one but all Men ought to be admitted to the Grace of Christ as Peter saith in the Acts of the Apostles that the Lord said unto him that he should call no Man common or unclean But if any thing can hinder Men from Baptism it will be hainous Sins that will debar the Adult and Mature therefrom and if those who have sinned extremely against God yet if afterwards they 〈◊〉 are baptized and no Man is prohibited 〈◊〉 this Grace how much more ought not an Insant to be 〈◊〉 who being but just born is guilty of 〈◊〉 Sin but of Original which he 〈◊〉 from Adam Who ought the more 〈◊〉 to be received to the remission of Sins 〈◊〉 not his own but others sins are remitted to him Wherefore dearly beloved it is our Opinion that from 〈◊〉 and the Grace of God who is merciful kind and benign to all none 〈◊〉 to be prohibited by us which as it is to be observed and followed with respect to all so especially with respect to Infants and those that are but just born who deserve our Help and the Divine 〈◊〉 because at the first instant of their Nativity they beg it by their Cries and Tears Apud Cyprian 〈◊〉 59. § 2 3 4. p. 164 165. So that here is as Formal Synodical Decree for the Baptism of Infants as possibly can be 〈◊〉 which being the Judgment of a Synod is more 〈◊〉 and cogent than that of a private Father it being supposable that a 〈◊〉 Father might write his own particular Judgment and Opinion but the Determinations of a Synod or Council denote the common Practice and Usage of the Whole Church § 3. It is evident then that Infants were baptifed in the Primitive Ages and as for the Baptism of the Adult that being own'd by all it will be needless to prove it These were 〈◊〉 grown in Years able to judge and 〈◊〉 for themselves who relinquished Paganism and came over to the Christian Faith What Qualifications were required in them previous or antecedent to Baptism I need not here relate since I have already handled this Point in the Sixth Chapter of the former Treatise to which I refer the Reader In short such as these were first instructed in the 〈◊〉 Faith continued some time in the Rank of the 〈◊〉 till they had given good Proofs of their Resolutions to 〈◊〉 a pious religious Life and had protested their Assent and Consent to all the Christian Verities and then they were solemnly baptized Which brings 〈◊〉 to the third thing proposed 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 of Baptism which for the main was as 〈◊〉 § 4. The Person to be baptized was first asked several Questions by the Bishop or by him that Officiated unto which he was to give his Answer concerning which Baptismal Questions and Answers Dionysius 〈◊〉 speaks in his Letter to Xystus Bishop of 〈◊〉 wherein he writes of a certain sorupulous Person in his Church who was exceedingly troubled when he was present at Baptism and heard the Questions and Answers of those that were Baptized Which Questions Firmilian styles the lawful and usual Interrogatories of Baptism Now these Questions and Answers were two-fold First Of Abjuration of the Devil and all his Works And Secondly Of a Firm Assent to the Articles of the Christian Faith First Of Abjuration The Minister proposed this Question to the Party baptized or to this Effect Do you renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh To which he answered Yes So writes 〈◊〉 When 〈◊〉 are baptized 〈◊〉 renounce the World the Devil and his Angels And with 〈◊〉 Mouth we have vowed to renounce the World the 〈◊〉 and his Angels And We have renounced the Devil and his Angels And Thou hast 〈◊〉 to renounce the World the Devil and his Angels And We were called to the Warfare of the Living God when we promised in the Words of Baptism To the same effect also says Cyprian When we were baptized we renounced the World And We have renounced the World its Pomps and Delights And The Servant of God has renounced the Devil and the World And We have renounced the World and by the Faith of Spiritual Grace have cast off its Riches and Pomps And We 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Devil and the World And so likewise saith Clemens Alexandrinus that in Baptism we renounced the Devil The Second Question was Whether the Party to be Baptized did believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith to which he answered Yes as Justin Martyr writes that those who were to be baptized were to give their Assent to the things that were 〈◊〉 and held by them So Cyprian writes that at Baptism they asked the Baptised Person 's Assent to this Creed Whether he believed in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost remission of Sins and eternal Life through the Church And that at Baptism they asked Dost thou believe 〈◊〉 Life everlasting and remission of Sins through the Holy Church These Articles of Faith to which the Baptized Persons gave their Assent are called by Cyprian The Law of the Symbol And by Novatian The Rule of Truth § 5. And here since we have mentioned the Symbol it will be no unuseful Digression to enquire a little into the Ancient Creeds for as for that Creed which is commonly called the Aposties all Learned Persons are now agreed that it was never composed by them neither do I find it within my prescribed Time But though they had not that yet they had other Creeds very like thereunto which contained the fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith 〈◊〉 which all Christians gave their Assent and 〈◊〉 and that publickly at Baptism whence as before it is called by Cyprian The Law of the Symbol and by Novatian The Rule of Truth This Creed was handed down from Father to Son as a brief Summary of the necessary Scripture Truths not in ipsissimis verbis or in the same set Words but only the Sense or Substance thereof which is evident from that we never find the Creed twice repeated in the same Words no not by one and the same Father which that it may the more manifestly appear as also that we may see the Congruity and Affinity of the Ancient Creeds with our Present Creed commonly call'd the Apostles I shall 〈◊〉 in their Original Language all the whole Creeds and Pieces of Creeds that I find within my limited Bounds which together with the Authors wherein they are to be 〈◊〉 are as follows § 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Epist. ad 〈◊〉 p. 52. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 1. c. 2. p. 35 36 〈◊〉 in unum Deum fabricatorem 〈◊〉 ac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae in eis sunt per Christum Jesum Dei Filium qui propter 〈◊〉 erga Figmentum suum dilectionem 〈◊〉 quae esset ex Virgine generationem 〈◊〉 ipse per se hominem adunans Deo passus sub Pontio Pilato resurgens
Authors mentioned in this Treatise together with those Editions that I have made use of are as follow S. Ignatii Epistolae Graeco-Latin Quarto Edit Isaci Vossii Amstelodam 1646. S. Barnabae Epistola Catholica Edit ad Calcem S. Ignatii Quarto Amstelodam 1646. S. Clementis Romani Epistolae Graeco-Latin Quaerto Edit Patricii Junii Oxonii 1633. S. Irenaei Opera Folio Edit Nic. Galasii Genevae 1580. S. Justini Martyris Opera Graeco-Latin Folio Coloniae 1686. Epistola Plinii Secundi Trojano Imperatori de Christianis in fronte Operum Justin. Martyr Colon. 1686. Clementis Alexandrini Opera Folio Edit Heinsii Lugdun Batav 1616. Tertulliani Opera Folio Edit Paris 1580. Novatiani De Trinitate De Cibis Judaicis inter Opera Tertulliani Edit Paris 1580. Cypriani Opera Folio Edit Sim. Goulart apud Johan le Preux 1593. Vita Cypriani per Pontium ejus Diaconum In fronte Oper. Cyprian Edit Goulart 1593. Fragmentum Victorini Petavionensis De Fabrica Mundi pag. 103 104. Histor. literar Dr. S. Cave Edit Folio Londini 1688. Minucii Felices Octavius Edit ad Calcem Tertullian Apolog. per Desiderium Heraldum Quarto Paris 1613. Origenis Commentaria omnia quae Graece Reperiuntur Edit de Huetii 2 Vol. Folio Rothomagi 1668. Originis contra Celsum Libri Octo ejusdem Philocalia Graeco-Latin Edit Quarto per Gulielm Spencer Cantabrigiae 1677. Originis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu De Oratione Graeco-Latin Octavo Oxonii 1685. As for those other Works of Origen which are extant only in Latin I have made no use at all of those of Ruffin's Translation except his Creed since in them we know not which we read whether Origen or Ruffin and as for those which were translated by more faithful Hands I have used the Editions of Merlin or Erasmus without nominating the Page Eusebii Pamphili Ecclesiastica Historia Graeco-Latin Folio Edit Henric. Vales. Paris 1659. I have read only the Seven first Books of Eusebius's History because the three others go beyond my limited Time As for the Writings of S. Gregory of Neocaesarea they are but few and from thence I have taken nothing but his Creed so that there is no need to mention any Edition of his Works The same I may say also of the short Epistle of Polycarp which I have cited but once and therein have used the Version of Dr. Cave extant in his Apostolici pag. 127. There are vet some other Fathers whose remaining Tracts I have read as Theophilus Antiochenus Athenagoras c. who are not cited in this 〈◊〉 because I have found nothing in them 〈◊〉 to my Design An Enquiry into the Constitution Discipline Unity and Worship of the Primitive Church CHAP. I. § 1. The various Significations of the word Church § 2. A particular Church the chief Subject of the ensuing Discourse The constituent parts thereof Two-fold viz. Clergy and Laity § 3. Each of these had their particular Functions and both their joint Offices Three things on which a great part of the following Discourse depends proposed to be handled viz. The Peculiar Acts of the Clergy The Peculiar Acts of the Laity and the Joint Acts of them both § 4. The Peculiar Acts of the Clergy propounded to be discussed according to their several Orders First of the Bishops A View of the World as it was in a state of Heathenism at the first Preaching of Christianity necessary to be consider'd Where the Apostles planted Churches they appointed the first Converts to be Bishops thereof § 5. But one Bishop in a Church The Orthodoxness of the Faith proved from the Succession of the Bishops The Titles and Relation of the Bishop to his Flock § 1. THAT we may give the more clear and distinct Answer to this Important Query it is necessary that we first examin the Primitive Notion of the Word Church upon the due apprehension of which depends the Right Understanding of a great Part of our following Discourse This word Church as in our modern acceptation so also in the Writings of the Fathers is equivocal having different Significations according to the different Subjects to which it is applyed I shall not here concern my self about the Derivation of the Word or its Original Use amongst the Heathens from whom it was translated into the Christian Church but only take notice of its various Uses amongst the ancient Christians which were many as 1. It is very often to be understood of the Church Vniversal that is of all those who throughout the face of the whole Earth professed Faith in Christ and acknowledged him to be the Saviour of Mankind This Irenaeus calls The Church dispersed thro' the whole World to the ends of the Earth and The Church scattered in the whole World And Origen calls it The Church of God under Heaven This is that which they called the Catholick Church for Catholick signifies the same as Vniversal Thus Polycarp when he was seized by his Murderers prayed for The Catholick Church throughout the World And in this Sense Dionysius Alexandrinus calls the persecuting Emperour Macrianus A Warrior against the Catholick Church of God II. The word Church is frequently to be understood of a particular Church that is of a Company of Believers who at one time in one and the same place did associate themselves together and concur in the Participation of all the Institutions and Ordinances of Jesus Christ with their proper Pastors and Ministers Thus Irenaeus mentions that Church which is in any place And so Dionysius Alexandrinus writes that when he was banished to Cephro in Lybia there came so many Christians unto him that even there he had a Church Tertullian thinks that Three were sufficient to make a Church In this sense we must understand the Church of Rome the Church of Smyrna the Church of Antioch the Church of Athens the Church of Alexandria or the Church in any other such place whatsoever that is a Congregation of Christians assembling all together for Religious Exercises at Rome Antioch Smirna Athens Alexandria or such like places III. The word Church is sometimes used for the Place where a particular Church or Congregation met for the Celebration of Divine Service Thus Paulus Samosatenus the Heretical Bishop of Antioch ordered certain Women to stand in the middle of the Church and fing Psalms in his Praise So Clemens Alexandrinui adviseth that Men and Women should with all Modesty and Humility enter into the Church So the Clergy of the Church of Rome in their Letter to Cyprian concerning the Restitution of the Lapsed give as their advice That they should only come to the Threshold of the Church-door but not go over it And in this Sense is the Word frequently to be understood in Tertullian Origen and others to recite whose Testimonies at large would be both tedious and needless IV. I find the Word Church once used by Cyprian for
to the Gentiles declaring those glad Tidings to all Kingdoms and Provinces so that as the Apostle Paul said Rom. 10. 18. Their sound went into all the Earth and their words unto the ends of the World every one taking a particular part of the World for his proper Province to make known the joyful News of Life and Salvation through Christ therein Thus St. Andrew principally preach'd the Gospel in Scythia St. Bartholomew in India St. Matthew in Parthia St. John in the Lesser Asia and all the rest of the Apostles had their particular Provinces allotted them wherein they went forth preaching the Gospel and as they came to any City Town or Village they published to the Inhabitants thereof the blessed news of Life and Immortality through Jesus Christ constituting the first Converts of every place through which they passed Bishops and Deacons of those Churches which they there gathered So saith Clemens Romanus The Apostles went forth preaching in City and Country appointing the First Fruits of their Ministry for Bishops and Deacons generally leaving those Bishops and Deacons to govern and enlarge those particular Churches over which they had placed them whilst they themselves passed forwards planted other Churches and placed Governors over them Thus saith Tertullian Clemens was ordained Bishop of Rome by St. Peter and Polycarp Bishop of Smirna by St. John § 5. Whether in the Apostolick and Primitive days there were more Bishops than one in a Church at first sight seems difficult to resolve That the Holy Scriptures and Clemens Romanus mention many in one Church is certain And on the other hand it is as certain that Ignatius Tertullian Cyprian and the following Fathers affirm that there was and ought to be but one in a Church These Contradictions may at the first view seem Inextricable but I hope the following Account will reconcile all these seeming Difficulties and withal afford us a fair and easy Conception of the difference between the Ancient Bishops and Presbyters I shall then lay down as sure that there was but one Supreme Bishop in a place that was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bishop by way of Eminency and Propriety The proper Pastor and Minister of his Parish to whose Care and Trust the Souls of that Church or Parish over which he presided were principally and more immediately committed So saith Cyprian There is but one Bishop in a Church at a time And so Cornelius Objects to Novatian That he did not remember that there ought to be but one Bishop in a Church And throughout the whole Epistles of Ignatius and the generality of Writers succeeding him we find but one single Bishop in a Church whose Quotations to which purpose would be fruitless to recite here since the 〈◊〉 Practice of the Universal Church confirms it and a great part of the following Discourse will clearly illustrate it Only it may not be impertinent to remark this by the way that by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Succession of Bishops from those Bishops who were Ordained by the Apostles the Orthodox were wont to prove the Succession of their Faith and the Novelty of that of the Hereticks Let them demonstrate the Original of their Churches as Tertullian challenges the Marcionites and other Hereticks Let them turn over the Orders of their Bishops and see whether they have had a Succession of Bishops from any one who was Constituted by the Apostles or Apostolick Men Thus the truly Apostolick Churches have as the Church of Smirna has Polycarp there placed by St. John and the Church of Rome Clement ordained by Peter and other Churches can tell who were ordained Bishops over them by the Apostles and who have been their Successors to this very day So also says Irenaeus We challenge the Hereticks to that Tradition which was handed down from the Apostles by the Succession of Bishops And in the next Chapter of the same Book the said Father gives us a Catalogue of the Bishops of Rome till his days by whom the true Faith was successively transmitted down from the Apostles in which Catalogue we find but one Bishop at a time and as he died so another single Person succeeded him in the Charge of that Flock or Parish So that this Consideration evidences also that there was but one Bishop strictly so called in a Church at a time who was related to his Flock as a Pastor to his Sheep and a Parent to his Children The Titles of this Supreme Church-Officer are most of them reckoned up in one place by Cyprian which are Bishop Pastour President Governour Superintendent and Priest And this is he which in the Revelations is called the Angel of his Church as Origen thinks which Appellations denote both his Authority and Office his Power and Duty of both which we shall somewhat treat after we have discoursed of the Circuit and Extent of his Jurisdiction and Superintendency which shall be the Contents of the following Chapter CHAP. II. § 1. As but one Bishop to a Church so but one Church to a Bishop The Bishop's Cure never call'd a Diocess but usually a Parish no larger than our Parishes § 2. Demonstrated by several Arguments § 3. A Survey of the extent of several Bishopricks as they were in Ignatius's days as of Smirna § 4. Ephesus § 5. Magnesia § 6. Philadelphia And § 7. Trallium § 8. The Bigness of the Diocess of Antioch § 9. Of Rome § 10. Of Carthage § 11. A Reflection on the Diocess of Alexandria § 12. Bishops in Villages § 13. All the Christians of a Diocess met together in one place every Sunday to serve God § 1. HAving in the former Chapter shewn that there was but one Bishop to a Church we shall in this evidence that there was but one Church to a Bishop which will appear from this single Consideration viz. That the ancient Diocesses are never said to contain Churches in the Plural but only a Church in the Singular So they say the Church of the Corinthians the Church of Smirna the Church in Magnesia the Church in Philadelphia the Church in Antioch and so of any other place whatsoever the Church of or in such a place This was the common name whereby a Bishops Cure was denominated the Bishop himself being usually called The Bishop of this or that Church as Tertullian saith That Polycarp was ordained Bishop of the Church of Smirna As for the Word Diocess by which the Bishops Flock is now usually exprest I do not remember that ever I found it used in this Sense by any of the Ancients But there is another Word still retained by us by which they frequently denominated the Bishops Cure and that is Parish So in the Synodical Epistle of Irenaeus to Pope Victor the Bishopricks of Asia are twice called Parishes And in Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History the Word is so applied in several hundred places It is usual
Ordained to their Office by Prayer and Imposition of Hands § 5. But as for the Ordination of Presbyters I shall more distinctly and largely treat of the Manner and Form thereof which seems to be as follows Whosoever desired to be admitted into this Sacred Office he first proposed himself to the Presbytery of the Parish where he dwelled and was to be Ordained desiring their Consent to his designed Intention praying them to confer upon him those Holy Orders which he craved Now we may suppose his Petition was to the whole Presbytery because a Bishop alone could not give those Holy Orders as is most evident from Cyprian who assures us that all Clerical Ordinations were performed by the Common Counsel of the whole Prebytery And therefore when upon a most urgent and necessary occasion he had been forced to ordain one but a Lector without the Advice and Consent of his Presbytery which one would be apt to think was no great Usurpation he takes great pains Ep. 24. p. 55. to justifie and excuse himself for so doing § 6. Upon this Application of the Candidate for the Ministry the Presbytery took it into their Consideration debated his Petition in their Common Council and proceeded to examine whether he had those Endowments and Qualifications which were requisite for that Sacred Office What those Gifts and Qualifications were touching which he was examined may be reduced to these Four Heads his Age his Condition in the World his Conversation and his Understanding As for his Age It was necessary for him to have lived some time in the World to have been of a ripe and mature Age for they ordained no Novices or young Striplings That was the Practice of the Hereticks whom Tertullian jeers and upbraids with Ordaining Raw and Vnexperienced Clerks But as for the Orthodox they took care to confer Orders on none but on such as were well stricken in years observing herein the Apostolick Canon in 1 Tim. 3. 6. Not a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into the Condemnation of the Devil But yet if any young Man was endued with extraordinary Grace and Ability the fewness of his Years was no Obstacle to his Promotion that being superseded by the Greatness of his Merit as we find in the case of Aurelius in Cyprian who tho' young in years yet for his eminent Courage and Excellency was graced with Ecclesiastical Orders And such an one I suppose was the Bishop of Magnesia in the times of Ignatius which gave occasion to that Exhortation to the People of that Diocese not to despise their Bishop's Age but to yield him all due Respect and Reverence § 7. As for his Condition in the World he was not to be entangled with any mundane Affairs but to be free from all secular Employments and at perfect Liberty to apply himself wholly to the Duties of his Office and Function This also was founded on that other Apostolick Canon in 2 Tim. 2. 4. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life that 〈◊〉 may please him who hath chosen him to be a Soldier Which Words saith Cyprian if spoken of all How much more ought not they to be entangled with Secular Troubles and Snares who being busied in Divine and Spiritual things cannot leave the Church to mind earthly and worldly actions Which Religious Ordination as he goes on to write was emblematiz'd by the Levites under the Law for when the Land was divided and possessions were given to eleven Tribes the Levites who waited upon the Temple and Altar and the Sacred Offices thereof had no share in that Division but the others till'd the ground whilst they only worshipped God and received Tenths of the others Encrease for their Food and Sustenance all which hapned by the Divine Authority and Dispensation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who waited on Divine Employments should not be withdrawn therefrom or be forced either to think of or to do any Secular Affairs Which fashion as he there continues to write is now observed by the Clergy that those who are promoted to Clerical Ordinations should not be impeded in their Divine Administrations or iucumbred with secular Concerns and Affairs but as Tenths receiving Subscriptions from the Brethren depart not from the Altar and Sacrifices but night and day attend on Spiritual and Heavenly Ministrations These words were spoken on the occasion of a certain Bishop called Geminius Victor who at his Death made a certain Presbyter called Geminius Faustinus Trustee of his last Will and Testament which Trust Cyprian condemns as void and null Because a Synod had before decreed that no Clergyman should be a Trustee for this Reason because those who were in Holy Orders ought only to attend upon the Altar and its Sacrifices and to give themselves wholly to Prayer and Supplication It was a Blot in the Hereticks Ordinations that they Ordained such as were involved in the World and embarass'd with Carnal and Secular Concerns § 8. As for the Conversation of the 〈◊〉 to be Ordained he was to be humble and meek of an unspotted and exemplary Life So says Cyprian In all Ordinations we ought to choose Men of an unspotted Integrity who worthily and holily offering up Sacrifices to God may be heard in those Prayers which they make for the safety of their Flock For it is written God heareth not a Sinner but if any one be a Worshipper of him and doth his Will him he heareth Wherefore before they were Ordained they were proposed to the People for their Testimony and Attestation of their holy Life and Conversation But of this we shall speak more in another place Only it may not be improper to remember here that this is also an Apostolick Canon in 〈◊〉 Tim. 3. 2 3 7. A Bishop then must be Blameless the Husband of one Wife vigilant sober of good Behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to Wine no Striker not guilty of filthy Lucre but Patient not a Brawler not Covetous Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without lest he fall into Reproach and the snare of the Devil § 9. As for the understanding of the Person to be Ordained he was to be of a good Capacity fit and able duly to teach others This is also another of the Apostolick Canons in 2 Tim. 2. 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth And in 1 Tim. 3. 2. A Bishop must be apt to teach which implies an Ability of teaching and a 〈◊〉 of rightly understanding apprehending and applying the Word of God to which end Humane Learning was so conducive as that Origen pleads not only for its usefulness but also for its necessity especially for that part of it which we call Logick to find out the true Sense and Meaning of the Scripture as appears from this following Digression which
of the Church And Cyprian writes that the Devil found out Heresies and Sehisms by which he might subvert the Faith corrupt the Truth and divide the Unity But now for Distinctions sake the Breach of this Unity was commonly called Heresie and the word Schism generally applyed to the Breach of the Churches Unity in another sense of which more in the other Sections § 4. If in the next place we consider the Word Church collectively as denoting a Collection of many particular Churches in which Sense it is once used in Cyprian Then its Unity may have consisted in a Brotherly correspondence with and affection toward each other which they demonstrated by all outward Expressions of Love and Concord as by receiving to Communion the Members of each other as Irenaeus mentions was observ'd between the Churches of Rome and Asia in mutually advising and assisting one another by Letters or otherwise of which there are frequent instances in the Ancients and especially in Cyprian's Epistles and in manifesting all other Marks and Tokens of their Love and Concord Now this Unity was broken when Particular Churches clash'd with each other when from being possess'd with Spirits of Meekness Love and Charity they were inflamed with Hatred Rage and Fury against each other A sad Instance whereof we have in that Controversie betwixt Cyprian and Stephen or rather between the Churches of Europe and Africa touching the Validity of Heretical Baptism wherein those good Men were so far transported with Bitterness and Rancour against each other that they interchangeably gave such 〈◊〉 Language and invidious Epithets as are too odious to name which if the Reader be curious to know he may find too much of it in Cyprian's Epistles Or if several particular Churches had for the promotion of Peace Unity and Order regularly disposed themselves into a Synodical Government and Discipline as was always done when their Circumstances and Conveniencies would permit them then whoever broke or violated their reasonable Canons were censured as turbulent and factious as it hath been evidenced in the former Chapter and needs no farther Proof in this because that the Schism of the Ancients was not a Breach of the Churches Unity in this Sense viz. as denoting or signifying a Church Collective § 5. But Schism principally and originally respected a particular Church or Parish tho' it might consequentially influence others too Now the Unity of a particular Church consisted in the Members Love and Amity toward each other and in their due Subjection or Subordination to their Pastour or Bishop Accordingly the Breach of that Unity consisted in these two things either in a Hatred and Malice of each other or in a Rebellion against their Lawful Pastour or which is all one in a causeless Separation from their Bishop and those that adhered to him As for the first of these there might be Envies and Discords between the Inhabitants of a Parish without a formal Separation from Communion which Jars and Feuds were called Schism an Instance whereof we find in the Church of Corinth unto whom St. Paul objected in 1 Cor. 11. 18. When ye come together in the Church I hear that there be Divisions or as it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schisms amongst you Here there was no separate Communion for they all came together in the Church and yet there were Schisms amongst them that is Strifes Quarrels and Discords And as far as I can perceive from the Epistle of Clemens Romanus which was writ to appease another Schism in the same Church of Corinth there were then only Turmoils and Differences without any actual Separation But on this I shall not enlarge because it is not what the Ancients ordinarily meant by Schism § 6. But that which they generally and commonly termed Schism was a Rebellion against or an ungrounded and causless Separation from their Lawful Pastour or their Parish-Church Now because I say that a causless Separation from their Bishop was Schism it will be necessary to know how many Causes could justifie the Peoples Desertion of their Pastour and these I think were two or at most three the first was Apostacy from the Faith or when a Bishop renounced the Christian Faith and through fear of Persecution embraced the Heathenish Idolatries as was done in the case of Martialis and Basilides two Spanish Bishops and was justified by an African Synod as is to be seen throughout their whole Synodical Epistle still extant amongst those of Cyprian's The second Cause was Heresie as Irenaeus saith We must fly far off from all Hereticks And Origen allows the People to separate from their Bishop if they could accuse him of false and 〈◊〉 Doctrine A third Cause was a scandalous and wicked Life as is asserted by an African Synod held Anno 258. whose Exhortations and Arguments to this purpose may be seen at large in their Synodical Epistle still extant in Cyprian Epist. 68. p. 200. out of which several Passages pertinent to this occasion have been already cited in the sixth Chapter of this Treatise to which I must refer the Reader Of this mind also was Irenaeus before them who writes That as for those Presbyters who serve their Pleasures and have not the fear of God before their Eyes who contumeliously use others are lifted up with Pride and secretly commit wickedness from 〈◊〉 such Presbyters we ought to separate Origen indeed seems to be of another mind and thinks that the Bishops Immorality in Life could not justifie his Parishes Separation He saith he that hath a care of his Soul will not be scandalized at my Faults who am his Bishop but considering my Doctrine and finding it agreeable to the Churches Faith from me indeed he will be averse but he will receive my Doctrine according to the Precept of the Lord which saith The Scribes and 〈◊〉 sit on Moses his Chair whatever therefore they say unto you hear and do but according unto their Works do not for they say and do not That Scripture is of me who teach what is good and do the contrary and sit upon the Chair of Moses as a Scribe or Pharisee the Precept is to thee O People if thou canst not accuse me of false Doctrine or Heretical Opinions but only beholdest my wicked and sinful Life thou must not square thy Life according to my Life but do those things which I speak Now whether Irenaeus or an African Synod or Origen be to be most credited I leave the Learned to judge tho' I think they may be both nearer reconciled than they seem to be Irenaeus and that Synod affirming that the People of their own Power and Authority might immediately without the concurrent Assent of other Churches upon the Immorality and Scandal of their Bishop leave and desert him Origen restraining the People from present Execution till they had the Authority of a Synod for so doing for thus he must be understood or else
Memory especially to have repeated Word after Word the Prayers of their Fast Days which must have been several Hours long since some of their Fasts as will be shewn in another place were prolonged from the Morning of one Day to the beginning of another § 8. There remains now but one Question more with respect to their Publick Prayers and that is Whether they were divided into several Collects To which I have not much certain to Answer probably on their Assemblies on Fast Days when they continued together treble the usual time for the Ease of the Bishop and his Assistants they made several 〈◊〉 Prayers and probably at their Ordinary Meetings their Prayer after Sermon was but one entire Piece But all this is but Conjecture all that I find positive is touching their Prayer that preceded the Consecration of the Eucharistical Elements which as Justin Martyr writes was one long Prayer to which the People said Amen CHAP. III. § 1. Of Baptism The Persons Baptizing § 2. The Persons Baptized First Infants § 3. Next Adult Persons The Qualifications that were required in them § 4. The manner of Baptism The Person to be Baptized abjured the Devil the World and the Flesh and gave his Assent to the Fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith § 5. A Digression concerning the Ancient Creed The Creed commonly call'd the Apostles not known within the first Three Hundred Years after Christ. In those Days they had other brief Summaries of Faith agreeing in Sense but not in Words § 6. All the ancient Creeds transcribed in their Original Language § 7. The Creed commonly call'd the Apostles compared with the Ancient Creeds § 8. How the Creed was composed § 1. HAving in the former Chapter discoursed of their Publick Prayers I 〈◊〉 in the next place to consider the Two Sacraments viz. Baptism and the Lord's Supper And first of all to treat of that of Baptism together with its Appendix and Confirmation for the more methodical and distinct handling whereof I shall enquire into these three Things viz. The Persons Baptizing the Persons Baptized and the manner of Baptism First As to the Persons Baptizing usually they were the Bishops or Pastors of their Respective Parishes as Justin Martyr describes Baptism as performed by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or President and Tertullian by the Antistes or Superintendent and by the High Priest who is the Bishop but with his Permission and Consent It was allowed to Presbyters and Deacons and in case of Necessity even to Lay-men to Baptize but never under any Necessity whatsoever was it permitted to a Woman so to do § 2. As for the Persons that were Baptized they were two sorts either Infants or Adult persons That Infants were baptized will be evident from this single Consideration Baptism was always precedent to the Lord's Supper and none were admitted to receive the Eucharist till they were baptized This is so obvious to every Man that it needs no proof If any one doubts it he may 〈◊〉 it clearly asserted in the Second Apology of Justin Martyr p. 97. Children received the Eucharist in the Primitive Church which is also a thing so well known as that for the proof of it I shall only urge one passage of Cyprian's where he tells a long Story of a Sucking Girl who so violently refused to taste the Sacramental Wine that the Deacon was obliged forcibly to open her Lips and to pour down the Consecrated Wine Therefore it naturally follows that Children were baptized for if they received that Ordinance which always succeeded Baptism then of necessity they must have received Baptism its self But I needed not to have mentioned this Consideration since Infant-Baptism is as clearly asserted in Words at length in the Primitive Writings as a thing can possibly be Thus Origen writes that Children are baptized for the Remission of their Sins fer the purging away of their natural Filth and original Impurity which is inherent in them according to Job 15. 14. What is Man that he should be clean And he which is born of a Woman that he should be Righteous And that of the Prophet Isaiah chap. 4. v. 4. When the Lord shall have washed away the Filth of the Daughter of Sion and shall have purged the Blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof No one is clean from the Filth no though he lived but one Day upon the Earth Wherefore because through the Sacrament of Baptism the Uncleannesses of our Birth are purged away therefore Children are baptized And the same Father Commenting on that place of our Saviour Matth. 18. 10. See that ye despise not one of these little ones alledges this as one Reason why we should not do so because of the Angels that guard them on which reason he makes this Query At what time the Angels begin their Guardianship over those little ones whether at the time of their Birth or their Baptism So that little ones were Baptized by which little ones he means Infants and Children as is most evident from those other Titles which he gives them in the same Tome as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Infants and in one place he supposes them to be under three or four Years old To these Testimonies of Origen I might also add those of Irenaeus Lib. 2. cap. 39. p. 137. and of Cyprian De Lapsis § 7. p. 279. But I shall chuse to wave them because I would willingly translate at length the Determination of an African Svnod held Anno 254 whereat were present Threescore and Six Bishops the occasion of which Determination was this A certain Bishop called Fidus had some Scruples not concerning the Baptism of Infants but concerning the time of their Baptism whether they might be baptized before the Second or Third Day after their Birth or before the Eighth Day as it was observed with respect to Circumcision under the Mosaical Oeconomy the Reasons or Grounds for which his Scruples he proposed to this Synod who having seriously examined them 〈◊〉 decreed That Childrens Baptism was not to be deferred to long but that the Grace of God or Baptism should be given to all and most especially unto 〈◊〉 which Synodical Decree because so pertinent to my purpose I have at large transcribed as follows Quantum vero ad cansam Infantium pertinet quos dixisti intra secundum vel tertium diem quo nati sint constitutos baptizari non oportere considerandam esse legem Circumcisionis antiquae ut intra octavum diem eum qui natus est baptizandum sanctificandum non putares longe aliud in consilio nostro omnibus visum est in hoc enim quod tu putabas esse faciendum nemo consensit sed universi potius judicavimus nulli hominum nato misericordiam Dei gratiam denegandam nam cum Dominus in Evangelio suo dicar Filius hominis non venit animas
a Collection of many particular Churches who mentions in the Singular Number the Church of God in Africa and Numidia Else I do not remember that ever I met with it in this Sense in any Writings either of this or the rest of the Fathers but whenever they would speak of the Christians in any Kingdom or Province they always said in the Plural The Churches never in the Singular The Church of such a Kingdom or Province Thus Dyonisius Alexandrinus doth not say the Church but the Churches of Cilicia And so Irenaeus mentions The Churches that were in Germany Spain France the East Egypt and Lybia So also Tertullian speaks of the Churches of Asia and Phrygia and the Churches of Greece And so of every Country they always express the Churches thereof in the Plural Number V. The Word Church frequently occurs for that which we commonly call the Invisible Church that is for those who by a Sound Repentance and a Lively Faith are actually interested in the Lord Jesus Christ According to this signification of the Word must we understand Tertullian when he says that Christ had espoused the Church and that there was a Spiritual Marriage between Christ and the Church And that of Irenaeus That the Church was fitted according to the form of the Son of God And in this Sense is the Word oftentimes used in others of the Fathers as I might easily shew if any one did doubt it VI. The Word Church is frequently to be interpreted of the Faith and Doctrine of the Church In this Sense Irenaeus prays That the Hereticks might be reclaimed from their Heresies and be converted to the Church of God and exhorts all sincere Christians not to follow Hereticks but to fly to the Church Upon which account Hereticks are said to have left the Church as Tertullian told Marcion that when he became an Heretick he departed from the Church of Christ and their Heresies are said to be dissonant from the Church as Origen writes that the Opinion of the Transmigration of Souls was alien from the Church There are yet several other Significations of this Word though not so usual as some of the forementioned ones nor so pertinent to my Design so that I might justly pass them over without so much as mentioning them But lest any should be desirous to know them I will just name them and then proceed to what is more material Besides then those former Significations the Word according to its Original Import is also used for any Congregation in general sometimes it is applyed to any particular Sect of Hereticks as Tertullian calls the Marcionites the Church of Marcion At other times it is attributed to the Orthodox in opposition to the Hereticks as by the same Tertullian Sometimes it is appropriated to the Heathen Assemblies as by Origen at other times in Opposition to the Jews it is ascribed to the believing Gentiles as by Irenaeus In some places it is taken for the Deputies of a Particular Church as in Ignatius In other places it signifies the Assembly of the Spirits of just Men made perfect in Heaven which we commonly call the Church Triumphant as in Clemens Alexandriaeus Once I find it denoting the Laity only in opposition to the Clergy And once signifying only Christ as the Head of the Faithful § 2. But the usual and common Acceptation of the Word and of which we must chiefly treat is that of a Particular Church that is a Society of Christians meeting together in one place under their proper Pastours for the Performance of Religious Worship and the exercising of Christian Discipline Now the first thing that naturally presents its self to our Consideration is to enquire into the Constituent Parts of a Particular Church or who made up and composed such a Church In the general they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Elect the Called and Sanctified by the Will of God And in innumerable places they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Brethren because of their Brotherly Love and Affection and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Faithful in opposition to the Pagan World who had no Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ nor in the Promises of the Gospel But more particularly we may divide them into two Parts into the People that composed the Body of the Church and those Persons who were set apart for Religious and Ecclesiastical Employments Or to conform to our ordinary Dialect into the Clergy and Laity which is an early distinction being mentioned by Clemens Romanus and after him by Origen and several others § 3. Each of these had their particular Offices and both together had their joynt Employments to all which I shall distinctly speak in the ensuing Tract as they naturally resolve themselves into these Three Particulars I. The Peculiar Acts of the Clergy II. The Peculiar Acts of the Laity III. The Joint Acts of them both By the Resolution of which three Questions some Discovery will be made of the Constitution and Discipline of the Primitive Church and of their Practice with respect to many Points unhappily controverted amongst us § 4. I begin with the first of these What were the Peculiar Acts of the Clergy Now here must be consider'd the Functions of every particular Order and Degree of the Clergy which we may say to be three viz. Bishops Priests and Deacons whose Employments we shall severally handle as also several other Points which under those Heads shall offer themselves unto us I shall begin first with the Bishop but for the better understanding both of him and the rest it will be necessary first of all to consider the condition of the whole World as it was before the Preaching of the Gospel in a state of Paganism and Darkness having their Understandings clouded with Ignorance and Error alienated from God and the true Worship of him applauding their own bruitish Inventions and adoring as God whatever their corrupted Reason and silly Fancies proposed to them as Objects of Adoration and Homage Into this miserable state all Mankind except the Jews had wilfully cast themselves and had not Christ the Son of Righteousness enlightned them they would have continued in that lost and blind condition to this very day But our Saviour having on his Cross Triumph'd over Principalities and Powers and perfectly conquered the Devil who before had rul'd effectually in the Heathen World and being ascended into Heaven and sat down at the Right Hand of the Father on the day of Pentecost he sent down the Holy Ghost on his Apostles and Disciples who were then assembled at Jerusalem enduing them thereby with the Gift of Tongues and working Miracles and both commissionating and fitting them for the Propagation of his Church and Kingdom who having received this Power and Authority from on high went forth Preaching the Gospel First to the Jews and then
must be understood of what was afterwards distinctly called Bishops and Presbyters So likewise we read in St. Timothy 1 Tim. 4. 14. of a Presbytery which in all the Writings of the Fathers for any thing I can find to the contrary perpetually signifies the Bishop and Presbyters of a particular Church or Parish And to this 〈◊〉 may add what Clemens Alexandrinus Reports of St. John that he went into the neighbouring Provinces of Ephesus Partly that he might constitute Bishops partly that he might plant new Churches and partly that he might appoint such in the number of the Clergy as should be commanded him by the Holy Ghost Where by the Word Clergy being oppos'd to Bishops and so consequently different from them must be understood either Deacons alone or which is far more probable Presbyters and Deacons CHAP. V. § 1. The Order and Office of the Deacons § 2. Subdeacons what § 3. Of Acolyths Exorcists and Lectors thro' those Offices the Bishops gradually ascended to their Episcopal Dignity § 4. Of Ordination First of Deacons § 5. Next of Presbyters 〈◊〉 Candidates for that Office presented themselves to the Presbytery of the Parish where they were Ordained § 6. By them examined about 〈◊〉 Qualifications viz. Their Age. § 7. Their Condition in the World § 8. Their Conversation § 9. And their Vnderstanding Humane Learning needful § 10. Some Inveighed against Humane Learning but condemned by Clemens Alexandrinus § 11. Those that were to be Ordain'd Presbyters generally pass'd thro' the Inferiour Offices § 12. When to be ordained propounded to the People for their Attestation § 13. Ordain'd in but not to a particular Church § 14. Ordain'd by the Imposition of Hands of the Presbytery § 15. The Conclusion of the first Particular concerning the Peculiar Acts of the Clergy § 1. NExt to the Presbyters were the Deacons concerning whose Office and Order I shall say very little since there is no great Controversie about it and had it not been to have rendred this Discourse compleat and entire I should in silence have pass'd it over Briefly therefore their original Institution as in 〈◊〉 6. 2. was to serve Tables which included these two things A looking after the Poor and an attendance at the Lord's Table As for the Care of the Poor Origen tells us that the Deacons dispensed to them the Churches Money being employed under the Bishop to inspect and relieve all the Indigent within their Diocese As for their Attendance at the Lord's Table their Office with respect to that consisted in preparing the Bread and Wine in cleansing the Sacramental Cups and other such like necessary things whence they are called by Ignatius Deacons of Meats and Cups assisting also in some places at least the Bishop or Presbyters in the Celebration of the Eucharist delivering the Elements to the Communioants They also preached of which more in another place and in the Absence of the Bishop and Presbyters baptized In a word according to the signification of their Name they were as Ignatius calls them the Churches Servants set apart on purpose to serve God and attend on their Business being constituted as Eusebius terms it for the Service of the Publick § 2. Next to the Deacons were the Subdencons who are mentioned both by Cyprian and Cornelius As the Office of the Presbyters was to assist and help the Bishops so theirs was to assist and help the Deacons And as the Presbyters were of the same Order with the Bishop so probably the Subdeacons were of the same Order with the Deacons which may be gathered from what we may suppose to have been the Origin and Rise of these Subdeacons which might be this That in no Church whatsoever was it usual to have more than Seven Deacons because that was the original Number instituted by the Apostles wherefore when any Church grew so great and numerous that this stinted Number of Deacons was not sufficient to discharge their necessary Ministrations that they might not seem to swerve from the Apostolical Example they added Assistants to the Deacons whom they called Subdeacons or Under Deacons who were employed by the Head or Chief Deacons to do those Services in their stead and room to which by their Office they were obliged But whether this be a sufficient Argument to prove the Subdeacons to be of the same Order with the Deacons I shall not determine because this Office being now antiquated it is not very pertinent to my Design I only offer it to the Consideration of the Learned who have Will and Ability to search into it § 3. Besides those forementioned Orders who were immediately consecrated to the Service of God and by him commission'd thereunto there were another sort of Ecclesiasticks who were employed about the meaner Offices of the Church such as Acolyths Exorcists and Lectors whose Offices because they are now disused except that of the Lector I shall pass over in silence reserving a Discourse of the Lector for another place only in general these were Candidates for the Ministry who by the due discharge of these meaner Employs were to give Proof of their Ability and Integrity the Bishops in those days not usually arriving per Saltum to that Dignity and Honour but commonly beginning with the most inferiour Office and so gradually proceeding thro' the others till they came to the supreme Office of all as Cornelius Bishop of Rome Did not presently leap into the Episcopal Throne but first passed thro' all the Ecclesiastical Offices gradually ascending to that Sublime Dignity The Church in those happy days by such a long Tryal and Experience using all possible Precaution and Exactness that none but fit and qualify'd Men should be admitted into those Sacred Functions and Orders which were attended with 〈◊〉 dreadful and tremendous a Charge And this now brings me in the next place to enquire into the Manner and Form of the Primitive Ordinations which I chuse to discourse of in this place since I shall find none more proper for it throughout this whole Treatise § 4. As for the various Senses and Acceptations which may be put on the Word Ordination I shall not at all meddle with them that Ordination that I shall speak of is this the Grant of a Peculiar Commission and Power which remains indelible in the Person to whom it is committed and can never be obliterated or rased out except the Person himself cause it by his Heresie Apostacy or most extremely gross and scandalous Impiety Now this sort of Ordination was conferred only upon Deacons and Presbyters or on Deacons and Bishops Presbyters and Bishops being here to be consider'd as all one as Ministers of the Church-Universal As for the Ordination of Deacons there is no great Dispute about that so I shall say no more concerning it than that we have the manner thereof at their first Institution in Acts 6. 6. which was that they were
Tertullian mentions some in his Days who at Prayers would throw off their Gown or Cloak which he condemns as a Superstitious Affectation and an Heathenish 〈◊〉 So saith he the Heathens pray to their Gods which if 〈◊〉 ought to have been done would have been enjoyned by the Apostles who have given Directions concerning the manner of Prayer unless some think that when Paul had put off his Cloak at Prayer he forgot it and left it behind him at Carpus's § 5. But quitting the Habit of him that 〈◊〉 let us return to his Prayer which he pronounced with a modest and bashful Voice that being most proper for those who came to acknowledge the multitude and heinousness of their Sins and to beg God's Pardon and Grace which is the End and Design of Prayer Musical Singing is best agreeable to the praising and adoring of God but our Petitions to God ought to be sent up with most fervent Prayers with Tears and Cries and Groans Doubtless the Minister so prayed as did most affect the People whose Mouth he was to God for they did not vocally 〈◊〉 with him in the Prayers but only testified their Assent to what the Minister prayed by saying 〈◊〉 or So be it Thus in the Prayer at the Celebration of the Lord's Supper the President of the Assembly only prayed and the People concurred with the Amen So writes Justin Martyr The Bishop makes a long Prayer over the Elements and when he ends all the People present give their Approbation by saying Amen And When the Elements are blessed by the Minister's Prayer and the People have approved it by saying Amen Then they are distributed And the Bishop according to his Ability prays over the Elements and the People give their Acclamations saying Amen So that scrupulous Person mentioned by Dionysius Alexandrinus in his Epistle to Xystus is said to have frequently heard the Eucharistical Prayer and with the rest of the Congregation to have answered Amen Henricus Valesius in his Notes on this Place as likewise Dr. Hammond in his Annotations on 1 Cor. 14. think that St. Paul had reference to this Custom of the Peoples saying Amen at the Conclusion of the Eucharistical Prayer in 1 Cor. 14. 16. Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit how shall be that Occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of Thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest In which place St. Paul condemns as absurd and senseless the Practice of some Men who would consecrate the Sacrament in Hebrew or Syriack before Greeks who understanding not those Tongues could not bear their share in the Eucharistical Prayer which consisted not in Antiphonal or Responsory Replies to the Minister but only in saying 〈◊〉 or So be it to what he had prayed It is true indeed that these Citations are spoken in particular of the Prayer before the Lords Supper but yet they may be also applyed to their Prayer after Sermon since we have no reason to imagine that in the one they should use Responsals and in the other none But that in all their Prayers the Priest only prayed seems to be apparent from that it was one part of his Office to pray for the People The Priests says Cyprian pray for the safety of the Lord's People And the Priests who have Sacrificed to Idols cannot assume to themselves the Priesthood or make any Prayer in God's sight for the Brethren Therefore those ought to be chosen into the Priesthood whom God will hear It was the Priest that solely pronounced the Publick Prayers without the Voices of the People And indeed it was impossible for the People to respond since they had no fixed publick Form of Prayer except the Lord's Prayer which Lord's Prayer they frequently though not always repeated And then as to their other Prayers every Bishop or Minister of a Parish was left to his own Liberty and Ability therein § 6. As for the use of the Lord's Prayer it must first be observed that the 〈◊〉 repeating of it with other Prayers was not esteemed necessary but frequently it was omitted Thus in the Heavenly Prayer of Polycarpus at the Stake the Lord's Prayer is neither at beginning nor ending The Conclusion of it is Lord I will praise thee I will bless thee I will magnifie thee through the Eternal High Priest Christ Jesus thy beloved Son by whom to thee with him and the Holy Ghost be Glory now and for evermore Amen So Clemens Alexandrinus concludes his last Book of Pedagogy with a Prayer which neither ends nor begins with the Lord's Prayer and Origen prescribing a Method of Prayer speaks not a Word of the Lord's Prayer but advises both to begin and end with Doxology or a giving Praise to God In this Respect they regarded the Lord's Prayer as given by Christ for a Pattern of all other Prayers according to which they were to be made whence Cyprian calls this Prayer the Law or Rule of praying so that to pray otherwise than that Prayer directed was Ignorance and Impiety Wherefore says Cyprian Let every one pray to God not only for himself but for all the Brethren as the Lord hath taught us to pray for all And so writes Clemens Alexandrinus that a good Man never remembers the Affronts that are offered him but always forgets them wherefore he justly prays saying Forgive us as we forgive others that is he prays according to the Sense of the fifth Petition for it is the Sense not the very Words of that Petition that he here recites But tho' the Repetition of the Lord's Prayer was not necessary yet it was usual whence saith Origen Christ gave us a Prayer with which he commanded us to pray unto the Father And Tertullian writes That our Lord Jesus Christ gave to his Disciples a new Form of Prayer Whence he calls the Lord's Prayer The Lawful Prayer And Cyprian yet more fully writes that Christ hath given us a Form of Prayer he hath admonished and instructed what we should pray for He that made us live hath taught us to pray that whilst we offer unto the Father the Prayer which the Son taught we may be the more easily heard For what Prayer can be more Spiritual than that which was given us by Christ who gave us also the Holy Spirit And what Prayer can be more prevalent with God than that of his Son who is the Truth proceeding out of his Mouth So that to pray otherwise than he hath taught is both Ignorance and Impiety Let us pray therefore dearly beloved Brethren as God our Master hath taught us It is a friendly and familiar Prayer to ask God with his own and to present the Prayer of Christ to his Ears the Father will acknowledge his Sons Words When we pray let him that dwells in the Heart be in the Voice and since we have him an Advocate with the
he makes concerning it in one of his Commentaries How is it possible saith he that a Question either in Ethicks Physicks or Divinity should be understood as it ought without Logick You shall hear no Absurdity from those who are skill'd in Logick and diligently search out the signification of words whereas many times thro' our ignorance in Logick we greatly err not distinguishing Homonymies Amphibolies the different Vsages Properties and Distinction of Words as some from the Ignorance of the Homonymy of the word World have sell into wicked Opinions touching its Maker not diseerning what that signifies in 1 John 5. 19. The World lies in wickedness where they understanding by the World the frame of Heaven and Earth and all Creatures therein blaspheme the Creator thereof by affirming that the Sun Moon and Stars which move in so exact an Order lie in Wickedness So also thro' the same Ignorance they know not the true Sense of that Text in 1 John 30. This is the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World Neither of that in 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself Wherefore if we would not err about the true sense of the Holy Scripture it is necessary that we understand Logick which art of Logick the foresaid Father thinks is recommended to us by Solomon in Prov. 10. 17. He that refuseth Reproof or Logick as he rendreth it erreth Clemens Alexandrinus also stifly asserts the Utility of Humane Learning where he says That it is profitable to Christianity for the clear and distinct Demonstrations of its Doctrine 1 in that it helps us to the more evident understanding of the Truth And in particular for Logick he gives it high Encomiums as that it is a hedge to defend the Truth from being prod down by Sophisters that it gives us great light duly to understand the Holy Scriptures that it is necessary to confute the Sophisms of Hereticks And in general for all sorts of Learning he tells us that it keeps the way of Life that we be not deceived or circumvented by those that endeavour to draw us into the way of sin So that he thinks Philosophy and the Liberal Arts came down from Heaven unto Men. But should I produce all the Passages in this Father concerning the Utility and Excellency of Humane Learning I must transcribe several Pages in Folio which if the Reader has a Curiosity to view he may especially take notice of these Places Stromat lib. 1. Pag. 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 and Stromat lib. 6. Pag. 471 472 473 474 475 476 477. § 10. It is true there were some in those days of whom Clemens 〈◊〉 complains who dreaded Philosophy lest it should deceive them as much as Children did Hobgoblins Because they saw by too lamentable experience that many Learned Mens Brains were so charmed or intoxicated with Philosophical Notions as that they laboured to transform them into Christian Verities and so thereby became Authors of most pestilent and damnable Heresies which is particularly observed by Tertullian with respect to the Hereticks of his time who in this account calls the Philosophers the Patriarchs of Hereticks Therefore they accused Philosophy it self as the Production of some evil Inventor introduced into the World for the ruin and destruction of Mankind Even Tertullian himself for this reason had an extream Pique against Philosophy and violently decry'd it especially Logick as inconsistent with true Christianity as may be seen at large in his Book De Prescriptione adversus Haereticos p. 70 71 But to this Objection Clemens Alexandrinus replies that if any Man had been deceived and misled by Philosophy that that proceeded not from Philosophy but from the wickedness of his Nature for whosoever has Wisdom enough to use it he is able thereby to make a larger and a more demonstrative Defence of the Faith than others And concerning Logick in particular he tells them that as for Eristick jangling Logick for impertinent and contentious Sophisms which he elegently calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Shadows of Reason he disliked it as much as they and frequently inveighs against it But as for the 〈◊〉 substantial part of it he could not but deem it profitable and advantagious since it helps us to find out the Truth enables us the better to understand the Scriptures and shews us how to refel the Sophisms and cunning arguments of the Hereticks But besides this sort of Objectors there were others of whom Clemens Alexandrinus speaks who condemned Learning on this account because it was humane unto whom that Father answers that was most unreasonable that Philosophy only should be condemned on this account and that the meanest Arts besides even those of a Smith and Shipwright which are as much Humane should be commended and approved that they did not rest here and go no farther but having got what was useful and profitable from it they ascended higher unto the true Philosophy making this humane Philosophy a Guide unto or a Preparatory for the true Philosophy These were the Sentiments of this Learned Father touching the Utility and Excellency of Humane Learning with respect to the Interpretation of Scripture the finding out and defending of the true Faith and Doctrine and such like things which were the very Heart and Soul of the Presbyters Function and Employ from whence we may rationally collect that it was needful amiable and profitable in a Presbyter I do not say that it was absolutely necessary for it is apparent that a great part of the ancient Presbyters were not skill'd in it but I say that it was very useful and advantageous and they prized and esteemed those Presbyters who were vers'd in it especially those of them who were Arch-Presbyters or Bishops who if possible were to be well read in those parts of Learning which were proper to confirm the Articles of Christianity and to confute the Enemies thereof This is plainly insinuated by Origen when he says That the Holy Scriptures exhort us to learn Logick in that place where it is said by Solomon He that refuseth reproof or Logick as he understandeth it erreth and that therefore he that instructeth others the Greek Word more particularly denotes the Bishop ought to be able to convince Gain-sayers § 11. Upon this Examination of the Candidates for the Ministry and their Approbation by the Presbytery the next thing that follow'd was their being declared capable of their desired Function to which they were very seldom presently advanced but first gave a Specimen of their Abilities in their discharge of other inferiour Ecclesiastick Offices and so proceeded by degrees to the Supreme Function of all as Cornelius Bishop of Rome did not presently leap into his Office but passing thro' all the Ecclesiastical Employments gradually ascended thereunto And as Aurelius a Member of the Church of Carthage