of some temporal punishment or to obtain the pardon of her sins for 40. 50. or a 100. years I would account them vain and superstitious but it is clear that she doth not do it for all that the Church of England doth intend in her repetitions as I conceive is to inflame our zeal and affection towards God as the Prophet David left us an example that we might conform our selves to it repeating many times the wonderful favours of our God towards the humane kinde and saying Psal 136. in every verse for his mercy endureth for ever But this is not all which the Authours of our divisions condemn for the signe of the Cross made upon the forehead of the baptized Infants passeth for a superstition and a rest of Papism as the commemoration of the principal mysteries of our redemption observed at certain days of the year with the Festival days of the Blessed Virgin the Apostles and Martyrs nay more then that they cannot endure to hear any thing about the bowing to the Name of Jesus But for the signe of the Cross those that have perused the antiquity know that it was used in the Christian primitive Church for a signe of the Christian profession as it appeareth by Tertullian Cyprian and Augustine de verbis Domini the eighth Sermon and that is granted by our Learned Peter du Moulin in his little Tractate of the Traditions Chap. 25. and I will not omit our judicious Bucer who saith in his first Book De Regno Christi cap. 12. I think that the signe of the Cross is neither indecent nor unprofitable non tam quod est in Ecclesia usus antiquissimi quam quod est admodum simplex praesentis admonitionis crucis Christi not so much because it is of an ancient use in the Church as that it is very innocent and of a present admonition of the Cross of Christ I confess that the signe of the Cross is superstitiously used in the Church of Rome for they make use of it with their holy water for the expiation of their venial sins which are not to be found in the Scripture nor in antiquity nor in nature they make use of the signe of the Cross to drive away the devil and scare him they use it before a Cross because it hath been cause as they say of great wonders and occasion of the conversion of S. Christopher who as some of them say was before engaged in the service of the devil although it is very true that there was never such a man as they imagine him to be nay they make use of the signe of the Cross before and after their meat some being of that perswasion that their meat and drink cannot profit them without that signe but the Church of England admits none of these Superstitions for she onely makes use of the signe of the Cross for a mark and token of the Christian profession as it was used in the Primitive Church And do not tell me that it was upon occasions which are not now to be found among us for I will tell you that now the occasions are as great if not greater being among those who under the profession of Christ endeavour to ruine his Church and if that were no sin to do it in the Primitive Church as I hope the contentious will confess I may certainly say that it is none now to do it but those that condemn the signe of the Cross should not at all speak against it for if they are persecuted as they say let them according to the custom of the Church Primitive make the signe of the Cross among themselves As for the Festival days or the commemoration of the principal mysteries of our Redemption and other special favours of God which gloriously shined in the Blessed Virgin the Apostles and Martyrs observed at certain days of the year it is well known to such as are but meanly read that it was the custome of the Christian Church before the Apostatick seat of Rome as you may see by Jerome in his Commentary upon the Epistle to the Galatians cha 4. adding there further that soon after the Apostles time the Histories of their lives and deaths were read in the Church and their godly examples commended to the people and although Antiquity is not sufficient of it self to justifie this or that Observation yet next unto the Holy Scriptures it is to be reverenced according to that of S. Austin Epist 118. tom 2. post sacras Scriptur as ea nobis sunt observanda quae vel ab Apostolis profecta esse per traditionem vel ab universalibus consiliis desinita esse judicantur those things are by us to be observed next unto the Holy Scriptures which are judged to come from the Apostles by tradition or to have been desined by general Councils Indeed we must acknowledge that many superstitions are used these days in the Church of Rome for in the Festival dayes of the blessed Virgin and holy Apostles those of the Church of Rome pretend to merit before God in their sinfull devotions before such an Altar and no other and in such a Chappel they offer unto them Vows present them their prayers and give them an honour which is due unto God which if these Saints had any knowledge of they without doubt would implore the Divine Majesty to punish their presumption for if they could not endure such an honour upon the earth Act. 10.14 as being onely proper to God much less will they suffer it in heaven being indued with a greater charity toward the God of glory whom they must reverently adore therefore the Church of England admits not these Superstitions in her Festival days she doth nothing but meditate these days on the wonderfull graces of God which did appear in these Saints of whom she celebrates the commemoration and desireth of God that she may imitate them in the holy life and pious conversation which they did leade upon the earth and so she saith with S. Austin lib. de vera relig cap. 55. Sancti honorandi sunt propter imitationem sed non adorandi propter religionem the Saints are to be honoured for imitation but not worshipped for Religion for although these days are kept holy in Commemoration of the Saints yet they are not kept holy to the Saints but to God For the bowing at the Name of Jesus I confess that at first coming from the Church of Rome I thought it was superstitious but having seriously examined the thing I see that it can be done without superstition for we owe to our blessed Saviour an outward and inward reverence because Christ hath redeemed not onely our souls but also our bodies from eternal corruption and indeed we may observe that in Phil. 2.10 where it is said that at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven things in earth and things under the earth for although the Apostle speaks immediately of the glory and authority
and ambition did alienate our first Parents from God so pride and ambition makes a division between the Church and her children for you shall often see the children of the Church to be so ambitious that they will esteem themselves above their mother and indeed there is no schismatick much more an heretick but is ambitious and so the Shoolmen speak when they say that a Schismatick is one who retaining the fundamental points of Religion rends impudently the Church by reason of some Rights and Ceremonies which his ambition approves not of but me thinks that the next daughter of hell is envy which seems sad by reason of the union which she fears in this Kingdom for envy loves nothing but division because that vice and immoderate affection of our soul will never permit us to like what is done by those that we do not like or to consent unto these things which we had no hand to in their Institution for in the injunction of such things we are perswaded by that fatal passion that our advantage is hindred or diminished but behold there is another which is covered with a very black garment where you can discern nothing and that is ignorance which cannot inform us of the nature of those things which are imposed upon us by our Superiours for Ignorance makes us esteem the circumstances and garments of Religion to be of as high a nature as the body and substance thereof and by that means we cannot agree nor receive the circumstantial things which our Superiours impose upon us for the good order of the Christian Church but further give me leave to let another monstrous daughter of hell appear with the others that we may eschew the fatal effects thereof in the knowledge of her nature and that is obstinacy which is not content to cause division but will countenance it for obstinacy as every one knows will always have us to defend that which we once have maintained and blame that which we once have declaimed against although we know not any reason for it and so the obstinate men will remain in their errours and entertain division Now if you consider the causes of our divisions without partiality you will confess with me that Pride Envy Ignorance and Obstinacy were those monsters which would not permit as now will not yet suffer the fomenters of division to adhere to those things which their Superiours imposed upon them for otherwise I do verily beleeve that they had not embroyled this Nation with such a cruel war neither had they upon their pretended occasions so violently persecuted the Church for these things which many who agree in the substance of Religion with their mother the Church contended about are harmless and cannot offend moderate and prudent men for not any of the authours of the division of this Kingdom I hope will blame the moderation of the first Reformers of the Church of England who seriously examined the Church of Rome in its Doctrine Discipline and Worship to reject the Errours and Heresies of the Doctrine the Tyranny and oppression of the Discipline and the Superstitions of the Worship and retain that which the Church of Rome had from the Christian Primitive Church nay more then that they took a way the abuse of things indifferent in their nature and reduced them to a lawfull use But for all that some contentious like those that were in Corinth of whom the Apostle speaks when he saith I hear that there be divisions among you would not be satisfied they blamed many things that could be easily passed by as now many of their imitatours do for the white colour of the garments of the Church of England offend their sight they say that these garments are superstitiously used in the Church of Rome as if in the Church of Rome the Clergy regular secular did not use garments of several other colours as well as white nay more then that those that know the Church of Rome as I have reason to know it having lived among them in their communion 23 or 24 years are not ignorant that she makes use of all sorts of colours so that if we would not use any of those she makes use of we should go all naked so we should prove very fit to be among the Adamites but as S. Jerome saith very well against Pelagius what enmity is it against God if the Bishop Priest and Deacon do go in white vestments when they are to officiate Moreover they will not admit the singing of the Creed nor many pious Songs when other Protestants beyond the Sea whom the contentious approve of sing the Lords Prayer in their temple as the Dutch Churches and those of Hesson or the ten Commandments with that which we call the Song of Simeon as our French Reformed Churches and others do and if they tell me that the Church of England cannot produce any passage of Scripture for the singing of the Creed c. I answer that it is not necessary for circumstantial things and that our Protestants beyond the sea whom the causers of division in this Kingdom do approve of cannot bring any passage of Scripture to prove the singing of the Lords Prayer and the ten Commandments But their contentious humour goes yet further for they will not have the people answer in the celebration of the Divine Service and they are offended at the repetitions which the Church of England makes use of but For the first I say that it is good according to the custome of the Church of England to joyn our selves with the Pastours in the Church as you did this day in the celebration of the Divine Service for it is nothing else but a sacred conceâ—t in imitation of that which the sacred Angels make use of in heaven in their praising of the Lord as you may see in Isa 6. and the Church of England is not the onely Church amongst the Reformed which makes use of answers in the celebration of the Divine Service for the Reformed Churches of Hungaria Transilvania and Lithuania as I am credibly informed make use of some answers in their Divine Service but I need not to pleade in that manner for if in that the Church of England should be alone among the Protestant Churches I would hold it lawfull because it is not against Scripture but rather conformable to it when the blessed spirits and sacred Angels cry or answer one to another Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts Concerning the repetitions of the Church let me tell you that they are as so many productions of a sacred and vehement affection like unto that of David Lord have mercy upon me Lord have mercy upon me and that of the Angels Holy Holy Holy indeed if the Church of England should make use of her repetitions by number as the Church of Rome doth so that by the repeating of so many times such a prayer she should think to merit something before God as the relaxation
given our Saviour yet we must make it known inwardly and outwardly by an inward and outward reverence and the famous Zanchius acknowledgeth the lawfullness of the bowing at the Name of Jesus in that verse of the Epistle to the Philippians saying whereas before the Name of Jesus was blasphemed by almost all the Jews after his death his Divinity being manifested he is adored of all men so that even at the mentioning of the Name of Jesus they all how their knees to him atque hinc non dubito quin profecta sit illa antiquissima consuetudo in Ecclesus ut cum nominatur Jesus omnes aperiant caput in testimonium reverentiae adorationis and I doubt not but that from thence came that ancient custom used in the Churches that all should uncover their heads at the naming of Jesus in signe of reverence and adoration and that is used not onely in the Reformed Churches of England but also in those of the Palatinate as I have heard of those that came from that place Indeed I must confess that to do it as the Church of Rome doth is a thing superstitious for they place some vertue in the Name of Jesus qua nomen consisting of its two syllables so that they superstitiously worship the word it self nay more then that they say that the Name of Jesus qua nomen is greater holier and more reverent then the Name of God as Cornel. Ã lapide expresses but the Church of England admits no such thing she bows at the Name of Jesus to express a signe of the reverence which she owes not to the word it self but to Christ signified by the word and there is no more superstition in that then there is in the kneeling at these words Et verbum caro factum est and the Word was made flesh but some of the Learned Protestant Doctours conceive no Superstition at the kneeling at these words for as Peter Martyr Coc. com Class 4. cap. 10. sect 50. saith many there be who piously kneel and worship at the hearing of these words of the Gospel and the Word was made flesh and yet it must not be said that these words themselves are worshipped but that which is by them signified then there is no Superstition at the bowing at the Name of Jesus I could raise many other Objections which those make who love division but I will not be tedious it is enough to tell you that that which our divided people enemy of the Episcopal Government and of all the Rights which the Church of England observeth blames is approved of by all the Protestants beyond the Seas as good or esteemed as indifferent which may be enjoyned and made necessary necessitate convenientiae by the Ecclesiastical Superiours and I remember that I heard from a Polander with whom I was sometimes at Paris that in the Reformed Churches of Bohemia and those of little Poland the people kneeling did receive the Sacrament and that these Protestants did celebrate the Feasts of our blessed Saviour of the Virgin Mary mother of Christ and of the Apostles as in all these Churches and others they bury the dead with certain forms which contain Lectures Hymns and Prayers which as in the Church of England shew the desire we Christians ought to have for the enjoying of the eternal felicity and glory both in body and soul with those that are departed this life in the faith of Jesus Christ whereof the Church of Rome superstitiously prays for the dead that they may enjoy an eternal rest and that their souls may be delivered from the flames of Putgatory which is a place which they cannot finde in the Scripture nor in the Writings of the Doctours of the Primitive Church as it appears by some of the Learnedest of our adversaries for Fisher Bishop of Rochester in his Writings egainst Luther says that in the ancient Writers there is little or no mention of Purgatory and Durand doth ingeniously confess that Ambrose Austin Hilary and Jerome do not at all speak of Purgatory as Marous as it is reported Bishop of Ephesus declared in the Councel of Florence that Chrysostome denied it by that then you see that those things which the Church of England observeth are harmless and have nothing of Popery with them which is so evident that some of the most eminent Ministers of the Reformed Churches of France M. du Moulin and the Learned Bochart did in the English Churches follow their customes which they did approve of as good and lawful as it appears by their letters to several Bishops of England for indeed I may say if they had thought that their customes and ceremonies had been sinfull they had not communicated with the Church of England And if you tell me why do not then the Churches of France and others beyond the Seas observe the same Ceremonies I will answer with the Church of England according to the 34. of her Articles that it is not necessary that ceremonies be in all places one and utterly like for at all times saith the Article they have been divers and may be changed according to the diversity of countreys times and mens manners let then those that will not submit to the order of the Church consider these things and I am sure that we shall not have occasion to say with the Apostle I hear that there be divisions among you Indeed brethren not to submit our selves to the customes of the Churches in things which are not contrary to Scripture is a signe of a notable frowardness and a token of an humour which abhorreth tranquillity and concord saith the Learned du Moulin in his Book concerning traditions chap. 24. pag. 346. for we ought to conform our selves to such customes and ceremonies of the Church as Jerome in his Epistle to Lucinius teaches us saying I think that I must tell you that the Ecclesiasticall Traditions specially those that are not contrary to faith ought to be observed as we have received them from our ancestors and so speaks S. Ambrose to S. Austin and S. Austin to Januarius epist 118. saying when I am at Rome I fast on Saturday but when I am at Millan I do not fast so when you come into some Church keep her custom if you will not scandalize any nor be scandalized of any and indeed it is necessary for Christians to submit to customs not necessary in their natures for if the evil be not so great as touching the doctrine it may be very great as touching the manners and disorders which from thence come forth But give me leave to go yet further to take away an errour which is common in this Nation and among the enemies of the Church of England who say that the Liturgy is taken from the Mass nay is nothing but the Mass in English celebrated in the same manner the Church of Rome doth which makes a great impression in the common people To answer unto that I say that although the Church of
not question being fully perswaded of your Affection towards me which I shall ever acknowledge and highly esteem remaining unto death Sir Your Worships most humble and obliged Servant James Le Franc. Christ's and the Saints Reign OR The Millenaries Confuted Delivered in a Sermon Preached at S. Andrews in Norwich REV. 20.4 And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years IF any matter hath ever required attention I am perswaded that you will confess that this doth require it for the learned Interpreters have so variously expounded it that it is difficult to determine our selves upon this Subject Indeed I had not medled with it if I had not perceived the errour of some of the common people which follow some blinde leaders whose ambition is to extoll themselves and break asunder the Church of God to have some followers for amongst the Sectaries you see so many of them blinded by their ignorance that they will rather choose a worldly reign then a Spiritual Kingdom earth for heaven and temporal delights for eternal pleasures but leaving them for a while upon their earthly Throne give me leave to tell you that this Chapter contains three principal parts The first of which regards the space of a thousand years under which Christ with his Saints shall reign upon the earth The second includes the short time in which Satan after the expiration of the thousand years shall be loosed out of his prison from whence you may consider what will be the condition of the world when in that time you shall see it embroiled with dissentions wars and seductions as you may see by the 8. and 9. ver of our Chapter The third part teacheth us the general Judgement of the Universe where the wicked shall be condemned to eternal punishment and the godly declared the heirs of eternal felicity and glory But as our Text is under the first part of our Chapter let me tell you that S. John in the beginning of it brings in an angel which is Christ coming down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit with a great chain in his hand to binde with it the dragon which is the devil Satan a thousand years shut him up into the bottomless pit with a seal upon him to stay his power and hinder his tyrannical Empire over the humane kinde that he may deceive the nations no more where in the golden age of Satans chaining you may consider the condition of the faithfull and godly men and see their conquests triumphs and victories over their enemies in their very punishments death for the promulgation of the Gospel and the advancing of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ for in the 4. ver the beloved Disciple of our Saviour S. John saith that he saw thrones and they that is the Martyrs sate upon them and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God which had not worshipped the Antichristian beast neither his image nor bad received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands adding and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years which are the words which I have chosen to entertain you with by the special assistance of the blessed Spirit but for a clear intelligence of them I shall divide my Text into two parts where in the first I shall speak of the life and reign of the Saints with Christ in these words and they lived and reigned with Christ and in the second part I shall shew you the duration of it a thousand years and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years The first Part. If we consider the holy Scripture we may evidently see that our Saviour hath onely two several Kingdoms the one providential which is that universal Soveraignty by which Christ manageth the affairs of all the whole world both in heaven and earth the other spiritual which is that royal but celestial authority which he exerciseth over his people the elect which is that kingdom in which the Saints or faithfull live and reign with Christ as you may see in Revel 5.10 where it is said that Christ hath made us unto our God kings and priests that we may reign on the earth or and we shall reign on the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that in a spiritual manner so in Rom. 5.12 we reade that if by one mans offence death reigneth by one much more they which receive abundance of grace shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ and in our Text and they lived and reigned with Christ Which makes me wonder at the Chiliasts or Millenaries opinion which gives our Saviour in this place of Scripture as in many others a third Kingdom which they call Monarchical wherein Christ when he enters upon it will govern as earthly Monarchs do universally over the world in a visible and earthly glory and splendour which is the personal reign which they give to our blessed Lord and which I observe to be diversly understood by its assertors For the Jews perswade themselves that at the possession of that Kingdom Jerusalem shall be most splendidly reedified with the Temple which according to them will be the third Sacrifices offered unto the God of Israel Marriages amongst themselves most gloriously celebrated and all prosperity and happiness without any molestation or hindrance of their enemies enjoyed so that they understand that reign of Jesus Christ both carnal and spiritual Some ancient Doctours of the Christian Primitive Church as Justin dialog contra Tryphon Lactantius ille Firmianus Tertullian against Marcion lib. 2. and others were of that opinion that the Monarchical Kingdom of Jesus Christ should be administred in a spiritual manner without any bloudy sacrifice or libation without marriages or sensual pleasures for as Justin Martyr after his discourse about the day of judgement which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith to Trypho the Jew at that time we shall immolate true and spiritual sacrifices and offer praises and thanks-givings unto our God without any bloudy sacrifice upon an altar Some hereticks as Cerinthius and Apollinaris understood that Monarchical Kingdom of Jesus Christ in a fleshly manner saying that the Saints should reign with Christ upon the earth in all manner of voluptuous pleasures gulae luxuriae of gluttony and wantonness which perhaps may be the sense of some of our Sectaries although they pretend to interpret it of a visible and earthly Monarchy without any fleshly and sinfull volupty as one Archer a London-Divine expresseth it But I will not stay so long upon that Monarchical Kingdom for we do not know such a kingdom in the holy Scripture attributed unto Christ nor to the Saints although you reade in my Text and they lived and reigned with Christ and indeed it is evident that the Scripture denies it for we read S. Joh. 18.36 that Christ said to Pilate my Kingdom is not of this world nor