BX
5133
H5
1727
Mmas wreat
7/6.
ARTES
1837
SCIENTIA
VERITAS
LIBRARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
EPLURIBUS
TUEBOR
RIS-PENINSULAM AMINAM
CIRCUMSPICE
BX
5133
H5
1727
124-208
Orator
Henley
T H
ལ40 13 E A L
हे
OF THE
DRATORD
DÁ E GE
بیشه
First Ages of Chriftianity.
PART J.
Containing, 1. The Epifile, the plan, and
Laws of the Conferences. 2. Four Difcours
les; the firſt Sermon on Naion; the first
Sermon at the opening of the Ozatozy; a Ho-
mily on the Liturgy; and a homily on the
Primitive Eucharift. 3. The Liturgy im-
Prov❜d. 4. The Primitive Eucharif.
A New Impreflion.
By JOHN HENLEY, M. A. 1872-
AD SD M M N.
TONDO R.
雞肉
​zinted in the Bear of our Lo20, 1727.
-
X
atosivuvbuy textetentenutoutient was fefententiae,
ฐ
F there be any thing in thele wri-
tings, that may be apprehended to
be repugnant to any law of the
realm, 02 to that reſpect which is claim❜d
by any particular body, oz perſons, it is
unfaid; the only design being the truth
and reafon of things in themselves, and
the recovery of oziginal chzißianity.
4-17
fugh
-27
E P J S I LE
TO THE
Dzatozians.
BKETYK CN,
སྦེ་
T is with great fatisfaction
I now prefent you this new
impreffion of our Liturgy,
co:rected and impzob's; and
that I can affure yon, there is no-
thing admitted into it, that is not
ſcripture it felf, 02 penn'd in the com-
pals of the first and second ages; and
therefoze not my own writing, of com-
polition: so that it affolds the acquief-
cence and the pleasure to worship and
communicate after a manner the most
(α 2 )
ac-
[ iv ]
acceptable to God in Chrift, tho' the
Holy Ghost, which is the proper, di-
finguishing, and original wozhip of
Chriftians.
It is prefum'd, that what seems
particular in this affair, will not be
answer'd by power, but fente: foz as
the whole reformation is an expels
appeal from church-authority, fozce,
inquifitions, bishops, clergy, coun-
cils, convocations, implicit faith, im-
politions, judicial profecutions and
decrees, in matters of religion, to the
liberty of private judgment and con-
fcience; fo it must be a contradiction
for any part of the reformation to
make use of those very methods from
which it appeals: that would tend to
abolich a main difference between P20-
teftantiſm and Poperp, and to to de-
Aroy the very reafon both of the Refoz-
mation, the Revolution, and the P20-
testant Succeflion. For church au
thority and force are, where ever they
prevail, the fame principles; and there
is no diftination to be put between a
Protectant and a Popish church autho-
rity, only that the former is rather the
moze abfurd, as at once suppoling
and denying pzivare judgment and
confcience.
It
[v]
It is therefore inlifted, that the Dia-
tozy, which is rais'd on the principles
of the Reformation, and refers all
chzilian enquiries to the rule of the
firft ages, thall freely declare the par-
ticulars, and the reasons, why it
makes that appeal; and that its en-
quiries be debated by opposite argu-
ments, learning, and reaſoning only;
aince it is the peculiar practice of an
Inquilition to decide fuch points ju-
dicially; and if the affair was to be
determin❜d by votes, oz an high-hand,
nothing could be moze popich; foz
the Romanifts would, was it in
their power, out-number, and out-
bote, and out-profecute, all cafes, ar-
ticles, forms, and constitutions of all
the reform'd churches put together.
This appeal to the firft times of our
religion, is to entirely favourable to
the civil government, as well as to
the just liberties and properties of all
mankind, that it cuts off at once all
thoſe efforts and pietenſions of (pi-
ritual dominion, which habe eber
made the public uneafy, or have
been verstious, encroaching, and
troubleſome to individuals: Was it
once to take place effexually, che na-
tion could nevez moze be diſturb'd un-
DEP
[vi]
der the colour of religious claims;
and yet we thou'd all be nearer the
truth, by going up to what all men
of fenfe know is the belt touch-fone
of it: and I am fully perfuaded, that
if we could fuppofe a whole people
making an oziginal compact, and in-
cluding any one scheme of religion in
that compact, this, compleatly and
fairly examin'd, would be their choice;
for this reafon, becauſe it propoles the
most natural method of coming at the
truth; it removes all that * clawing of
the spiritual with the civil power,
which is ever disagreeable either to
the fate, of the fubjec; and it perfect-
ly prevents all fruggle and variance,
all commotion and animosity, which
is Cometimes fo fatal, and always
thoching, in religious matters, by
leaving all in poffeffion of that free-
dom of conscience, which is equally
* As these struggles between church and ſtate
have been always owing to a claim of diftind spiri
cual authority, that is, in this bock, cut off by`ap-
pealing to the true copy of an authentic record of the
first relozm'o epilcopal confecration in England; by
this all the modern pzetenkons of_tha. kind are des
froy'd, and therefaze one civil rights place on the
moit clear and indilputable foundation: As for what
claims were made befoze the Keformation, they are
confettedly and entrely popilh, and therefore not
pleadable.
the
[ vij j
the right of all, who are uninfpir'd,
as men, as ſubjects, and as chriftians:
So that it would derive the most im-
mediate and advantageous influence
on the quiet, the riches, the traffick,
the government, the converſation and
neighbourhood, the whole intereft and
happiness of any nation whatever;
being founded on the religion of na-
ture, giving fair quarter to the pleas
of all others, adding the beautiful
mozal of the chziſian inftitution, and
adjusting the certainty of every thing
elle in it by its most unquestion'd
evidence, that of the earließ times,
and that by which we receive the
fcripture.
I lay nothing of the advantages of
the whole affair, in ferving all the ufes
of schools, churches, universities, acade-
mies, and moze than all of them, with-
out any of their inconveniencies: Let
any impartial perfon equally confider
it, and with proper encouragement,
the fact thall be, by God's bicûing, in
all refpects, verify'd.
As we are therefoze united on ſo juſt
and worthy a platform, it is incum-
bent upon us to do our felves reason,
by allerting with that ſteadineſs it
merits,
[viij ]
merits, a Plan, in it felf the molt
demonstrative, as well as the most be-
neficial to all mankind of any that
has appear❜d.
श्री
!
Admonition.
Ince fome may be inclin'd, by the force
of prejudice and cuſtom and by want
of proper acquaintance with the pzimi-
tive wozship, and ſentiments (which are now
fcarce known among chziftians) to esteem the
old doxology, thro' the Son, in the Dolp
Ghoff, and the apoftolical creeds, to be not
ozthodox, according to the general fenſe of
that word; therefoze, in compliance with ſuch
weak bzethzen, and to be, like St. Paul, all
things to all men, that ſome map be gain'd,
and the many not offended, it may be allow-
able to use the common creeds and doxolo-
gies, till prepoffeffion wear off, and the p2i-
mitive doctrines fullpreſtog'd and propagated.
Bp Glozp is meant that veneration which is
due to each of them: and by —not two 02
thee, oz manifold, in the second creed, not
two oz thzee Gods, o2 Fathers.
ERKA TN.
Foz Cecilian, in the Hom. on the Pzim. Euch,
read Cecilius. Others may be corrected readily.
[i]
+
INVENTOR
PLAN
O F C H
ORATORY, 1726,
HIS is an ecclefiaftical infiitu-
tion; but, fince the holy Bible and
theology cannot be underfood with-
out the other arts and ſciences, it
will alfo take in, on a religious
footing, an academy of the sciences and lan-
guages: the whole design being calculated
to the utmost elegance and perfecion, of any
in the kind, that have appear'ð.
The fundamental authority of it as a
Church, will be the fame (to ſpeak no higher
at pzelent) with that of all the modern
Churches, i. e. a legal liberty of private
judgment in religion; this is the very pzin-
ciple of the refozmation, the baſis of all the
(a)
Pote
[ij]
pzoteffant intereff, and is thought the mosk
valuable branch of the freedom of our con-
ftitution.
It is no party-affair; it is intended to be
a peculiar lafting honour, entertainment, and
intereſt to our country; and the attendance,
affiffance, conduc, and fucceffion of it, are
undertaken to be regulated by the application
and proviſion of the inftitutož,
J. As a CHUK CH.
Its principles are, 1. In belief, a liber-
tp of conscience from all fecular reſtraints.
2. In mozality, the religion of nature, of
which revelation, in this refpea, is only de-
clarative. 3. In hifkozical, öz reveal❜d reli-
gion, that of the primitive church, in the
first ages. Its view is, impartially to ex-
amine the pleas of all religions, propofing
that as the trueft Standard and Center of
Union.
Its Service is, 1. In the model, pzimi-
tive. 2. In the language, entirely fcriptu-
ral. But fometimes the primitive Titure
gies thall be perfozm'd. Perfons, who have
been eminent in, 02 great patrons of arts
and literature, if they have been virtuous,
oz penitents, ſhall be commemozated.
The religious inftrucion, 1. In the fer-
mons, thall be perfozm'd with the moft exac
composition, speaking, and action. 2. Both
in the sermons and leaures, fhall take in the
whole circle of divinity, regularly, faithful-
Ip, clearly, and elegantly repzesented. In
the morning, a fermon will be deliver’d; in
the evening, a ledure will be read: the foz-
mer
[ij]
mer on some part of practical theology, the
latter, on the critical, hifkozical, fpeculative,
og literary parts of it.
II. As an Academy of the ſciences and
languages, on the bottom above-men-
mention'd.
Its general design is, 1. To supply the
want of an university, o2 universal school in
this capital, for the equal benefit of persons
of all ranks, profeffions, circumstances, and
capacities: to reaifp the defcas, remove the
pedantry and prejudices, and impzove on the
advantages of all the ufual methods of edu
cation, and inftitution, common, fcholaftic,
oz academical; domeftic oz fozeign: to give
the readieft inffitute to the three learned fa
culties, and the service of church and fate,
as well as all uſeful and polite funcions:
to celebzate all ſcholaftic and academical exer-
ciles, ožations, declamations, difputations,
conferences: communication of letters of co2-
refpondence with great men, and learned bas
dies; as allo of oblervations, diſcoveries,
impzovements, and experiments: courses,
and pzaxes in the arts and ſciences, foz
knowledge, buſineſs oz accompliſhment; and
meetings of the moſt eminent perſons in all
liberal profeffions and faculties: to lap a
scheme for the belt encouragement of men of
merit, parts, and learning, to fozm an ami-
cable fociety on the most polite principles;
aud promote the julkelk turn of free impartial
thinking on all occafions, in ozder to retrieve
and exalt the genius of Bzitain.
( a 2 )
In
[iv]
In particular, it is moze especially des
fign'd, 2. To lay a foundation for the long
desired English Academy; to give, by juft
degrees, a standard to the English tongue:
to clear, regulate, afcertain, and digelf the
English history: to revive an antient Athe
nian and Homan school of philoſophy, rheto-
rick, and elocution; which laff is reckon'd
among the Artes perditae; and to afford the
belt and resdieft lights on all curious o2 oc
cafional to picks.
Foz this end, at firff, once a week, there
will be a reading on fome learned o2 polite
fubject, fozm❜d on the most natural deduction,
to compleat a course of human knowledge,
in the most just and regular method, Ec.
LAW S
[v]
L A TU
OF THE
Conferences of the DRATORY.
I.
HE only design of a conference, is
to search the truth of one single p2a-
pofition, by a mutual free commu-
nication of sentiments in an amicable man-
ner, as far as the church and ftate have
thought fit to allow the fearch of truth.
2. The difference between a conference and
a difputation is, that in the latter, only two
are engag'd, and a moderatoy; in the fozmer,
moze, fill with a moderato2, who thall al
ways be the founder of this inſtitution, oz
one appointed by him, o2 with his consent.
3 Whatever is laid thail be reduc'd to a
Celf-evident propofition, as near as poffible.
4. Every pzopoſition, p200f, query, opini-
on, quotation, reference, thall be written
down by the mobezator in his journal.
c. It
[vi]
5. It shall not be eſſential to clear og fettle,
oz ultimately to answer any point at the time
when it is first pzopos'd; but an agreed time
thall be minuted down foz the clearing of it,
either fully, oz in a certain degree, pzopoz-
tion'd to the nature of the difficulty.
6. No digreffion from the point propos'd,
no perſonal reflexion, no calumny, nothing
indired, captious, unfair, infidious, o2 en-
fnaring; nothing that is pzejudic'd oz paffio-
nate, ill-bzed, malicious, fophiftical, o2 equi-
vocating; no jefts, puns, turns of wit,
dzollery, ridicule; nothing but what belongs
frialy to the point, ſhall be allow'd o2 an-
(wer'd.
7. As only the person that speaks knows
what ideas he annexes to his own wozds, lo
he thall explain his own terms.
8. Every man's explanation of his terms
fhall be minuted; and the determinate mean-
ing of each wozd be ſtated and agzeed, bškoze
any prepofition thall be the subject of a con-
ference.
9. The number of those who confer shall not
exceed twelve; no2 the neceffarp time of each
conference be above an hour.
10. The bulinels of the Moderatoz thall be
to fee, that the propofition be stated, the pze-
Life meaning of each wozd cleat'd, to call foz,
and minute down, the opinions, queries,
reasonings, Ec. of those who confer: recapi
tulate the force oz sum of the arguments al-
leg'e, crecute the laws of the conference:
and if requir'd, to be allo a member of each
conference, affiling at it, with the rest.
11. The subject of the fermon, leaure, o2
discourse of the Ozatozy shall be, oz pield the
fubjec
[ vij ]
fubject of the conference, as a thefis to it:
which must be heard by those who confer.
12. Persons of all religions and opinions
ſhall be at liberty to maintain their own, oz
oppoſe others, with a falvo to the laws of
the kingdom.
13. All propofitions thall be clear'd in the
molt natural, diftinæ, regular, and mathema-
tical method, by an ozderly ſeries of ſelf-evi-
dent truths, according to the nature of each
fubject.
14. If any person pzopoles a particular
ſubjec, a pzoper time thall be agreed and
minuted to confer upon it.
15. A mistake, an overſight, a fozgetful-
nefs, oz bzinging inferioz realons, ſhall be
no disgrace; but to maintain a point, when
thole reasons are hewn to be inferioz, fhall
be infamous.
16. He that is guilty of ill behaviour
shall be obnoxious to the pzopzietoz of the
Ozatozy, as a disturber of his aflembly.
Specie
L viij T
Specimen of a Conference.
1. Szopofition given out at the table, where
only those who confer are to fit.
2. The terms fated, and explain’d.
3. The connexion of them investigated cloſe-
Ip and mathematically.
4. Opinions of each propos'd on each fiep
of the investigation.
5. Debates and diſcourſes on thoſe opini-
ons, when requifite; fhost and to the point.
6. Queries, doubts, difficulties, objeai-
ons, propos'd, flated, argu'd, refolv’ö, oz
minuted foz farther refolution: No conten
tion foz vicozy, decifion, oz malice, but truth
only.
7. What is as felf-evident as the thing
will allow, put down as concluded, and de-
monftrated; and its truth found.
8. What is not fo, put down foz farther
investigation.
9. No man's mere authority taken foz a
reaſon, in ic ſelf, any farther than there is
a julk reaſon to fuppoźt it.
10. Chefe articles to be read befoze the
conference.
esen
THE
I
H J S C O R D
And Advantages of Divine Kevelation,
with the Honour that is due to the wozd
of GOD; elpecially in regard to the most
PERFECT MANNER
Df delivering it, fozm`d on the ancient Laws of
SPEAKING and NC TJ ON :
Being an ESSAY to reßkoze them.
S
31
ERM
AD 32
Peach'd in the CHURCH of
St. George the Marty, London,
On Sunday, Nov. the 15th, 1724.
Publish'd at the Request of many of the Audience.
By JOHN HENLEY, M. A.
The Second Edition.
LONDON:
Printed in the Pear MDCCXXVJX.
1 SAM. iii. 1.
The Word of the Lord was
precious in thoſe days, there
was no open vilion.
HT facred hiftozian points out
a fubject to us in this paffage,
very proper to dwell upon, be-
foze an affembly, call'd to ats
tend the word of God, in the
place of his peculiar pzclence;
that is, the real value of it, and the regard,
which is due to it.
For tho', we have often heard our God, in
his own mansion, speaking to us, as a man
speaketh to his friend: tho' we live in the
open dap of his truth; and have, even now,
a fresh occafion to rejopce in the light of it,
pet we are seldom so happy as to make a
juft advantage of it, because we are too in-
fensible of the bleffing.
It does not leave a right impzeffión on us,
for want of thinking upon the privilege we
enjoy in it. Had that reflection a prevailing
foice with us, it would rile by fieps to a le-
cret awe, a pazticular efteem, a gzowing
love, a defire of it, a cloſer, a moze devout
attention to it, and a tender fear of departing
from its rules.
N 2
But
[4]
But it commonly falls thost of all these
wholſome effects, in the pzelent ebb of reli-
gion, becauſe our fentiments of it are cold,
low, degzading. We do not confider the
height of the mercy we might partake of,
in this gzacious diſcovery of the divine will;
and it is no furprize, while we do not enter
tain a fit opinion of it, if it has but a fecble
power over us.
It is a want of thought about it, that will
create an indifference, à disregard to it: As
this map spread to a larger compass, and
become a reigning cozruption, it muſt cauſe à
decline of religion, and a gzowth of vice.
Foz since the ties of mozal goodness are
founded on the sense of a being, who has
fenſe
given us rules foz the dircaion of life, and
will bring us to a judgment upon them, in
proportion as those rules are negleaed, the
spirit of goodness muft languish, and the pa-
dice of religion mult decay.
Now, in order to revive a proper fenfe of
lenſe
it, and by that means, preferve and advance
the credit and power of religion, fhall take
up my pzcfent defign,
The words befoze us are adapted to it in
the most convenient manner; we are never fo
ready to conceive a true opinion of what is
really good, as when we refica on the want
of it. When there was no open viſion
among the Jews, the word of the Lozd was
precious.
They had been tempted to undervalue it,
when it was moze familiar; but when it was
grown lefs common foz God to reveal him-
ſelf to that people, with an unuſual jop thep
receiv'o the opportunity. The rarity of the
2
Occas
[5]
occafion infruaed them to set a higher value
upon it. Thep were convinc'd of its worth
from the ill conſequences of its abfence, tho'
Beloze they had been lefs fenfible of the ad-
vantage. As if the cheapnels of the favour
had pall'd the inclination, and nothing could
reduce them to juffer thoughts, but an expe-
rience of the effets arising from its lofs,
from the unhappy distance between them and
their God.
To give the text all the light poffible, and
make it useful to the aim we should propose,
allow me
F. To lap befoze pou a fhozt hiflozp of the
Wozd of God, at the ſcberal times of its re-
velation.
II. Defcribe the honour, the happiness,
that accrue to us by it. And
III. The relpec which ought to be paid
to it, by all in general; and particularly,
in the dispensing of it; with itg met natural
application, foż our pzelent and eternal bene-
fit.
J. Suffer me to repelent the Ceveral me-
thods, which God has been pleas'd to pur-
fue, from the creation to the gospel, in re-
vealing his will to mankind, with the rea-
ſon of them.
When God had fezm's a creature, capable
of acting freely by a cerrain rule, and of qua-
lifying himſelf for his fabour, by a compli-
ance with his will, be at first, planted a
clear
[6]
clear knowledge of it in his nature, and gave
him at once, the frongest bent to pzaaife it;
but fill left it in his power, by a freedom of
choice, to adhere to it, or depart from it.
A different revelation of duty, in this
fate of recitude, was unneccflarp, becauſe
he had already the perfea light of it, in his
mind, his realon; join'd with the most pow-
erful byals to act accozdingly. All the teft
of duty then thought p2oper, by infinite wif
dom, was one pofitive law of abstaining
from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
This was the state of innocence, oz, what
we file, oziginal righteousness.
But when the man, in this happy poſture,
as pet free from fin, tho' ftill liable to it, was
betray'd to b2cak the trying command of
God, he lost that clear fenfe of dutp to him,
and that prevailing love of him, which go-
vern'o him befoze.
The powers of his foul were weaken'd,
his understanding darken'd, his will became
fenfual: having departed from the fource of
knowledge and goodness, he was given up
to the swap of a depzav'd judgment, a cozrupt
will, unruly paffions, and a wild imagina-
tion
These defeas in himself he must convey to
his pofterity; we now feel them; and the
holp recozds inform us, they defcended in
this channel.
So that fince a certain knowledge of the
divine will, and an over ruling temper to
perłozm it, were the methods of procuring
the favour of God, and, with that, the true
happiness of men, here, and hereafter; and
both thoſe advantages were left by the fall,
the
[7]
the help of God, and his expzels revelation,
were needful, to put us again in poffeffion of
them, and recover our pzimitive title to his
mercy.
To relieve a loft being, and reſcue him
from the danger, attending his fallen condi-
tion, the divine wildom and goednels con-
triv'd the wonderful plan of our redemption;
which was fill'd at lâff, by furpzizing ſteps,
in a trac of time, defign'd to prepare foz it.
In this view, God began to open a com-
munication with man, and reveal his will
by degzecs, in ozder to accomplish that great
affair.
The seed of the woman thall bzuiſe the ſer-
pent's head, was the first gospel, that was
preach'd to mankind. After this, God was
openly addzels'd, and known by particular
marks of his pzelence; as we find in the
different reception, given to the offering of
Cain and Abel.
Then Enoch is repozted to walk with God;
fo allo Poah, befoze the deluge. That phraſe
did not only imply a religious life, which,
undoubtedly, a number of men pzaxis'd,
besides Enoch and Roah, but a peculiar
privilege allo of reposting what God was
pleas'd to reveal, for the inſtruaion of others.
Therefoze Koah is callo a pzeacher of righ-
teouſnels by St. Peter; and St. Jude tells
us, that Enoch was a prophet: tho' we are
not affur'd, that his prophecies were penn'o,
o2 handed down in writing to pofterity. This
was the fate of a revelation befoze the flood:
Some particular men were singled out by
God to be managers of it,
After
[ 8 ]
After the deluge, when God refolv’d upon
a farther declaration, to prepare the world,
by juft degzees, for the Melliah, he had pitch'o
upon the family of Abzaham, of the line of
Shem, the eldest son of Noah, fo? that pur-
pole, in the secret counfels of eternity.
His design in bleffing that family, was to
pave the wap foz an open religion, among the
Jews, the offspring of Abzaham: a figure
of the chziftian religion to come, and an intro-
duction to it. This was carry'd on in the
perlons of Ifaac and Jacob, but perfected
by Moles, the servant of God.
Joshua and the judges, his fucceffozs,
aced in his double capacity, of p2ophets,
and governors, to the Jewish nation. After
Samplon, the laft of them, we meet with no
immediate inftance of a public revelation.
It was, in this courſe of time, from his
deach, to the call of Samuel, that the wozd
of the Tozd was precious; P1, rare, unufu-
al: there was no open vifion, God did not
reveal himſelf in a public manner; not in
the glogy of the nazw, which fill'd the fan-
auary, in the tabernacle; not in the n
and 8 appearances in the vesture of the
high priest; not by a prophet, openly em-
power'd ro (peak in the name of God; nor bp
the high-pricft, who was sometimes autho-
riz'd to answer from him, in the tabernacle
at Shiloh, and afterwards, in the temple,
at Jerufalem.
Thele several ways of public revelation,
were then discontinu'o, by providential aim;
one private inſtance we read in the p2opheep
of Eli's fate, bp the man of God; confult
the chapter, preceding this of the text.
Soen
[ 9 ]
Soon after, Samuel was receiv'd into the
facred ozder; and besides the ministry of the
high-pzicht, who was often emplop'd in the
prophetic office, the kings of Ifrael were
openly dircaed by God; and a variety of
prophets, leers, men of God, were appoint-
ed, in fubfequent reigns, to ac in the fame
charater, between him and his people: 'tilf
Malachi, the laff of that clafs, who ſcald
up the prophecp.
Four Hundzed years after Malachi, John
the Baptist, the second Elitha, was fent in
his power and spirit, bp a new, a particular
owder of pzophecy, to introduce the Meffiah.
Then God was pleas'd, in the fulness ef
time, when all was mature fog his appear-
ance, to ſpeak to us by his ſon, the only-be-
gotten of the father, full of grace and truth.
He commiffien'o a holp train cf apoftles,
evangeliûs. pafto2s, and teachers, to fup-
post the fame wok, and raise the present and
eternal happiness of men, on the basis of
mozal virtue, aftertain'd, compleated by the
ſcheme of reveal'o religion, to its lat per
fræion: Whole recozds are preferd's in the
fcriptures, fez the endless bencht of man-
kind.
This is a general account of the mealurcs,
which God has been pleas'o to purſue, from
time to time, in revealing his will to us;
in the fate of innocence: in the patriarchal
age, befoze, and after the deluge: under the
Mofaic law, 'till the promulgation of the
gofpel.
II. Heflect now on the honour, and hap-
pinefs, accruing to us, by it,
ཉ
The
[ 10 ]
The privilege it confers upon us will ap-
pear in a fhozt parallel, between God and
iman, and a view of our behaviour to him ;
which has been often lo unworthy, as to
make the indulgence of a divine law, an ac
of the utmoſt condescension, on his part, and
the highest honour an undeferving creature
can poffibly receive.
We owe our first rife from nothing, our
make to his almighty power. He is the
antient of days, without an authoz, without
a caufe, and has been from everlasting.
Our being is frail, our talents are nar-
row, our nature tainted with voluntary fin,
our reaſon feeble, glimmering, doubtful;
our defires ungovern'd, our refolution was
vering, our thoughts and adions liable to
great imperfection.
He is fill the lame, incapable of change,
poflefs'd of all that is perfect; in wildomi
unerring, in goodness never varping: in
might, in dominion, boundless: unshaken in
truth: of that dreadful majesty, that the pil-
lars of heaven tremble at his rebuke; the
whole creation attends his voice, and what-
foever he speaks, is done: Of that purity,
that the heavens are not clean in his fight,
he chargeth the angels with folly; and the
feraphim cover their faces with their wings
befoze him.
It is he, who has floop'd to confer with
mer, in the revelation of his will: with us,
who are but of yesterday, and know nothing;
who are to the laßt degree beneath him in all
that is great, and grofip the reverse to him
in all that is good: with us, who are na
moze than a dzop in the bucket, oz the duft in
the
[11]
the balance: and are ftill approaching to
that, from whence we dzew our low ozigi-
nal.
Behold the honour of this converſation
with God in his wozd, who stands at that
immenſe diſtance from us in everp perfecion
of nature, and has been jully pzobok'd to a
different uſage of us, by the nuinber, the fize
of our offences.
Its happiness to us may be inferr'd by
the fame clue of reasoning. God is a being
of infinite knowledge, holinels, truth, and
goodnels. We are liable to the utmoſt igno-
rance, doubt, and frailty. So that, by a
natural conſequence, we enjoy all the advans
tage imaginable in the light of his merciful
rebelation to us.
That aflurance of his favour, which is the
ground of our pzelent, our eternal felicity,
Taid in a just feule of our engagements to
him, could not have been expreßip attain't,
if the spirit of God, who only knows the
things of God, had not display'o his will to
mankind. The grateful perfożmance of our
duty depends upon that divine aid, which ac
companies his wozd; and the moſt levere re-
ftraint upon finful inclination had been ab-
fent, had we wanted the rules, the examples,
the promiles, the theatnings of God, in
fcripture.
1. With regard to each man, apart.
This body of facred laws, publish'd by
his command, has given a full light and de-
termination to mozal duty. It has explain'd
the fecret, what is the true happiness of man-
23 2
kind;
[12]
kind; and has let us into the cauft, why we
Eften enter into meaſures, difagrecable to it,
tho' we applore the contrary in our better
judgment; and that is the corruption of
inankint, deriv'd from the fin of our fiift pa-
rent.
Enly a revelation could have affur’d us of
this truth; in vain did the philosophers of
the heathen wozld enquire about its original :
foz it depended not upon bare reafon to clear
its principle, but a matter of fat, an aqual
trefpafs of the founder of human race, which
no other hiſtozy, no other recozds ever pie-
ferb'e, and could have reach'd the knowledge
of pofterity in no channel, but that of a di-
Vine Revelatior.
It has made thoſe merims of life, thefe
rules of behaviour to God, and one another,
which were proper to compleat our pulent and
everläſing advantage, certain, and infallibly
teue to all; when befoze, they were only the
dark conclufiong, and uncertain reasonings
of the wiler, that is, the leaff part of man-
kind.
It has told us, that the love of God and
of our neighbour, takes in all the obligations
we ce to either of them; that these twe,
join'd together In every acien, make it en-
tirely gæð, and that, whatever jars with
either of these principles, is finful, ſo that
eur duty, and acceptance with God, muſt be
no farther rechend upon, than we are aæcd
in every fep by a fincere affcaion to him,
and cur fellow creatures.
It has opend the wonderful feene of our
redemption; the mysterious atonement, con-
triv d by God foz his crimina', hy the facri-
fice
}
[ 13 ]
fice of his fon; who was sent to reinfiate us
in his favour, by the merit of his life and
fufferings, and has left us the most perfec
law and pattern for our direction, and en-
couragement.
This divine revelation has inftruacd us
in what was never known with that certain-
ty befoze, what God is in himfelf; what has
been his method ef pzocceding with men, in
every age of the world, and how he has re-
solved to diſpoſe of us in a future ftate.
Hence we enjoy a clear, ſettled, full know-
ledge of our duty, our relation to God and
one another, when the fozier views of it
were conjeaural, the dubicus, imperfeœ
conclufiens of human reaſon, fubjcc to end-
lcfs miſtake and perplexity.
Upon the practice of duty to God and mar,
the natural happiness of a thinking creature
is built. Hiebeal'd religion has given us
the highest fatisfation about it; therefoze it
has conduc'd in the utmoſt degree to establish
our happiness, pzelent and future, en the
fafelt, that is, the trueff bottom.
This is the benefit of it, with regard to
cach particular perſon, fingly confider’d.
2. With refpea to men, look'd upon in fo-
ricty, it is equally beneficial. It has given
the greatch fozce to all those rules of action,
that promote its good and repoſe: univerſal
juffice and kenevolence, the firmeft ſecurity of
a political body, are frongly bound upon
us, in each part of it. So that men are
now under a moze powerful tie to be mutn-
ally good, than they would have been incli
ned, without the awe of God's word, and
the terres of what he has pronounc'o upen
them
[ L
14 J
them here and foz ever, to difpole them to it,
by the most prevailing arguments that could
be contrib❜d.
In fhost, our judgment is defcæibe, our
inclination irregular. In this revelation
we are taught by the wifeft maffer, inftruc
ed by our best friend, admonish'd by our
creatöz, our lozd, our judge; one who is fill
indulgent to his creatures, even when they
are apt to be regardless of him their God,
and deftruaive to themſelves.
This is the honour, the happineſs, that
accrues to us by reveal'd religion.
III. Let us now weigh the relpec
which ought to be paid to it, by all in gene-
ral; and particularly, in the difpenfing of it,
with its molt natural application, foz our
pzesent and eternal benefit.
The Neps we are oblig❜d to take, on this
foot, are to return him our due praiſes, and
grateful acknowledgments foz a favour fo
unmerited; to expels a hearty zeal, and
effeem foz it; to be awfully attentive in the
ule and confideration of it, to make it the
rule of our minds, our hearts, our conduc;
from a profound lerle of duty to him, who
will fuffer both heaven and earth to pals, ra-
ther than one circumftance of his law to fail.
This is an engagement upon all of us in
general.
To enlarge on the particular duties, in-
cumbent on the dispensers of the word of
God, would, in this affembly be impzoper,
and from one, whose part it is, rather to be
instructed by them, than to inftrux them, ens
tirely vain and ill judg'd,
I would
[ 15 ]
I would only beg leave to fubmit a fem
remarks to the confideration of this auditory,
not in the least direaed to persons, whom I
have no right noz pzetension to infozm, but
turning upon things only.
Before I go into that detail, I would
pzemiſe a ſhozt declaration, that the real ma-
tive of what I fhall obferve, is no aim of
vanity, og affectation of being fingular, but
a conviction that it will the moſt highly tend
to the intereft of religion, the edification of
fouls, the good of mankind, the advance-
ment of the chziſtian faith, the glozp of God,
the credit and influence of his wozd, and
the honour of this nation; and pet, tho'
this is my perfuation, I have so great
a diffidence in my private underſtanding, that
I thall not only be ready to amend a fault,
o2 an imperfection, but on a fupcrioz reaſon
tò facrifice my opinien ;'mp fole deſign Being
the discharge of my duty in the most perfec
method, and the poffeffion of a growing place
in the hearts and esteem of my hearers.
The topic pzopoled is that of facred clo-
quence, of the ozatozy of the pulpit; with
regard to the publick cxerciſe of it. The
previous qualifications of nature, and acs
quirement, a well weigh'd compoſition, eg,
â difcourfe in the mind, and a ready maſterp
of it in fpeaking, are fuppos'd.
That part of facred eloquence I would
now confider is this, a delivery of the truths
of God, in the most juft, forcible, and com=
pleat manner. As they are ſubjects of the
Taft confequence, they ought to be treated ac-
cozdingly, with all the ardour and concern,
that is poffible, otherwise they will either
པའི་Aརཔོ
lofe
[16]
lofe, or fall fhozt of their pzoper efficacy, and
be rather injui'd and leffeid, than equally
recommended.
That manner of delivery, which is the
moſt juff, fozcible, and compleat, on this
important head, is that, which takes in all
the powers of the whole man. Kothing lefs
can be a compleat manner of delivery: Co af-
firm, that if ſome of thole powers, be pzo-
perly employ'd, and not all, it may be as
perfect a manner, as if all were properly
empley'e, is to affirm, that a part map be
equal to the whole, which is, in exprefs
terms, a contradiction.
Since then, the compleat, which muß be
the only just delivery, includes all the facul
tics together; it demands a right manage-
ment of the utterance, and of the behaviour,
as parts of thoſe faculties, otherwiſe it muſt
be imperfect and deficient, and therefore not
julk, o2 proper.
This right management of the utterance
and behaviour implies a freedom from all
the faults which may attend either of them;
all levity, cxcels, affectation, indecency, and
in general, any impzopziety: it implies al-
fo a concurrence of those due qualities, that
ſhould ademn them, to be natura', calp, live-
Ip, gracetul, harmonious, and ſoiemn.
To launch out into particulars here,would
be an endless task, and ſhall ſometime, by
the bleffing of Gad. in another form, be of-
fer'd to the publick *; fome of them, it map.
here be of ûle awhile to dwell upon.
* In a regular lyftem, deduc'd and prob'd demon
ftra:ively, with no es of all the p2oper founds in speak-
ing, and draughts of all the lines and movements
in action.
In
[ 17 ]
In proper speaking and gefture, the na-
ture of the thing spoken, ftrongly imprinted
on the mind, and pzelent feeling of the oza-
toz, is the only guidance; and as things arc,
in their own nature, various, thep neceffa-
rilp require a variation of the voice, and of
the deportment, that is confozmable to cach
of them: * and the precile fitness of one cer-
tain found and movement of the whole per-
ſon, even to a line of the countenance, to one
certain thing, molt properly and perfcaly
exprefs'd, and the conféquent unfitnefs of
any other, to it, are as demonftrable, as any
pzopoſition in the Mathematicks.
In particular, the pathetic clofe of a dif-
course ought to be spoken with the greatcft
fozce, not, as the method is, by lowering the
voice, to the end of it. Foz as a pathetic
discourse must be suppos'd to grow it felf
fronger, towards the conclufion of it, and
to end with a kind of triumph; and as the
laſt impzeſſion ought to be very fozcible,
therefoze that fall in fuch a cloſe is abfurd,
and the contracy, the just way of speaking
it.
The paffions require a language and ad-
dzefs, different among themlelves, as well
as from other things; accozding to their fe-
veral kinds, degrees, mixtures, and circum-
Nances: all objeas vary in pzopoztion, the
* The matters of mulick and painting, are the
true mafters of (peaking and action: the principles
of both are to be taken from philofophy, that is, a jutt,
clear, distinct lenſe of the nature of things in general;
and in particular, fzom the mathema,icks,
god
[ 18 ]
good oz bad qualities of Men, the pzofperous
of unhappy events of life; the several ways
of addzetting God, in confeffion, petition,
thankſgiving, and the like. Thefe, and all
other fubjeas, claim a diverfitp of pzonun-
ciation, and of the conduct, agreeable to the
diftinct and true nature and merits of them.
And this should be carefully study'd, in read-
ing the offices of those churches, where
papers are to be read, as well as in the
discourses.
No man speaks, looks, and behaves him-
felf in the fame manner when he is angry,
as when he is pleas'd; when he loves, as
when he deteffs; and it wou'd be very abe
furd, to mention the pains of hell with a gap
afpec; to pzefs the fear of God with an air
of negligence; 02 to exhozt and perfuade in
the posture of fozbidding, and of rebuke.
As this infers a neceflarp variety in p20-
per speaking and gesture, fo the advantages
of it are great and manifold. It awakens,
draws, and fallens the attention; it wo2ks
anoft fenfibly on the understanding, the me-
mozy, the imagination, and the affections:
it conveys infruction with moze fozce and
delight; it renders the utmoff honour to
God, and fervice to mankind, and attains
all the ends of public speaking, in the most
entire and effeaual manner.
The contrary is loaded with equal diſad-
vantages; it does an injuſtice to the fublime
wozd of God, the eternal gospel, and Hp
confequence, to religion, to virtue, to good
fenfe, and the benefit of mankind. It flat>
tens, palls, and fatigues the hearer, and is
apt to make the truths of religion appear
lefs
[ 19 ]
lefs confiderable, than matters of a far in
ferio? concern.
Of this confequence, on either hand, the
wifeft nations and men, in the molk enlight-
en'd ages, have been duly sensible. The an-
tient greeks and romans, who have furnith’d
the molk confpicuous lights, the most lasting
names of diftination, in the letter'd world,
study'd the art of publick speaking and ge-
ffure, as it really is, as a dißing ſcience:
thep labour'd night and day, they travell’d
far and near for the best teachers, patice,
and information. Demofthenes has made
the manner of delivery only to be the very
effence of a public speaker. Quintilian has
left us the most minute directions imagina-
ble for each note and motion; and Tully was
remarkable foz his unweary'd application to
the skill of it. The most venerable chara-
ders of the good old days of chriſtianity, the
Balls, the Chzpfolkomes, the Augustines,
and a train of others, excel'd in it. To fee
St. Paul preaching with a vehemence, an
energy, like the blaze from heaven at his
conversion, was a famous with of one of the
first doctors of the faith; and fure it is,
when he open'd himself to the court of the
Areopagus, Ve men of Athens; his gefture,
as well as his voice, was the molk fozcible
that can be conceived.
There is not a fozeign nation in the world,
that does not proceed on the fame principle.
Some among us have appeared with luffre
*
* Bishop Ken, Bishop Burnet, etc. B:hop Splat
recommends it in his charge to his clergy, as allo
Bishop Giblon; who likewile put out a Quintiliay,
which is the bafts of the whole art. The Protestant
baſis
Keligion is foz action, being againſt images,
1 2
in
[ 20 ]
in the platice. Tho' it has not among the
moderns leemed to have been regularly fu-
dy'd, accozding to the principles of art, that
is. of nature aftertain'd and methodiz'd.
The principal causes of our defect in this
noble talent, are the diſadvantages of our
public education, which is ſo calculated, as
not to train us up to it: the inconvenience of
the place, to which we are confin'd; the
method of entire reading what we speak,
which is commonly injurious to the graces
of eloquence; join'd with fome ill grounded
pzejudices. The countenance of the knowing,
the polite part of the world might conduce to
remedy this failure; all good´men ſhould
think it a duty: all judicious men fhould
account it a delight to encourage the con-
trary.
It muff naturally be imagin'd, without
the leaft reaſonable ſhock o2 furprize, that
the ufual freedom will be taken on this head,
to cenfure, to detract, perhaps to afperle.
According to the variety of tempers, and
views, prevailing in the world, and which
will prevail, as long as the world endures,
men will alwaps be liberal of their arrows
on marks of this nature.
But since the thing is in it ſelf julk, lau-
dable, and glózious; the dictates of spleen,
of envy, of pjepoffeffion, of defign, ought to
be contemned by a bzave and a good mind.
Truth will shine forth, and exert its power.
Whatever mp Imperfections are, it may
be hoped, that as a degree of fsztitude is
required to open the way, as well as of con-
Duct and labour to purfue it, fo the verp un-
derta-
[ 21 ]
dertaking is not wholly deftitute of a claim
to fome indulgence.
This map fuffice, with regard to the na-
ture of facred elocution, the rules, the ad-
vantages, and hilfozy of it, the causes of
our defects in it, the pzoper remedies, and
che right treatment of objections to it.
And thus we have dispatch'd the Third
head, relating to the respect which ought to
be paid to the Wozd of God, by all in gene-
ral, and particularly in the difpenfing of it.
On the whole,
Let us be induc'd to let a pzoper value up-
on that divine wozd, which is so nobly cal-
culated for our preſent and eternal welfare;
that we map prevent the removal of this
lamp from us, that we may eſcape the cur-
ſes, that we map inherit all the bleffings
which are display'd to our view, in the book
of God.
So thall we rife from the lower privilege
of this distant converse with him, like that
of Ifrael with Moles, behind a veil, to the
joy of seeing him, as he is, face to face, in
the happy regions of eternity,
THE
}
:
1
!
ایت ها
1
¦
The
FIRST SERMON
Preach'd at the
Opening of the DRATORY,
On Sunday, July 3. 1726.
On the Defign, and Reaſons, of
the Institution.
YAUNGARAPARARARARAPAGARAVIRZURU.
M
*
-31
ISAJ. lit. 15.
=== That which hath not been
told them, shall they ſee, and
that which they have not
heard, shall they consider.
Eligion and knowledge, tho' both lay
a claim to the higheſt antiquity, and
are coeval with the first rife of man-
kind; tho' thep thould be infeparable come
panions, and mutual fupports to each other;
pet the course of human affairs has been fa
difpos'd, that obſervations may arife in
either, which may carry a face of novelty;
like the famous river, which loses its hid-
den tide beneath the furface of the carth,
and then re-appears; kill really the fame,
tho', to the epe, another current.
This is the scope of the holy pzophet in
the place alledg'o, and this will give a fan-
aion to the design of our pzefent affembly.
Ilaiah, the evangelical feer, describes in
this chapter, the future religion of the Mel-
fah, as an event that would appear very
fingular and alkoniſhing.
He commands the captive daughter of
Sion to awake, put on her frength, and
loose her self from the bands of her neck, foz
they shall know in that day it is God that
speaks, behold! it is he.
H
How
[26]
How beautiful upon the mountains are
the feet of him that bzingeth good tidings of
peace and ſalvation! That which hath not
been told them, thall thep fee, and that which
they have not heard, they shall confider.
Here the Declaration of the Gospel it felf
is term'd new, unheard befoze, which re-
moves all pzejudice, rais'd merely on that
bottom.
The Connexion between this account, and
our immediate fubject, will, at the firft
glance, be manifeft.
To retrieve the moming luftre of gospel-
truth, and diſpel the shadows of modern er-
roz, is the aim of one branch of the inftitu-
tion we now celebzate, as a moze perfect
establishment in favour of univerfal know-
ledge, than has occurr'd either in this, oz
any nation, is the other part of it.
Thefe, tho' in themselves as antient as the
underſtanding of men, and the being of chzi-
fianity, pet repzefented, and apply'd in the
view now intended, are, in a great degree,
tous new, and in a public light unconfider'd.
But then, originally, the use of letters, and
the difpenfation of our chziſtian covenant,
were new: the facred volumes of our faith
are call'd expreflp the new testament: ſo that
it is not the feeming particularity, but the
truth and juftness of an undertaking, that
is, in all respects, to be regarded.
This is not offer'd, as an apology foz our
defign: was that neceffary, it would be un-
abailing.
If the natural weight and impoztance of
the affair does not creare its own reception,
it muft, it ought to fall. All that is now
propos'd,
[ 27 ]
propos'd, is to thew, that we are countes
nanc'd by no less abettors than Iaiah, and
our blessed Lozd himself, to engage pour at-
tention, and overthzow all pzejudice.
Various, frong are the reaſons of our
purposes. Abules have multiply'd in un-
derstanding, and religion.
On the one hand, a declenfion, an apolta-
fy, from our moſt holy faith, is become too
general: On the other, the path of know-
ledge and literature has been much pervert-
cd.
To recover a juff zeal foz the fozmer, we
appeal to the antient founders of our chzi-
ftian profeffion, as the ableff, the truest
judges.
To repair the inconveniencies of the lat-
ter, we have concerted an enterpzize, in
which the ſeveral defeœs thall be amended,
and perfecion, as near as poffible, attain’d.
The defign is, in it felf, of weight: how-
ever it be executed, it has a right to the
appzobation of the judicious, and the can-
Did.
On that footing, we thall advance with
refolution, and chearfully take your pzelent
encouragement, as an aufpicious omen of
fuccefs and viœozy.
The detail of our fubject will extend it felf
molt properly, under the following Articles.
I. We are to exhibit an idea of the nature
and conduct of our scheme.
II. Submit the pleas and motives, from
which we would prefume on pour concur-
gence in it.
D 2
J. An
[ 28 ]
7. In account of the nature, and intend-
ed management of our undertaking will be
expeœed.
The entire foundation of it is eeclefiaftical,
of a religious tendency.
But since the light and aid of human eru-
dition, of the arts, the sciences, and the
tougues, are requifite to explain the holp
fcriptures, and maffer the body of theology,
it will, on that score, include an academy of
literature.
In both articles, it is modell'd to anſwer
the intention in a more compleat manner,
than has been hitherto offer'd to the confide-
ration of an age, too refin'd and inquifitive,
to be longer impos'd upon by falfe pzetences,
either in human or divine learning.
On this authority, our univerfitics
(which, as far as they are learned bodies,
confifting of good maſters and ſcholars, and
not monaftic, oz ulelefs foundations, we p20-
foundlp honour, and to whom we would be
fubfervient in the academical bzanch of our
Scheme) will find no caufe to complain of us,
Foz, as Jam publickly * commiſſion'd to
be a teacher of religion, and the academy is
* All local right of exercising facred functions is
fzon the crown. To that the right of the zatozy is
equal to any epilcopal authority in this realm: All
the local exercile, as well as the oziginal right, of that
authority here, being entirely and only from the
crown; our clergy, are laymen, for . . the first,
was no bithop, and therefoze could not make a clergy-
man,
created
[ 29 ]
erected to serve us in that character, by cal-
ling in the affiffance of learning to make our
very bibles familiar to the meanest capacity,
I am allo commiffion'd to be a teacher of
human learning, as far as it is effential to
make the divine intelligible.
It is to be oblerv'd, that their charters
are not patents of monopoly, to engross the
communication of knowledge.
And the number of academies, allow'd in
this capital, tho' not founded on a power of
religious inftrucion, are p2oofs, they are
not injur❜d by our pzetenfion, as we could
largely demonftrate, they are really ferv'd
by it.
Noz will the modern churches be entitled
to load us with any pzeffing objecion. With
them we are ready to communicate, as far
as we are capable, and to their judgment
we thall pap all pzoper deference.
But we think, we are privileg'd to
take the ſame liberty of varping from them,
which they take of differing from one ano-
ther, and sometimes from themselves.
Our right of exercißng our pzivate judg-
ment is equal. We affert an equal freedom
of conscience, accountable to God only;
fince no human judicature can take a cogni-
fance of the soul.
The whole reformation turns on this
principle. The protestant intereft muft fink,
if it be denp'd: and the civil conftitution of
our native Bzitannia, the feat of true heroic
foztitude, the parent of free-bom spirits, will
be fubverted, if the suffers the minds of her
sons to be fetter'd; of the glozious (pzing,
I
and
[ 30 ]
and inbzed tale of juft liberty, to be cramp'd
p2 baffled.
D2
The particular system, which we profess
as a Church, and which diversifies us from.
other communions, is that of the primitive
church in the firft 500 years after Chzifft, be-
ing the ages of the four firk general coun-
cils.
In that time we use this distincion; if a
contradicion be demonftrated between the
current fenſe of any two periods of it, we
adhere to the moze antient, if other confide-.
rations be equal.
If an opposition should be pzov'd between
the voice of the primitive church, in that
whole compass of time, and that of the fcri-
pture, we thou'd disregard that pzimitive
consent, and cfpoule, as in duty bound, the
word of God.
Indeed we believe there is no such oppofi-
tion, as this laff mention'd; on the contrary,
we are firmly persuaded, that in all cafes,
where the new teftament is doubtful, 02 oh,
feure, the concurrent evidence of the first ages
should determine the doubt, and clear the
obfcurity.
To specify every point at present, in which
the modern churches deviate from the pzi-
mitive, would be an immenfe task, and per-
haps, at once, not very agreeable.
It is fufficient to lay it down as a certain
principle, that, where-ever a modern church
takes the boldness to vary from that of her
wifer fozefathers, in the time above limited,
and which I would be ever confiru'd co in
tend, the balance ought to be caft on the fide
of the primitive, as in all refpecs qualify'd
to
[ 31 ]
to be a moze competent judge of the question.
To an attentive Epe, curious to learch
the merits of this argument, a growing
number of modern deviations from the elder
principles would rise up: as to our very
bibles, the code of fcripture, the rule of
faith; the inſtituted matter, effence, and fozm
of the facrament; the ſubozdination of par-
ticular ſynods to general councils, in point
of authozity: the nullity of the English oz-
ders, (and the entire dependence of the church
upon the ſtate, in confequence of that nullity,
overthżowing what fome argu'd about the
diſtina and indelible character, in a late fa-
mous cale, befoze the houſe of lo2ds) by
comparing the clauſe, by which only Matthew
Parker was confecrated, with the expzfs
confecrations of antiquity, which only can
be true episcopal commiffions; the coercive
power of the church, unknown to the firſt
ages, over the bodies, lives, and foztunes
of men; the admitting thoſe to baptiſm, who
never were catechumens, makin aptifm
effential, without an apoftolical min; the
making humán decisions, creeds, conſtitu-
tions, Ec. articles of faith, and as neceffa-
ry parts of religion, as revelations from
God; the cozruptions, and ill consequences,
flowing from fir'd pofleflions, annex'd only
to certain uncertain schemes of religion, and
calling thoſe cozruptions, poffeffions, and
schemes, all together, the church, Ec.
These will pield fufficient matter at pzelent
to ruminate upon; and the reff I refer to my
articles, and future repzesentations. This,
in the Scripture-phzale, might be thought a
band pluck'd out of the fire; but another
fcrip-
[ 32 ]
fcripture commands, that truth and peace
muſt attend upon each other.
Our dzift would be, in the moft calm, and
rational manner, to revive a due veneration
foz thoſe good old days, exalt the genius of
the primitive ages, and make them the fan-
dard of our religion, as they ought to have
been, of the refożmation.
And it is a juftice we owe the hopes we
would form in pou, to declare the pzelent
advances we are induc'd to make towards an
end ſo very righteous, ſo extremely defira-
ble,
The execution of this plan muft divide it
felf into two bzanches, the liturgy, and the
wozk of pzeaching.
The first step we have taken in the liturgy,
in compliance with the reigning prepoffeffions
arifing from a popular custom, is, to follow
the ufual method, but to give a pzimitive
turn to the matter, and the language, bp
dzawing both from the scripture and antiqui-
tp, avoiding that repetition, and pzolixity,
which create lo general a complaint.
Foz it is our perſuaſion, that every act of
wozship is moze agreeable to the will of God,
the moze it is confozmable to his wozd, and
the apoftolical platform.
But we do not impofe a written liturgy,
as in it ſelf neceſſary, noz are we confin'd to
one liturgy. Any foun within our limited
time is proper to be employ'd by us.
But among all the facred offices then
us'd, we regard those of the conſtitutions of
Clement, as the most authentic; and we
deem them to be, in fubftance, if not in
words, conbep'o bp apoftolical tradition,
from
[ 33 ]
from the fame evidence, on which we receibe
the new testament; notwithstanding the
charge of spurioulness, which some have fo
lavishly thżown on the most valuable me-
moirs of oziginal chziſtianity.
In the function of the wozd, our view is,
to recover the spirit of the antient preachers,
and affert the honour of the English pulpit:
to inftitute a regular, compleat course of di-
vinity, in all its bzanches, critical, hiſtozi-
cal, fpeculative, mozal; to banish for ever
from this island, the Gothic manner, the
mere fill life, the lethargy of preaching,
which reverses the miracle of our Lozd,
changes the wine into water, and leaves
that congeal'd, foz want of motion.
The compofition of our fermons we fhall
endeavour to polifh, and to animate their
public delivery.
But in our leaures, which may turn chief-
Ip on Come learned and curious point of in-
formation, we shall pursue a może familiar
free turn of fiple, and exhibit them in read-
ing. Since the
Since the incidental mixtures of
quotation, numbers, and the like, map rens
der it improper, if not impzaaicable, to speak
them.
The whole theological scheme, prefented
in this channel, as it is entirely new, lo ir
will be labour'd to a degree, fuperiog to all
pzeſent oz palk attempts of the kind.
We thall try to penetrate and unfold its
moft hidden recefles to the meanest capacity,
rescue it from impofture and fallacy, give
you the whole impartial truth of it, and do
the justice due to all other religions, to ex›
amine their feveral pleas and pzetentions in
their
9
ས་་
་
[ 34 ]
their full fozce, and without the least pzejut
dice in favour of our own; fozm the right ba-
lance of the most equal and disinterested com-
parison, without bigotry to any one fpftem,
öz fervile attachment to any poßulata what
foeber,
Pafs we now to our academical underta-
king, the fubferviency of which to religion
will justify the immediate difplap we think
our felves oblig'd to give of it.
Its defign is no less than that of an uni-
verfal school of science and letters, in theozp
and practice, foz inftruation, exercife, and ac-
complishment, in all the parts of them.
The want of an university in this capital,
has been often deplog'd.
Europe is the general feat of politeness,
and this is the only Metropolis, which is
deffitute of an univerfitp.
Its advantage would outweigh every ob-
jection: it would be impzov'd by the oppoz-
tunities of converse and intercourse, the refi
dence of the court, which is, oz ought to be the
fupzeme fandard of elegancy, the variety of
taſtes, purſuits, charaäers, profeffions, and
a thousand other enlargements,
The defeas, the narrownels of our uſual
education might here expec a może pzobable
cure.
Licentiouſneſs of manners might here be
check'd by the fame reſtraint, and put under
as wholesome difcipline, as we experience it
elſewhere.
Poz could it be thought an injury to others,
unless they be look'd upon as privileg'o
marts of learning, excluſive of other places,
for
[ 35 ]
foz the diſtribution of it, which would be a
common injury to all mankind.
They are bodies co2porate, vested by the
crown with certain immunities; to invade
their rights, and to exercile their juriſdiai-
on, to confer their legal qualifications, would
be an unnatural offer; but to diſcharge the of
fice of a pzeceptoz in the ſciences they ought to
teach, is no encroachment on their tenure.
Ir is rather an enforcement to their main
concern, and an addition to their glozp.
But it is our aim to redzels the complaints
of misconduæ in their inftitution, as well as
to ſupply, in fome meaſure, the abſence of
an university, in this great city.
Some exceptions have been taken on this
head, which demand a remedy, and thould
therefoze be excus’d in the mention. Bigotry
to a fet of notions, a confin'o way of think-
ing, a negligence of some of the molk uſeful
and polite arts; a management by intereff,
and party, moze than an encouragement of
genius and induſtry; a fozbidding loftinels
and aufterity in the ruling part, which tends
rather to leffen the relish of virtue, and dif-
cipline, than to promote it, and an enflaving
of youth to fubſcriptions, telts, and fozms,
which they neither underſtand, noz believe,
no2 appzobe; chele, and other complaints,
with the train of ill confequences flow-
ing from each of them, we would emplop
our humble endeavours, with the utmost
fubmiffion, to redifp.
But our intention is fill moze extenſive;
to diffuſe a taste of literature and just think-
ing among perfons of all ranks and capaci-
ties, without the pzofuſion of time and ex-
4 2.
pence,
[ 36 ]
pence, which muff attend á może fazmal ap-
plication.
That all indifferently may be furnith'd
with a ready lcp to judge rightly, advance
p2operly, and if they have a call to it, ma-
fter compleatip any division of knowledge, in
a moze advantageous manner, than the me÷
thods hitherto clablifh'd, have been calcula-
ted to fatisfy.
Whatever thall appear to be deficient in
education for the service of the church oz
ftate, to adojn the learned, ufeful, oz elegant
faculties of upper 62 common life, in the
sphere of the court, in the law of nations,
civil oz municipal, in medicine, and all the
arts dependent upon them, whatever is de=
feæive in the training to their acquirement,
our design is contriv'd to repair, and facili-
tate.
This end we propose to attain by practice,
as well as infoziation; declaiming shall be
impzóv’d to (peaking, and diſpute to confe-
rence.
The converle and cozrelpondence of the molk
eminent in all liberal profeffions thall fup,
ply the imperfection of our own narrow
light.
The ebfervations and improvements of
the antient times thall be reviv’d.
The discoveries and experiments of the
moderns shall be illuſtrated.
A regular courſe and pzoris, in the leve-
gal acts, ſhall be inftituted.
Che most pzudent meafures fo2 the encou-
ragement of merit shall be purſu’d.
An amicable league of fociety thall be
fozmi'd on the foundeſt principles,
And
[ 37 ]
And truth and virtue, unifozmly and vi-
gozouſly pzomoted, to cultivate the genius
of our island.
That awakening wozd raises me farther,
to inform you, that we shall confult its pars
ticular intereft, in the frongeſt tenoz of our
endeavours.
Full oft, has an English academy been de-
lineated, long has it been defie'd, here the
aqual foundation of it shall be attempted.
And what has requir’d the spirit of a di-
ftinguishing monarch, and a whole realm to
commence ab2oad, thall here, on the single im
pulle of a private mind, be puth's into being
at leaff, and with the divine bleffing, and the
ſmile of our ſuperio2s, executed.
We confide in the native harmony of hu-
man fouls; we truff, that if the heart of one,
however undeferving, beats high to a lauda-
ble enterprize, the rest will second it, and opes
rate with an equal movement.
Poz thall our noble language, noz thall
our hiffozp, be overlook'd.
The former, like our arms, ought to bear
the laurel from France, which it merits, as
well as from antient Greece and Home, in
delicacy, in fozce, in majeſty, in beauty.
The latter is entitled to our peculiar care,
to unravel, to afcertain, to digeft it.
Let us here emulate, in the name of all
the genii of our country, the efforts of a
neighbouring nation, that of Portugal.
Her Monarch, and people confpire to illu-
firate her ftozy, and be, in the first place,
molt truly maffers of their own home,
Let
[ 38 ]
Let not our Britannia in that yield the
palm to her, who is her inferioz in every
other inftance of glopp.
But we shall not confine our selves to the
beaten path in our difquifitions: if a topic
rifes to our view, that is uncommon oz occa-
fional, we thall readily exhibit it. Nothing
shall be excluded, that tends to improve, oz
give a rational delight to the underſtanding.
Above all, what shall molt ftrongly engage
our attention, thall be the beautiful, and
long neglexed science of rhetozic and elocu-
tion.
The word of God should be the favour of
life, but inacion is an image of death.
Surely, fome artful politician, a foe to the
energy of preaching, introduc'd it.
Unhappy we, whom neither our schools,
noz univerſities teach to speak, to look, to
mobe, oz even to read properly!
To ation all the renown of the antient O
zatozs was owing. This was the great le
fret, the wonder, the charm of the famous
old eloquence.
It was this that thook the Areopagus,
the Forum, the Capitol: It was with this,
Demosthenes and Tully, that pe lighten's
and gave pour thunder.
Here all the beautics of mufïc and painting
are united. Nature is its rule, and art its
accomplishment.
All the rhetozicians have ever recommend-
ed it, and all juſt ſpeakers have ever pza-
ais'd it.
No man ever cavill’d at axion, but he us’d
it, tho' perhaps aukwardly, while he rail'à
against it.
Roz
[ 39 ]
Koz can any be a foe to it, who is a friend
to common fenfe, and a judge of truth and
nature.
In this (patious field of univerſal know-
ledge shall be the range of the Ozatozp: and
as we shall celebzate the memozp of perfons
eminent foz religion, we shall not overlook
fuch characters, as have excell❜d in genius
and erudition, oz have been patrons of
them.
To them also we will confecrate a day in
our calendar, and pay a grateful homage to
their venerable aches, by all the decent marks
of a refpexful commemozation.
Permit me now, after this sketch of our
main purpose, which compos'd the first arti
cle, to ſubmit in the
IId, The pleas and motives, from which
we would humbly pzefume on pour concur-
rence with it.
Tho' we might here enlarge with the bet
ter confidence, fince, having gone thro' the de-
tail of our defign, the number, weight, and
impoztance of the feveral heads, might in
themselves belpeak pour cando2; yet, foz that
very reason, we thall be concile upon it, lea-
ving the mention of them to include the mo-
tives, and pzefs their native fozce on the
judgment of this audience.
Kumerous as they be, difficult as they
map appear, if we engage peur appzobation
of a ſcheme, which is contriv'd to be a lafting
honour, intercft, and entertainment to our
country, the difficulty will be only an incen-
tive to our induſtry, and like the palm we
aim at, we shall rise against the pzeffure.
Poz
[ 40 ]
Noz thall we despair, while lo manp infti-
tutions are on foot, that are uſeleſs, or in-
cumbzances, that one at leaf will be allow’d,
let me lap, indulg'd, which is intrinsically
valuable, which is folidly beneficial to the
public, to every rank of mankind.
There is, indeed, one fingularity in our
scheme, which we hope will be pardon'd, we
muſt be diligent to merit pour favour, befoze
we can lap a claim to it.
It must be fuftain'd by care, and recom-
mended by affiduity.
It cannot be finifh'd at once, like a turn of
interelt, by the tathionable arts of managing
the humours and crises of the great, of fa
crificing your fouls, and putting pour necks
beneath the feet of the mightp.
No! we mulk fudy to deſerve well, befoze
we can expect it. Attention, and vigilance,
are our avenue to fuccefs ; and like the dawn-
ings of antient Kome, many a conqueſt muſt
be atchieb'd befoze a triumph.
Map the omen pzofper, and yield, at length,
a fortunate resemblance!
In thost, to be pzimitive, is the beauty of
religion; to be juff, elegant, extenfive, is the
crown of knowledge.
This only is our plan.
To free the mind from darkness and fets
ters, that moze than Egyptian bondage, the
flavery of the underſtanding.
To oppoſe a tyranny over the body is
the natural bent of an English spirit; and
thall the free-bon foul, the immoztal part,
be a baffal.
Affert pour felves, my fellow chriftians :
In learning and religion, fee with your own
2
epes,
[ 41 ]
epes, think with pour own judgments:
What is moze beautiful than truth? What
is dearer than liberty?
On this Befis, let our firuaure riſe; if
there be any luffre in the fame, the honour of
our native country; any allurement in fur-
paffing former oz pzesent times; if there be
any thing advantageous o2 pleafing in uni
verfal knowledge; any thing great of awful
in the primitive church; let all conspire to
recommend our attempt. Suffer me once to
congratulate with you the firſt riſe of a de-
fign, which contributes to all of them.
In this affair, we appeal from ignozance
to politenefs, from modern delufion to anti-
ent chzistianity, from the adversaries of learn-
ing, to pou, whom we wou'd make the pa-
trons and pzotēάozs of it.
Let the dignity, the wosth of the underta-
king be ſome atonement foz the imperfecions
of those, who embark in it. Let the design
engage pour judgment, and let the execution
of it be the objeæ of pour humanity.
. B. If there be any Propofition in these, oz
any of my writings oz dilcourles, repugnant to any
law in this kingdom, it is lo far acknowledg’o to be
falle, fince a thing may be falle in law, and yet may
be true in divinity, fact, o2 argument: 02, in other
wozds, a Pzopofition may be judicially fallé, and pet
really true.
AHE
H D M JL D
DJ
R THE
Following LJ TURG Y.
1
بم
1
7
田田​8
2 LJM. t. 13.
Hold fast the form of found
words, which thou haft
heard of me.
HAT the apofile aims at by the
fozm of found wozds in this dire-
aion to Timothy, muſt be ſome par-
ticular inftruœion on the ſubjca of religion,
which he receiv'd of him, and was expzlly
and inviolably to maintain; he dircas him
here to preserve it in his thoughts, and lup
post it with firmness.
I chule therefoze to place this fentence of
fcripture at the head of my present discourse
on this Liturgy of the Ozatory, becauſe it
is, in the moſt impartial fenfe, a fozm of
found wozds. Foz if à fozm of pzayer, which
is entirely taken out of the Bible, and the
writers of the apoftolic age, and of the an-
*ient church of Chzift, as this is, be not a
fözm of found wozds, we must despair of
ever meeting with fuch a fozm, and there can
be none of that kind compos’d in the chzißi-
an world.
Permit me firli to explain to pou the wozd
Liturgy; it is a Greek wozd, and in ritual
writers it generally means the axion of one,
mha
[ 46 ]
who is to appeale God bp facrifice. Hence
this word was uſually confin’d to the com-
munion-office, becauſe there, accozding to the
univerfal primitive doarine, the bead and
wine are folemnly offer'd to God in facrifice,
as his gifts and property, lent to us foz his
glozy, and our benefit: and in that part of
divine wozhip, the facrifice of Chziſt upon
the cross is commemozated, and repzesented
anew to God the father, in the name and te-
half of the whole church of Chzift. This is
the reason, that the communion office only
ought to be properly call'd the Liturgy, be-
cauſe in that only the antient church taught
there was a proper facrifice of the bead and
wine, as God's gifts, and symbols of Chzill's
body and blood; and this all the old Litur-
gies agree in, none excepted. So that if pou
find any communion-office to want that facri-
fice of the bread and wine, it deviates from
the antient Liturgies. Foz the bare facrifice
of paper, and pzaile, is figurative, and is
not that fria facrifice, in which all the anti-
ents agree.
Now the word Liturgy is apply'd to any
public form of pzaper oz wozship, and in con-
formity to that large prevailing sense of the
wozd, I here use it in the fame acceptation.
Give me leave, after this account of the
wozd Liturgy, now to explain what I mean
by the wozd Primitive.
Bp Primitive, I mean molt antient, of
the earlief use in the church of God: that is,
the Gld and New Testament, and the firſt
writers after them. Next to the Bible, the
greatest value is to be fet on theſe antient
wri
[ 47 ]
writers; and where the mind of Chzift and
the apofiles is dark, doubtful, oz imperfcas
ly given us in the New Teftament, (as all
confefs it ſometimes is, foz all make ufe of
the oldest writers to justify their tenets,
where they can, when thep are told those te-
nets are not literally in the New Testament)
I lay, where our fcripture is obfcure, o2
dubious, the primitive writers are the bel
explainers of it. And this is an agrerd
marim. For instance; the obligation of the
chzillian fabbath, (as fome call it) oz Tozd's
day, the baptizing of infants, the govern-
ment of the church by bishops over large dio-
cefes, the neceffity of forms of pzaper, and
several other things held by various profeffi-
ons, are none of them clearly enjoin'd, 02 let
forth, in the New Teftament, foz then there
would have been no farther diſpute about
them; but thep that maintain thofe doarines,
lap, that the primitive writers tell them fo;
they lay, that they are the principles and the
cuffoms of the antient church, and that these
principles and cuſtoms are the beſt interpze-
ters of God's wozd, in these matters. Do
that you see, I hold no moze, in point of
principle, than all other chziftians would be
thought to hold; but I have found several
matetial articles in the primitive writers,
maintain❜d by them as openly, and as genes
rally, as those above-mention'd, and which
thole chziſtian pzofcffiong do not elpoule froni
thole writers, ez affirm the contrary: and
therefore I encounter them with their own
weapons, either let them admit the primitive
evidence in all cafes, where it really shews
it felf, og let them kozbear to plead that evi-
dence
[ 48 ]
dence in any cafe. I have the fame right of
inaking my appeal to antiquity, as they
have; and there is not a pzofeſſion in Chzi-
Hendom, which does not hold something that
is not in the New Testament, and which it
takes from the nearcft times of antiquitp to
it.
Foz inftance: Every profeffion among us
afferts, that the collection of writings which
we call the New Teffament is of divine in
(piration and authority. But where are we
told in the New Testament that Mark and
Luke were infpir'd ? They were not apofiles,
but evangelifts; they were not of the twelve,
nez is it faid in the New Telkament, that
their books are of divine authozity. True,
the antient church receib'd them, and there-
foze they are receiv'd. Nay, where is it ſaid
o2 attefted, that the pzelent books, which
make our New Teffament, are all that thou'd
make it, og that all og any of them were
written by the persons, whose names they
bear, oz that they are compleat and unco2-
rupted, as they left them, oz that we are
oblig❜d to receive them as divine? All this
we have from the witness of the antient
church. These books neither do, no2 can at-
tell themselves, but the primitive writers
are, and are agreed to be, the vouchers of
them.
So that, pou oblerve, all pzofeffions hold
fomething, only from the primitive writers,
which thep do not expzeflp find in the scrip-
ture it felf, and therefore they are bound by
their own principles to join iffue with me,
and own the most antient writers to be good
evidence in all matters equally attested by
them.
2
The
[ 49 ]
The word primitive being thus clear'd, we
come next to the wozd zatozy: This is ta
ken in a variety of lenles; it either means
a place, where devotions, oz ozations, 02
both are us'd; o2 the perfons that join and
affiй in them; oz it implies the art of rheto-
ric, oz of speaking well. It is here taken
o2
foz the place and perlons of this affembip,
and it is dedicated to all the purposes of uni-
versal learning, as well as religion; fo that
it is not only the most rational and uſeful,
bur the most compleat and polite inftitution
of the kind that has appear'd, unless any
other can be produc'd, which is equally cal-
culated to all those purposes. There are in-
deed what are call'd congregations and fas
thers of the Ozatozy abroad, founded by
Philip of Neri, but that is a mena-
fic inftitution, and entirely ecclefiaftical.
The famous Malebzanche, authoz of the
fearch after truth, was one of them. Map
that be the fearch, and the attaiument of our
zatozy. What is truth, is a hazd question
of Pilate; and it would be fill moze hard, if
there was not, at leaff, one public inftituti-
on in the world foz the refolving it. The ans
tiquity of Ozatozics in the Jewish and Chzi-
Nian churches, with the antient and modern
authorities foz them, from Epiphanius, Et.
Cave, Horneck, Wilkins, Ec. will be elle-
where confider'd
I call this the first part of the Liturgy,
because it is only defign'd as an introducion
to moze fubfequent parts: It will always
be us'd, but it will not be the only one that
will be us'd. I intend the whole to be a
compleat ſyſtem of public and private devos
G
tions,
[ 50 ]
tions, in the most pzimitive method, foz all
the intentions of the chzillian life, that all
people map have the fatisfacion of pzaping
to God, as near as poffible, in the way in
which the first believers prap'd to him, and
so have a greater comfost in their worthipping
of God, and a greater fecurity that their
pzapers will be accepted, their fins pardon'd,
their departure out of this life peaceable, and
their everlasting happiness attain'd.
This at present is only a form of mozning
and evening paper, being all that we have
immediate occafion foz: The reft will be pub-
lifh'd, when the exigency of the thing re-
quires it.
A fozm of paper is expzeffing our defires
to God in fet words, matter of method.
There is nothing in the fcripture it felt that
obliges us, oz even inakes it moze conveni-
ent, always to use the very fame words when
we pzap; it leaves it entirely to pzivate dif-
cretion and ability. If a man be not able
to barp his language when he pzaps, he
ſhould use a fogm; but if he be able, he is at
liberty to alter his expzeffions, as his mind
and devotion prompt him.
But here it is to be observ'd, that it is
the matter and method of paper, that make
the fozm, as much as the wolds: they that
change their wolds, have the materials and
ozder of them frequently dispos’d befoze; and
by this means they use a form; as well as
others, who uſe always the fame words.
They may have the matter and method in
their underſtandings, and leave the expzeffi-
on to follow. This is pzaping by a form in
the mind; and the only question is, whether
we
[51]
we thall be confin'd to the fame wozds on all
occations. God has decreed nothing in this
matter, noz has Chzift left an authozity with
any person among us to decide it. The king
is confefs'd to be head of the church; and he,
with the parliament, have empower'd all
religious affemblies to use their own method
of paper.
This therefoze is not impos'd as neceffa-
ry, (no man having a right to over-rule ano-
ther in this cafe) but is only propos'd as
expedient.
of
No party ever pet oppos'd the use of forms
paper, as fuch, in general. Baxter com-
pos'd a fcripture-fozm, which he offer’d to the
church-divines, after the reſtozation. The
direcozp amounted pzetty near to a ſyſtem of
fozms; and several diffenters have written
fożms of pzaper, as Henry in particular.
All that thep oppole, is the being confin'd
to one fozm moze than another; because as
Chzift has left this point free, it ought, in
their opinion, to continue fo. It is not con-
trary to their principles to use a gzeat part of
the common papers; but to be oblig'd to
use them, and no other, without a fufficient
divine authority to lap a reftriation, is what
thep rejec as unchziftian.
In the most early times, after Chiff, we
do not pet find a clear pzoof, that the pzimi-
tive church always us’d the lame wozds,when
thep pzap'd in public. The fame matter and mee
thod of paper in the facrament was commonly
us'd; and this is teſtify'd by the consent of
the oldest Liturgies, all concurring in the
fame matter and method. And the moderns
have departed from that identity of matter
G 2
and
[ 52 ]
and metnod in the old Liturgies: this is
what is charg'd upon them; not departing
from the words and language, which were
left, as far as I can find, in the first ages,
arbitrary and unimpos'd. But the matter
and method are the most effential things, and
the very words themselves are lefs confide-
rable; so that the prefent question with the
moderns is a moze important question, than
that which relates to fozmis of paper, as
meant of the wozds only.
This is a those comment on forms of paper,
to explain that part of the title of our Litur
gy, which laps, it is not impos'd as necef-
fary, but barely p2opos'd as expedient, till
by pzoper feps a perfec Liturgy can be had;
that is, a Liturgy perfecly primitive.
The next thing is, that it is full: that is,
it takes in all the necessary parts of paper,
and each article proper to each part, exprefly,
02 by a natural and ready implication. Fo
no form in the wozld can expzels every poffi-
ble want, oz every poffible defire of all per-
fous, who join in each congregation: who
knows the whole heart, and all the private
withes and neceßitics of every individual
person? All that can be done, is to reduce
them to the most compleat general heads,
and leave each person, when the paper is
faid, privately to mention, o2 offer, his pe
culiar occasions under its pzoper division in
the service.
The next point is, that it is regular: Pot
that this first part of the Liturgy is fram'd
in the most natural difpofition of the parts of
pzaper: I would chew mp charity and re-
spec to the service commonly us’o, lo as not to
hock
[ 53 ]
thock the people, at firff, by too grofs a de-
parture from it. I have therefoze chosen to
put this part in the common method, to com-
ply with the prepoffeffions of weak brethren,
and therefoze pou fee it entirely runs in the
ufual channel.
Only, that it is compendious; it has been
complain'd, that there is a tedious length in
the ſervice, and a repetition of the lame
things; which palls and flattens devotion,
and often debars men from the public affem-
blies.
This, perhaps, map partly ariſe from the
confufion of putting three ſervices into one
in the matting, the litany, and the commu-
nion-office.
As I have here kept this method, it has
foze❜d me alfo to fome repetitions, which had
I cholen another method, I would have
avoided. But thep are extremely few. I
have made the epifle and goſpel ſupply the
place of the second mozning leflon, becauſe
thep are out of the New Teffament; I only
ule one hymn after a leffon, becauſe the
others often come in courfe, in reading the
plalms and leflons: I have reduc'o the lita-
ny and verficles to less than a fourth part of
the fozmer, and pet have included all the
fense.
If therefoze any juft exceptions can be
laid again the fulness, regularity, and
bzevitp of this firſt part of the Liturgy of
the @zatozp, they are luch only, as neceffari-
Ip arife from the ufual method of the service,
to which I thought it proper to limit mp felf
in this first effay, and which, when I com-
poſe a form in its natural ozder, will be per-
fcaly
[54]
fealy redzefs'd. But I had powerful rea
fong at first to use this method, and therefoze
cannot juffly be chargeable with anp objeai-
ons that are only owing to the course and
neceffity of that method, and not to my par-
ticular choice o2 difpofition.
In order to make this Liturgp the moff
unexceptionable, and fuch a one as men,
however differing in religious opinions,
should be most likely engag'd to agree in, I
have drawn the greatest part of it from the
fcripture it felf. man must be warp in
objeæing to it, foz fear of objeæing to his
Bible. It is not I, but God himself, that
fpeaks in almost every page of it: It is the
language of Canaan; and to speak mp p2t-
vate opinion, I think it a great prefumption
foz imen to put their own compofitions into
public forms of devotion. One man having as
good a right to compole pzapers as another,
there will be no end of human compofitions;
and if it be poffible to dzaw up a Liturgy,
that thall bid the fairest fo2 uniting all chzi-
ftians in its ufe, it must either be a scripture-
Liturgy, o2 none at all; fo2 if men will not
agree to use the language of God, how thall
thep agree in the language of a pooż możtal,
like themselves?
This I employ therefoze, as an expedient
to make different parties join in the fame
worship; and I need not tell you, how ami-
able a thing it is to dwell together in unity.
What I have not dzawn from those books
that are, among us, fcripture, I have
dzawn from other pzimitive writings, that
are receiv'd publickly; as the pzaper of Chip-
foftom,
[55]
foffom, the most antient Liturgy of the Apos
ftolical Constitutions, Ec.
There have been large differences about
the genuineness and authoz of that book :
What most learned men now agree in, is
this, that it is a faithful and authentic re-
pozt of the principles and cuſtoms of the a-
poftolic age, and of the times neareſt to it.
It is fufficient that the ſenſe of it is apo-
ftolical, and moft trulp pzimitive: I do not
contend about the wozds, but I affure pou
of one thing, that there is so large a number
of unexceptionable witnelles in antiquity to
theſe confiitutions, that if they be not au-
thentic, we shall hardly know what is au-
thentic. The fame men atteft the conftituti›
ons, who atteft the New Teffament; and
therefoze if we must not believe the evidence
of the conſtitutions, how muſt we believe the
evidence of the other?
If any person objets, they are interpola-
ted, and therefoze lefs to be credited; I
would know, when, and where, and by whom
they were interpolated? How do I know,
by that way of arguing, but my Bible map
be interpolated and cozrupted ? Men mußt be
cautious of reaſonings, that will ſhake all
the traditional certainty of our religion.
I therefoze, on the most clear and univer-
fal histozical demonſtration, receive the con-
ftitutions, as an exact account, in fubftance,
of the thoughts and cuſtoms, the worship
and difcipline of the primitive church; and
as luch, I have tranfplanted ſome pzapers
from them, which are most truly apoftolical.
And there is a fimplicity, an elevation, a
grandeur, and a flame of pzimitive devotion
2
in
[56]
in the papers of the conftitutions, which are
not to be parallel'd in the belt human compo-
fitions.
A dedicate this Liturgy tó all fincere Lo-
vers of their religion, and of their country.
Foz what christian can be against the pzimi-
tive church, and what Englishman, but muff
wish it was recover'd? Every friend to truth,
learning, charity, and moderation, mufi be
a well-wither to a religion that promotes all
of them; and all, who admire the good old
days of their belt and wifelt fozefathers,
muft long foz its revival: I could demon-
frate, that the pzimitive syffem is the molt
advantageous to civil government, and to
the lives, liberties, and pzoperties of men *;
but this muſt neceffarily be the lübject of a
feparate confideration: However, that those
daps were good, as well as old, let their
histozy demonftrate, that they were our belt
fozefathers, let their charaters, lives, and
ſufferings pzove, and that they were allo
wifeft, let the advantages, the oppoztunities
they enjoy's, by their nearness to thoſe who
knew Chzilt in the fleth, be a convincing ar-
gument.
Advance we now to the pzeface of our Li-
turgy.
* Because it diſclaims all the dominion of men
over the faith of others, and all compulsive claims
of power, tythes, dues, and fecular emoluments.
Here
[57]
Here is one expzemion, that may demand
an explanation: It is faid, that the confti-
tutions of Clement may juflp enough be
call'd the apoules common-player-book; by
this it is meant, that the matter of the pzap-
ers, in the conftitutions, was often us❜d as it
stands, in the apoftolic age; not that they
us'd any particular common-paper-book;
but this is the most antient and beſt atteffed
Liturgy we have, since the times of the apo-
files: lo that whenever a pzaper is call'd here
apoftolical, it is meant, that it is taken from
thole conftitutions.
The ensuing paragraph appeals to the ages
of the four first general councils, foz the reli-
gion of the Ozatozp. They were the first of
Rice, in the pear 327 after Chzift: that of
Conlfantinople, in the pear 383: of Ephesus,
in the pear 433; and of Chalcedon, in the
pear 451. So that these ages are the best
part of the five first centuries
The reason of bringing the primitive times
fo low as this period, is, that the four firſt
general councils are allow'd to be judges of
orthodoxy by act of parliament, 1 Eliz. ch. 1.
Now if they be judges of the purity of faith,
which is the most fundamental part of the
chziftian religion, confider'd as a particular
religion, the times in which they flourish'a
muff be allow'd ozchodor in wozſhip by our
laws. The old Liturgies, to which I ap-
peal, which all agree with one another in
certain points, and in the fame points differ
from the modern, were all within this peri-
od. So that the old Liturgies, the matter
and method of which I contend to be ſo pzi-
mitive and apoftolical, and pet upon this
群
​autho
[58]
authority in law, that the four firft general
councils, which us’d the form of the old Li-
turgies, are made judges of orthodoxy bp
our ftatutes. So that we muff beware we
are not condemn'd by our own judges of oze
thodorp.
In the it Homily concerning the farra-
ment, the church establishes the sense and
pzacice of the primitive fathers in divine
mozhip to be the best rule, to be especially
and before all things obferv’d. This is all
we pretend: but the practice of those fathers
materially differs from the modern patice.
We therefoze comply with that homily, in
obferbing, befoze all things, the primitive
practice; and ours is the avow'd p2inciple of
the church of England, which differs in
pzacice from her own p2inciple: and an evi-
dence, who contradias himself, is not to be
belieb'd. Left any should think we fetch the
primitive church too low, by taking in the
fibe ages of theſe councils, we add this re-
frixion, that if an oppofition be pzob'd be-
tween the general fenfe of any two periods of
time in that compafs, and all other reaſons
be equal, we adhere to the sense of the moze
antient; ſo that by enlarging the primitive
period, we do not the leak injuftice to the
higheйt antiquity.
The Wonderful agreement of all the anti-
ent Liturgies is a p200f, that the whole
church of Chziff, however dilpers'd in time
and place, did concur in one certain method
of divine worſhip in the facrament, tho' they
did not always ule exacly the fame wozds.
And this general confent, confirm'd by the
opinions and writings of all ages, is to me
a p200f,
L 59 J
a proof, that thep look'd upon that method
to be the will of Chzift and the apoffles. Foz
why should they else be lo tenacious of it at
all times, and in all places ? It is from a
confent, like this, that we take the truth of
the New Testament: and if we deny to be
concluded by ſuch a conſent in the cafe of Li-
turgies, we thake our belt argument for our
fcripture. This tends to deftrop all reveal'd
religion : ſo that it is not a flight matter foz
which we contend.
This univerfal agreement is a proof of
the will of Chzift and his apoffles, and their
will is obligatozy on every chziſtian.
There is no private hypothesis, oz theory,
no flight of fancy, in this scheme; it is an
expzefs application to the antient writers,
and the faas of our religion. So that there
is not a line of a paper of my own compo-
fing in the Liturgy, noz any mixture of my
imagination in the ecclefiaftical inftitution ef
the_ozatozp. The next paragraphs of the
pzcface relate to the notion of fchifm, and the
proving this to be no new pzofeffion of chzi-
fianity.
As to the first, I would ask this queſtion,
Who is a judge between me and God, in the
cale of mp religion? If God has made no
fuch judge, I have as good an authozity to
pzefcribe to another, as he has to me; and he
is, by conſequence, as much guilty of a
fchifm from me, as I am from him, if we
take different methods of worship.
So that the notion of ſchilm falls fo far
equally on either fide,because none has a great-
er right of judging than another. If realon-
ing will conclude it, I lay, that he who fe-
D 2
parates
[60]
perates from the antient way of worship of
the primitive church, is guilty of the fepa-
ration, because the most pzimitive must be
the most true.
The church of Home calls those schisma-
ticks, who leparate from her, tho' they plead
her erros and cozruptions for that fepara-
tion. But do they therefoze think themselves
fchifmaticks, in the fight of God, becaufe
the calls them fo? No, lap they, we think
the is grofip erroneous, and therefoze we le
parate from her; we regard not her charge of
Schifm, becauſe we have reaſon to ſeparate,
and the has no authozity to oblige us to the
contrary.
I use the fame plea, I think the modern
churches grofly erroneous, and I therefoze
divide; and I think he only that separates
from the primitive church is guilty of fchifm.
And whom has God made a judge between
us, to determine the controversy ?
An authority of judging foz another in
points of religion, can never be a pzoteffant
principle, but a contradicion to it: Indeed
the fioman church is admitted by all of that
communion to judge foz them, becauſe thep
look upon her to be infallible; but the res
fozin'b allow no infallibility any where:
What difference is there between popery and
pzoteffantilm, if, in the pzoteftant religion, I
Have not the liberty to judge foz mp ſelf? oz
if a man be oppzefs'd fożhis religious opini-
ons? If a proteftant church lets up a right
of judging foz others, the Komith church
does no moze only the abfurdity is, that
the former judges foz you, without ſo much
as pretending to be moze infallible than you
are
[61]
are pour felf; and the other lays a claim to
infallibility: and therefoze to an implicit
faith in her followers.
Having clear'd the charge of fchilm by the
mant of infallible authozity, and a proper
right to decide, (belides the invalidity of the
English epifcopate) we go on to thew, in the
fame paragraph of the pzeface, that there is
nothing new in our pzofeffion. All parties
have in some degree, ever appeal'd to the
pzimitive writers, and none think a form, in
it ſelf, unlawful. Indeed none have folemn-
Ip made this simple appeal che foundation of
a diftina profeffion in this manner; uone have
made any regular fieps to an antient Litur-
gy, by propofing either an entire, o2 a mix’d
plan of that tendency: so far this is parti
cular; but it is no diſadvantage, unlêfs to
frike into a path that has been hitherto
elcap'd, can be term'd an objection. Our
principles are the fame with those of manp
others, but our application of them, and our
execution of the defign is different.
In the concluding paragraphs of the pre-
face we teftifp our charitp to those that differ
from us, that we are not only willing, but
defirous to communicate with them, as far
as we are capable; we alſo protect agains
heterodorp oz cozruption, neither of which
can be pzimitive: But to enlarge the bounds
of certainty in knowledge, human and divine,
and to advance, by that means, the utmoſt
happiness of mankind in this world and
another, is the full extent of the purpose of
the @zatozy.
The
[ 62 ]
The next article is the Kubzicks, ſo call'd,
becauſe antiently written in red charaters
by way of diftinaion
The first there denotes, that as we differ
in our ſentiments of a chziſtian Liturgy from
others, we allo vary in our reading and
preaching. We infilt on a fudy and practice
of the proper natural rules of speaking and
action, as the most perfec manner of enfoz,
eing the wozd of God; and we think a pzeach-
er oblig'd in confcience to ufe che molt perfec
manner of delivering it.
And that this may not be thought merelp
external and ſuperficial, we expzeſly require
it to be founded on a juft impzeffion in the
mind and heart of the preacher, and a readp
memożp oz command of the whole perfoż-
mante.
We demand the fame in our reader, that
the public devotions map not suffer in their
fozce oz influence by the injustice that is done
them in the pzacice of them.
This is the first inftitution, that enjoins
this regular diſcharge of reading and pleach-
ing; and it is the height of all that can be
propos'd in those funcions.
The fermons and lexures are allo direct-
ed to be a compleat course of theology in all
its bzanches. This is another advantage in
our design.
The primitive church is to be the standard
of all; and that the government map_be_fa-
tisfy'd of our peaceful behaviour, it is a di-
ftinct rule, That nothing contrary to the
laws of the realm be ſaid 02 done in the Oza-
tozy. We could easily demonftrate, that pzi,
mitive chziſtianity is not only the most inof-
I
fenfive,
[63]
fenfibe, but the moſt commodious to the civil
rights and welfare of this kingdom, of any
other religious fpitem.
I have divided the mozning-paper into
thee services, as they really are diftinct in
themselves, and the neceffitp from cuftom of
ufing them all together is a confusion in me-
thod.
In the preparatozp lentences of feripture T
have inserted a number that relate to this con-
gregation, as it stands peculiarly diftin-
guish'd on the antient footing: Some allo
are interwoven, which belong to the qualifi-
cation of heart we ought to obtain, befoze we
begin the service of God; for this was all
neceffary to introduce the whole devotion.
In the exhortation (which is in fcripture-
wolds, as alſo are the confefſion and abſolu-
tion) there is an encouragement to recover
the antient faith, by the unity it would pzo-
duce in judgment and religion. This takes
in befipes, all the parts of pzayer, and hear-
ing the word of God.
The confeflion includes every article of the
acknowledgment of fin, repentance, paper
foz pardon, and amendment. The abfolution
is á declaration of the Gospel-authozitp_in
the verp words of that commiſſion, to remit
and retain fins. The parts immediately fol-
lowing, which are fcriptural, oz primitive,
are retain 'd.
The Glozia Patri is made entirely pzimi-
tive, it being, in the fich, ages, the univerfal
cuſtom to give glopp to the father, th20', o2 by
the son, in the holy ghoul. Glozy to the holp
ghoff is not the primitive chzillian wozſhip.
There
[64]
There is nothing requisite to be farther
clear'd; the players being ſcriptural, o2 apo-
folical, are therefoze liable to no objection, to
which the compoſition of a mere man would
have been obnoxious.
I shall conclude with one remark on the
evening ſervice: that, as in the mozning,
there was one leffon from the old testament,
fo in the evening, one is directed from the
new: and from fuch writings, as were us'd
in the primitive church. Foz the two epiftles
of St. Clement to the Cozinthians, the epiftle
of Barnabas, the book call'd the shepherd of
Hermas, and the conſtitutions of Clement,
and some other writings, were publickly re-
ceiv'd and read, as the scripture, befides
the books of our New Teftament, if thep
were all read in the times of highelt antiquis
ty: We take the liberty to vary our liturgy,
bery much from the pattern of the common
praper book, which has been moze than once
alter'd; tho' at first it was enacted to have
been made by the aid of the Holp Gholf; and
one specimen of the judgment shewn in the
alteration of it is this: In the paper foz
the Parliament, in the reign of Charles II.
the word Heligious was added to the king's
title; an epithet which some will not think
the most ftrictly pzoper to that Pzince, when
they consider (besides other things) that in
Scotland he took the covenant, and made a
declaration reflecting as deeply on his father's
memszp, as his greatest enemies ever pze=
tended to reflect upon him,
THE
THE
Primitive Liturgy:
Foz the Ule of the
DRA L
RAID R D.
1
PAKT J.
Being a Form of Mozning and Evening
Prayer, not impos'd as neceflary, but pras
pos'd as expedient; as full, regu ar and
compendious, as the ufual method will
admit; taken entirely from Scriptnre, and
the primiaoe Writers, but eſpecial p the
moff antient and authentick Liturgy of the
Apoftolical Conftitutions.
PAYATAKARANAGA PAPARABACALARALANJ
i
--
4.
A
i
All fincere Lovers of their
Religion,
And of their Country ;
Of Truth, Learning, Charity, and
Moderation;
ID
All honeft Admirers of the good old
Days of their belt and wiselt Fole=
fathers,
छ
This First Part of the
Primitive LIT U KOP
Is most humbly dedicated.
!
!
I
Preface.
this Eflap, the method of the ufual
service is preferv'o, in compliance with
the usage and taste of the people; what
is fcriptural and primitive, is retained:
Pzolirity and repetition are avoided, and the
reft fupplicd from the word of God and the
molt antient Liturgy of the Conltitutions of
Clement, which may justly enough be called
the * Apoltles common paper-book, having
been proved in the main genuine, and much
the most valuable relique of facred antiquity.
The religion of the @zatozy is that of the
primitive church, in the ages of the four first
general councils; they are appzoved by par-
liament, 1 Eliz cap. 1. And the fence and
practice of the primitive fathers, in divine
wozhip, is established by the church of Eng-
land, as the best rule, TO BE SPECJ-
ALLH AND BEFORE ALL THINGS
obferved; that is, even befoze her own rules
and pzacice, if they ſhould happen to depart
from the original ſtandard. Hom. i. Concern-
ing the facrament. Part I. So that the
church of England is really with us, we ap-
peal to her own principles, and we ſhall not
deviate from her, unicls the deviates from
herself, and thoſe verp primitive fathers and
councils, which the pzoteffes to receive.
In the first ages of the church we make
this difference. we pay the
"""eateff deference
* Note. Whenever a pzayer, &c. is called here
apoftolical, it is meant, that it is taken from thofe
Conftitutions.
[70]
to the most antient: fo that if a contradicion
be demonftrated, between the ſenſe of a fozmer
and a fubſequent period, in those times, we
do, ceteris paribus, pzefer the fozmer.
We profefs to ufe, as far as we are allow-
ed any primitive Liturgy. that falls within
that compafs of time. But, as antiently, all
the forms of paper do not appear to have
been written, we do not think the use of a
written form to be, in it felf, cffential. The
oldeſt chziſtians conveyed ſeveral of their
fozms of pzaper, as well as of faith, by ozal
tradition, concealing them in a może myftcri-
ous manner, to pzevent their abuſe and p20-
fanation by the heathens, as well as foz other
reasons. Forms they were; fettled modes
of expzeffing their devotion and belief, in re-
ality; tho' not alwaps, 02 neceffarilp written,
but communicated by wozd of mouth to the
Heμvnul'or, 02 the initiated, thoſe who were ad-
mitted to baptiſm, and the holy communion.
The most perfect chzistian worthip is that,
which, by the general teftimony of the first
ages, appears to be moſt ſuitable to the will
of Chziſk and his apoſtles. Till that can be
perfectly had, this Liturgy is offered as one
Step towards it. The knowledge of their
will is obligatozy on the conscience of every
chzinian, and the universal fiple and confent
of the antient Liturgies and writers, is a
demonftration of their will, equally, as we
believe the like teftimony to prove the canon
of the New Telkament. To deny this evi-
dence. will invalidate our Bibles; and co2-
ruption, crroz, infidelity and atheism, are
the natural confequences of departing from
pzimitive chziſtianity.
If
}
}
[71]
If any man therefoze enquires what title
we affume diftina from other perfuafions, it
is that of the PRIMITIVE church. We
do not fozin a new theozp 2 hypothesis of our
own, upon that title, as others do, but we
appeal to the antient writers, fats, and tra-
ditional decrines themselves, and the conſent
of those writers we eftcem the bell comment
on the New Teftament.
If any person enquires, what perfuafion
we adhere to, in point of church-government,
that was in being at the revolution, (tho' it is-
not neceffarp that our perfuafion should be
then in being, all pzotekants being equally
indulged, and no particular fpfteins being
defin'd, oz limited by parliament) it is that
of chofe, who judge themselves not to depend
on other congregations.
This we maintain, till a * neceflary de-
pendency is pzoved from the pzimitive wri-
fers. This, and the right of judging foz our
felves in religion, and other reasons we have
ro plead, will as fullp answer any charge of
fchifm upon us, as it will vindicate all other
pjoteffants, in being DISSEPTEKS
FROM THE CHVKCH OF KOME: Vot
me add, by the way, that the pzimitive church
was, oz pretended to be in being, at and be-
foze the revolution, fince every fea did then
pzetend to be pzimitive, and feveral of their
leading men argued on our principles, that
is, they made the consent of the antients the
* One reaton, among many others against ichiẩm,
is, that M. P.'s confecrating clause made him no bi
thop, so that we have no clergy. Another, in this
Diocele of L. that there are laid to be thzee, who pre-
tend to be bishops of it, a papiſt, a nonjuroz, and a
churchman, where therefoze the ſchifm lies, is a mys
Hery,
beit
[72]
helf evidence, next to fcripture; we hold no
principle, that was not held by some of them
at and befoze that time; ſo that our Scheme
is far from being novel, oz giving rife to a
new set. Tho' it is certain, that one man is
at liberty to offer and pursue his sense of an-
tiquity, as much as another, provided he
aa's conformablp to the laws of the kingdom.
No personal reflexions, railings of inve-
aives on those who differ from us, thail ever
enter the difquifitions of the Ozatozy. All
the weapons we pzcfels to ule, are thofe of
learning, reaſon, and univerfal charity.
There is nothing in our scheme, which
tends to heterodoxy of cozruption: Thele
could never have tainted anp ecclcfiaftical in-
ffitution, was each adjuſted by the primitive
fandard.
The other parts of our Liturgy shall be
occasionally published; and the points, in
which the modern churches differ from the
pzimitive, with the rationale of the question,
thall be display'd. The antient forms of ce-
lebzating the facrifice of the altar, are ſo no-
ble, fo juft, fublime, and perfcaly harmoni-
ous, that the change, alas! has been made
to an unspeakable diſadvantage.
To conclude; no man can be an enemy to
this infitution, who is either a chziftian, oz
a friend to religion. It is defign'd to give
offence of disturbance to none, but be a com-
mon benefit to all the world. If science and
literature, if love of truth, if cando, ime
partial thinking, confcience, peace, and li-
berty, be valuable things, they are promoted
and afferted, to the last degree, in the plan of
the Ozatozy,
Casa
[ 73 ]
1.
"L
Rubzicks.
ET the reading of the Liturgy be
alwaps perform'd accozding to the
laws of speaking and action, effa-
blished in the Ozatozy, founded on a julk im,
preffion in the mind and heart of the reader,
and a ready command and memozy of the
whole fervice. The voice and gefture varp-
ing, as the thing requires.
2. Let all fermons and ozations be delivers
ed according to the fame rules of speaking
and action.
7. Let the leaurcs and readings be read
with distincnefs and pzopziety in the speak
ing and addzels.
4. Let the paper befoze lermon be entirely
left to the discretion of the preacher.
5. Let the members of the Ozatozy fozm
an amicable fociety, foz mutual defence and
convenience.
6. Let the rules of the pzimitive church be
obſerved in all things, as far as the pzeju«
dices of the world, and the circumstances of
things will allow.
7. Let nothing contrary to the laws of the
realm be faid oz done in the Ozatozp.
涯
​8. Tet
[74]
8. Let the fermons and leœures be a com-
pleat and regular courfe of pzadical and pzi,
mitive theology, in all its bzanches.
9. On the Lord's-day, between Eafter and
Pentecoff, let all pzap ſanding: let all fand,
when any part of the gospel is read.
10. Feafts, are all Lozd's-days, all Sab-
bath days, o2 Saturdays, Ealter-day, its
Daave, the 50 days from Easier to Pente-
coff; Afcenfion, and Pentecoff; besides the
kealf of the nativity, and days of the apo
fles, Ec. of later inffitution.
11. The men and women are to fit ſeparate
in the public affemblies.
12. The fafts are, Paffion-week, especial
Ip Friday and Saturday till dap-bzeak; all
Wednesdays and Fridays (except between
Easter and Pentecoft) and the five middle
daps befoze Paſſion-week, till the ninth hour,
o2 till evening. Alms, devotion, abſtinence
from fleſh and wine, Ec. are effential to faff
ing.
13. The Titanp thould be laid at noon, on
Wednesdays and Fridays.
14. Let the Pfalmody be befoze pzapers,
and befoze and after fermon, and befoze the
third ſervice at the altar: 1, 2, 3, P2 4 veries,
oz moze; as the inftituto? direas. Let the
Plalmodiſt ſay, To the plaife of God, let us
ling a part of the-Plalm, verle the-
@c.
15. Let anp eminent pzeacher, pzoperip re-
commended, be admitted to pzeach in the
℗zatozy, and to uſe his own method of
pzayer befoze fermon, the common pzapers
not being always in themſelves eſſential.
16. Het
[ 75 ]
16. Let the Ofiaries perfozm their dutp;
taking care, that the avenue to the feat dooz
be properly guarded, and no diſturbance
ariſe in the time of ſervice.
17. Let all things be done decently, and
in ozder: And the laws of the land, which
favour religious affemblics, publickly au-
thozized, be friæly put in execution.
18. Let pzimitive antiquity be the conſtant
fearch of the Ozatozy, and its prevailing mar
ims be gradually opened, fettled, and put in
pzaxice.
# 2
The
1
F
!
I
་
!
[ 77 J
The First Service.
tatatatatatatatatataksatisaksaksaksatisatieate
I.
I. Let Come of thele Scripture-Sentences be read.
Pter not into judgment with thy fer-
vant, O Tozd, foz in thy fight shall
no man living be justified.
2. Where two oz thzee are gathered toge-
ther in mp name, there am I in the midft of
them.
3. Let the wozds of my mouth, and the
meditation of my heart be acceptable in the
fight, Lozd, mp firength, and my re-
deemer.
4. Know how thou oughtelf to behave thp
ſelf in the houſe of God, which is the church
of the living God, the pillar and ground of
truth, the gates of hell thall not pzevail
against it.
5. Awake, O arm of the Lozd; awake, as
in the antient days, in the generations of
old.
6. Take away the accurled thing from a-
mongſt pou, leff pe be confumed in all their
fing.
7. Be thou infruced,
my foul depart from thee.
Jerufalem, left
8. When
[ 78 ]
8. When Hilkiah had found the book of the
law in the house of the Lozd, king Jofiah
faid, Go, enquire concerning me, and Ifrael:
foz great is the wrath of the Lozd, becauſe
our fathers have not kept the word of the
Lozd, to do after all that is written in this
book.
9. Thus faith the Lozd, Stand pe in the
waps and lee, and ask for the old paths,
where is the good way, and walk therein,
and ye shall find reft foz your fouls.
10. Be astonished, ℗ pe heavens, foż my
people have fozlaken me, the fountain of living
waters, and hewed them out broken cisterns,
devifing wicked imaginations.
11. Henceforth be no moze children, toffed
to and fro with every wind of doariue; but
fpeaking the truth in love, grow up unto him
in all things, which is the head.
12. The kingdoms of this would are be-
come the kingdoms of our Lozd, and of his
Chzift; all kings thall fall down befoze him,
all nations thall do him service, and unto
him thall the gathering of the people be.
13. There is one body, and one ſpirit, one
Lozd, one faith, one baptifm, one fold, and
one thepherd, the great shepherd and bishop
of pour fouls.
14. If any will not hear the church, let
him be to there as an heathen man, and a
publican.
15. Chzift gave himself for the church,
that it thould be holp, and without blemish.
16. Search in the books of the recozds of
pour fathers, and return to the Tozd, left
haply pe be found even to fight against God.
17. I
[79]
17. I will be fancified in thoſe that come
nigh me, and befoze all the people I will be
glozified.
is. The Lozd added to the church daily
fuch as should be saved.
19. The good Lozd pardon every one, that
prepareth his heart to feek God, the Lozd
God of his fathers, tho' he be not cleanfed
accozding to the purification of the fanduarp.
20. Sancifp the Lozd God in pour hearts:
wozthip the Tozd in the beauty of holiness.
21. He did evil, because he prepared not
his heart to feek the Lozd.
22. In the way of thp judgments habe we
waited foz thee; the defire of our foul is to
the name, and to the remembzance of thee.
23. The earth is defiled under the inhabi
tants thereof, because they have tranfgrefled
the law, and changed the Ozdinances.
24. Thou shalt ſpeak my wozds unto them,
whether they will hear, oz whether they will
fozbear. The glozp of this latter houfe thall
be greater than that of the fozmer.
The Exhostation,
Confellion,
Abfolucion,
in Scripture MoIDS.
The Erhoztation.
Early beloved bzethren, fuffer, I beseech
pou, the word of erhoztation; continue
ftedfaftly in the apostle's docrine and fellow-
thip, and contend earnestly for the faith, which
was once delivered to the faints: that pe
may all speak the same thing; that pe map
be perfecip joined together in the fame mind
and
[80]
and judgment. When pe are gathered toge
ther, in the name of our Lozd Jefus Chriff,
confels pour faults, pzaping always with all
fupplication and thanksgiving. Hear pe now
what the Tozd faith, and worship at his foot-
Gool, foz holp and reverend is his name.
The Confeflion.
Holy Lozd God Almighty, which art, and
waft, and art to come; we are befoze
thee in our treſpaſſes, and confuſion of face
belongs to us, because we have finned againſt
thee. Everp imagination of our thoughts is
ebil. We have known to do good, and
have not done it, and our mildeeds pzevail
against us. But be thou merciful to our
unrighteousness, and forgive us that great
debt. Turn not away the face of thine
anointed, Jefus Chzift the righteous, who
is the propitiation foż our fins: and let his
grace, which bringeth falvation, teach us to
live foberly, righteously and godly in this
pzesent wozid, foz Jelus lake. Amen.
The Abfolution.
Almighty God, the father of our Lozd Je-
lus Chzift, who defireth not the death of
a finner, but rather that he map turn from his
wickedness and live; juſtifying us freely by
his grace, through the redemption that is in
Chriſt Jelus; who lent his apoffles, as his
father lent him, and is with them always,
even to the end of the world: He remitteth
what-
[ 1 ]
whatsoever fins they remit, and retaineth
whatsoever fins they retain. Let us theres
foze acquaint our felves with him, and be at
peace, that we may bring forth wozthy fruits
of penance, that he would give us the mani-
felfation of the spirit, to do those things
which are pleasing in his fight, that ſo we
map enter into the jop of our Lozd, by the
name of Jelus Chziß. Amen.
Our father, Ec.
Lozd, open thou our lips.
Help. And our mouth fhall thew forth the
pzaile.
Save thy people, O Lozd.
Lozd halte thee to help us.
Glozy be to the Father, chro' the Son, in
the Holy Gholk, Ec.
Praise pe the Lozd.
The Lord's name be pzailed.
Then the Plalms for the day, with the Eloy a Patri
at the end of each, as above.
Then one hozt lellon from some of the most beautiful
parts of the Dio Teitament: Then the Hymnn.
With the heart man believeth unto righ-
teoufnels, and with the mouth confeſſion is
made unto falvation.
I Then Chall be faid aloud the mot antient creed,
made by the Apotles, mof probably about_43
years after Christ; it not being safe for a Chilkian
to confide in any Creed made by aninſpir'd mɛa ;
as all are, that are not in the Apostolical Conituus
tions, or other authentic writings of the New Tes
fament.
1. I
[82]
1. I believe one unbegotten Being, the
only true God Almighty, the Father of
Chiff, the Creatoz and Maker of all things,
from whom are all things.
2. And the Lozd Jesus Chzift, his onlps
begotten Son, the First bon of the whole
creation, who was begotten befoze the ages,
by the good pleaſure of the Father.
3. By whom all things were made, both
those in heaven, and those on earth, visible
and invifible:
4 Who in the laft daps defcended from
heaven, and took fleth, and was bon of the
holp virgin Marp;
5. And did converse holily, accozding to
the laws of his God and Father.
6. And was crucify'd under Pontius Piz
late, and died to2 us;
7. And role again from the dead, after his
paffion, the third day, and afcended into the
heavens, and fitteth on the right hand of the
Father.
8 And again is to come at the end of the
wold, with glozp to judge the quick and
the dead: of whole kingdom there shall be
no end.
9. And I believe the Holy Ghoff, that is
the Comforter, who wrought in all the faints
from the beginning of the world; but was
afterwards lent rb the apofles by the Father,
accozding to the pzomile of our Satiour and
Lozd Jefus Chzift; and after the apoffles, to
all believers in the hold catholic church:
1. And I believe the refurretion of the
fleft;
11. And the remiffion of fins;
12. And
[83]
12. And the kingdom of heaven: and the
life of the world to come. Amen.
Lozd, we believe; help thou our unbelief.
Amen.
The Lozd be with pou.
And with the fpirit.
Let us play.
Then this Apoftolical Colled.
God, the God of spirits, and of all
flesh, who art beyond compare, and fand-
eft in need of nothing; who half given the fun to
have rule over the day and the moon and
the stars to have rule over the night; Do
thou look down upon us with gracious epes,
and receive our moning thankſgivings, and
have mercy upon us; that this morning,
and this day, may be with peace, and with-
out fin, as alfo all the time of our fojourn-
ing; pzcserve us in piety and righteouſnels;
grant us the angel of peace, things good
and profitable, a chzistian departure out of
this would, and life eternal, through Chzift,
with whom, glozy, and honour, and worship
be to thee, in the holy Spirit, fog ever.
Amen.
B. In the first ages, it was always the
pzatile to give pzaile, glozp, oz thanks to
God the Father, thro' the Son, in, oz by
the Holy Ghoff; and the common doxolo
gies, CO all of them, are not pzimitive.
Chole in the Pfalmody ought to be thus
cozrected.
L2
The
[ 84 ]
光临
​The Second Service.
VIVIRAPALARAEDEDEDEDEDEAVERAMY.
A host Seripture-Titany, compzehending
all the matter of the larger.
God the father of glopp have mercy
upon us [milerable] finners.
O God, our faviour and redeemer,
Have mercp "pon, Ec
God, our comfozter and pzeſerver, habe
mercy upon, Ec.
O God, who art all in all, the bleffed and
only potentate, Er.
Hemember not, Lozd, our offences, noz the
offences of our forefathers, neither take thou
bengeance of our fins; spare us Lozd,
fpare thy people, whom thou half redeemed
with the precious blood of thy Son, and keep
not thy anger fo2 eber.
Spare us, O Lozd.
From * all evil of foul and body, open oz
fecrct, in this wozld, oz that to come, in the
day of prosperity of adversity, death and
judgment;
℗ Lozd, deliver us.
* Here mention any thing occaſionally.
Bp
[85]
By the great mpftery of godliness, God
manifeft in the flesh, juftified in the spirit,
feen of angels, preached unto the gentiles,
believed on in the world, obedient to the
cross, received up into glozp;
O Lozd, deliver us.
Let it please thee to hear us, O Lozd; bless
thy church that is (pzead ab2oad; our love-
reign king Geozge his Kopal Highness
George Prince of Wales, the Princess, and
their fue, and all the King's Houle : P20-
sper those that wait at thine altar; fand
thou in the congregation of the mighty, and
teach our fenatozs wildom; let thine epes
behold the nations, and let all the people
pzaile thre.
We beseech thee hear us, O Lozd.
Let it please thee to give power to the faint,
and to them who have no might, increase of
frength, to comfozt thoſe who are on the bed
of languishing; and to fozget not the con-
gregation of the pooz foz ever; to raise up
thole that be bowed down, and to fave fuch
as be of a contrite ſpirit ;
We beseech thee hear, O Lozd.
Let it please thee to remember those that
are in bonds, the infant and the o2phan, the
widow and the oppzefled; to bless the house
of the fervants, to look upon the afficion of
thy handmaids, and make the journey of the
traveller to pzolper; to cauſe thy people to
hzing forth the fruits of the spirit forgive
our enemies, redeem thy converts with righ-
teoufnels, and to blefs us with all bleffings,
temporal and eternal;
We beliech thee hear us. O Lozd.
4 Hire mention any perlon occafionally.
Jelu.
[86]
Telu. thou fon of David, have mercp up-
on us;
Jefu, thou lon of, Ec.
Lamb of God, that takelt awap the
uns of the wozld,
Habe mercy upon us.
Lord, deal not with us after our fing;
Neither rewards after our iniquities.
O Lord, orile, help us, and deliver us,
foz thy name's lake.
Lord, arife, help us, and deliver us foz
thine honour.
God, let thp mercy be thewed upon us:
As we do put our truff in thee.
The Apoftolical Thankſgiving.
Let us pray.
Our eternal Saviour, who alone art AI-
mightp, and the Lozd, the God of all
beings the God of our holy and blameless
fathers, the king of ages, who by Chzilk haft
made the whole world, and didt dilpole eve-
rp creature by an accurate conſtitution. How
great are thp works, O Lozd! In wildom
hau thou made them all: the earth is full of
thy creation.
Wherefoze every man ought to fend up an
hymn from his very foul to thee, through
Thzift, in the name of all the relt, fince he has
power over them all by thy appointment.
We give thee thanks foz all things,
Lord Almighty, that thou haft not taken
away thy mercies and thy compaffions from
us; but in every fucceeding generation, thou
thou boft fabe and deliver; and in the laff
days
I
[ 87 ]
days halt thou affifted_us_by_thy great
High-pzielt Jesus Christ the Son. Chou talt
Lent Chrift among men, as a man, being the
Only Begotten God; thou half made the
Comforter to inhabit ameng us, thou haft
fet angels over us; thou half bzought us in-
to being when we were not; thon takeût care
of us when made; thou meaſureft out life to
us; thou affozded us food; thou half p20=
mifed repentance. Glozy and Wothip be ra
Thee foz all these things, though Telus
Chziff, now and though all ages. Amen.
Then this Scripture Bleffing.
The Lozd blefs us and keep us; the Low
lift up his countenance upon us, and give
us peace, both now and evermoze. Amen.
1
The
[88]
The Third Service.
{kravavavavavärava?pravavalsvava
The Sum of the Law and Golpel.
Ear pe the ropal law accozding to the
fcripture; Thou shalt love the Lod
thy God with all thp foul, and thou
thalt love thy neighbour as thy felf. On
these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets.
Antiphon.
Lozd have mercy upon us, and write all
these thy laws in our hearts, we beseech
thee.
Then this Scripture-Collect, including the matter
of all the collects befoze the Epiftles and G.lpets
throughout the year.
1. Addzels.
Unto thee, O Lozd, do we lift up our
fouls: Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah,
the most High over all the earth the truc,
the living God, the everlasting ing
2. H8c-
J
[89]
2. Adozation.
Thou only haft Immortality; light is
thy garment, darkness is thp pavilion;
thou art cloathed wich honour and majeßip,
and thy greatness is unfearchable.
3. Confeffion occafional, foz Digils, Falts,
and penitential lealons.
our God, we are afham'd and bluth to
lift up our faces befoze thee; foz our iniqui-
ties are increas'd over our head, and our
trefpals is grown up into the heavens: pet
with thee there is mercy, and a broken spi
rit is thp facrifice.
We are, by nature, children of wrath, a-
lienated from the life of God, thxo' the igno-
rance that is in us; and we have made our
heart as an adamant. We have finn'd,
our almighty Father; we have finn'd againft
heaven, and befoze thee, and are no moze
worthy to be call'd thy fons. Wherefoze we
abhoz our felves, we bow down our heads,
and repent in dust and afhes: God be merci
ful to us finners, thro' Jefus Chzik our
Lozd. Amen.
4. Petition and thanksgiving, occasional
foz the Sabbath, Tod's-day, Feſtivals,
occasional lealons and exigencies.
Keceive us again, ✪ Low, that thy peoẻ
ple map rejopre in thee : Bless us, even us
âlfo, O our Father: Let thy pzelence ga
with us; fap unto our fouls, thou art our
i
falvas
[90]
falvation: Gzant us the peace, and grace to
help in every time of need: Sanaifp us
wholly, and pzeferve us blameless; let the
outgoings of the mozning and evening
pzaife thee: Make us call the Sabbath a
Delight, and let us be in the fpirit on thy
high and honourable day; remembzing that
the word was made flesh dwelt among us,
fuffer'd, role again, afcended into heaven,
and fent down the Help Ghoff the Comfozter :
remembzing thee in all thy Saints and thy
lobing kindneffes towards us, beleeching thee
to fuppip all our wants, and guide us to
chp kingdom, chzo' Jefus Chzifk our Lozd.
Amen.
Then the Epißtle and Gospel. After the
Golpel is mention'd,
Glogy be to thee, O Lozd.
After the Gospel is read,
Thanks be to thee, O God.
Then the second apoftolical Creed, made by
the Apoffles, about 64 pears after Chzift *.
[Note, That which is commonly call'd
the Apostles Creed, was made above 400
pears after Chzift by uninſpir'd men: that
call'd the Nicene, is about the fame date,
and of like compofition: that call'd of Atha-
nafius, much later. A particular account
thall be given of Creeds, in a fet diſcourſe.]
* Woth this, and the former Creed are foz THE
Trinity,
I be
[91]
I believe in God, the Vozd of the Taw,
and of the Prophets, the maker of the world;
not a Being that caus'd himself, bu. with-
out original, and inhabiting light inscceffi-
ble; Not two, three, oz manifold, but erec-
nally one only; the fupzeme gobernoz of all
things, the all-powerful Being; the Gob
and Father of Chill, of one fon, not of mas
ny; the one creatoz, preferver, and icgifieroz
of the several creatures by Chziff: who is
the only-begotten, the first-bon of the whole
creation; God the Wozd, and Man, the Me-
diatoz between God and Man, the high-
pziest of the Father: who was pleas'd to be-
come men, convers'd without fin. fuffer'o,
rose from the dead, and afcended to him that
fent him.
I believe that God is the caule of the judg-
ment, that thall be made by Chziff: the only
maker of the one Comfozter by Chrift; the
cauſe of the refurrexion, which thall be made
by Chill both of the juff and unjust; the
cause of the retribution that thall be made by
Chzift, and that the ſoul is a being rational,
free, and immoztal. Amen.
Then give out the following exercises oz
performances of the Ozatozy particulariz d
in a written paper, and fomething defcanica
upon. Then the Pfalmody, with the pzimi-
tive Glozia Patria the paper befoze fermon,
the fermon, Ec. and the bleffing,
The grace of our Lozd, Ec.
The
[92]
Evening Service.
Tufuate veturaturtenis uneatentatatatatatat
As in the morning: but let the leflon be taken out of
Come of the most beautiful parts of the New Te-
Hament, oz of luch writings as were read publickly
in the primitive church. After the leflon, the hymn,
and one of the mokk antient creeds, as above,
The Lozd be with you.
And with thy fpirit.
Let us pray.
Lozd, habe mercp upon us.
Chin, habe mercy upon us,
Lozd, habe mercy upon us:
Then this Apoftolical Collect.
Eod, who art without beginning, and
without end, the maker of the whole world
bp Chiữ, and the provider foz ir: but befoze
all, hig God and Father, the Lord of the
Spirit, and the king of intelligible and fen-
Hble beings, who balt made the day for the
X
works
[93]
works of light, and the night for the refreſhs
ment of our infirmity: for the day is thine,
the night alſo is thine, thou half pzepared
the light and the lun: Do thou now, O Lozd,
thou lover of mankind, and fountain of àlf
good, mercifully accept of this our thankf-
giving: thou, who haft carried us through
the length of the day, and halt brought us to
the beginning of the night; pzeſerve us by
Chzift, affozd us a peaceable evening, and a
night free from fin, and vouchlafe us ever-
laſting life, bp thy Chzifk, through whom
glozp, honour, and wozſhip be to thee, in the
holp
Holy Spirit, foz eber. Amen.
A Scripture-Collect of IntercelGon-
Neither pzap we foz ourſelves alone, but
foz all men, that the way may be known up-
on earth, the laving health unto all nations.
Do good in thy pleasure unto Sion, build
thou the walls of Jerufalem. Let what is
wanting be fet in ozder, and every plant that
is not of thy planting, be rooted up. Come
to the temple, like a refiner's fire, purify the
fons of Levi, and all the feed of Frael, that
they may offer an offering in righteousness
pleasant to thee, as in the days of old: @
revive this wozk in the midſt of the years, in
the midst of the years make it known. Give
the king
thy judgments, Lozd, and thp righteousness
to the King's Son. Biels his Kopal High-
nels, FREDEKJC Prince of Wales,
and all the Seed Hopal. Make kings nur
*ng fathers, and Queens mursing Mothers
ta
[ 94 ]
to the people. Hemember those who suffer
adversity, and cause the face to thine upon
the defolate. Bless and turn the hearts of
our enemies; thew us all the mercy,
Lozd, and grant us thy falvation, though
Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then a Scripture-Coiled of Thankſgiving.
God of all confolation, and father of
mercies, we, who are not worthy the leaft
of them, offer the lacrifice of pzaiſe to thee,
foz thy great goodnels to thy fervants, and
to all the earth: Thou haft fözm'd us foz thp
felf, thou holdeft our foul in life, and filleйt
us with the bleffings: Thou gavelk the on-
Ip-begotten fon a ranfom foz us, to feal a co-
benant of peace, an earnelk of the spirit, and
a hope of life eternal. Lozd, make us love
thee with fincerity, while we pzaile thee with
joyful lips, and honour thee, not only by
the offering of thanks, but by the right oz-
dering of our converfation, thro' Jefus
Chzilk our Lozd. Amen.
A Scripture-Colled to conclude.
℗ thou that heareff pzaper, be attent to
our fupplication, and do foz us above what
we are able to ask oz think: take awap the
iniquity of our holp things; make us
hearken to thy law, that thou map's hearken
unto us; let our hearts be pzesent with thee,
that we may stand in our lot, and accept our
vows with the incense of the angels befoze
thy thzone, thzo' Jesus Christ our Lozd;
thro' whom, in the Holy Ghoff, all honour,
glozy and dominion be to thee world without
end. Amen.
Then the Apoftolical Wieling.
The peace of God be with us all, Amen,
'acazako¤əcaväravaväväravavalDIA
HOMILY
The Primitive Eucharift.
estaravatavaravacadorENAVAROVAND
[97]
ACLS ii. 42.
They continued Bedfaßtly in
the apokles dodrine, and fel-
lowſhip; in breaking of bread,
and in players.
J
I is the test and Gandard of chziftiani-
tp to continue in the doarine and fels
lowship of the apoftles, as members
of the fame spiritual body, under Chzift our
head; and this is particularly to be thewon
in public wozhip, and the administration of
the holp Eucharist. The authozity and dec-
crees of any particular church, o2 society of
chzilians, if they oppose the apoftolical rule,
are antichzistian; and therefoze every chzi-
ftian is bound vigoroußip to withstand ſuch
deviations, and to procure the reformation of
them to that first, and only Standard.
This is the avow'd principle of the church
of England, in her homilies, on the subjec
of the facrament. Her wozds are thele:
re
"But befoze all things, this we muſt be
fure of eſpecially, that this fupper be in
fuch wife done and miniſter'd, as our Lozd
R
and
[98]
and Saviour did, and commanded it to be
done; as his holy apoftles us'd it, and as
the good fathers in the primitive church fre-
quented it.
35
They therefoze, who do and minifter not
this facrament as our Lo2d and faviour dia
and commanded it to be done, and as the
apoffles and primitive fathers frequented it,
befoze all things, befoze all other rules oz
ulages fohatever, contradic the declar'd pin-
tiples of the English church; and fince thep
make it different from the first institution,
thep make it no facrament, no eucharift at
all; fince all its nature, effence, and obliga-
tion, depends entirely and only on its infti-
tution: The complicated fin, the apoftafy,
the danger and ill confequences of swerving
from that inffitution, are obvious to everp
ferious enquirer.
The propofition therefore I thall go upon
thall be to trace, what was the inftituted
matter, and the primitive fozm, of the eu-
rhariff, probing it none at all, if they be al-
ter❜d.
The first part of the inftituted matter of
the eucharift is bead: The English church
faps, it is fufficient it be common wheaten
bread, but the belt and fineft that can be got-
ten: but this is not as our Lord did and
commanded it, not as the apofiles us'd it,
and the primitive fathers frequented it, ac=
cozving to her declaration of her own duty;
Foz our Lozd did, and by laping, Do this,
commanded it to be done with unleaven’o
bread; fince only that was, o2 could be ug'd,
at the paffober, part of whole concluding
cuſtoms
I
LICA
[99]
cuffoms it is on all hands agreed he perpe
tuated in this facrament.
Chzifk ate the paffover at this time with
his disciples, the evening (as it is calcula
ted) befoze that evening, when the rest of
the Jews ate it, becauſe on the day follow-
iug, he, our paflover was to be facrific'd foz
us: He put an end to the ceremony of the
pafchal lamb the night befoze he was to
be flain as our paſchal lamb, a propitiation
fog our fins: but he then perforin'd that
rite, he eat the paflover, and the pallover
could not be eaten with leaven'd bżead, fog
that would not have been, but been contrarp
to, the paffover. Compare Exod. 12. 19. with
Matth. 26. 17. Mark 14. 12. Luke 21. 7.
The apostles us'd unleaven’d bread; foz
otherwiſe the argument of St. Paul would
have been absurd, where he says, Chzift out
paffover is facrific'd foz us, therefoze let us
keep the feaff, not with the old leaven, nei-
ther with the leaven of malice and wicked-
nels but with the unleaven’d bzead of fincer
rity and truth. Here, if leaven'd bead had
been us❜d, the apostle could not have alluded
justly to unlcaven'd bread, as a figure of
that freedom from the old leaven, and from
that of malice and wickednels, which fill
was to be chewn in the chziſtian paffover, and
which was the reason whp unleaven'd bzead
was to be continu’d, as an emblem of truth,
fincerity, love, innocence, fimplicity, and
other chziſtian graces, apart from the evil
mixture and ferments of the opposite quali
ties.
Salt, pealt, dough preferv's to a fialenels,
and the like, put into bead, are a leaven.
R 2
The
[ 100 ]
The leaven is not a quality, but a ſubſtance
added to the bread, that gives a feaſoning, a
ferment to the whole mafs; which, fog
this purpose, ought to be only flour and wa
ter, to thew, as St. Paul faps, the fincerity
and truth, the fimplicity of a good chziſtian,
by those simple unfermented elements, with
which he speaks of keeping the feaft: He ap-
peals to their fenfes, what men they ought
to be, and what bad alloy they ought to a
void, by telling them the unleaven'd b2ead
should be look'd upon as a symbol of their
fincerity, so that leaven'd bread must be the
contrary, an emblem of falfhood, infincerity,
malice, wickednefs, and the old lcaven; and
this is the cafe of those communions that
ufe it: Besides, that the putting in what
will leaven the bread, adds to the inflituted
matter of the facrament.
This text refers to ſome real, ſubſtantial
bread, then us'd in the chziftian paffover, if
it does not refer to any real bzead, it does
not refer to the facrament at all, but, as
Come interpzet it, onlp to the fincerity of the
mind, with which we are to keep the feaft:
and this, I am infozm'd, is the notion of
Come of the people call'd Quakers, who hold
that the truth and righteousness of the mind
is all the facrament, and the external ozdİ-
nance is not neceffary. Thep fap, the feaff
is all ſpiritual, and that it is a feast of that
kind, in which nothing is to be eaten. But
that is falle in fact; foz this facrament was
ozder'd by Chzift to be eaten, and d2ank, in
remembrance of him; his apoffles did so cat
and dunk it, and so has the church in all
ages. St. Paul implies here a real mate-
rial
[101]
rial facrament, and fubftantial bead: fo
that they, who allow a real facrament, and
the use of any bread at all in it, are bound,
by this text, to ufe unleaven'd bead: and I
believe, that if a Quaker us'd any material
eucharift, he would think himſelf oblig'd ta
ufe unleaven❜d bzead, was he once convinc'd
that was the bread us'd by Chzift, his apo-
fles, and the primitive fathers, and so en-
join'd to be continu'd.
I have heard from a member of the refozin=
ed church of France, that Geneva her self
us'd unleaven d bread many pears after her
firft reformation; but alter'd that cuftom, in
compliance with the French church. The
pzimitive fathers, and churches, alwaps
us'd unleaven❜d bead in the eucharißt, doing
this, as Chrift did it at his pallover: Hað
they us❜d other bead, the change would have
been mention'd; but it was ſo known a thing,
that, I hear, even the Armenians, who did
not uſe mir'd wine, pet ever us'd unleaven’D
bzead: this may be enquir'd: but as it is
certainly what our Lozd did, the use of anp
other is therefoze contrary to the doctrine of
the English church, and as it varies, in this
refpec, from the inftituted matter of the la
crament, which is obligatoz; it is therefoze
no facrament at all.
If the instituted matter of it, as far as if
is to be found out, is not obligatozy, if
THAT be not effential, it will follow, that
any other matter may be equally us'd; foz
what rule have we at laff but the inftitution
it self? If there be any other rule, every
man has an equal right to make his own
rule, and use any thing foz a facrament:
that
[ 102 ]
that be wrong, there must be some one rule
binding all men, and that can be oǹlp the in-
ftitution; part of this was unleaven❜d bread,
and leaven'd bread was not us’d in this rite
by Christ, by the apofiles, by the primitive
church, no, to this day, does the generality
of the chzillian church use it; onlp some com-
munions, who, in this point, are antichzi-
ftian, and make it no facrament.
The other part of the inftituted matter of
the eucharist is that wine, which Chzift and
the Jews us'd at the pallover; that wine,
which the apostles, and from them the p2i-
mitive church, thought themselves oblig'd to
make use of, and which therefoze the church
of England declares her self oblig'd to ufe,
if the knows her own principles, oz will be
bound by her own declaration: but if a
church thinks one thing, and lays, oz ats
another, well map those that belong to her be
juffify'd in all the infincerity and equivoca-
tion imaginable.
Now it is poffible to trace what this wine
was, in a great measure, which our Lozd
us'd in his lacrament: It was that wine,
which the Jews uſually dzank after their
paflover, and was, by the accounts of their
own writers, always mir'd with water.
In this the apoſtolical and pzimitive writers
agree: this was the placice of all the anti-
ent liturgies, and therefoze this is obligato-
zp on the English church, by her own confef=
fion.
Chzift himſelf calls it the fruit of the vine :
The Jews, who belt understood their own
expressions, declare that the phzale, fruit of
the vine, means wine and water, in oppoff-
tioit
[ 103 ]
tion to the fruit of the tree, which is meant
by them to be wine only. This appears in
the Gemara and the Mishna of the Jews:
so that the wine and water are in the fcri
pture; for the fruit of the vine is wine and
water. Or, in Plutarch upon health, is
mir'd wine; and, like the wozd Wine it
felf, in English, and other tongues, is entire-
lp determin'd by the fact, to mean either
mix'd of pure wine.
St. Paul calls the facramental cup, the
cup of bleffing, o2 benedixion; and the Jews
agree, that it is not the cup of bleffing, that
is, is not to be blefs'd, till it is mix'd with
water. See Lightfoot's Hoz. Hebz. in 1 Coź.
11. 25.
Chzift calls the cup, Mat. 26. 28. his blæd
of the new covenant; therefoze it muſt be
mir'd with water, becauſe the blood of the
old covenant was mir'd with water, and pet
at the ſame time call'd only blood, as this is
call'd only wine, tho' it was wine and wa
ter, Héb. 9, 19. Types and accompliſhments
ought to agree; the blood and water of the
old covenant was a type of the wine and wa
ter of the new.
St. Paul laps, 1 Co2. 11. 26. that we fhew
forth the Lord's death till he come, by dzink-
ing this cup. His death upon the cross was
pzov'd by the illuing of the blood and water
from his fide, on its being pierc'd by the ſol-
vier: This reality of his death must be
therefoze thewn by the wine and water. St.
John who faw the blood aud water flow
from his fide, and is moze particular on that
circumstance than the other evangeliffs,
John 19. 34. declares in his epistles, 1 Joh.
5.6.
[ 104 ]
5. 6. This is he that came by water and
blood, not by water only, but by water and
blood. And v. 8. Chzee bear witness on
zarth, the spirit, the water, and the blood.
So that, to take awap the water, is to take
away one of Chzift's witnesses upon earth;
whereas what God hath joined together, man
aught not to put alunder. Even they, who
explaind the blood and water of baptifm
and the Lord's fupper, yet always aflerted
and pzaxis'd the mir'd cup in the facrament.
Prov. 9. 5. Wildom, which is interpzeted
of the xóy, oz the son of God, the Wozd O2
Wisdom of the Father, makes an invitation,
Come, eat of my bread, and dzink of the
wine that I have mingled. Cppzian, in his
epifle to Cecilian, applies this text as a
prophecy of the mix'd cap in the lacrament.
Dr. Hammond, Vol. 4. P. 452. Lond. 1683.
owns it to be a propheep of the facrament;
and if so, he must have own'd it a prophecy
of the mixture. Diodati, a divine of Gene-
da, upon the place, interpæets it of the lacra-
ment, as do molt antient and modern divines:
but if it means the facrament, it points at
the mixture, Dzink of the wine that I have
mingled. And our Lozd`s command, Do
this, enjoins the mixture, as he mingled
it; not to do this therefoze, is to diſobey
him, and alter, that is, annul his facra-
ment.
One conftruction of the mixture was to
fignify, by the water, the human; and bp
the wine, the divine nature of Chzift join'à
together. The Armenians, very early, are
laid to habe deny'd that conjunction, and
therefore to have us'd wine only: but from
the
[105]
the beginning it was not lo; and they were
condemn'd by a general council, and by the
whole church: Consequently all the modern
churches, who uſe the wine only, Ipe under
that anathema, as repzesenting the mystery
imperfeclp, and innovating on what has
been deliver'd; in which all the antient litur-
gies, writers, and councils agree, as re-
ceiv'o bp them from Chziſk and his apoſtles.
The mixture was not founded on the na-
ture of the climate only, where it was first
appointed, foz all the antient chriftians us'd
it in the colder climates, as in France, and
in the moze nazthern parts.
The liturgies of St. James, St. Cle-
ment, St. Mark, St. Bafi, Peltozius, Se-
verus; the Ethiopic liturgy, that of the
Gallican, and the British churches (befoze
the Homan Miffal was here receiv'd;) thole
of Afric and Spain, as appears by the Mo-
farabic liturgy, Ec. expels the cup to be
mingled by Chitt and his apoßtles: Moz is
there one antient liturgy, council, og father,
(except the Armenian, who excluded the wa-
ter above 400 years after Chiff, and b that
very exclusion confirm'd the former pzaxice)
that does not atteft the doarine of the mix'd cup.
Justin Martyr, 5 years after the death
of St. John, which is early enough to vouch
an apoſtolical docrine, mentions the mixture
as from Cyzick himself: Sceneus, Clement
of Alexandria, Cypian, Cyris of Jerufa-
lem do the same: the* mixture was fo fundas
mental a tăng, that fome ug'% mater nnip
* As the C.ionitzs, pipa. ber. 30. and the
Aquarii, agant whom 4 ppzian wrote, 63. Ep. aa
Cecil. To ule water onty was then judg’ó heretical,
as it is to ule only wine.
[ 106 %
in the facrament. In thost, the evidences
are lo numerous and weighty on this head,
that if they be not receiv'd, the evidences of
the New Testament muſt not be receiv'd, and to
deny them tends direalp to abolith chziſtianity.
This is the firü charge, that to celebzate
the eucharift without unleaven’d bread, and
wine mir'd with water, is to depart from
the infituted matter, which is eflential to
the facrament, and therefoze to deftrop it.
This original inſtitution was the rule to the
apoffles, and all chziñtians, befoze the books
of the New Teftament were wzitten : ſo that
it is falle, that the fcripture always was
the only rule in this matter; there were ma-
np pears of the church, when it had no Kew
Teffament, as we have it; foz no books of it
were penn'd, till fome pears after the afcen-
Gion: but they celebzated the eucharißk as
Chzift did it, and the iuftitution was to them,
as it thou'd be to us, the rule of it.
As there are two eflential parts of the
eucharift, the matter, and the fozm, the foz-
mer has been tfhcwn, the latter is our next
confideration.
The form of Chzift was, to take the ele-
ments, to blefs, to give thanks, oz tó blefs
with thankſgiving; to communicate them to
his disciples, and command them to do the
like in remembzance of him, Ec. This is
obvious in the Gospels; and the nearer the
celebzation comes, in every circumftance
whatever, to his practice at the first appoint-
ment of it, it is more perfec, and most tru-
Ip the chzillian facrifice.
But since the English church appeals to
the primitive fezm of the eucharif, it is pzo-
[ 107 ]
per to see what that form was. And that
can be no otherwaps leen, but by looking in-
to all the most antient schemes, and methods
of adminiftring it: If these, at different
times and places, nearest the time and place
of the inftitution, made by persons who had
the bell opportunity to know it, and whole
truth in reposting it be not queftion'd, by
their being allow'd good evidences of other
points, and of the New Testament it felf; if
thele agree in any regular form of doing it,
and that agreement be farther attelfed by the
writers in oz near their relpecive times;
fuch agreement, and none elfe, is the primis
tive rule of the eucharist; and if the English
church departs from it, the contradics her
felf; foz the declares the primitive form be
foze all things effential: and no church, o2
evidence, that is deliberately inconsitent
with its own teftimony, is in any refpec
whatever, by the rules of right, of law, and
of reason, to be belieb'd, having fozfeited its
credit, o2 right to be believ'd, by fuch incon-
filiency.
The questions about the time, the authozs,
the authentichrefs, the alterations, the inter
polations, Ec. of these antient liturgics are
no moze than must be applp'o to the books of
the New Testament themselves, to our creeds,
and all antient writings: If they concur in
certain points the most considerable, and be
attested by fuch vouchers as are abmitted
good vouchers, in our taking our Scripture
it felf from them, thep are just cvisences of
the primitive eucharift, on the avow'd pzin-
ciples of every chzillian. So that their teff
is, if any objection be made to them, let the
✪ 2
fame
[108]
fame objecion be apply'd, in the fame fozce,
to other writings which we do receive, and
let all fland 02 fall bp the issue of the trial.
The principal of these antient liturgies
are those of Clement, James, Mark, Chap-
foftom, Bafil, Deltorius, Severus, the Go-
thic. Gallican, Ethiopic, Mezarabic, all
us'd where the Roman was not receiv'd; be-
fides others colleaed bp Kenaudot, Ec.
If any modern liturgies, 02 ways cf
giving the facrament, be compar'd with the
consent of these liturgies, they have icls au-
thozity, as less antient and apoftolical, lefs
primitive and univerfal, lefs agreeing, lels
authentic; ls that the scale of the question
will every wap turn in favour of the oldest
methods; and this is the declar'd principle
of the English Church.
The main points in which all these litur-
gies concur, and which therefoze are the un-
Doubted primitive form of the cuchariſt, are
the euchariftic thanksgiving (like our Savi-
our's giving thanks, from whence it is called
the eucharif, and the omiffion of which makes
it therefoze no eucharift at all) the oblation
of the elements to God; the invocation foz
the defcent of the Holy Ghost to make them
the body and blood of Chzift, (which, as the
Church of England laps, ore veritp and in-
deed taken by the faithful in the Lozd's lup-
per;) the paper for the whole ftate of Chzift's
church; that foz the worthy partaking of the
Cacrament, the pardon of fin, and humble
acccfs, the azia dyious, and the diftribution.
These are the main points, in ozder, in
which these liturgics agree; and either this
is the primitive apoſtolical form, oz we have
110
[109]
no fuch form in the chziſtian world. It is,
in it ſelf, the molk auguft, the most elevated,
the most heavenly and reaſonable fervice, the
moft noble act of devotion, that can be paid
to the fupzeme Being by shziftians: to devi-
ate from this model should produce a reflexi-
on, that should make not only a teacher of
righteoufnels, but a follower of him, bluth
and tremble from his inmoft foul: foz, as
no plan but this can be true, to none but
this can be beautiful.
As this form of the facrament is feal'd by
all antiquity, fo it has the approbation of
manp learned and worthy divines of the
English, as well as fozeign churches, and
the late controverfies have demonftrated it
fo fully, that nothing farther can be added in
its behalf. The present communion-office of
the church of England, which entirely de-
parts from it, was alter'd from a model of
this kind bp parliament without a convoca-
tion, to pleaſe Calvin and his friends at a
political junaure; whereas the keeping oz
reftozing this form would be most likely to
gain over both the diffenters and the Koman-
catholicks; foz all would chufe a primitive
method, were all convinc'd which was that
method: and accozdingly this agreement
with the antient church has been, and is the
with of the most learned and ferious men
ever fince the reformation. Allow me, as a
Specimen, to bzing fome infances of this
tendency.
Dr. Hammond, in his practical catechilm,
has given this viregion,
If,
[ 110 ]
f. Caps he, the particular church where-
in I was baptis'v, thou'd fall from its own
fedfafinels, and by authozity o2 law thall
fet up that, which is contrary to the doarine
oz practice of the universal church of the first
of pureft times; then, it being certain, that
the greater authozitp mulk be preferr❜d befoze
the Teffer, and that next the fcripture, the
church of the first and pureft times (efpeci-
Ip when the subsequent ages do alfo accozd
with that for many hundzeds of years) is
the greatest authozity, it follows, that I
ought to pay my obedience and ſubmiſſion to
the universal apoftolical church, and not to
the particular wherein I live; fo far, as
that I am to retain that univerfal and apo-
ftolical doarine, not the novel, cozrupt, and
particular doarine, nor in any cafe ad con-
frary to the fozmer.
If for this pou thou'd be cenfur'd, Dr.
Hammond goes on, you cannot be excommu-
nicated by that cenfure from the univerfal
church of the apofiles, but rather, by this
means, so much the moze firmly united to
it; and if you continue conftant to this do
arine, and maintain the inward communion
of charity with all chziftian churches, fo far
as they are not erroneous, i. e. embzacing
all that is right in them, and only fepara-
ting from the wrong (becauſe they will not
fuffer you to join in one, without pzofeffing
to join in the other) it is no fault to live
without any external public communion,
like the hermits and perſecuted chzillians of
fozmer times; there being no rent o2 fchifm,
But from the church universal, from which a
parti
1
[II]
particular church may be as well fchifmatis
cal, as a private perſon.
And if, proceeds Dr. Hammond, I be by
my calling fitted foz it, and can pzudently
hope to plant, oz contribute to the planting
fuch an apoftolical church, where there is
none, oz to reconcile and reſtoze peace between
the members of the church univerſal, my
endeavour to do to is, in this cale, extremes
Ip commendable, and that which Ged's pzo-
vidence feems to direct me to, by what is
thus befallen me.
These are the expzels wozds of the celebza
ted and learned Dr. Hammond, in his known
and familiar book, call'd, his pzaxical cate
chilm; and had he known oz fozefeen this
pzeſent inflitution, he could not habe recoin-
mended it in moze clear and positive lan-
guage.
This is particularly and gloziouflp atteft-
ed by the most reverend Dr. Wake, the pic-
fent archbishop of Canterbury, in his pic-
face to his tranflation of the apoftolical fa-
thers; speaking there of the liturgies that
go under the names of St. Peter, St. Mark,
St. James, which he oblerv'd were the an-
tient liturgies of the three patriarchal
churches, thofe of Home, Alexandzia, and
Jerufalem, first founded, 02, at least, go-
bern'd by those first preachers of chziflianity,
he adds:
"It can hardly be doubted, but that those
holp apofiles and evangelifts did give fome
directions for the administration of the blcf-
fed euchariß in thoſe liturgies, which have
been brought down to us under their names,
2
and
[ 112 ]
112]
and that those papers, wherein they all a-
gree in fenfe at leaff, if not in words, were
Firſt pzeſcrib’o in the fame, o2 like terms, by
thole apostles and evangelifis, no2 wou'd it,
laps hê, be difficult to make a farther pzoof
of this conjecure from the writings of the
antient fathers, if it was needful in this
place to infiſt upon it".
!
Here we have the atteftation of the head
of the English church, under his Majesty,
folemnly ſubſcribing the primitive euchariff,
and the principles of this inftitution, in his
preface to his tranflation of the apoftolical
fathers, tho' the communion-office of that
church which he governs, contradiós his
own fentiments, by departing from the old
liturgies, feconded by the antient writers
here referr❜d to in his own testimony.
Dr. Hammond, in his book of herefy,
feæ. 3. again afferts, That ſuch as are truly
apoftolical traditions, are equally the mat-
ter of chzißian belief, as apoftolical wri-
tings; a chziftian being in either cale equal-
Ip secur'd by the fidelity of the conveyance,
that as one is apoftolical writing, so the
other is the apoûles tradition: ſo that, if
the pzaxice of any church be different from
her doarine, the latter pzimitive, the fozmer
novel, as in this caſe, it is the duty of all
chzillians to quit fuch pzaxice, and to ob-
serve the doctrine.
Mr. Johnson, a minifter of the English
church, and once a member of the convoca-
tion, in his unblsody facrifice, part ii.
pag.
[113]
pag. 148. faps, of the form of the antient li
turgy, that he is perfuaded, in his own
mind, that if we had the words in which
St. Peter and St. Paul confecrated the eu
charift, it wou'd not differ in fubftance from
it.
Mr. Strype, in his life of archbishop
Whitgift, pag. 98. affures us, that he de-
clar'd the doarine and religion of the pzimi-
tive church of the first ages was the most
pure.
Mr. Thomdike, a very learned divine of
the English church, an unbpals'd perſon in
the present cafe, and who liv'd and dy d but
a little after Dr. Hammond, tells us,
book 1. chap. 6. p. 35. That whatever the
whole church from the beginning hath re-
ceiv'd and praxis'o foz the rule of faith and
manners, is evidently true by the lame rea-
fon foz which we believe the verp scriptures:
and he profefles, that unleſs that be admit-
ted, it is impoffible to make evidence of any
common truth receiv'd among chziffians,
Bishop Taylor, a person of unquestion’o
character, authoz of the rules of holp living
and dying, and of the life of Chziff, laps,
in his ducoz dubitant, book ii. chap. 3. That
if a tradition be from Chzilk and his apodles,
as certainly as that by which we are told
that fcripture is the wozd of God, it is of
the fame ule as the scripture is; foz the
wozd, which is now written, was first deli-
ver'd, that which is now scripture was at
firſt tradition. He farther fays, in the ſame
腳
​book,
[114]
book, that when St. Paul affirm'd to the Co
rinthians, the rest will I let in ozder when I
come; there were some things to be let în
ozder, which were not in his epiffles; and
bishop Taploz there reckons among thoſe
things, public players, and the facrament:
In these, laps he, the univerſal pzaxice and
doarine of the primitive church is infinitely
evident and norozious, and an apt commeǹ-
tarp upon the ſcripture.
The eminently learned bishop Forbes of
Scotland affirms, That at the fuggeftion
and with the counsel of Bucer, and others
the most antient and pious papers were bp
the then bishops blotted out of the first re-
fozm'd communion office, oz chang'd into ano-
ther I know not what form, labouring of
novelty. But I with, laps Bishop Forbes,
that church, in that weightp_matter, and
some others, had rather confo2m'd to the
cuſtom of the molt antient univerſal church,
than for the fake of some errozs and abuses,
which afterwards crept in by little and little,
altogether rejeaed, and wholly taken it a-
wap, to the great fcandal of almoſt all other
chziftians.
Dr. Gabe, a divine of eminent charader,
lately deceas'd, never wou'd communicate
in any other manner than this now us'd.
Bingham, the appzov'd authoz of the anti-
quities of the chzistian church sided, as far
as he had learch'd, with this principle. Ge:
rard John Voffius, a famous foreign divine,
owns it primitive in his differtations. Che
great Mr. Mede concurs in it. Henaudot,
in
[ 115 ]
in his collection of the old liturgies,_con-
firms it to a mozal demonftration. In a
controverſy on this head, which was carry'd
on fome pears ago, the adverfarics to the p2i-
mitive eucharift own the recovery of it to be
a deſirable thing, and they have been ſo ap-
parently inferioz in the dispute, that by the
confent of learned men, it now stands for the
antient facrament. There is the fame teftimo-
ny foz it, as there is foz the canon of the New
Teftament: They that receive the New Te-
ſtament, muſt receive the antient eucharift
foz the ſame realon; thep that reject the late
ter, must reject the evidence of the gospel on
the fame arguments. All churches foz a-
bove 1500 years ever agreed in it, except
the Armenian in one circumftance, which
was therefoze condemn'd by a general coun-
cil, and by all other churches. The belt
English and fozeign divines, to this day,
agree in it.
Thus I have gone though the chick heads
of this argument, relating to the facrament:
the matter inftituted by Chzik, the only pzi-
mitive form, and the consent of appzov'd mos
dern divines in its favour.
I might add much about the neceffity, and
mozal duty of restoring this form, in obedi-
ence to our Lozd's command, Do this: Of
the edification, the grace, the spiritual com-
fözt, advantage and ſatisfaction it would ad-
minifter; of the piety and pleasure of con-
forming to the primitive communion, and
the first principles of chzistianity; of the no-
ble weapons we might dzaw from thence
32
againſt
[116]
against atheiſm, deilm, infidelity, and the
reigning cozruption of ſentiments and man-
ners; of the want and abſence of all thoſe
motives in the pzesent deſertion of the old
faith; of the daily spreading of unbelief on
this account; of the fin, impoſture, apofta-
cp, dangers, and evil conlequences attend-
ing it, &c. But all this will be moze fuit-
able to a diſtinct pzactical difcourſe on this
fubject.
ravavakavavavaravavavaravaratala
Ð Ét B
19 23£933Úཚ
E U C H ARJS L.
!
}
[ 119 ]
I.
翌
​Rubzicks.
EC the Eucharift be, if pomible, ce-
lebzated daily, as was the primitive
cuftom.
2. Let the first Liturgies be the fandard,
in all the effential parts of it.
3. *In the want of a certain apoftolical
miffion, let the officiating minifter perfozm
the function.
4. Tet
* The Million of H. Parker, the first refoam D
archbishop, who made all the English clergy to this
day, was in these words, in the o2dinal of Edwars
the WIth. 1552. printed by Edward Whitchurch.
This was the second edition of that book; the first
book of Edward WJ. being in 1549.
Take the Holy Ghoff, and remember, that thou
Mirre up the grace of God, which is in thee, by impo
fition of handes; for God hath not geven us the ipi-
rite of feare, but of power, and love, and of lober-
nelle.
If this is a blank commillion, it neither expzelles
noj implies any ſpiritual epiſcopal power. The act
of parliament, 10 Eliz, en this point, confirm'd it to
be good in law, which is own'd, but no moze: la
that the distinction of clergy and laity, the indepen-
dence
[ 120 ]
4 Let the use of the sign of the cross, the
splendid veſtment, and other primitive cere-
monies, in this, and all publie dehotions,
be recominended only, not impos'd.
5. Let the unleabend bread, and the beffels
of wine and water be plac'd ready near the
altar.
6. After the diſmiſſion, let the minifter
place the gifts and offerings, colleaed by
his affiſtants, on the altar: having firſt, in
decent ozder, fet on it the bread, wine, and
water.
7. Let not the language of the firft litur-
gies be vary'd, but in fcripture expzeſſions.
8. Tet the action be folemn, devour, and
awful, fuited to the higheſt act of devotion,
that can be paid by man to God_the_Father,
thro' Jeſus Chzißt, in the Holp Spirit.
9. Let the long thankſgiving, @c. be part-
ed into proper collects.
zence of the church on the fate, the indelible cha
racter, the apostolical fucceffion, all clerical pretenti
ong whatever, are 00. And this was confels'd
by the alteration of it under Charles J. into thele
wolds:
Receive the Holy Gloff, for the office and work of
a bishop in the church of God, &C.
This was an epifcopal commiſſion, but was above
100 years too late for the purpoſe: Do that ſchiſm,
confining of grace to the Peculium, letting up altar
again altar, spiritual anthozity, except what comes
from the king and the laws of the realm, fc. are
00. And it is no leffening, but an honour to the
C. Player-book to ſay, that its authozity is parlia-
mentary.
T h C
[121]
THE
EUCHAR JS L.
L
ET all, but communicants, depart.
Let no one have ought againſt any man,
Let none come in hypocrifp.
Let us enter into the holiest by the blood
of Jefus, in the new and living way, which
he hath confecrated foz us thzo' the veil.
Let us ſand up, to pzesent to the Lozd our
oblations with reverence, and godly fear.
The grace of the Almighty, the love of our
Lozd Jclus Chit, and the communion of
the Holy Ghost, be with pou all.
Help. And with thy spirit.
Let us lift up our hearts unto God in the
heavens.
Help. Duto thee, Tozd, do we lift up
our Couls
Let us give thanks to the Lozd.
Help. It is meet and right so to do.
The Euchariftic Ad.
1.
Thou art, indeed, worthy, O Lozd, to res
reivé glozý, honour, and power; for thou art
&
the
[122]
the true God, all-perfect. Chou alone art
unbegotten, felkexilling, felf-sufficient; the
fame peſterday, to day, and foz ever; incom-
pzchenfible, the source of being, the eternal
one; thou art the all powerful king, the fu-
pzeme governoz; the authoz of all good, the
rock of ages, light and love everlasting, e-
hovah, the God of our fathers, and of thee
the whole family in heaven and earth is
nam'o, tho' Jefus Chzift our Lozo. Amen.
2.
Thou, O Lord God omnipotent, didf cre-
ate all things out of nothing by thy only be
gotten son, begotten befoze all things and all
ages, by thy will, thp power and goodnels.
He is God the wozd, the captain of the Tozd's
hoff, and of our faivation, the faithful wit-
ness, the living wildom, the angel of the
pzefence, the meffenger of the great counsel,
the apostle and high-pzieft of our profeffion;
he is the first begotten from the dead, the
minister of thp lancuary, the firft-bon, and
the king of every creature; he is the prince
of peace, and our Immanuel, the lamb of
God without blemiſh, the choſen prophet, the
faviour and judge of the wozld, the authoz
and finiſher of our faith; all pzaife, all glo-
rp be to thee, O God, thzo' him, our advo-
cate and mediatoz. Amen.
3.
By him, O thou creatoz of the ends of the
earth, thou doft also pzeserve and govern all
things; by him thou didst form the ages,
the
1
#
[123]
he powers, and the holls of heaven; thou
dida Aretch out the firmament like a pavilis
on, and make the foundations of the earth to
reft on thy will; by him thou didst set a ta-
bernacle for the fun; the fair light came forth
of the treasures, the moon was an omnament
in the high places of the Lozd, and the flars
hind in their watches, and rejope'd; all
glop be to thee, thzo'thy wozd, Jefus Chrift,
Amen.
4
Thou coverelt the sky with cleuds, and
cauſeft it to rain on the wilderness: Che ele-
ments and the seasons, the night and the
day, time and chance, life and death, all
obey and magnifp thee: the fre, the air, the
water, are thp fervants: thou letteft a com-
pass on the face of the deep, thou enricheſt
the earth with the rivers of God; all that
breathe, all that grow, honour thy name,
with us the handp work, thzo' Iefus Chzist
eur Lozd. Amen.
5.
Foz ever exalted be thy glozious majchy,
O God, who did create man, the citizen of
the world, thy image and glogy, a little
lower than the angels: thp inspiration gave
him a living foul, understanding, free will,
fenses, speech, and dominion over all things:
thou didst place him in paradife, upright
with divine law; and when he was dilobe-
dient, thou didst not suffer the work of thy
hands to perish, but did pzedeftinate us to
Q 2
the
[124]
the adoption of childzen by Jefus Chrift:
We glozitp thec, that all the righteous pa-
triarchs from Seth to Moles, thp fervant
and friend, law his day, and rejoyc'd. To
the race of Jacob thou didst commit thy oza-
cles, and didft speak in divers manners to
our fathers by the prophets: thou did bear
witness to them by figns and wonders a
mighty hand, and a fretched-out arm: Foz
all these things, glozy be to thee, O Lozd
almighty, God of the spirits of all Aleth, the
invisible and eternal king, Chee the everlaft-
ing armies above, thenes, dominions, pzin-
cipalities and powers adoze: Befoze thee
the fir-wing'd feraphim cover their faces ;
thee, dwelling in the light, which none can
appzaach; and with priads of angels, and
fpirits made perfect, with all thy people in
heaven and earth, thep proclaim aloud with
immoztal Hallelujahs, Holy, Holp, Holy,
is the Lozd of fabbath; heaven and earth are
full of his glozy; bleffed be, the most high
God foz evermoze. Amen.
6.
Holp allo is the beloved fon Telus, Mel-
Gah, the Prince, our Lozd and God, whom
thou didst raiſe up fo2 us, a plant of renown,
the judge of Ifrael. We pzaile thee for the
bzanch of Jeffe, the mediato2 of the new co-
venant, cffablish'd on better promiles; we
bless thee for the wozd made flesh, who dwelt
among us in the form of a servant, emptying
himself of that glezp, which he had with thee
befoze the world began: that he was a merci
ful and faithful high pzieft, to make reconci-
liation
[ 125 ]
liation foz fin: he is our great prophet, and
shepherd of our fouls. We praise thee foz all
that the man of thy right hand did and luf-
fer'd foz us; foz his perfect doarine, mira-
cles, and example. Thy wisdom, the
brightnels of thy glozp, became a ransom
foz us; a man of logrows, and acquainted
with grief; fmitten, bzuis'd and wounded
foz our tranfgreffions, bleeding beneath a
crown of thoms, and plow'd with the cruel
fcourge; mock'd and spitefully entreated;
exceeding fozrowful, even unto death; and
lifted up on the tree, where the iron enter'd
into his foul. We are afronifh'd at the mul-
titude of the mercies, pzaifing thee for the
abalement, and foz the glozifying of thy son,
his refurrcaion, afcenfion, fitting at thy right
hand, and appearing at thy pzclence foz us:
Foz these unlearchable marvels of the lobe,
all honour be to thee, O God, tho' the blood
of Jefus Chzilk our redeemer. Amen.
7.
The Institution.
Mindful therefoze of what Chzift endur'd fog
our lakes,we give thee thanks,℗ God almigh-
ty, tho' not as we ought, yet as we are able,
fulfilling his oppointment. Foz in the famé
night that he was betray'd, he took the blead
in his holp and immaculate hands, and
looking up to thee, his God and Father, he
bzake it, and gave it to his difciples, faping,
this is the mystery of the new covenant;
take of it, and eat; this is my body, which
is
[126]
ig bzoke foz manp, for the remiffion of fing.
In like manner also he took the cup, and
mixed it of wine and water, and fancify'd
it, and deliver❜d it to them, faping, Dzink pe
all of this; for this is my blood, which is
thed for many, fo2 the remiffion of fins: do
this in remembzance of me: fo2 as often as
pe eat this bread, and dzink this cup, pe do
thew forth my death until I come. Amen.
8.
The Oblation.
Therefoze in remembzance of his paffion,
and death, and refurrection from the dead,
and afcenfion into the heavens, and his fu
ture fecond appearing, wherein he is to come
with glozy and power to judge the quick
and the dead, and to recompense to every one
accozding to his works; WE OFFER TO
CHEE, our king and our God, accozding to
his Conftitution, this bead, and this cup,
giving thee thanks thzo' him, that thou half
thought us wozthy to stand befoze thee, and
to facrifice unto thee. Amen.
9+
The Invocation.
And we beseech thee, that thou wilt mer-
cifully look down upon these gifts, here fet
befoze thee, O thou God, who ftandeft in
need of none of our offerings; and do thou
accept
[127]
accept them to the honour of thy Chzift'; and
lend down thine holp Spirit, the witnefs of
the Lord Jesus his fufferings, that he may
thew this bread to be the body of thp Chziff,
and this cup to be the blood of the Chiff,
that those, who are partakers thereof, map
be ftrengthen'd foz piety, map obtain the re-
miſſion of their fins, may be deliver❜d from
the devil and his deceit, may be filled with
the Holy Ghoft, may be made worthy of thy
Chiff, and upen the reconciliation to them,
O Lozd Almighty, map cbrain eternal life,
th20' Jefus Chzia the lon our faviour, Amen,
15.
For the whole church.
We farther pzay, and offer unto thee,
God, for the whole church, fpzead to the
ends of the earth, that thou wilt keep it ever
ftedfaff, and unmoveahle; foz every facred
miniſtry rightly dividing the wozd of truth:
We farther pzap to thee foż me, who am no-
thing, who offer to thee; foz the king, aud
foz all in authozity; foz all thy faints, from
the beginning of the world, patriarchs, pa-
phets, apoules, martyrs, confeffo2s, with
all whole names thou knowekk. We farther
offer to thee foz this people, that thou wilt
render them to the pzaile of thy Chziff, a
ropal pzichthood, and an holp nation; that
thou wilt not permit any amongst us to be-
come caftawaps. We offer to thee foz this
city,
[ 128 ]
rity, fog those who are in fiskiefs, oz lervi-
rude, in banishment, oz pzifon; foz chole that
travel by land 02 water, that thou, the hel
per of all men, wilt be their fuppozt. We
offer to thee foz our enemies, foz those that
are without, that thou wilt pacify and con-
vert them; fog the catechumens, the peni-
tents, and those who are ver'd by the adver
fary, that thou wilt perfect our faith, accept
our repentance, forgive our offences, and
deliver us from the evil one. We farther of-
fer to thee for the good temperature of the
air, and the fertility of the fruits; that re-
reiving the abundance of thy good things.
we map inceffantly pzaile thee, who givest
food to all Aefh. We play and offer to thee,
foz those who are abſent on a juft cauſe, that
thou wilt keep us all in piety, and gather
us together in the kingdom of thy Chziff;
the God of all fenfible and intelligent nature,
our king; that thou wilt pzeſerve us unfha-
ken and blameleſs in thy fight. Foz to thee
belongs all glozp, worthip, and thanksgiving,
honour and adozation, the Father, with the
Son, in the Holy Gholt, tho' all ages.
Amen.
The peace of God be with you all.
Help. And with thy spirit.
II.
The Prayer of Accels.
O God, thou art great, and great is thy
name; thou art mighty in counfel, and won-
derful
2
[129]
derful in wozking, the God and Father of thy
holp child Jelus our Saviour: Look down
upon us, and upon this thy flock, which
thou haft cholen by him, to the glogy of thy
name: Sandifp our body and foul, grant us
to be purify'd from all defilement of fleth
and spirit, to obtain the mpitic bleffings now
Iping befoze thee: Judge none of us unwoz-
thy of them; but be thou our comfozter,
helper, and protecoz, tho' the Cheift, with
whom glory, honour, pzaile, dorology, and
eucharift, be to thee, in the Holy Gholt, fog
ever. Amen.
Holp things for the holp.
Help. There is one that is holy, there is
one Lozd, one Jefus Chzißt, bleflèd fog ever,
to_the_glow of God the Father. Amen.
Glozp be to God in the highest, and on earth,
peace, good-will among hen. Holanna tó
the son of David; bleffed be he that cometh
in the name of the Lozd, being the Lozd God,
who appear'd to us, Holanna in the highest,
12.
The Comnrunion.
Firl, let the miniker officiating partake; then the
other ministers and alfitants at the altar; then the
women, fuch chilozen (not infants) as the firit
church communicated; then the people, in ozder,
wich reverence, without confufion.
Let the Minister give the oblation, laying,
The body of Chzilk,
Let him that receives, lay, Amen.
K
Let
[130]
Let the minifter, o2 his affiftant, give the eup, laying,
The blood of Chziff, the cup of life.
Let him that receives, anſwer, Amen.
While the people, er. receive, let the 330 Plalm
be laid of fung; o the great Hallel, ufual-
or
ly fung at the close of the pallover supper, and
which was fuppos'd the hymn lung by Chift at the
inftitution of the factament, conftiting of Plaims
113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118.
After all have receiv'd, let what remains be carry'd
into the very: and at the end of the Plalm, let
the minister fay,
13.
The Post-Communion.
℗ Tozd God almighty, the father of
Chzift, thy blefled Son, who heareff theſe
that call upon thee with uprightnels, and
who knowest the fupplications of those who
are filent; We thank thee, that thou half
thought us wozthy to partake of thy holy
myfteries, which thou half beltow'd upon
us, foz the entire confirmation of those things
we have rightly known, foz the pzelervation
of piety, and for the remiffion of our offen-
ces: for the name of thy Chzift is called up-
on us, and we are joined to thre
*
thou, that?
separated us from the
communion of the ungodly, unite us with
thole that are confecrated to thee in holinels
confirm us in the truth, by the affistance of
thy holp spirit, reveal to us what things
tne are ignozant of, fuppip what things we
arc
[131]
are defective in; eſtabliſh us in what we als
ready know; pzeserve thy minifters blame-
lels in thy wozhip; keep the kings of the
earth in peace, and the rulers in righteouf
nels; the lcalons in due ozder, and the wozla
in an all-powerful pzovidence: pacify the
warring nations, convert thoſe who are gone
aftrap; pælerve and fancify thy people, and
gather us all together into the kingdom of
Heaven, by Jefus Christ our Lozd, with
whom glozy, honour, and wozship be to thee,
in the Holy Ghoft, foz ever. Amen.
It.
The Benedigion.
Rcceive the blessing.
God almighty, the true God, to whom
nothing can be compar't; who art every
where, pzclent in all things, and art in no
thing, as one of the things themselves;
who art not bounded by place, noz grown old
by time; who art not terminated by ages,
no2 deceiv'd by wozds: who art not fubjec
to generation, and wanteft no guardian;
who art above all cozruption, and by nature
invariable; who pet art known to all rea-
fonable natures, and compzehended by those
that feck after thee with a good mind: the
God of Israel, and of thp people, which
truly fee, and which have believ'd in Chzifft,
Be gracious to me, and hear me, for thy
name's fake: bless those who bow down to
thee, and grant them the petitions of their
hearts,
L 132 J
hearts, which are foz their good, and do not
reject any one of them from the kingdom;
but fancify, guard, cover, and affilk them; des
liber. them from the adversary, and every
enemp; keep their habitations, and blefs
their coming-in, and their going-out: Foz to
thee belongs the glozp, pzaile, majesty, woz
thip, and adozation, with thy son Jesus, thy
Cheift, in the Holy Gholt, from everlasting,
now and foz ever. Amen.
Depart in peace.
P. B. This Eucharift eraalp keeps the
matter and method of the most antient li
turgy, altering only the fiple, in fcripture
wolds, where it is alter'd. It is not law-
ful foz any chziſtian to give of take the Eu-
charist in a way departing from the mok
antient and authentic matter and method:
It may be lawful to illuftrate it, but to
change the oziginal matter and form of the
Eucharift, annihilates the facrament. Foz,
by making it to be, what oziginally it was
not, it makes it to be ſomething elle, and
therefoze not the Eucharift.
A R T U M.
Mr. HENLEY'S
LETTERS
AND
ADVERTISEMENTS,
Which concern Mr. WHISTON.
Published by Mr. WHISTON.
Together with a few NOTES,
LOND 0 N:
Sold by J. ROBERTS, near the Oxford-
Arms in Warwick-Lane. MDCCXXVII.
(Price Six-pence.)
1
!..
Mr. HENLEY'S LETTEKS
and ADVERTISEMENTS, which
concern Mr. WHISTON.
Mr. Henley's Letter to Mr. Whifton,
when he was about to fet up his Oratory.
Friday.
I
Reverend SIR,
Would beg the Favour of you to refolve
me, 1. What Power the Univerſity has,
or in Fact exercifes, on Church of England
Priefts, openly feparating from that Church?
2. What Proceffes and Cenfures Ecclefiaftical,
and Civil Penalties He incurs by it? 3. What
are the moſt proper Defences to each, efpeci-
ally Prohibitions, and Civil or Ecclefiaftical
Pleas. I ask pardon for this Trouble: and
would intreat your Opinion of each Head;
taking fome time, if you pleafe, to digeft it.
I am, with my moft Humble Service to Mr.
Barker.
Reverend SIR,
Your moft Humble Servant,
A 2
J. HENLEY.
(4)
Especially on the Head of, 1. Degradation or
Privation of Orders. 2. Excommunicati-
on.
Pleaſe to direct to me in Millman-freet, be-
low Bedford-Row.
C
Some time after this, fo far as I remember,
it was that Mr. Henley fent me another Note,
to enquire whether the Liturgy of the Apo-
ftolical Conftitutions could be had by it felf?
Which Note I returned, with this Anfwer,
That it was not to be had by itfelf; and added,
That he could not make ufe of the Conftitu-
tion Liturgy [of the eighth Book,] becauſe
it requir'd a Bifhop and a Deacon; or a
Prieft and a Deacon to officiate, [according
to its different Parts.] Upon which he pick'd
out and publiſhed a great Part of his Liturgy
out of the remains of the Liturgy of the Con-
verted Jews in the feventh Book: without fo
much as altering the Words that imply'd the
Congregation to be Jews: I mean theſe that
follow, The God of our Holy and Blameless
Fathers, and of those before us; The God of
Abraham, and of Ifaac and of Jacob.
Our
forefather Abraham. When our Father Jacob.
C
Thougreat Protector of the Pofterity of Abra-
ham. Thou broughteft our Fathers out of the
Land of Egypt, &c. Upon the Sight of which
Claufes in his Printed Liturgy, juft before he
began to uſe it, I left Word at his Bookfeller's,
that Surely Mr. Henley did not intend to tell
، à publick Lye before God and the World, by
ufing fuch Expreffions, which were directly
falfe.' Upon which I fuppofe he avoided them
in his Reading thoſe Prayers in the Oratory;
as I find they are omitted in the new Impreffi-
on of his Liturgy.
C
.
Some
(5)
Some time after this Mr. Henley fent me the
following Letter.
Reverend S1 R,
I
F have any
you
of Mr. Brocklesby's Chri-
ftian Theift, Goſpel Theifm :] I fhould
be proud to know whether they be difpos'd of,
and if fo, on what Terms. I would defire the
Favour of one of your Books to the Biſhop of
L. on the Doxologies; and the Argument
about the Diffenters Baptifm. The Bearer will
pay for them.
C
I am SIR,
Your most Humble Servant,
J. HENLEY.
If not, you would oblige me with the
Ufe of B's Book one Month, or inform me
C where I can reafonably procure it.
Some time afterwards he fent his Servant
with this Note:
C
C
C
Ask Mr. Whifton, as to his Effay towards
restoring the Text of the Old Teftament, whe-
ther there be any thing in it defending the
• Conftitutions? I have his two Pamphlets,
and his Clement, [i. e. as I imagine, the Pa-
pers about the Doxologies; and the Paper fti-
led, St. Clement's and St. Irenæus's Vindi-
cation of the Apoftolical Conftitutions,] &c.
C Ask what elfe he has in Defence of the Con-.
ftitutions, and the Price. Bring a Cata-
logue of his Books.
C
Some
(6)
५
Some of Mr. Henley's Advertiſements:
Taken out of the Daily Poft, and other
Weekly Papers.
July 16. 1726. The Adoration called A-
poſtolical, having been made by the Apoſtles,
is inferted at length.
July 28. I am not chargeable with what
the Conftitutions fay; but will prove we have
fufficient Evidence they were the Mind of the
Apoſtles, and compil'd by Clement.
July 29. On Wednesday the Academical
Entertainment will be on the Apoftolical Con-
ftitutions; proving them Primitive Scripture,
and Canonical.
Aug. 1, 2. The Academical Entertainment
will be on the Apoftolical Conftitutions, proving
them genuine, and the moft Sacred of the Books
of the Primitive New Testament; and demon-
ftrating that Claufe of St. Clement's Liturgy,
VIII. 12. Begotten before all Ages by the Will of the Fa-
ther, to be Scripture itſelf, &c.
Aug. 5. Thofe Words are faid to be the
Words of St. Clement, the Companion of
St. Paul, in the oldeft and moft authentick Li-
turgy in the World.
Aug. 26.
The Theological Lecture will be
on the Primitive and True Canon of the Scri-
pture: proving the prefent Canon diffe-
rent from the antient, in regard to Clement,
Barnabas, &c. Baruch, Paul, in the Armeni-
ans, &c. With a Judgment on Mr. Whiton's
Records.
·Sept.
(7)
Sept. 6, and 9. On Sunday the Sermon will
be on the Hiſtory and Devotions of King So-
lomon the Second, according to the Scripture.
Octob. 22. [Being Lord's-Day.] The Morn-
ing Sermon was to be on the Wills and Tefta-
ments of the XII. Patriarchs.
To thefe Advertiſements, let me add a few
Paffages of Mr. Henley's out of the Appeal of
the Oratory.
Among all the Sacred Offices uſed in the firft P. 32, 33.
Centuries, we regard thofe of the Conftitutions
of Clement, as the moſt authentick; and we
deem them to be, in Subſtance, if not in
Words, conveyed by Apoftolical Tradition, from
the fame Evidence on which we receive the
New Teſtament notwithſtanding the Charge
of Spurioufnefs, which fome have fo lavishly
thrown on the most valuable Memoirs of origi-
nal Chriftianity.
There have been large Differences about the P. 55.
Genuineneſs and Author of the Apoftolical Con-
ftitutions. What moſt learned Men now agree
in, is this, That it is a faithful and authentick
Record of the Principles and Cuſtoms of the
Apoftolick Age, and of the Times neareſt to it.
It is fufficient that the Senfe of it is Apoftolical,
and most truly Primitive. I do not contend
about the Words; but I affure you of one
thing, that there is fo large a Number of un-
exceptionable Witneffes in Antiquity to theſe
Conftitutions, that if they be not authentick,
we ſhall hardly know what is authentick. The
fame Men atteft the Conftitutions, who atteft
the New Testament; and therefore if we muſt
not believe the Evidence of the Conftitutions,
how
(8)
P. 64.
P. 69.
how muſt we believe the Evidence of the other?
If any Perfon objects they are interpolated,
and therefore lefs to be credited, I would know
when, and where, and by whom they were
interpolated? How do I know by that way of
arguing, but my Bible may be interpolated,
and corrupted? I therefore, on the most
clear and univerfal hiftorical Demonftration, re-
ceive the Conftitutions as an exact Account,
in Subſtance, of the Thoughts, and Cuftoms,
the Worſhip, and DISCIPLINE of the Pri-
mitive Church; and as fuch I have tranfplant-
ed fome Prayers from them, which are moſt
truly Apoftolical. And there is a Simplicity,
an Elevation, a Grandeur, and a Flame of pri-
mitive Devotion in the Prayers of the Confti-
tutions, which are not to be parallel'd in the
beſt human Compofitions.
The two Epiftles of St. Clement to the Co-
rinthians, the Epiftle of Barnabas, the Book
called the Shepherd of Hermas, and the Con-
ftitutions of Clement, and fome other Writings,
were in the Primitive Church publickly re-
ceiv'd and read, as the Scripture, befides the
Books of our New Teftament.
What is Scriptural and Primitive in the ufual
Service is retained,—and the reſt ſupplied from
the Word of God, and the moft antient Litur-
gy of the Conftitutions of Clement; which may
juftly enough be called, The Apostles Common
Prayer-Book; having been proved, in the main,
genuine, and much the moft valuable Relick of
facred Antiquity.
N. B. Upon the Lord's-Day, Octob. 22.
in the Evening, about fix a-Clock, I went to
Mr. Henley's Oratory; and having fat on the,
Out-
(9)
Outfide for about half an Hour; where he
could neither fee me, nor I him; but I could
hear him very well: I waited till all was over,
and he had given the Bleffing: when, the in-
ner Door being opened, I went in; and, with a
Letter in my Hand, went up towards the Pul-
pit, and defired the Congregation to take no-
tice, that I brought a Letter for Mr. Henley.
When I came towards the upper End, I deli-
vered it to one that feemed to be his Clerk, for
him he being himſelf gone into the Veftry.
About two Hours afterwards he came, with his
Wife, as I fuppofe fhe was, in a Coach to my
Houfe to ſpeak with me.
I told him that I
would not speak with him. He then defired
to ſpeak with Mr. Barker; who went to the
Coach-fide. To whom he complain'd, that
' I had treated him ill in a Letter; and faid,
• I had no Authority over him.' To whom
Mr. Barker anfwered, that he did not know
the Contents of that Letter: [which was
C very true but that he perceived I expect-
C ed an Anſwer in Writing: which he promi-
• fed.'
C
•
Accordingly on Tuesday Morning, Octob.
24. following, I received by a Porter, an open
Paper from Mr. Henley which was in thefe
Words. On the outfide, To Mr. William
Whifton. I give you warning not to enter
my Room at Newport-Market at your Peril.
7. Henley. Return the 4 s. you took from
my Servant, for the 24 Volume of what
you call Records.' [which I did.] Within
was the following Letter..
t
6.
C
B
SIR,
( 10 )
SIR,
You
OUR bafe and villainous Libel againſt
me; full of Lyes, Mifinformations, Mif-
conftructions, &c. With that rafh and fanatical
Entrance into the Oratory, (to difturb my
Affembly,) founded on the Apoſtles Laws;
which Mr. Whiston has no more Right to exe-
cute than I have; fhall ſpeedily be Anſwered,
and your Infolence be Chaftis'd.
I deny abfolutely every particular in your
old trump❜d-up Story, and it will never hurt me.
I will fift your Writings to fee whether all thofe
be not Romance, Inconfiftency, Forgery, put
on ill Evidence: I will let the World know
your Integrity from your own Works. You
have no Concern with me; and I both contemn
and defy you. Tho' you have no Right to de-
mandit, you will have a Reply in three Weeks:
(other Studies intervening.) And I will engage
in the Upfhot, that your private Character,
and the Prevarication of your Works, that Hy-
pocrify, Malice, Frenzy, Slander, Selfiſhneſs,
but without Succefs, and all your Saint-like
Picture fhall be more hurtful to your own Name
Writings, and Schemes for ever, then all you
vilely project againſt him, who has as much
Refolution, Labour, and perhaps Knowledge
of you as you of your
your ſelf.
J. HENLEY.
N. B. The Gentlemen only faid when you
came in, That was Mad Whifton.
Have a Care of ftealing Eclipfes from Halley;
and other things from Brocklesby: &c.
The
( 11 :)
)
The next day being Wednesday, Octob. 25.
about one a Clock, came a Letter to my Houfe
by Mr. Henley's Footboy, Sealed with feveral
Seals, and directed thus on the outer Cover.
To Mr. Barker, at Mr. Whifton's, in Ruffel-
Street, againſt Mountague Houſe, Bloomsbury.'
Under which Cover was the Letter it felf,
Directed to Mr. Whifton: with this Addition,
To be read first by Mr. Barker, if he pleaſes.
It was in theſe Words.
C
C
SIR,
B
EFORE I ſend you an Account of my
felf you have no claim to Demand, it is
neceffary for me to let you know, that as it is
the Principle of the Oratory to impofe nothing;
(there being no Apoftolical Authority in this
Town that I know of; and therefore the Jus
Dominii Spiritualis being equal to all, till agreed
by particular Bodies of Chriftians, who have
now no Power over one another ;) fo I do not
confine my Religious Service to that of the
Conftitutions. I eſteem that beft, I propoſe
it as fuch: (unleſs you fhall give me a worſe
Opinion of it:) but I read Part of the Prayers
of the Church of England often: I have alſo
extempore Prayers fometimes, and the Sacra-
ment in other Methods than that of the Con-
ftitutions for neither I nor you have a Right
to impofe that Form. You may perfuade me to
it if you can; but if they defire to Worship in
another way, I will not Worſhip in that. You
ought, unless you have a right of Dominion,
to comply with weak Brethren: at leaſt that is
the Principle of the Oratory, and I will main-
tain that Principle. I don't think it unlawful:
R2
1107
( 12 )
nor therefore to me is it fo. So that that Outcry
of the Conftitutions is ill plac'd. I have not
that Attachment to them you have: and I
don't know whether your Copy of them be
faithful from that of Clement: till when, yours
are not all to me Apoftolical and I am Judge
what are fo, to my ſelf. [N. B. What the grea-
teft Part of this is to the Contents of my Let-
ter; which preffed Mr. Henley, who, with
me, owned the Conftitutions Genuine and Ca-
nonical Scripture; nay the Most Sacred of the
Books of the Primitive New Teftament, to Ob-
ferve the Laws therein contain'd, I do by no
means underſtand. I encounter Mr. Henley,
to uſe his very Words in a parallel Cafe, with
peal. p. his own Weapons: either let him admit the
'Primitive Evidence in allCafes where it really
(
fhews it felf, or let him forbear to Plead that
Evidence in any Cafe'.] But I have a Charge
againſt your Self in this Affair; which if you
take your Meaſures as you feem inclin'd, I
fhall proceed upon. And I will do my ſelf
compleat Juftice upon you in all refpects; in
Law, Difcipline, and to the World.
I arraign you as a Traytor to the Civil
Government, to the Revolution, and the Pro-
teſtant Intereft; in endeavouring to bring int
another Jurifdiction, Superior to that of the
King, as fome of your Conftitutions do in
juſtifying the ufe of Force in Religion, like
the Inquifition, and the Law of Mofes in
Studying to undermine the Fundamental Laws
and Liberties of this Kingdom; thereby fow-
ing the Seeds of Sedition and Rebellion, and
Alienating the Minds of the Subject from the
King. I will engage by Evidence to prove
thefe
( 13 )
theſe Deſigns upon you, from your own Books
and Proceedings. Your infifting on all the
Ceremonies of the Conftitutions, is the Road
to Popery (theirs being much the fame :)
and your Spirit of DISCIPLINE, to which all
muſt be fubject, is Popery it felf. You are
a Publick Enemy, and ought to be uſed accor-
dingly.
I
You do not underſtand the Conftitutions:
they bind only the Baptiz'd, the Faithful.
was not Baptiz'd, all the time the fuppos'd
Faults you have rak'd up are prefum'd to be
done. Since I have been Baptiz'd, Remiffion
of Sins is the Confequence annex'd by the Law
of Chrift. Thofe Faults are none; they are
gone in true Baptifm. Stupid Man and Un-
charitable Dare to Accufe one whom Chrift,
by his Promiſe annexed to Baptiſm, has Ab-
folv'd and Seal'd. [N. B. Confeffion and Re-
pentance which are in fuch Cafes the knownQua-
lifications previous to Baptifm, are here quite
forgotten.] Befides, the Canon about the
Clergy viz. That after heinous Crimes, even
upon Repentance, they ſhould be only admit-
ted to Lay Communion,] does not affect me,
nor your felf: for there are no Clergy in this
Iſland. And none can, with any face, pretend
to officiate Clerically. Beware, and Repent,
and don't join in Idolatrous Worship. Have a
Care, and Remember
J. HENLEY.
November 3. I received another Letter from
Mr. Henley, upon my coming Home from
Finchley, which came by a Porter the Day
before,
( 14 )
before, and was directed thus,
To Mr. Wil-
liam Whifton; to be read by Mr. Barker.'
With a Meffage by word of Mouth,
That he
was willing to meet me any where.' The
Letter was in thefe Words.
SIR,
HO' you have no Concern with me, or
tu batechie
TRight to Catechife
Right to Catechife my Character, yet I
fink fo much below my felf as to inform you,
that no Scandal forced me to leave Melton ;
but I gave warning voluntarily, againſt the ex-
prefs defire of the whole Neighbourhood, for
them to provide themfelves with another Cu-
rate and Schoolmafter being many Years be-
fore refolved to come as foon as poffible to Lon-
don. I taught Speaking and Action in that
School, by the Rules of the Rhetoricians,
many Years before I ever faw a Theatre: and
they that judge of Action, know mine as diffe-
rent from the Theatrical, as a Theatre is from
a Church. I was, on leaving Melton, recom-
mended to fome of the Greateſt Men in Town
by the moſt confiderable Perfons about Mel-
ton, Clergy and Laity; under their hands; by
above 30 Letters: which would not have been,
had any Scandal there, had Weight with
them.
In your Story of Mrs. Colfon [Tolfon] you are
mifinform'd; and in your Reflections on that
and me, you are invidious and malicious, not im-
partial and charitable. I now fufpect you as
much as you do Athanafius; and I repent of
nothing fo much, as having ever believ'd your
Teſtimony in any of your Writings: fince
your Paffions blind your Judgment in all things,
As to Particulars, thefe are falfe Facts among
others:
(15)
others: That ſhe followed me to London: That
The ever ſeparated from her Husband, that I
know: That I ever had an ill Correſpondence
with her:
,
That ſhe ever pafs'd for my Wife or
I for her Husband: That any Debt of hers
was ever demanded of me, directly or indi-
rectly That I ever kept her in Lodgings:
That I ever knew of any Debts of that Kind:
That I ever had what you charge me with by
her: (and you could not be authentickly af
fur'd of that in a married Perfon, where the
Husband was within the four Seas, by authen-
tick Law:) That the ever, that I know,
lodg'd in Gray's-Inn: Thefe are falfe in parti-
cular every one of them. And I could give
you one Demonftration, that you ought to fufs
pect your Information of the whole Affair. I
never liv'd with any Woman till. I married;
nor promifed to pay any Debts of hers. Had
I not talked too freely of Religion, I had been
preferr'd before this: and your Writings are
the Cauſe of my not being preferr'd. I am
ferious and fincere in Religion; but I think
yours a Jeft, who communicate and worſhip
with a Church you think Idolatrous and Anti-
chriſtian. In not doing that, I fhew my Ho-
neſty; and nothing but a Conduct like yours,
in a Defender of Religion, can fhock my Be-
lief of it. I was always above forcing a Trade;
while you live only by forcing a Trade. I am
no more to be blam'd for folliciting Great Men
than others. Your Language is fcurrilous a-
gainst my Character in all Points; and requires
another Anfwer than by the Pen. I would
have ftood for St. George's Lecture, had the
Truſtees elected. I never ftood for a Lecture
in the City; but I was defir'd to take a City
Lecture,
(16
( 16 )
Lecture, and foon gave it up: as I did volun-
tarily my Living of 80 l. a Year in Suffolk: on
which it is falfe that the Bishop ever requir'd
my Reſidence. I quitted all for certain La-
bour, and uncertain Gains. I have no more
ufed your Books than you do other Mens, or as
any Men uſe the Books they buy or read.
Thoſe you call your Diſcoveries, I deny to be
yours; and they have done me more harm
than good. You mifreprefent the Difcourfe
between me and yourfelf. I never courted
your Acquaintance, nor defir'd to come to your
Houſe, nor ever fhall. I never took you to be
a Man of the beſt Judgment in the World;
tho' I like the Primitive Scheme as far as it is
Apoftolical. But I believe what you call Dis-
CIPLINE, which is Force in Religion, is fo far
from being Primitive, that it is againſt the
Gofpel, and borders, in this Realm, on High
Treafon. I fhall ask Counfel about that; and
I don't allow all the Conftitutions to be Cle-
ment's. I could not fet up for Parts long, if
I had none; and I have ſtudied for my Years
as much as yourſelf for Learning, and give as
much Proof of it. I am no more prophane
than your ſelf. As to the Eucharift, have
you a greater Right than I to give or invite to
it? Or dare you Accufe me of Sins, which, if
at all, were committed before Baptifm: to
which perfect Remiffion of Sins is annex'd:
and if that Part of Chriftianity has no Place,
the Whole has no Exiftence. I deny your Or-
ders: and only Men Apoftolically Ordain'd can
be bound by Apoftolical Laws. You can-
not prove you are a Clergyman, or a Baptiz'd
Chriftian and I fhall enquire whether it is not
against Law, and an Impofture, for a Man
іс
to
(17)
to fet up for a Prophet, and to terrify the
King's Subjects.
The
Your Application of the Text in the Pfalms
[L. 16, 17, 18.] is a ftrong Sufpicion of your
Ignorance or Difhonefty. The Palms were
no Laws to the Jews; much lefs to the Chri-
ftian Church, or to the Right of Preaching.
David was an Adulterer; yet prayed after it
for the Spirit, to teach Gods ways to the Wick-
ed, and convert Sinners. Hofea took two
Wives of Whoredom, and Preach'd.
other Prophets did the like. [Which two
Facts I take to be falfe.] The Adulterefs
in the Fact was pardoned by Chriſt. Adultery
is often prophefied as a Judgment.
Pfalm you quote has no relation to Preaching,
or to any but thoſe who perfevere in partaking
with Adulterers. My paft Character is nothing
to my preſent; and is not accountable to you
in any thing.
The
You talk idly as to my defiring to be a News-
writer to the Government. There is no fuch
thing in the World as a News-Writer to the
Government and I never Sollicited in that
Manner. That Character of my Vanity better
fuits yourfelf, who are, for a Scholar the moft
Vain, Arrogant, Pretending, Ill-bred Man
alive and for a Chriftian the Greateſt DISSE M-
BLER upon Earth. You loft your Place in
Cambridge, for Obftinacy and Pride and it's
plain you don't believe Chriftianity, by not
having the Meeknefs of Chrift, nor his Law
in you, of your not judging your Brother.
Your Encouragement and your ſelf I deſpiſe:
and you are a Fool to think the open Difperfion
of your Libel, will do me fo much Hurt as it
will your Self; and fo you will find it. This
Scandal
( 18 )
Scandal was on Foot three Years ago, and has
done me no Harm; the greateſt Part of your
Circumſtances being Lies: And if you go on
in your Villany againſt me, I'll make you fmart
for it and if I prove Damages, you fhall Pay
them.
In the mean Time I have got fome Accounts
of Mr. Whifton, as to his Vifions, Prophecies,
Madneſs, private Conduct, betraying the Chri-
ftian Religion in his Writings, fubverting the
King's Supremacy, by fetting a Spiritual Power
above the State, fubverting the Government
of thefe Realms, by making Difobedience to
his Conftitutions capital, &c. that fome Friends.
to whom I fhewed your Letter, calling you
Mad, defired me to take no Notice of it; or
however gave me the following Propofitions
for the Oratory:
1. A Differtation on the Viſions and Prophe-
cies of Mr. Whifton: with an Enquiry into the
Cafe of an Impoftor, and a falfe Prophet, ac-
cording to the Laws of this Kingdom.
2. A Diſplay of Mr. Whifton's Integrity from
his Writings and Worſhip; and a Parallel be-
tween him and his Sufpicions of Athanafius.
3. A Diſtinction between Mr. Whifton's Con-
ftitutions and thofe of the Apoſtles; and an
Enquiry how far by Law, the King's Supre-
macy, his Sacred Life, the Proteftant Intereft
and Succeffion, and the Government of thefe
Realms are affected by Mr. Whifton's avow'd
Tenets in the Difcipline and Ceremonies of
the Conftitutions: Being an Anfwer to his
Addrefs to Sovereign Princes and States.
An
(19)
4. An Enquiry what Atheiſm, Deiſm, Infi-
delity, Immorality, Scandal, has been intro-
duc'd by Mr. Whifton's Schemes, as to Corrup-
tions of the Bible; and the Confequences of his
Writings with the Inconfiftences, Suppofals
urg'd for Proofs, Crudities, Inftances of Pre-
varication and Credulity, &c. that appear moft
remarkably in the faid Writings.
&c. &c. &c. &c.
I fay no more at prefent: but Mr. Wbifion,
who is an Aggreffor upon me, may Repent of
his Bafe and Vile, Unchriftian, Ungenteel,
and Unſcholar-like Step. He may wish he had
never been fo great a Reviler, and fo abfurd a
Wretch. He fhall find my Spirit fuperior to
all fuch Attempts; and that my Fortune in
Life SHALL cruſh all fuch Oppofitions.
JOHN HENLEY.
Note, That where I have left a Break in
this Letter, there was a Clauſe at firſt written,
but afterward blotted out by Mr. Henley, the
three firſt Words of which are plain, Unleſs a
frequent, and the reſt look almoſt like Access be
fo call'd. Which Frequency of Access to Mrs.
Tolfon being undeniable, feems to have been
what he at firft thought fit to confefs, but af-
terward fuppos'd it better to avoid confeffing.
Note, That I never returned any Anfwer to
Mr. Henley's Letters, except to one fmall Note,
as above.
C 2
As
( 20 )
As to Mr. Henley's Pretence to what will be
called Rebaptization, as having washed away
his heinous Crimes, and fitted him for every
facred Function again, we muft more authen-
tickly know when, and by whom, with what
Solemnity, and after what previcus Confeffion,
Humiliation, and Signs of true Repentance it
was done, e're it can be of any Avail for his
Excufe in the prefent Cafe. Nor can he be
fo grofsly ignorant, or grofsly Popifh, as to
think the bare Opus Operatum of Water Bap-
tifm fufficient for fuch great Purpoſes of Chri-
ftianity.
Note farther, That what Mr. Henley afferts
here concerning feveral particular Circumftances
in my Letter as Miftakes, it was fuppos'd they
might be fo in that Letter; and I now know
thofe Circumftances much better than I did
when I wrote that Letter. But as to the prin-
cipal Facts, my better Knowledge is much for
the worfe, as to his Character. Nor do I now
doubt at all of the Truth of thofe principal
Facts, which are alone of Confequenee in this
Matter. And I am fure it has been no fmall
Matter of Concern and Indignation to myſelf,
and to fome others, who have a real Concern
for Chriftianity, to hear, that fo many of thoſe
who yet call themfelves Chriftians, and who
are not unacquainted with Mr, Henley's Chara-
Eter and Meaning, fhould fatisfy themſelves in
going to, and fupporting this his Service, I
had almoſt ſaid this his Prophanation of the
Lord's-Day. How they will anſwer ſuch a
Procedure to the great Judge another Day,
they had beſt confider: and whether this be
not like that Bidding fome wicked Teachers
God
(21)
God speed, which the beloved Difciple fays
will render Men Partakers of their evil 2 John 11
Deeds?
Some Advertiſements of Mr. Henley's
Since the Delivery of my Letter.
October 24. Having been threatned by Let-
ters, that if I do not drop the Oratory,
my Life and Character fhall be very minutely
publifhed; I defire the Undertakers to be
ſpeedy in it becauſe I am writing it myſelf,
with Truth and Rigor. Tho' I do not conceive
a Connection between any Character of me, and
the Conduct of my Oratory.
Oftob. 28. Mr. Henley was to preach againſt
Jezabel, and her two Priefts-againſt Naaman
and Whifton, as joining with thoſe they think I-
dolaters, or bowing in the House of Rimmon.
Octob. 31.
He was foon to confute Mr.
Collin's, Bishop Chandler's, Dr. Clarke's, Dr.
Sykes, Mr. Chandler's, and Whiston the Pro-
phet's Schemes of the Scripture Prophecies.
Nov. 4. He was foon to be on the Scheme of
Literal Prophecy, and the Weapons and Be-
haviour of the Combatants in this Difpute,
viz. Biſhop and Presbyter Chandlers, Mafter
Sherlock, Prophet Whifton, Clarke, Sykes, &c.
N. B. How Mr. Henley can poffibly fay in
the Advertiſement, Octob. 24. That he does
not conceive a Connection between any Character
of him, and the Conduct of his Oratory; i. e.
between the Character of a Clergyman, or
publick
( 22 )
publick Offerer of Mens folemn Worſhip to
God, and publick Preacher of God's true Reli-
gion to Men, and yet pretend to Primitive
Christianity, is moft amazing. Nothing being
more fully, frequently, and exactly taken care
of in the firft Ages of the Gofpel, than the
Qualifications, Character, Behaviour, and un-
fpotted Reputation of Bishops, Prieſts, and
Deacons and nothing fo feverely animadvert-
ed upon by Church Diſcipline, as their Vices
or ill Conduct, upon all Occafions. See St.
Paul's Epiftles to Timothy aud Titus; the Epi-
ftle of Polycarp to the Philippians; the fecond
Book of the Apoftolical Conftitutions; and above
the one half of the 85 Canons of the Apoſtles,
which concern theſe Matters. How alfo he
can pretend, as he does in his Appeal, that our
'Lord commanded, and the Apoſtles ufed, and
›8. the primitive Fathers frequented, the Eucha-
C rift with Unleavened Bread only when not
one original Teftimony appears of any fuch
thing, and when very little appears in later
Times (but from the Church of Rome, whoſe
Teftimony, in his own Words elfewhere, being
confeffedly and entirely Popish is not pleadable :)
is fufficiently furprizing alfo. To fay nothing
5, 28, of his ftrange Dream, fo frequently repeated, for
120. difannulling the whole Ordination of the Cler-
51,71,
C
gy of the Church of England, from the Omif-
fion of a few Words in the Confecration of.
Archbishop Parker, which the Nature of the
whole Office fupply'd: while the Meaning of
the Form without them was fully underſtood
by the whole Congregation. And I believe he
can no more prove this Rigor or Nicety to be
according to Scripture or Primitive Antiquity,
than
(23)
than the former about Unleavened Bread. And
indeed he muſt be very little acquainted with
the Apoftolical Conftitutions, and Primitive
Christianity, who does not know how much
greater Objection the Wickednefs of the Ad-
miniſtrators is with them againſt the Validity
of Sacred Adminiftrations, than the Nicety of
the Forms uſed in them.
•
I add a N. B. Out of his Appeal which feems
to me not a little Remarkable. If there be P. 41.
any Propofition in thefe or any of my Wri-
C
<
C tings or Difcourfes repugnant to any Law in
this Kingdom, it is fo far Acknowledg'd to
be Falfe, fince a thing may be Falfe in Law,
and yet may be true in Divinity, Fact or
Argument: or in other Words a Propofition
may be judicially Falfe, and yet really
• True'.
C
CONCLUSIO N.
SIMe
INCE Mr. Henley does not here deny that
there was a Scandal upon him, with Re-
lation to Mrs. Tolfo, when he left Melton;
tho' he fays it had not Weight with feveral Per-
fons in the Neighbourhood; fince that Claufe
in his laft Letter which is blotted out moſt
probably confefs'd, that he had frequent Access
to her; fince he confeffes in the fame Letter
that fuch a Scandal was alfo on foot three Years
ago; fince when I mentioned it to him, before
he fet up the Oratory, he did not deny it; but
rather, by the Tenor of his Anſwers, acknow-
ledged it to be true; fince many Claufes in all
the
( 24 )
Mat. xviii.
15, 16.
II. 37.
the three laft Letters, while they ſeem to deny
or evade feveral Circumftances, do yet not
deny but rather fuppofe the Truth of what he
elſewhere calls a Scandal upon him, with Rela-
tion to the fame Mrs. Tolfon; fince I privately
Admonished him at first, before he fet up his
Oratory; and have now by Letter, given him
a fecond Admonition; and both as near as poffi-
ble to our Saviour's own Directions in the New
Teftament, and according to the Rules of
Chriſtian Diſcipline, founded thereon, in the
Conflitut. Apoftolical Conftitutions; and fince all has
been ſtill without the leaſt Succefs, or the leaft
Sign of having gained a Brother by true Re-
pentance; I am now, according to the fame
Sacred Directions, and Rules of Difcipline;
to Tell thofe his Crimes, of which I have Ad-
moniſhed him, to the Church. Accordingly I
do hereby Declare, that if the Right Reverend
the Bishop of the Diocefe will pleafe to call
together his Presbyters and Deacons, with as
many of the Laity of his Dioceſe as can con-
veniently attend, in the way of Ancient Chri-
ftian Difcipline, without all Civil or Legal
Proceedings, or Fear of any Temporal Penal-
ties whatſoever, and will call Mr. Henley before
them, I will Appear, and Produce a Copy of
the Letter I wrote to him; and will atteft be-
fore the Church what I know my felf; and in-
form them who are the proper Perfons from
whom they may obtain more full Information
concerning him that if he appear Innocent,
all this Scandal may be taken off, and he may
be Reftor'd to the good Opinion and Eſteem
of his Chriſtian Brethren, and may go on Chear-
fully, and without Disturbance, in the Exer-
cife
( 25 )
.
cife of his Function, as a Chriftian Clergy-
man but that if he appear guilty, he may be
treated as the Apoftolical Canons and Primitive
Difcipline do require.
Witness my Hand,
WILL. WHISTON.
N. B. Since Mr. Henley infults me ſo often,
and fo hard, for endeavouring to ſet up ſpi-
ritual Difcipline, as if it were a Kind of High
Treafon, and might endanger the Government,
and the Sacred Life of his preſent Majeſty, I
fhall refer the inquifitive Reader, that defires
to know my real Thoughts upon that Head, to
my Scripture Politicks, which I declare to con-
tain my preſent, as well as paſt Sentiments:
and from which Mr. Henley's Threatnings will
not at all affright me. And that both he and
the World may, even by this fmall Paper, fee
Part of thofe Thoughts, I fhall repeat two or
three Pages out of them in this Place. Spi-
ritual Difcipline confifts mainly in the Power
of the Keys: in Authority to bind and loofe,
to remit and retain the Sins of Offenders;
not indeed by private Confeffions and Abfo-
lutions; not by arbitrary Impoſitions or In-
dulgencies; not according to Mens own
Laws, or Inclinations, or Miſtakes, or Paf-
fions; but openly, according to the ſtanding
Rules and Terms of the Gofpel; and in Ex-
pectation of Chrift's ratifying in Heaven
what his Minifters, in Obedience to his own
Precepts, according to his own Directions,
and by Virtue of his own Authority do in
this behalf, and not otherwife. That this
• Power
D
(26)
C
.
• Power of the Keys is thus entruſted with
• Chriſt's Church, eſpecially with the Officers
• therein; ſo that particular Members, who ob-
ſtinately refuſe to be by them thus Admit-
ted; by them thus confequently Guided; by
C them, upon notorious Offences, thus Exclu-
• ded; and by them, after due Acts of true
Repentance, thus Re-admitted, fhall not be
able to affure themſelves of God's Favour
and Acceptance, but be left to the Uncove-
nanted Mercy of God, or rather to the Seve-
rity of his Juftice; fhall be like Heathen
• Men and Publicans, the Chriftian Records do
C every where affure us; and that not thofe
૬ only which are written on purpoſe about fuch
Matters, and not commonly known; but
thofe alfo which are in our New Testament.
Thus, fays our Lord, while he liv'd on
.xviii. Earth, before his Death; If thy brother ſhall
treſpaſs against thee, go and tell him his fault
between thee and him alone: If he shall bear
thee, thou haft gained thy brother: But if he
• will not bear thee, take with thee one or two
' more; that in the mouth of two or three wit-
neffes every word may be established. And if he
C Shall neglect to bear them, tell it to the Church:
• but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be
C unto thee as an heathen man and a publican
• Verily I fay unto you, Whatſoever ye ſhall bind
on earth, fhall be bound in heaven; and what-
foever ye shall loofe on earth, ſhall be loofed in
heaven. Thus alfo fays he after his Refur-
rection, Peace be unto you. As my Father
23, 23. bath fent me, even fo fend I you. And when
18.
xvi. 19.
10 XX.
C
.
C
<
C
be bad faid this, he breathed on them, and
faith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghoft.
Whofefoever fins ye remit, they are remitted
unto
(27)
C
unto them: and whofefoever fins ye retain,
C they are retained. Accordingly we find St.
C Paul, as the Ecclefiaftical Governor over the
Church of Corinth, and with their Concur-
< rence, (for Chriftian Ordination, and Chri-
દ ftian Difcipline were ever to be exercis'd, in
C
I
St. Clement's Words, urddonnodions ons cuxan- 1 Epift.
• dias, With the Confent of the whole Church; §. 44.
and not by the private Authority of the Go-
C vernors only) ordering in his firſt Epiſtle the
Excommunication of an inceftuous Perfon,
.
' and that in a very affecting Manner: I veri-
C
<
<
ly as abfent in body, but prefent in fpirit, have! Cor.1
judged, or determined already, as though 13, 4, 5.
were prefent, concerning him that bath fo done
• this deed. In the name of our Lord Jefus
C
C
C
C
Chrift, when ye are gathered together, and my
Spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to deliver fuch an one unto Satan, for the de-
ftruction of the flesh, that the fpirit may be fa-
ved in the day of the Lord fefus. After this
C we find that the Inceftuous Perfon, accord-
. ing to Chrift's Intention in this fevere Difci-
C pline, was thereby brought to Repentance;
' and thereupon He who had been, fo much
to his own fpiritual Advantage bound, ought
C now, by the fame Law of Chrift, to be
loofed; and He whofe Sin had been retained,
ought to have it remitted. Which more a-
' greeable Part of this Difcipline St. Paul
therefore, with great Joy, in his fecond
Epiftle confents to; and Exhorts the Corin-
thians, whofe Agreement was alfo neceffary,
t to confent to the fame. And St. Paul's Words,
، with which I fhall conclude, are here very
< remarkable; as being a moft Authentick
Paraphraſe upon thoſe of our Saviour in St.
C
'
C
D ?
• Fahu
(28)
or. 2.
's 8.
C
C
6
C John, about Remiffion of Sins in the publick
Difcipline of the Church. Sufficient, fays
St. Paul, to fuch a man is this Punishment,
which was inflicted by the majority of the
Church. So that contràriwife ye ought rather
to forgive him, and comfort him; left perhaps
fuch an one should be fwallowed up with over-
• much forrow. Wherefore, I beseech you, that ye
would confirm your love towards him.
C
C
C
To
whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive alfo. For
if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it,
for your fakes forgave I it, in the Person of
• Chrift.
N. B. If any think the Apoftolical Confti-
tutions and Canons, tho' owned till Octob. 22.
at Night by Mr. Henley, as well as myſelf, too
uncertain to depend upon in fuch a Caſe as this,
there are other Primitive Records of undoubt-
ed Authority which here confirm them: The
Sum of which take in the Words of the Lord
Chancellor King, in his excellent Conftitution
and Difcipline of the Primitive Church, writ-
ten without any Regard to thofe Conftitutions
and Canons. When an [heinous] offending
.
Clergyman, fays his Lordfhip, was abfolv'd,
he only was reftor'd to Communion as a
C Layman, but never re-admitted to his Eccle-
fiaftical Dignity.' Chap. VII. in calce, and
p. 149, 152. See alfo Dr. Marfbal's very valu-"
able Penitential Difcipline of the Primitive
Church.
N. B. Since Mr. Henley fays, in his laft
Letter, that I am a Fool to think that the
open Difperfion of my Letter will do him
fo much hurt as it will myfelf; and that I
fhalt
(29)
fhall find it to be fo;' I defire he will pleafe
fairly to publish that Letter of mine to him;
as I have here fairly published his Letters to
me; and leave the whole to the Judgment of
all impartial Chriftian Readers, to which I re-
fer myfelf: That the World may fee whether
thofe very plain, but Chriftian Admonitions,
which that Letter contain'd, deferv'd all that
unchriftian Bitterness, which his three Letters
in Anſwer to it do contain; which Bitterness
will not, I believe, be eſteem'd with ſober
Men any Sign of either the Writer's Innocence
at firft, or Repentance afterwards.
N. B. Since Mr, Henley, in his fecond Let-
ter, admonishes me, Not to join in Idolatrous
Worſhip and in his Third fays, that I commu-
nicate and worship with a Church I think Idola-
trous and in his Advertiſement, Octob, 28. he
faid he was to preach againſt Naaman and
Whifton, as joining with those they think Idola-
ters, or bowing in the Houfe of Rimmon; I
gladly take this Opportunity of explaining my
felf fully on that Head. As to which I open-
ly declare, That how unjuftifiable foever I have
long thought fome Inſtances of Worſhip in the
Athanafian Churches, and particularly in the
Church of England; with which yet I ufually
join in publick Worſhip and the Eucharift; I
mean during the great Diſtreſs I am at pre-
fent in, between joining in a Church not yet
free from the Athanafian Herefy in publick Wor-
fhip, or of omitting almoſt all publick Wor-
hip at all: yet did I never think that undue
Worſhip of the Son and Holy Spirit, as equal
to God the Father, which the modern Athana-
fans have long ventur'd upon; without, I ve-
rily
(30)
rily think, nay, against the entire Old and New
Teſtament; and without, nay againſt all the
other antient Records of Chriftianity; to be,
ftrictly speaking, in the Language of Scrip-
ture, the Crime of Idolatry. It is neither the
Worſhip of falfe Gods, nor of Dæmons, nor of
their Images or Idols; as was that of the Syrian
Idol Rimmon: which was Idolatry againſt the
first Commandment. Nor is it the Worſhip of
the True God by an Image or Idol, as was that
of the Golden Calves by Aaron and Jeroboam;
which was Idolatry againſt the Second Com-
mandment. Nor indeed is the Worship of
Angels, though nearer to Scripture Idolatry
II. 18 than that before us, called by St. Paul Idolatry.
So that had I joined with the Church in this
Athanafian Worſhip, how Criminal foever I had
been on other Accounts in fo doing, yet had I
not, in my own Judgment, been Guilty of that
moſt Heinous Crime of Scripture Idolatry.
But that I ever do join in that Athanafian Wor-
ſhip, in any Degree; or fo much as Appear to
join in it, when I join in other Chriſtian Parts
of the Publick Worship, is notoriously falfe.
Every Body that takes Notice of my conftant.
Behaviour in the publick Service, may eaſily
perceive, that I never join in any of thofe
Parts of the Nicene Creed, of the Litany,
or of the Doxologies, or of any Prayers
or Worship whatfoever, that are of that
kind; and that whenever I am prefent
when the Athanafian Creed, that Shame and
Reproch of the Publick Worship of the Church of
England, is there repeated, I do always fit down;
to fhew the whole Congregation my difagreeing
thereto. So that if our Orator be refolv'd to
repreſent the Church of England as in this,
refpect
( 31 )
reſpect Idolaters; and the Places of her Pub-
lick Worſhip as in the fame Refpect Houses of
Rimmon, he ought to reprefent me as one that
abfolutely refuse to bow down in thofe Houfes,
upon any Occafion of Idolatry whatſoever.
And I farther Declare, that I fhall not think it
Lawful for me any longer to frequent that
Publick Worſhip, than I am not only permit-
ted to join in the Reft of it, without joining
with the Athanafian Parts; but permitted to
make this open Declaration, that I do not
and dare not join in thoſe Parts upon any Con-
fideration. Tho' how Mr. Henley comes to be
ſo ſevere upon my fuppos'd Compliance with
the Church of England, as thence to call me
the greatest DISSEMBLER upon Earth, and to affirm
that fuch a Conduct as mine almost endangers the
Shocking his own Religion, I do not underſtand ;
confidering how his own Admonition before.
his Appeal grants fuch Compliance with p. 8.
'weak Brethren, in order to be, like St. Paul,
all things to all men, that ſome may be gain'd,
C and the many not Offended, that it may be
allowable for a Time, to uſe the common
' Creeds and Doxologies.' Which yet contain
plainly, fome of the moſt unjuſtifyable In-
ſtances of the Worship of the Church of Eng-
land, of any other what foever. In the mean
Time, how earnestly I have ever defired our
Governors both in Church and State, to Re-
view and Reform thefe grofs Athanafian Cor-
ruptions of the Publick Worship of Almighty
God, every one knows, that has perufed my
Writings. And give me leave, upon this oc-
cafion, to Repeat that folemn Wifh relating to
this matter, a fourth time, which I have alrea-
dy repeated thrice before, and that in the
6
fame
( 32 )
Serm. and
El. p. 280,
281.
Reaſons a-
gainst the
Court of
Delegates,
P. II. 12.
the Princes
1
P. 71, 72.
C
fame Words, and with the fame Sincerity
as formerly, with which I fhall conclude
this Paper. O that I might Live to
fee that Happy Day here in Great Britain,
when Publick Authority, Ecclefiaftical and
Secular, fhould depute a Committe of Lear-
ned, Impartial, and Pious Men, with this
Commiffion, That they diligently, freely,
Addrefs to and honefly Examine her prefent Conftitus
tion, in all its Parts; and bring in an unby
afs'd and unprejudic'd Account of her Des
fects and Aberrations, whether in Doctrines
• Worſhip, or Difcipline, of all Sorts, from the
Primitive Standard; in order to their effe
Etual Correction and Reformation. Then
• would our Sion be indeed a Praifesin, the
Earth; the Darling and Pattern of all the
other Proteftant Churches in the World: and,
by fuch an Illuftrious Precedent would effe
Etually recommend the like Reformation
C to all the other Churches; and fo be
• come the
the Foundation and Center of
their Unity, Love, and Peace, and thereby
moſt effectually Haften the coming of that Glo³
rious day of God, when, according to our
Lord's moft fure Promife, and that of the
Father alfo, We look for New Heavens and a
New Earth; a New and Better State of the
< Church here on Earth; wherein Righteouf-
• neſs will dwell, till it end in the Glorious
Millennium, the Kingdom of our Lord, ad-
vanc'd to its higheſt Perfection, and ſpread
over the Face of the whole World, till the
Confummation of all things.
2 Pet. III.
12.
V. 13.
<
C
November 22. 1727:
WILL. WHISTON,
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