who were not of the order either of Priests or Levites but were of other Tribes now albeit none of these men did ever take upon them to be Instructers of the People without an Ordination to that Office Harm part 3. p. 122. as is well noted by that Learned Man yet may it seem that they could have no just and proper call to be Instructors of the People this being the peculiar Office of the Priests Mal. 2 7. For the Priests Lips should keep Knowledge saith the Prophet Malachi and the people should seek the Law at his Mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts And yet these Scribes and Pharisees were Publick Teachers in their Schools and Synagogues and by this they obtained the Name of Rabbies and Teachers of the Law 2ly Observe that by the Law of Moses nothing is determined touching the Office the Authority the manner of Admission of these Scribes of the people but their whole Function seemeth to depend upon the Churches Constitutions made for Edification or the Instruction of the People And thus it also was with those Ministers and Rulers of their Synagogues who were not of the Sacerdotal Order or of the House of Levi for of their Office or Admission to it we can find nothing in the Books of Moses or in the Writings of the Prophets and yet these Men received Admission to teach or exercise their Function by Ordination say Mr. Selden and Dr. Leightfoot and learned Men are of Opinion that Christ and his Disciples so far approved of them as to institute the Governors of his Church according to the Platform of the Synagogue Leights Harm part 3. p. 120. 3ly Some think our Lord here speaketh of the Scribes and Pharisees as being then their Legal Magistrates or signifying the whole Jewish Sanhedrin and their Authority so Dr. Leightfoot In locum and so the Reverend and Learned Dr. Hammond and so they make the import of the Precept to be this The Scribes and Pharisees those that are of the Sanhedrin are by you to be look'd on as your lawful Rulers that have Authority over you succeeding Moses and the seventy Elders and therefore do you live in Obedience to all their lawful Commands and in all Regular Subjection to them But I suspect this Exposition on these two accounts 1. Because our Saviour makes mention only of the Scribes and Pharisees whereas
the Sadduces were also Members of the Sanhedrin and were then numerous and powerful in that Assembly as we may find Act. 4.1.5.17 and so there is no Reason to conceive the Scribes and Pharisees should signify that whole Assembly 2ly Throughout the whole N. Testament where ever this great Assembly is spoken of the Chief Priests Elders and Rulers are reckoned as a part thereof as you may see Matt. 2.4 16.21 21.23 26.47 59. 27.1 12 20 41. Mark 11.18 Luke 24 20. Joh. 7.32 45. Act. 4.5 6 23.5.17 24. here therefore being not one word of Chief Priest Elders or Rulers of the Jews it cannot rationally be conceived that Christ here speaks of the great Sanhedrin Wherefore the Scribes and Pharisees must signify the Doctors or Publick Teachers and Expounders of the Law of Moses to the people Accordingly we in the following Verses find that they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Guides v. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teachers v. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leaders v. 16 24. are said to have the Key of the Kingdom of Heaven and to shut it up against Men v. 13. Luke 11 52. to bind heavy Burthens on others by their Teaching v. 4 and misinterpret the Law of Moses v. 16 22. Lastly we find them sitting in the Temple to resolve Questions of the Law Luke 2.46 Their sitting therefore in the Chair of Moses must import their Teaching and Expounding of his Law 3ly Observe the thing commanded viz. to observe and do all that they did command together with the reason of it viz. because they were the Authorised Teachers and Expounders of the Law of Moses they sit in Moses Chair 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore whatever they command observe and do Where the Words all things are not to be restrained to such things only as were contained clearly in the Law of Moses and taught the people from the clear Letter of that Law for this ascribes to them no more Authority then any other private Jew might challenge who sate not in the Chair of Moses since what they clearly proved from this Law was to be done by all that owned the Jewish Faith moreover there were many things which by the Law were not sufficiently determined as v. g. the length of a Sabbath-days journey the tything of their pot herbs c. and yet these things were fit to be determined that the people might be at some certainty concerning them and therefore in such cases our Lord may rationally be supposed to command obedience to their Constitutions And 3ly from the fourth verse we may learn that even when their heavy Burthens and Grievous to be born were bound upon inferiors they were obliged if they were not sinful to submit unto them for they being in the number of the things commanded by them what could exempt inferiors from doing and observing them according to our Lords Command if they were lawful to be done Wherefore in cases of like Nature all Christian people ought to observe and do what is commanded and established by Ecclesiastical Superiors to whom the Office of Teaching and Interpreting the Laws of Christ is legally committed tho their Commands prove sometimes heavy Burthens and Grievous to be born provided that they be not sinful that is forbidden by that Law which they are Authorised to expound and teach And thus I have produced the Practice and Injunctions of our Lord. Now to apply them to my purpose hence I infer § 11 That corruptions allowed taught Iâ—â— 1. and practised in a Church if are no sufficient grounds of Separation from the Communion of that Church provided that the Members of it be not required as a Condition of Communion with them to do teach practise them or to prosess that they are not corruptions Our Saviour and his Disciples acted as Members of the Jewish Church albeit great and manifold corruptions were allowed taught and practised by the Ruling Members of it as v. g. they had made false imperfect and corrupt Glosses on the Law Matt. 5. had made false Rules touching the observation of the Sabbath and such as were repugnant to that Precept or Declaration of the God of Heaven I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice they taught false Doctrines about Oaths Matt. 5.23.16.22 which made them who did practise according to their teaching Guilty of evil speaking and false swearing They transgressed Matt. 15.3 6. and made the Commandments of God of none effect by their Tradition They laid aside the Commandments of God for their Traditions Mark 7.8 they worship'd God in vain teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men Ibid. v. 9. and many things of a like Nature they held They by their Merchandise had made Gods House of Prayer a Den of Thieves Matt. 21 13. And lastly among them their Rulers and Church Officers were Sadduces Matt. 16.11 and upon these accounts Christ cautioned his Disciples against the Doctrine of the Sadduces and Pharisees advised the people to beware of the Scribes and Pharisees Mark 13.35 and to take good heed what they heard But then both he and his Disciples met with these Scribes Pharisees and Sadduces in the same Temple joyned in the same Prayers unless our Saviour was daily in the Temple but never went to publick Prayers and in the same Solemnities not separating themselves or setting up any more pure Communion nor calling the multitude to separate from the Assemblies of these Men or to come out from among them and to renounce Communion with them on the account of their erroneous Doctrines those Grievous Burthens which they did impose those many Rites and Ceremonies which they had added to the Law of Moses But on the contrary he carefully commands the Leper to repair unto them and consequently to submit unto the Ceremonies concerning his Purification which they had added to the Law in that particular and chargeth both the multitude and his own Disciples to submit to all their lawful Constitutions and Injunctions Moreover Christ was a Member of the Synagogue at Nazareth Matt. 13.56 58 Luke 4.29 as we have shewed already and yet what kind of men they were we may learn from their stupendious Infidelity their Proneness to take Offence at Christ and their attempt to cast him down a Precipice I see not what in the World Harm part 3. p. 123.124 saith Dr. Leightfoot our Separatists who withdraw from the publick Worship in our Congregations can say to these Examples For was not their publick Worship in the Temple and in their Synagogues as corrupt as ours is pretended to be in our Congregations was not the people of Nazareth as corrupt a people as most Congregations now are and yet saith he in all the Scripture we find not that either any that were Holy indeed or any that took upon them to be Holy no nor he that was Holiness it self did separate or withdraw from the Service of the Congregation tho 't is apparent that they
had all the plausible pretences which have prevailed on our Dissenting Laity to make an Actual Separation to move them so to do Inf. 2. §. 12. Hence it will also follow that great Corruptions in the Lives of our Church-Pastors will not warrant our separation from Communion with them or our Refusal to attend upon their Teaching provided we be not enjoyned to allow of or to comply with them in their sins Our Saviour sent the Leper to the Priest to offer by his Hands the accustomed Sacrifices altho the Priesthood then was much degenerated both in its Office and in the manners of those who ministred at the Altar we find that Christ himself was present at their solemn Feasts and therefore did not come empty which the Law forbad but brought his Sacrifice and by so doing owned their Priesthood he was a Member of a Synagogue and so he joyned in the Service of their Synagogues upon the Sabbath and upon other Solemn Days and yet their own Josephus tells us that the whole Jewish Nation were then a very wicked people they were saith truth it self an Evil Wicked and Adulterous Generation The Teachers and the Rulers of the Church whom Christ commands the multitude and his Disciples to obey in all things lawful Matt. 2.7.12.34 Matt. 5.19 Matt. 6.23.7 8. Matt. 12.14 v. 24. were a Generation of Vipers they were such whose Righteousness could not qualifie any Person for the Kingdom of God They were Hypocritical and Vainglorious in their Prayers Alms and Fastings They consulted how they might destroy the Saviour of the World They were many of them guilty of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Matt. 23 13. v. 14. v. 15. v. 23. They shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men. They devoured Widows Houses out of pretense of Piety They made their Prosclytes ten times more the Children of the Devil then themselves They neglected the more weighty Matters of the Law They were full of Extortion Covetousness Excess And yet from the Communion of such Men our Lord himself and his Disciples did not separate in matters which concerned Gods Publick Worship he called none to come out from them and be separate but rather countenanced their hearing of them with Caution and Discretion which shews how groundless and unwarrantable a thing it is to separate from our Legal Pastors upon these accounts Hence 3ly Inf. 3. §. 13. we infer that it is lawful to comply with such Churches as enjoyn some significant Ceremonies not mentioned in the Word of God for the sake of Peace Order Unity and the avoiding of Scandal to submit unto them when by Authority they are imposed for this we find our Saviour and his Apostles did he ate the Passover prepared according to the Custom of the Jews and so he did partake of that thick Sawce which signifyed the thick Clay which they in Aegypt formed into Brick he ate the Passover in such a Posture as was used by the Jews to signify their Rest and their Security in the Good Land of Canaan He when he went into the Temple did put off his Shoes altho that Ceremony was used to signify their Reverence toward the Temple or to that God who dwelt in it he did not go into the Temple with a Staff or Scrip but did comply with all the Ceremonies enjoyned by the Jewish Sanhedrin to those who dayly came unto it He when he read the Law stood up as was enjoyned by the Jews in honour of the Law and when he taught the people he constantly sate down according to the Custom which had then obtained The Imposition of hands in their ordinary Benediction was a significant Ceremony Mark 10.16 it noted properly the Efficacy of the Divine Blessing the Hand being the instrument of Force and Vigor it was done also in Testimony of Gods Favor to them and yet that Ceremony was by our Lord observed in his Benediction of the little Children which were brought to him tho it was not commanded in the Law of Moses Inf. 4. §. 14. Hence 4ly we infer that it is not unlawful to use a publick Form of Prayer and that the using of such Forms can be no sinful sâ—inâ—â—â—â—g of the Spirit For our Lord scrupled not the Time the Number the Form the Matter of the Jewish Prayers both he and his Disciples were present at the 18 Prayers used in the publick Service of the Jews And he himself prescribed a Form of Prayer to be used by his Disciples He therefore did not think that his own Spirit was stinted by using of a Form or that he stinted the Spirit of his own Disciples by prescribing of it and yet Christ and his own Disciples when they attended on these Prayers had a more plentiful Effusion of the Holy Spirit then we can pretend to Hence also we conclude that we stand not obliged in all Punctilios of Time Inf. 5. §. 15. or Place or Gesture to follow the Example of the first Institution of the H. Sacrament of the Lords Supper For albeit a standing Posture was prescribed at the first Institution of the Passover and every Master of a Family by the same Institution was to keep up his Lamb four days before the Passover yet Christ complyed with the Custom of the Jewish Church which for prudential Reasons laid aside or changed these Customs Even so altho Christ celebrated the Sacrament after Supper and albeit he did it in a posture of Recumbency we do not stand obliged to conform unto these Circumstances they being done upon such grounds as do not now remain for we have now no Paschal Supper to be eaten before the Sacrament nor is it the Custom of our Nations to lye down on Couches when we eat nor have we any cause to do it in token of our Rest in Canaan And if we are obliged to use that very Gesture which our Saviour did why are we not as much obliged to the same time I mean not only after Supper but annually on the same Night in which our Saviour was betrayed why are we not as much obliged to receive in the same place viz. an Inn or in an Upper-chamber And lastly tho it be unquestionable that in the Primitive Institution Wine was mixt with Water for so the Primitive Christians testify and so the Hebrew Custom and their Canons teach and albeit this seems more fit to represent that Water and that Blood which issued from our Saviours Side yet because now it ceaseth to be the Custom to drink Wine mixt with Water Laightf Temp. Serv. p. 147. few scruple to receive it without such a Mixture and therefore on like grounds and from our Saviours Aphorism I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice I think we should not scruple to baptise by sprinkling altho our Lords Disciples did baptize by dipping and that more perfectly doth represent that Death of Christ into which saith St. Paul we are baptized and the ensuing Resurrection Inf.
3ly p. 324. The Doctor adds that it doth not appear out of the Text that there was intended any use of this Altar for the present Age that then lived and that the contrary may be gathered out of the 24th and 25th verses Which as it no way doth invalidate the Force of this Example so is it very false the Text expresly declaring that the two Tribes made it to be a Witness betwixt them and those to whom they then spake as well as to the Generations after them v. 28. Lastly the wearing Sackcloth and Ashes in token of humiliation Zech. 13.4 Zech. 7.5 the Prophets rough Garment the Fast of the 5th month because the Temple was destroyed then and of the 7th month because then Gedaliah and many of the Jews with him were slain these things had no Appointment that we can find from God and yet were never scrupled by the Jews or condemned by God or by his Holy Prophets Moreover we find not in the Law of Moses any Direction that a white Garment or Linnen Ephod should be made for any but the Priests or used by any others in Gods Worship and that we find David dancing before the Lord in a Linnen Ephod 2 Sam. 6.14 and the Levites who carried the Ark clad in linnen Roves or in white Linnen 2 Chron. 5.12 Wherefore to answer positively to the Texts alledged Answ 4 4ly To add unto the Word or the Command of God is not to use such Rites and Ceremonies as no where are commanded or forbidden in the Word when by Superiours to whom obedience is due in lawful matters they are at any time prescribed but it is to avouch such things as the Command and Word of God which he had not commanded as the False Prophets did This will be evident 1. If we consider what it is to diminish from the Word now that undoubtedly is to neglect to do what God had in his Word commanded under pretence that he doth not require it We In locum say the Assemblies Annotations diminish from the Word by denying any part of it to be of Divine Authority or concealing any part of it either for Words or Meaning or by partial Belief of it or Obedience to it And therefore by the Rule of Contraries to add unto it must be to vouch that to be of Divine Authority which is but humane or to believe and yield obedience to that as the Will of God which he hath not enjoyned 2ly This will be farther evident if we compare these Passages with others of the like Nature in the Scripture as v. g. Add thou not to his Words saith Augur Prov. 30.6 lest thou be found a Lyar i. e. lest falsly pretending to deliver his Word when thou speakest only thy own Inventions thou beest found guilty of a Lye whereas had men been guilty of adding to his Words by the Injunction of things acknowledged to be indifferent in their own Nature the Words should rather have run thus Add thou not to his Words lest thou be found superstitious And Rev. 22 18. to add unto these things is v. 19. to add unto the Words of the Book of that Prophecy Obj. And whereas Mr. Disp 5. of Cer. chap. 4. §. 7. Baxter saith That the Text doth not say Thou shalt not add to my Command but Thou shalt not add to the thing that I command thee and thence infers that it is the Work Worship or Ordinances that we are forbidden to add to or to diminish from and not the Word or Law is self only Answ 1. This is a great mistake for the Text plainly saith Thou shalt not add unto the Word that I command Deut. 4.2 What I command thou shalt observe to do thou shalt not add unto it Deut. 12.32 2ly From what is now discoursed 't is evident that we do not add to the Worship or the Ordinances of God by appointing Ceremonies declared to be no parts of his Worship or of his Ordinances but only by asserting and proposing such things as his Ordinances and parts of his Worship which indeed are not so Answ 5 5ly Hence it doth clearly follow that they who do assert that God forbids kneeling at the Sacrament hearing Common Prayer bringing our Children to be signed with the Cross or joyning in that Service which is performed by one that wears a Supplice c. If they can shew no Word of God which doth forbid these things are themselves guilty of adding to the Word of God Obj. 2 2ly A second plea of our Dissentors from the Old Testament § 2 is this That God in Scripture declares that he abominates that way of Worship which he hath not commanded and tho the thing performed in its own Nature was abominable God takes no notice of that but chiefly reprehends it because not commanded To this effect they cite Lev. 10.1 where Nadab and Abihu are condemned and punished for offering strange Fire which the Lord commanded them not Deut. 17.3 If there be found among you Manor Woman that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God in transgressing his Covenant and hath gone and served other Gods and worshipped them either the Sun or Moon or any of the Host of Heaven which I have not commanded Thou shalt stone them with stones till they dye Jer. 7.31 They have built the High-Places of Tophet to burn their Sons and their Daughters in the Fire which I commanded them not neither came it into my Heart Jer. 19.5 They have built the High-Places of Baal to burn their Sons with Fire for Burnt-offerings to Baal which I commanded not nor spake it neither came it into my Mind Now to this weak Objection I answer Answ 1 1. That these Texts are all impertinently alledged because they only prove that God will not be worshipped with any thing which he hath not commanded which we do not deny but they do not prove that we may not use any Garment Posture or Ceremony uncommanded in the Service of God provided we declare that we do not esteem these things as parts of Divine Worship Answ 2 2ly These Texts expounded so as to forbid the use of any Ceremony in Publick Worship which God hath not particularly enjoyned will condemn our Dissentors as well as us and even render it impossible to perform any publick Service to God it will condemn our way of Preaching for where hath God commanded us to take a Text and Gloss upon it or the Congregation to sing the Psalms of David in Metre where hath he enjoyned us to meet at ten of the Clock in the morning or two in the afternoon for Publick Worship on the Lords Days to pray without a Lyturgy or Form of Prayer to pray before Sermon to preach an hour or in a pulpit c. All these things therefore and many more of the like Nature by this wild exposition of these Texts must be abmination to the Lord. Answ 3 3ly This Hebrew
joyn not with these that use it or with the Minister who wears a Surplice kneel not at the Receiving of the Sacrament do not stand up at the rehearsal of the Creed bring not your Children to receive the sign of the Cross in Baptism all these they teach for Doctrines asserting that they are actions which God hath forbidden and therefore may not lawfully be used in his Worship or by them be submitted to since therefore God hath not forbidden any of these things and yet they teach he hath forbidden them they plainly must be guilty of adding to his Word and teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men which they who do declare these things to be indifferent and no where commanded in Gods Word cannot be guilty of CHAP. III. The CONTENTS Answering the Objections of Dissenters from reason grounded upon Scripture as Obj 1. God would have for the Tabernacle and the Temple an exact pattern how he would have all things done and that in writing and therefore Christ being faithful in his House as Moses was must have done as much in Scripture towards the building of his Spiritual House Answ 1. This Argument holds as well in Civil Matters as in Sacred and by arguing from such similitudes many false things may be concluded Answ 2. That it is falsly supposed that Moses was so full in his Institutions that nothing afterwards was to be added to them or ordained by the Rulers of the Church for the better Observation of them 3 'T is certain Christ hath not done what this Objection saith his faithfulness obliged him to do 4ly There is a manifest disparity betwixt the Christian and the Jewish State and thence good reason may be given why thô all things were determined then it should not be so now 5ly The fidelity of Moses consisted in this that he concealed nothing of that which God commanded and sutably the fidelity of Christ in this that he declared to us the whole Will of God § 1. Obj. 2. The Scripture is a Rule of Ceremonies for it prescribeth Ceremonies respecting Baptism and the Lords Supper if therefore it prescribe not all it must be an imperfect Rule Answ 1. The absurdity of this Argument is shewn by instances of a like Nature 2 The Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the perfection of the H. Scriptures is this viz. that it doth perfectly contain all that is necessary to believed or done in Order to Salvation Thô not all Ceremonies in particular of Decency and Order That the Scripture is a Rule of all Ceremonies that are good works antecedently to the Command of man 2. That it is sufficiently perfect in reference to uncommanded Ceremonies by giving general Directions to Superiors in the imposing of them And 2ly By Commanding Obedience to their impositions in all lawful matters The Tenet of some Non-Conformists that no Church-Governors ought to ordain or introduce into the Service of God any other Rites or Observations than such as God hath in his Word commanded or Christ and his Apostles by their Examples which they esteem as Precepts hath approved and that if they enjoyn such things we must not yield Obedience to them but must reject them as humane Inventions Superstition and Will-worship The pernicious Consequence of this Tenet 1. It casts a reproach upon Religion and gives just cause to Magistrates to scruple the Admission of the Christian Faith 2. It makes it necessary to disobey all Civil Laws concerning Charity and Justice which are not contained in Scripture 3ly This Opinion will force men to be troublesome in all the Churches of the World 4. It gives a great Advantage to Popery Mr. Baxters solid Confutation of this Opinion by 8 Arguments 5ly They who assert this Tenet do many things in Contradiction to it § 2. CHAP. III. HAving thus dispatched the Scriptures produced in this cause I proceed to consider the Objections of Dissenters from reason grounded upon Scripture and Obj. 1. It is objected That there was nothing appertaining in the least to the Worship of God but was fully set down even to the pins of the Tabernacle in the Law of Moses when Gods Material House was to be built he gave to Moses for the Tabernacle and to David for the Temple a Pattern according to which he would have every thing made or done And of this Pattern which God gave to David for the Temple it is expresly said God gave it him in Writing 1 Chron. 28.19 Nothing then might be done by Moses or by Solomon tho they were two of the wisest Men that ever lived about the Tabernacle or Temple or about the whole Service of God performed in them but according to that Pattern Exod. 25.9 40 39 42 40 16. and this charge the Lord repeats to Moses four times to shew the great Importance of it and the Author to the Hebrews Notes that it was said unto him Hebr. 8.5 see that thou make all things according unto the Pattern that was shewed thee in the Mount Hebr 3.6 Since therefore Christ was faithfull in his House as Moses was he must say they in building his Spiritual House have given us a Pattern according to which he would have all his works done and that pattern must be contained in the H. Scriptures Answ 1 Of this almost all the Arguments produced by Dissenters on this Subject it is observable that they hold as much against all Laws concerning Civil matters as concerning sacred For instance Moses as he prescribed those Laws whereby the Jewish Nation was to Act in sacred matters so did he from Gods mouth prescribe them a Judicial Law a Law for Civil Government and he moreover saith of that as well as of those Laws which did concern Gods Worship you shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath Commanded you you shall not turn aside to the right hand or the left If then the Argument here holds from the fidelity of Moses to that of Christ or from Gods care of his Churches Service under the Old Testament to his care of it under the New Christ must have given us a form of Civil Government as well as Sacred a Statute Law by which our Courts of Justice must be regulated and to which 't is not in the Power of King and Parliament to add on Statute or else Christ must be thought less faithful in his House then Moses was and God less carefull of the Christian than the Jewish Church And indeed Arguments of this Nature taken from Similitudes may be used to conclude things manifestly false as V. G. God is not less kind to his Ministers under the New Testament than under the Old and therefore as in the Law of Moses we are told punctually what they should receive from the People so must we be told also under the New Testament under the Law there was on Earth an High Priest over the Jews therefore we must have an universal Bishop over the Christians Moses
appointed a living Judge of Controversies to whom all Jews stood bound to repair in doubtful cases and according to whose word and information they were obliged to Act not declining from it to the right hand or to the left Deut. 17.9 12. And therefore by this Rule of our Dissenters God must have left us Christians such a living Judge or else his care and kindness towards the Christian Church will be less then was his care and kindness to the Jewish Church Answer 2 2ly It is falsly supposed by this Argument that Moses was so exact and full in all his institutions that nothing afterward was to be added to them or ordained by the Rulers of the Church for the better observation of them the Rulers of the Jewish Church did notwithstanding his exactness do many things Sacred and Civil for which they had no precept to direct them nor any other Warrant but the use of reason and prudential discourse and they made many constitutions which were of things very useful and necessary to be decided for the direction of the practice both of Priests and People The instances of this Nature are very numerous and may be seen in Dr. Leightfoots Temple Service from whence I shall Collect these few The Law of Moses appoints no Substitute to the High Priest in case of his uncleanness or any other matter which might render him unfit to do his Office at the great day of expiation or any other Solemnity Provision therefore was made for this and other occasions of like Nature by appointing with him a Sagan or a Substitute who might officiate for him in such cases Leight p. 34. p. 169. And of whose officiating for him in the great day of Expiation we find an instance in Josephus l. 17. cap. 8. p. 597. They had no Command for sounding their Trumpets every Morning at the opening of the Court Gates particularly at the opening of the Gate of Nicanor But tho this practice had no express and literal Command yet was it grounded upon this necessity and reason because that the Levites and Stationary Men might have notice to come to attend their Desks and Service and that the People of Jerusalem might hear Temple Serv. p. 57 58. and take notice and those that would come to the Temple so that this sounding was as the Bells to ring them in to the Service Agreeable to this was also the sounding striking or ringing of their great Bell Migrepha Ibid. p. 111. p. 59. The constant Psalms sung by the Levites every day of the Week with the reasons why they made choice of them The four and twenty courses of the Israelites of the station is no where mentioned or appointed in the Law of Moses and yet it was an excellent constitution p. 63. For there were some sacrifices that were sacrifices of all Israel and particularly the daily Sacrifice now it was impossible that all Israel should be present at the Sacrifices that were to be Offered up for all Israel and therefore it was needful that some Representatives should be chosen who instead and behalf of all the People should be present at every Sacrifice that should be Offered up for the whole Congregation Now because it would be too heavy for one Company of Men to attend continually on this Work as the daily Sacrifice required therefore they appointed twenty four Courses of these stationary Men as well as of the Priests and Levites that their attendance in these vicissitudes might be the more easie for which cause also was made the like division of the Priests and Levites p. 64. There was Sacrificing in the Temple Service twice a day and reading of the Law at least twice and Prayers four times and it became them and behoved them if it had been possible to have been all attending there but because this could not possibly be done they ordained these Courses of Stationary Men to be as the Deputies of all the People and a Representative Congregation in their behalf It had been an open contempt of those ordinances if being daily Administred none of the People had attended at them and it would have been a hazard that in time they might have been neglected by the People if they had been left to their own liberty to come or not come to them as they saw good therefore to prevent this visible contempt that might have accrued and to provide that there might be always a Congregation of the People These Stationary Courses were ordained that if Devotion brought no other of the People to the Service yet these their Representatives might be sure to be there That the High Priest should confess over the Scape Goat all the Iniquities of the Children of Israel and all their Transgressions in all their Sins we read Lev. 16.21 But in the Law of Moses we find no form of Words which the High Priest was to use and therefore the Rulers of the Church appointed him to say Ah Lord thy People the House of Israel have sinned and done perversly p. 173. and transgressed before thee I beseech thee now Oh Lord expiate the sins perversities and transgressions which the House of Israel thy People have sinned done perversly and transgressed before thee c. in the same Chapter the High Priest is Commanded to Offer a Bullock for a sin Offering for himself v. 6 11. to make an Atonement for himself and for his House Atonement for sin could not be made without confession of it provided that the sin were known it was therefore necessary that he should make confession of his sin in order to this Atonement wherefore no Words of confession being prescribed by the Law of Moses p. 171. they ordered him to say Ah Lord I have sinned done perversly and transgressed before thee I and my House I beseech thee oh Lord expiate the sins perversities and transgressions whereby I have sinned done perversly and transgressed I and mine House c. Moreover by every sin and trespass Offering Atonement was to be made and so the sin of the offendor was to be confessed but there being no form of confession mention'd in the Law of Moses the Rulers ordered the offendor to confess in this wise I have sinned p. 69. and done perversly I have rebelled and done thus and thus but I return by repentance before thee and let this be my expiation The Law of Moses in many cases appointed a Meat Offering but neither determined of the quantity of Corn or Oyl to be brought for it and therefore the Rulers determined that no Meat Offering should consist of less than the tenth part of an Ephah of Corn p. 95. and a Log of Oyl Moreover a Man that lived at a great distance from Jerusalem was fallen under such an offence for which a Sacrifice was due by the Law p. 99. the enquiry hereupon was what must he do must he away presently thither to offer his Offering must he
neglect his Imployment at home and Travel up to Jerusalem at a charge double or treble to the charge of the Sacrifice which was to be Offered laying all other things aside till that be done this being not declared expresly in the Law of Moses they determined in this case that he that became lyable to any Offering might defer the paying of it till the next Solemn Festival of the three came when all must appear before the Lord at Jerusalem The Law had said thou shalt Reverence my Sanctuary but had not particularly declared in what Actions that Reverence should be expressed they therefore ordained in the pursuance of that general Precept that no Man should go into the Temple to Worship with a Purse a Staff p. 116 117 118. or his Shoes on no Man was to spit no Man to sit there during the time of Divine Service nor use any irreverent Gesture To these we may add the Gizbarin or the three common Treasurers and Overseers of the Temple stock p. 39. and all consecrated things and the Catholikin who were Head Treasurers over them The singing of the Levites Children with their Fathers as our Choristers now do p. 36. p. 53. p. 83 84. p. 96. p. 103 105. p. 108. 119. The suspensive Trespass Offering The Cross upon the Wafer made in Oyl The manner of their Lotteries for the Service of the Priests Their Publick and private Prayers and their Worshipping in time of Prayer the way of discovering the New Moon before their Feast p. 122 123. p. 138 139. p. 174 175. p. 180 181. p. 189. and giving notice of it The manner of saying the Aegyptian Hallel and the manner of conveying the Scape Goat and giving notice of it when done The Branches of Pome-Citron used at the Feast of Tabernacles and the Psalms then sung Lastly the time place and person for reading the Law at the Seventh year All these to omit many more of the like Nature were things needful or at least useful to be determined and yet the Law of Moses hath said nothing of them If therefore notwithstanding any Precepts forbidding the addition to the Law of Moses or the exactness of the Prescriptions of that Law the Rulers of the Jews found cause or at least thought themselves impowered to appoint and to determin of these things why may not Christian Magistrates and Governours use the same Power in the Church of Christ If doing this was no derogation from the fidelity of Moses in writing of the Jewish Law why should we think that doing matters of like Nature is any derogation from the fidelity of Christ in giving us that Gospel which is stiled the Law of liberty Answ 3 3ly Certain it is Christ hath done what this objection doth assert his faithfulness obliged him to do viz. He hath not in the Writings of the New Testament given us a perfect Rule which clearly and expresly mentions all Ceremonies which are needful to be used in his Service or hath determined all things indifferent in their own Nature but disjunctively necessary or after which way or manner we must Act continually in the performance of his Worship For instance He hath said nothing of the time or place where and when he would have us to Assemble for his Worship or of the Ornaments of the place or the disposal of the Seats for Priest or People or whether Men should Sit or Stand during the hearing the Word Read or Preached or of the Number which should Assemble at one place or be under the care or the inspection of one Pastor nor how long we shall continue so Assembled and when the Solemnity shall be dismist And yet he who commands us to Assemble for his Solemn Worship must command some Number to Assemble with some Minister in some place and at some time He hath enjoyned Publick Prayer but he hath not determined whether we must Pray in a set form of words or only in words premeditated Or 3ly without Antecedent Meditation what we shall say or whether we shall Pray in words composed by our selves or prescribed by others He hath not told us who shall pronounce the Prayers whether the Minister alone or whether the People may not bear a share in the performance of that duty by saying with or after him or by responses or alternate sentences as was the Custom in the Jewish Church He hath not told us how oft we shall meet publickly for the performance of this duty whether every morning and evening Wednesday and Friday or only on the Lords day He hath appointed the Scriptures to be read in our Assemblies but then he hath not told us who shall be appointed for that work whether a person shall be Ordained for that Office as in the Latin and the Eastern Churches or a Clark as it is usual in our Churches whether Scripture alone may be read there or the Epistles and writings also of Pious Men as in the Primitive Church they did He hath not told us what Chapter or what Book we are to read or in what Method or how much whether in the Old or the New Testament or what Translation shall be approved by any Church He hath commanded that his word be Preached in our Assemblies but hath not plainly told us who alone shall Preach whether ordained persons only or also gifted Brethren whether with License or without nor in what Method whether by Doctrine and use or any other way whether with Study or without whether by chusing of a Text or only chusing of a Subject to discourse upon whether with Notes or only by the help of Memory whether in a place dedicated to that service or not dedicated whether in a Church or in the open Field nor lastly hath he told us how often nor how long we are to Preach He hath Commanded us to sing Psalms but then he hath not told us whether all should sing together as is the Custom in our Parish Churches or only some as in Cathedrals Whether the Psalms we sing should be in Rythm or Meeter or not whether we should siâ—g with Vâ—â—al only or with Instrumental Musick also nor what 〈…〉 or what Translations of the Psalms shoulâ— bâ— appâ—oved or allowed to be sung in Churche◠〈…〉 we should sing before or only after Serâ—â—â—â— or whether we should do it standing or in the sitting Posture He hath said Go and Baptize all Nations but hath not clearly told us who shall Baptize and in what cases whether the Priest alone or any other Christian especially in cases of necessity whether Baptism shall be Administred to Infants is not expresly said in Scripture but is left to be collected thence by Analogy and rational deductions whether all Infants are to be Baptized or only those of Christian Parents or of true Believers whether with stipulators or without whether we should Baptize in a River Pond Spring Font or Basin whether Infants should be Baptized at Eight days old within a
many other Instances of a like nature it appears that tho it may be doubted whether our Ceremonies be indeed apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the Remembrance of his duty to God yet cannot it be rationally doubted but what is apt to do so may be both practised and imposed without any derogation from the Kingly or Prophetick Office of our Lord. Answ 3 3ly Hath Christ set down in Scripture all things that may any way conduce to excite good affections in us or give occasion to any pious Meditations or hath he not if he hath not then is not the assertion true on which the Argument is grounded viz. That Christ in Scripture hath set down all things by which we lawfully may be admonished of our duty If he hath then 't is not possible that any man should have a good affection or pious meditation stir'd up within him by any other means or object then such as is expresly contained in the Word of God Than which assertion nothing can be be more false Who knows not that memorable Story of the Cook who from consideration of the heat of his own Fire was moved to reflect on the excessive torments of Hell-Fire and thereby to abstain from that iniquity which would expose him to them Should a Dissenter in his discourse with one of this calling or in his writings advise him to make this reflection would he usurp upon Christs Regal or Prophetick Office Answ 4 4ly Tho this Objection speaks only of Mystical significant Ceremonies yet doth it with equal strength conclude against all Ceremonies and against the Appointment of time and place for publick worship for if this be a good Argument Christ is the only Lawgiver to his Church and therefore the Rulers of the Church may make no Laws concerning Ceremonies of Mystical Signification why is not this as good Christ is the only Lawgiver to his Church and therefore they may make no Laws touching the time and place of publick worship And if Christ hath committed to his Church no Authority of appointing new things but only a Ministry to observe and do such things which Christ hath appointed then either Christ hath appointed time and place or she hath no Authority to appoint them To this Dr. Ames answers that time and place are no new things But I hope to appoint new time and place is to appoint new things and to make Laws determining a time and place not determined before is to make a new Law about them Again if this Argument be good Christ is the only Lawgiver to his Church and therefore the Rulers of the Church may make no Laws concerning Ceremonies c. why is not this as good Christ is the only Lawgiver to his Church and therefore the Civil Magistrate may make no Laws concerning the Payment of Tythes or allowance of maintenance to Ministers or of making charitable Provisions for the Poor or touching any other Christian duty But must leave every man to his Freedom in these matters as Christ did Answ 5 5ly 1 Cor. 14.40 10 31 32. Christ having by his Apostles given Commandments which only primarily concern the Rulers of the Church viz. That all things in the Church be done decently and orderly to the Glory of God Rom. 14.19 and so as to give none Offence that Christians should follow after the things which make for Peace and whereby they may edify one the other I say this being so all the Injunctions made by the Rulers of the Church pursuant to the ends of Decency and Order the Glory of God the avoiding Scandal the preservation of Peace Unity Edification and for prevention of the Contrary are done by virtual Commission from this one Law-giver and therefore can be no Entrenchment on his Legislative Power And if Superiours should mistake in Judging that such things did really conduce unto the decency and orderly performance of Gods Service or to the other ends forementioned when indeed they do not so yet would not their imposing of them for these ends be any usurpation upon Christs Legislative Power any more than a Law made by Civil Rulers which proveth inexpedient or burthensome to the people tho by the Makers of it it was intended for their good usurps upon the Legislative Power of the God of Heaven For as it is judiciously said by Mr. Disp 5. Chap. 2. §. 29. Baxter if just Authority shall injuriously he should have said mistakingly determine of such things it may be the Subjects duty to obey because these are not matters alien to their Power and without their line but only this is an imprudent overdoing in a work that belongeth to them When St. James saith that there is one Lawgiver he most plainly speaks of such a Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy or pass the Sentence of Absolution and Condemnation upon others whence he infers that they who take upon them to censure and condemn their Brethren usurp his Prerogative but he speaks not about the Laws of Decency and Order and therefore cannot be supposed to condemn them And whereas Mr. Answ to the Commissioners p. 65. Baxter doth plausibly object against the Imposition of our Ceremonies that they are equally useful to the Church Universal in all Ages as to any Particular Church or Age and therefore should be the Matter of an Universal Law if of any and so should be the Work of the Universal Law-giver if of any I answer This if granted will only prove that there is no such positive decency Expedience or Edification in these Ceremonies as is conceived by our Rulers that should render them fit to be imposed but doth not prove that they usurp upon Christs Legislative Power by imposing of them to these ends But 2ly This way of Arguing will necessarily condemn the Church of Christ throughout all Ages she having always used and by her Canons and Constitutions imposed such Ceremonies as were equally useful in all Ages and all Churches as in any as v.g. standing upon the Lords-day at Prayer receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper fasting and all the Ceremonies anciently annexed to baptism to omit many others of like Nature before mentioned Now saith he in another place I dare not think or assert that for truth which will condemn all the Christian Churches in the World throughout most Ages of it Disp 5. Chap. 2. from §. 7. to the 24. 3ly The same Judicious Person gives us many instances of matters relating to the Service of God which Christ hath not determined by Law as v. g. What utensils to employ about the Publick Worship of God whether we shall receive the Lords Supper at a Table of Wood or Stone whether we shall sing in Rythm or Metre or in Prose what Order shall be observed in Reading of the Scripture or how much of it shall be read at a time what Method we shall use in Preaching what Words in Prayer or what Gesture with
already in many instances of things no where determined by the Law of Moses and yet enjoyned by them 't is also contrary to the Apostles Practice who forbad the using of things strangled and blood tho they not only were things in themselves indifferent but things required by that Ceremonial Law from which our Lord had freed his Servants and therefore more might have been pleaded against submitting unto that Decree than to the Constitutions of the Church of England concerning other things indifferent Lastly St. Paul requires that all things which relate unto Gods Publick Worship of which he there discourseth should be done decently and orderly but how shall Rulers be able to order matters so if it be an Infringement of our Christian Liberty to have any thing imposed upon us by our Governours for decency and orders sake Particular Rules being not given us in Scripture about this matter which to be sure would have been done were they not left to the determination of the Rulers of the Church Wherefore to give a brief but a sufficient Answer to the Objections mentioned § 4 1. From what hath been discoursed it is evident that Christian Liberty cannot be violated by these Impositions because the Conscience is obliged by them that is 't is bound to yield obedience to them when they are imposed for if this maketh the Commands of our Superiors to violate our Christian Liberty Then 1. All the Commands of Masters Parents and Superiors respecting things indifferent civil or sacred must be repugnant to that Liberty because we are if Servants Children or Subjects obliged to obey them in all lawful matters even for Conscience sake 2ly Then our own vows and resolutions concerning any thing indifferent must violate our Christian Liberty because we are obliged in Conscience to perform them 3ly Then can we not abstain from any thing indifferent in case of Scandal as St. Paul Commands us without infringing of our Christian Liberty because our Conscience is then bound for fear of Scandal to abstain from what is in it self indifferent 2ly It also is exceeding evident that Christian Liberty cannot be violated by requiring Persons to do that of which their Conscience being erroneous doubts or which it doth Condemn as is insinuated in the fourth Objection For were this so Then 1. our Laws must violate true Christian Liberty when they command the Quaker to pay Tythes for he not only doubts the lawfulness thereof but peremptorily pronounceth it unlawful so to do Then 2ly our Laws Commanding all Papists to come to Church to obey the King in opposition to the Pope to take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy must violate his Christian Liberty because he doubts the lawfulness of yielding obedience to them 3ly By the same Rule my Christian Liberty must be infring'd much more when Magistrates Command me to abstain from what my Conscience tells me I should do now seeing an Erroneous Conscience may urge Men to the greatest wickedness since it may make them verily believe they ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus Acts 26.9 and that by killing his Disciples they would do God Service Joh. 16.2 no Laws according to this Doctrine can be laid on Men whose Conscience is Erroneous to bind them not to do the worst of Evils 3ly In Answer to that passage of St. Paul we are bought with a Price 1 Cor. 7.23 and therefore must not be the Servants of Men. I say 1. That it is only an advice unto those Christians who being Slaves to Heathens had once bought their Liberty or by the bounty of their Friends had been redeemed from Slavery not to sell themselves again or to return to the condition of their former Servitude but to continue in that Liberty it therefore should be thus Translated are ye bought with a Price Be not ye the Servants of Men To make this clear consider that the Apostle is there instructing Christians how to behave themselves in their particular stations and callings and not upon pretence of Christianity to think themselves obliged to alter their condition or to neglect those Duties their proper station did require thus from v. 12th to the 16th he requires the believing â—usband not to desert the unbelieving Wife and the believing Wife not to part from her unbelieving Husband but to abide in that condition in which the Lord had called them In the 18th and 19th verses he advises the Circumcised Christian not to desire to be Uncircumcised vice versa but to abide as they were from v. 21. to v. 24. he gives advice to those who were believing Servants thus Art thou called being a Servant care not for it think it not a disparagement to Christianity that thou art still a Bondman but if thou maist be made Free prefer Freedom before Bondage Are you bought with a Price as by the Charity of Christians many believers then were be not then the Servants of Men return not any more to the condition of your former Slavery This without doubt is the true import of the words But 2ly according to the ordinary reading and interpretation of them viz. ye are bought with a Price even with the Blood of Christ be ye not the Servants of Men it giveth no Commission to the Christian to refuse obedience to his Superiors in lawful matters for to be the Servants of Men which is the thing forbidden to Christs Servants is only not to yield obedience to Men in any thing repugnant to that Service which they owe to Christ and therefore it is so far from being prejudicial to that obedience we owe unto Superiors for the Lords sake that for this very reason we are required to obey them in all lawful things because 't is part of that obedience which Christ requires from us as his Servants and which we are required to do for the Lords sake So Col. 3.20 Children obey your Parents in all things for this is well pleasing to the Lord and v. â—â— Servants obey your Masters in all things and whatsoever you do do it heartily as to the Lord for in serving them you serve the Lord Christ it being his ordinance that you obey in yielding to them in all lawful things And again 1 Pet. 2.13 16. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake as the servants of God So that you see our being bought with a Price being that which maketh us Christs servants even when we are free from Slavery to Men it must engage us the more strictly to Obedience to Masters Parents and Superiors this being that we owe unto them in all lawful matters for the Lords sake and which we are obliged to perform as the servants of Christ. Lastly In Answer to that enquiry of St. Paul If you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the World Coloss 2.20 wherefore as living in the World are ye subject to Ordinances Touch not taste not handle not c. I say 1. That the
Apostle speaks not there of Rites or Constitutions required by Authority and owned as things indifferent in their own Nature but of Doctrins Dogma's and Commands of Jews and of Philosophers and false Apostles who could have no Authority to require from them submission to these Doctrines and Commands but on supposal of the goodness and excellency of the things Commanded He therefore speaketh of such things as the Colossians could not be Subject to on any grounds but such as in themselves were Superstitious and were reproachful to the Gospel and to Christ the Author of it as representing him deficient in wisdom by his neglecting to Command things so exceeding good and excellent 2ly The things here mentioned are manifestly things which in the judgment of these Dogmatisers were things by which God would be better Worshipped and his Religion be advanced or the Professors of it would be rendred more Perfect and Sublime and for neglect of which they were to be Condemned tho no Authority of Man did interpose for their injunction as will be evident 1. From this consideration that they were things for the neglect of which the false Apostles did condemn the Christian as is insinuated in these words let no Man judg censure or condemn you in meats or in drinks v. 16. yea they were things for want of which Christianity it self was represented as imperfect and inferior in Wisdom to the Promoters of these institutions whence the Apostle in opposition to these false Apostles declares that in Christ were hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg v. 3. and adds that this I say lest any Man should belie you with inticing words v. 4. Hence he exhorts them to beware lest any Man spoil them through Philosophy and vain Deceit v. 8 9. after the Traditions of Men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ and gives this reason of his caution that in him did all fulness dwell and that we were compleat in him v. 23 2ly Because these things are stiled Will-Worship they therefore who did introduce them must look upon them as things conducing to the more acceptable service of God or the advancement of his Worship 3ly Because they who performed them did it out of pretence of that Humility Mortification and Austerity which they conceived highly acceptable and well pleasing to God v. 23. wherefore the Church which doth acknowledg that the things enjoyned by her in their own Nature are indifferent and such as in themselves do not conduce to make our service more acceptable and well pleasing to God can be no ways concerned in this prohibition Obj. 2 All things and Rites which have been notoriously abused to Idolatry § 5 and Superstition if they be not such as either God or Nature hath made to be of necessary use should be utterly abolished and purged away from Divine Worship so as not to be used by us as sacred things or Rites pertaining to the same but the Cross Surplice Kneeling in the act of receiving are such Rites as have been thus abused and therefore being not of necessary use they ought say they to be abolished The Major they prove 1. From many Texts of Scripture which enjoyn'd the Israelites not to do after the works of the Canaanites Exod. 23.24 or of the Aegyptians or to walk in their Ordinances Levit. 18.3 not to do so unto the Lord their God as they did Deut. 12.4 and in particular not to Name their Gods Exod. 23.13 not to use the Name of Baal because it had been given to Idols Hos 2.16 but to destroy their Altars break their Images and cut down their Groves Exod. 34.13 to burn the Graven Images of their Gods with fire and not to take unto themselves the Silver and Gold that is upon them Deut. 7.15 to defile the covering that is upon their Graven Images of Silver and the ornaments of their molten Images of Gold to cast them away as menstruous Cloths and say unto them get ye hence Isa 30.22 and also from those places which Command them not to round the corners of their Heads nor mar the corners of their Beards not to make any cuttings in their Flesh for the dead nor Print any marks upon their Bodies Levit. 19.27 28. to which they add those Texts of the New Testament which require us not to touch the unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.17 but to hate the Garments spotted with the Flesh Jude 23. 2ly Rov 2.14 20. Because the Churches of Pergamus and Thyatira are by Christ reproved for suffering Men to teach their Children to eat things offered unto Idols which in themselves were not unlawful to be eaten but only did become unlawful because they were abused to Idolatry And 3ly From examples of good Men in Scripture who abstain'd from things in themselves lawful upon this account v. g. the example of Jacob who abolished the Ear-rings of his Family as being Ensigns of Superstition Gen. 35.4 of Hezekiah who brake in pieces the Brazen Serpent being abused to Idolatry of Mordecai who would not bow to Haman Esth 3.2 of Daniel who would not eat of the Kings meat which was converted to an Idolatrous use lest he should be defiled Dan. 1.8 Now that our Ceremonies have been notoriously abused to Idolatry they prove because they have been consecrated to the service of Idols and commonly imployed in Idolatrous Worship by the Papists To this Objection I Answer Answ 1 That these Commands of the Old Testament were given only to the Jewish Nation where no Natural Analogy § 6 or Moral reason can be shewed for their perpetual obligation I know not why they should be binding to the Christian any more than other Laws of the like Nature which do not now oblige by the confession of our Adversaries as v. g. they were to kindle no fire on the Sabbath day Exod. 35.3 but must we therefore kindle none on the Lords day they were forbid to take Usury of their Brethren and yet Dissenters do not Scruple the taking usury one of the other They were to destroy the places wherein the Inhabitants of Canaan served their Gods Deut. 12.2 and yet Dissenters did not Scruple to use the Churches which the Papists had abused to Idolatrous Worship They were to make no Covenants with the Idolaters of Canaan Exod. 23.32.34.12 Deut. 7.2 may therefore Protestant Princes make no Leagues with Papists They were utterly to destroy them Deut 7.2 and that lest they should teach them to do after their abominations Deut. 20.16 18. not to have mercy on them ibid. may we therefore without mercy destroy all Papists out of our Dominions lest they should teach us to do after their abominations or might they when they had the power in their hands deal so unmercifully with us whom they deem guilty also of Idolatry and an abominable Worship Lastly They were obliged to kill the Person who inticed them to Idolatry Deut. 13.9 and utterly to destroy all who did Sacrifice to any
return unto their former use the Superstition and Idolatry adhering to them being first removed Answ 3 4ly Seeing all Superstition and Idolatry in persons who do ignorantly commit them doth fundamentally require a mistake in the conception of the person guilty of it these vices can no longer cleave unto such actions than this mistake remains when then the action is freed from the superstitious opinion or mistake it is also purged from all Superstition and Idolatry since therefore the Imposers of our Ceremonies have purged them from all those mistaken Doctrines and opinions of the Church of Rome which made them Superstitious and Idolatrous they cannot be abused to those ends Now when the Idolatry and Superstition or the abuse adhering to an action is totally removed there remains nothing which can make that action unlawful to be done and therefore nothing which can render it unlawful in it self to be required to be done Since then we are only commanded to depart from Babylon Rev. 18.4 that we partake not with her in her sins and so no farther than is requisite for the avoidance of Communion with her in sin when we have purged these actions from all those Superstitions and Idolatries which adhered to them as they were exercised in that Church we have done all that Christ and his good Spirit thought needful to require of us in respect to our departure out of Babylon Answ 4 5ly Whereas 't is said in the Objection that things abused to Superstition if they be not necessary must not be done I Answer That tho it be not necessary to impose our Ceremonies yet when they are imposed by Authority they become necessary in their use and so are not to be accounted things unnecessary in respect of us For if Temples Bells Fonts Desks and other sacred Utensils shall be preserved as necessary because as the Dissenter saith so much Money is spared to other good uses why are not our Ceremonies more necessary to us in their use seeing upon submission to them depends the maintenance of many Ministers and their Families the obedience of the King and his Laws Civil and Ecclesiastilcal the peace of the Church of Christ and the free Preaching of the Gospel which sure are things more necessary than the sparing of our Purses Wherefore to give a positive and a perspicuous Answer to the Objected Texts I say 1. That the things in which the Jewish Nation are forbid to do after the manner of the Canaanites or the Aegyptians are either Idolatrous Actions and Ceremonies or actions contrary to the service of God or else things tending to Idolatry Thus Exod. 23.24 thou shalt not do after the works of the Canaanites is a command not to bow down to their Gods and serve them but to overthrow them utterly and quite break down their Images and then it follows v. 25. ye shall serve the Lord your God the works forbidden therefore by that Phrase were contrary to the service of God And v. 33. the reason of this Prohibition is thus given for if thou serve their Gods it will surely be a snare unto thee So again Levit. 18.3 After the doings of the Land of Aegypt wherein you dwell shall you not do neither shall you walk in their ordinances Why Because as Ainsworth well observes Aegypt was an Idolatrous Land and there Israel had been defiled Ezek. 20.8 they Rebel'd against me saith God they did not every Man cast away the abominations of his Eyes neither did they forsake the Idols of Aegypt Ezek. 23.8 and of the Land of Canaan God saith unto them Levit. 20.23 Ye shall keep my Statutes and Judgments to do them ye shall not walk in the manners of the Nations which I cast out before you for they committed all these things and therefore I abhor'd them So that to do after the doings of the Land of Canaan is to do contrary to Gods Judgments and Statutes and to commit the abominable things which they did and this is so evident through the whole Chapter that he who runs may read it For 1. The reason why God forbids them to do after the manner of Aegypt and Canaan is this I am the Lord your God v. 2. 2ly The opposite command is this v. 4 5. Ye shall do my Judgments and keep my Ordinances to walk therein I am the Lord your God ye shall therefore keep my Statutes and my Judgments I am the Lord. And v. 26. Ye shall therefore keep my Statutes and Judgments and shall not commit any of these Abominations And again v. 30. Therefore shall ye keep mine Ordinance that ye commit not any of the Abominable Customs which were committed before you that you defile not your selves therein I am the Lord your God 3ly You shall not do so to the Lord your God Deut. 12.4 is in effect you shall not Worship God by those Idolatrous Images by which the Canaanites Worshipped their Gods but you shall hew down the Graven Images of their Gods v. 3. you shall not Worship him on their Altars or in their Groves but you shall overthrow their Altars and break their Pillars and burn their Groves with fire v. 3. and you shall Worship God in the place that he shall chuse v. 5. and this is very evident from v. 30.31 wheâ—â— God speaks thus unto them thou shalt not enquire after their Gods saying how did these Nations serve their Gods even so will I do likewise thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God for every abomination to the Lord which he hateth have they done unto their Gods So that in all these places to do after the manner of the Heathens which is the thing forbidden is to do after their Idolatrous or their unnatural and unclean Rites in opposition to the Laws Statutes and Judgments of the Lord And this is farther evident from 2 Kings 17.15 where God Complains that his People rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their Fathers and his Testimonies and they followed vanities and became vain and went after the Heathen round about them concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them So that to do like them was to follow vanity and become vain that is Idolaters as that Phrase plainly signifies in Holy Scripture and so it is expounded in the following verse by making Molten Images and the two Calves and Groves and Worshipping the Host of Heaven and serving Baal 4ly To name the name of other Gods which is forbidden Exod. 23.13 is only not to own to worship or enter into covenant with them and in particular not to swear by them so that phrase seems to signifie Psalm 16.4 their sorrows shall be multiplyed that hasten after another God their drink offerings of Blood will I not offer nor take up their names upon my Lips i.e. I will not forsake thee by partaking with them in their abominable Sacrifices who serve other Gods nor by swearing by the name of
of divine service the Lord Jesus Christ shall be mentioned due and lowly Reverence shall be done by all persons present as it hath been accustomed testifying by these outward Ceremonies and Gestures their inward Humility Christian Resolution and due Acknowledgment that the Lord Jesus Christ the true and Eternal Son of God is the only Savior of the world in whom alone all the Mercies Graces and Promises of God to mankind for this life and the life to come are fully and wholly comprised And 3ly When we Kneel at the Reception of the Blessed Sacrament Rubrick after the Communion we do not pay that outward act of Worship to the Elements of Bread and Wine but to that Savior whom they represent for the Church of England hath declared that thereby no adoration is intended or ought to be done unto the Sacramental Bread and Wine there bodily received So that from the express declarations of the Church of England it appears that none of these things are by her made the objects of Religious Worship but only the occasions of tendring that Worship which we owe to God and therefore there is no appearance of Idolatry in the performance of these things Obj. 3 We are commanded to Separate from every Brother that walks disorderly 2 Thessal 3.6 § 3 And are forbidden to keep Company with any man who being call'd a Brother is a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a Rayler or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such a one we must not Eat 1 Cor. 5.11 And if we may not Eat with Such a Person at our own Table may we Eat with him at the Holy Table of the Lord Now through the want of Discipline such Persons are admitted amongst you saith the Dissenter and therfore we dare nor joyn with you in that Ordinance Answ 1 I pray God this objection doth not make you meet together as the Apostle saith of the Corinthian Schismaticks 1 Cor. 11.17 not for the better but the worse For I much fear there may be found in those Assemblys which you resort to as more pure besides a crew of Schismaticks with whom according to the Discipline observed in the purest Ages of the Church the Christian ought not to communicate many who rail against Superiors and speak evil of Dignities and many who have once been open Rebels and have not publickly repented of those crimes and if you can communicate with them why not with such as usually do meet at our Communion Tables The wisdom which is from above is impartial Answ 2 Consider I beseech you that this argument will drive you as well from our Assemblies and from our Prayers as from our Communion Table for you may as well Argue thus him that I may not keep company with at home I may not keep company with at Church him that I must not joyn with in my Civil Converse I must not hold Communion with in Sacred him that I may not Eat with I may not Pray with as you do Argue thus him that I may not Eat with at my own I may not Eat with at the Table of the Lord. This is apparent from the occasion of the objected Precept viz. The Incestuous Person who was to be taken from among them v. 2. To be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the Flesh v. 5. To be purged out from the new lump v. 7. To be put away from among them v. 13. If therefore after admonition they continue obstinate and Refractory Offenders they are to be excluded from all Christs ordinances and to be esteemed as Publicans and Heathens Matt. 18.17 Accordingly they by the discipline observed in the purest Ages of the Church were actually excluded from Communion with her in all her Offices if then we may not joyn with them in one we may not joyn with them in other Ordinances till they have satisfyed the Church they being by this precept equally to be excluded from them all Scripture may also be as plausibly produced for the declining of Communion with them in publick Prayer and family devotions in hearing of a Sermon and the like as in receiving of the Sacrament for doth not David make it the Character of good and blessed men that they stand not in the Congregation of Sinners Doth he not say Psal 1.1 Psal 101.4 I will not know a wicked Person Answ 3 That even wicked Persons who are not Scandalously and Notoriously such but make profession of Obedience to the laws of Christ and are not by the Church cast out for acting contrary to their profession may be unblameably communicated with seems undenyable from the Example of our Saviour by whom Judas was certainly admitted to that Passover which spiritually did signify and represent Christ to them 1 Cor. 10.3 And by which rite they owned themselves the servants of the God of Israel v. 18. Whence none might eat thereof who were not Circumcised Exod. 12.48 That he was also present at the supper of our Lord I have fully proved already If then a person so unworthy and so regardless of the Law of Moses that he had actually resolved to take a reward to betray Innocent-blood If a Thief Psal 15.5 and a Covetous person was by our Lord admitted to the Passover If one who by our Lord was known to be in heart a Murtherer and a Betrayer of his Master was yet admitted by him to his Sacrament you see that sinners must be first notorious before they ought to be excluded and when they are so our Rubrick and our Canons give every Minister Authority to with-hold the Communion from them and therefore Authorise them to exercise the Discipline required in this case Hence also we may learn that to communicate with those whom we know to be wicked in this duty derives upon us no Communion in their Guilt for otherwise our Lord and his Disciples would not have joyned in Communion with that wicked one Answ 4 This precept is not directed to particular persons but to the Church of Corinth in the General as you may learn from v. 4. And therefore hence it only follows that it is the duty of Church Governors to exclude such persons from Communion with her but not that private persons should refrain Communion with the Church because they judge that they neglect their duty And therefore we do never read that Christ or his Apostles refused Communion with the Jewish Church or did neglect to go unto the Temple or the Synagogue because the Scribes and Pharisees neglected to perform their duty and our Apostle here doth never call the members of the Church of Corinth to separate from them who caused disorders in the Celebration of this Sacrament but only calls upon them to reform those disorderly proceedings And I beseech you to consider what a Gap would be laid open to perpetual Schisms if private persons were permitted to judge when their Superiors did neglect their duty in any part of publick worship
perform these outward acts of reverence to our Superiors on earth in token of the honor which we owe to them much more ought we to do so to the Majesty of Heaven Hence then it naturally follows Coroll that whatsoever is a proper act of outward Worship and fitly doth express our inward Reverence of God by any outward gesture of the body may very laudably be required by Superiors seeing by these injunctions they only do require us to do in this or that particular what is in general our duty And therefore 1. To require us to Kneel at Prayer and at the Absolution which concludes with Prayer and at the Commandments and Imposition of hands and at the Receiving of the Sacrament is only to require us to pay to God the Worship due unto him to use that posture in our Devotions which our Saviour used at Prayer Luk. 22.41 and which doth properly express our Reverence to him to whom we pray and which was saith Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Eccl. Hist l. 5. c. 5. the Common Custom of the Christian from whence their Prayers had the name of Ingeniculations 2. To require us to bow at the name of Jesus is only to require us to pay that Service in that instance to him to whom God hath declared that all knees shall bow Rom. 10.11 and to whom on account of his Divinity Worship is due by virtue of our obligation to Glorifie him with our Bodys which are his To require us to do this at the name of Jesus rather than at the name of Christ or Saviour when we design to recognize him as our only Saviour by that act of worship seems also reasonable seeing the name of Christ doth rather signifie his unction to his office than the blesings which accrue unto us by the execution of it The name of Saviour is also common to him with the Father whereas the Name of Jesus is appropriated to our Lord. 3ly To require us to uncover our Heads in the House of God and whilst we wait upon him in his presence is only to require us to pay that Reverence unto the Majesty of Heaven which we yield to his Vicegerents here on Earth 4. Since 't is a part of Christian duty by which our God is glorifyed to make publick Profession of our Faith and this is done as well by other signs as Vocal by the sign of the Cross as well as by the Tongue proclaiming our belief of Christ crucified by standing up at the Rehearsal of the Creed as well as by saying these words I believe the standing Gesture is very suitable at such a solemn declaration of the Articles of Christian Faith in token of our Cordial assent and Resolution to stand firm unto it And indeed this is so properly signified saith Mr. Lab. Eccles p. 459. Faulkner by the standing Gesture according to the general apprehensions of the World that both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek which words express the standing Gesture are used in Scripture to signifie an asserting with resolution Deut. 25.8 1 Chron. 34 32. 1 Cor. 16.13 2 Thess 2.15 And the like Idioms of Speech are in some other Languages as well as our own whence stare dictis in the Latin to stand to our words in our Dialect Lastly To give you hence some rational account why standing up at the Gospel is required rather than at the Epistle I must proceed by these degrees 1. That in the devouter times both of the Jewish and the Christian Church the People to manifest their Reverence unto the Word of God the Message sent from God unto them did hear it standing thus when Ezra opened the Book of the Law all the People stood up Nehem. 8.5 and the Children of Israel stood up in their places to read the Law of the Lord Neh. 9.3 2ly When the Gospel was read in the Assemblies of the Christian Church the People were required to stand up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When the Gospel is read let all the Presbyters and Deacons L. 2. C. 57. L. 7. C. 19. and all the People stand say the Constitutions of St. Clement And Sozomen speaks of it as a peculiar usage of the Bishop of Alexandria the like to which he had not seen or heard of that he stood not up at the Reading of the Gospel See to this purpose Philostorgius l. 3. Cap. 5. Chrysostom de Circo Isid Pelusiota l. 1. Ep. 136. Niceph. l. 9 18 12 34. If you have the curiosity to ask why at the Gospel rather than the Epistle I answer that this custom was used out of an especial respect to our Lord and Saviour whose words are ordinarily rehearsed in the Gospel to express I say an higher respect to Christ himself speaking there than to his Apostles who were sent by him on which account Ignatius saith the Gospel hath this excellency in it viz. the Presence of our Saviour Jesus Christ Epist ad Philadelph and his Suffering and Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 9 it hath something more excellent in it than the Writings of the Prophets though they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all very good In Joh Tom. 1 P. 4. C. And Origen that the Epistles were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of equal esteem among Christians with those Writings of which it was said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this saith the Lord. If you ask further Why then do we not stand up at the Second Lesson as well as at the Gospel in the Second Service I answer That out of tenderness unto the weakness and infirmity of many Christians v. Mr. Faulkner 's Lib. Eccles p. 146. 462. liberty was granted to them to hear the longer Lessons sitting provided they would shew the Reverence when a less portion of it was read at second Service § 12 Lastly Whereas some doubt the lawfulness of our observing the Festivals appointed by the Church of England I shall endeavour to give them satisfaction in the point in some few Propositions laid down by Mr. Divine appoint of the Lord's Day C. 13. Baxter in that case and then proceed to Answer the Objections which he and others make against them And 1. p. 148. Few saith He question but that whole days of Humiliation and of Thanksgiving may and must be kept upon great and extraordinary occasions of Judgments and of Mercies and that many Churches may agree in these and I know no just Reason why the Magistrate may not with Charity and Moderation to the weak impose them and command such an Agreement among his Subjects 2ly Few saith he doubt but the Commemoration of Great Mercies or Judgments may be made Anniversary and of long continuation p. 149. as the observation of the Fifth of November is made annual among us to preserve the Memorial of the deliverance from the Powder Plot the Second of September for the Anniversary humbling Remembrance of