pious performances as stinted worship Quiristers singing of Psalms with all the Rubrique postures I could forgive you the rest because you acknowledge these performances to be pious for if they had piety in them I see no reason why you or any body else have cause to note them for corruptions But when I came to this place I entred into debate with my self which part of Solomons counsel I should take whether I should answer or not answer Not to answer Dr. Bancroft Featly Hammond Fulke Taylour Hooker Prideaux Preston might give you occasion to boast I could not And to answer was to say over again that which hath been so often sayd by worthy and learned men whom if you have not consulted you are to blame and I wish you would if you have and are not satisfied I fear my labour will be lost However I shall set before you what they have said before me And first I shall speak to your stinted worship 1. And here give me leave first to ask you to what you referre this word stinted whether you strictly restrain it to the word worship or to the Spirit by which we are to worship If to the first I see you are against all set forms of worship if to the last that you think the Spirit is restrained by these set forms And because both are said by your party I shall answer to both and to the last first These conceiv'd forms are either premeditate or extempore if premeditate then the Spirit is as much limited in their conceiv'd forms as by any forme conceiv'd by the Church But if extempore then the Spirit only of him that makes the prayer is left at liberty for the whole Congregation is by that means as much stinted and bound to a set forme to wit of those words the Minister conceivs as if he read them out of a book And is not the Spirit restrain'd when the Congregation shall be confined to the forme of this one mans composing If this be not stinted worship if this be not to stint the Spirit I know not what it is And I can see but one way to avoid it that every one in the Congregation conceive and offer up a prayer with his own spirit and not be forced and confin'd to the Ministers single dictate this would preserve entirely that liberty of the Spirit you pretend that other will not To this if you will not yield as I know you will not it lies upon you to answer the objection which I never saw yet done 2. As for set forms of prayer which I conceive you principally intend by stinted worship I shall next endeavour to justifie them upon many grounds 1. In the old Testament we find set forms of blessing and thanksgiving and prayers appointed by God himself He it was that fram'd to his Priests the very words with which they were to blesse the people Numb 6.23.24 25 26. Numb 10.35.36 2 Chron. 29.30 Exod. 15. Selden in Eutychium Speak to Aaron and his Sonnes saying in this wise shall ye blesse the people The Lord blesse and keep thee c. At the remove of the Arke a forme is set and taught the Priests exurgat Deus dissipentur inimici At the Arks return a form Return O Lord into thy resting place Hezekiah prescribed to the Priests to sing praise to the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the Seer Moses Hymn for the overthrow of Pharaoh is extant and in the same chapter taken up and sung by Miriam which afterward grew a part of the Jewish ordinary Church Liturgy for such they had being instituted by Ezra and the Consistory What should I tell you that the 92. Psalm is a Psalm compos'd for the Sabbath The 20. Psalm to be sung by the people when the King went forth to battaile The 113. to the 118. the great Hallelujah 13. whole Psalms or as some say 15. viz. from 119. to 134. Songs of degrees Moller Ames Musculut in Ps 21. because upon every one of the steps which were 15. betwixt the peoples court and the Temple the Priests made a stay and sung one of these Psalms and the 21. Psalm composed by David to be sung by the people for the King when he came home with victory Yea but say some this was in the infancy and minority of the Church as children then they needed their Festra's as infirm bodies their crutches but now under the Gospel it is otherwise we have more light and gifts of the Spirit than they had True more light we have because the Mystery kept secret from the beginning of the world is more clearly revealed to us then it was to them but that 's not the question prove they should if they speak to the purpose that we have now more ability to compose a prayer then they had more of the Spirit of Grace and supplications Men may have a high conceit of their own abilities but I suppose no wise man will conceive but that Aaron and his sonnes Moses and the Priests Hezekiah and the Levites had as great an ability to pray ex tempore as great a measure of the Spirit of grace and supplications as any man that now lives and yet they used and prescribed set forms Their minority then was in respect of the object of faith not in respect of the spirit of supplications These men therefore shew themselves children to talke of Festra's and cripples in their understanding to talk of crutches since those mens legs were far stronger then theirs and their graces of the Spirit far beyond any Enthusiasts in these days We may think of these forms as meanly as we please but Chrysostome was of another judgement Chrysost Hom. 1. of prayer for thus he begins one of his Homilies of prayer For two reasons it becomes Gods servants to wonder and blesse him both for the hope we have in their prayers and that preserving in writing the Hymns and Orisons they offer'd to God with fear and joy they have deliver'd to us their treasure that so they might draw all posterity to their zeale and imitation Yea but the Spirit must teach us to pray it helps all our infirmities 't is the promise of God to his Church I will poure upon them the Spirit of Grace and supplications Zach. 12.10 And all this may be done in a set forme as well as by any extempore prayer True it is the Spirit must teach us to pray both for matter and forme for we know not what to ask and must teach us how to pray for we know not how to ask zeal and fervour and faith and perseverance and importunity all necessary affections in every supplicant are gifts of the Spirit and groans and sighs proceed from the Spirit he moves the heart first to supplicate brings a man to see in what a wretched case he is one that by his sins hath pierced the Son of God therefore to deprecate ask pardon deprecentur
And one part of their Offices in the Church was to Ordain This is manifest first in Timothy in the Church of Ephesus Acts 20. There were many Presbyters before Timothy was appointed their Bishop yet Saint Paul sent him of purpose to impose hands 1 Tim. 5.22 and say it was with the Presbytery yet it can never be proved that any of that Colledge was no more than a Professing Member You know how strongly all the Presbyterians pleade for the contrary and was this injunction onely personal and to end with Timothies life 1 Tim. 6.13 14 Not so neither For this charge he layes upon him in fearful words I charge thee in the fight of God who quickeneth all things and before Jesus Christ who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keep this Commandment without spot unrebukable till the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ 'T is agreed by all that Saint Paul in this Epistle especially sets an order for the Government of the Church 1 Tim. 5.22 among which that a Bishop lay not hands hastily upon any man is one This then was not Temporary but to last till the end of the world That they were to Ordaine is every whit as plaine in Titus for for that intent he was left in Crete Neither would the Church succeeding admit of any other but Bishops to that businesse for one thousand five hundred years Tit. 1.5 as I will prove unto you if you require it by unpregnable records Two evidences there are of it beyond exception First the condemning Aërius as an Heretique for opposing Episcopal power Secondly that if any one of an inferiour rank presumed to ordaine his act was reversed by the Church as unlawful and the ordained admitted no otherwise to the Communion than as a Lay-man As it befel Ischyras and those who were ordained by Maximus and another blind Bishop Athanas apol 2 Greg. Presb. in vita Nanz. Conc. Constant 2. cap. 4. Conc. Hisp 2. cap. 5. 7. and others in the Church story I beseech you now if you little regard the Fathers and Councils yet view the Scriptures with an unpartial eye and then if the Commission our Saviour gave his Apostles or the Apostles to their successors if the practice of the Apostles themselves or Apostolical men can any whit move consider whether the Presbyters or Ruling members ought to be of the professing members regular ordination Make it plaine that the power of the Keys is subjectivè formalitèr inhaesivè authoritativè in them and I yield you the whole cause Your sixth Proposition that their Office extent understanding by that the Ministry which Christ ordained in his Church must reach from Christs Ascention to the Creations dissolution I easily grant I shall therefore say nothing to that but come to examine your proofs out of Scripture And here I could have wished that you had applyed every text to that part of the Proposition you intended it For it had beene farre easier for me to have judged of the validity of it and more readily have shaped my answer whereas now I can but rove at it and therefore if I mistake you must thank your self The texts alleadged Acts 6.5 14.23 I suppose you referre these to the first part of the fifth proposition for election by Church-members and I have answered them already and shall therefore spare my labour The other if I be not mistaken are to prove your Teaching and Ruling Elders Rom. 12.7 8. 1 Cor. 12.8.28 Ephes 4.7.14 Rev. 4.6 5.6 19 4. But among these I finde not one text to prove your Presbyterial or Combinational Church nor your regular Ordination by professing members The Text then out of the Romans Corinthians Ephesians and the Revelations I am to examine and see how they will conclude what you intend Rom. 12.7 8. Or ministery let us wait on our ministery or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation he that giveth let him do it with simplicity he that sheweth mercy with chearfulnesse The words are Elliptical and therefore must be supplied from the former verses The Apostle being to deliver divers precepts first gives a signification of his power verse 3. Then he prescribes in general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To every one God as he pleaseth gives a measure of his gifts and therefore no man ought to arrogate to himself more than he ought for this were absurd as if in the body one part should assume and usurp the faculties of another for to that purpose he makes use of that comparison of a natural body vers 4 5. As then the parts of the natural body have their proper endowments so also have the several members of Christs several graces bestowed on them by God and these gifts must be employed for the benefit of the whole and the parts he thus infers verse 6. Having then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely and graciously bestowed he shewes how we must bestow them And then he reckons up these gifts these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First prophesie Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministery 3. Ability to teach 4. A faculty to exhort or comfort 5. A heart and power to give 6 Wisdome to govern 7. Bowels of mercie These are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those Gratuito's those talents we have received from our Lord and they must be laid out for his honour for our brethrens good This I conceive to be the prime intention of the Apostle in this place for he expressely names gifts and not men But because these gifts must upon necessity be exercised by men therefore he intimates on whom they are bestowed more peculiarly not all gifts to one man neither is one man by God sitted alwayes for all gifts One man he calls to be a Prophet and gives him a gift to foretel things to come or to interpret the Scriptures let him then interpret according to the Analogy of faith not adde nor diminish nor alter at his pleasure To another he hath given a gift to teach let him aptly and in easie plaine intelligible words explaine the will of God and teach them he ought To a third he hath given an admirable faculty to stir up and move another to the actions of piety or else to be a Barnabas a sonne of consolation in raising and comforting an afflicted and oppressed soul let him use this exhortation exhibit this comfort as occasion is required To a fourth God hath been graciou and gifted him with wealth and riches of these he is to impart a portion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ingenuously liberally freely simply without any doubting either in respect of persons or a regard to his own profit Upon another is bestowed a gift by which he s made a fit man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 10.17 to be over others you know that God took of Moses spirit and put it on the seventy Elders and he that hath this gift must use it with diligence
place to the Romans are five different from these ministring exhorting teaching giving shewing mercy In all sixteen I hope you will not say there must be so many distinct Offices and functions in the Church For so it may happen that the offices may exceed the number of the officers and so every one must have more than two of them Robinsons Justif p. 107. p. 111. three at least or else the Church shall nor be supplied For put case that Robinsons words be true that a company consisting though but of two or three gathered by a Covenant made to walk in the wayes of God known unto them is a Church and so hath the whole power of Christ Answer to the 32. Quest p. 43 even the same right with two or three thousand Generally you know it is received among you that seven will make a full and perfect Congregation and that the association of these few thus separate by a Covenant is the essential forme of the Church Which if true then is it not possible to find so many distinct functions in the Church because in so small a number there cannot be found men for them Let it be then granted that the Apostle in this chapter speaks of diversities of gifts not of functions and the sense will be clear Apostles there were then in the Church and they had all these gifts in a greater measure than any other Prophets there were and Teachers and to these the Spirit divided the gifts as he pleased in what measure and to what persons he best liked to one to work miracles to another to heale to help and comfort to guide and governe to speak tongues to interpret tongues as might best serve to gather the Saints to plant the Church I must professe unto you that I have both now and heretofore looked into this text with as quick an eye as my weaknesse would give leave and could never yet finde it in any thing that made for your Ruling Elders No you perhaps will say do you not finde here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 governments Yes I do but will it thence follow that it must upon necessity be the government of the Lay-Ruling-Elders you dreame of Why might not the Apostles the Prophets the Teachers here mentioned by the Apostle be those Governours here intended for ought you know Of them the other gifts were verified and why not then this also They could work miracles they could heale they could help and comfort they could speak all languages and interpret tongues what should now hinder but they might by the same Spirit be endowed with the gift of government also Which if it fall out to be true as it indeed did yet the Apostles either by themselves or by those they placed in the Churches which they planted who were Bishops and onely Bishops exercised the jurisdiction you shall never be able to conclude out of this or any other place of Scripture that the Governours of the Churches were a distinct company from the Pastours which is I know that you drive at But to gratifie you a little I shall here willingly yield you more than I need That in the Apostolical Church and after till Constantines time there might be certain men chosen by common consent of the Church to judge of all civil debates that might arise betwixt man and man you perhaps would call these Governours I should rather call them Arbitratours because they had no coactive power to compel any Christian to stand to their Arbitration farther than they would binde themselves And in case that any were refractory and obstinate the Pastour might and did make use of the Church-Key and debarre him from the participation of Christian priviledges so that he was by them esteemed no better than a Heathen or Publican 1 Cor. 6.1 c. And now I will shew you the ground of my conjecture 't is out of Saint Pauls words Dare any of you having an action against another a Christian he means go to Law before the unjust and not before the Saints Paul did not debarre the Magistrates that were Infidels of their jurisdiction nor create new Judges or Governours for civil offences in the Church it was beyond his calling and commission to do either of them but when he perceived the Christians for private quarrels pursued each other before unbelievers to the great shame and scandal of Christian profession he saith Ver. 7. they were better to suffer losse to take wrong to be defrauded Ver. 4.5 But if this would not satisfie if yet there were who would be contentious then he wills them to choose if not the wisest yet the lest esteemed among them in the Church to arbitrate their causes rather than to expose themselves and their profession to the mocks and taunts of Heathen and Profane Judges These Arbitratours you may call Governours if you please but properly they were not so because they were chosen either by consent of the Litigants or else appointed as I am induc'd to opine by the choice of the Church for that purpose but they could not interpose themselves as Judges authoriz'd by Christ because he himself as Mediatour claimed no such power would use none Luke 12.24 You know his answer to the brother that moved him to divide the inheritance Man who made me a Judge or Divider among you Now grant that all this be true and that such Governours began betime and continued long in the Church even untill the Conversion of the Heathen Emperours Can you hence conclude that they must upon necessity continue still no such matter For the Civil power and the Sword is in the Magistrates hand and he is to take up all debates betwixt man and man of these then there is no use From these then to argue that there must be Lay Ruling Elders in the Church is a fallacy since the causes they were to dcide were other and their Authority by Church-right none at all A d such 't is probable may be found in the Scriptures and in the Church-story but never any other Ruling Elders invested with the power of the Keys except in Orders I have been long upon this place to the Corinths but it was because I would leave no scruple unsatisfied That I be not tedious of it I will adde no more but consider your next proof which you bring out of the Epistle to the Ephesians Ephesians Chap. 4. Verse 7. and Verse 14. Ver. 7. But to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Ver. 14. That we henceforth be no more children tossed too and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive Now here I must confesse it befel me which happens to them who search for gold-ore in the vaults of the earth they open the turfe dig delve labour long to effect their desire but at last
celebrare After it came to signifie the whole form of publick prayer which the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we our Liturgy Lastly it was most strictly taken for the administration of the Eucharist whereunto the Converts unbaptized the Catechumeni the Penitents the Energumeni were not admitted but dismissed and commanded to depart For when the celebration of those mysteries began the Deacon stood up and said a loud to those Ite missa est Now let it be taken in which of these senses you will there can be no great harm in the name Masse being a suffix to these dayes For it is not intended that thereby men should meet on these dayes or any other to say Masse i. e. to offer a propiatory sacrifice for the quick and dead But onely that they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meet and convene in Gods house that there they should have the glad tydings which the Angels proclaimed to the Shepherds hodie natus est vobis that they should praise God for it and pray that as he was born for them so he may be given to them Of which the Sacrament being a signe and a seal they there met together to be partakers of it This is all that to a good intelligent Christian the Masse can import and if any be other minded they may be easily informed and then I see not what scandal can be taken at the name of Christ-Masse And I am sure much lesse at the Feast For if ever God bestowed a blessing upon the world it was his Sonne and the flesh of the Sonne of God is the Channel in which it flows to us This flesh he took at his birth his birth day then is worth remembrance that then we performe opus diei in die suo and the opus diei is that we be glad and rejoyce in it Never fear there is no Judaisme in it then I am certain in this you cannot imitate for they are enemies to his name enemies to his birth enemies to his day they if they could would expunge his memory out of the hearts of Christians out of the Calender joyne not with this perverse and obstinate generation I shall set before you a more noble example to imitate the first Martyrs the first Confessours the first Fathers of the Church for these worthies kept this day to them it was a holy no working day on that day they did feast not scorn and revile Telesphorus celebrated it in the Romane Church but it is so ancient Caranza in vita Telesp and of so general observance in the Church that Zanchy confesseth he knowes not when it began No Council instituted it that we know of and therefore by Austins rule it should be ab Apostolis traditum That it was a very ancient and universal Feast of the whole Church appears by that Sermon of Cyprian and he lived divers years before the Nicene Council which he preached upon the day Cypr. Sermo de nativitate Domini which he begins with these words Adest Christi multum desiderata expectata nativitas Adest solemnitas inclyta in praesentia salvatoris grates laudes visitatori suo per orbem terrarum sancta reddit Ecclesia Whence it is evident that it was a solemn universal Feast in his time kept with thanks with praise and after him there is so frequent mention of it in all the Fathers and their Sermons as of Basil Nazianzene Chrysostome Leo and who not extant preached on the day in honour of Christ and his birth day that it were to light a Candle to the Sunne to produce them Other men may follow what new lights they please but I shall desire to be guided by these old Lamps in this practise of praise and thankfulnesse I know there is no superstition no imitation of Judaisme in it It is a Christian a laudable a pious a profitable duty and 't is no feare of a shadow shall drive me from it 2. And so having accompted for this particular Festival I come to answer for our Church holy-dayes in general Christ is both the Authour and Finisher of our Redemption which work before it could be consummated the purchase must be made applyed proclaimed That he might be apt to lay down the price he must be made man conceived of the Holy Ghost born of a woman a Virgin born under the Law of which he gave an evidence when he was circumcised the eighth day presented in the Temple at his Mothers purification and baptized by John in Jordan This shewed that he took upon him the form of a servant and humbled himself But he thought himself not low enough till he humbled himself to the death even that bloody shameful painful accursed death of the Crosse upon which he was crucified upon which he dyed and was afterward buried By all this the purchase was fully made and the ransome fully paid Consummatum est But it must be applyed also and conveyed to us or we are nere the better To effect this he rose again for our justification he ascended into heaven to make intercession and prepare a place for us he sent down his Spirit to make all sure And that all this might be made known published and proclaimed he gave some to be Apostles some to be Evangelists these to write the whole story and those to attest it publish it and apply it in their Epistles Now this is the original of our Festivals there being not one retained in our Church which is not to the honour of Christ to the memory of some Evangelist or Apostle The wisdome of the Church was such that she would not have so great benefits forgotten nor the purchase nor the application nor the proclamation Into the Creed they are all put but words are like wind they may quickly passe away The wise founders therefore of our Church and first planters of Religion set out a day for every Article that in the time to come when the children shall ask their fathers What meaneth these dayes these Festivals they should answer and say This day Christ was conceived this day he was born this day he was circumcised this day his Mother was purified this day he was baptized this day he was crucified and so laid down a ransome for us and so redeemed us that were all lost And that we might know that what he undertook he went through and hath conveyed unto us this day he arose from the grave this day he ascended to heaven this day he sent down his holy Spirit upon the Apostles who have proclaimed and published so much to the world and with their blood sealed the testimony to be true All this was the work of the whole Trinity for the Father he gave the Sonne he was given and the Holy Ghost filled him full of grace for this work And that so great benefits might never slip out of our minds these dayes are set apart for commemoration for praise for thanksgiving for imitation Men
to succeeding ages with more certainty when they are measured out by Hymns 2. This is one reason but this is not the sole for this is done to edifie Men I conceive are then most edified in Religious Worship when their affections are ordered as becomes pious and devout men Now in the World there is not any thing of more power than is a Musical Harmony either by instrument or voice to quicken a heavy spirit to temper a troubled soul to allay that which is too eager to mollifie and soften a hard heart to stay and settle a desperate In a word not any way so forcible to draw forth tears of devotion if the heart be such as can yield them whence Saint Augustine makes this Confession to Saint Ambrose Aug. Conf. l. 9. Quantum flevi in Hymnis canticis Ecclesiae tuae Men may therefore speak their pleasures but let reason be heard to speak and then the songs of Zion will much edifie if not the understanding because as they say they teach not yet they will build up the affections very much which are more requisite in this work or he that doubts of it let him remember Basha's Ministrel that composed his own soul and Davids Harp which allayed Sauls madnesse No art in Divine Worship can be of more use than this in which the minde ought sometimes to be inclined to heavinesse sometimes to a spiritual extasie of joy sometimes raised to a holy zeal and indignation ever carried with such affections as is sutable to the present occasion 3. And yet I do not I dare not say it doth not teach for are there not good instructions in Psalms not many profitable lessons in Anthynms and these by the sweetnesse of melody find the easier entrance and longer entertainment Hear the judgment of the great Basil When the Holy Spirit fore-saw that mankinde is to vertue hardly drawn Basil in Psalm but is propense to what delights it pleased the wisdome of the same Spirit to borrow from Melody that pleasure which being mingled with the heavenly mysteries might by the soft and smooth touch of the eare convey as it were by stealth the treasure of good things into the minde To this purpose were the Harmonious tunes of Psalms devised for us that they who are yet in knowledge but babes might when they think they sing learn Oh the wise conceptions of that heavenly Teacher which hath by his skill found out a way that doing those things wherein we delight we may also learn that wherein we may profit 4. This is the lesson may be learned from the Ditty now from the sweet agreement of these voices and instruments Christians may learn to agree One Harp or Viol out of tune abates the pleasure of the rest and one jarring Christian Couper in Rev. 5.8 and therefore much more many marres the Musick of the whole Church Oh how melodious was the praise of God when it came from men of one heart and of one minde as pleasing then as is the symphony of well tuned instruments Let us then learn from the songs of Zion to come into tune again these discords and harsh sounds God likes not in his service Pliny secundus Ep. lib. 10. 103. citatur a Tertull. Apolog. cap. 2. Euseb l. 2. c. 17. Pallad in Hist Lausiaca 5. Upon these reasons rhe Primitive Christians sung their praises to God In Pontus and Bythinia Pliny writes to Trajan the Emperour that their onely fault was that they met before day to sing Hymns to the honour of Jesus secum invicem I pray mark those words for they speak for the use you mock at of Quiristers for it was secum together and Invicem by turns that is Quire-wise And in Nytria Philo the Jew and he lived in Caius Caligula's time and after him Palladius deliver that they were accustomed in their Temple with Hymns and Psalms to honour God sometimes exalting their voices together and sometimes one part answering another wherein he thought they departed not much from the pattern of Moses and Miriam In Ignatius the first of the Greek Fathers we read of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat ad Antioch Concil Laod Can 15. 1 Cor. 14.16 Socrat l. 6. c. 8. and after mention of them in the Councils and what should they be but Quiristers which Saint Paul is also supposed to intend when he asks Hath he a Psalme At Antioch Socrates affirms that Ignatius began the custome of singing of Hymns interchangeably upon a vision of Angels And if Ignatius did not yet one who is of more authority did I mean the Prophet Isaiah for he saw the Lord sitting upon his Throne and above it stood the Seraphims Isa 6.1 2 3. and one cryed to another and said Holy Holy Holy Flavius and Diodorus continued it in the same Church against the Arrians Damasus and Ambrose brought it into the West Vide Hooker Eccl. Pol. lib. ◠Sect. 39. And among the Grecians Basil having brought it into his Church of Neo-Casarea to avoid any thoughts of singularity and novility pleads for his warrant the Churches of Aegypt Lybia Thebes Palestine the Arabians Phenicians Synians Mesopotamians among whom the custome was for his was such to give power to one by him called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Chaunter Basil ad Neo-cas to begin the Anthymne and then the whole Quire came in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These were the songs of Zion which our fore-fathers used and it is and ought to be our grief that they are not heard still For who that hath an Harmonious soul would not sit down and weep to be deprived of that Harmony which the Angels and Saints practice which so many Christian Churches have received before Papistry was thought of so many Ages kept on foot That which entunes the affections that which teacheth us so many good Lessons filleth the minde with comfort and heavenly delight teacheth us to be of one heart one minde and makes the praise of God to be glorious In a word that so fitly accords with the Apostles exhortation Speak to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs making Melody and singing in your hearts unto the Lord would not upon slight or rather indeed no grounds be cast out of the Church And that you or any other doubt the lesse that Psalmodie is no new device but of very ancient institution in the Church David exhorts young man and Maidens old men and children to praise the Name of the Lord. In which even Children were so skilful Psal 138. that they received Christ into Jerusalem with an Hosanna and applyed fitly those words to him Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Among us saith Hieron Hieron ad Marcellum Basil in Psal Chrysost Han. 9. in Coloss you may hear Plow-men singing Psalms at the Plow-tail And Basil bids an Artisan sing Psalms in his shop Chrysostome layes this charge upon the parents that
cheated out of their native rights and inheritantes as they must if you deny a National Church for that power is in vain which hath no subject to work upon on the Church National it cannot because in your opinion it is not on the Combinational it may nor because that is absolute and to be order'd and disciplin'd by its own Elders non datur tertium and so the supremacy which all Superiours challenge is frustrated To this the British King did never yield nor would and I beleeve his Highnesse will be as little perswaded by you For this you make him lesse victorious and more vincible but you cast up your accompt too soon for had you said for the male administration of his supreme power this had fallen upon him that might have carried some colour of sense with it which will also happen to any that shall not use it as they ought but to affirme that the claim to the power and exercise of that power was the cause of his fall is rash false inconsiderate dangerous But you go on and endeavour to make it good by two reasons Mr. Matthews The Admonitory Letter 1. Partly because the head not only of a very Uncanonical but also of a very unspiritual corporation BY Corporation I conceive you mean the body of Professors within this Land or at least the Clergy upon whom you bestow these two Epithites that they were very uncanonical very unspiritual How can you be ever able to make good this charge Had you said seemingly only such it might have been passed over but that they were verè truly such is a high part of presumption in you for peremptorily to prononounce such a sentence belongs to a higher judicature The judgement is Gods alone But to remit unto you that slip of your pen Why I pray uncanonical Those are uncanonical who reject and throw aside the Canon either in judgement or practice Why unspiritual Those are unspiritual who have not received the Spirit neither of which you can with a good conscience more affirme of this corporation then of your own 1. For what other Canon can you name for Christians then the books of Canonical Scriptures Gal. 6.16 Phil. 3.16 2 Cor. 10.13 which appellation was taken up after St. Paul who thrice calls the Scripture the Canon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet more plainly he saith we stretch not our selves beyond our measure meaning the doctrin of the Gospel but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the measure of the rule or Canon which God hath distributed to us And Chemnitius hath observ'd that the word is derived from the Hebrew word Chan Chemnitius Exam. Concil Trid. part 1. de script Can. which signifies that perpendicular line which Masons use in building by which the exorbitancy or evennesse of their work is prov'd And the Metaphor is very apt For the Church is the house of the living God the builder is God the Ministers of the Word the Architects that then their work go evenly and conformably on they had need of a Canon or a rule by which the Architects examine their work lest the building should just too far outward or lean too much inward and so deviate from the just order and proportion For the proof of this the Master Builder hath left to his under workmen his line and level which is the Canon of the Scriptures the doctrin of the Prophets and Apostles whatsoever agrees to this rule is right and sound and Apostolick what is not every way conformable to it but either in excesse or defect swerves from it that is supposititious adulterine erroneous And now I pray hath not this Corporation you mention professed to the world that they receive the books of the Canonical Scriptures and only those books for their rule and Canon do they not confesse that they fully comprehend all things that are needful for our help that they are the sure and infallible rule whereby may be tryed whether the Church do swerve or erre and whereunto all Ecclesiastical doctrin ought to be call'd to account and that against these Scriptures neither Law The English Confession art 10. nor Ordinance nor any custome ought to be heard no though Paul himself or an Angel from heaven should teach the contrary How unadvised then and inconsiderate is this Epithite of yours by which you brand us for an Uncanonical Corporation who stick so close to the Canon and have and do maintain it against the Church of Rome who would with it as if it were imperfect obtrude another Canon upon us God give you repentance for this your uncharitable Censure and make you as Canonical as we are In doctrine I am sure as for the practice we have both too much to answer The Lord have mercy upon us miserable sinners 2. Now you thought it not enough to put us out of the Canon except you deprived us of the Spirit also We are in your judgement an unspiritual corporation What Sirs have you such a Monopoly of the Spirit that none can partake of it except he be a member of one of your corporation Pray shew your Charter produce your Grant that the Spirit would not descend upon any nor impart his gifts and graces to any except he were within your Church Covenant For if that be not the sole impediment I see no colour why you should call us unspiritual The graces of the Spirit are by all Divines reduced to two heads either they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The one peculiarly call'd Graces the other more properly stiled Gifts The Graces are media salutis immediata such by which the good will of God shapes the heart within freely justifies a sinner by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse wonderfully converts a heart of stone into a heart of flesh clears the conscience towards God and settles a welcome peace These are gratiae gratum facientes are bestow'd upon all Gods Saints The Gifts are media mediorum which it pleaseth the wisdome of God to use as fit means to perfect in all his those former gifts of grace such as are gifts of prophesie eloquence utterance knowledge of tongues depth of learning wisdome in government functions and ability to discharge these functions c. And now consider which of these endowments whether gifts or graces of the Spirit hath not been as eminent and evident in our National corporation as ever it was or ever will be in your Combinational I cannot therefore with any patience heare that you should call us unspiritual and you had you had any of the meeknesse of the Dove in you would not have done it since you know that those who have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his and that you cut us off from Christ can you think that we can take it patiently There was lesse charity in this word then when you writ it I believe you were aware of
time being not taken as it is now with us strictly for one determinate Town as London Bristol c. but for a whole people which enjoyed the priviledges and immunities of that republick as in A hens Lacedaemon Corinth c. and is now at Florence Venice and divers other places A holy Temple you say it is and what of that must it therefore be of necessity a Combinational Church this would shrink your Combination to a small number nay to principium numeri to one alone if you presse the Metaphor too far for St. Paul asks every Christian Know you not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16.17 2 Cor. 6 16. him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are You see then out of this Metaphor you cannot conclude a Combination Yea and much lesse out of that which followeth a spiritual house For the house of God is taken for the whole Church nay a National Church Moses was faithful in all his house Heb. 3.2.5 and that I am sure was a National Church Again judgement shall begin at the house of God 1 Pet. 4.17 what shall judgement the judgment of afflictions begin at the Combinational Church only I have hitherto thought it the cup of which all that are of Christs houshold must taste for datum est vobis pati for our Saviours words must be verified Philip. 1.23 Joh. 16.33 In the world you shall have tribulation And to return to this very house of which the Apostle speaks that of the Ephesians over which Timothy was appointed the Bishop St. Paul writes his Epistles to him that in case he tarry long he might know how to behave himself in the house of God which is the Church of the living God which is the ground and pillar of the Truth St. Paul calls the Church indefinitely without addition 1 Tim. 3.15 either of National or Combinational the house of God and who can conceive that the Combinational as put case that of Swansea Ilston c. should be the pillar to hold out or the foundation to support the Truth This is somewhat worse then those of Rome who plead these words for their Church with more colour with more reason and yet we believe them not because they are but a particular Church and why then should we believe you Observe farther the absurdity that would follow upon your collection The Church of God is a house therefore it must be a Combinational Church Possibly it may fall out that a house may consist of two persons only Tota domus duo sunt an old man and an old woman and thus much you confesse when you bring your proof for it when two or three are gather'd together Now say that one of these two trespasse against his brother what will become of Dic Ecclesiae to whom shall the Plaintiff complain where be the witnesses he shall bring with him who shall be judge Do not then use to presse Metaphors too far for they will bring you into inextricable difficulties I shall therefore put you in mind of an old rule Kecker 1. Syst log part 1. c. 4. Similitudo seu parobola adaequetur principali scopo intentioni declarantis atque extra eam non extendatur To which had you had a regard you would never have brought these comparisons of a City a Temple a house to prove your Combinational Church Similitudes do very well in a Pulpit they are of excellent use to illustrate to amplifie a doctrin but they are of little use in the Schools because they prove nothing that is not true without them The position must be true in proper and plain words before it can have any truth at all in the improper and Tropical As for example it must be true that the Minister was not to be debarr'd of his just allowance and maintenance before St. Paul could prove it by that text out of Moses thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Co n. And so you must prove there is a Combinational Church before you produce these allusions to prove it Then indeed I shall give you leave to illustrate your position by them and descant as you please by these excellent Metaphors upon them but not till then For nulla Theologia symbolica est argumentativa and the reason is Chrys in Mat. hom 65. because omne simile est etiam dissimile Whence saith Chrysostome excellently In parabolis non oportet miniâ in singulis verbis curá angi sed cum quid per parabolam Dominus intendat dicimus inde utilitate sumptâ nihil ulterius anxiis cogitationibus investigandum And so as I have shew'd out of your Metaphors is nothing prov'd SECT III. The words of the Letter Of the Provincial Church and its haughty head the Arch-bishop THirdly did not Christs own mouth marvellously condemn the prevailing corruptions of the Provincial Church whereof the chief Prelate or Arch-bishop was the haughty and horrible head which was therefore so much the more absurd and bold head because of its base and blasphemous blindnesse in daring to take up and ascribe to its self such a stile and title as is not communicable to any creature but is proper and peculiar to Christs own sacred person being that besides himself none can be safely said to be an Arch-bishop or chief Shepherd if one of the Eminenst of the Apostles may be believed whose words imply no lesse 1 Pet. 5.4 When the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive an incorruptible crown of glory Who was that Church Minister what was his name or where did he dwell who came once into a capacity to be accounted such a Superlative Counsellour or Comforter as was indued either with ability or authority as to confer a spiritual Crown on any one of the sincere Elders of a Church of Saints which is such a matter as a dying sonne of man should not dare to have much lesse to make any mention of without some measure of amazement in his very soul The Reply Two of your heads I have considered already and now out of your own shop you present me with three more for I never heard any one of them call'd heads before And the first of these is the Arch-bishop about whom you are pleased to open your purse and very liberally to bestow your benevolence presenting him unto me for a haughty a horrible an absurd and a bold head He is haughty that is puff'd up with pride horrible that a man cannot without some amazement approach absurd that acts against reason bold that will attempt any thing I will not deny that it is possible to meet with such an Arch-bishop but then blame the man fly not upon the Office Only before you be over hasty to do it look at home And perhaps you may find that true which hath been
and sincerity of a good and sanctifyed life and these are true beleevers and good Christians Yet Christians by external profession those all are who carry that external mark I now named yea although they be impious Idolaters wicked Hereticks Schismaticks Hypocrites profane persons and excommunicable yea and cast out for notorious improbity For they are but so cast out that they may be taken again upon their repentance and that without the setting the seal anew which might not be done if they had been utterly cast off There is but one way onely after a man is entred by Baptisme that can make him forfeit his whole estate in Church society and that is a general revolt and Apostacy from his Christian profession as turning Turk Jew or Infidel All these except the sincere professours we deny not may be the Imps and Limbs of Satan even as long as they continue such is it then possible for the self-same men to be the Synagogue of Satan and to be the Church of Jesus Christ unto that Church which is his mystical body it is not possible because that body consisteth of none but true Israelites true sonnes of Abraham true servants and Saints of God Howbeit that they be true and real and not equivocal Members of the outward visible body it is very possible notwithstanding the unsincerity of their profession and the wickednesse of their conversation which is worthily both hateful in the eyes of God himself and in the eyes of the sounder part of the visible Church most execrable If you doubt of the truth of this remember the Parables of the Corne Field the Net the ten Virgins the Barn-floor the house in which were vessels of honour and dishonour And if these satisfie not then look upon those two plain Texts 1 Cor. 5.11 12. There are scandalous persons enumerated a Fornicatour Covetous a Drunkard yet within that is within the Church and Covenant yet a brother of the visible society for all that and indeed except he be looked upon as a brother and as within how could he be cast out by excommunication for what have we to do to judge those who are without The other place is 2 Thess 3.15 Among whom there was a disorderly person yet he was not to be counted as an enemy not to be esteemed as one out of the Church an Unbeliever an Heathen but to be admonished as a brother For lack of diligent observing this difference first betwixt the Church of God mystical and visible then betwixt the visible sound and corrupted corrupted sometimes more sometimes lesse Thirdly in not taking notice of the latitude of the Covenant which belongs to the visible Church as a proprium quarto modo i. e. as an essential mark the oversights are not few nor light that have been committed To passe by others you because Christs true body is made up of none but sincere professours presently conclude that none but sincere professours are of Christs body which is true of the mystical but not of the visible Then you restraine the Covenant as if it belonged to none but the Elect whereas it belongs to all those to whom God said to Abraham I will be to the a God and thy seed after thee whether sonnes ex lege or ex fide Thirdly whereas the Covenant was made with the Catholick visible Church you restrain it to your Combinational so that they who are not Members of that shall have no right to the seals nor to it not any other shall they claim any right at all who are not regenerate whereas this distinction observed would set you right We must distinguish betwixt the effectual benefits of Christ held forth in the Ordinance and a right to the external Ordinance The former right and priviledge belongs only indeed to the regenerate for they only effectually to life receive the seals But the latter to all within the Church to all Church Members for a night they have to the external Ordinance Or you may if you please conceive it thus The Sacrament may be considered in sensu composito that is with the entire fruits and benefits of the Covenant unto which truth of grace and faith is necessarily required and so to the Reprobate the Sacrament belongs not or else in sensu diviso precisely in the Ordinance it self abstracted from those graces and so it is Church-membership alone or external Covenant-relation denominating men subjects sonnes Saints believers disciples brethren Christians that gives men right unto the seal Fifthly You over-hastily and uncharitably censure all Hereticks Papists wicked persons and excommunicable or excommunicate to be without the Covenant and that therefore if they be Parents of children the applying of publick or private Baptisme to their children is groundlesse Which mistake of yours how great it is I shall make it farther appear by these evident arguments 1. That which is unjust may not be done but to debarre a Christians child from the seal of the Covenant is unjust therefore it may not be done Minor probatur It is unjust to punish the child for the fathers sinne Ezek. 18.20 But to debarre from the seal it is to punish the child for the fathers sinne therefore to debarre a Christians childe from the seale of the Covenant is unjust If to the Major it be answered that this is sometimes done and that the child suffers for the fathers offence it may be admitted in a temporal punishment but never in a spiritual of which kind this is and therefore may not be inflicted 2. They who were not to be kept from the seal of the Covenant under the Law for their fathers iniquity may not be kept from it for that cause under the Gospel But under the Law children were not kept from the seale for their fathers iniquity therefore not to be kept from it under the Gospel and consequently not to be hindred from Baptisme The Major of this Syllogisme is easily proved because the Covenant of the New Testament is said to be better than the Old Heb. 7.22 8.6 But to accompt this priviledge of the seal to belong onely to some Christians children which was in common to the Jews is to make it worse in the New Testament than in the Old Calvin institut lib. 4. cap. 16. Sect 6. which is injurious to do Arbitrari Christum adventu suo patris gratiam imminuisse aut decurtasse execrabili blasphemia non vacat Upon this ground then to keep a childe from Baptisme is great injustice Minor probatur This was not done among the Jews for make the Jewish Parents as bad as you will a generation of unbelievers who knew not God that tempted him and grieved his Holy Spirit in the Wildernesse yet for this the children were not to be deprived of the seal for their fathers sinne for Joshua was commanded to circumcise the children of these Rebels So again they came to be worshippers of the golden Calf adored the Brazen S rpent bowed the knees to