Thummim that is to say to the Light of the Old Testament and to the Perfection of the New which shall conduct you to Him who liveth for ever and ever and to JESUS the Mediator of the New-Covenant whose Blood speaketh better things than that of Abel What Joy when God shall no more be as a Barbarian to you and they shall no more bespeak you in Latine a Language which the greatest part of you understand not yea a sign of Wrath threatened by God to his People as is recorded by the Apostle Paul in that excellent Chapter 1 Cor. 14. which may suffice wholly to subvert such a monstruous and faulty procedure With what abhorrency will ye then loath that cursed Tradition of Men which like that of the Pharisees taxed by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel hath disannulled the Cōmandment of God Then shall ye soon acknowledg that from the beginning it was not so and that all those humane Observances bred in the night of Errour and Ignorance which are either taught or practised by you have not the least affinity with the simplicity and purity of the Ancient Christian Religion Herein the ensuing Treatise will be greatly subservient and advantagious to you which doth by way of Compend or Breviary present you with a true account of the Rise and Progress of so many fatal and unhappy Innovations to the end that ye may perceive and avouch that how specious soever they be yet there is not any thing more base and despicable But briefly if ye carefully traverse the Will and Testament of your Heavenly Father namely the holy Scriptures ye shall easily know and acknowledge how widely ye have deviated from that Canon of Truth besides or against which if a very Angel from Heaven should gospel unto you he ought to be with you accursed For this reason if ye will be perswaded to rank and enter your selves unto the society of those who wholly and precisely adhere thereunto owning and using it for the only Compass whereby they regulate both matters of Faith and the order of Divine Worship ye shall undoubtedly be constrained to say with the Patriarch Jacob Surely the Lord is in this place and we knew it not How dreadful is this place this is none other but the House of God! this is the Gate of Heaven may our feet stand within thy Gates O Jerusalem As for your Believers whom God hath vouchsafed to congregate already into the Sheep-fold of the Lord Jesus ratifie the truth and purity of that Doctrine which ye profess with holiness and integrity of life that those who obey not the Word may be won without the Word by your truly Christian Conversation Make it appear to them that ye are no enemies to good works which ye are wrongfully charged with since we teach that those are the products of the Holy Ghost by those God is glorified by those our neighbours are edified and those be infallible marks and testimonies of our Election and the way leading to the Kingdome of Heaven If we thus fruitfully trade the Talent received from the bounteous liberality of God our Soveraign Master he will superadd many more and crown in us the first fruits of our new graces and blessings and because he is faithful who also hath so promised will another day own and remunerate them with all his Heavenly Glory and the inexpressible Joyes of a blessed Immortality and that upon the account not of any merit of condignity but purely a compact of grace and mercy since of a truth as the ways of sin is death as the great Apostle and Doctor of the Gentiles hath taught us so the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now To the Father who hath from all Eternity appointed so great and glorious a Salvation for us in his Son To the Son who hath with his precious Blood merited and procured that Salvation And to the Holy Ghost who applieth the same sealing us up thereunto and giving us thereof infallible assurances To those Three glorious Persons of the thrice-holy and sacred Trinity one onely true God blessed for ever be Praise Honour and Glory Power Dominion and Kingdom henceforth even from everlasting to everlasting Amen Come Lord Jesus come Amen 1 Cor. 3. 12 13. If any man build on this Foundation Gold Silver Precious Stones Wood Hay Stubble every man's Work shall be made manifest for the Day shall declare it c. Tertullian in his Apologie for Christians chap. 6. TEll me where is your Religion where is that Reverence which is due from you to your Fathers whom ye are become so exceedingly unlike to in your habit in your course of life in your manners in your opinions and finally in your language Ye still applaud Antiquity and yet daily engross Novelties thus whilst ye as much as possibly ye can deviate from the laudable Institutions of your Ancestors ye plainly discover that of the things by them established ye retain only that which is of no value forasmuch as ye reject that which is A TREATISE OF Ancient Ceremonies THe desire of being inform'd by what means and degrees the Christian Religion is become degenerate from its ancient purity what Ceremonies have been introduc'd into it and upon what Foundations those have been raised wherein all the Romish Religion doth at this day consist is a piece of curiosity not less fruitfull than delightfull In pursuit of which setting aside many and divers particulars litigious Controversies fabulous Narratives and the vanity of spurious Books our purpose is to abridge and by way of succinct memorial to represent according to the genuine truth of History the original of the prime Ceremonies whic◠have been bred and broached from tim◠to time successively especially till abou◠six hundred years after the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ for from that tim◠forwards Superstition driving on with a ful◠Sail did so quickly and withall so generally spread it self that scarcely was there discernable the least tract of true Christianity When those grand Architects and Master-builders whom God had singled out to the Apostleship had built the Sanctuary upon that only Foundation and chief Corner-Stone Christ there was not in the whole Fabrick Bar nor Buckle which did not exactly correspond to the pattern shewed them from the Heavenly Mount The Declaration of the grace of God which bringeth salvation to all Men Worshipping of Him through one only Mediator Baptizing with Water unto the Remission of Sin Communicating in commemoration of the Lord's death under the two Signs of Bread and Wine singing of Hymns and Psalms of thanksgiving Reading of the Holy Scriptures in a known tongue c. was all the Ancient Religion Then was acknowledged no object of adoration other then God nor Intercessor than Christ nor Expiatory Sacrifice than that of his Death nor Justification other than through Faith There was not a word then of an Altar at the
Supper nor of Images in Temples nor of an Vniversal Bishop in the Church nor of Souls in Purgatory nor of a Queen in Heaven Then the Spouse of Christ in all her more glorious apparel had no greater Ornament then that she was without Ornament and the mystical Jerusalem instead of glittering with pompous Ceremonies shone with purity of Doctrine and sanctity of Life But when once God had received up into a higher Orb of glory those great Luminaries which did illustrate and besparkle the Firmament of his Church the sacred Band of the Apostles once removed out of this lower World and the Generation which had the honour to be the eternal Wisdoms immediate Ear-witnesses dislodg'd of their secular Mansion then was there a Door opened to Humane Inventions for those who succeeded them in that work though they retained the same Foundation yet did in stead of Gold Silver and precious Stones build with Wood Hay and Stubble Howbeit the Disease grew not so soon to that extremity which it afterwards acquired this so universal and prodigious an alteration was not brought to pass in an instant nor yet by one only Instrument the current of many Ages the Introduction of new terms the Pomp of Paganisme the weakness of Opponents the ignoranee of the People the connivance of their Teachers the suppression of religious Books worldly prudence and superstitious zeal did with a kind of emulation contribute hereunto erecting by little and little that Tower of Babel even to the very Pinnacle of iniquity and like as in Nebuchadnezar's Statue the head was of gold the arms and breast of silver the thighs of brass and the legs and feet of iron and earth even so when we reflect upon the Visage of the ancient Church it appears to have been altogether pure as Gold but according as we descend to subsequent Ages we may perceive therein a plain palpable declension and degeneracy until at last we arrive at an Age of Iron and stuff quite different from the first This Innovation was commenced from things which might have been judg'd in and of themselves matters purely indifferent had not the sequel prov'd fatal and pernicious they having been advanced from an indifferency to superstition for they were for the most part usefull observances for the time then being but in after times ill explained and worse applyed They made their first entrance into the Church in the second Century or Age thereof that is to say about the hundred and tenth year of our Redemption Those of them who are the most remarkable do here ensue all related according to the order of time respectively wherein they had their rise Anno 110. c. IT being customary with the Jews when ever they made their solemn appearances before God always to carry along with them some present or other in their hands especially of the fruits of the Earth in token of homage acknowledgment the ancient Christians wherof a great part was descended of the Jews followed that example insomuch that at their publick Assemblies every one brought along with him a certain quantity of Bread and Wine or of the first fruits thereof in corn grains or grapes which were sanctified and consecrated to God by prayer afterwards of this same Bread and Wine they apportion'd one part for the Communion of the holy Supper another was eaten in common for the Agapes or Love-feasts were continued after the Days of the Apostles and the Surplusage was either distributed amongst the poor or else did of proper right appertain to Ecclesiastick Persons Those presents testified the devotion of the givers insomuch that this charity beginning by degrees to wax cold the Doctors exclaim'd and severely inveighed against the rich in that though themselves brought nothing with them yet they were not ashamed to eat their share of what was contributed by the poorer sort Now the gifts thus presented by the People were called Offerings From thence it came to pass also that the Eucharist was sometimes called a Sacrifice or an Oblation not expiatory but gratulatory only for the Fathers of that Age say that They offered to God the first fruits of his Creatures which words cannot be understood of the Body of Jesus Christ howbeit they served for a pretence afterwards for changing of the Supper into a real Sacrifice Amongst the other Innovations of those times we should likewise recount the mixture of Water with Wine in the Eucharist a practice which was never authorized either by the Sacramental Institution nor yet by Apostolick Ordinance It might nevertheless have been tolerated as a matter of indifferency but at this day it is reckoned amongst things necessary There was another custome foisted in at the same time for they judged it advisable to carry the Eucharist to such as were not present in the Assembly more especially to the sick likewise in case any Bishop or any other Person of Quality being a stranger had arrived at their Cities they presented them with some of the Sacramental Bread and Wine congratulating them by that symbol of Fraternal communion It was also an usual thing with them when publick Prayers were ended to kiss one another interchangeably with a holy kiss in token of peace and brotherhood After that they proceeded to levy censures against those who prayer ended did frustrate themselves of this same kiss of peace which was amongst them a signal of Reconciliation but is at this day changed into a ridiculous Ceremony There were at the same time divers Fasts introduced not under the notion of any Ordinance or necessary observance nor yet by way of distinction of Meats blood excepted and things strangled the use oâ— which was prohibited for a time but oâ—â— of custome only and that proceeding noâ— from the publick Authority of the Church but from the simplicity of private persons for in case any had made distinction oâ— meats for conscience-sake forbearing thâ— use of Flesh and Wine and thus prejudiced their health by immoderate fasting or would have had the Church tyed to particular Laws and prescription of the times duration and forms of fasting Antiquity without all peradventure would have suppressed such as appears by the instance of that Arch-heretick Montanus whom it condemned for attempting in like manner to stifle and infringe Christian liberty It was the custome of most Churches at that time to hold their Assemblies upon Wednesdays Fridays in order to the celebration of the Sacraments and publick Prayer and that they might be the better prepared for due attendance thereupon they gave themselves to fasting upon those days this they did not that they believed fasting to be essential to holiness for they rejected the Fast of the Sabbath-Day which yet was the prime day of their religious exercises But there was an anniversary Fast which they celebrated before the Feast of Easter whence the Quadragetimal time proceeded and it is of importance to know what
Controversie commenced therein It is the constant opinion of the Writers of Ecclesiastical History that the Apostles never imposed any Law obliging the Church to the observance of any Feast whatsoever no not so much as that of Easter but that such Solemnities were voluntarily introduced by Christians and authorized by custome And in effect the very diversity of usage found amongst them in that observance doth abundantly manifest the indifferency of the thing it self For all the Churches of Asia the less did celebrate the Feast of Easter upon the fourteenth day of the Moneth of March after the manner of the Jews alledging that this was their constant practice ever since Saint John did exercise his Apostleship in Ephesus But the European Christians in regard they would have no manner of communion with the Jews did celebrate the same upon the Sabbath following howbeit thiâ— difference did nothing infringe the unioâ— of the Churches But about the year 195â— it began to be controverted the one party labouring to reduce the other to thâ— tearms of one and the same Customeâ— touching which difference several Councils were held the Eastern in opposition to the Western and both in fine fomented tâ— that excess of heat passion as that Victoâ— Bishop of Rome made bold by a Process and Act of Jurisdiction till then unhearâ— of to excommunicate all the Asiatick Churches whereupon he was censureâ— by sundry Bishops Ireneus Superintendent in the French Churches by name who did both by Reason and Example remonstrate to him that such observances were things arbitrary and indifferent and that diversity therein did never heretofore interrupt mutual correspondence amongst the Churches Anno 200. c. THe Age ensuing was very fruitful in Ceremonies for besides that they retained many things proceeding from Jewish Custome The Pagans also incorporating themselves into the Christian Church inâ—ermingled therewith many and various Pagan Rites Now the Observances of that time were not all continued for many of them having been afterwards buried in oblivion are not at all practised at this day For the Church of Rome doth not approve that the Eucharist be administred to little Children which was practised then and a long time after that nor that it be celebrated in the Evening nor that the Baptized be made to tast of Milk and Honey as is practised in Africk nor of the Cannon forbidding People to pray â—neeling upon the Sabbath Day and from Easter to Whitsuntide and commanding them to Pray standing whence the tearm stations had its rise nor the custome of giving the Eucharist to Women to be by them carried to their Houses kept in Coffers and eaten in a corner nor that of sending it to the Sick by the hands of Children nor of that notorious abuse which was then in the Church of Rome of propining pure Water instead of Wine under pretence of sobriety in the Celebration of the Sacrament nor yet of that Prayer whereby they besought God for a proorastination of the last Day nor of many other Ceremonies which we pass with silence Let us then take a view of such as serve for modern pretence and the respective sources whence they are sprung It was a Pagan Custome that those who came out of Baths the use whereof was very frequent did anoint themselves with Oyle Wrestlers also and such as were to run a career that they might become the more supple and active were accustomed to oyle and anoint their Bodies Christians possibly in imitation hereof anointed those whom they Baptized in an Athletiâ—k or Champion-like capacity who were singled out to combat the World which Ceremony they authorized by the Old Testament alledging that it was derived from Judaisme This Vnction however can make nothing for the pretended Sacrament of Confirmation nor was it ever applyed to dying Persons as is practised at this day We have seen how that they carried their Offerings into the Church now for as much as they held their Assemblies upon the Days solemnized for the Martyrs the Offerings presented by them upon those Days were entitled Sacrifices or Oblations offered in memory of the Saints the circumstance of the Day occasioning that title for nothing passed in that action relating â—o the Saints other than simple Commemoration and those Offerings were not the Body of Jesus Christ but Bread and Wine only or the very first fruits themselves imployed unto several ends and uses It is further remarkable that to induce every one to contribute something the Names of those who offered and the offering it self were with a loud voice Proclaim'd in the Church which yet was by many disallowed of even a long time after At the same time offerings for the dead had their rise whereof we must know the Institution for though they might be reckoned amongst the Customes usheâ—'d in by Pagans nevertheless the intent of them was quite another thing than what they were afterwards applyed to Any one then having departed this life the year fully exspired they commemorated in the Assembly the Name of the defunct upon that day declaring how happy he was having dyed in faith and all that were present besought God that he would grant them the like exit which done the Parents or Friends of the Deceased that they might render his memory honourable presented the Church or the Poor present at the action with a certain quantity of Bread or other Alimentals many of them also at the same time took Order that their Names might after their Death through such acts of charity continue in a sweet savour in the Church bequeathing to that effect certain testamentary Legacies to be yearly paid to the Legatees upon the day of their decease upon which Foundations the Anniversaries were grounded Now those Offerings were only Memorials of the devotion of the dead not expiatory Sacrifices for the very Women who were never permitted to sacrifice did yet offer in Memory of their Deceased Husbands besides many presented such Offerings upon their birth-day this being an act of recognition only and a piece of homage paid to God who gave them life upon that Day Then also began praying for the dead which the Christians of that Age confess to be founded upon Custome and not upon Scripture ranking it amongst many other observances which are at this Day disallowed of by the Church of Romeâ— Now we must carefully remark in what sense Antiquity prayed for the dead for she never believed that they were shut up in place of torment and the Doctrine of Purgatory was as yet as unknown as fabulous but she held that the departed Souls of the faithful were not admitted into the joy of the beatifick Vision till after the day of Judgment and that they were reserved in some certain subterraneous place till the Day of the Resurrection she prayed then for the Consummation of their Glory and earnestly entreated that she might be joyned with them and have part in
Leo the Second changed this symbole of reconciliation into a superstitious vanity instituting that Plate of Silver or Copper which after Consecration is presented to be kissed And in this very particular one may perceive how much the antient Ceremonies have been either diverted or perverted through successive alterations therein Anno 790. BUt behold the Idolatry which under the vail of darkness was propagated in the Church even to the very Sanctuary Images were only as so many memorative objects in Churches yet did the vulgar begin to exhibit honour to them whereupon disputes were commenced In this difference reasons of State offered themselves which are to be seen in History for upon other accounts are Images pretended in subserviency to their interest The Latines and the Greeks and afterwards the Greeks amongst themselves took occasion from hence of much altercation one while demolishing and breaking down the Images another while re-erecting of them Finally Irene Empress of Constantinople a Pagan both by Nation and Religion a Woman of many notorious enormities assembled a Council at Nice excluding from it the best Doctors and employing menaces violence and all manner of artifice whereby she might compass her design Thus this Conventicle moulded and model'd according to her own mind producing instead of offers of reason nothing but impertinencies in behalf of the Images concluded upon adoration contrary to the judgment of all solid Antiquity and the opposition then generally made to a piece of such palpable impiety For at the same time the Emperour Charles the great converted a Council at Frankefort wherein that of Nice was condemned being declared false and abusive and the Decree touching Images incassated and made null thus was their resolved Adoration suppressed But being that Images were always continued in Churches this Superstition whereunto the People were strongly inclined did at last recover it self and prevail This second Council of Nice was held towards the year 790. Anno 880. POpe Adrian was the first that advised the Canonization of Saints imitating herein the Apotheoses or Consecrations used amongst the Romans under Paganism a thing which till then was unheard of in the Church The Authority of canonizing Saints was afterwards confirmed by Decree as we shall see in its proper place Anno 965. POpe John IV. baptized the great Bell of St. John Lateran in Rome nameing it after his own name Thence came the custome of baptizing Bells and giving them names Anno 1000. c. FRom the time above mentioned till about the year 1000. those corruptions were not only continued but likewise gradually multiplied To the consecration of Churches they added sprinkling of holy Water with a Nose-gay of Hyssop pronouncing these words of the Psalmist Attollite portas c. Lift up your Gates c. the Bishop in the mean time rapping at the Gate with his Pastoral-staff the mingling of the Ashes and Water of the Salt and the Wine of Exorcisme of painted and graven Characters and certain confused Prayers Finally the anniversary Feast of every Church in memory of the day of its dedication And like as the Sacrament of the Eucharist was changed into a Sacrifice even so the Priests which were called to preach the Gospel were then ordained to sacrifice they began to create them with these words Accipe potestatem c. Receive thou power to offer sacrifice to God to celebrate Masses as well for the living as for the dead Anno 1003. POpe John xix instituted the Feast of All-Souls appointing it to be celebrated upon the Morrow after All-Saints Anno 1050. BUt behold the summe of the whole matter That they might defend the Sacrifice which they pretend to offer in the Mass they behoved to deny the whole Essence of the Sacrament and falsify and bely all that ever Antiquity hath believed in the case whose sense and several judgments therein do here ensue S. Ignatius Bishop of Antioch and a Disciple of the Apostles in the 72 d. year of our Lord expresseth himself thus There is one only Flesh of our Lord Jesus and one only blood which was shed for our sins one only Bread also was broken for us and one only Cup was distributed to us Could he possibly make a more manifest opposition between the Body of Christ broken upon the Cross and the Bread broken in the Supper Justin Martyr towards the year 130. Our Christ hath vouchsafed to make and use the Sacramental Bread in Commemoration of his Body formed for such as believe in him for whose sake he became passible the Cup also he ordained to be made and used with thanksgiving in Commemoration of his Blood Ireneus Bishop of Lyons in the year 160. When once the Chalice being fill'd and the Bread being broken hath received the benedictive word of God it becomes the Sacrament of the Blood and Body of Christ whereby the substance of our flesh is augmented and compounded Certainly none can say that our flesh is augmented nor compounded of the real flesh and blood of Christ but only of the substance of the bread which this Father plainly acknowledgeth to continue in the Eucharist even after the Consecration of the same Clemens Alexandrinus in the year 190. Christ took of the Wine and blessed the Wine saying take drink This is my blood the blood of the Vine denominating by way of Allegory the Word which shed his blood for the remission of sins a sacred liquor of joy and gladness c. Now that that which he blessed was true Wine he further sheweth saying to his Disciples I will drink no more of the fruit of the Vine c. This very same reason do we urge to prove that they drank Wine at the Supper Briefly it is remarkable that he disputes against the Encratites who held the drinking of Wine to be unlawfull alledging for their conviction the example of Jesus Christ who drank Wine at the Supper which were a ridiculous Argument if so be Wine had ceased to be Wine after that Christ had drank thereof Tertullian in the year 205. doth thâ—s explain the words of Jesus Christ This is my Body that is to say the Figure of my Body Moreover Jesus Christ called Bread his Body to the end that thou might'st thereby understand that he appointed Bread to be the Figure of his Body Cyril Bishop of Jerusalem in the year 320. declares to us that The Flesh is now absent and that that which we are commanded to tast of is the Figure of his Body and Blood Eusebius Bishop of Cesarea saith that our Lord hath taught us to serve him with Bread as a sign of his Body Gregory Bishop of Nazianze in the year 350. in his second Oration concerning Easter speaketh thus of Sacramental participation We partake indeed of the Christian Pass-over in a Figure albeit more clearly than at the ancient Pass-over for the ancient Pass-over I dare say so was a more obscure figure of a Figure Macairus the
therefore he calls Jesus Christ a worker of signes adding that by them Christ is represented and received Whence Maximus his Scholar who lived about the year 630. We attain not to an immediate discovery of the things themselves in matters Divine but we arrive at perfection through the intervention of signes such as is the Cup of blessing as the Apostle calls it and the Bread which we break those things are signes only not the Truth it self Moreover recommending to consideration the expressions of that same Dionysius called the â—reopagite Note saith he that he every where tearms the Divine Sacrifice Symbolical or Figurative and that the holy Offerings are signes of more real heavenly things But towards the year 840. some through their Hyperbolical tearms others through questions moved touching the alteration of signes did by degrees give occasion for conceiting of a new opinion concerning the Sacrament which being in fine in the year 1059. ripened into perfection it was declared in the Lateran Council under Nicholas the Second that the â—read and the Wine are the very body and blood of Christ and that he is sensibly felt broken and crumbled by the teeth of believers Expressions absurd and impious and disowned by the Church of Rome at this day We shall here in pursuit of the order of time annex to all those testimonies of Fathers by us produced that which is contained in the Roman Decretal collected by Gratian the Father of the Canonists who lived about the year 1160. He in the second distinction of the Consecration in the Canon Hoc est expresseth himself thus The heavenly â—read which is the Flesh of Christ is in a peculiar respect called the body of Christ howbeit to speak truly it be a sacred signe of Christs body to wit of Him who becoming visible palpable mortal was at last crucified And upon the Gloss of the Doctors hath these words worthy of consideration The Heavenly Sacrament wherein the flesh of Christ is truly represented is called the body of Christ but improperly for it is so called after a manner congruous and peculiar to it self howbeit not according to the real truth of the thing but by way of a significant mystery so that the sense runneth thus It is called the body of Christ that is to say this is thereby signified Judge then sober Reader how much and how far the Church of Rome is at present departed from the sense and belief of the ancient Fathers even that of the times of the famous Canonist Gratian. We will conclude this Chapter with that which we read in Justin Martyr his second Apology for Christians to the end that it may appear what the practice was of pure Antiquity as well in the Celebration of the holy Supper as in all the other parts of the Divine Service of the Primitive Church and that one may thâ—reby be able to judge who approacheth nearest thereunto whether those of the Church of Rome which hath wholly deac'd and perverted the model of true Religion and utterly destroyed that spiritual worship which we owe to God Or those who to save themselves from her Pit of Errour Dung-hill of Superstition have abandon'd her Communion Behold then how that pious Author speaketh Vpon the Sabbath days we assemble our selves both in City and Country in one place the Lecture is made from the Writings of the Prophets or the Apostles the Lecturer ceasing he that presides makes the Exhortation admonishing to an imitation of those excellent things which done we rise up and pray to God after this they present him of the Fraternity that presides with bread and drink of Wine and Water which he receiving yieldeth praise and glory to the Father of all in the name of his Son and by his holy Spirit in which act of thanksgiving he is the more prolix to the end that they might be rendered worthy of those things through that Spirit and prayers and thanksgiving being finished all the People present gives consent by acclamation saying Amen which is to say in the Hebrew Tongue So be it Now after that the President hath given thanks and all the People hath by acclamation consented those who are named Deacons with us administer to all that are present Bread Wine and Water being blessed and carry the same to such as are absent and this repast is with us called the Eucharist Proceed we to another point and view the sequel and progress of those innovations Anno 1055. AT this time under Victor II. the Redemption of Penances was introduced For it was enacted that they might be lawfully converted into penalties of another nature as pecuniary Mulcts under the notion of Almes Donatives bestowed in favour of the Church Pilgrimages and other things equivalent proportionably to the years of penance allotted them and that such as had not wherewithall to accommodate themselves herein might redeem their years of penance with the number of Psalmes sung by them with Fastings in the strength of Bread and Water with scourging and scarifying of themselves and other kinds of voluntary mortification whence the custome of whipping proceeded and from the same source the Batusses and Penitents Now by those exchanges and redemptions the ancient Discipline was utterly subverted We have seen that the Indulgences were no other than certain relaxations or limitations of Church-penalties intended for curtailing of the time prescribed to Penitents before that they could be re-admitted to the Communion But the vertue of those Indulgences was afterwards extended beyond this World for shortening of the years of their abode in Purgatory a thing which the Primitive Christians never once dreamed of We have likewise observed that the Penitents who ordinarily were very numerous tendered themselves to the Church having their faces covered with ashes in token of humility from whence it was that the Church of Rome derived that vain Ceremony of Ash-Wednesday at the beginning of Lent And in this action they sing the very same things which they sung heretofore when as there was any number of Persons doing of publick Penance Anno 1090. URban II. that he might advance Superstition ordained about the year 1090. that upon every Saturday a Mass should be said in honour of the Virgin Mary Chaplets or Pater-nosters were at the same time invented by Peter the Hermite together with the Office and Hours of our Lady Anno 1160. ALexander III. decreed the Canonization of Saints and ordained that none should be from thence-forward acknowledged Saint but whom the Pope first declared such Anno 1212. CHrist's corporal presence in the Sacrament had already gained some credit but they were not as yet agreed upon the pretended conversion of signes Behold then how that a little after the year 1215. in the Lateran Council Innocent III. determines the Form thereof who willeth all to believe that the Bread is transubstantiated into the Body of Christ and the Wine into his Blood Thus was Transubstantiation ratified and that
it self to our souls in order to their warmth quickening and nourishment but that his sacred Body must needs first redescend to us here below to be prostituted to a thousand indignities as would necessarily follow upon that local and gross carnal Presence which is taught and professed in the Communion of Rome We should not stick to call the sacred Ceremony of the Lord's Supper a Sacrifice but only an Eucharistical or a Gratulatory Sacrifice there being none Expiatory other than that which our Lord Jesus offered upon the Cross as the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews proveth We should in like manner accord that none can ever eat of the Supper of our Lord with too much preparedness for fear of prophaning so sublime and dreadful a Mystery to use the notion of the Fathers forasmuch as those who approach unworthily and without a serious examination of their consciences that they may know whether they are furnished with Faith Repentance and Charity which are qualifications prerequired to the worthy participation of that holy Communion do instead of receiving the Gages of their Salvation take and receive in St. Paul's dâ—alect their own Condemnation In fine we should make it yet further appear touching many other controverted points that we are not so odious or hateful as we are represented But it may suffice to have remarked the more principal ones from which one may judge whether there may be place for promising our selves any re-union between those of the Church of Rome and us by holding of a Council in the manner by us propounded never doubting but that God would crown with his Blessing the design of so August and Venerable an Assembly and that the Bishops Doctors and Ministers of Christ constituting the same humbling of themselves in the first place before the Father of Lights from whom cometh every good and perfect gift as also every one of us in like manner with Repentance Fasting and Tears thereby with fervency imploring the assistance of his Holy Spirit he would infallibly vouchsafe the same unto us and grant that the Spirit of Charity Truth Peace and Concord might preside in a most singular manner in the midst of that Reverend and Pious Council whose Members should all of them be like unto the Golden Snuffers of the Tabernacle eminent for purity and excellency of qualification to the end they might be the more effectually serviceable in their sacred use of ridding away what is superfluous and that great Thief Antichrist which eclipseth the light and brightness of the Candle of Truth That were an happy day indeed which yet to us is rather matter of wish and woulding than fixed hope and expectation howbeit there is nothing impossible with God who hath his own times and seasons and holds the hearts of all Kings and People of the earth in his own hand Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh effectually in us Unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all Ages World without END A Summary of those Ceremonies whose Original is reported in this History according to the respective order of Time wherein they had their Rise Anno 110 c. THE Original of the Custom of carrying Offerings into the Church Why the Eucharist was called a Sacrifice The mixture of Water with Wine in the Supper The Custom of carrying the Eucharist to such as were not able to present themselves in the Assemblies The Kiss of Peace Fasting upon Friday and the Original of the Quadragesimal time or Lent Anno 160. c. The rise of the Custom of celebrating the Memorials of Saints the Dayes of their Nativity and of assembling in Cemeteteries Of the Confession and Satisfaction used in the primitive Church Anno 195. Of the Controversie commenced about the Feast of Easter-Day The first Juridical attempt of the Bishop of Rome Anno 200. c. Novel Ceremonies not practised at this day Vnction received into Baptism The custom of offering in Commemoration of Saints The manner how Offering for the Dead took its beginning The original of praying for the Dead The reason why Christians first used the sign of the Cross. Of the Indulgences of the primitive Church How Martyrs interceded with the Church in the behalf of Penitents Anno 240. c. Preludes to the Intercession of Saints Why publick Confession was changed into particular the rise of Penitentiaries What the Profession of Virgins was Whence the use of dipped Bread in the Eucharist proceeded Anno 300. c. Why the Table was called an Altar Why they began to transport the Corpses of Martyrs from one place to another The Dedication of Temples The structure of the Temple of the holy Sepulchre Why Pilgrimages into the Holy-Land were undertaken The invention of the Cross. The reason of erecting and painting of Crosses Whence the Vigils of Festivals and the use of Tapers in the Churches proceeded The original of a Monastick Life Anuo 320. The manner how Rules of Abstinence and Lawes touching Fasting entred the Church Anno 321. The first Institution of Patriarchs A Decree concerning Easter-Feasts Controversies about and the Commencement of Celibacy Anno 350 c. Apostrophees directed to Saints Pilgrimages undertaken to the Sepulchres of Martyrs Anno 380. The progress of Prayers for the Dead and in what sense they were conceived In what manner and quality Images were received into Temples Anno 386. The Celibacy of Ecclesiastical persons ratified by Decree Anno 400. The Rise of the Vigils of the Dead Whence the use of Chanting and Wax Candles at Burials proceeded Formalities observed in the reception of Penitents Crosses introduced into Temples The manner of the Church her proceedure towards Demoniacks The first conjectures about Purgatory among Christians Anno 450. c. Christian Liberty oppressed by reason of Fasts The Institution of the Fasts of the Four Times and of the Rogations Vigils of Saints converted into Fasts Anno 470. c. The Invocation of Saints by whom first of all introduced into the Church Anno 490. The attempt of some Hereticks affecting to reject the Cup in the Sacrament of the Eucharist Anno 500. c. The original of worshipping of Images amongst the Vulgar Anno 528. Extream Unction by whom instituted Anno 535. Processions by whom ordained Anno 536. Whence it came to passe that Altars were placed in the East The institution of the Feast of Candlemass Anno 600. c. The Invocation of Saints introduced into the Latine Church Statues erected in Temples The progress of the belief of Purgatory The Eucharist converted into a Sacrifice for the Dead The Canon of the Mass by whom composed The Mass-Song The Unction and Original of Priestly Vestments Perfumes and the Reliques of Saints in the Consecration of Temples Tapers lighted in broad-day-light The Rise of the Service in the Latine-Tongue Anno 605. The manner how the Bishop of Rome