will appear if we consider well the tenor of the Apostles Sermons to such Gentiles as they converted which we shall observe to presuppose that they already knew the true God and the promise of eternall life to such as worshiped him and so had no more to learn but the way and means now revealed by God for attainment thereof which was by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The other thing we may learn is what was the true state of the Question which the Apostles met to decide in the Councell at Jerusalem whether the Gentiles which beleeved in Christ were to be circumcised or not and so bound to keep the whole Law It was this to resolve that whereas all such as embraced the worship of the God of Israel conformed to one of these two kindes of Proselytes to whether of them the Gentiles which had or should receive the Gospel of Christ were to conform themselves whether to the Proselytes of the Covenant or to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Proselytes of the Gate Saint Peter standing up in the Councell demonstrates it to be the will of God that they should conform to the latter and not to the first and that upon this ground because that Cornelius the first Christened Gentile unto whom himself was sent by Divine Commission was no circumcised Proselyte but a Proselyte of the Gate or a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely yet received he no Commission to circumcise him Yea the holy Ghost as he was Preaching fell upon him and his houshold being uncircumcised as it did upon those of the Circumcision whereby it appeared that God would have the rest of the Gentiles which embraced the faith to be after the pattern of Cornelius and to have no more imposed upon them then He had And accordingly the Councel defines That no other burden should be laid upon them but onely to abstain from pollution of Idols from blood from things strangled and from fornication and as some copies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To do as they would be done to that is they should as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 observe the praecepta Filiorum Nohae which here by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are briefly reckoned up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 PETER 2. 4. For if God spared not the Angels which sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darknesse to be reserved unto Iudgement c. so we translate it To which of S. Peter answers that of S. Iude as almost that whole Epistle doth to this verse 6. And the Angels which kept not their first estate or principality but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse unto the Iudgement of the great Day THese two places are brought to prove that the Devils or evil spirits are now in Hell before the day of Judgement Which I cannot see how it can possibly stand with the rest of the Scripture which testifies every where that they have their mansion in the Air and here about the earth where they tempt seduce and do all the mischief they can to mankinde hence their Chieftain Satan is styled The Prince of the power of the Air that is of the airie Dominion or Princedom Therefore hither they were with their Prince exiled from Heaven and no further nor shall be untill the Day of Judgement And of this I shall speak at this time First to clear these Texts which seem to make for the contrary Secondly to enquire what was the opinion of the Ancients about this point As for this place of S. Peter and that imitation thereof in the Epistle of Iude I can beleeve the translation of neither Piscator not conceiving how that of S. Iude especially because of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eternall could be reconciled with other Scripture and experience which shews us that the Evill spirits are not yet bound with eternall chains having so much liberty of gadding about supplies in the Text vinciendos as if there were an Ellipsis reading it thus Iudicio magni illius Diei vinculis aeternis vinciendo reservâsse In that of S. Peter if I understand him he takes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for Dativus instrumenti with chains of darknesse but as Dativus acquisitionis for chains of darknesse and construes it with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it were He delivered them for chains of darknesse namely supposing a trajection of the words But for my part I take both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in S. Peter and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in S. Iude to be neither of them Dativus instrumenti but both Acquisitionis or Finis and governed the one of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the other of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As in the Hebrew the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serves for the proposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for the Dative Case whose propriety the style of the Greek Testament every where imitates and why not in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay among the Greek Grammarians we finde observed that the Dative Case is sometimes put for the Accusative with the proposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As in this example 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more in the sacred Greek which so frequently imitates the Hebrew Construction Next for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in S. Peter it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so not bound by any use or example to the signification we here give it to wit throwing down to hell I would therefore render it ad poenas tartareas damnavit to wit thus Angelos qui peccaverunt cum ad tartari supplicium damnasset catenis caliginis servandos tradidit ad Diem Iudicii For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Iude hath it So also Mat. 12. 24. The Queen of the South shall rise in judgement with this Generation that is in or at the Day of Judgement Or I would render it not casting down to hell but casting down to hell ward So the meaning in both places will be That the wicked Angels were cast down from heaven to this lower orb there to be reserved for chains of darknesse at the Day of Judgement which sense the ninth verse in this Chapter of Peter plainly intimates by way of reddition Novit Dominus pios in tentatione eripere as he did Noah and Lot Injustos verò in diem Iudicii cruciandos servare as he doth the wicked Angels Moreover verse 17. where the same hellish darknesse is spoken of it is said to be reserved for the wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom that hideous darknesse is reserved for ever
second place which foretels that Christ should suffer is that in the ninth of Daniel who pointing ou◠the time of Messiah's comming by seventy weeks limits his account not at his birth but at his suffering as the most principall moment of his story From the going out of the commandement saith he to restore and build Ierusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and sixty two weeks and after sixty 〈◊〉 weeks shall Messiah be cut off what can be more plain then this A third place in the Prophets is to be found Zachary 12. 10. where at the time when the Jews shall be converted Christ is brought in speaking in this manner I will poure out saith he upon the House of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced Hence it follows that the Jews should have pierced Messiah before they received him to be their Redeemer And that this place also was one of those applied by the Apostles to this purpose appears by S. Iohns twice alledging it Once in his Gospel when a Souldier with a Spear pierced our Saviours side Then saith he was fulfilled that Scripture which saith They shall look upon him whom they have pierced Again in the beginning of his Revelation Behold saith he he commeth in the clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him Now for the third division of Scripture the Psalms the principall place there which I dare warrant is that of the 16. Psalm quoted both by S. Peter and S. Paul in the Acts of the Apostles My flesh shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leave my soule in the grave neither suffer thine Holy One to see corruption For David as S. Peter and S. Paul say was buried and his body saw corruption therefore it cannot be spoken of him but of Messiah in the person of David as a type in whose loyns Messiah was Now then if Messiahs body were to be laid in the grave it follows he was to die and to be in the state of the dead And thus I have done the first part of my task and proved that Messiah was to suffer death according to the Scriptures namely foretold in that threefold division of Scripture mentioned here by our Saviour The Law the Prophets and the Psalms Now I come to prove the other part that it behoved him also to rise again the third day according to the Scriptures And this was first foreshewn in the same story of Isaac wherein his sacrifice or suffering was acted For from the time that God commanded Isaac to be offered for a burnt offering Isaac was a dead man but the third day he was released from death This the Text tels us expresly that it was the third day when Abraham came to Mount Moriah and had his son as it were restored to him again which circumstance there was no need nor use at all to have noted had it not been for some mystery For had there been nothing intended but the naked story what did it concern us to know whether it were the third or the fifth day that Abraham came to Moriah where he received his son from death Now that I have not misapplied this figure S. Paul is my witnesse who expresly makes this release of Isaac from slaughter a figure of the Resurrection For thus he speaks of this whole story Hebrews 11. By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac and he that received the promises offered up his onely begotten Sonne Of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be cal led Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure The same was foreshewn by the Law of sacrifices which were to be eaten before the third day some sacrifices were to be eaten the same day they were offered but those which were deferred longest as the Peace-offerings were to be eaten before the third day The third day no sacrifice might be eaten but was to be burnt If it were eaten it was not accepted for an atonement but counted an abomination To shew that the sacrifice of Messiah which these sacrifices represented was to be finished the third day by his rising from the dead and therefore the type thereof determined within that time beyond which time it was not accepted for atonement of sin because then it was no longer a type of him Thus far the Law as for the Prophets I finde no expresse prediction in them for the time of Christs rising for that of the Prophet Ionah I take to be rather an allusion then a Prophecie onely in generall it is implyed that Christ should rise again both in that famous Prophecie of Esay the 53. and that of Zachary 12. In the former it is said that after he had made his soul a sacrifice for sin He should see his seed and prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand And again that the Lord should divide him a portion with the great and that he should divide the spoile with the strong because he had poured out his soul unto death which argues that he should not onely live again but be victorious after he had died In that of Zachary it is said the Iews should look upon or see him whom they had formerly pierced and that in that day he would powre upon them the spirit of grace and supplication therefore he was to live again after they had pierced him I come to the Psalms where not onely his rising again is prophesied of but the time thereof determined though at first sight it appears not so namely in that fore-alledged passage of the sixteenth Psalm Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell nor suffer thine Holy One to see corruption All men shall rise again but their bodies must first return to dust and see corruption But Messiah was to rise again before he saw corruption if before then the third day at farthest for then the body naturally begins to see corruption this may be gathered by the story of Lazarus in the Gospel where Iesus commanding the stone to be rolled from his Grave Martha his sister answered Lord by this time he stinketh for he hath been dead four daies Also by that rule given by the Masters of Physick that those who die of the Apoplexie suffocation of the Mother or like sudden deaths should not be buried till seventy two hours were past Because within that time they might revive and examples are given of those who have done so They give also a reason of it in nature because say they in that time the humours of the body make their revolution the flegme in one day or twenty four hours the choler in two dayes or forty eight hours the melancholy in three dayes which is seventy two hours and this to be the reason why an Ague
for whom even themselves being Judges it would be an uncomely thing to wear a vail that is a womans habit so by the like reason was it as uncomely for a woman to be without a vail that is in the guise and dresse of a man And howsoever the Devils of the Gentiles sometimes took pleasure in uncomelinesse and absurd garbs and gestures yet the God whom they worshipped with his holy Angels who were present at their devotions loved a comely accommodation agreeable to Nature and Custome in such as worshipped him For this cause therefore saith he ought a woman to have a covering on her head because of the Angels Lastly he concludes it from the example and custome both of the Iewish and Christian Churches neither of which had any such use for their women to be unvailed in their sacred assemblies If any man saith he be contentious that is will not be satisfied with these reasons let him know that we that is we of the Circumcision have no such custome nor the Church of God For so with S. Ambrose Anselme and some of the ancients I take the meaning of the Apostle to be in those words Thus you have heard briefly what was the fault of these Corinthian Dames which the Apostle here taxeth From which we our selves may learn thus much That God requires a decent and comely accommodation in his House in the act of his worship and service For if in their habit and dresse surely much more in their gestures and deportment he loves nothing that is unseemly in the one or in the other TITUS 3. 5. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost THese words as it is easie to conceive upon the first hearing are spoken of Baptisme of which I intend not by this choyce to make any full or accurate tractation but onely to acquaint you as I am wont with my thoughts concerning two particulars therein One from what propriety analogy or use of water the washing therewith was instituted for a sign of new birth according as it is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the washing of regeneration The other what is the counter-type or thing which the water figureth in this Sacrament I will begin with the last first because the knowledge thereof must be supposed for the explication and more distinct understanding of the other In every Sacrament as ye well know there is the outward Symbole or sign res terrena and the signatum figured and represented thereby res coelestis In this of Baptism the sign or res terrena is washing with water The question is what is the Signatum the invisible and celestiall thing which answers thereunto In our Catecheticall explications of this mystery it is wont to be affirmed to be the blood of Christ That as Water washeth away the filth of the body so the blood of Christ cleanseth us from the guilt and pollution of sin And there is no question but the blood of Christ is the fountain of all the grace and good communicated unto us either in this or any other Sacrament or mystery of the Gospel But that this should be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the counterpart or thing figured by the water in Baptism I beleeve not because the Scripture which must be our guide and direction in this case makes it another thing to wit the Spirit or Holy Ghost this to be that whereby the soul is cleansed and renewed within as the body with water is without so saith our Saviour to Nicodemus Ioh. 3. Except a man be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God And the Apostle in the words I have read parallels the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost as type and countertype God saith he hath saved us that is brought us into the state of salvation by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost where none I trow will deny that he speaks of Baptism The same was represented by that vision at our Saviours Baptism of the holy Ghosts descending upon him as he came out of the water in the similitude of a Dove For I suppose that in that Baptism of his the mystery of all our Baptisms was visibly acted and that God sayes to every one truly baptized as he said to him in a proportionable sense Thou art my Son in whom I am well pleased And how pliable the analogy of water is to typifie the Spirit well appears by the figuring of the Spirit thereby in other places of Scripture As in that of Isay I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and slouds upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon by seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring where the latter expounds the former Also by the discourse of our Saviour with the Samaritan woman Iohn 4. 14. Whosoever saith he drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up to everlasting life By that also Ioh. 7. 37. where on the last day of the great feast Iesus stood and said If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that beleeveth on me as the Scripture saith that is as the Scripture is wont to expresse it for otherwise there is no such place of Scripture to be found in all the Bible out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this saith the Euangelist he spake of the Spirit which they that beleeve on him should receive Nor did the Fathers or ancient Church as far as I can finde suppose any other correlative to the element in Baptism but this of this they speak often of the blood of Christ they are altogether silent in their explicatioÌ„s of this mystery many are the allusioÌ„s they seek out for the illustration thereof and some perhaps forced but this of the water signifying or having any relation to the blood of Christ never comes amongst them which were impossible if they â—ad not supposed some other thing figured by the water then it which barred them from falling on that conceit The like silence is to be observed in our Liturgy where the Holy Ghost is more then once paralled with the water in Baptism washing and regeneration attributed thereunto but no such notion of the blood of Christ. And that the opinion thereof is novell may be gathered because some Lutheran Divines make it peculiar and proper to the followers of Calvin Whatsoever it be it hath no foundation in Scripture and we must not of our own heads assigne significations to Sacramentall types without some warrant thence For whereas some conceive those two expressions of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sprinkling of the blood of Christ and of our being washed from our sins in or by his blood do intimate some such matter they are surely mistaken for those expressions have reference not to the
of Ezekiel Thou wast not washed with water nor salted with salt that of putting on the white garment to resemble swadling All these were anciently especially the first used in the Sacrament of our Spirituall birth out of reference to that which was done to Infants at their naturall birth Who then can doubt but the principall rite of washing with water the onely one ordained by our blessed Saviour was chosen for the same reason to be the element of our initiation and that those who brought in the other did so conceive of this and from thence derived those imitations JOSH. 24. 26. And Joshuah took a great stone and set it up there viz. in Sichem under the Oak which was in the Sanctuary of the Lord Alii by the Sanctuary Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Story whereupon these words depend is this Ioshuah a little before his death assembled all the Tribes of Israel at Shechem or Sichem there to make a solemne Covenant between them and the Lord to have him alone for their God and to serve no other Gods besides him which they having solemnely promised to do saying The Lord our God will we serve and his voice will we obey Ioshuah for a testimony and monument of this their stipulation erects in the place a great stone or pillar under an Oak which was by or as the Hebrew hath it in the sanctuary of the Lord. Of this Oak or rather collectively Querceâ—um or Oaken-holt of Sichem is twice mention made elswhere in Scripture For this was the place where Abraham first sate down and where the Lord appearing unto him he erected his first Altar in the Land of Canaan after he came out of Haran thither as we reade Gen. 12. 6. in these words And Abraham passed through the Land unto the place of Sichem unto the Oak or Oak-grove of Morch where the Lord appeared unto him saying Vnto thy seed will I give this Land and there he builded an Altar unto the Lord who appeared unto him And what place more fit for Abrahams posterity to renew a Covenant with their God then that where their God first made his Covenant with Abraham their Father Again it was this place where in the after-times of the Judges one hundred and seventy years after the death of Ioshuah the Sichemites made Abimelech the base son of Ierubaal or Gideon King as we read Iudg. 9. 6. That all the men of Sichem gathered together and all the House of Millo and went and made Abimelech King by the Oak of the Pillar which was in Sichem The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even the Oak where Ioshuah here in my Text set up this great stone for a witnesse to Israel For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the other two places signifie one and the same thing to wit either an Oak Terebinth or some other kinde of tree as the Septuagint perpetually render them Yea that of Iudges must of necessity so be rendred by comparing it with this of my Text to which it hath reference Neverthelesse our last Translation in the first of these places Gen. 12. concerning Abraham chose rather to follow S. Hierome wherefore I know not who follows not himself and translates it a plain not an Oak to wit the plain of Morch by which Translation the identity of that place with the other two where it is translated Oak is obscured and made the lesse observable If there be any difference between the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it should rather be this that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should signifie a tree and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a grove holt or wood of such trees as the Septuagint in that place of the ninth of Iudges have expresly rendred it namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Quercetum Oak toft or holt in Sichem And so I beleeve it ought to be understood in the other places that is to be taken collectively of which we shall hear more hereafter But this is no great matter of difficulty that which follows is namely how this Oak or Oaken-holt of Sichem is said here in my Text to have been in for the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by the Sanctuary of the Lord. For how comes the Sanctuary of the Lord to be at Sichem when as the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Testimony were at Shiloh there set up by Ioshuah himself and so remained as the Scripture elswhere tels us untill the time of the Captivity of the Land which without doubt was not till after Ioshuah was dead and buried and is usually understood of that time when the Ark was taken captive by the Philistims And yet is not onely here a Sanctuary mentioned at Sichem but in the beginning of the Chapter the Elders and Officers of the Tribes are said upon Ioshuahs summons to have presented themselves there before the Lord which speech useth to imply as much If we say the Ark of God was taken out of its place at Shiloh and brought to Sichem by the Levites upon occasion of this generall Assembly yet the difficulty will not be removed For first how could the Ark alone give dâ—â—oininâ—tion to the place where it stood to be called the Sanctuary of the Lord Or secondly if the Altar were there with it how was the Law of God observed which saith Thou shalt not plant a Grove of any trees or any tree neer unto the Altar of thy God which thou shalt make thee Neither shalt thou set up a pillar which the Lord thy God hateth when as here are both an Oak or Quercetum in the Sanctuary of God and a Pillar or Statue erected under it Thirdly this Sanctuary whatsoever it was must be something which had a constant and fixed station and was not temporary or mutable because the Oak under which this pillar was erected by Ioshuah is here designed and appointed out by it as by a constant and standing mark else to what purpose had it been to sign out the Oak by it if it were such as would be here to day and not to morrow For these reasons it appears that this Sanctuary could not be the Tabernacle where the Ark and Altar for Israel were but that it was somthing else And what that should be is to be enquired I answer it was a Proseucha or praying place which the Israelites at least those of Ephraim in whose lot it was after the Country was subdued unto them had erected in that very place at Sichem where God first appeared to Abraham and where he built his first Altar after he was come into the Land of Canaan The place where God said unto him Vnto thy seed will I give this Land For the understanding whereof you must take notice that the Jews besides their Tabernacle or Temple which was the onely place for sacrifice had first or last two sorts of places
which signifies not simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to labour but to labour with much travell and toyl for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vexor laboribus molestiis premor and so properly signifies molestiam or fatigationem ex labore Thus the meaning will be let Elders that do bene praesidere i. govern and instruct their Flock well be counted worthy of double honour especially such of them as take more then ordinary pains in the Word and Doctrine Or thus let the Elders that discharge their office well be c. especially by how much the more their painfulnesse and travell shall exceed in preaching the Word and Doctrine c. Thus we have seen two expositions of these words neither of them implying two sorts of Orders of Presbyters but only distinguishing severall offices and duties of the same Order or implying a differing merit in the discharge of them But if they will by no means be perswaded but that two sorts of Elders are here intimated let it be so two other expositions will yeeld them it but so as will not be for their turn for their Lay Elders will be none of them The first is this That the Apostle should speak here of Priests and Deacons considering both as Members of the Ecclesiasticall Consistory or Senate which consisted of both Orders and in that respect might well include them both under the name of Elders it being a common notion in Scripture to call the Associates of a Court of Judicature by that name Senatus in Latin hath its name à senibus i. senioribus of Eldership and is as much to say as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According to this supposall the Apostles words may have this construction Let the Elders which rule well whether Priests or Deacons be counted worthy of double honour but more especially the Priests who besides their government labour also in the Word and Doctrine Now what can be opposed against such an exposition I see not For it is not improbable but the Apostle should make provision as well for the maintenance of Deacons as of Priests seeing he omits it not of Widows in the verse going next before this But unlesse he includes them under the name of Elders he makes no provision for them at all Besides this is not the only place some think where Deacons are comprehended under the name of Elders For the Councell of Hierusalem Acts 15. where they inscribe their Synodicall Epistle thus The Apostles Elders and Brethren to the Brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch c. may seem to comprehend the Deacons under the name of Elders or Presbyters otherwise they should omit them which without doubt were part of the Councell There is another exposition which allows also of two sorts of Elders to be here implied but makes them both Priests namely that Presbyters or Priests in the Apostles time were of two sorts one of Residentiaries and such as were affixed to certain Churches and so did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praesidere Gregi Anothe◠of such as had no fixed station or charge over any certain place but travelled up and down to preach the Gospel where it was not or to confirm the Churches where it was preached already such as are elswhere known by the names of Euangelists and Doctors or Prophets that these were those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken of here by the Apostle that both these sorts of Presbyters were to be counted worthy of double honour as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those that travelled up and down to preach the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but especially these latter because their pains were more then the others This is confirmed from the use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in Scripture signifies not only corporall labour as may appear in many places but seems to be used by S. Paul even in this very sense we have now given as 1 Cor. 15. where he says comparing himself with the other Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have travelled up and down more then they all as is manifest he did These are the principall expositions given by the Writers of our Church upon this passage of Scripture which is the foundation and onely place whereon they build this new Consistory and are so much in love with it But this being capable as you see of such variety of exposition how much too weak and insufficient it is to establish any such new order of Elders never heard of in the Church from the time of the Apostles untill this last age any man may judge But give me leave to propound a fifth exposition which shall be more liberall to them then any of those yet given For it shall yeeld them all they contend for so eagerly to be implied in this Text namely that there are not only two sorts of Elders here implied but also that the one of them are Lay-Elders such as have nothing to doe with the administration of the Word and Sacraments what would they have more yet they will be never the nearer for this concession for the Lay-Elders here implied may be no Church Officers but Civill Magistrates which in Scripture language we know are called Elders as when we reade of the Elders of Israel of the Elders of Iudah of the Elders of the Priests and Elders of the people of Priests and Elders and the like according to such a notion the words may be construed by way of Transitus à thesi ad hypothesin as Rhetoricians call it to wit in this manner Cum omnes Seniores sive Reipublicae sive Ecclesiae qui bene praesident duplici honore dignandi sint tum maxime Seniores Ecclesiastici qui laborant in verbo Doctrinâ Or thus Let all Elders that govern well of what sort soever be counted worthy of double honour especially the Elders of the Church which labour in the Word and Doctrine Is not this good sense and doth not the Apostle in the beginning of this very Chapter use the name Elder in the larger and more generall sense when he says Rebuke not an Elder but exhort him as a Father and the younger men as Brethren the Elder women as Mothers the younger as Sisters why may he not then do so here And doth not S. Iames in his last Chapter call the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were in distinction from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it will be objected that this exposition is too ambitious because it makes the Apostle to preferre the Elders of the Church before the Elders of the Common-wealth that is the Priest before the Civill Magistrate when he says that all Elders whether of Church or Common-wealth are to be accounted worthy of double honour so especially those Elders which labour in the Word and Doctrine which are the Presbyters of the Church But here know that the name of Elder is never given in Scripture
This rule of congruity I say is the reason why at the day of our great account we shall be judged according to our works of mercy and bounty To do as we would be done to hath place not onely between man and man but between God and men Nor is this I speak of manifest by the form of our last sentence onely but by other Scriptures beside what else means that of our Saviour Luke 16. Make unto your selves friends of the unrighteous Mammon that is of these slippery and deceitfull riches for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scriptures Dialect is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting Tabernacles Or what means that of S. Paul 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that be rich in this world that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God That they do good that they be rich in good works laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life Laying up a good foundation c. in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here it is observable that works of Beneficence are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the foundation of the reward we shall receive in the life to come If any but S. Paul had said so we should have gone near to have excepted against it for an error Works the foundation of eternall life No that shall not need but the foundation of that blessed sentence we shall receive at the last day for them and that is evident by the form thereof which we have alledged whatsoever is meant a great priviledge sure is hereby implied that these works have above others A like place to this we have in the old Testament with application particularly to Alms or works of mercy Tobit 4. 9. For thou layest up for thy self a good treasure against the day of necessity in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. which answers to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here give me leave to tell you what a late sacred Critick hath observed concerning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place of Timothy namely that the signification thereof there is not Vulgar but Hellenisticall agreeable to the use of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereto it answers for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as it doth Radix or fundamentum but besides this in the Rabbinicall Dialect it is used for Tabula contractus a Bill of contract a Bond or Obligation whereby such as lend are secured their loan again That therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first sense doth answer the same likewise in the second and accordingly the Apostles meaning to be that those who exercise these works of beneficence do provide themselves as it were of a Bill or Bond upon which they may at that day sue or plead for the award of eternall life Vi pacti but not Vi meriti In the same sense he takes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his And let every one that nameth or calleth upon the name of Christ depart from iniquity The mentioning of a Seal here implies a Bill of contract for Bils of contract had their Seals appendent to them each side whereof had his Motto the one suiting with the one party contrahent the other with the other That to this S. Paul alludes Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he standeth sure that is Gods Bill of contract or his Chirographum having a Seal according to the manner the one side whereof carrieth this Motto The Lord knoweth them that are his the other this Let every one that calleth upon the Name of Christ depart from iniquity Thus God remembreth the Righteous or charitable man in the world to come He remembreth him also in this For that which the Apostle saith of godlinesse that it hath the promise of this life as well as of that to come is most properly and peculiarly true of this righteousnesse of bounty and mercy other righteousnesse indeed must not look for reward till hereafter but this is wont to be rewarded now For spirituall blessings we have the example of Cornelius who for his Almesdeeds found favour with God to have S. Peter sent unto him to instruct him in the saving knowledge of Christ Thy prayers and thine Almesdeeds said the Angel are come up in remembrance before God Now therefore send to Joppa and inquire for one Simon Peter c. For temporall blessings hear what David says Psa. 37. 25. quoted before I was young saith he and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging their bread He is ever mercifull and lendeth therefore his seed is blessed This blessing is the mercifull and charitable mans peculiar that his children shall not want who was liberall and open-handed to supply the want of others But think not that God remembers the charitable man with a temporall blessing in his posterity onely for he remembers him also in his own person Thus the same David Psal. 41. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poore the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble 2. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the earth and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies 3. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing c. And doth not his Son King Solomon say the same Prov. 19. 17. He that hath pâ—ty upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given he will pay him again But this perhaps some will think may be applied to the reward in the life to come If it be it would much illustrate that of S. Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I now spake of But Prov. 28. 27. is a place not capable of this exception He that giveth to the poor shall not lack but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse Thus we have seen how the righteous man is in remembrance with God Now let us see how the same is and ought to be in remembrance with men And it may be inferred from the former for why should not we remember those whom God doth The practice in the Church of God hath been accordingly The Jews when they make mention of any of their deceased Worthies are wont to do it with this Encomium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Memoria ejus sit in benedictione Otherwhile with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Memoria ejus sit ad vitam futuri seculi And of their Rabbies in generall when they mention them they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magistri nostri quorum memoria sit ad benedictionem Which encomiasticall scheme is taken from that of Solomon Pr. 10. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
obedient unto their Masters and to please them well in all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not purloining but shewing all good fidelity The Vulgar in both places useth Fraudare defrauding In a word the true signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is surripere suffurari aut clam subducta in commodum nostrum convertere whence Beza turns it by Intervertere Intervertit ex pretio and in Titus Intervertentes In the same sense it is used by the Septuagint in two severall places both pointing at the sin of Sacriledge One is in Achans story Iosh. 7. 1. where what we reade Achan took of the accursed thing the Septuagint renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he purloined the accursed thing that is the thing that was consecrated to God as all the silver and gold was ch 6. ver 19. for which cause when God relates to Ioshua Israels sin as the reason of their flying before their enemies he makes a distinction between Achans Sacriledge and his theft and dissembling ver 11. of the 7. Chap. saying For they have even taken of the accursed thing and have also stollen and dissembled also and they have put it even among their own stuffe The other is in 2 Mac. 4. 32. Menelaus his Sacriledge who stole the sacred Vessels is expressed by it Menelaus saith the Author supposing he had got a convenient time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stole certain vessels of gold out of the Temple and gave some to Andronicus and some he sold into Tyrus and the Cities round about The second expression of Ananias his Sacriledge is by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deceiving or lying to the Holy Ghost or as it is repeated immediately after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lying unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is fallo frustro mentior To deceive cozen lie as also the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which peculiarly signifies Sacrilegious transgression as Lev. 5. 15. and in the story of Achan is in all those places as elsewhere rendred in Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lie and the substantive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lie and in Oaths and promises Non servo frango not to keep or to break them So Ananias his sin was a lying unto or breaking of promise with God for having vowed or promised unto him in his heart the whole price of the field he brought him but part thereof Both expressions point out the same fact which in regard of the matter was stealing or purloining in regard of the Vow and Consecration a breach of promise or lying unto God So that when Peter says in the third verse Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie unto the Holy Ghost and to purloin of the price of the land The latter is the explication of the former and is as if it had been said Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie unto the Holy Ghost in purloining the price of the land But what will some man say means this speciall expression of the Deity in the Person of the Holy Ghost why is Ananias said to have lied to the Holy Ghost rather then to have lied unto God only For lying unto God would bear the sense I speak of should not then lying unto the Holy Ghost seem to have something else or something more in it I answer Ananias his lie or breach of promise is applied thus in speciall to the Holy Ghost in respect of the prerogative of that Person as to stir and sanctifie so to take notice of the motions of the heart forasmuch therefore as Ananias his Vow and Promise which he broke was not such as men could witnesse or take notice of but such as his own heart or conscience only was privy to hence it is said to have been done under the privity of the Holy Ghost and he in the breach thereof to have lied unto him because that which none but the inward man knoweth of and is yet but in the purpose of the heart is under his privity There is a plain place Rom. 9. to this purpose I say the truth in Christ saith the Apostle I lie not my conscience also bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost that is the Holy Ghost who is privy to my conscience bearing me witnesse or my conscience which the Holy Ghost is privy to Some other places of Scripture I could name which may receive light from this notion but I am loth to meddle with them But for their interpretation who expound this lying unto the Holy Ghost of Ananias his hypocrisie I cannot well see how it can stand For Ananias dissembled not with the Holy Ghost but with men the Holy Ghost knew his heart well enough And the hypocrite properly lies unto men who guesse only by the outside and not unto God who knows the heart Others expound lying unto the Holy Ghost as if it were lying to try whether the Holy Ghost in the Apostles could discover him or not But this is an harsh and forc'd sense As for that in the 9. verse whereon it is grounded viz. How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord The word Tempt or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is mistaken the notion thereof in Scripture being otherwhile to provoke God by some presumptuous fact to anger as it were to try whether he will punish or not to dare God There is an evident place for this sense Numb 14. 22. Those men saith the Lord which have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wildernesse and have tempted mee now these ten times and have not hearkened to my voice 23. Surely they shall not see the land which I sware to their Fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it And thus much of the bare description of Ananias his sin Come we now to the aggravation thereof While it remained was it not thine and after it was sold was it not in thy power That is before it was sold was it not thine and being sold was not the money paid thee was not the price in thine hand Thou hast therefore no excuse for what thou hast done For there were two cases which might have excused Ananias for bringing but part of the price If either he had not been Dominus in solidum the full Proprietary of what was sold or had not received the whole price it was sold for For as for the first it is a rule in Law Quoties Dominium transfertur ad aâ—ium tale transfertur quale apud eum fuit qui tradit A man can sell no more then is his So that if Ananias had been owner but in part he had power to dispose but in part Secondly though he were Dominus in solidum the full Proprietary of the field and so had right enough to sell it yet had not the whole price been received and in his power and possession he might still have been excused for bringing but part thereof But Ananias could
keeping a distance as it is said also of the Publicane in the Gospel that when he came into the Temple or Courts thereof to pray he stood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afarre off saying God be mercifull to me a sinner For ye are to know that the great or brasen Altar called the Altar of burnt-offering whereon the sacrifices were offered stood not within or under the roof of the Temple but sub dio over against the door or Porch thereof in the middle of the Priests Court For at the entrance into the Temple or House of God Solomon built a large vestibulum or Porch on each side whereof stood those two famous Pillars of brasse the one called Iachin and the other Boaz Between this Porch and the great brazen Altar which stood without it the Priests the Ministers of the Lord are here commanded to weep and say Spare thy people ô Lord and give not thine heritage to Reproach This Rite of humiliation we finde mentioned in two other places of the Book of Scripture As first in that humiliation of Ezra for the peoples marrying of strange wives Ezra 9. Chap. 10. 1. where having rent his garment and mantle he cast himself down saith the Text before the House of the Lord viz. before the door or Porch thereof weeping and confessing and said Lord I am ashamed to lift up my face to thee my God for our iniquities are encreased over our head and our trespasse is grown up unto the heavens Another mention we have thereof in 1 Mac. 7. 38. when Nicanor proudly threatned that unlesse Iudas Maccabeus and his host were delivered into his hand if ever he returned in safety he would burn up the House of God Then the Priests saith the Text entred in namely into the Courts of Gods House and stood between the Altar and the Temple weeping and praying Which passage the Greek Interpreter of that Book did not well understand when he rendred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the Altar and the Temple For Ioseph Ben Gorion hath expresly in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very words of Ioel in my Text between the Porch and the Altar A like custome whereunto and as is probable taken up in imitation thereof is that of ours To read the Letany or our Parce Domine parce populo tuo kneeling at a low desk in the body of the Church before the Chancell door as was ordered by the first Injunctions of our Reformation when Procession was taken away or at the bottome of the steps or ascent unto the Altar as is used in the Cathedrall and Collegiate Churches And this may suffice for explication of the Rite which the Prophet here describeth Now the Lesson we are to learn from hence is That the nature of a right and religious Fast consists in an humble demission and abjection of our selves before Almighty God out of the apprehension of the greatnesse of his Majesty and our unworthinesse to finde any favour at his hands whom we have so much provoked by our sins For this to have been the meaning of that Ceremony besides the naturall signification of the deportment it self appeareth by the Exordium I but now quoted of Ezra's confession when he thus cast himself down before the Porch of the House of the Lord weeping Lord I am ashamed saith he and blush to lift up my face to thee my God For our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespasse is grown up to the heavens Besides thus to humble and bring us down is the end why God sendeth his judgements of Plague Famine or the like for the aversion whereof these solemne supplications and assemblies are ordained And therefore rightly at the beginning of our publique worship of God are we admonished to be humble by some of the first words we are to utter O come let us humble our selves and fall down before the Lord with reverence and fear Hence fasting and humbling a mans self go in Scripture for equipollent terms My cloathing was sackcloth saith David Psal. 35. 13. I humbled my self with fasting So Ahab humbled himself and thereby deferred his judgement 1 King 21. 29. Hezekiah humbled himself both he and all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem 2 Chron. 32. 26. Manasseh is said likewise to have besought the Lord and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers 2 Chr. 33. No disposition fit so and apt for devotion as humility no more powerfull means to prevail with God and appease his wrath then this abjection of our selves Satis est prostrasse Leoni Let me with reverence apply it unto the Majesty of God For all Eminency is worshipped with humility reverence and submission that is as we are wont and rightly to speak by keeping a distance Therefore the soveraign or supreme Excellency of God must be adored with the lowest demission and greatest stoop the soul can make We finde by experience that that disposition of the eye which fitteth us to behold the visible Sun maketh a man blinde when he looketh down upon himself So here the apprehension of the transcendent excellency of God ten thousand times brighter then the Sun if truly admitted into our hearts will darken all our overweening conceit of any worthinesse in our selves The greater we would apprehend his power the more sensible must we be of our own weaknesse The greater we acknowledge his goodnesse the lesse goodnesse must we see in our selves The more we would apprehend his wisedome the lesse we are to be puffed up with our own knowledge As in a pair of skales the higher we would raise one skale the lower we pull down the other so the higher we raise God in our hearts the lower we must depresse our selves Hence we find the humblest natures and the most humbled condition to be the fittest for devotion I say the humblest natures are the most pliable and aptest to Religion whereas those which the world is wont to commend for brave spirits of all others buckle the worst thereto But let the world fancy what it will God seeth not as man seeth It is not the tallest Eliab but the humblest David who is the man after Gods own heart He that humbleth himself as a little childe the same is the tallest and goodliest soul for the Kingdome of God The Stars in the Firmament howsoever they here seem small to us yet are bigger then the earth so he that is despicable and small here in the eyes of men is there a great one in the eyes of God Let those therefore that think all worth resides in a lofty and brave spirit remember that the Devil was a braver fellow then any of them all and that his high and lofty spirit was the cause of his downfall and Apostasie from his Creator and so of that damnation to everlasting fire prepared for him and his Angels And as the humblest nature so the humblest or most humbled state and condition is the fittest also for
same prayer is again delivered in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whē you pray say Our Father which art in heaven that is doe it in haec Verba For what other phrase is there to express such a meaning if this be not Besides in this of S. Luke the occasion would be considered It came to passe saith he as Iesus was praying in a certain place that when he ceased one of his Disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray as Iohn also taught his Disciples From whence it may not improbably be gathered that this was the custome of the Doctors of Israel to deliver some certain form of Prayer unto their Disciples to use as it were a Badge and Symbolum of their Discipleship at least Iohn Baptist had done so unto his Disciples and thereupon our Saviours Disciples besought him that he also would give them in like manner some forme of his making that they might also pray with their Masters spirit as Iohns Disciples did with theirs For that either our Saviours or Iohns Disciples knew not how to pray till now were ridiculous to imagine they being both of them Jews who had their certaine set houres of prayer which they constantly observed as the third sixt and ninth It was therefore a forme of prayer of their Masters making which both Iohn is said to have given his Disciples and our Saviours Disciples besought him to give them For the fuller understanding whereof I must tell you something more and the rather because it is not commonly taken notice of and that is That this delivery of the Lords prayer in S. Luke is not the same with that related by S. Matthew but another at another time and upon another occasion That of S. Matthew in that famous Sermon of Christ upon the Mount whereof it is a part that of S. Luke upon a speciall motion of the Disciples at a time when himselfe had done praying That of S. Matthew in the second that of S. Luke in the third yeare after his Baptisme Consider the Text of both and you shall finde it impossible to bring them into one and the same whence it follows that the Disciples when it was first uttered understood not that their Master intended it for a forme of prayer unto them but for a pattern or example onely or it may be to instruct them in speciall in what manner to ask forgiveness of sins For if they had thought he had given them a forme of prayer then they would never have asked him for one now wherefore our Saviour this second time utters himselfe more expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When ye pray say Our Father which art in heaven Thus their inadvertency becomes our confirmation For as Ioseph said to Pharaoh The dreame is doubled unto Pharaoh because the thing is established by God so may wee say here The delivery of this prayer was doubled unto the Disciples that they and we might thereby know the more certainly that our Saviour intended and commended it for a set form of prayer unto his Church Thus much of that set forme of prayer which our Saviour gave unto his Disciples as a precedent and warrant to his Church to give the like forms to her Disciples or members a thing which from her infancy she used to doe But because her practice is called in question as not warranted by Scripture let us see what was the practice of the Church of the old Testament then whose example and use wee can have no better rule to follow in the New First therefore wee find two set forms of prayer or invocation appointed by God himself in the Law of Moses One the form wherewith the Priests were to blesse the people Num. 6. 23. On this wise saith he shall Aaron and his sons blesse the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace Is not this a set forme of Prayer For what is to blesse but to pray over or invocate God for another The second is the forme of profession and prayer to be used by him who had paid his Tithes every third yeare Deut. 26. 13. O Lord God I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house and also have given them unto the Levite and unto the stranger to the Fatherlesse and unto the widow according to all thy commandements which thou hast commanded me I have not transgressed thy Commandements neither have I forgotten them 14. I have not eaten thereof in my mourning neither have I taken away ought thereof for any uncleane use c. 15. Look downe from thy holy habitation from heaven and blesse thy people Israel and the Land which thou hast given us as thou swarest to our Fathers a Land that floweth with Milke and honey But what need we seek thus for scattered Formes when wee have a whole booke of them together The Booke of Psalmes was the Jewish Liturgie or the chiefe part of the vocall service wherewith they worshipped God in the Temple This is evident by the Titles of the Psalms themselves which shew them to have beene commended to the severall Quires in the same to Asaph to the sonnes of Korah to Ieduthun and almost forty of them to the Magister Symphoniae in generall The like wee are to conceive of those which have no titles as for example of the 105 and 96 Psalmes which though they have no such Inscription in the Psalme-booke yet wee finde 1 Chron. 16. 7. That they were delivered by David into the hands of Asaph and his Brethren for formes to thanke the Lord. This a man would think were sufficient to take away all scruple in this point especially when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solve◠and all the reformed Churches use to sing the same Psalmes not onely as set formes but set in Meeter that is after a humane composure Are not the Psalmes set formes of Confession of Prayer and of Praising God And in case there had been no prayers amongst them yet what reason could be given why it should not bee as lawfull to pray unto God in a set forme as to praise him in such a one What therefore doe they say to this Why they tell us that the Psalmes are not sung in the Church unto God but so rehearsed for instruction of the people onely namely as the Chapters and Lessons are there read and no otherwise But if either wee doe ought or may sing the Psalmes in the Church with the same end and purpose that the Church of the old Testament did and it were absurd to say wee might not this exception will not subsist for what is more certaine then that the Church of Israel used the Psalmes for Formes of praising and invocating God What mean else those formes Cantemus Domino Psallite Domino and the like so frequent in them But there are more direct
ONE of â—srael Habak 1. 12. Art not thou from everlasting O LORD my God mine HOLY ONE Agreeably whereunto the Lord is said also now and then To swear by his HOLINESS that is by himself as in the Psalm before alledged v. 35. Once have I sworn by my HOLINESS that I will not lie unto David c. Amos 4. 2. The Lord God hath sworn by his HOLINESS that lo the days shall come upon you that he will take you away with â—ooks c. According to this sense I suppose also that of Amos 8. 7. is to be understood The LORD hath sworn by the Excellency of Iacob that is Jacobs most eminent and incommunicable One or by Iacobs HOLY ONE Surely I will never forget any of their works c. For indeed the Gods of the Nations were not properly and truly Holy because but partially and respectively onely Forasmuchas the Divine eminency which they were supposed to have was even in the opinion of those who worshipped them common to others with them and so not discriminated from nor exalted above all But the God of Israel was simply and absolutely such both in himself and to them ward who worshipped him as who might acknowledge no other and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by way of distinction from all other Gods called Sanctus Israelis The Holy One of Israel i. That sole absolute and onely incommunicable One or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Author of the Book of Wisdome cals him chap. 14. v. 21. that God exalted above all and divided from all without pareil there being no other such besides him There is none Holy as the Lord saith Hannah for there is none besides thee The Septuagint none Holy besides thee neither is there any ROCâ— like our God Wherefore it is to be observed that although the Scripture every where vouchsafes the Gentiles Daemons the name of Gods yet it never I think cals them Holy Ones as indeed they were not Thus you see that as Holinesse in generall imports a state of eminency and separation so this of God as I have described it disagrees not from that generall notion when I affirm it to consist in a state of peerlesse or incommunicable Majesty for that which is such includes both the one and the other But would you understand it yet better Apply it then to his attributes whereby he is known unto us and know that The Lord is Holy is as much to say He is a Majesty of peerlesse Power of peerlesse Wisdome of peerlesse Goodnesse and so of the rest Such a one is our God and such is his Holinesse Now then to Sanctifie this peerlesse Name or Majesty of his must be by doing unto him according to that which his Holinesse challengeth in respect of the double importance thereof namely To serve and glorifie him because of his eminency and to doe it with a singular separate and incommunicated worship because He is Holy Not to doe the former is Irreligion and Atheisme as not to acknowledge God to be the chief and Soveraign eminency not to observe the second is Idolatry For as the Lord our God is a singular and peerlesse Majesty distinguished from and exalted above all things and eminencies else whatsoever so must his worship be singular incommunicable and proper to him alone Otherwise saith Ioshuah to the people You cannot serve the Lord. Why For saith he He is an Holy God he is a jealous God that can endure no corrivall he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins if ye forsake the Lord and serve strange gods c. Whence in Scripture those who communicate the worship given unto him with any besides him or together with him by way of Object that is whether immediately or but mediately are deemed to deny his incomparable Sanctity and therefore said to prophane his Holy Name See Ezek. 20. 39. 43. 7 8. In a word all that whole immediate Duty and service which we owe unto God whether inward or outward contained under the name of Divine worship when either we confesse praise pray unto call upon or swear by his Name yea all the worship both of men and Angels is nothing else but to acknowledge in thought word and work this peerlesse preheminence of his power of his wisdome of his goodnesse and other attributes that is His Holinesse by ascribing and giving unto him that which we give and ascribe to none besides him that is To sanctifie his most Holy Name This is that the Holy Ghost would teach us when describing how the Seraphims worship and glorifie God â—sa 6. he brings them in crying one unto another Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory that is Sanctifying him From whence is derived that which we repeat every day in the Hymne To thee all Angels cry aloud the heavens and all the powers therein To thee Cherubim and Sâ—raphim continually doe cry Ho ly Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory And because the pattern of Gods holy worship is not to be taken from earth but from heaven the same Spirit therefore in the Apocalypse expresseth the worship of God in the new Testament with the same form of hallowing or holying his Name which the heavenly Hoste useth For so the 4. Animalia representing the Catholique Church of Christ in the four quarters of the world are said when they give glory honour and thanks to him that sitteth upon the throne and liveth for ever and ever to doe it by singing day and night this Trisagium Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come that is the summe of all that they did was but to agnize his Sanctity or Holinesse or which is all one to Sanctifie his holy Name When therefore the same 4. Animalia are afterwards brought in chanting Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power riches wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing And again Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever all is to bee understood as comprehended within this generall Doxologie as being but an exemplification thereof and therefore the Elogies or blazons mentioned therein to be taken according to the style of Holinesse in an exclusive sense of such prerogatives as are peculiar to God alone And according to this notion of sanctifying Gods name which I contend for would the Lord have his Name Sanctified Esa. 8. 13. when he saith Fear ye not their Fear that is the Idolaters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Gods for so Fear here signifies to wit the thing feared neither dread ye it But Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your Fear and let him be your Dread that is your God Again chap. 29. 23. They shall sanctifie my Name saith he even Sanctifie the holy
and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come If this be to be extended also unto those punishments and their analogy which befell them afterwards then may perhaps two things further not unâ—easonably be enquired into First for what other sins it is remembred in Scripture that God gave his people during that his first Covenant especially after they came to dwell in their own Land under the sword of an externall enemy or his worship thereby at any time to be trodden under foot besides these two Idolatry and Prophanation of that which was holy or Sacriledgâ— Examples of the first who knows not of the second see the Story of Achan Iosh. the vii of Elies sons 1 Sam. Chap. II. the punishment of the Sacriledge of the seventh or Sabbaticall year 2 Chron. XXXVI and the parallel places for by the Law every seventh year not onely the whole Land but all servants and debts were holy unto the Lord and therefore to be released Levit. 25. 2 4. Deut. 15. Exodus 21. Secondly What was that Transgression after the return from Babylon mentioned in that Prophesie of Antiochus Epiphanes Dan. 8. 12. for which it is there foretold that An host should be given him against the daily Sacrifice and that it should cast down the truth unto the ground and practise and prosper Perhaps the Story in the 2 3 4. Chap. of the second Book of Maccabees will tell us To that which is commonly alledged That such distinction and reverent regard of things Sacred as we contend for opens a way for Idolatry I answer No otherwise then the eschewing of Idolatry may also through the perversenesse of men be made a bridge to prophaneness that is by accident not from it own towardnesse but our distemper Otherwise this Discrimination or distinction if we would understand or heed the ground thereof prompts the clean contrary for we should reason thus If the things which are Gods â—o nomine in that name and because they are His are therefore to be held segregate in their use then surely God himself who is the Fountain of Holinesse ought to have a prerogative of segregation in the most eminent and absolute manner namely such an one as that the worship due unto him must not be communicated with any thing else besides him And indeed unlesse both be done Gods Name is neither fully nor rightly sanctified AND here I should now make an end but that there is one thing yet behinde of principall consequence which I have deferred hitherto because I could not elsewhere bring it in conveniently without somewhat disturbing the coherence of my discourse There is an eminent species or kinde of Sanctification which I may seem all this while to have neglected for as much as it seemeth not to be comprehended under this notion of discretion and separation wherein I place the nature of Holinesse and that is Sanctifâ—cation or Holinesse of life To which i answer That all notions of Sanctity and Sanctification in Scripture are derived from discretion and separation and that this now mentioned is likewise derived thence For it is to be reduced to the Sanctification of Persons Sacred and set apart unto God By which though in the strict and proper sense are intended onely Priests and such as minister about Holy things yet in a larger sense and as it were by way of resemblance the whole body of the People of God are a Royall Pâ—iâ—sthood and Holy Nation which the Almighty hath selected unto himself out of the rest of the world and set apart to serve him in a peculiar and different manner from the rest of men For you have heard it is a requisite of that which is Holy to be used in a peculiar and singular manner and not as things common Hence it is that the observation of that peculiar and different from of life which God hath commanded those whom he hath called and set apart from the world unto himself in Scripture carries the name of Holinesse or Sanctity especially in the New Testament that is such as becommeth those that are Holy unto God According to that Be ye Holy as I am Holy And here I might have a large discourse to shew how the Name of God is sanctified by the lives of his Children when they conform not themselves to the fashions of the world but as the Apostle speaks are crucified thereto and keep themselves unspotted from the pollutions and vanities thereof But this I leave to be supplied by your meditations according to the generall intimation given thereof ACTS 17. 4. There associated themselves to Paul and Silas of the worshipping Greeks a great multitude PAul and Silas preaching in the Jewish Synagogue at Thessalonica proving out of the Scriptures that Meâ—siah or Christ was to suffer and to rise again from the dead and that Iesus was that Christ it is said That some of them which heard beleeved and that there associated themselves to them a great multitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the worshipping Greeks Of these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is elsewhere mention in the Acts of the Apostles more then once But what they were our Commentators do not fully inform us Nor can it be understood without some delibation of Jewish Antiquity The eâ—plication whereof will give some light not to this passage onely but to the whole Story of the Primitive Conversion of the Gentiles to the Faith recorded in that Book We must know therefore that of those Gentiles which imbraced the worship of the God of Israel commonly term'd Proselytes there were two sorts One of such as were circumcised and took upon them the observation of the whole Law of Moses These were accounted as Jews to wit facti non nati bound to the like observances with them conversed with as freely as if they had been so born neither might the one eat drink or keep company with a Gentile more then the other leâ—t they became unclean They worshipped in the same Court of the Temple where the Israelites did whither others might not come They were partakers with them in all things both divine and humane In a word they differed nothing from Jews but onely that they were of Gentile race This kinde the Jewish Doctors call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselyti â—â—stitiâ— or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselyti fâ—dâ—ris namely because they took upon them the signe thereof Circumcision In the New Testament they are called simply Proselytes without addition Of which Order was Vriah the Hittite Achior in the Book of Iudith Herod the Idumaeâ—n Onkelos the Châ—ldâ—â— Paraphrast and many others both before and in our Saviours time But besides these there was a second kinde of Gentiles admitted likewise to the worship of the true God the God of Israel and the hope of the life to come which were not circumcised nor conformed themselves to the Mosaicall rites and ordinances but were onely tied to the
pray unto God for a blessing from an instrument which he is wont to give us by an instrument Secondly it may be said that the words Grace and Peace need not to be taken in that speciall and strict sense but in the large and generall wherein Grace sounds favour at large and Peace all manner of prosperity In which sense no man will deny but the blessed Angels have an interest in the dispensation of the favours and blessings of God to his Church and so God may be prayed to to give them as he is wont by their ministery Grace and Peace from him which is which was and is to come as the Author and Giver and from the seven Spirits as the Instruments and from Iesus Christ as the Mediator There is yet one place more in the Apocalypse to confirm this tradition chap. 8. 2. I saw saith Saint Iohn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The seven Angels which stood before God Is not this as plain as Tobit Why should then the one be accounted Magicall and not the other I adde moreover that these Angels are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principes primarii or chief Princes mentioned in the 10. of Daniel Michael one of the Princes saith the Angel there came to help me Now Michael we know is one of the Archangels And why therefore may not these chief Princes be those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof Saint Paul speaks in his adjuration to Timothy I charge thee saith he before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the Elect Angels not the good Angels at large but those Angeli eximii the seven Archangels which stand before the Throne of God And it may not without reason be conjectured that those seven chief Princes fained in the Persian Monarchie took their beginning from hence And that Daniel who in respect of his account for wisedom and of his power under Darius the Mede had a main stroke in the moulding and framing the government of that State caused the Persian Court to resemble that of heaven ordaining seven chief Princes to stand before the King Of which we finde twice mention in Scripture as in the book of Esther where they are recorded by name and styled The seven Princes of Media and Persia who saw the Kings face and sate first in the kingdom And in the Commission granted to Ezra by Artaxerxes Ezra 7. 14. they are called The Kings seven Counsellors Forasmuch as thou art sent by the King and his seven Counsellors c. And it may be the Church of Jerusalem when they chose seven Deacons to minister unto their Bishop had an eye the same way Hitherto of the number of these Archangels now a word or two of their office And that is first to be the universall Inspectors of the whole world and the Rulers and Princes of the whole Angelical hoast which appears in that they are called Principes primarii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their universall jurisdiction is meant by the words sent forth into the whole earth whereas the rest are limited to certain places Secondly to have the peculiar Charge and Guardianship of the Church and affairs thereof whilst the rest of the world with their Polities Kingdoms and Governments is committed to the care of subordinate Angels who according to their severall charges may seem to carry those names of Thrones Principalities Powers and Dominions That the charge of the Church quà talis belongs thus peculiarly and immediately to the seven Archangels may appear by S. Iohns saluting the Churches with a Benediction of Grace and Peace from their ministery and the typing of them by the seven Eyes and Horns of the Lamb as Powers which the Father since he exalted Him to be Head of his Church hath annexed to his Jurisdiction Hence it comes to passe that we finde these Angels peculiarly both before and in the Gospel to have been employed about the Church affairs In the Old Testament the Angel Gabriel one of the seven revealed to Daniel the time of the restauration of the Jewish State and comming of Messiah And the Angel Michael one of the chief Princes was his assistant when he strengthened Darius the Mede who founded the Monarchy which should restore them and is in speciall termed Dan. 12. the Prince that stood for Daniels people In the Gospel we finde the same Angel Gabriel imployed both to Zachary and the Blessed Virgin with the Euangelicall Tidings and that Zachary might take notice that he was one of the seven he sayes unto him I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God Likewise in the Churches combate with the Dragon Apoc. 12. Michael and his Angels are said to be her Champions and in her quarrel to have cast the Dragon and his Angels down to the Earth And in this Prophesie of Zachary it is said that these seven eyes of the Lord took care of one stone which Zorobabel laid for the foundation of the Temple and therefore the work could not be disappointed but should certainly at length be finished So as by this time we may guesse the meaning of that which Hanani the Seer told King Asa 2 Chron. 16. 9. The Eyes of the Lord that is these seven Eyes run to and fro through the whole Earth to shew themselves strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are perfect towards him S. MARK 11. 17. Is it not written My House shall be called a House of Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all the Nations THey are the words of our Blessed Saviour when he cast the Buyers and Sellers and Money-changers out of the Temple and forbad to carry any vessels thorow it Concerning which story it is worth observation that our Saviour whilest he was upon earth never exercised any Kingly or coactive Jurisdiction but in vindicating his Fathers house from prophanation and this he did two severall times once at the first Passeover after he began his Prophesie whereof you may read Iohn 2. And now again at his last Passeover when he came to give his soul a sacrifice for sin This is that which Saint Mark relates in this place as do also two other of the Euangelists Saint Matthew and Saint Luke The vindication of Gods House from Prophanation how little account soever we are wont to make thereof was with our blessed Saviour the Alpha and Omega the first and last of his care Vbi incipit ibi desinit The consideration of which how momentous it is I leave to your selves to judge Thus much by way of Preface Now for understanding of the words I have chosen I will divide my discourse into a Question and an Observation The Question is In what part of the Temple this Market was kept A thing not commonly enquired after by Expositors much lesse defined The Observation That this fact of our Saviour more particularly concerns us of the Gentiles then we take notice of For the first in
founded in an inflammation of flegme returns every day an Ague which comes from choler every other day from melancholy every third day Now if a body may be kept so long unburied it is supposed it may be kept so long uncorrupted namely where a corruption is not begun before death as in some diseases but longer it will not continue When therefore it is so often inculcated in the New Testament that our Saviour should rise again the third day the Holy Ghost in so speaking respects not so much the number of dayes as the fulfilling of Scripture that Messiahs body should not see corruption but should rise before the time wherin dead bodies begin to corrupt and indeed our Saviour rose again within forty hours after he gave up the Ghost and was not two full dayes in the grave Therefore if there be any other Scripture which implies Messiah should rise before his body should see corruption that Scripture whatsoever it be shews he should rise again within three daies EXODUS 4. 25. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the fore-skin of her son and cast it at his feet and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sponsus sanguinum tu mihi es THEN that is when she saw the Angel of the Lord ready to kill Moses her husband in the Inne because his son was not circumcised she took a sharp stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is she took a knife which according to the custome then was made of stone sharped This we may learn out of Ioshuah 5. 2. where the Lord sayes to Ioshuah Make thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sharp knives say we ad verbum cultros petrarum and circumcise again the children of Israel The Chaldee Paraphrast hath Make thee novaculas acutas the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus far all is clear but for the rest we are to seek First on whom the fault lay and what was the reason of this omission of circumcision Then who and what is meant when it is said she cast or made the foreskin to touch his feet and above all what is meant by sponsus sanguinum Zipporah is commonly reputed to have been a perverse and froward woman and Moses the meekest man on earth to have had that mishap in his choice which many a good man hath The reason because she not onely hindred her childe from being circumcised out of some nicety and aversation thereof as a cruell ceremony but also when she saw there was no remedy but she must do it to save her husbands life yet she did it with an upbraiding indignation telling him that he was a bloody husband who must have such a thing done unto his poor childe But I see no ground either for the one or the other For that the circumcision of the childe was not deferred out of any aversation of hers of that ceremony may be gathered First because she was a Midianitesse and so a daughter of Abraham by Ketu rah and therefore well enough acquainted and inured to that Rite which not onely her Nation the Midianites but all the Nations descended of Abraham observed as may be seen in the Ismaelites or Saracens who learned not this ceremony first from Maâ—…met but retained it as an ancient custome of their Nation Secondly she had suffered already her elder son Gershom to be circumcised wherefore then should we think she was averse from the circumcision of this For that this childe for whom Moses was now in danger was Fleezer his youngest son it cannot be denied for as much as it is evident that Moses at this time was the Father of two sons which by reason as may seem of this disturbance he sent back with his wife unto her Father Iethro as we may reade in the eighteenth Chapter of this Book By which it may be gathered that the cause of this omission of circumcision was not any aversenesse in Zipporah from that rite but rather because they were in their journey when the childe was born and so having no convenient time or place to rest in till the wound might be healed and thinking it might endanger the infants life to be tossed up and down whilst the wound was green in so long and tedious a voyage they resolved to deferre the circumcision And that Zipporah was delivered of this childe when they had begun this journey for Egypt may be gathered by this because Moses before Gods sending him hath but one childe mentioned namely Gershom For what reason can be given why if Eleezer had been then born he should not have been mentioned also But howsoever this case of travell afterward excused the Israelites in the Wildernesse for deferring the circumcision of their children then yet could it not excuse Moses here in regard it was necessitas accersita he being not forced to take his wife and children with him especially his wife being in that case but might have sent her and them back presently to her Father as upon this admonition he did Nor was it indeed fit when God sent him upon such a businesse to carry such an incumbrance with him Thus have we freed Zipporah from the first charge of being the cause of this omission out of any aversenesse to the Divine Ordinance Now I come to shew likewise that the words she spake at the time of circumcision Sponsus sanguinum to mihi es were no words of upbraiding indignation to her husband as is supposed but have a far other meaning For I beleeve not she spake these words to Moses but to her Childe whom she circumcised as the Formula then used in circumcision namely that as the fore-skin fell down at her childes feet not Moses or the Angels feet she pronounced the Verb 〈◊〉 solennia Tu mihi sponsus sanguinum My reasons are First because a Husband is not wont to be called sponsus after the wedding solemnity is past nor can there any such example be shewn in Scripture Ergo it is not like that Zipporah after she was the mother of two children should say to her Husband Sponsus sanguinum tu mihi es Secondly because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here translated Sponsus properly signifies Gener a son in Law and Sponsus onely by way of equivalence or coincidence because to be made son in Law to the Parents is by being the daughters Sponsus My meaning is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word used signifies not the relation of the Bridegroom to his Bride but his relation to his Brides Parents by taking their daughter to wife And therefore in the whole Scripture we shall never finde it relatively used or with an affix but onely in respect to the wives Father or Mother And of the same condition is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we often by equivalence translate a Bride but properly signifies Nurus wherefore we shall never finde the Bridegroom call the Bride his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor the Bride the Bridegroom her
to the Supreme Magistrate but to the subordinate only and why the Ministers of the Word and Doctrine should not be accounted as worthy of double honour as they or more worthy I know not especially if S. Paul here says it sure I am this objection is not sufficient to refute my interpretation Thus I thought good to acquaint you how many ways this place may be expounded without importing any such new Elders neither Priests nor Deacons as they would impose upon us for Church Officers by the sole authority thereof for though this Disciplinarian controversy of our Church stirred up by the admirers of the Genevian platform were in the heat before our time yet the sect is not yet dead but ready upon every occasion to surprise such as they finde unarmed or not forewarned And thus having informed our selves who they are which are here termed Elders we will now see also what is that honour which is due unto them which was the second thing I propounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them be accounted saith the Apostle worthy of or deign'd double honour That by honour here is meant honor arium stipendium or a tribute of maintenance is manifest by the following words which the Apostle brings to inforce it For the Scripture saith saith he Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corn and The labourer is worthy of his hire Who sees not what these proofs infer The first of them he alledges also in the same argument 1 Cor. 9. where he addes Doth God take care for Oxen Or saith he it altogether for our sakes ours namely that preach the Gospel For our sakes no doubt this is written that he which ploweth should plow in hope and he that thresteth in hope should be partaker of his hope The case is plain It is an Hebrew notion to bring honour that is to pay tribute or bring a present as Apoc. 21. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit the new Jerusalem And thus much of the word Honour But what is meant by double honour Some as among the Fathers S. Ambrose will have this double honour to be honour of maintenance and honour of reverence But because the Apostles proofs here infer only maintenance I take it to be meant in this place only of it And as for double there seems to be an allusion to the right of the first-born to whom at first the office of Priesthood belonged in their Families and into whose room the Levites were taken and whom the Presbyters of the Gospel now succeed As therefore they had a double portion among their Brethren in like manner should the Presbyters of the Gospel be counted worthy of double honour And if you will admit of that construction of these words which I gave in the fifth place namely to comprehend as well the Elders of the Common-wealth as the Elders of the Church that both were to be accounted worthy of double honour but especially those of the Church who labour in the Word and Doctrine it will agree yet far better because both the one and the other succeed in the place of the First born to whom belonged both to be Priests and Civill Governours in their Tribes and Families Yet howsoever the ancient Christians were wont in their Agapes or Love-Feasts to give their Presbyters a double portion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with some reference to this Text as appears by Tertullian neverthelesse I think double honour is not here to be so precisely taken but only to note a liberall and ingenuous maintenance such as might set them above the vulgar as the First-born by their double portion were preferred above the rest of their Brethren But I have not yet done with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for from this that the Apostle here styleth the Priests maintenance honour it followeth that the Priests maintenance is not to be esteemed of the nature of Almes as some would have it but is a Tribute of honour such as is given by an inferiour to his superiour For Almes and honour Nec bene conveniunt nec in unâ sede morantur the one respecting those to whom it is given as miserable the other as honourable I mean if almes be taken as we use the word for a work of mercy From the same ground also it follows that the Priests maintenance is no ordinary mercenary wages but such as is given by way of honour as well as of reward for such as is given to ordinary workmen is reward and wages only and not a Testimony or Tribute of honour But that which is due to the Priest as you see is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely of the same nature with that which is given to Princes and Magistrates by those which are under them For as the Ministers of the Gospel are in the nature of Presbyters or Elders unto the people over whom they are set so is their maintenance from them such as is sutable to the condition and Dignity of an Elder not a common wages which the superiour often gives to his inferiour or servant but honorarium or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ACTS 2. 5. And there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sojourning at Ierusalem Iews devout men out of every Nation under heaven AT the Feast of Pentecost when that wonder hapned of the holy Ghosts descent upon the Apostles in the likenesse of Fiery tongues there were present at Jerusalem as the story a little after my Text informs us men of severall Nations as Parthians Medes Elamites and dwellers in Mesopotamia Iudaea and Cappadocia Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphilia AEgypt and the parts of Lybia about Cyrene and strangers of Rome or stranger-Romans both Iews and Proselytes Cretes and Arabians all these upon the noyse of this strange accident came together unto the Place and were confounded because that every man heard them speak in his own language wherein he was born Many when they reade this story suppose the people here mentioned the most of them to have been Gentiles and some Expositors cannot be excused from this mistake For the more clear discerning whereof and their better information who may perhaps be overtaken with the same errour I have made choyce of the words before read for the argument of my present discourse which tels us in expresse terms that these Parthians Medes and Elamites these Mesopotamians Cappadocians the rest after mentioned under those Nationall names were Israelites or Iews of the dispersion Iews born in Parthia and Media Iews of Elam or Persia Mesopotamian Iews and so the rest of the Countries there named all of them of the Circumcision for so saith my Text beginning to speak of them There were so journing or if you will dwelling at Ierusalem Iews of every Nation under heaven that is of every Nation where the Iews were dispersed This is yet further confirmed by S. Peters speech unto them as when having cited the words of the Prophet Ioel verse the
of thy life And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel 414 MALACH 1. 11. For from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure offering for my Name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hosts 471 Four other Treatises by the same Author formerly Printed viz. 1. The Name ALTAR or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THPION 2. CHURCHES that is Appropriate places for Christian Worship 1 COR. 11. 22. Have ye not Houses to eat and drink in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or despise ye the CHVRCH of God 31. B. 3. The Reverence of GODS HOVSE ECCLESIASTES 5. 1. Look to thy foot or feet when thou commest to the House of God and be more ready to obey then to offer the sacrifice of fools for they know not that they doe evill 81. B. 4. Daniels WEEKS DAN 9. 24 25 26 27. 24. Seventy Weeks are allotted for thy people and for thy holy City to finish transgression and make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse and to fulfill Vision and Prophecy and to anoint the most Holy 140. B. 25. Also know and understand that from the going forth of the Commandement to cause to return and to build Ierusalem unto MESSIAH the PRINCE shall be Sevens of Weeks even threescore and two Weeks the street shall be built again and the Wall even in a strait of Times 146. B. 26. And after threescore and two weeks shall MESSIAH be cut off but not for himself and the people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the City and the Sanctuary and the end thereof shall be with a floud and unto the end of the Warre Desolations are determined 158. B. 27. And he shall confirm the Covenant with many for one Week and in the midst of the Week he shall cause the Sacrifice and the Oblation to cease and for the overspreading of Abominations he shall make it desolate even untill the consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate 163. B. A CONTINVATION OF CERTAIN DISCOVRSES ON Sundry Texts of SCRIPTURE LUKE 2. 13 14. 13. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly Host praising God and saying 14. Glory be to God on high or in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men AT the Creation of the world when God laid the foundations of the earth and stretched out his line thereon the stars in the morning as God himself describes it Iob 38. 7. sang together and all the sons of God that is the holy Angels shouted for joy This in my Text is so like it that a man would think some new Creation were in hand nor were it much wide of truth to affirm it for if ever there were a day wherein the Almighty Power the incomparable Wisdom the wonderfull Goodness of God again the second time appeared as it did at the worlds Creation it was this day whereof S. Luke our Euangelist now treateth when the Son of God took upon him our flesh and was born of a Virgin to repair the breach between God and man and make all things new The news of which restauration was no sooner heard and made known to the Shepheards by an Angel sent from heaven but suddenly the heavenly Host descended from their celestiall mansions and sung this Carol of joy Glory be to God on high welcome peace on earth good-will towards men A Song renowned both for the singularity of the first example for untill this time unlesse it were once in a Propheticall Vision we shall not finde a Song of Angels heard by men in all the Scripture and from the custome of the Church who afterward took it up in her Liturgy and hath continued the singing thereof ever since the days of the Apostles untill these of ours Yet perhaps it is not so commonly understood as usually said or chaunted and therefore will be worth our labour to inquire into the meaning thereof and hear such instructions as may be learned therefrom Which that we may the better do I will consider first the Singers or Chaunters The heavenly Host Secondly the Caroll or Hymne it self Gloria in excelsis Deo Glory be to God on high c. For the first the heavenly host here spoken of is an Army of holy Angels For the Host of Heaven in the language of Scripture is twofold Visible and Invisible The Visible Host are the Stars which stand in their array like an Army Deut. 4. 19. Lest thou lift up thine eies saith the Lord there unto heaven and when thou seest the Sun Moon and Stars even all the Host of heaven shouldst be driven to worship and serve them The Invisible Host are the Angels the heavenly Guard according to that of Micaiah 1 King 22. 19. I saw the Lord sitting upon his Throne and all the Host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left So Psal. 103. Blesse the Lord ye his Angels that excell in strength that do his Commandements Blesse the Lord all ye his Hosts ye ministers of his that do his pleasure Where the latter words do but vary that which is expressed in the former From this it is that the Lord Jehovah the true and only God is so often styled the Lord or God of Sabaoth or of Hosts that is King both of Stars and Angels according to that Nehem. 9. Thou art God alone and the Host of Heaven worshippeth thee By which Title He is distinguished from the Gods of the Nations who were some of the Host to wit of the Stars or Angels but none of them the Lord of Hosts himself For the same reason and with the same meaning and sense in the Books written after the Captivity he is styled Deus coeli the God of heaven as in Ezra Nehemiah Daniel in which Books together with the last of Chronicles the title of Deus Sabaoth is not to be found but the title of Deus Coeli only and as may seem taken up for some reason in stead of the other But to return to what we have in hand It was the Angelicall Host as ye hear who sang this Song of joy and praise unto the most High God And wherefore For any restitution or addition of happinesse to themselves No but for Peace on Earth and Good-will towards men He that was now born took not upon him the Nature of Angels but of men He came not into the world to save Angels but for the salvation of men Nor was the state of Angels to receive advancement in glory by his comming but the state of men and that too in such a sort as might seem to impeach the dignity and dimme the lustre of those
there to his son is good with fasting and with alms and righteousnesse A little with righteousnesse is better then much with unrighteousnesse It is better to give alms then to lay up gold 9. For alms doth deliver from death and shall purge away all sin Those that exercise alms and righteousnesse shall be filled with life Here in the Greek copy alms and righteousnesse are exegetically put the one to expound the other but in the Hebrew there is but one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for them both that being the word in that language for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence in the Syriack Translation of the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iustitia and so in the Arabick Hence Mat. 6. 1. for Take heed that you do not your alms before men as we reade it the vulgar Latine and some Greek Copies have Attendite ne justitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Namely as the word charity with us though in the larger sense it signifies our whole duty both to God and man is restrained to signifie our liberality to the poor so is the word Righteousnesse in the Orientall Languages If Righteousnesse therefore signifie Beneficence and Bounty then is the righteous according to this notion the bountifull man or as we speak the charitable And that it is so taken in my Text both the generall scope of the Psalm and the connexion with the words before and after is proof sufficient for before goes this A good man sheweth favour and lendeth he will guide his affairs with judgement Surely he shall not be moved for ever Then come the words of my Text The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance After it follows this He hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his righteousnesse remaineth for ever which S. Paul alledgeth 2 Cor. 9. to promote their collection for the poor Saints at Jerusalem For illustration of this and our further information it will not be amisse I hope to commend to your observation some other places of Scripture where the word righteous is thus taken as namely Psal. 37. 21. The wicked borroweth and payeth not again but the righteous sheweth mercy and giveth Again Psal. 25. 26. I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous for saken nor his seed begging their bread He is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed Here the righteous is the mercifull and bountifull to whom namely this blessing that his seed shall not want is proper and peculiar The same use is Prov. 10. 2. Treasures of wickednesse profit nothing but righteousnesse delivereth from death The same is repeated again cap. 11. 4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse delivereth from death Where righteousnesse to be taken for alms is apparent out of Tobit 12. where it is so applied and rendred namely Alms doth deliver from death I could adde also another place Prov. 21. 28. but these shall be sufficient Hence appears their error who conceive of the nature of Alms as of an arbitrary thing which they may do if they will or not do without sin as that which carries no obligation with it but is left freely to every mans discretion And this makes some contend so much to have the Priests maintenance granted to be eleemosynary that so they might be at liberty to give something or nothing as they listed But if that were so yet if Alms be Iustitia in the Hebrew tongue and the language which our Saviour spake If our Saviour call'd them Iustitia when he mentioned them who dare affirm then that Iustitia implies no obligation or that a man may leave it undone without sinne So much for the subject The Righteous The next is the Praedicate shall be in everlasting remembrance In remembrance I said with God and men with God in the life to come and this life Let us consider the first The world to come It is certain that at the day of Judgement we shall receive our doom according to our works of charity and mercy and that of all the works that a Christian man hath done these alone have that peculiar priviledge to bee then brought in expresse remembrance before God Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me c. For asmuch as ye have done thus unto the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Matth. 25. What doth my Text say The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance God remembers our good deeds when he rewards them as he doth our prayers when he hears them If to remember then be to reward an everlasting reward is an everlasting remembrance 'T is remarkable that this priviledge which the works of Bounty and Mercy shall have at the day of Judgement was not unknown to the Jews themselves for so we read in the Chaldee Paraphrast upon Ecclesiastes Futurum est ut Dominus mundi dicat omnibus justis ante se constitutis Vade gusta cum gaudio panem tuum ut statutum est pro pane quem dedisti pauperibus obscuris qui esuriebant bibe corde bono vinum quod repositum est tibi in horto Eden id est Paradiso pro vino quod miseuisti pauperibus obscuris qui sitiebant quia ecce modò accepta sunt opera tua bona coram Domino The reason of this prelation of works of mercy at that great day is because all we can expect at the hands of our heavenly Father is meerly of his mercy and bounty we can hope for nothing but mercy without mercy we are undone according to that of Nehemiah in his last Chap. Remember me ô Lord concerning this and spare me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Now in those that are to be partakers of mercy the divine wisdome requires this congruity that they may be such as have been ready to shew mercy unto others judging them altogether unworthy of mercy at his hands who have afforded no mercy to their brethren for so the Scripture tels us that they shall have judgement without mercy that have shewn no mercy The tenour of our Petition for forgivenesse of sins in the Lords Prayer runs with this condition As we forgive them that trespasse against us And who can reade without trembling the Parable of the unmercifull servant in the Gospel to whom his Lord revoked the Debt he meant to have forgiven him because he shewed no mercy to his fellow-servant who owed him a far lesse Debt Shouldst thou not saith he have shewed compassion to thy fellow-servant as I shewed compassion unto thee
thereof before we can proceed two things are to be resolv'd First how it could be just with God to punish the brute Serpent who was Instrumentum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and had neither will to sin nor yet knowledge of what the Devill had done especially if we suppose as I have hitherto that the Devil took only the shape of a Serpent which the Serpent could not do withall for this argument hath driven some to affirm that the whole curse was to be understood only of the spirituall Serpent and not at all of the naturall But why should this stumble them more as concerning the justnesse of God then that in Adams censure in the 17. ver where the whole earth is cursed for Adams sake Cursed be the earth for thy sake c. But what had the earth done or how was it guilty of Adams transgression Again in the sixth Chapter following it is expresly said That because God saw the wickednesse of man was great in the earth he said I will destroy both man and beast and the creeping things and the fowls of the aire But how were the beasts the creeping things and the fowls of the air partakers of mans wickednesse what had they done more then been abused by him which they could not avoid he being their Lord and Master And should not we think that Law of God just Levit. 20. where if a man commit abomination with a beast the beast is commanded to be slain as well as the man who only had sinned This proves that objection to be wholly insufficient But yet the difficulty of the resolution How this may stand with Gods justice remains as before which therefore comes now to be resolved First we know that all the beasts of the field all the fowls of the air and the fishes of the Sea were made for the use and service of man in one kinde or other as he should have occasion to use them Secondly if man had stood in his first creation the service of the creatures should have been sutable to his excellency and integrity and so far more noble then now it is that even the creatures might be partakers of his happinesse then that since they yet look for the glorious liberty of the sons of God to come Thirdly but when man was once fallen the service of the creature was altered and became a bondage of corruption as S. Paul terms it that is gnoble sutable to the corrupt condition of man under sin those which should have been imploied excellently for the use of his integrity are now to serve him ignominiously according to his sin and misery namely either to be the means to punish him for his sin or to relieve him in his misery To punish him all the creatures for his use are become base corrupt and unworthy and so nothing so usefull for him as they had been The earth will not bring forth for him but with his labour and toil and then too when it should bear him corn it brings forth thorns and thistles The creatures which should serve and honour him do often seise upon him and destroy him And thus are the creatures imploied for mans use indeed but a wofull use to afflict and punish him for his sin all the days of his life Another way notwithstanding they are usefull and serviceable for his good as helps to relieve and better him in this his condition of sin as to be made documents of the wrath of God to move him to repentance and emblemes to know the condition of his most deadly enemy the Devil and how he ought to abhorre and hate him and the hope and expectation of conquering and triumphing over him in the blessed seed of the woman And for this use and service was the Serpent abased and made vile according to his curse in my Text that as he was made excellent to serve him in integrity so he was now abased to be made fit to do him the best service in his misery And what injustice could this be in God when he made him at first so as he made him for the service of man and now when he marr'd him he marr'd him likewise for mans service The second thing to be resolved is Whether this curse were pronounced only upon one individuall Serpent or whethet upon all Serpents in generall or upon some one only kind which the Devil had thus abused Of one individuall Serpent it cannot be because there is mention here of the seed of the Serpent and seed of the woman which implies a generation of many Serpents and besides this curse was to be a monument not only to him but to all his posterity as long as the world lasted but one individuall Serpent lived not so long Neither is it credible to be spoken of all kinds of Serpents in generall because there is almost as great a variety of Serpents as of four footed beasts of severall kinds and species and why should any kind suffer save that only which had been abused to offend Besides I make no doubt but divers kinds of Serpents went at the first Creation upon their brests as now they do and were every whit as base as now they are excepting the generall decay of all creatures since the fall It remains therefore that it was only one kind of Serpent which bore this speciall malediction and that such a kind as was not only the noblest of all the kinds of Serpents but as it seems far excelling all the Creation besides man only except for beauty wisdome and sagacity but afterward by this curse became not only baser then the rest of the beasts of the field but even as base and vile as the vilest kind of Serpent And therefore it could not be the Basilisk as some have held though it be the most poisonfull of all others and as it were a King among Serpents as the name imports for if Plinie and Solinus who report the former say true this Serpent here accursed should rather be any other kind then that because the Basilisk upon their report goes with his brest and fore-part of his body advanced erectus à medio incedens saith Plinie or as Solinus mediâ corporis parte serpit mediâ arduus est excel sus but this Serpent here was from the hour of his doom to go for ever upon his brest which I wonder they considered not who from the advanced posture of the Basilisks body have conceived the clean contrary For as by this example we may beleeve that the Serpent now accursed did so before his curse so that he should still do so it is a most direct gainsaying of Scripture to imagine But to come to the words of the doom which as you see are first generall then particular Generall in these Thou art cursed above all cattell and above c. What it is to be accursed we shall know if we first understand what it is to be blessed To be blessed or happy is
according to that Domini est terra plenitudo ejus And Let no man appear before the Lord emptie Therefore as this sacrifice consisted of two parts as I told you of Praise and Prayer which in respect of the other I call sacrificium quod and of the commemoration of Christ crucified which I call sacrificium quo so the symbols of Bread and Wine traversed both being first presented as symbols of Praise and Thanksgiving to agnize God the Lord of the creature in the sacrificum quod Then by invocation of the Holy Ghost made the symbols of the Body and Blood of Christ in the sacrificium quo So that the whole service throughout consisted of a reasonable part and of a materiall part as of a Soul and a Body of which I shall speak more fully hereafter when I come to prove this I have said by the testimonies of the Ancients SECTION 2. ANd this is that Sacrifice which Malachi foretold the Gentiles should one day offer unto God In omni loco offeretur incensum Nomini meo Mincha purum quoniam magnum erit Nomen meum in Gentibus dicit Dominus exercituum Which words I am now according to the order I propounded to explicate and apply to my Definition Know therefore that the Prophet in the foregoing Words upbraids the Jews with despising and disesteeming their God forasmuch as they offered unto him for sacrifice not the best but the lame the torn and the sick as though he had not been the great King Creator and Lord of the whole World but some petty god and of an inferior rank for whom any thing were good enough If I be a Father where is mine honour If I be Dominus where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts unto you O Priests that despise my name and ye say wherein have we despised it Ye offer polluted bread upon mine Altar and ye say Wherein have we polluted thee In that ye say The Table of the Lord is contemptible or not so much to be regarded that is you think so as appears by the basenesse of your offering For the Present shewes what esteem the giver hath of him he honoureth therewith But you offer that to me which ye would not think fit to offer to your Prorex or Governour under the King of Persia which shewes you have but a mean esteem of me in your hearts and that you beleeve not I am He that I am because you see me acknowledged of no other Nation but yours and that ye have been subdued by the Gentiles and brought into this miserable and despicable condition wherein you now are you imagine me to be some Topicall god and as of small jurisdiction so of little power But know that howsoever I now seem to be but the Lord of a poor Nation yet the days are coming When from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered to my name and a pure offering for my name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hosts it follows though you have prophaned it in that ye say the Table of the Lord is contemptible whereas I am a great King and my Name shall be dreadfull among the Heathen This is the dependence and coherence of the words Now to apply them Incense as the Scripture it self tels notes the Prayers of the Saints It was also that wherewith the remembrance was made in the sacrifices or God put in minde Mincha which we turn Munus is oblatio farrea an offering made of meal or flower baked or fryed or dryed or parched corn We in our English when we make distinction call it a meat-offering but might call it a bread-offering of which the Libamen or the drink-offering being an indivisible concomitant both are implyed under the name Mincha where it alone is named The Application then is easie Incense here notes the rationall part of our Christian sacrifice which is Prayer Thanksgiving and Commemoration Mincha the materiall part thereof which is oblatio farrea or a present of Bread and Wine BUT this Mincha is characterised in the Text with an attribute not to be overpast Mincha purum in omni loco offeretur incensum nomini meo Mincha purum The meat-offering which the Gentiles should one day present the God of Israel with should be munus purum or as the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us learn if we can what this Purity is and wherein it consisteth or in what respect the Gentiles oblation is so styled Some of the Fathers take this Pure offering to be an offering that is purely or spiritually offered The old sacrifices both of the Jew and Gentile were offered modo corporali by slaughter fire and incense but this of Christians should be offered onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Iustin Martyr expresses it whence it is usually called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reasonable and unbloody sacrifice namely of the manner of offering it Not that there was no materiall thing used therein as some mistake for we know there was Bread and Wine but because it is offered unto God immaterially or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely which the Fathers in the first Councell of Nice call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be sacrificed without sacrificing rites This sense of Pure sacrifice is followed by Tertullian as may appear by his words ad Scapulam where speaking of the Christian Liturgie Sacrificamus saith he pro Imperatore sed quomodo praecepit Deus pura prece Non enim eget Deus Conditor Vniversitatis odoris aut sanguinis alicujus Also in his third Book against Marcion cap. 22. In omni loco offertur incensum Nomini meo sacrificium mundum that is saith he gloriae relatio benedictio hymni which he presently cals munditias sacrificiorum The same way go some others But this sense though it fitly serves to difference our Christian sacrifice from the old sacrifices of the Jews and Gentiles and the thing it self be most true yet I cannot see how it can agree with the context of our Prophet where the word Incense though I confesse mystically understood is expressed together with Munus purum For it would make the literall sense of our Prophet to be this In every place Incense is offered to my Name and an offering without Incense And yet this would be the literall meaning if Pure here signified without Incense Let us hear therefore a second Interpretation of this Puritie of the Christian Mincha more agreeable to the dependence of the words and that is a conscientia offerentis from the disposition and affection of the offerer according to that of the Apostle Tit. 1. 15. To the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but even their minde and conscience is defiled They professe they know God but in their works
the Acts of the Apostles nor in S. Paul and S. Peters writings yet this proves not they were not used in the Apostles times no more then that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not whose case in this point is the same with the other But to confine the Apostles Age within the limits of Saint Pauls and S. Peters lines is a generall mistake For the Apostles Aage ended not till S. Iohns death Anno Christi 99. and so lasted as long within a year or thereabouts after S. Paul and S. Peters suffering as it was from our Saviours Ascension to their Deaths that is one and thirty years And this too for the most part was after the Excidium of Ierusalem in which time it is likely the Church received no little improvement in Ecclesiasticall Rites and Expressions both because it was the time of her greatest increase and because whilest the Iews Polity stood her Polity for its full establishment stood in some sort suspended This appears by S. Iohns writings which are the onely Scripture written after that time and in which we finde two Ecclesiastick terms of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Deitie of Christ and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the first day of the week neither of both seeming to have been in use in S. Paul and S. Peters time and why may we not beleeve the like happened in others and by name in these now questioned Which that I may not seem onely to guesse I think I can prove by two witnesses which then lived the one Clemens he whose name S. Paul says was written in the Book of life and the other Ignatius Clemens in his undoubted Epistle ad Corinthios a long time missing but now of late come again to light In this Epistle the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is three times used of the Christian service pag. 52. Debemus omnia saith he rite ordine facere quae Dominus nos per agere jussit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praestitutis temporibus Oblationes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obire And a little after Qui igitur praefinitis temporibus oblationes suas faciunt accepti beati sunt Domini enim mandata sequentes non aberrant The other Ignatius in his Epistle Ad Smyrnenses hath both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non licet saith he absque Episcopo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cals in a stricter sense the first part of this sacred and mysticall Service to wit the Thanksgiving wherein the Bread and the Wine as I told you were offered unto God to agnize his Dominion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cals the mysticall Commemoration of Christs Body and Blood and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the receiving and participation of the same For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are sometimes used for the whole Action and sometimes thus distinguished Of this Epistle the learned doubt not but if any one do I suppose they will grant that Theodoret had his genuine Epistles Let them hear then a passage which he in his third Dialogue cites out of the Epistles of Ignatius against some Hereticks Eucharistias oblationes non admittunt quod non confiteantur Eucharistiam esse carnem Servatoris nostri Iesu Christi quae passa est pro peccatis nostris Here you see oblationes Eucharistias exegetically join together And so I think I have proved these terms of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have been in use in the Church in the latter part of the Apostles Age. But what if one of them namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were used sooner even in S. Pauls and S. Peters time In the first Epistle of Peter 2. 5. You are saith he speaking to the Body of the Church a holy Priesthood to offer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to God by Iesus Christ. In the Epistle to the Heb. 13. 15. By him that is through Christ our Altar let us offer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sacrifice of praise to God continually Why should I not think S. Paul and S. Peter speak here of the solemn and publick Service of Christians wherein the Passion of Christ was commemorated I am sure the Fathers frequently call this sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in some ancient Liturgies immediately before the Consecration the Church gives thanks unto God for choosing them to be an holy Priesthood to offer sacrifices unto him as it were alluding to S. Peter Thus you see first or last or both the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were no strangers to the Apostles Age. I will now make but one Quaere and answer it and so conclude this point Whether these words were used seeing they were used properly or improperly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the subject we speak of I answer briefly This Christian service as we have defined it is an Oblation properly for wheresoever any thing is tendred or pretended unto God there is truly and properly an Oblation be it spirituall or visible it matters not For oblatio is the Genus And Irenaeus tels me here Non Genus oblationum reprobatum est oblationes enim illic oblationes autem hîc sacrificia in populo sacrificia in Ecclesia sed species immutata est tantùm But as for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sacrifice according to its prime signification it signifies a slaughter-offering as in the Hebrew so in Greek of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 macto As the Angel in the Acts sayes to S. Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peter kill and eat Now we in our Christian sacrifice slay no offering but commemorate him onely that was slain and offered upon the Crosse. Therefore our Service is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 improperly and metaphorically But if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be synecdochically taken for an offering in generall as it is both in the New Testament and elsewhere then the Christian sacrifice is as truely called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SECT II. NOw I come to the second particular contained in my Definition to prove that the Christian sacrifice according to the meaning of the ancient Church is an Oblation of Thanksgiving and Prayer My first Author shall be Iustin Martyr in his Dialogue with Tryphon the Jew where to the evasion of the Jews labouring to bereave the Christians of this Text by saying it was meant of the Prayers which the dispersed Jews at that time offered unto God in all places where they lived among the Gentiles which Sacrifices though they wanted the materiall Rite yet were more acceptable unto God in regard of their sincerity then those prophaned ones at Jerusalem and not that here was meant any Sacrifice which the Gentiles should offer to the God of Israel to this evasion Iustin replies Supplicationes gratiarum actiones quae à dignis peraguntur
Eucharist and therefore I doubt not but Clemens means of the same and tels us that in this Sacrifice Christ the High-priest of our offerings is found that is represented and commemorated In the same style speaks Iust. Mar. Dial cum Tryphone Ne unum quidem est genus Mortalium sive Graecorum sive Barbarorum sive quocunque nomine appellantur inter quos per nomen cruci fixi Iesu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patri fabricatori omnium non fiant He is speaking of the Christian sacrifice our Text in Malachi In omni loco offeretur incensum nomini meo where by Nomen Dei he understands Christ through whom in this Sacrifice our devotions are offered So doth Ireneus and others Iren. lib. 4. cap. 33. Quod est aliud Nomen quod in Gentibus glorificatur quà m quod est Domini nostri per quem glorificatur Pater glorificatur homo quoniam ergo Nomen filii proprium Patris est in Deo omnipotente per Iesum Christum offert Ecclesia bene ait secundum utraque Et in omni loco offeretur incensum Nomini meo sacrificium purum Now how this Incense and Sacrifice which the Prophet saith the Gentiles should offer to the Name of God may be expounded Offered by the Name of God to wit by Christ Origen lib. 8. contra Cels. will inform us Vnum Deum saith he unum ejus filium ac verbum imaginemque quantum possumus supplicationibus honoribus veneramur offerentes Deo universorum preces per suum unigenitum Cui prius eas adhibemus rogantes ut ipse qui est propitiator pro peccatis nostris dignetur tanquam Pontifex preces nostras sacrificia intercessiones offerre Deo super omnia That which we offer to the Father by Christ we offer first to Christ that he as our High-priest might present it to his Father More passages hath Origen in the same Books of this kinde But I will not weary you too much in this rugged way out of this which we have hitherto discoursed and proved may be understood the meaning and reason of that Decree of the third Councell of Carthage and Hippo. Vt nemo in Precibus vel Patrem pro Filio vel Filium pro Patre nominet Et cum Altari assistitur semper ad Patrem dirigatur oratio The reason because the Father is properly the Object 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom the Son onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom in this Mysticall service and therefore to direct here our Prayers and Thanksgivings to the Son were to pervert the order of the Mystery which is as hath been proved An oblation of Praise and Prayer to God the Father through the Intercession of Iesus Christ represented in the Symbols of Bread and Wine SECT IV. THe fourth particular propounded was this That the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ or Lords Supper is a Sacrifice according to the style of the ancient Church It is one thing to say that the Lords Supper is a Sacrifice and another to say that Christ is properly sacrificed therein These are not the same for there may be a Sacrifice which is a representation of another and yet a Sacrifice too And such is this of the New Testament a Sacrifice wherein another Sacrifice that of Christs death upon the Crosse is commemorated Thus the Papists gain nothing by this Notion of Antiquity and our asserting the same For their tenet is that Christ in this Sacrifice is really and properly sacrificed which we shall shew in due time that the Ancients never meant To begin with this As in the Old Testament the name of Sacrifice was otherwhile given to the whole action in which the Rite was used sometimes to the Rite alone so in the Notion and Language of the ancient Church sometimes the whole Action or Christian service wherein the Lords Supper was a part is comprehended under that name sometimes the Rite of the sacred Supper it self is so termed and truly as you shall now hear The resolution of this Point depends altogether upon the true Definition of a Sacrifice as it is distinguished from all other Offerings Which though it be so necessary that all disputation without it is vain yet shall we not finde that either party interessed in this question hath been so exact therein as were to be wished This appears by the differing Definitions given and confuted by Divines on both sides the reason of which defect is because neither are deduced from the Notion of Scripture but built upon other conceptions Let us see therefore if it may be learned out of Scripture what that is which the Scripture in a strict and speciall sense cals a Sacrifice Every Sacrifice is an oblation or offering but every offering is not a Sacrifice in that strict and proper acception we seek For Tithes First-fruits Heavofferings in the Law and whatsoever indeed is consecrated unto God are oblations or offerings but none of them Sacrifices nor ever so called in the Old Testament What offerings are then called so I answer Burnt-offerings Sin-offerings Trespasse-offerings and peace-offerings These and no other are called by that name Out of these therefore must we pick the true and proper ratio of a Sacrifice It is true indeed that these Sacrifices were offerings of beasts of beeves of sheep of goats of fowls but the ratio of any thing consists not in the matter thereof As the gowns we wear are still the same kinde of apparel though made of differing stuffs These Sacrifices also were slain and offered by fire and incense But neither is the modus of any thing the ratio or essentiall form thereof That therefore may have the nature and formale of a Sacrifice which consists of another matter and is offered after another and differing manner Those we call Sacraments of the Old Testament Circumcision and the Passeover were by effusion of blood ours are not and yet we esteem them neverthelesse true Sacraments and so it may be here To hold you therefore no longer in suspence a Sacrifice I think should be defined thus An offering whereby the offerer is made partaker of his Gods Table in token of Covenant and friendship with him c. more explicately thus An offering unto the Divine Majesty of that which is given for the food of man that the offerer partaking thereof might as by way of pledge be certified of his acceptation into Covenant and fellowship with his God by eating and drinking at his Table S. Augustin comes toward this Notion when he defines a Sacrifice though in a larger sense opus quod Deo nuncupamus reddimus dedicamus hoc fine ut sanctâ societate ipsi adhaereamus for to have society and fellowship with God what is it else but to be in league and covenant with him In a word a Sacrifice is oblatio foederalis for the true and right understanding whereof we must know that it was the