Properties and Attributes of the most high God 66 c. This truth acknowledged by all sorts of men the Primitive Christians 69. the Jews 71. the Heathen 72. Our not comprehending the difficulties of it no reason against it 73. Some considerations added to lead us thro' 'em ib. 4. Proposition This One God is to be Worshipped For First consider'd as essentially his nature and perfections justly challenge the deepest veneration 75. Then Secondly considered personally the Scriptures require him to be Worshipped 76. 5. Proposition This God only is to be Worshipped This shewn First from Scripture 78. Secondly from Reason 79. Thirdly from Antiquity 81. What the Papists say in opposition to this considered with respect to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Invocation of Saints and Images 84. 1. As to the Eucharist That the Papists pay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to it ib. and thereby put the greatest affront upon Scripture 91. upon the analogy of Faith 94. upon Antiquity 97. upon Reason 106. and upon Sense 108. The declaration of their Church in this matter and the impossibility of an innovation considered 110. 2. As to Invocation of Saints This injurious to the peculiar honour of God 115. and of Jesus Christ the only Mediator 116. and has not the same grounds and reasons as our praying to each other here below For First the Saints and Angels are at a distance 117. And then Secondly 't is the prerogative of Jesus Christ only to be our Mediator in Heaven 118. as the Primitive Christians thought 119. The Origine of Invocation c. 122. 3. As to Images 123. They who use them are of three sorts First such as say they use them only as memorials to quicken their devotions which has no kindly influence on Religion 124. Secondly such as say they give only inferiour worship to 'em which yet is either vain or sinful 125. Thirdly such as profess to give the same worship to the Image as to the Prototype in kind thô not in degree i.e. relative or respective worship only ib. the vanity of this distinction shewn 126. and that 't is Idolatry 128. contrary to the Second Commandment 132. and unknown to the Primitive Church 135. SECT III. Concerning the True Worshippers of God THE whole reduced to Three Inquiries 142. I. Enquiry Who they are that are obliged to Worship ib. And they are in general all rational Beings as Angels 142. and Men whether secular 143 or more especially Ecclesiastical and consecrated to the performance of Religious Offices 145. the necessity of these shewn ib. such have been in all ages 147. before the floud ib. between that and the Law 150. that the First-born then were Priests 151. such also there were from the giving the Law till Christ 154. as appears from the Priests and Levites ib. from the Schools of the Prophets 155. from their studies there 156 from their Ordination by imposition of hands 157 from the place where they exercised their function 159. such lastly there were under the Gospel ib. II. Enquiry How men are to Worship God 163. This shown in several Propositions 1. Prop. We are to Worship him with all our Soul and heart and strength ib. and 2. Prop. Outwardly with our Bodies 165. 3. Prop. All the modes of external Worship must be decent orderly and to edification ib. 4. Prop. Different deductions from this general rule are no just grounds for distinct Churches to differ among each other and so violate the Vnity of the Vniversal 166. 5. Prop. Yet in the same Church 't is very expedient and desirable That there should be the same external mode of Religion 167 but yet 6. Prop. If contests arise in the same Church about external modes a ready way to compose them is to appeal to Primitive Order and give the preference to those that come nighest to it 169. And 7. Prop. If it cannot be known what the Primitive Order therein was the next step to Peace is to make prudent condescensions on each side before Authority has made any determinations 171. Then 8. Prop. If condescensions cannot be had and yet a determination is necessary all both weak and strong are obliged to acquiesce in such a determination 173. which is neither against nor inconsistent with the perfection of Scripture as a rule 174. nor prejudicial to our Christian Liberty 175. nor yet induces any necessity of violating the Law about scandal 176. III. Enquiry What ends we are to propose in the acts of Religious Worship ib. This shewn in three particulars First and chiefly The Glory of God 177. Secondly The Salvation of our Souls 178. Thirdly The good of the Community 179. The tendency of Religious Worship to all these shewn under each SECT IV. Concerning Assistance relating to Divine Worship THE Introduction from the general and acknowledged depravation of our Natures whereby we want Light to direct and Strength to enable us in the Worshipping God a-right and Merits to render our Services acceptable 185. Against all these God has provided sufficient helps and remedies in that 1. We have the holy Scriptures to direct us 186 2. The Holy Spirit to communicate strength 186 3. The Merits of our Saviour to procure acceptance 186 All which are treated more largely of And 1. Of the holy Scriptures to direct us which that we have grounds to depend on shewn in several Propositions as First The Worshipping God is absolutely necessary to Salvation 187. Secondly Moses and the Prophets Christ and the Apostles did by Oral Tradition reveal all things necessary to this purpose ib. Thirdly What they spoke was evidenced to be the real mind of God by inward characters of Divinity and external miraculous operations ib. Fourthly This word of God thus evidenced was faithfully committed to writing 192. Fifthly This Writing is digested into 24 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New 193. Sixthly These Books have been transmitted to us without corruption 194. Two opinions inconsistent with what has been said considered 1. That the Church of Rome as being infallible is to be our guide in matters of Religion 206. 2. That every one ought to rely upon the conduct of his own reason ib. As to the First Proved that the Pope is not infallible 207. nor a Council ib. nor the body of the People 210. nor all these together ib. nor are the reasons they urge here sufficient such as first The peremptory necessity of such a Guide 211. nor secondly their having all reasonable evidence that the Church of Rome is such a Guide 216. For they have not first The evidence of Scripture ib. shewn as to the chief places they urge 221. nor secondly Vniversal Tradition 228. nor yet thirdly the motives of credibility 232. shewn particularly as to Antiquity Diuturnity Amplitude ib. uninterrupted Succession of Bishops 235. Agreement in doctrine with the Primitive Church 236. Vnion among themselves 237. holiness of doctrine 239. efficacy of it 240. holiness of life 242. Lastly the
continues its pursuit that which is now good in the appetitive faculty will presently become evil because it acts contrary to its immediate rule Tho' there may be policy yet there is but little piety in the practice of those who perswade their Proselytes That light puts out the fire of devotion and an implicit belief is the perfection of Religion The truth is They are so conscious of the infirmity of the foundation they build upon that they use their best endeavours to deprive others of their sight that they may be in no capacity to discover it As we must Worship with our Understanding so likewise with our Will that which is free and of our own election is most acceptable to God Josephus says That God rejected Cain because he offered a Sacrifice which was extorted by force out of the earth and accepted Abel because his victim was free and natural Tho' he missed of the true Reason yet he hit upon a great Truth That a free and uncompelled obedience is most agreeable to the Divine Will God being a Spirit is concerned chiefly in the frame of our Spirits and disvalues that Service which doth not proceed from them 1 Kin. 6.4 The windows of the Temple which Solomon dedicated to him were broad within and narrow without his eye looks more within upon the temper and composure of our hearts than without upon our external performances All the faculties of our Soul must be screw'd up to the highest pitch In the Intellect there must be a superlative esteem of the Divine Majesty in the Will the deepest devotion Every sacred performance challengeth the most reverential regards Altho' there may be culpable excesses in the imperate acts of the Body yet there is no fear of them in the elicite operations of the Soul It is impossible to value love and obey God too much An infinite good requires the utmost vigour of a finite Spirit when it is conversant about it 2. God must be worshipped outwardly with the Body It is to be presented as a living Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 holy and acceptable to him We must not imitate them who use to take to themselves all the flesh of their victims and offer up nothing but the Blood and Soul to their Deities Our Bodies being the Lords as well as our Spirits and very proper instruments to commend the practice of Religion to others they are not to be exempted from this Service Outward profession which cannot be without the acts of the body is a duty as well as inward devotion Adam did wear the skins of the beasts which he sacrificed to God The Scripture never censures bodily Service but the want of the heart and a right direction of the intentions in the performance of it He who Worships God with his Body and suffers his Soul at the same time to be under irrelative motions is like a Souldier who imploys his Scabbard in the service of his Commander and his Sword to some other purpose 3. All the modes of the Body must be decent orderly and tending to Edification It is the pleasure of him who is the Supreme Head of the Church to give this general rule and to furnish subordinate Governours with such discretion as will enable them to make convenient deductions from it in particular cases Upon this account the Apostle appeals to Nature that is natural reason when he treats about matters of order 1 Cor. 11. and asserts That disorder will administer occasion to unbelievers to charge the Congregation with madness that is with a deportment contrary to the rule of common reason 1 Cor. 14. 4. Different deductions from this general rule is no just ground for distinct Churches to commence a contest one against another and by this means violate the Unity of the Universal Decency is not confined to a point but has a certain latitude Under a Genus there are more Species than one The Carthaginian and Roman Army at Cannae were not drawn up in the same form and yet in both there was a mode agreeable to the rules of Military Order Upon this account the present Church has no quarrel with the antient altho' she differs from her in matters of this nature Formerly it was thought to be very decent to stand at Prayer on the Lord's day in token of the Resurrection To plunge three times those who were to be Baptised in signification of the Trinity to cloath them when they came out of the water with a white garment Altho' these customs are now laid aside yet we are so far from reproaching those who did use them that we highly value their authority in the important concerns of Religion The several parts of the ancient Church altho ' they differed in things of this Nature yet they had communion together Euseb l. 5. c. 24. Irenaeus in his Letter to Victor says That some conceived that they were to fast but one day before the Passover some Two some Forty nevertheless they had Peace Those Churches which dissented in such matters Sozom. use to send the Sacrament one to another as a token of their agreement in the Faith They thought it a vain thing to be divorced upon the account of some different customes when there was a harmony betwixt them in the great concerns of Religion Firmilianus asserts Epist ad Cypr. That the same Rites were not at Rome and Jerusalem and the like differences were in other places yet the Unity and Peace of the Catholick Church was not broken S. Austin takes notice Ep. ad Casulan 86. That in the garment of the King's Daughter there is variety of work to import that there may be diverse Rites in the Church and yet all reconcileable with the Unity of the Faith 5. Tho' this variety is very excusable in different Churches yet it is highly expedient and desirable that in the same Church there should be the same external mode of Religion Edification is the great design which ought to be aimed at in an Ecclesiastical Community There is nothing which is more opposite to this end than discord and contention and nothing will sooner kindle and blow up the fire of contention than differences of this nature Tho' Men at distance do bear one with another in such variations yet when they are near and in frequent Communion under the same constitution they are apt to take great distaste We like well the different fashions of another Country and treat Strangers which are in them with significations of a due respect yet if any of our own Community affect such an exotick Garb they are usually the object of vulgar scorn and derision The different dress of one is a reproach to another and charges him with folly and weakness as tho' he was not able to discern what is convenient and under such an imputation Men are commonly very uneasie and break out into an exchange of the greatest unkindness The animosity occasioned by a variation in Religious Rites
Titulars and Pensioners sent from that Court with many other devices P. 18 19 20. insomuch that a Romish Priest in his Letter to the Bishop of Ferns saies That the Council was neither Oecumenical nor Occidental nor free He who considers all this will be under no inclination to believe That the Council of Trent was inspired with any thing besides the infallible Spirit of Worldly Policy As for the People They can make no just plea to infallibility If the Head cannot justifie his plea much less the feet which are guided by and take their measures from him If the Head and Members together are the recipients of it for it is not agreed whether the Decrees of the Pope without a Council or the Decrees of a Council without the Pope or the Decrees of the Pope and Council without the acceptance of the whole body of the People be authentick Some say one thing some another Their Language is confounded that they may be hindred from building the aspiring tower of Infallibility it ought to be examined how this comes to be known Two things are alledged 1. There is a peremptory necessity for such a guide 2. The Church of Rome has all the evidence that can be reasonably desired that she is such a one 1. The necessity is not apparent It was necessary that the doctrin concerning Religion should be revealed by God the first Proponents of it infallibly guided by the influence of the Divine Spirit but there is no just reason why such persons should be continued in the Church to the end of the World The certainty of Religion may be secured without them We have an infallible rule to steer our course by The Books in which it is contained are conveyed to our hand with all the desirable assurance That they are not forged but really such as they pretend to be We have as much evidence for this as the nature of the thing is capable of The Tradition whereby they are delivered to us is so universal That could the like be produced for those points which are in controversie betwixt us and the Church of Rome we should not be backward in the entertainment of them We have far less evidence for many Writings as Plato's Tully's Caesar's which without any hesitancy we believe to be genuine These are conveyed unto us but by a very few hands in comparison but the Books of the Scripture being of general concernment were perused by all sorts and by this means have gain'd the most universal attestation Porphyry and Julian with other implacable enemies to the Christian Faith did acknowledge those books to be composed by those whose names they bear The Books being thus delivered when we come to consult the doctrine contained in them we find ingraven upon it peculiar characters of Divinity agreeable to the impressions of the Deity made upon the Souls of all men together with the broad Seal of Heaven annexed unto it many Miracles which God never gives to any a power to do for the confirming an errour In order to the gaining the true Sence and meaning of this doctrine we have great advantage from the clearness of the stile in all points of absolute necessity to Salvation Truths of this importance are set in a very clear light What is more manifest than the following particulars There is a God a peculiar Worship is due to him in the Deity are Three Persons The Second cloathed himself with our Nature that he might be in a capacity to transact the work of our Redemption Those that would have a title to the benefits of his Redemption must Believe Repent lead a holy Life An eternal reward will be given to those that do these things and an everlasting punishment inflicted upon those who neglect them A day is appointed when all must stand before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ These particulars with many others of a-like nature are written with the greatest perspicuity If any complain of obscurity it is in themselves and not in the object If men will devest themselves of their prejudices dissipate those mists which are cast before them they cannot remain long unacquainted with these Truths If any controversie arise we have visible Guides to advise with who are devoted to the study of the Sacred Oracles and solemnly set apart by a Divine appointment to this purpose even as in secular concerns there is not only a Law to walk by but Men wholly devoted to the search of the meaning of it who are able in difficult cases to assist us Tho' these Persons whether alone or congregated in a Synod are not infallible yet when they are duly improved sincerely Religious free from the Bias of an irrelative interest they give us a high degree of assurance That their thoughts are agreeable to Truth and just Reason if we cannot internally assent to keep our Faith to our selves and not to disturb the Peace of the Church by an imprudent publication We attribute to the Divine Spirit speaking in the holy Scripture supreme and infallible Conduct To the Governours of the Church Subordinate and Ministerial To private Men who are under their Government we dare not deny the judgment of discretion God requires of them a reasonable Service 〈…〉 a compliance as is in brute creatures who are entirely subject to the discretion of those who use them and can give no account of the action they are directed to He expects the concurrence of the Heart He has endued us with a freedom to determine our selves and requires that our election be made upon such evidence that in case our Rulers command us to do otherwise than we apprehend to be right we may be able to give a sober account of our dissatisfaction an answer to every one that asketh us a reason of the hope which is in us with meekness and fear We are obliged to prove all things try the Spirits whether they be of God This Exhortation is not directed only to Fathers and Governours in the Church but such as are stiled young men and children who are under their conduct This liberty in point of discretion doth not lessen and impair the certainty of Religion Those who use it have a rational power conferred upon them by the Supreme Being for the searching and finding out of Truth They have visible Guides to make their application to in order to the removing their scruples They have the enjoyment of the publick Ministry which by Heaven is designed as the ordinary means to convey information to them the promise of the divine Spirit which doth accompany it and will be assistant to them if they do not resist it but expose themselves to its operations a power to suspend their assent till the matter be clear and evident When the object is so and the faculty duly prepared by the use of such means as have been specified it will be unreasonable to assert That we may in such circumstances be imposed upon He to whom veracity
is essential made the faculty He formed it with a design to find out Truth He requires no other condition in any object to qualifie it for assent but clearness We have as much clearness in all points necessary to Salvation as the nature of the thing will bear So that in this case we have a security from the divine Veracity and Goodness with which it is no reconcileable That our faculty should be so formed as to be deceived when the Proposition we assent unto is manifest and perspicuous So that the ultimate resolution of our Faith is not made into the fallible testimony of a private Spirit but a testimony given by an infallible attribute of the immutable nature of the Deity which assures us not only That what God has revealed is true but that those things are revealed by him in the Bible which are plain and manifest to a duely qualified mind Errour proceeds from the giving too hasty an assent to propositions upon such grounds as are irrelative to their Nature as Education Interest c. He who will devest himself of his prejudices which way soever contracted and sincerely apply himself to the use of such means as are of Divine designation as Praying Reading Hearing Meditating consulting the living Guides which God has set up in his Church will certainly arrive at the perception of that which is necessary to his Salvation He has the highest degree of assurance that this sublunary 〈…〉 â—â—pable of Nothing can be thought 〈…〉 an addition to it but a new revelation and if this was granted as many difficulties would emerge about the meaning of it as there are about the true importance of the old No acquiescence in it could be obtained but upon such considerations as now induce us to believe the Bible and the clear sence of it to be the Word and mind of God All this will evidence That there is not a peremptory necessity for such a Guide as the Church of Rome contends for 2. It is not true That the Church of Rome has all the evidence that can be reasonably desired that she is such a one Three Topicks are commonly made use of in this case Scripture-promises Universal Tradition Motives of Credibility As for the first Let the Text be cited where any such promise is made to the Church of Rome S. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans is so far from insinuating any thing of this nature that he gives them advice which evidently imports the possibility of their fall He acquaints them if they boast against the branches as it is manifest they have done and grow insolent that they shall be cut off To mention those promises which respect the Universal Church is wholly irrelative The Church of Rome is so far from being the Universal that she is but a part exceedingly degenerated Pessimum acetum ex optimo Vino She hath obtained the title Catholick by the same method which Abimelech used to make himself King and Phocas Emperour She attempts to murder the right Heirs and true Sons of the Church with the unjust imputation of Heresie that she may enjoy the inheritance alone Her deportment has been as if one member of the body which has a distemper in it should value if self upon that account and pronounce all the other parts to have no interest in the whole because they are not infected with it Indeed it is said That the Catholick Church is One and always visible which can be applied to none but the Church of Rome But this may as easily be denied as affirmed She has not been in any age the One only Church The Eastern Churches have had always an existence as well as the Western in which from the first age there has been the Baptism of Christ the Creed of the Apostles an uninterrupted succession of Bishops In the Western when abuses began to insinuate themselves there was always a number not only of private but publick persons which gave their testimony against them as will be manifest to any who have leisure to peruse the History of the Ages betwixt Boniface the third and Luther These persons we have more reason to account the Church which God has promised always to preserve than those who were willing without any reluctancy to submit to the grossest innovations Tho' they were not equal in number yet there were enough of them to make the little flock to which a Kingdom is promised The Church of Rome as it is now has not been always visible There was no such thing in the three first Centuries Where was then the doctrin of Supremacy Infallibility Transubstantiation worshipping of Images Invocation of Saints Praying in an unknown Language keeping the Scripture from the People mutilating the Sacrament making the Apocryphal Books equal to the Bible These are some of the Characteristical notes of the present Church whereby she stands distinguish'd from others Those Ages were utterly unacquainted with these Tenents We dare appeal from the Church of Rome as it is now to the Church of Rome as it was then and stand to her arbitration In the following Ages errours began more to shew themselves yet they did not grow to such a height as to be received for the Faith of the Church The infernal Spirit has been always busie to sow his tares yet those Ages were not so blind as to take them for wheat Insomuch that we lawfully say That there was not a man in those days which may be properly called a Papist As for the Promises which respect the Universal Church the utmost that can be made of them is That there shall always be upon the Earth a people owning the fundamentals of Religion together with Teachers which shall have a sufficient assistance in order to the directing and inabling them to discharge their duty But there is no assurance given that this aid shall be so efficacious as to furnish them with such an universal Infallibility as the Church of Rome pretends to Such help is promised as is sutable to the exigencies of every Age. In the Primitive it was necessary That it should be so powerful as to secure the first Proponents of our Religion from errour But in after ages this necessity did not continue Greater skill is required to make an exact rule than when it is made to draw a line exactly conformable to it The foundation of Religion being completely laid and the rule of Faith and Worship given out by an unerring hand such aid only is ordinarily to be expected as if we be not wanting to our selves and prevent the effects of it by a voluntary neglect will lead us into the sence of what is revealed God has endued us with a faculty whereby we are in a capacity to make a free choice of that which is propounded unto us He helps us to do it by such means as are agreeable to an intellectual nature He does always enough to enable us to make an advantagious election and therefore
errour is charged in sacred Writ upon the Will as the original of it This doth not render Religion uncertain Fallibility and certainty are not inconsistent There may be an actual certainty where there is no absolute infallibility A Judge is not infallible and yet he may be certain that the sentence which he pronounceth is right A man may be sure of what he sees plainly demonstrated before him altho' he is not out of the power and influence of all deception When a foundation is laid and some build gold silver and precious stone upon it others wood hay stubble it is as easie for one who is not infallible to discern the difference betwixt these superstructures as to distinguish a wall of marble form that which is made of brick If there be no certainty without infallibility Scepticism must be admitted and a stop put to all proceedings of Justice No Man ought to be condemned to suffer a penalty except it be certain that he deserves it and who are there but fallible Men to give evidence and judge of his demerits If the Promises of Scripture have sâ—â—â—â— sence as is contended for how comes it to be known It is a received principle amongst those with whom we are concerned That they cannot be sure of the meaning of the Bible without the interpretation of an infallible Spirit and by consequence we must be sure that the Church is infallible before we can be sure of the Sence of Scripture and if so the promise cannot be alledged as an argument to prove infallibility for then there will be a perfect circle The sence of the promise is justified by the infallibility of the Church and the infallibility of the Church by the sence of the promise From hence it is apparent That the meaning of the promise may be known without the interpretation of an infallible Spirit and if so why not the sence of other places of Scripture If we should enter upon an examination of the particular Texts of Scripture which are pretended to favour the Infallibility which the Romanists contend for they would be found no way answerable to that purpose for which they are produced They are such as these If he neglect to hear the Church c. Lo I am with you to the end of the world He will guide you into all truth He that heareth you heareth me It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and to us The Church which is the pillar and ground of Truth He that will not hearken to the Priest shall die Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church I have prayed that thy faith fail not Feed my Sheep To all which we briefly answer in order 1. When we are commanded To hear the Church This Church may be the Greek or Protestant as well as the Roman and hearing doth not imply the infallibility of it Every Parishioner is commanded to hear the Minister which is set over him and yet no body from thence will infer that he is infallible This Church we are not to believe without making any scrutiny but lie under obligation to try all things and hold fast that which is good The command of the Church doth not free us from sin in our conformity to it The Jews contracted a deep guilt in compassing the death of our blessed Lord tho' they did it in obedience to their Governours Not only Pastors but the Sheep know the voice of their supreme Shepherd and are in a capacity to distinguish it from the voice of a stranger 2. When it is said I will be with you to the end of the world This assures us of the presence of Christ with his Ministers so long as the world endures but not that he will give the same measure of assistance which the Apostles did enjoy That which is sufficient in every Age is ascertained by this promise but not that which is efficacious to such a degree as will secure them from all errour for then every particular Pastour will be as Infallible as every Apostle was 3. When it is asserted That when the Spirit of Truth is come He will guide you into all truth it cannot be proved That this promise is made to any besides the Apostles The context plainly appropriates it to them I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now These words have an evident aspect upon the Disciples only If we should grant That not only the Apostles but their Successors are the objects of the promise what is intended to be proved will not follow namely Infallibility The direction of the Spirit may be opposed He gives in all ages a sufficient but not an irresistible guidance Many tho' they are put into a right way by him yet desert it and follow their own erroneous apprehensions 4. Those words He that heareth you heareth me are spoken of the Seventy Disciples not assembled in a Council but as going up and down from place to place to preach the Gospel So that if they be construed in such a fence as to favour Infallibility they will prove more than is desired namely That this priviledge of not erring belongs to every Preacher who has a lawful authority conferred upon him to publish the Gospel 5. Those words It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and to us do not argue That the blessed Spirit will infallibly assist in all future Councils They assert what was done at this present Convention but hold forth no promise of the same degree of assistance in all Ages The reason of this extraordinary aid was peculiar to those times The Apostles then were to lay the foundation to fix an unerring rule both for the converted Jews and Gentiles The rule being once setled the necessity of the continuance of the same degree of assistance did cease The Heavens did forbear to rain down Manna so soon as the Israelites were in possession of a Country furnished with all convenient provision It is no good consequence That because the Sanhedrim in Moses's time was endued with an extraordinary Spirit therefore the same favour must be indulged to all their Successours even to the Council which put the Lord of Life to death 6. In those words The Church of the living God the pillar and ground of Truth The word Church must import That in which Timothy is directed how to demean himself and that undoubtedly was the Church of Ephesus of which he had the Ecclesiastical inspection That Church did hold forth the True Doctrin of the Gospel in its publick Profession even as pillars upon which the Edicts of Princes are fastned expose them to the view of all that pass by The expression alludes to the Temple of Diana much celebrated for its magnificent Pillars upon which the rules of the Religion of that Goddess were inscribed The Apostle intimates That those Columns were the Pillars of falshood but the Church of Christ in the City the Pillar of Truth holding forth the True Doctrin of
glory of Miracles 247. Nay greater motives of credibility on our side That there is no such infallible Guide as First 'T is no where revealed by Jesus Christ 251. Secondly 'T is inconsistent with the nature of an intellectual Being 252. 'T is Thirdly destructive of True Virtue 253. Fourthly It can be of no advantage in our present circumstances ib. Fifthly 'T is not reconcileable to the divine intention in giving the sacred Oracles 255. Sixthly All the testimony for it comes only from the Church of Rome her self 256. Seventhly The Primitive Constitution of the Church plainly intimates that no one Guide was designed supream over all the Churches of the World 257. Eightly No provision made of an infallible Guide in a case of like importance 260. Ninthly Such a Guide not easily reconcileable with the constitution of Civil Empires 262. Tenthly and lastly There is a plain prediction in Scripture of one that would pretend to be that infallible Guide 264. Thus much in answer to the first opinion Then as to the 2 Opinion inconsistent with the Scriptures being our Guide namely That we ought to rely entirely upon the conduct of our own reason shewn First that it would have its effects with respect to Religion and the Church 269. Secondly That 't is not consistent with the interest of humane Society 270. Thirdly disagreeable to the propensity of humane Nature 273. Fourthly Prejudicial to the Souls of Men 276. For speculative error in Religion is no such indifferent thing as some think in that First Error is inclusive of disobedience 278. Secondly Errors in Religion are not unavoidable 279. Thirdly 'T is no uncharitableness to say Error is danmable ib. Fourthly The reason why a just Catalogue of errors can't be given is because one error may be damnable in one that is not so in another 280. Fifthly The fault may be known by the guilty if they take care to look back and fully examine things ib. Sixthly God doth not put us here into a state of mere probability 281. Seventhly An erroneous Conscience is not God's True Vicegerent 282. 2. As to the assistance God affords us by his Holy Spirit to enable us to Worship him This is either general or special so as to leave men inexcusable 283 as is more largely proved to p. 293. 3. Lastly As to God's affording us the merits of our Saviour to procure the acceptance of our performance This cleared by the following steps First The acceptance of our Worship and Service is not upon its own account 294. Nor Secondly Vpon account of the favour of God without the interposal of satisfaction for sin 295. This agreeable to Scripture ib. and the propensity of God's nature 296. and clear'd from the objections against it 297. Thirdly This necessary satisfaction Christ has performed 300. for First He suffered the punishment of our sins ib. Secondly What he suffered was in our stead 311 whether it be considered as a Sacrifice ib. or as a Ransom 316. Thirdly By what be suffered in our stead the damage done by sin is repaired und God appeased and reconciled to us on the conditions of the New Covenant 319. Crellius here answered 322. Fourthly Our acceptance with God is upon account of his meritorious satisfaction 325. And Fifthly and lastly upon acaccount of that only 326. SECT V. Concerning the Place of Divine Worship THIS Threefold according to the threefold capacity of Man may be considered in First any solitary place whatever as he is one single private person 331. or Secondly The family of which we are members ib. Such family-worship reasonable ib. practised by the Heathen 332. agreeable to the Old Testament ib. and the New 333. Thirdly Churches or places of Publick Worship as such are members of an Ecclesiastical Community 334. The reasons for such Assemblies shewn from the nature of a Church ib. and from the practice of God's people in all ages as before the Law 336. under it ib. and after it 340. SECT VI. Concerning the Time of Divine Worship BEsides our worshipping God daily 348. and upon particular occasions and emergencies by fastings and thanksgivings 349. there ought to be solemn set times peculiarly devoted to his honour 350 as will be better understood by considering I. God requires not only an inward but an outward Worship 351. II. This external Worship must not be only in private but in publick too 352. III. The time for this publick worship ought to be stated ib. IV. It is expedient it should be taken out of some part of the week ib. V. This part of the week can't in reason be less than one whole day 353. whether we consider the Object of our Worship ib or the Nature of it ib or the pattern of the Triumphant Church 354 or the practice of the Militant ib or the early division of time into weeks 355 or lastly the writings of the Heathens 358. VI. 'T is highly reasonable to believe the setting out the just time should be left to God himself 361. VII This time is determined by God in the Fourth Commandment to one day in seven as a proportion perpetually to be devoted to Religious Worship 363. For First It is one in seven and not the seventh from the Creation which is enjoyned by the Fourth Commandment ib. Secondly The Sabbath of the Fourth Command One in Seven is perpetual 372 for 't is part of the Decalogue which obliges in all ages ib as may be gathered First from its being distinguish'd in the Old Tastament from those Laws which the time of Reformation has put a period to ib Secondly from many intimations in the New that the Decalogue as delivered by Moses is to continue as a perpetual Rule to Christians 373 all which is agreeable to the opinions of the Primitive Fathers 378 and of our own Church 379 some Objections answered 380 c. and others 385 c. Thirdly This proportion of One in seven is by the Command to be devoted to Divine Worship and not only to bodily rest 395. shewn from the order of the Commandments of the First Table ib. from God's blessing the Sabbath day 396. and from the practice of the Israelites and the modern Jews upon the Sabbath ib some Objections by the Author of the Epilogue considered 397 c. VIII Propos This proportion One in Seven was determined to the Jewish day by another Precept which was to oblige only till the Jewish Oeconomy had a period put to it 403. IX Propos When the last of the Week had a period put to it the First was substituted in the room of it 414. as appears probable from the Law ib. the Prophets 415. our Blessed Lord 420. the holy Apostles and Disciples 425. and Lastly the Testimony of the following Ages 429. ERRATA PAge 20. line 16. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 58. l. 12 13. r. in sensible p. 84. l. 22. r. contrived p. 189. l. 30. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 190. l. 6. r.
coveted p. 234. l. 9. r. enlarged p. 294. l. 16. r. flaws p. 302. l. 2. r. to induce p. 315. l. 13. dele which p. 318. l. 22. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 323. l. 31. r. are in p. 345. l. 33. r. and the p. 348. l. 21. r. used The Reader is desired to amend with his Pen what lesser faults and mis-pointings he meets with A TREATISE relating to the Worship of GOD. SECTION 1. Concerning the Nature of Divine Worship HE who will give himself leisure to ponder the importance of Religious Veneration and the innate pronity in men to form incongruous Notions of it and the restless attempts of the Infernal Spirit to cherish this inclination and keep us from right conceptions about it will easily be induced to justifie the present Inquiry Religious Worship is deservedly accounted by the Hebrews as one of the Pillars which support the World and prevent its retirement into its primitive Abyss It cannot be expected that the Arm of Omnipotence which bears up all Things should continue to be so propitious where the Homage due to Heaven is not paid It is a provocation of the first magnitude to neglect the making our reverential acknowledgments to Him to whom we are indebted for our Existence and whatsoever contributes to our real Felicity There cannot be a more open affront put upon the indispensable Law of Gratitude If we reflect upon the Bounty of the Supreme Being it will easily inform us that some thankful return is to be made and to Worship and solemnly own the infinite Excellency of our Benefactor is all that we are in capacity to do No real addition can accrue to boundless perfection Of this Worship which is so important we are apt to entertain very unsuitable apprehensions A sense of the Deity is deeply rooted in humane Nature and by reason of the natural depravation it lies under there is an universal belief of our being obnoxious to Divine Justice This raiseth fears and jealousies and puts the Soul upon devising ways whereby the Supreme Being may be atoned Invention is set upon the Rack and as many reconciling methods thought upon as there are diversities of Humors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the true fountain of that Superstition which we often meet with in the Writings of the Heathens They upon a deliberate view and survey of themselves finding that they were not in a temper agreeable to the Idea which they had of a Sovereign Being and likewise unable to contest with his power which they had reason to believe their own delinquencies would not permit to be propitious unto them They fell to contrive several ways of Worship in order to the procuring an Atonement At first they Sacrificed Plants afterwards Beasts at last Men. The meanest creatures as Apes Onions Garlick they courted with Divine Veneration Euseb de laudibus Const p. 645 Vales fearing otherwise they might neglect the giving their due regards to that transcendent power which appeared in the formation of them They dressed up their Religion with all the Ornaments of Art thinking by their pompous Addresses to reconcile the Deity and induce him to favour them with a benign Aspect To this we may add the uncessant endeavours of our Infernal Adversary to keep us from right conceptions of Worship He invents several ways and keeps up the credit of them by blending something with them which he borrows from the divine Institutions Correspondencies betwixt his Worship and some rites recorded in the Bible are evident demonstrations of this truth The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb praep Evan. l. 1. p. 37. Plut. Symp. to which religious Addresses were made exactly answer to the Pillar of Stone which Jacob erected in Bethel The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the solemn Feast of Bacchus is agreeable to the bearing of boughs at the Feast of Tabernacles The garment embroidered with Gold worn by those who were concerned in the Solemnity bears some similitude to the Sacerdotal Vestment worn by the High-Priest The two Stones Pausan in Arcad. Fel. Sel. p. 173. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignis Jehovae Delph Phoeni. c. 11. p. 115. within which the Rites of Ceres were kept are parallel to the Two Tables upon which the Decalogue was engraven The eternal Fire in the Temple of Vesta wants not a resemblance of the Fire which by the Law was always to burn upon the Altar At the place where the infernal Oracles used to be given forth there was a Curtain in imitation of the Tabernacle A Tripos like to the Ark of the Covenant A Holmus made after the manner of the propitiatory A Table resembling that upon which the Shew-bread was placed Philost vit Apol. l. 3. c. 3. p. 11◠The most sacred Oath amongst the Indians by a Well did derive its Original from Beersheba the Well of the Oath where Abraham swore to Abimelech The Well they stile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Well of Conviction A little way off was placed a Vessel of Fire call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fire of Pardon where they purged themselves from involuntary sins It is believed This was an imitation of John's Baptism by Water and Christ's by Fire The words of Tertullian concerning the Infernal Spirit are agreeable to all this Praescr p. 339. Res Sacramentorum Divinorum in Idolorum mysteriis aemulatur These instances make it obvious that there has been in some particulars a similitude betwixt the Worship of Jehovah and the Rites which have been practised in the Kingdom of Darkness This agreement must happen either fortuitously or else be designed by some intelligent Being The first cannot be asserted with any good reason It is not conceivable how there should be a harmony in so many things of a positive nature without the interposals of an intellectual Principle If it was designed then God must either intend an imitation of the Worship of the Devil or the Devil the Worship of God to assert the first is highly incongruous God forbids his people to enquire into his Worship and learn the ways he had seduced the Heathens into It cannot be imagined that he should teach them that which he forbids them to learn The Mosaical Law was enacted with a design to obliterate the memory of the Religion of the Idolaters and therefore we cannot think that he would make any of their injunctions a part of his own The Records of the Worship of Jehovah are of a more early date than those which represent unto us the Worship of the Heathens And we cannot conceive how the contents of the Ancient Record should be an imitation of what is contained in the Modern The Author of the Maccabees says 1 Macc. 3.48 that the Heathens set up Idols which have some likeness to those things which are contained in the Law And the Fathers of the Christian Church generally accord in this that the Ethnick constitutions did
derive their Original from Moses All this being considered namely the importance of Divine Worship our aptitude to be mistaken about it the policy of the Tempter to cherish our inclinations it must necessarily be our concernment to gain a true Notion of it In order to this end the following particulars are to be well weighed 1. Worship in general imports a reverential and humble acknowledgment of the supereminent worth and excellency which is in another We may honour our inferiours or equals But properly we Worship that only which is vested in some eminency which we our selves are destitute of and therefore the Act always supposes an humble submission in the Mind This Excellency is not only power and authority but goodness or any other perfection We speak as congruously when we say We adore the Wisdom and Benignity of the Supreme Being as his sovereignty and dominion Nebuchadnezar who was in power superiour to Daniel yet worshipped him upon the account of his superlative understanding Worship has several names according to the diversity of the acts whereby the acknowledgment of worth is made if it be by entertaining a high esteem of it in the mind Internal Veneration if by external acts appropriated by nature or institution to signifie this esteem as an humble bowing of the Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serving and obeying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Worth which is to be acknowledged is either finite or infinite Finite is that which is lodged in a limited Being it is either Moral as in those who are eminent for some Moral Accomplishments or Civil as in Parents and Magistrates Both these challenge from us regards suitable to their Nature The first a Moral the second a Civil Worship Infinite worth is that which is found only in the Supreme Being and our agnitions of it must be made by such acts as are congruous to the nature and institution of him in whom it resides It is as natural for an intellectual Soul rightly polished to make this reverential confession as for a smooth body to make a reflection of the Sun-beams which fall upon it The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imports glory signifies likewise a weight The superlative glory of the Divine Nature when duely apprehended is to the Soul what a weight is to the Body it naturally produceth a succumbency and works it into a religious prostration Those who are most elevated in their imagination when they meet with excellency infinitely transcending what they themselves are possess'd of cannot but be so just as to stoop and make their due acknowledgments We never find it controverted in any Nation whether honorary Addresses ought to be made to the Deity All the Sons of Pride upon discovery of boundless perfection blush at the thoughts of competition and study by submissive applications to make it propitious to themselves 3. The Acts whereby an Acknowledgment of infinite Excellency is made are either mediate or immediate By mediate may be understood such as altho' they do not import an immediate acknowledgment of Divine Perfection yet have an efficacious influence upon the production of those which do That their nature may be the better discerned the following particulars must be considered 1. The World is formed by the infinite power of the Supreme Being The intellectual part of it increasing by his benediction he has made it up into families families augmenting he has out of them constituted Kingdoms and Nations By him Princes rule and Subjects are obliged to give their due regards to them 2. Whatsoever is of his formation he hath made with a design to manifest the glory of his goodness and benignity Every wise Agent propounds some worthy end to himself in all his operations and there is no purpose that we know of more worthy of and congruous to the Divine Nature than this 3. That which has an immediate connexion with the glory of his goodness and benignity is the felicity of those whether particular persons families or kingdoms which are produced by him The health of the Patient is the glory of the Physician The prosperity of the Community the honour of the Prince Much more the felicity of the creatures is the glory of him from whom they received their Beings 4. The felicity of Nations and Families consists in their flourishing estate when they are in an enjoyment of all things which the nature of their constitution requires The happiness of solitary persons in the inward tranquillity of their mind when there is no mutiny among their faculties but a transcendent contentment springing from a sence of being imployed in those operations which are sutable to the dignity of humane nature 5. There are many actions which have a peculiar tendency to promote this felicity The flourishing state of Nations and Families is advanced when the deportment of every member is agreeable to the best rules of Policy and Oeconomy When Superiours impose just commands Inferiours render a cheerful obedience and every one moves as an Intelligence in his proper Orb. The inward tranquillity of private persons when they bound their desire of sublunary gratifications with the rules of Temperance are not transported with the smiling aspects nor dejected with the severest frowns of Fortune keep an equal temper amidst all those affronts with which their Contentment is assaulted do not transgress the just bounds of Magnanimity or Meekness sweeten their conversation towards their enemies with gentleness and affability abate the acrimony of Justice with mixtures of Equity encourage beneficence with grateful returns and are merciful to the objects of compassion The Soul having a sense of a turpitude in some actions and that while she is engaged in these her demeanour is agreeable to the dignity of her nature and the grand design of her formation she is eminently delighted with them â—nd arrives at the very top of moral felicity These actions accompanied with the benign influences of Heaven being exerted will introduce such a happy temper into the Community as will highly conduce to the honour of the Supreme Rector and excite all intellectual Beings to fall down before him and make the most reverential acknowledgments of his infinite benignity and goodness Upon this 〈◊〉 they are represented as acts of Religion or Divine Worship S. James says C. 1. v. 27. that Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the father is this to visit the fatherless and the widow and to keep themselves unspotted from the world Here is an abridgment of mediate Religion divided into two branches the Duty of Man towards others and himself The first is expressed in these words to visit the father less c. The second to keep himself unspotted c. The principal part of it in relation to others consisting in being compassionate towards those whose condition requires his succour towards himself in being watchful that he be not infected with the impure conversation of the world these two by
a Synecdoche are put for the whole and stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pure and undefiled Religion or Worship Upon this account the giving relief to those who are in distress is represented under the notion of an Oblation Ecclus. c. 35. v. 2. Act. 10.4 He who giveth almes sacrificeth praise Cornelius's Charity like the smoke of the Altar did ascend and come up for a memorial before God S. Paul tells the Corinthians that the things sent by them fâ—â— his support Phil. 4.18 were an odour of a sweet smell 〈◊〉 sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God 4. Immediate Acts wherein Divine Worship properly consists are such as import an immediate acknowledgment of God and are appropriated to his purpose For unlimited perfection being peculiar to the Supreme Being there must be â—eculiarities in the agnition of it The acknowledgment 〈…〉 analogy to the thing acknowledged therefore the object of the acknowledgment being in communicable the agnition it self ought to be so This appropriation must be not only in respect of degree but the species For infinite worth being not only of a diverse degree but of a different species and kind from that which is finite there must be not only a gradual but a specifical difference betwixt the Worship which is terminated upon both This makes it conspicuous that the same Divine Honour which is one species of Worship cannot with justice be given to God and the Creature 5. These immediate and appropriate acts are either internal or external By internal I mean the elicit acts of the Soul By external the imperate acts of the Body God having a peculiar interest both in the Soul and Body upon the account of his Creation and Redemption of them We lie under an obligation to make our acknowledgments by such acts as flow from both External performances are eminently serviceable to the grand design of Religion The actions of our bodies conduce to the increase of inward devotion When we present them as a living sacrifice to God this oblation has the same effect upon the mind which the fat of the Sacrifice had upon the fire of the Altar it communicates strength to our zeal and a higher degree of ardency to our affections It has an influence upon the engaging of others in a similitude of practice The light of a Religious deportment shining before Men will excite them to pay their tribute of honour to their Father in Heaven Their understanding being illuminated with such divine raies like a burning-glass produceth an inflammation in the will and puts all the faculties of the Soul into a due temper and motion It likewise tends to the advancement of the glory of God We glorifie him when we manifest and fet forth his excellency Corporal Worship which is visible and obvious to sence cannot with justice be denied a share in the promoting this work 6. Internal Acts are either such as have a general aspect upon the excellency of the Divine Nature or else a more special upon some particular Attributes The universal excellency of the Deity is acknowledged when we frame an Idea of his infinite Majesty as exact and agreeable to him as our finite capacity will permit and in a sence of it prostrate our Souls with all humility before him The excellency of particular Attributes is owned by some particular Acts which are sutable to their nature Believing as it imports an assent is an owning of the veracity of God When this Assent is so vigorous and efficacious as to bow the will into a cordial compliance with the import of that truth which is assented to and engage it in a chearful obedience it is a confession of divine dominion and authority fearing if it be mixed with servility is an agnition of punitive justice if sublimated into filial temper of paternal goodness That which Moses calls fear Deut. 6.13 Christ terms adoration Mat. 4.10 The Chaldee word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both to Fear and to Worship The loving of God is an acknowledgment of his Beneficence Trusting in him of his Power and Goodness 7. External Acts are either natural or instituted God is pleased not only that our agnitions of him be made by such acts as we are led unto by natural light but by such as have their foundation in positive institution His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more signally owned by those performances which depend upon his pure pleasure than such as are the dictates of universal reason In the last case we own chiefly the reason of the thing in the first the sovereign will and pleasure of God only 8. Natural are either such as the whole Body is concerned in as an humble flexure of it This accompanied with due circumstances all Nations look upon as an indication of that esteem which we have of the worth of another and therefore amongst the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Worship is denominated from it Or else such as some particular part is more immediately interested in The Tongue is the great instrument in the external service of God Four acts of Natural Worship I will enumerate which are performed by it namely Praying Praising 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euthyph p. 53. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disser 30. p. 300. Swearing Vowing Praying The Heathens which had only the light of Nature for their conduct accounted vocal Prayer as a principal part of Religion Holiness is defined by Plato to be a Science of Sacrificing and Praying Maximus Tyrius says that the life of Socrates was full of Prayer Simplicius has left a lively expression of his devotion upon record at the end of his Commentaries upon Epictetus Arrian acquaints us with their usual form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Romans thought this part of Worship to be so acceptable to their Deities that they would deny nothing to those who pray unto them For this reason they use to conceal the name of the Tutelar Genius of the City lest their enemies being acquainted with it Plin. l. 29. c. 2. might draw him from them by their supplications Both Greeks and Romans being strangers to the true God that this honour might not miss of him and be terminated upon some inferiour power it was their custom to direct their Petitions not exclusively to any particular Deity but to leave their Compellations ambiguous sive Deo sive Deae as the Inscriptions at Athens and Rome do testifie Sanctity is stiled by Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an art of merchandising betwixt God and Man the Vessel that sails from Earth to Heaven is Prayer It imports those good things which are expedient for us that which it exports is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honour and Worship This the Philosopher says is all that God is capable of receiving from us For this reason Prayers are stiled Incense Rev. 5.8 Heb. 5.7 and Christ is said to offer them up They are as proper parts of Worship as Sacrifices and Oblations were under the Law
personal favours of his Prince to pay the Rights which belong to the Crown yet the formal object and reason of his so doing is the Sovereignty and dominion which the Prince is invested with As the Son so likewise the Spirit is the Object of Adoration He is placed in the same rank with the Father and the Son Mat. 28. v. 19. Jo. 1.5 7. and honoured with the attribution of the peculiarities of the Deity as Eternity Immensity Omniscience The dishonour done to him by Blasphemy has as black a character in the Scripture as the dishonour of the Father or Son It is represented as a delinquency of the first magnitude and excluded the benefit of pardon He who is thus dignified and secured by the most severe commination against dishonour must necessarily of right challenge the same degree of Honour and Worship which is due to the Father and the Son The Adoration given to them all must be so directed that we may worship the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity The ground of divine Veneration is the unlimited and peerless perfection of God The motives conducing to it are the benefits which none but so transcendent a Being can conferr The same internal eminency is common to the Three Persons Every external benefit is the product of their joint concurrence They having all an equal interest in the foundation of Religion and the motives conducing to it it is very reasonable when we direct an act of Worship to one that we should not exclude the other When we name the Son only the Father and holy Spirit are to be understood or the Father only the Son and the Spirit or the Spirit only the Father and the Son Consonant to this doctrine are the words of Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let us Worship in Three one Deity and the practice of the universal Church which is apparent by the Latin and Greek Liturgies Now I have done with the fourth Proposition This One God is to be Worshipped 5. This God is only to be Worshiped This is the express assertion of the Holy Scripture the dictate of Reason the sence of the Ancient Church 1. The assertion of Holy Scripture It is the first of the moral Laws Thou shalt have no other Gods but me and placed in the front of the Gospel Him only shalt thou serve In a sense of this appropriate allegiance to Jehovah the Angel did forbid S. John and S. Paul and Barnabas the people of Lycaonia to pay them any Divine Veneration Daniel's refusal of the portion of meat which was first consecrated to an Idol will easily induce us to believe that he had an equal disgust of the Idolatrous worship which was given to him If Abraham's deportment when the Angels appeared had more than a moral or civil respect The Son of God his being in the company will excuse him from Idolatry one of them is expresly dignified with the incommunicable name of the Deity 2. The dictate of reason Worship is either internal or external Internal includes a deep and reverential esteem as an ingredient essential to its nature This esteem must be of an elevation agreeable to the excellency of the Object it is terminated upon There being no object that can be a Rival with the Supreme Being in point of perfection it is not possible that the same esteem which his transcendent dignity challengeth from us should with justice be given to any other External imports a declaration of inward esteem by some outward acts As the Veneration terminated upon God is peculiar and appropriate So must the Acts be which are designed for the signification of it Betwixt the sign and the thing signified there ought to be such a similitude that the one may be known by the other This cannot be done in the present case except there be such an appropriation as we speak of The nature of Divine Supremacy requires in outward as well as inward Worship a discrimination from that which is given to the Creature Earthly Monarchs expect an agnition of their Sovereignty to be made by the payment of an appropriate homage They have some Jewels in their Crown which they will not permit any of their Subjects to wear Tho' Moral and Civil regards may be tendred to a Creature yet if they rise so high as to have any mixtures of those peculiarities which are devoted by nature or institution to signifie Divine Veneration they are as distasteful to God as it would be to a Prince to stand by and see the Allegiance which is due only to himself given to another This Truth is warranted with so much clear reason that those who have had no other advantage but the light of Nature have taken notice of it Among those instructions which Orpheus left with Musaeus Lib. de Monarch Det p. 104 108. This is one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adore him alone who is the King of the World It was the advice of Menander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to honour him alone who is Lord of all Ad Antolycum p. 122. The Verses of the Sibyl in Theophilus Antiochenus are of the same importance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laâ—t de â—â—lsa Relig. p. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ruler of the World alone adore Who ever was and shall be ever more 3. The Sence of the Ancient Church Among those Truths which are owned by the most early Writers this is of the first magnitude that God only is to be Worshipped They never mention the worshipping any thing else as the Sacrament the Cross the Relicks of Saints When they delineate the rites appertaining to the Eucharist there is not the least intimation of that Veneration which the Romanist say is due to the Sacrament They were far from asserting that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae debetur vero Deo is to be given to it Circumstances purely accidental as the time when the Institution was made the place where the mingling Water with Wine are recorded Those who had leisure to preserve the memory of these circumstances would not have omitted a point so material in case any such thing had been known to be agreeable to the mind of God As for the individual Cross upon which our blessed Lord suffered there could be no Adoration directed to it for the first three hundred years It is confessed that it lay concealed under ground till the time of Helena mother to Constantine the Great Neither is there the least signification of any religious addresses made to artificial imitations of it When the Veneration of the Cross is objected by the Heathens against the Christians Mirâ—â— Fâ—l it is answered by them Cruces etiam nec colimus nec optamus We neither Worship Crosses nor wish for them Bellarmine indeed infers that the objection implies that some such practice was then in use but he may by the same reason perswade us that the Christians Worshipped the Head of an Ass because their
never charge this crime upon the Primitive Professors of it Amongst the errours objected against them in the conference with Tryphon in the discourse of Tertullian and many other disputations we never read of the Adoration of Images The Mishna which is believed to be Written about Two Hundred years after Christ is wholly silent in this matter altho' the Composer had a convenient opportunity to speak of it in his Treatise concerning strange Worship Their implacable enmity to the Laws of Christ gives us the highest degree of assurance that nothing could be the cause of their silence but the innocence of the Christians In the Gemara which was finished about the time that Images were brought into Churches a Christian Temple is stiled a House of Idolatry The Heathens when they were accused by the Christians for worshipping Idols never mention in their vindication of themselves the adoration of Images among Christians which certainly they would have done in case there had been any such practice Dall de Imag. When the Idols of the Americans were demolished by the command of Alphonsus Suasus they sent four men to complain of the injury who acquainted him that they did not expect such usage from Christians who gave Divine Honour to Images and pointed to the Picture of Sebastian which hung in his chamber and told him That the same honour which he gave that Picture they gave to their Idols When he replied That Christians did not worship such Pictures upon their own account but as they were representations of glorified Persons in Heaven They answered Neither did they their Idols for their own sakes but as they represented the Sun Moon and Stars When Bernier told the East-Indians That he was scandalized upon the account of their worshipping Idols he received a like answer from some of the chief of them Hist of the Gent. of Indostan Vol. 3. p. 172. We have indeed in our Deuras or Temples store of divers Statues as those of Brahma Mehaden Genick and Gavani who are some of the chief and most perfect Deutas and we have also many other of less perfection to whom we pay great honour prostrating our selves before them and presenting them Flowers Rice Scented Oiles Saffron and such other things with much Ceremony But we do not believe these Statues to be Brahma and Bechen c. but only their Images and representations and we do not give them that honour but upon the account of what they represent They are in our Temples because it is necessary for praying well to have some thing before our eyes to six our mind and when we pray it is not the Statue we pray to but he who is represented by it For the rest we acknowledge that it is God that is absolute and only Omnipotent Lord and Master If these barbarous People were so quick as to make so apposite a retort when they were set upon by Christians the first expresly accusing them of the like practice the second drawing a representation of their own religion exactly parallel to what they knew to be in use in the Roman Community No doubt Tryphon and Celsus c. would have done the like in case in their time there had been the same reason The Primitive Christians in many places were so remote from the worshipping Images That they did not allow the making of them as is plain by the words of Clemens and Tertullian Strom. 5. de Specta c. 23. In case they were made they would not permit them to be brought into Churches When Adrian gave command That Temples should be built without Pictures it was taken for granted that he intended them for the Worship of Christ When Epiphanius found in a Church a Veil with the Picture of a Man painted upon it he presently rent it in pieces and defended his action by alledging that it was contrary to the Scripture That the Picture of a Man should be hanged up in the Church of Christ When Images were brought into Churches the worship of them was utterly disallowed Serenus was for the banishing them out to prevent danger Greg. Mor. lib. 9. Gregory for the keeping them in to instruct the illiterate Both agree in this That they are not to be adored When Philippicus being transported with an intemperate love to the Monothelites took down the Pictures of the first Six General Councils and by this action provoked Rome to a greater measure of zeal for Images than the adoration of them was thought upon The hint that was expressed gave an alarm to the Synod called by Constantius Copronymus and occasioned the making a decree That to give religious veneration to Images is nothing else but to revive the Superstition of the Pagans When the Council under Irene did rescind this decree it is observable that it did prohibit the making the Picture of God This impiety then had no Umbrage from Authority If we consult the Monuments of Antiquity it will be apparent That in the Sixth Seventh and Eighth Ages there were hot disputes about the worship of Images but no countenance given to the making or worshipping the Image of God In the Three Ages immediately before They are sometimes mentioned as Ornaments of Churches and instruments to teach the ignorant but not as the Objects of Worship In the Three first Centuries there is no mention of them at all in the concerns of Religion The Resemblance upon the Chalice which Tertullian speaks of was an Emblem of the Parable of the lost Sheep and not a Picture of Christ or any particular Saint It was not drawn with a design to be Worshipped but to signifie That those who are gone astray may upon their repentance be received into the Communion of the Church The story in Eusebius Eccl. Hist l. 7. c. 18. concerning the Statues of Christ and the Woman cured by him of her issue of blood is too dubious to lay a foundation for a clear testimony Eusebius indeed asserts That he saw two Statues of brass at Caesarea Philippi but he doth not say That they were the Statues of Christ and Woman but that the people said so Nothing is more familiar than for them to be mistaken in their account of such publick Monuments It is incredible that such famous testimonies of the Truth of Christian Religion should remain in the open street untouched for the space of Three Hundred Years amidst the slames of the hottest persecutions when the greatest privacy could not secure any thing appertaining to the Christians from the rage and fury of the Heathens Suppose all this was so yet the Romanists will gain no advantage by it For no Religious Addresses were made to these Statues They were not in the Church but the street Not erected to be Objects of Worship but Memorials of a Miracle That which was reputed to be the Statue of Christ Philostorgius assures us had no adoration given to it and adds his reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it was not
imaginary obliquity and by this means the Tranquillity of the Community is endangered Rulers are undoubtedly concerned to keep the Peace and prevent those mischiefs which they cannot but have a prospect of if such different practices continue And this they cannot do without making a determination If things be let alone and every one enjoys a freedom to do that which seems best to him the prevailing party will at last carry all and force others to be vassals to their pleasure Certainly If God has invested Governours with a right to preserve the Peace of the Community he does by the same grant entitle them to the use of such means as have the most direct aspect upon this purpose and nothing looks fuller this way than a prudent determination What can be more expedient to prevent the spreading of Fire than to remove the fuel which foments it And if those who are over us have a power to make a decision it must necessarily be a duty in us to submit to it Otherwise their Authority will be in vain and of no signification What is objected against the Legality of such a determination That it accuseth the Scripture of imperfection takes away our Christian Liberty necessitates us to violate the Law concerning scandal will be found to be of no moment if duly considered 1. The perfection of the Written Word is to be estimated by its sufficiency to accomplish those ends for which it was given The end of the Penning of it is to acquaint us in particular rules with all the essential parts of Worship and whatsoever is of peremptory necessity in relation to our Eternal Beatitude in a Future State As for the modes of Religious Veneration nothing more is intended for our direction than General Precepts from which we may by the aid of that Reason with which God has endued us collect what is expedient in particular cases And when that Wisdom which presides over the Community makes an inference from the General Rule and tenders it to our observation the dishonour of imperfection is not reflected upon the Bible because nothing is done but that which is agreeable to its intention Of this We have a manifest demonstration in the Old Testament When the Law was so punctual as to name the very Pins belonging to the Tabernacle the Liberty which we contend for was allowed There were many constitutions in the Synagogues which had nothing to countenance them from the Scripture but General Commands 2. The determination of Authority is no prejudice to Christian Liberty 1 Ep. 2.14 16. S. Peter doth advise us to a submission to Governours as free which assures us That freedom is consistent with a subjection to their determinations Christian Liberty consists in a Manumission from that which our blessed Lord has abolished That which he did annul was the Typical Law It being designed as a signification That He was to come into the World and transact the desired Work of Atonement and Reconciliation when this great affair was accomplished the shadows became useless and none were obliged to believe that they were tied up unto them any longer by a Divine Appointment This is that which the Apostle has his eye upon when he exhorts the Galatians To stand fast in the liberty Gal. 5. ◠with which Jesus Christ had made them free There were some amongst them which did attempt to influence them with this perswasion That the Typical Precepts were still in force and none could be justified without a compliance with them Governours now may determine some particular modes relating to Divine Worship and yet deprive us of none of this Liberty provided that they impress no such signification upon them That the Messias is yet to come and that they impose them without any necessity of believing That they are of Divine Institution And that the number of them be so small as not to make them burthensome to us and prejudicial to Religion External Rites may be so multiplied that altho' singly considered They are innocuous yet conjunctively They may be hurtful in darkning the spirituality of Divine Worship and diverting the mind from the true import of it A multitude of leaves is a frequent impediment to the maturation of fruits Christ did put a period not only to the Ceremonial but the Judicial Law and by consequence our freedom from the obligation of it is a branch of Christian Liberty and yet none will presume to assert That this Liberty is lost when Christians in every Countrey where they inhabit submit to the judicial appointments of their Lawful Prince 3. The determination we speak of puts no necessity upon us to violate the Law concerning scandal The true meaning of that Law is That we must comply with the infirmity of our weak Brother in adiaphorous matters so long as we are left to our own freedom But in case we come to be limited in the exercise of our freedom by the Authority which presides over us That obligation in these circumstances is superseded It is a greater duty to conform to Authority in lawful Things than to comport with the weakness of these who are in a private capacity and when two obligations meet and both cannot be satisfied the lesser always gives place and yields to the greater III. Now I proceed to the Third Particular The End we are to propose to our selves in the acts of Religious Worship To render our performances acceptable Two Things are of peremptory necessity The Act must be good which we are ingaged in and our Intentions right in the doing of it As to the present case namely The Worship of God none doubt of the goodness of the Act. The most compendious way to discover how we are to direct our Intention in the performance of it is to consider what it has a a tendency to The finis operis will lead us to the finis operantis He who duely ponders the nature of it will discover that it has a tendency to these Three Things The Glory of God The Salvation of the Soul The Preservation of the Community The Glory of God This is Twofold either Internal or External Internal consists in the resplendent and peerless perfection of his Nature and this can admit of no increase It is boundless and infinite already External imports a similitude to and a declaration of this intrinsick excellency and to this an addition may be made several ways as in our Thoughts Words and Works We do this in our Thoughts When we entertain honourable apprehensions of the Divine Majesty and form Ideas agreeable to the glorious Attributes he is invested with In our Words When we make such articulate sounds as are appropriated to the signification of a sincere Confession and humble acknowledgment of his Superlative Perfection The Psalmist calls the Tongue his Glory because it is an Instrument adapted to this purpose Ps 10.31 Ps 110.3 Ps 148.13 and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Glory the
Greek Interpreters expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confession The Works whereby he is glorified are either his own or ours The Heavens declare his Glory All the productions of his hands set forth his Power Wisdom and Goodness The Ark with a Propitiatory a lively Emblem of reconciling Mercy is stiled the Glory His blessed Son in whom shines forth the whole constellation of divine perfections The Brightness of his Glory We glorifie him in our Works When we are ingaged in such as are Holy and Good Their similitude to the Divine Will and Nature may without any incongruity be called External Glory They set forth what he is and what he is most pleased and delighted with In the number of such actions we cannot deny a place to Religious Worship it being an humble acknowledgment of those boundless perfections which reside in him Praise is an ingredient diffused thro' all the parts of Worship In Prayer Receiving the Sacraments Reading Hearing his Holy Word we set forth his most worthy Praise and Whoso offereth praise glorifieth God Ps 50.23 It likewise has a propitious aspect upon The eternal Salvation of the Soul The enjoyment of this felicity is to be expected only in Heaven and God has appointed That none shall enter into that blessed place but those who Worship him in this present state The way into the Holy of Holiest by his unchangeable appointment lies thro' the Temple where all the parts of Religious Worship are to be performed The gate which opens into the Celestial Mansions is not only strait but so low that none can enter into it but those who stoop and are ingaged here in humble and submissive agnitions of the Divine Excellency The grand work in Heaven being to perform the most signal acts of Adoration He that is not in some measure inur'd to them in this World is destitute of an aptitude and fitness for that blessed imployment It would be as great a surprisal to any who are totally strangers here to the Hallelujahs and Praises which are due to the most high God to be placed in a moment in the midst of the Heavenly Quire as it was to the Syrian host to be unawares in the midst of Samaria Heaven instead of being a place of rest would be a real disquiet to such unqualified persons Lastly Divine Worship has a tendency to promote The Preservation of the Community It excellently disposeth Princes to govern Their honorary addresses to him who is higher than the highest influence them with a due temper of mind towards their Subjects They cannot but desire to comport with the pleasure of him whom they in sincerity adore and they must necessarily know That it is his pleasure that they should imitate him in the acts of his Clemency and Goodness And such acts are the Cement which unites the Hearts of the Prince and People together and secures the most lasting conjunction to all the parts of the Community It likewise disposeth Subjects to obey They who in the integrity of their hearts Worship the Supreme Being can do no less than pay their acknowledgments to his Vice-gerent Infinite Sovereignty being the object of their Veneration wheresoever they meet with the Type and resemblance of it they cannot pass by it without an expression of their due regards for the proto-types sake We may add to all this That Worship rightly performed draws a perpetuating blessing upon the Community Such Princes as have been most careful to advance the due celebration of it have been attended in their Government with signal Felicities David who made it his first and last work to settle Religion did thereby settle his Kingdom His Subjects were united his enemies dissipated his friends increased But Solomon who divided Divine Worship betwixt Jehova and other Gods had his Kingdom divided Then parts were given to his Servant and but Two to his Son These three particulars The Glory of God The Salvation of the Soul The Preservation of the Community Religious Worship having a tendency to promote it must be our duty when we are ingaged in it so to direct our intentions as to cast our eye upon them But that which challengeth the first place in our thoughts is The Glory of God The reason of this order will be very conspicuous if we consider 1. The Obligations which we lie under to the Supreme Being His favours are so constant and superlative that they admit of no delay but require in the first place in every address to him something to be returned in point of gratitude It is an undervaluing of the kindness we every moment receive to prefer any other duty before it Now by reason God is infinite in Perfection and by consequence uncapable of receiving any thing from us but a decent and becoming acknowledgment and setting forth of his intrinsick Glory this must necessarily take the upper hand of all other ends in our Intentions 2. The glorifying God is the first of those duties which are morally Good It is the Form which constitutes and makes them to be what they are All Good whatsoever is either such as God Wills because it is so or else so because God Wills it The Essence of the first lies in a similitude to the immutable perfection of the Divine Nature of the Second to the sacred determinations of his Blessed Will This similitude in the Creature to God is that which we mean by his External Glory The whole Creation contributes to this purpose so long as it retains such a composure as lively represents his Goodness Wisdom and Power When any part degenerates into a frame dislike to the Idea in the Supreme Being according to which it was made then his Glory is eclipsed 3. The glorifying God is the primary duty which Christian Religion devolves upon us Whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Christ the Institutor of our holy Profession was ushered into the World by the Heavenly Host with this Hymn Glory be to God in the highest when he was about to leave it He prayed in these words Father glorifie thy Name The design of his whole Life was to annihilate all these imaginary excellencies which impede the shining of the Divine Glory The People which he has redeemed 1 Pet. 2.9 are said to be A chosen generation That they may shew forth the Praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light His Church is represented with the Moon under her feet to signifie her disgust of all selfish interposals which eclipse the Glory of the Sun of Righteousness He hath made all things for himself Prov. 16.4 that is with a purpose and design to set forth his intrinsick Glory His Glory primarily consists in his peerless and transcendent Goodness He has made his Creatures as so many vessels to entertain the overflowings of it The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Psal 33.5 The brightness and splendour of it is visible
have a power to unlock the Mysteries of the Gospel and open a passage into the true importance of them If we consider them as congregated in Synods so their Authority is more illustrious As the Sun of righteousness immediately rules us in the day that is in all perspicuous places of Scripture So these Luminaries are fit to govern us in the night in all the dark and controversal passages This we may learn from the holy Apostles who when the Controversie whether God was to be Worshipped according to the Order of the Ceremonial Law did menace the Church with vexation were gathered together with the Elders and in a solemn Convention did determine the difference This was no extraordinary Act but that which they did design to commend to the imitation of the Church as is evident by the method of their procedure They did not appeal to any peculiar revelation but by rational discussions which are common to all men prepare their way to a decision There are Two Opinions of no good consistency with what has been asserted The First is That every man ought to be guided by the Church of Rome in the concerns of Religion The Second is That every one ought to rely upon the conduct of his own Reason Both which we will now examine 1. The Church of Rome is to be our Guide If we ask the membes of it about a Guide they presently name the Catholick Church If we interrogate them what they mean by the Catholick Church they answer That Community which submits to the Papal Power If we object the notorious corruptions which stain her reputation and discourage us from putting confidence in her conduct they reply That her directions are not capable of errour Her rule is the Word of God This Word is either written or unwritten for the knowledge of this Word which it is and what is the Sence of it we must depend upon her attestation She is an unerring Judge an authorized Guide and therefore when she propounds her dictates we have nothing to do but assent We must not chew but like Pills swallow them whole and for our encouragement to give them an easie passage they are gilded over with the specious pretence of Infallibility If it be so That the Church of Rome is Infallible by the Church must be meant either the Pope or a Council or the body of the people which adhere to them or all these together If the Pope how can Zepherinus's compliance with the errour of Montanus Foelix the 2d his Arianism Honorius's being a Monothelite John the 23d his denial of the resurrection and life to come be reconciled with the presence and influence of an unerring Spirit If a Council How comes it to pass That one Council has contradicted another The Council of Francford rescinded the Decrees of the second Council of Nice Why are some General Councils approved some disallowed some partly approved partly disallowed some neither approved nor disallowed Bellar. tâ—â— 2. c. 4. de Concil What is the reason of all the sinister methods which the Pope used to obtain his designs in the Council of Trent The divine Spirit doth not use to frequent such crooked and oblique paths The devices used in that Convention represent rather the windings of the Serpent than the motions of the Dove They are thus expressed by one who was present in the Council in his Letter to Maximilian the Second We daily saw hungry and needy Bishops come to Trent Coun. of Tren p. 841. Youths for the most part given to luxury and riot hired only to give their voice as the Pope pleased They were both unlearned and simple yet fit for the purpose in regard of their impudent boldness When these were added to the Pope's old slatterers iniquity triumphed it was impossible to determine of any thing but as they pleased who thought it to be the highest point of Religion to maintain the Authority and luxury of the Pope There was a grave and learned Man who was not able to endure so great an indignity He was presently traduced as no good Catholick and was terrified threatned and persecuted that he might approve of things against his will In sum Matters were brought to that pass by the iniquity of those that came fitted and prepared that the Council seemed not to consist of Bishops but of disguised Maskers not of Men but of Images such as Dedalus made moved by Nerves none of their own They were hireling-Bishops which as country Bagpipes could not speak but as breath was put into them The Holy Ghost had nothing to do in the Assembly All the Counsels given there proceeded from humane policy and tended only to maintain the Popes immoderate and shameful domination c. He who considers the chief inducements to the determinations made in that Council will not find himself under any propensity to disbelieve what has been represented Priests must not be allowed to marry because having Wives and Children their dependence would not be so much upon the Pope as the secular Prince under whom they live Their love to their Progeny would make them yield to any thing never so prejudicial to the Church Besides This would be a temptation to them to seek to make Benefices hereditary and so in a short time the Authority of the Pope would be confined within Rome The Mass in the Vulgar Tongue must not be permitted because then all would think themselves Divines The Authority of the Prelates would be disesteemed This resembles the policy of those who to keep up the reputation of their Profession Pen their instructions in a Language unknown to the common people The Communion of the Chalice must not be granted because then a gap would be opened to demand an abrogation of all positive Constitutions by which only the Authority of the Church of Rome is preserved A Determination must not pass That the Institution of a Bishop is from Christ for then it would follow That the Keys were not given to Peter only and that the Bishops were equal to the Pope and a Council above him The dignity of Cardinals would cease Residence would be jure divino and the Court of Rome come to nothing and therefore special order was given to Laynez General of the Jesuits to form an exact discourse to prove that Bishops are not jure divino but Pontificio Tho' the Pope did in a compliment so far humble himself to Heresie as to invite Protestant Princes to the Council yet there were such conditions made as in particular That nothing should be discussed but what the Pope's Legates thought fit to propound and so many ambiguities in the conduct that was promised them that their journey could neither be safe nor significant to any good purpose To these intrigues may be added The Oath of Fidelity to the Pope who was a party imposed upon all the Members of the Convention the continual directions by the mail from Rome the vast number of
others which represent the Lives of the Popes will see That I have done them no injustice By all this it is visible of what elevation Holiness has been at Rome and what little reason there is to make it a motive of Credibility The last is the glory of Miracles By Miracles we must understand Works which are above the power and energy of finite Nature and are plain and evident to the Sence None but God can effect them and when he doth them they are produced openly and all circumstances are so perspicuous that there cannot be any reasonable suspicion of collusion Such were the works of Jesus Christ They are confessed by all to be above the energy of finite Nature whether Angelical or Humane All the Angelical Powers had they conspired together could not by the speaking a word have raised Lazarus from the dead after he had been four days in the grave or in a moment cured Chronical diseases which had been upon the distempered persons some Twelve some Eighteen some Thirty Eight Years These effects were produced in the clearest light The Sun of righteousness did not light a candle to operate by They were done not only before friends who might be byassed with inclinations to use their Microscopes and magnifie every thing beyond its just dimensions but in the presence of the most implacable enemies who were under the strongest propensities to eclipse the glory of them Now we cannot learn That such Miracles as these are done by the Romanists Many which are pretended to are discovered to be meer collusions Those that they still continue to glory in have not much evidence as is necessary to the nature of a Miracle They tell of wonders done by the remains of S. James at Compostella in Spain by the Virgin Mary at Loretto in Italy in her Santa Casa by the Sacred Vial of S. Mary Magdalen in S. Maximine's Church in France But when we come to inquire not only into the Truth of what is pretended to be done but likewise for the evidence which they have That the Vial in the Church of S. Maximine's was Mary Magdalen's and the blood boiling in it upon the Passion-day the blood of our Saviour or That the Santa Casa at Loretto is the Chamber where the Virgin Mary was born and saluted by the Angel or That the Reliques at Compostella are the real remains of S. James Their account is so defective That all Wise Men of their own party are ashamed of it The best Testimonies they have are either dreams or visions and fables devised by Men wholly devoted to the advancement of their own designs There is a Table in the Church at Loretto in no less than Thirteen Languages for the edification of all Nations in which is given an account of the Transportation of the Santa Casa by Angels The whole certainly resolves it self at last into a dream a vision and the talk of two old Men. The best Evidence for the Miracles of Xaverius are some posthumous relations framed after his death He himself in several Letters in which he makes a Narrative of his transactions amongst that People speaks no such matter Franciscus de Victoria says That he could hear of no Miracles which were done in those parts by the Emissaries of Rome Fabulous inventions serve to buoy up the devotion of the common people Their Zeal for such publick Tales is usually of the same elevation with that of Demetrius for his gainful Manufactures If it should be granted That Miracles have been done in the Church of Rome there is no assurance That the design of them is to confirm the Infallibility which that Community pretends unto Miracles in the Gospel are like Fines in the Common Law they have Deeds to lead them and declare their proper use There is no authentick declaration from Heaven concerning this matter We have more reason to think if any such Miracles have been done That God by them did intend the confirmation of the Truth in which Protestants and Papists do agree and not the corrupt Additions about which they differ When a Miscellaneous People planted in Samaria by the King of Assyria did not Worship Jehova according to his own order and God in a miraculous manner sent Lyons amongst them to destroy them it would have been very unreasonable in the Israelites to have asserted That this Miracle was done to confirm the Idolatrous Worship of Dan and Bethel Whereas God had his eye not upon the justification of the corruptions which the Israelites were stained with but so much of the Truth as was retained by them When the Papists have made the utmost of what they can of their pretended Miracles they will find every jot as good amongst those whom they will be very unwilling to grant to be infallible False Christs shew great signs Matt. 24.24 The coming of the man of sin is with all power 2 Thess 2.9 The Beast which cometh out of the earth doth great wonders Rev. Socrat. l. 7.17 13.13 When a Jew who counterfeited Christianity was brought by Paulus a Novatian Bishop to the Font to be baptised the water vanished Tac. l. 4. Vespatian restored strength to a Lame and sight to a Blind man Aust de Civ l. 10 16. One born blind received sight by touching the dead body of Adrian The Images which Aeneas brought from Troy did locally move Lact. l. 2. p. 105. A vestal Virgin took up a Sieve out of Tyber full of Water Accius Naevlus cut a whetstone in two with a Razor These Wonders deserve as much consideration as any which the Romanists pretend to This may be sufficient to evidence That the glory of Miracles can be no motive to induce us to believe That the Church of Rome is infallible in her conduct in the concerns of Religion Before I leave this particular concerning the motives of Credibility I will lay down several on the other side which may justly incline us to think That no such guide was ever intended 1. It is no where revealed by Jesus Christ If he had committed his Universal Church to the guidance of any one visible and infallible Head certainly it would have been expressed in the holy Bible It is a matter of great importance not to be setled in doubtful expressions No Prince who appoints another in his absence to govern his Subjects does it in ambiguous terms but gives him a commission in such clear words That no man can have any just reason to dispute his Authority The Texts usually pretended to countenance such a Guide as is contended for have been already examined and found insufficient There is more in that expression relating to S. Paul That which cometh upon me daily the care of all the Churches than in any thing which is spoken of S. Peter and yet no man pretends to collect from thence That S. Paul was exclusively an Oecumenical Bishop and the final decision of all points in Religion did belong only to
cast themselves down before the throne of the divine benignity and with all humility implore the communication of a higher assistance That they may be inabled to serve God with a Spirit of love and delight and with an Eye entirely fixed upon his Glory Those who have made by the help of this general grace so near an approach to the Kingdom of Heaven and have so far wrought out their Salvation with fear and trembling It is the usual method of the Divine Spirit to communicate unto them a more special aid to work in them to will and to do Whereas the proud who refuse to improve this talent are rejected these humble persons find acceptance and have a greater measure of grace communicated to them Jam. 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 Is 57.15 They are in the ready way to be impregnated with a principle which is stiled a new heart Ezek. 36.26 the new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 the new man Eph. 4.24 the hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3.4 the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 the unction 1 Jo. 2.27 And likewise to be excited by a supernal influence to act according to this principle Tho' the habitual gift is perfect as it descends from the Father of Lights yet as it stands in relation to the Recipient out of which it does not expel all the remains of the Primitive Apostasy it being but imperfect it has need of fresh influences to quicken it Upon this account God is pleased not only to enkindle the sparks of grace but to prevent their decay by enlivening them with the breath of his Holy Spirit He not only enstamps a new bias upon the Heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but with his own hand puts it forward toward the mark This influence is that which David so importunately petitions for shew me thy ways teach me thy paths lead me in thy truth Ps 25.4 5. Open mine eyes Ps 119.18 make me to understand the way of thy precepts v. 27. Teach me the way of thy statutes v. 33. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies v. 26. Make me to go in the way of thy commandments v. 35. order my steps in thy word v. 133. This holy Man in these applications must aim at the obtaining of some thing which he was sensible of the want of At the time of this address he was invested with a Religious Principle and therefore must have his Eye upon a Divine Influence whereby his heart might be excited and drawn forth to action To this is consonant what is expressed in Ezekiel 36.26 27. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my ways The stony heart is not only removed and a tractable temper placed in the room which is stiled a heart of flesh but the Spirit is to be put into them in order to the stirring them up to walk in the ways of God The same thing is asserted in the Ep. to the Hebrews c. 13.20 21. The God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight thro' Jesus Christ That which is most pleasing is the Act of Religion it having a nearer affinity to the Divine Nature which is a pure act than the Power has The working of this by a Celestial influence is petitioned for Faith which is the spring of Religious Worship is represented in the very act to be the gift of God Bhil 1. v. 29. To you it is given not only to believe but to suffer as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports actual suffering So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 actual belief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which denotes the Act of Worship is expressed as the effect of the Divine Donation Luke 1. v. 73 74. Parallel to all this are the words of the Apostle Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you to will and to do It is not only the power to will and to do which is represented as the product of Divine Grace but the volition and action The influence is so efficacious That the acts which are freely exerted by Men are attributed to him from whom it proceeds as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not only signifie him that is able to work but him who worketh so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not import only a power to do but the doing or action it self Those who are thus dealt with are said to be drawn by the Father Jo. 6.44 After they have gone thro' the preparatory work by the help of his general grace This special effectually pulls their hearts and brings them over to Christ This is the usual method of God's proceeding with those who live under the Gospel He puts a Talent into the hand of every one and if it be rightly used he secures to the improver by promise the communication of a more powerful assistance So that if any want it none are blameable for the defect but themselves He who is unfaithful in the discharge of an inferior trust cannot expect to be imployed in a greater He who hath a stock of a hundred pounds and imbezleth it may thank his own folly That a greater sum is not committed to him It is no prejudice to what has been asserted That God deals sometimes otherwise with Men. S. Paul before his Conversion was so far from being under any preparatory disposition That he was employing his strength to destroy the Faith of Christ at that time when he was effectually called by him There is no rule but may admit of some exception God has his chosen vessels of Mercy The Captain General of our Salvation has besides his other Regiments Artic. 17. one peculiar to himself God hath chosen in Christ some out of Mankind Helps are vouchsafed to many which exceed the ordinary measures In the family in Heaven and Earth every Child's portion tho' it be sufficient yet is not equal S. Paul was a special object of Divine dignation and had extraordinary communications to secure his permanency amidst all the disanimating circumstances he was cast into He stiles himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one suddenly and not regularly brought forth as Abortives use to be The breathings of the Holy Spirit are like to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Winds which by Geographers are divided into two sorts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such are common to all places and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are proper to some God having established Christ as a King for ever he doth ascertain to him a people to rule over by the most efficacious motions of his holy Spirit whereby their reluctancies are conquered and minds bowed into a resignation and submission to the will of Heaven As for those who have not the Gospel preached unto them the divine procedure with them is more concealed As the Scripture doth industriously give an account of the Holy Seed and but occasionally touch upon those generations which are out of that line So it gives a most distinct representation
8. and the Law requiring That those for whom the Sacrifice was offered should be present and put their hands upon the head of it and there being an impossibility That every Man should appear in his own Person it was appointed That the several stations should appear in their turns as the representatives of the whole Community These Maimonides stiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Men of the station Those which were near to Jerusalem belonging to such a station constantly appeared in their course according to what was appointed Those who lived at a greater distance Vid. Temp. Service 62. used to assemble themselves in Synagogues and to pray and read the Law that they might maintain Communion with their Brethren at Jerusalem Besides the Temple the Jews had their Proseucha's and Synagogues By the express words of the Law the Males were obliged to appear thrice a year at Jerusalem The same Law obliging them to the celebration of a Sabbath every week their reason did lead them to make choice of such places where they might conveniently assemble for that purpose These are stiled Proseucha's and Synagogues Such was the Sanctuary in Sichem Jos 24.26 And the place of Prayer in Mizpeh 1 Sam. 7.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Macc. 3. â— 40. And the houses of God Ps 74.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquila translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jerusalem it self was not without them as is evident from S. Paul's words He making an Apology for his behaviour there says They neither found him in the Temple disputing with any man nor raising up the people neither in the Synagogues nor in the City Act. 24.12 Tho' there is some distinction usually made betwixt a Proseucha and a Synagogue as that a Proseucha was in the Field a Synagogue in the City The Proseucha open at top The Synagogue covered The Proseucha built in some place near a River The Synagogue in the highest place of the City The Proseucha might entertain the least number The Synagogue no fewer than Ten yet we find the words promiscuously used by Philo Judaeus He calls the Synagogues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De vita Mâ—sis l. 3. It is probable where the Magistrate would not permit the Jews the exercise of their Religion in Cities that they built places in the Fields equivalent to them where they might convene for the Worship of God So that tho' a Proseucha and a Synagogue might differ in some external modes yet they did agree in the main end After the Law when the Messias was come these places were frequented for some time Notwithstanding there was corruption in the publick administrations yet our Blessed Lord did not forsake them The Scribes and Pharisees Ministers in the Jewish Church were chargeable with many personal defects by their procurement unnecessary Rites were blended with the Worship of God The persons which they ministred unto were so enormous in their conversion That the Temple upon the account of their presence is stiled a Den of Thieves Yet for all this our Saviour did not withdraw himself from their Assemblies Into this Church he was admitted by Circumcision Luk. 4.16 did frequently celebrate the Passeover with them honour their Synagogues with his presence every Sabbath and commands his Disciples to hear the Scribes and Pharisees Jo. 11.49 Tho' there was an innovation about the Priesthood the Office of the High Priest which was perpetual by the Law of God was made annual by the Law of Man yet when he had cured the Leper he sends him to the Priest Mat. 8.4 He continued in a Proseucha praying all night Luke 6.12 After his Death his Disciples did tread in his steps So soon as he was ascended the principal of them which were a Hundred and Twenty did presently gather together in an upper room belonging to the Temple and continued in Prayer and Supplication When such multitudes of Converts were added to the Church as one room would not contain them they made use of diverse They continued in the Temple and brake Bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from room to room S. Peter and S. John went up to the Temple at the hour of prayer Act. 3.1 The Disciples were all with one accord in Solomon 's Porch Act. 5.12 The Apostles are bid to speak in the Temple to the people Act. 5.20 S. Paul preached Christ in the Synagogues Act. 9.20 At Antioch in Pisidia he and Barnabas did repair thither on the Sabbath day Act. 13.14 This was his practice at Iconium Thessalonica Corinth Ephesus and so much a general custome That the assembling of Christians together is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10. This Communion of the Christians with the Jews continued as long as their circumstances were reconcileable with it Afterwards they held their Assemblies apart and had peculiar places for their Sacred Conventions known by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When ye come together in the Church 1 Cor. 11.18 Here is first a coming together which makes the Congregation and then the place is expressed where the Congregation is met 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word imports something antecedent to and distinct from the Assembly Upon this account the Church is opposed to private houses Have ye not houses to eat and drink in or dispise ye the Church of God Let the women keep silence in the Churches and if they will learn any thing let them ask their husbands at home 1 Cor. 14.34 As Houses and home signifie private dwellings so the rule of opposition will justifie us in asserting That the Church or Churches which are opposed to them must signifie publick set apart for Religious Conventions Such were the Houses of Nymphas Philemon Priscilla and Aquila Col. 4.15 Rom. 16. Priscilla and Aquila We read of the Church in them that is The Congregation which use to meet there for the Worship of God these persons having set apart some part of their dwelling for that sacred purpose If by the Church in their Houses we must understand only the members of their families which were converted to the Faith no good reason can be given why the same form of salutation should not be addressed to others as well as to them Rom. 16. â— 10 11. There were many others as Narcissus and Aristobulus who had in their housholds those who did embrace the Doctrine of Christ We are not destitute of very early Testimonies to the same effect in Ecclesiastical Writers L. 8. c. 1 â—u l. 2. c. 17. Lamprid. Eusebius stiles the Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ancient edifices Several of them were in Alexandria in S. Mark 's time Alexander Severus upon a controversie did adjudge such a publick place to the Christians Irenaeus and Clemens Alexandrinus use the word Ecclesia in the sence which we contend for Such a place is stiled Domus Dei in Tertullian and Dominicum in S. Cyprian These words import a resignation of the right
not constantly employed in those actions which have the most direct aspect upon the Divine Honour are the necessities of this present Life Now there is no person of what quality soever so incumbred but he without being wanting to his secular concerns may spare some intervals every day and dedicate them to this sacred purpose Deut. 17.19 Princes who are exercised with the most important affairs are required daily to read in the Book of the Law David was Seven times a day concerned in the Praises of God Psal 119. v. 164. Alphred the Saxon King dedicated Eight Hours of every day to the concerns of Religion Charles the Fifth after his retirement was so frequent in his Devotion that it is said of him That he spoke oftner with God than with Men. The Jews use to repair to their devotion in their Synagognes or Schools Three Times a-day in the Morning from Sun-rising till about the Fourth Hour This they stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Afternoon about the Ninth Hour Leo Moden p. 32. which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Evening at the beginning of the Night this they name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Cyprian represents the Christians as being always ready to give their adoration unto God De Orat. Dom. p. 154 Besides these Daily addresses there are many occasional ones which we are to make to Heaven The Supreme Moderator who rules the World is various in the methods of his government He is pleased sometimes to interrupt the usual course and administer just occasion either of extraordinary joy and triumph or else of the deepest sorrow and dejection The light of Reason has directed all Nations to dedicate some portion of their Time to the remembrance of such signal emergencies and the honour and worship of him by whose interposals they are brought to pass Of this kind are the Feasts of Purim Jo. 10.22 and Dedication The First occasioned by the signal disappointment of Haman's Policy The Second by the Purification of the Temple by Jndas Maccabaeus To these we may reduce the Festival of the Law Nehem. 8.9 which the Jews still observe upon the Three and Twentieth day of Tisri They stile it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the account of their joy for having finished the reading of the five books of Moses according to the division of them into so many Sections as there be weeks in the year They had their Fasts likewise in the Tenth Month occasioned by the besieging of Jerusalem in the Fourth by the taking of it in the Fifth by the overthrow and burning of the Temple in the Seventh by the killing of Gedaliah Parallel to this is the practice of the ancient Christians who weekly fasted upon the daies when Christ was betrayed and Crucisied yearly before the Passeover There were likewise in use among them Solemn Days appointed to perpetuate the Memory of the Martyrs and the goodness of God in furnishing them with magnanimity to give so signal a testimony of the reality of the Christian Faith Besides these stated days occasioned by some particular dispensations reason doth suggest unto us That there ought to be a solemn time peculiarly devoted to the honour of Jehovah If S. Peter and Paul have their particular days set apart to preserve their memory and those honourable thoughts in us which their holy and exemplary conversation deserves certainly God doth justly challenge a peculiar time to be Consecrated to the remembrance and Adoration of his peerless Perfection transcendent Dominion and unparallel'd Goodness The Wise Man tells us Eccl. 3.1 To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven And if to every purpose then certainly to the Solemn Worship and acknowledgment of the matchless Excellency and unlimited Soveraignty of the Supreme Being For this is the great purpose which God designs in the New Creation That he may have a chosen Generation to shew forth the Praises of him Who hath brought them out of darkness into his marvellous light Upon this account the Israelites had not only their daily Sacrifice Morning and Evening their Yearly Solemnities where the Males appeared but likewise a Solemn Day every Week when all of both Sex were obliged to own the Soveraignty of Jehovah and their relation as Subjects to him Therefore their Sabbath is represented as a sign That Jehovah was their God Ezek. 20.20 Earthly Princes are not only owned by the daily respect which the Court gives unto them by the occasional obeysance of their Subjects upon the account of some particular favours but likewise there is usually a fixed and stated Time for the payment of that homage whereby their Supremacy is owned It is as reasonable that there should be as solemn and peculiar Times for all the Subjects of Jehovah to make their due acknowledgments and render their tribute of Honour and Worship to him The Heathens by the light of Nature Macrob. Saturn l. 1. c. 16. p. 226 were directed not only to appoint the dies intercisi which were but in part devoted to the honour of their Deities but likewise a more solemn time which was entirely dedicated to this purpose That this most Solemn Time may be the better understood I will lay down the following Propositions 1. God requires That we give to him not only a Mental and inward Worship but that we express it by external actions Our Bodies as well as our Souls being made and redeemed by him we cannot but lie under an indispensable obligation to Worship and Glorifie him with both II. Our external acknowledgments of the Divine Majesty must not only be in private but in publick Not only when we are alone but in Communion and conjunction with others For we undoubtedly are bound to Worship the Fountain of all our Blessings in such a way as hath the most direct and efficacious influence upon the promotion of his Honour His Honour is more advanced by the joint and united performances of his Servants than by their solitary devotions For the more manifest and full our Religious acknowledgments are the more Honour must necessarily accrue to him And we cannot but believe that the Agnition is more full and apert when holy Men joyn together in their Sacred Addresses than when they act a-sunder and confine themselves to their several apartments III. The Solemn Time for these joynt performances of Religion ought to be stated and fixt by some known constitution otherwise How shall the several members of the Ecclesiastical Community know when to convene in order to the discharge of their duty IV. It is expedient That it should be taken out of some part of a Week For our Souls naturally being under an indisposition to the concerns of Religion the sooner the time for Solemn Worship returns the more useful it will be in preventing that deadness which will be apt to surprise us before a larger Circle such as a Year or Month can come
about V. It cannot in reason be less than one whole Day every Week which will be evident if we consider 1. The Object of our Worship Were we to live the days of Methusalem he might challenge every moment of our time as a just debt and if all be due reason will not allow That so considerable a portion as a Week should pass without a solemn dedication of a Seventh part of it to his service Let us suppose one man to owe unto anothers as much or more than his whole estate is worth the rule of equity will not allow him to offer less than the Seventh part in order to the compounding his debt and the just satisfaction of his Creditor 2. The Nature of Worship In it the Glory of God the eternal happiness of the Soul the temporal felicity of the Community are highly interested The difficulty in the right discharge of it is equal to the importance The Prince of this World makes it his work to hinder it The natural tempers of Men furnish him with a signal advantage to compass his design There is an inbred Love in us to sensible objects which are apt to ingenerate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Athenagoras speaks Leg. 〈◊〉 Christianis p. 30. This is the reason why the Second Commandment which relates to Worship is fortified with so many inducements to obedience One taken from the power of God to punish offenders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Another from his will to exert his power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Third from the execution of his Will upon the off-spring of those which offend visiting the iniquity c. A Fourth from his kindness to the obedient shewing mercy c. Had it not been difficult to confine our selves within the bounds of this Precept the fence which is set about it would not have been so strong If the Worship of God be a matter of such difficulty and of the greatest importance then it requires a very large proportion of our time to be spent in the performance of it and if so was it left to our own disposal we could not in justice allot less than the Seventh part 3. The pattern of the triumphant Church In Heaven a perpetual Sabbath is celebrated The glorified Spirits are constantly imployed in worshipping him who liveth for ever and ever Rev. 4.10 This heavenly example the Church Militant must makes as near an approach unto as the circumstances of this present life will permit she being obliged to endeavour That the will of God may be done on earth as it is in heaven Matt. 6. v. 10. Those who are most exercised with the incumbrances of this world have nothing to plead in their own behalf why they may not come up so nigh to this celestial pattern as to devote One Day of every Week to the concerns of Religion 4. The practice of the Militant Church not only under the Law but before From the beginning of the Creation the Time for Solemn Worship was no less than One whole Day every Week as is evident from the testimony of the Author to the Hebrews altho' the works were finished from the foundation of the world For he spake in a certain place of the Seventh Day on this wise And God did rest the seventh day from all his works Heb. 4.3 4. Here is an evident remembrance of a day of rest not only to God but to Men. For the design of the Apostle is to prove out of the 95. Psal That there remains a rest to the people of God under the Gospel In order to this purpose he shews it is not the rest of the Seventh from the Creation which the Psalmist had his eye upon If the Seventh here mentioned had not been a rest to the people of God but only to God himself there would have been no necessity of such care to distinguish it from that other rest which is concluded still to remain to the people of God 2. That time is expressed when this rest commenced from the foundation of the world The works then finished are represented as the ground upon which the Sabbath was instituted It cannot with reason be imagined That the foundation should be laid at the beginning and the superstruction not built upon it as some think till above Two Thousand years after This Assertion receives a great deal of strength from the early division of Time into Weeks Noah had his eye upon the Hebdomadal Cycle Gen. 8.10 12. A Week is represented as a period familiarly known in Jacob's time Gen. 29.27 God himself did point out this division by his own example distinguishing the Six Days by peculiar Works the Seventh by rest A universal consent prevailed amongst all the Eastern Nations about this particular The testimony of Joannes Philoponus is known 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 7. c. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is agreed amongst all Nations That there are Seven Days which by a constant revolution constitute all time Georgius Syncellus in his Chronology which begins with Adam and ends at Dioclesian asserts That the Patriarchs divided their time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the division into Months and Years is of later date Josephus against Appion says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. There is no City whether Greek or Barbarian to whom was unknown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the division of Time into Weeks was from the beginning and a week consisted of seven days and one of those were a Sabbath or a day of rest the Sabbath must needs be from the beginning There is no record which makes mention of a week that doth not suppose the Sabbath to be a part of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst the Greeks is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Hebrows which Theophilus Antiochenus says E. z. ad Autol. p. 91. All Men had knowledge of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Sacred Oracles sometimes is put for a week the denomination of the whole being taken from the principal part Lev. 23.15 In the book entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is expressed That for many weeks the Seventh Day was celebrated as a day of rest The Chaldee Paraphrast upon the Title of Psalm 92. useth these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Song which the first Man sang on the Sabbath-day and upon the first verse of the Canticles the first Song Adam spake at the time when his sin was pardoned and the day of the Sabbath came and protected him Cain and Abel are said to bring their Sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the end of days by which we must understand theh period of a year or a month or some other term there being no division of time so early as that into Weeeks and nothing here can be so well understood by the end of Days as the end of a Week which was the Sabbath Indeed it is objected That if the Sabbath was so early as hath been
kindling of fire it is manifest That the Text commonly alledged Exod. 35.3 must undergo some restriction for the Priests were bound to bake the Shew-bread and set it hot upon the Table every Sabbath Lev. 24.5 8. 1 Sam. 21.6 And to offer up the Sacrifice of the Sabbath which could not be done without the kindling of fire Altho' the fire which came down from heaven was constantly upon the Altar and so continued till it came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the house of eternity or Temple where it was renewed yet it is plain That it was daily maintained by a supply of new fewel The Priest was to lay wood every morning on it Lev. 6.12 And so soon as the old fire had disjoyned the particles and put them into motion new fire must necessarily be kindled This is taken notice of by Munster upon the Text Judaei hoc praeceptum c. The Jews think this Precept is to be observed in the Letter and therefore they hire Christians to kindle their fire on the Sabbath not considering it was lawful for the Priests to make a fire on the Sabbath for the daily Sacrifice All this doth manifest that the Text which is under consideration must not be taken in that latitude which it seems to have at the first view and if it must have some limitation it cannot be better restrained than to what is expressed in the Context The thing treated of is the work of the Tabernacle tho' many cautions had been given concerning the forbearance of servile work on the Sabbath upon any private account yet some might be apt to think That work tending to the preparing of materials for the composing that Sacred Tent was lawful For the prevention of such thoughts before the description of what was requisite is entered upon this Precept is laid down That in order to any such work whether the melting of Silver Gold or any other metal which might be necessary about the Sanctuary not so much as a fire should be kindled And now I have finished the second branch of the Proposition That the Sabbath of the Fourth Command One in Seven is perpetual and not to continue only during the Jewish Oeconomy I will proceed to the Third This proportion One in Seven is by the Command to be devoted to Divine Worship and not only to corporal rest Besides Bodily rest there is mention likewise of a Sanctification of the Sabbath as a thing distinct from it Sanctification is represented as the end Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy The rest as a means to advance this work In it thou shalt do no work Corporal labour being an impediment to the exercise of Religion If the end and the means are always distinct then Sanctification must import something different from the rest of the day and this can be nothing but the devoting of it to the Solemn Worship of God This we may collect first From the order of the Commands in the First is prescribed who we must Worship Thou shalt have no other Gods but me In the Second How we must not Worship him Thou shalt not make any graven image of him In the Third How we must with holy reverence Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain In the Fourth We have the solemn time when this Service must be performed Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie or set it a-part for this Sacred Work Upon the account of the relation which this Command has to the other Three Precepts of the first Table The keeping of it is put for the observation of them all Isa 56.2 And the Jews have a saying That the Sabbath is equivalent to all Commands Secondly The Blessing of the Sabbath God blessed the Sabbath-day Here is something contained in these words which imports a special benediction It is no such Emphatical Blessing for a day to be devoted meerly to idleness That day is most blessed on which God is most honoured But God has more honour by the honest actions of Men in those vocations in which he has placed them than he can have by meer sloth and a total cessation from labour without any respect to his Sacred Worship Thirdly The practice of the Israelites upon the Sabbath They had a holy Convocation Lev. 23. Reading and Preaching out of Moses and the Prophets Act. 15.21 Luk. 4.16 17. Solemn places to resort unto for the performance of these sacred duties Leo Modena p. 114. Ps 74.8 To this the practice of the modern Jews is very agreeable and believed by them to be grounded upon the Fourth Command as is manifest by the words of Manasse Ben Israel Concil p. 149. in his Comment upon that Precept Notabilis error est putare otii ergo Sabbatum institutum esse c. It is a remarkable error to think That the Sabbath was instituted for rest For idleness being the mother of all vice upon this supposition more hurt than good will come from the Sabbath Quare statuere omnino opertet c. Wherefore it is necessary to assert That the Sabbath was instituted that man might readily all worldly cares being laid aside apply himself to the study of the Law have recourse to Synagogues and Academies consult his Teachers about weighty portions of Scripture and hard Questions which he is ignorant of Maimonides says Huls p. 240 Five Precepts are necessary to be complied with in order to a due observation of the Sabbath The first is to rest on the Seventh the Second to Sanctifie the day So that in his thoughts to rest from bodily labour and to sanctifie or keep holy the Sabbath are two distinct things Philo Judaeus says That the Fourth Command enjoyns that the Seventh day be spent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these words import more than a sitting still The Rabbins generally believe that Divine Worship is contained in it L. 4. c. 30. Hist l. 1. c. 4. Irenaeus and Eusebius are of the same mind So that I cannot see what reason there is for that conclusion which we meet with in the Epilogue I conclude therefore that which will seem strange to unskilful people L. 3. c. 21. p. 192. That the only thing commanded by the Letter of the Fourth Command is to rest from bodily labour upon the seventh day of the week in which God rested from whence it is called a Sabbath The grounds of this perswasion are these The Precept extends to Cattle which are in no capacity to do any thing appertaining to a Sabbath but rest from their labour and likewise to strangers that is such as were not circumcised but Converts from Idols and Proselytes of the Gate As the Israelites were bound to see their Cattle they did not work so likewise to these strangers They of themselves were under no obligation being tyed only to the Seven Precepts which the Sons of Noah received from him of which number the Sabbath was none To keep holy the Sabbath signifies only
exercise the Ministerial function imployed Peter to Preach and by his Sermon at the Third Hour converted Three thousand at the Ninth hour Five Thousand He held the Angels of the Asian Churches in his right hand and out of his mouth went a two-edged sword the Sword of the Spirit namely the Word of God All this is very agreeable to the nature of a day wholly devoted to Religion 4. The Holy Apostles and Disciples Upon the First of the Week when the Disciples came together to break Bread Paul preached to them Act. 20.7 Here are actions very suitable to the design of a Sabbath Preaching and Administring the Holy Sacrament The Time when these actions were performed is the First of the Week This was a constant custom we never read that the Apostle in any place where he found none but Disciples did upon the old Sabbath communicate with them in those Ordinances which the Gospel has appointed Now as touching a Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia so do ye Vpon the first of the week let every one of you lay up by him in store 1 Cor. 16.1 2. The duty here enjoyned is a Collection for the Saints The Apostle did design That it should be very liberal according to the estate of every Man Why he should wave the second third fourth fifth day of the Week and pitch upon the First for the doing of this generous and pious Work cannot be conceived except upon the First of the Week the Disciples of Christ use to meet and be engaged in such Religious performances as have a tendency to excite the mind to Christian liberality These were the thoughts of S. Chrysostome Hom. 43. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There was an idoneity and fitness in the day to dispose and lead them to the acts of Charity This custom was not only amongst the Corinthians but all other Christians The Epistle is addressed to all who in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1.2 and it was not only upon one or two First days but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the First day of every Week There remaineth therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the keeping a Sabbath to the people of God For he that is entred into his rest he also hath ceased from his works as God did from his Heb. 4.9 10. These words are directed to the Hebrews who were inclinable thro' the efficaey of former impressions to disvalue the institutions of the Gospel That the Apostle might prevail with them to yield a chearful conformity to those appointments He demonstrates That Christ is more valuable than Moses and stiles their deserting the Gospel a departure from the living God and cites Psalm 95. which has a peculiar aspect upon the state of the Church under the Messias In it are described his Disciples under these names the People of his pasture the Sheep of his hand Their solemn meeting to Worship O come let us worship the duties performed at this meeting as Prayer Let us kneel before the Lord our maker v. 6. Singing of Psalms Let us make a joyful noise unto him with Psalms v. 2 3. Hearing the word if you will hear his voice v. 7. a particular day on which all these duties are to be performed To day if you will hear This day being intended for a Sabbath at which time all spiritual advantages are administred which tend to the bringing the Soul into truest satisfaction and rest an exhortation is given to the People not to harden their hearts as the Israelites did in the provocation lest they be deprived of this rest as the Israelites were of theirs in the land of Canaan Now because there are several sorts of rests recorded in the Scripture The heavenly rest in the world to come the rest of the old Sabbath rest in the land of Canaan the Apostle makes it manifest that it is none of these which the Psalmist means but the rest of a Sabbath under the Gospel Not the heavenly for the rest here spoken is confined to a certain day v. 7. Whereas the rest above is every day without interruption Not the rest of the old Sabbath for that was at the beginning when the works were finished from the Creation of the World But the rest mentioned by the Psalmist is some future thing under the Gospel as I have sworn if they shall enter Not the Rest in the land of Canaan If Jesus had given them rest then he would not afterwards have spoken of another day From these premises it is concluded there remaineth therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the keeping a Sabbath day to the people of God under the Gospel And that we may know this Sabbath is the Resurrection-day and by consequence the First of the Week it is added for he which entred into his rest hath ceased from his works as God did from his God the Father upon the Last of the Week ceased from his works and made it a day of rest unto his people Therefore God the Son has done the like with the First of the Week he then putting a period to his state of Humiliation and ceasing from his labour and trouble which he did undergo in the accomplishment of the work of our redemption I was in the Spirit upon the Lord's day Rev. 1.10 By the Lord's day we can understand no less than a day appointed by our Blessed Lord and devoted to his Honour and Worship This day must necessarily be the First of the Week For S. John in expressing this circumstance of Time designs a credit to his relation and therefore must necessarily mean some day which was very well known by this name at the writing of the Revelation It is manifest by Ignatius who was his contemporary That the common name then given to the First of the Week was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This day God was pleased to signalize by a communication of the Holy Ghost in some extraordinary measures S. John was in the Spirit upon it In the words there is an allusion to the manner of speaking amongst the Hebrews who say that a man besides the Soul which he is ordinarily endued with has another Spirit given to him upon the Sabbath which they stile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an excellent Soul Manass Ben. Is reconc Buxt Syna Jud. c. 11. p. 288. Such allusions we have in the very Context The Seven Spirits v. 4. have a plain aspect upon the Seven Angels which the Jews say do constantly attend the throne of God And the Governours of the Asian Churches are called Angels with respect to the Rulers in the Synagogues which were known by that name 5. The testimony of the following ages He who consults the Writings which are extant will meet with these four Things which being laid together will amount to what has been asserted 1. That the First of the Week was owned by Christians as a Day of Worship 2. As a Sabbath
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Eusebius They are the same which the Rabbins call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sahbatharii Lastly The First of the Week is represented as a day instituted by Christ in the place of the Jewish Sabbath For this we have the plain words of Athanasius Hom. de Semente 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord hath translated the day of the Sabbath to the Lord's day In the Homily of the Place and Time of Prayer Sunday is Three times called the Sabbath and it is plainly asserted That there is both the Example and Commandment of God for the celebration of this day That this Example and Commandment the godly Christians began to follow immediately after the Ascension of our Lord Christ That we are bound to keep the same day not only for that it is God's express Commandment but also to declare our selves to be loving children in following the example of our gracious Lord and Father And now if we look back and consider what has been represented from the Law Prophets our Blessed Lord the Holy Apostles the Christians which lived in the following Ages we may find just reason to believe That when the Old Sabbath was abrogated the First of the Week was substituted in the room of it FINIS BOOKS Printed at the Theatre in Oxford and Sold by Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in S. Paul's Church-yard 1. INstitutiones Grammaticae Anglo-Saxonicae Maeso-Gothicae Auctore G. Hickesio Ecclesiae Anglicanae Presbytero Quarto 2. Chr. Wasii Senarius sive de Legibus Licentia veterum Poëtarum Quarto 3. Misnae Pars Ordinis primi Zeraim Titul septem Latinè verrit Commentario illustravit Guiliel Guisius Accedit Mosis Maimonidis Praefatio in Misnam Edv. Pocockio Interprete Quar. 4. A Reply to two Discourses lately printed at Oxford concerning the Adoration of our B. Saviour in the Holy Eucharist Quar. 5. Some Reflections upon a Treatise call'd Pietas Romana Parisiensis lately printed at Oxford To which are added I. A vindication of Protestant Charity in Answer to some Passages in Mr. E. M's Remarks on a late Conference II. A Defence of the Oxford Reply to two Discourses there printed A.D. 1687. quar 6. Animadversions on the Eight Theses laid down and the Inferences deduced from them in a Discourse Entitled Church-Government Part V. lately printed at Oxford Quar. 7. Reflections on the Historical part of Church-Government Part V. Quar. 8. An Answer to some Considerations on the Spirit of Martin Luther and the Original of the Reformation lately printed at Ox. quar 9. Of the Unity of the Church a Discourse written 1430 years since in the time of Decius the Persecuting Emperor By Cyprian Bishop of Carthage and Martin Most useful for allaying the present Heats and reconciling the Differences among us 10. The Judgment and Decree of the University of Oxford past in their Convocation July 21.1683 against certain pernicious Books and damnable Doctrines destructive to the Sacred Persons of Princes their State and Government and of all Humane Society rendred into English and published by Command Fol. 11. Diadascaloeophus or the Deaf and Dumb Man's Tutor To which is added A Discourse of the Nature and Number of double Consonants Both which Tracts being the first for what the Author knows that have been published upon either of the Subjects By G. Dalgarno Oct. 12. The Depth and Mystery of the Roman Mass laid open and explained for the use of reformed and unreformed Christians By Dan. Brevint D. D. Twelves There are lately Printed for Walter Kettilby these following Books Dr. Burnet's Theory of the Earth the two last Books concerning the Conflagration of the World and the new Heavens and the new Earth Fol. Answer to Mr. Warren's Exceptions against the first Part. Consideration of Mr. Warren's Defence Relation of the Proceedings at Charter-House upon occasion of K. James II. his presenting a Papist to be admitted into that Hospital in virtue of his Letters Dispensatory Fol. Telluris Theoria Sacra Libri duo posteriores de Conflagratione Mundi de futuro rerum statu Quarto Archaeologiae Philosophicae Sive Doctrina antiqua de Rerum Originibus Libri Duo Bishop Overal's Convocation Book 1606. concerning the Government of God's Catholick Church and the Kingdoms of the whole World Quarto Mr. Nicholl's Answer to an Heretical Book call'd The Naked Gospel Quarto Turner de Lapsu Angelorum Hominum Mr. Lamb's Dialogues about the Lord's Supper Octavo Mr. Raymond's Pattern of pure and undefiled Religion Octavo Exposition on the Church Catechism Oct. Animadversions on Mr. Johnson's Answer to Jovian in Three Letters Octavo Mr. Dodwell's Two Letters of Advice about Susception of Holy Orders c. Mr. Milbourn's Mysteries in Religion Vindicated Or Filiation Deity and Satisfaction of our Saviour asserted against Socinians and others with occasional Reflections on several late Pamphlets Octavo Bishop of Rath and Well's Reflections on a French Testament printed at Bourdeaux Quar. Dr. Sharp's now A. B. of York Sermon before the Queen April 11. 1690. on Gal. 15.13 Fast Sermon before the House of Commons May 21. 1690. on Deut. 5.21 Farewel Sermon at S. Giles's June 28. 1691. on Phil. 4.8 Sermon before the House of Lords November 5. 1691. on Rom. 10.2 Sermon before the King and Queen on Christmas-day 1691. on Heb. 19.26 Sermon on Easter-day 1692. on Ph. 3.10 Sermon of the Things that make for Peace before the Lord Mayor Aug. 23. 1674. on Rom. 14.19 Sermon before the L. Mayor Jan. 1675. on 1 Tim. 4.8 both new Printed Archbishop of York's Thanksgiving Sermon before the King and Queen Novem. 12. 1693. Dr. Grove's now L. Bishop of Chichester Sermon before the King and Q. June 1. 1690. Dr. Pelling's Sermon before the King and Queen Dec. 8. 1689. Vindication of those that have taken the Oaths Quarto Dr. Hooper's Sermon before the Queen Jan. 24. 1690. Kelsey Concio de Aeterno Christi Sacerdotio Sermon of Christ crucified Aug. 23. 1691. Dr. Hickman's Thanksgiving Sermon before the House of Commons Octob. 19. 1690. Sermon before the Queen Oct. 26. 1690. Mr. Lamb's Sermon before the King and Queen Jan. 19. 1689. Sermon before the Queen Jan. 24. 1690. Dr. Worthington of Christian Love Octavo Faith and Practice of a Church of England Man Twelves Fourth Edition Mr. Jeffery's Religion the Perfection of Man Octav. Dr. Scot's Sermon before the Q. May 22. 1692. Mr. Marriot's Sermon before the L. Mayor on Easter-day 1689. Sermon of Union at the Election of the L. Mayor Mich. 1689. Mr. Stainforth's Serm. Jan. 30. 1688. at York Dr. Lynford's before the Lord Mayor Feb. 24. 1688. Mr. Young's Sermon of Union May 20. 1688. The Protestant and Popish Way of interpreting Scripture in Answer to Pax vobis Dr. Resbury's before the Lord Mayor Oct. 21. 1688. Amiraldus of Divine Dreams Discourse of the Nature of Man both in his Natural and Political Capacity both as he is a Rational Creature and member of a Civil Society with an Examination of some of Mr. Hobbs's opinions relating hereunto both by J. Lowde Rector of Vttrington in Yorkshire sometime Fellow of Clare-Hall in Cambridge True Conduct of Persons of Quality Translated out of French The Interest of England considered in an Essay upon Wool our Woolen Manufactures and the Improvement of Trade with some Remarks upon the Conceptions of Sir Josiah Child Mr. Young's Sermon concerning the Wisdom of Fearing God Preached at Salisbury Sunday July 30. being the time of the Assizes Printed at the request of the Lawyers A Sermon Preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of the City of London and the Court of Aldermen at Guild-Hall Chapel on Sunday Aug. 20. 1693. By Jonas Warly M. A. Vicar of Witham in Essex A Sermon Preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Livery-men of the City of London in the Parish Church of S. Lawrence-Jewry on the Feast of S. Michael 1693. at the Election of the Lord Mayor for the year ensuing by William Strengfellow M. A. Lecturer of S. Dunstan's East FINIS