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DOXOLOGY
^7 APPROVEN :/Wl
The Singing Glory to the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, in the Worfhip of GOD, Its Lawfulnefs and Expedi- ency, proven from the Holy Scrip- tures, Councils and Fathers, and the Scruples of the Weak thereanent, cleared ;
With a few Ejaculations fit for feveral Oc- casions, both for young and old.
3-
By Mr. RFEHlml&ev of the Gofpe'l.
[yW|^§,
EDINBURGH;
Prints in the Year .Meccxxxi.
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THE
PREFACE.
/T is the Duty of all Chrijlians in General*, firioufly to bethink themfelves, and make it their whole Bufimfs here upon Earth, to look after their- eternal Happinefs ; and for that End, they mujl have their Faith rightly and jblidly confirmed in the Fundamentals of Religiofi : Asid Firft, They ought and mull believe the Scriptures of th* Old and New Tejlament, to be the Word of God, from their Dignity, Antiquity, and other Excellencies, as con- taining in them all Manner of Knowledge. TheOldTefla- mentis, in itfelf, a Sijlem of all Kind of Knowledge, ufe- fulfor the ConducJ of human Life-, and it is impoffible to recommend thofe Books of the Old and New Teji anient better, than is Jhown forth in the reading of them fer't- cujly. The New Tefl anient, as contained in the Gofpel, defer vedly claims our grcatefl Efleem, as conveying to us the blejjed Tidings of our recovering that happy State which our firjl Parents forfeited in Paradife ; and all thofi Excellencies, which in General belong to the Old Te/ia~ ment, may, in a more peculiar Manner, be claimed by tht New ; for, what the Law and the Prophets foretold, the Gofpel plainly demonjlrates to have been compleated. Thefes with this great Book of the Creation, mujt needs let Cbn- jliansfee, and filly confirm them in the Belief of one fa- preme yjjmighty Being in the World, that has the Being of all other Beings in it felf, who firjl created thcfe feve* ral Species (which we fee in this great Book of the Crea- tion ) and endued them with this generative Powci' to pro- pagate their Kind: And thisfupreme Being is that which we call GOD. How glorious, how tranfcendently glo- rious, mujl this God needs be, who is the Being of till Be- ings > thePerfcftion of all Ptrfcftions, tht very Glory of
till
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*11 Glories, the eternal God. As we Cbrifiians believe in one eternal God, fo being Sinners, we mujl believe in Jefus Cbrifl, whom the old Teflament clearly denotes to be the Meffias, and jhows us Chriflians, that it is not a mere Man, but God bimfelf, that would beer thefe our Sins, even he whofe Tsame is the Lord our Rigbteoujhefs. And that this Meffias is already come iuto the World, for the Redemption of the Sons of Adam, we muft make no Doubt of; and that this Jefus Cbrifl, whom the Book of the Go/pel, or New Teft anient J peaks of, was indeed the Per/on, is clearly demonftrated, by comparing the Neiv Teflament with that of the Old. As for the Birth of the Meffias, or Jefus Chrift, the Old Teflament faith, Gen. Ijth Ch ftp. from the Beginning, tothezzdVer, andGzn. lid, Ver. l<>, and downward, And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of Heaven the Second Time, and faid, By my felf have I fworn, faith the Lord, for becaufe thou haft done this Thing, and haft not withheld thy Son, thine only Son 5 That in Blef- fing I will blefs thee, and in Multiplying I will multi- ply thy Seed as the Stars of the Heaven, and as the Sand upon the Sea Shore, and thy Seed fhall poffefs the Gate of his Enemies -, and in thy Seed (hall all the Nations of the Earth be bleffed, becaufe thou haft obeyed my Voice; and II Sam. 7 Chap. Ver. 12. And wnen thy Days be fulfilled, and thou (halt deep with thy Fatners, \ will fet up thy Seed after thee, which (nail proceed out of thy Bowels, and I will e- ftablifh His Kingdom \ andlfa. xi. Cap. Ver. I. And there fhall come forth a Rod out of the Stem ofjeffe, and a Branch fhall grow out of His Roots, and the Spirit of the Lord mall reft upon him, and fo forth. And the New Teflament, Mat. I. 1(5. And Jacob begat Jcfeph, the Husband of Mary, of whom was born JESUS who is called CHRIST-, but for Connec- tion, read down from the fir ft Perfe of this Chapter ; and mgain in the Old Teflament, Ifaiah the 7 Chap, and 14 Ver. Therefore, the Lord himfelf fhall give you a Sign, Behold a Virgin (hall conceive, and bear a Son, and feall call His Name Immannel; and the New Teft anient
6r
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•rGofpel, Mat. lXhap. and ifl Ver. Now the Birth of JESUS CHRIST was on this Ways, Whenas His Mother Mary was efpoufed tojofepb, before they came together, me was found with Child of the Holy Ghoft, and fo forth downward > and Luke, the I. Chap. 6, z6 to the 30. And in the Sixth Month the Angel Gabriel was fent from God, unto a City of Galilee named Nazareth, to a Virgin efpoufed to a Man, whefe Name was Jofeph, of the Houfe of David, and the Virgin's Name was Mary ; and the Old Teft anient faith in the <> Chapter o/Micah, v. 2. But thou Bethlehem Ephra- tah, though thou be little amongft the Thoufands o; Judah, yet out of thee (hall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler mljrael, whofe Goings forth hart? been of Old from everlafting; and the Go/pel Mat. ii. and ift Ver. Now when JESUS was born in Bethlehem ofjudea, and g great many moe Part* of the Old and New Teft anient, confirm the Divinity of our Lord and Saviour JESUSCHRIST: We therefore Chrifuans, are, andmuft be verily perfuaded, That the Books of the Old and New "left anient j are indeed the very Word of the Eternal God, and that they contain in them a perfett and complete Rule of our Faith.
Further?nore, it ' is neceffary that we Chriftians hold the Catholick Faith, and the Catholick Faith is this ; 1 bat. we worjhip one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, nei- ther confounding the Terfons nor dividing the Sub fiance; for there is one P erf on of 'the Father, another of the Sen, and another of the holy Ghoft; As is mere fully fet forth j in the Creed of St. Athanafitis. And that this Trinity of the Godhead, is aMyjlery we cannot po/Jibly conceive : Vet it is a Truth, that we can eafily believe, becaufe it is fo high that we cannot poffibly conceive it, for it it im- poffible any thing fkould be true of the infinite Creator > which can be fully expreft to the Capacities of us finitt Creatures ; and fortius Reafon, we ever jhould look ubmi tbeji Apprehenfions of God to be the trucjU whereby ire comprehend him to be the mcfl bicomprehenfible ; And that to be the mojl true of God, which feems mcftimpoj- fbletQUS; bittlet thisfujficc us, lhathewbobefthwws * Z bimfelf
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bimfelf, bath avouched it of ' himfelf, mid therefore roe ought to believe it, as from the Gofpel of St. Mat. ZS Chap! ip, Ver. p. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations, baptizing them in th- Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. Astd likewife, ift. John, Chap, 5. Ver. 7. There are three that bear Re- cord in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Ho- ly Ghoft, and thefe three are one. And faying the Words of St. Paul. 1 Tim. 3 Chap. 16 V. And with- out Concroverfy, great is the Myftery of Godlinefs, God was manifeft in the Flefh, juftified in the Spi- rit, feen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, be- lieved on in the World, received up into Glory. Now that the Doxology fhould be ufed in our prefent ejlabli- fbed Churchy would feem to he a very necejjary Point of Religion , efpecially in thefe wickedTimes wherein wc live y in which there are fo many pernicious Errors and dam- nabk Herefies, crept into the Articles offome Mens Faith % as dp not only jhock the Foundation of the Church of Chrift, butftrike at the Root of all Religion. But I hope we have better received Chrifl, than to hearken to fuch Opinions ms thefe are. Let us therefore manifed ourfelves to be, Chriftians indeed, by believing the Affertivns, truftingon the Promifes, fearing the Threatnwgs, and obeying the Pricepts of Chrifl our Ma/ier, that both Infidels and He- reticksmay.be convinced of their Errors, by feeing us oytfiripping them in our Piety towards God, Equity t§ our Neighbours, Charity to the poor, Unity amongft our felves, snd Love to all. For this would be a clear De- monftration, that our Faith is better than theirs is> wbm ear Lives are holier than theirs are.
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spam
THE
DOXOLOGY,
APPROVER Chap. L
The great Fundamentally of the Doclrme of the mofl bkjfed TRINITY, proven from the facred Scriptures.
AMongst all the divine Myfteries of Chri-* ftian Religion, which it hath pleafed God in his infinite Wifdom , Mercy and Good- nefs, to reveal to his Church on Earth, on which they are to build their Faith and Salvati- on, the Myftery of the facred Trinity, one God in three Perfons, is the firft in Order, and of great Con- cernment, even the three that hear Record in Heaven* the Father, the Word, and the Holy' Ghoft, and theft three are one, I J oh. 5. -7. Thefe three bear Wn- nefs to the Truth of all the Scriptures \ then afiured- ly to this Truth alfo, that they are three Perfons in one God-head. And among the twelve Articles of the Apoftolick Creed, this Myftery of the Trinity takes up three.
This facred Myftery is moft clearly manifefted ia our Saviour's Baptifm, Mat. 3. 16, 17. Luke 3. ZU **• Job. i. $2, 33. The Father fpeaks from
A Hea«
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Heaven, This is my well beloved Son, while at the fame Time the Son is baptized in Jordan, and the Holy Crhoft came down from Heaven, in the Likenefs of a Dove, and lighted upon God the Son, and abode upon him.
Moreover, the Sacrament of Baptifm being or- dained of God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, the firft Sacrament of the Covenant of Grac; , in it all
• the Promifes of Mercy and Salvation are (ealed to
• Believers, and by it Chriftians are folemnly entered Into the Church andHoufe of God; fo that the Con- * temner of this Sacrament debarreth himfclf from Sal- vation.
Therefore God himfelf hath appointed this Program to be prefixed upon the Porch of his Church, that this Almighty God, in whofe Name we are baptized, and in whom we believe, is Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, and it cannot be fupponed, but that thefe Men and Women who w re profelyted, and being Pagans before, admitted to the Benefit of Chriftian Baptifm, behoved to take a Time to learn th^Grounds of their Religioh : Therefore the Do&ors of the Church, not ' only wrote Catechifms for thefe young Chriftians, who therefore, betwixt their firft offering of them- felves to the Chriftian Church, until the Time they were baptized, were called Catechwneni : Thefe Do- ctors alfo wrote certain fhort Sums of Chriftian Faith, commonly called Creeds ; that before thefe Pagan Catechument received Baptifm, they were to give a Confeffion of their Faith, contained in their Creed : In all which Creeds, written by the Church, whether longer or fhorter, and in their Catechifms, ► the Do&rine of the Trinity was a fpecial Part ; and accordingly that Synod of Divines at Weftmtn(ier> m their leffer Catechifm, have not omitted the Trinity : So the reformed French Church in Geneva have a little Catechifm containing only twenty one fhort Qu^ftions, on which they examine thefe who are at firft to be admitted to the Lord's Table : Which little Cate- chifm begins, with the Trinity, and is bound in with
their
r
c j >
their Piwrfc Verfion of the Bible, printed at Gettsv* 1567, the facred Trinity being the Program of Chri- ftian Baptifm, proved the ftrong and invincible Fort of the Chriftian Faith in the Trinity of Pcrfons in the God- head, againft the Ajrians, and other Antetrinitarian Hcreticks > wherefore Socinus, who hath drunk much deeper in the poifonable Cup of Blafphemy againft the blefled Trinity, than the old Arrians, hath very flight- ingly written of the Sacrament of Baptifm.
The fecond great Myftery of Chriftian Religion, is, That the Word was made Flefb, Job. I. 14. and this the Holy Ghoft calls the great Myftery of God- , linefs, God manijefted in the Flefb, I Tim. 3. 1(5. Which Myftery, viz. that the Word, the fecond Perfon, God trie Son, was incarnate, and not the Fa- ther or the Holy Ghoft j this cannot be known and believed aright, until firft we know and believe thac there are three diftind Perfons in the Godhead, therefore our Saviour, Job. 17. 3. joyns thefe two together. This is Life everlafting, to know thee the only true Gody and J ejus Chrift whom thou haft fent ; and the Apoftle Paul, Co I of. 2. 2. To the Acknowledgement of the My- ftery of God, and of the Father ', and of Chrift. If it be objtded, That it feems to be a hard Saying, Thac the Knowledge and Faith in God, and three rerfons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, and in Chrift, God and Man in one Perfon, is neceffary to Salvation, feeing both thefe are profound Myfteries, fo far above humane Reafon and Capacity 5 I anfwer, firft, not only thefe two are great Myfteries, but alfo the whole Gofpel is a divine Revelation, of a continued Track of Myfteries, Mark 4. II. Rom. 16. 25,26. Eph. 3. 9, 16, 19, Colof. 1. 21, 27. called the Myftery of Godlinefs, I Tim. 3. 16. For there is no ether Name under Heaven, given among Men, whereby / VP4 m'tfl be faved, hut the Name of J ejus, Ads 4. 1 who is the Captain of our Salvation, Heb. 2. 10. thj v Author of eternal Salvation, Heb. 5. 9. and the Go fpel is called the Knowledge of Salvation, fcuke 1. 7/ tbcWordof'Stlvatiw, Aits 13, z<5. tbcWfcj oj
A % E ^' •
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vction, A£ls 16. 17. the Salvation of God, A&S 2,J- a8. ffe Pflrper of God to Salvation, Rom. 1. 16. -flta gn?/tf Salvation, Heb. 2. 3. fo that whpfoever will not believe thefe Gofpel Myfteries, is damned, I anfwer, Secondly, That to divine and faving Faith, as fuch demonftrative Knowledge in the logical Senfe, far lefs comprehenfive Knowledge is required , but fJie Lord condefcending to Man's humane weak Ca-i
{>acity, accepts of Faith, albeit apprehenfive Juiow- edge go before it, not always requiring that they know how fuch a Thing is true, but that howfoe- ver it is true, and becaufe of the Myftcrioufnefs of thefe Gofpel Divine Truths, there is a Neceffity for a Chriftian to deny himfelf, before he can fallow Chrift, Matth. 16. Z4. deny his carnal Wit and cor- rupt Reafon, therefore in the Lord's Work of Man's Converfion, in which he applies his exceeding great and mighty Power, Eph. 1. 19. he cafls down Ima- ginations and every high Thing that exalteth it felf a- gainjl the Knowledge of God, and hringeth into Capti- vity, every Thought, into the Obedience of Chrift, z Cor. 30. 5. where, albeit the Almighty Hand of God is $rft in Order, and chief in the Work, yet the Chri- ftian himfelf willingly confents to captivate all his carnal Imaginations and Thoughts, and over the Bel- ly of them all, gives the Aflent of Faith to the My- fteries of the Gofpel, becaufe they are the Truth of God, who is infinite in Truth, and cannot lie > for he who pioufly and humbly captivates his Thoughts to Chrift, will flop the Mouth of all Obje&ipns of corrupt Reafon, with Abraham againjl Hope, believing in Hope, Rom. 4. 18. Which Affent of Faith gives God far more Glory than the AfTent of Science, \yhich flows naturally from the Force of that natu- ral Light, born in by the Knowledge of the Caufe $ but the Aflent of Faith is fupernatural, being a fu- jpernatural Grace and Gift of God, with all its De- grees , and becaufe the Myftery of the Trinity, and Chrift's Incarnation, were fo high above Man's cor- ipr Reafon * therefore in the firft ^ Years of the ~ ^ ~- ~ " New
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New Teftament, Satan wrought mightily in the Chil- dren of Difob-dience, and did find it an eafy Work toraife up many blafphemous Hercticks, who, in the Pride of their undaunted Heart, refufed to captivate th^ir corrupt Reafon to believe the Myfteries of the Trinity and Incarnation, which were not contrary to Reafon, but above it.
CHAP. II.
This Chapter hath three Parts , Firft, A Catalogue of tha chief Ring-leading Here ticks, againfi the DocJrine of the facred Trinity , the firft 400 Years. Second- ly, 1 he many Evils of Sin and Mifery that followed Upon thefe Herefies. Thirdly, How the Lord and bts Church oppofed and confounded them.
AS for the Roll of the Ring-leading Hereticks, after our Lord's Afcennon, ( intending Bre- vity ) we pafs by all the Errors or Herefies mention- ed or foretold in the New Teftament, Matth. 24. 9, 24. AcJs 20. 29, 30. Acls 15. Rom. 16. 17, 1$. Gal. 1. 6, 7. Col. 3. I. Col. 9. 10. Col. 1. 8. I Urn. 1. 20. Col. 9. I. zTim. 2. 17,18. 2 Tim. 3. 8. zThef 2.8. Albeit therein be inftanced divers Dodrines of Devils; and St. Peter foretels, that fomt would deny the Lord that bought them, 2 Pet. I. 4. and St. John 2 Epift. 4. 3. mentions many Anti- chrifts in the general, andDeniers of Chrift, but par- ticularizeth none as fuch ; for Simon Magus, Ads 8. 18. was a baptized Chriltian, and falling in the Sin of Simony, in a moft grofs Mann:r, was juftly and bitterly rebuked by the Apoftle Peter; and Ecclefi- aftick Hiftoriographers record, that thereafter he re- turned with the Dog to the Vomite, and with the Sow to the wallowing in the Mire, went to Rome, and turned to his old Trade of Witchcraft, where he was ^dmired for his Lying, Satanical Wonders^ ( as before A3 his
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his Baptifin ) he had been admired in Samaria, Acls 8. 9, io. and blafphemouily called himfelf Father^ So,i and Holy Ghofi. Cerinthus blafphemed Chrift Jefus to be only a Man., and not the Meffia, Anno Dom. 75. The third Ring-leader Heretick Ebion, ven- ted the like Blafphemies s by Occafion of which three Hereticks, and their many Followers, the Apoftlc St. John, who lived .to this Time, wrote the Gofpel, in which his "chief Intent is to prove and maintain a- gainft thefe blafphemous Hereticks, that Chrift is God and Man in one Perfon. Cerdon blafphemed, That the God of the oldTeftament was notChrift's Father, Anno Dom. 143. Valentius, of whom came the Gnofticks, reje&ed the Doctrine of the facred Trinity, and made up. a Fiction as it were of three Gods, Anno Dom. 145. Theodotus, That Chrift \vas only Man 5 he denied Chrift to bz the Word, John 1.1. Anno Dom. 194. Praxeas denied the Trini- ty, his Followers were called Patr'tpoffiani, Anno Dom. 210. Melchizedeciani blafphemed, that Melchizedeck was greater than Chrift. ' Satellites denied the bleffed [Trinity, Samo faunas denied Chrift to be God, An- no Dom: 269. Mmies and his Followers denied Chrift and the Holy Ghoft to b: God. Arms denied the fecond Perfon of the blefTed Trinity to be one in •Subftance, co-equal and co-eternai with God the Fa- ther s he was confuted in the Council of Nice, his Blafphemy condemned, and he excommunicated, Anno Dom. 325. Photineus tell into the Herefy of SaheUius and Sam. Satanius, he was condemned in the Council of Serinium* Macedonius denied the Holy Ghoib to be God, Anno Dom. 360. he was con4emned in the General Council of Constantinople. An. Dom. 3 Si. Nejlorius denied the perfonal Union of Chrift's divine and humane Natures, therefore was condemned by a General Council at Ephefus, by 200 Bifhops, Anno Dom. 431. and being obitinate, was baniftied by the Emperor Theodofius. Aibeis thefe fore-mentioned Hereticks all blafphemed the facred Trinity, yet none of t hern but were poiioned with moe Errors befides:
For
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for Man's corrupt Heart is a too fertil Soil to re- E Satan's Inventions. One of the Ancients, by reading the Blafphemies of Hereticks, did not only condemn them, but alfo abhorred them the more. To I wifh every Chriftian Reader of this little Catalogue do make the like good Ufe ot k s for the Learned read them at Length in the large Volumes, and from this Catalogue the Learned may colleit the Reafoti why the lubtile Serpent, the En^my of God's Glory and Man's Salvation, was fo much fet againft the Doftrine of the Trinity, even becaufe of its great Fundamentally in the Chriftian faving- Faith.
In the iecond Part of this Chapter, follows the manifold and fad Evils, both of Sin and Mifery, that were caufed by thefe blafphemous Hereticks.
i. The Lord or Glory was id a high Degree dis- honoured, and greatly provoked to Anger ; fo thac the Learned, and Pious, in their coriiumirig Zeal, and holy Indignation, did admire the Lord's Lonp. fuftering Patience ; crying out, OGod, bow long fhatt the Advcrfary reproaeb ? Shall the Enemy blafpheme thy Name for ever
2. Too ma* ';-lafpheming Here- ticks, and their pernicious Ways, and that often in
•rticular Kingdom Ir Blafphemy was
firft invented ; ras Breath
fpread Abroad^ and iiifc&ed moe Kingdoms, with their Poifcn.
3. Satan and the Power of Darknefs fometimes 1 to t Humph, and Wickednefs to lift up its
Horn on high, and the Smoak of the bottornlefs Pit to darken of the Earth.
4. Many weal: Chriftians, and tender Lambs of Chrift, ftaggered and ftumhled, bein^ troubled with
, rords of Hereticks, almoft to the fub verting of Souls, now in a fainting Condition, their Hearts moved as the Trees or the Wood, with an nd; and many in Danger to periirr, for whom 111 died.
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%. The fad Condition of thefe Flocks, no Doubt moved their Paftors, in holy Zeal, like St. PW, to wifh thefe incorrigible Hereticks, who did what in them lay, to deftroy the Flock of God, accurfed from the Lord, as they were cut off from the Church, Gal. 5. iz. even thefe wandring Stars, to whom is referved tb$ Blacknefs of Darknefs for ever, Jude v. 13.
6. Sometime unliable Church-men were deceived and enfnared, who, when learned, eloquent, or both* they prevailed mightily both in City and Country 5 like that Time when the great Red Dragon's Tail did draw the third Part of the Stars of Heaven, and cafi them to the Earth, Rev. 12. 3.^4. Hence a fearful Rent and Schifm was made in the Church -, hence came Biting, Devouring and Confuming one another y Gal. <>. 15.
7. The Jew and Pagan were hardned in their Er- rors, and a {tumbling Block infuperable laid in the Way of their Converfion.
8. The Jew ( and in after i\.ges the Turk joyning with them ) did gladly grafp at the Opportunity to increafe the Fire of Contention, by joyning with the Hereticks and Apoftates, and ftrengthenmg their Hands againft the Orthodox s and took the more Boldnefs to hlafpheme that worthy Name by which we are named* Jam. 2. 7.
p . The frequenr and beautiful Meetings of the Flocks of Chrift, being feduced, diminifhed and fcattered, eaufed their faithful Paftors to offend, mourn and la- ment thefe of their Flock that had fallens like the lo- ving Mother, weeping over, not one only, but many or her Children dying together 5 and to ly all Night in Sackloth, ana w^ep between the Porch and the Altar j to be in great Heavinefs, and continual Sor- row of Heart, and almoft to wifh themfelves accur- fed from Chrift, for the Welfare of his Church, and their Flocks therein, Rom. 9. 3.
10. When fometime the Faction of Hereticks grew ftrong, as in particular of the Arrians, having, by the Subtffity of the Serpent, obtained the fecular Power
I 5 >
ii and fide with them, and (o did many Year! hureh of Chrift, not only to the* J'poiling of their Goods;, Imprifoniiiem?, or Baniih- ment of their Perfons i but alio many thoufands ha- ving fuffered cruel Torments, at laft fealed the true Faith of Chrift with their Blood and Loath : Of which Arrian Perfecutipn againft the true Church of Chriftj we intend hereafter to give you a more parti j cular Account.
Follows the third Part of the Chapter, wherein we (hall give you a compendious Account of the good and holy Means which the God of: Truth, who walks in the Midft of the feven golden Candbfticks, and his ChurchNthe Pillar and Ground of Truth, i Ttm. 3. if. having the Truth dwelling in them, and there- fore were Fellow-helpers to the Truth : In this Time bf Jacob's Trouble, winnowing and fi>ry Trial, the Lord ftirred up and. infpired the leaned Doflcrs of his Church, to plead the Caufj of their Mother, a- gainft thefe Wolves and Foxes, who made Havock of the Church; which Doctors, in their Generation, were burning and Alining Lights, did earneftly contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints, Jude 3. were Valient for the Truth, and fuffered it not to fall in the Streets 5 but gavethofeHereticks publick Difpute, as they found Opportunity ; refuted them by their Wri- tings, left to tne Church in their feveral Volumes to this Day, wherein tHey refuted not only the Herefies that rofe in their o\7n Da) s, but alfo all the Herefies that Blafphemers had fpread before their Time ; and by painful and zealous Preaching of the Truth, they confirmed their Fiocks,- and furnilhed them witn jpowerful Prefervatives againft the Poyfon of Seducers.
A fecondMean. Befide the thoufand thoufand Chri- ftians that fealed the Chrifttan Faith of the Trinity tvith their Blood and Death 3 among them many pi- ous and learned Biftiops, not only ; the Truth of God by their Pen and Writings, as aforefaid -, bun alio fealed that Truth which they had written and j>reachedj by xhpis Blood and Death a as Ig
B Jufiw]
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jtuflw, Irenms and Cyprian, and many others, who wrote learnedly in Defence of the facred Trinity, a- gainft blafDhemous Hereticks.
The third Means. As thefe glorious Martyrs, for the Glory of their Lord, Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, fealedJiis Truth with their Blood: So the Almigh- ty, who only does Wonders, appended his own Seal to his own Truth, in their Death, by many Miracles of divers Sorts. Brft. Of ftupendious Courage and Joy given them from above, to the Admiration and Conrufion of their tormenting Enemies, idly. Mira- cles manlfefted without them in their Death, as the Learned may read in the Church Hiftory j often the wild Beatts refu^ng to devour them, and fometimes the Fire to burn them. Yea, idly. The Lord wrought many glorious Miracles at the Graves of Martyrs, after thjir Death, of which there are many Examples in the Church Hiftory.
The fourth Mean. Whereas Solomon faith, In the .'Multitude of CounfiPors there is Safety: Therefore the Dodlors of the primitive Church didmeet in Councils, as they fa w need, in this or that Kingdom , but fome- times alfo, they did meet more folemnly in greater Numbers, fometimes 3 or 4. fometimes 600 bifhops together, befides moe than the double Number of Presbyters, and thefe of the moft learned and pious Divines, that were jn the Chriftian World, out of A* Jiay Africa an! Europe, by long and perilous journies* croffing Sea and Land, beginning with Failing and Praying. To which Councils rejpeclive, the then reigning Hereticks were fummoned to appear, and ap- pearing, were examined anent their Errors, their Er- rors refuted, and fometime, yet feldom, themfelves converted; But if obftinate, their Mouths flopped; their Errors and Blafphemks condemned and accurfed ; themfelves excommunicate, and fometimes alfo banifh- ed by the fupreme civil Magiftrate ; and for the fur- ther Confirmation of the Faith of following Genera- tions, and Eftablimment of the Pofterity in the Truth, the Church did put in Regifter, the Proceedings of
thefe
( II )
thefe famous Councils, whether National or General* againft thefe feveral Hereticks: As alfo, their feveral A&s, for Order and Decency, which Books are extant to this Day in great Volumes.
As for thefe Hereticks, albeit the Lord did permit them for a Seafon, to try his People, if they would cleave to his Truth, or not, Deut. ij. j. and that the Approved might be made manifeft, i Cor. II. I j; Yet the Lord bleffed the Pains of his faithful Servants againft them j fo that thefe Storms were turned to a Calm, and thefe Hereticks wholly madw known, and he who fets Bounds to the proud Waves of the Sea, let alfo Bounds to Satan's Malice, and put a Hook in the Nofe of thefe Blafphemers.
m The fifth Mean. The Lord from Heaven did ma- nifeft his Wrath and Indignation fignally againft fome , of the fpecial Ring-leading Hereticks, or elfe by the Hand of the civil Magiftrate.
Simon Magus , at Rome, by the Help of Devils, did fie in the Air -y but fell down and wac h™i£»H xo Death, at the Prayers of the Apoftl^ Peter.
Secondly. Blimas the Sorcerer, was by God, mira- culoufly fmitten with Blindnefs, for his Antichriftiau Perverfenefs, Ads 13. 11.
Thirdly. Mont anus, and his Prophetefs MaxmiUa^ hanged themfelves.
Fourthly. Jheodotus by Force took his. Flight to- wards Heaven, but fell clown, and died miferably.
^Fifthly. Budas or 'Lerebinthas Nicen, through Sorce- ry, did flie up in the Air, but fell down and broke his jNeck.
Sixthly. Maneus a Verfian Hererick, the King of Verfia caufed take off his Skin, flayed alive, filled it With Chaff, and hanged it up at the Gate of the City, Seventhly. Arrius being obferved by the Bifhop of A- hxandria^ that he was a dangerous Heretick, and migh- ty proud, while he is under Procefs, intends to coma to the Church of Alexandria to Morrow, inaprefump- tuous Manner; wh:r.fore the Bifhop all that Night ftayed in the Church, with Falling, and Prayer j
Tears, wreftJhng againft Arrius ; who, to Morr ay go-? ingto that Church, a fudden Terror of Confcience, and vehement Loofenefs of Belly did afifault him, that he was forged to go afide to the next publick jacks, where all his Bowels guHied out 5 a fit Death-bed for fo vile an Excrement of Satan, whole Breath ha the mofl deadly Peftilency that ever was in the World, whofe Manner of Death was a Mercy to the World, and a Beacon of his Ship-wreck fixed by the Almigh- ty, upon the dangerous Rock of his blafphemous He- jtefy.
E'ghthly. PrifchiUiams, Anno Dom. 400. being con- demned by a Church Council at Burdeattx, for his Blafphemies againft the Trinity, with others of his Stamp, was beheaded by the Emperor Maximus* All the forefaid Blafphemers of the Trinity, the Lord fcig- matized with a miferable Death, p the Terror of o- thers*
CHAP. HL »
Containeth the Ri/e of the Arrian. Herejy hi the fourth Century , their Perfecut'wn and Activity ; their Faff hood, Injujlice and Cruelty 5 and the prevalent Tejii-* yiony both of God and bts Churchy agamft them.
! A S in the firft 300 Years after our Lord's A* J\ fcenfion, his Church was fore vexed by ten bloody r executions, raifed by Pagan Emperors, and mo- lefted by \Antftrimtarian Hereticks, of which we have given you a fhort Viev/- in the former Chapter 3 fo an this fourth Century, Satan the Father of Lies, Anno ~Dom. 3x4. filled the Heart of 'Arrhs (a proud Presbyter in Alexandria) with Blafphemies againft the fecond Per- fon of the blefTed Trinity ; wherefore, the famous Coun- cil ol Nice, confiding of 3^8 Bifliops, conveened part- ly for examining and confounding of Arrius9 s Error, in
,tfce Year 325. wte after long Difpute granted to the
Au-^
i T3 )
Adwrfary, his blafpriemous Error was conA:'
j , thereaf-
by Occafion of two Emperors, ts and Va-
whom the Arrians feducedto their Herefyj and the Arm and Countenance of jhe civil Power to their wicked Faction, they left no Mean unefTaycd ro increafe and ftrengthen their Par- ty^ ai I their Poifon, which we intend to treat of in this Chapter, in th efe Particulars.
Frr/l. Their indefatigable Pains in conveening Church Councils. Secondly. The Falrtiood and Inju- in their Proceedings. 'Thirdly. Their hellifh Po- lices. Fourthly. Their monftrous Cruelty againft the Orthodox. Fifthly. The Lord's Witneffing againft them, both by his Church, and his own immediate Hand of Juftice upon them. To return to the firft of thefe, in Imitation of the Orthodox and true Church, like Satan, they transformed themfelves into Angels of Light, did conveen Councils, fometime in one Ci- ty and Kingdom, and fometime in another, as they judged mod expedient for their Purpofe 5 where they compofed divers Creeds, but . all Heterodox, and differing from the Nicen Creed \ Their firft Council held at Iyruf5 The fecond mjentfalem^ I he third at Antioch, where they compoled their firft Arrian Creed, Fourthly. Four prime leading Arrians prefented to the Emperor a fecond Arrian Creed. Fifthly. The Ar- rians in the Eaft fent a long Creed to the Biftiops in the Weft, which they rejected. Sixthly. At Syrmi- . urn in Illyria, the Arrians wrote two Creeds. Se- venthly. In a Council at Armwium, the Arrians wrote a fixth Creed. Eighthly. At Nica in Thracia, the Ar*i rians wrote a Creed, which deceitfully they called the Nicen Creed. Ninthly. The Arrians held a Council at Seleucia in Ifauria. Their laft two Councils they held at Conjlantinople and Antiocb, where they decree, 1 hat the Word Sub/lance and Pet-Jin, of one Sub- Jt since, of another Subjlance, all thefe be expunged
puv of all Creeds. By all which we may perceive the
Anig*
( H ).
'Arrim applying all his Oars, going to and fro, and walking up ani down in the Earth, comparing Sea and Land to conveen Councils, thereby to frame Mifchief by a Law, to engage and inflave unliable Souls, by the Shadow, of a ChurchSanfiion, making Proielytes, ftrengthening his Fa&ion.
Having fpok.n of their indefatigable Pains, let us in the fecond Place obferve their deceitful Dealing, their Depths and Devices, which the Father of Lies ( the old and crooked Serpent ) had taught them : Firft. Eufebius Bilhop of Nicomedia being juftly de- graded by that Orthodox Council of Nice, for his Obftinacy m Arrimiifm, and he, together with Arrius ^ banifhed by the Emperor Conflantine, he wrote to the Emperor a penitential Letter, wherein he fubferibed the Nicen Creed, ( but with a double Heart ) and fo was reftored to his Place and Fun&ion -, and Arrius followed his Example, both in fubferibing and dif- fembling, remaining in the Gall of Bitternefs with Si- mon Magus, and in the Synagogue of Satan > where- fore fhortly thereafter, the Lord purged his Church of Arrius, by an extraordinary and horrible Death, even then .when he was in the Height of his Pride, go- ing to. that Church in Grandeur, where he hadfpew- ed out his Blafphemies againft the Son of God, even that King of Saints, who thought it no Robbery to be equal with his Father, commands him to halt, not permitting him to enter into the Houfe of God to pollute it, but thruft him into a common Jacks by the Way, where the Lord caft out all his Intrals with his Excrements, and caft him effe&ually out of his Church, and flopped his blafphemous Mouth. Notwithstanding all this great and vifible Judgment on Arrius, his Brotherin Evil ( Eufebius of Nicomedia) would not learn Righteoufnefs, but gardened his Heart in Pride, 'turned an obftinate and violent Perfecutcr of the true Church and Saints, and chief Leader of the Arrian Faction, adding Perjury to his Blafphemy*
Thirdly. As the Arrians were perfidious in their Be- ginning i fo in their Progrefs, they learned at the Ac-
cufer
( I? )
cufer of the Brerhrcn, to turn impudent falfe Accu- fers of the Orthodox Church-nun, which th y in thef : forementioned pretended Church Councils ; And/;//, The great Atbanafeus, who, as a divine He- ro, ftoodin the Breach for the true Church, to whom both the Emperor and Biihop of Rome deferred great Refpeft in their Letters ; yet him they (hived to af- front in their Councils, and falfly accuie, that he had cutted off a Man's Hand, which Hand they produ- ced in their Council, having the Man himfelf fall in Priion -y but by good and remarkable Providence, the Man efcaped out of their Prifon, and came to Atba- fiafius in Council, with both his Hands whole, to the greet t Confufion of his accufing Arrian Enemies. There- after they produced an impudent Whore, accufing ^4- thanafius of Adultery with her 5 but Atbanafius \o con- vinced her in the Face of the Synod, that (he had not a Word to anfwer. But Eujiatbhts the Orthodox Bi- fliop of Antiochia, him they accufed alfo of Adulter^ with another impudent Whore, whom the Arriam fu- borned, and (he did fwear it y and albeit the innocent Bilhop did conflantly affert his Innocence, yet they degraded him, and obtained at the Emperor to ba- ' nifh him ; but thereafter, that wicked W^oman ( in the juft Judgment of God ) failing fick, and dving in great bodily Torments, confeffed her grievous Sin of- Per- jury againft innocent Euftathiu$\ and that the Adrians had hired her with a Sum of Money.
A Fourth Inftance of their l)eceit and Subtil* ty, The Arriam perceiving, by rqore than 30 Years fad Experience, That the Creed of that famous Council of 'Nice had given their curfedCaufe a dead- ly wound, they craftily refolve to conveen a Coun- cil in the fame City of Nice, and there write an Arri- en Creed to their own Mind,1 and vent it for the old Orthodox Nicen Creed, and lb to deceive the Vulgar. But he whofe Throne is in Heaven, had them in De- rifion ; for when the Arriam began to conveen in that City of Nice, the Lord fent a great Earth-quake, Which caufed ih& Arrian? ( with Fear ) flee out of the
City:
( T6 )
City : But that Plot failing them, they hardened Keck like an Iron Sinew, and with a Whore's Fore- head, perfift in alike wicked Defign ; for, underftand- ing that in ihracia^ the next adjacent Country, there is a Town called Nicea, thither they haft-en, and'hold their Council, and cqnclude upon a blafphemous Ar- rian Creed, deceitfully calling it the f&ceii Creed. •
• A Fifth Ihftance of their Falfliood in thefe their ma- ny Councils,- where Satan had his Throne, and Anti- . cnriff kept the Chair j They 'wrote nine feveral Creeds, iiot all confirming or explaining the former Creed* but fome of them containing Contradictions, of which themfelVes were afhained , for a Liar lhould have 3 good Memory $ yea, in the laft of thefe Councils, they ratify their Council at Sekucia, and its Creed, and curfed the Creed at Arwinutw, becaufeit was not He- terodox enough.
As we have km the Activity, Ferfidity and Falf- hood of the Arrians ^ in fpreading their Herefy ; ia in the fourth Place5 we fliall take a View of their hellifh Cruelty, pra&ifed againft the Orthodox ani thi? Church of God; for they poifoned (with their Arrtamfm ) the Emperor OonfiantiUsi who began his; Reign Mno Dow. 336. and Valence^ who began his Reign Anno Dom. 566. , thefe two Emperors they infti- gate toraife cruel and bloody Perfecution againft the Orthodox, during the Time of their Empire, of which .we fhall only mention a few notable Inftances.
Fir ft. The Arrians at Conftantinoph raifed a great Tumult, of Sedition, that many Chriftians were tro- c}en under Foot to Death.
Secondly. The Arrian Efriperor Conjlantuis having banifhed the Orthodox Biihop of £onftamhiople> the Arrians ftrangled him in#his Exile, and the Orthodox Bifhop of Adrianople diedinPrifon with Torments.
Thirdly. Great Perfecution was raifed by the Arri* gmx, in the Cities of the Eaft, againft the Orthodox Chriftians, by Banifliment, fpoiling of their Goods, and fundry Hands of Torments*
( 17 )
Fourthly. The Arians at Alexandria^ upon thfi Lord's Day, invaded with Arms, the Orthocox, and having kindled a grer?t Fire, apprehended Orthodox Virgins, ( who, as they thought, would fooneft yield to them ) thefe they threatned writh Burning, un- lefs they turned Arrtan; but perceiving thefe holy Vir- gins invincible Courage, reiblute to die Martyrs for the Glory of the (acred Trinity, they violently, in the open Streets, pulled off all their Clothes, to £ut them to Shame, and mocked them in their Nakednefs ; buc . thefe Virgins being of undaunted Courage to fuffer for the Name of Chrift, them the Arriami'o wounded on the Face, that their neareft Relations did hardly know them y and forty Men they fcourged with Rods, that fome of them died, yet they refufed to give their dead Bodies to their Friends to bury j and thefe who out- lived their Scourging, part of them they banifhed $ of others not banifhed, the Chirurgeons had great Diffi- culty to pull out the Thorn Pricks out oftheir Flefb. At that fame Time, the Arrians killed moe than thir- ty Orthodox Bifhops in Egypt and Lybia, and banifh- ed fixteen moe, whereof fome died m their cruel U- fage by the Way, others died in the Place of their Ba- fwnments of which Martyrs the World was not wor- thy
Fifthly. In Conflanttnople, and the Country about, many Orthodox Bifhops were banifhed by the Arri- ans 3 and others of the Orthodox, that refufed to ccm* municate with the Arrians, they cruelly tormented their Bodies, and then fcobbing their Mouths, violently thrall in the facramental Elements of the Lord's Sup- per, and that not only of Men and Women, but alfo of Children ; and thefe who were moft reluftant, they detained in Prifon and Torments j that fo the Arrian intended by this his Work, to get the Honour that the Orthodox did communicate wirfi them \ but profane Forcing proved the Arrian Communion to be the Table of Devils -, yea, they thruft the Paps of fome holy Women into 4 Ckit, and clofmg its Lid, cut off
( is )
their Paps with a Saw, and others they burnt offtheif Paps with a red hot Iron.
Sixthly. The Arums in Alexandria confpired with the Jews, and Pagans, and all three railed great Per- fection againit the thie Chriftians there > they appre- hended the holy Virgins., ftripped them naked as they were born, ana led them through the Streets, obfeene- ly mocking them 5 and it any Beholder (inChriftian Compaffion ) did fpeak but one Word in their Fa- vours, they were driven away with Wounds , there- after, many of the Virgins they raviihed, fome they killed, and refufed to give their Bodies to thiir Pa- rents to be buried j yea, in this Tumult, the Arr'wn and Pagan committed fo great Abomination, that I am affaarned tor render them in Englijh. A moft profane Pagan being a chief Aftor of tlr fe Abominations, a- £ted both in the Pulpit, and on the Altar of the chief Church of Alexandria > it was too like a Stage-play of Satan's devifing againft God's Word and Worfhip, the molt profane the Devil could devife -, and all this a&ed in thePrefence of the^vvV/wBifhop, whom the Pagan Spokefman thus faluted, 0 Eijhop ! who denies the Son of God, thy Coming is welcome to us> our God Sera pis embraceth thee, and brought thee hither. Ob- ferve how well the Devil and the Arrian does agree, like Heart and Joy. This Pagan God Set apis, had a Church in Alexandria, where he was worihipped, and in it a monftruous great Image, at that Time much Worihipped by the Pagans there. What true Chriftian can read the Perjury, Falihood, and h^llifh Cruelty of the Arrians, and their atheiitical profaning of the Lord's Supper, and not look upon them as incarnate Devils, againil theie Afrtichriftian and profane bloody Arrians, who blafphemed both the Son and Holy Ghoft. The Orthodox Church were moft zealous to defend the Truths and for that Caul?, to fing the Doxology in their publick Worfhipy exactly according to the Words of the holy Scriptures ; for then the Arrims alfo keeped the finging ot their own Doxolo- ^jc it was different from the Orthodox and holy
Scrip-
{ 19 )
Scriptures. Now, ConfWering the true Church's hard lition, wkn the Arrians pfcrfeciltc them, and yet theft holy ' \ Were moft willing to fuffer
Martyrdom for the Name of Jefus, and alfo to fifig the Doxology, therein profefling their Faith in onj God, in three Perfons, Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, equal in Power and Glory. Now, I would ask the Cbriftian now a days, It the Lord in his Provi .did put them now in fuch a Condition, to be perfe- cted to the Death by the prevailing Arri<m7 whether cr not they would be cont:nt to fufter Martyrdom in Defence of the Honour of Chrift, and alfo with the? Orthodox Chriftian, to fing the Doxology ? Would they both :jng and fuffer as thefe did, who are now finging triumphant Songs to Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, having trode Satan and Arrians under Foot? I willingly judge in Charity to thefe weak Lambs, they would then, with the Orthodox Chriftians, bcrh joyn in finging the Doxology, and alfo in fuffering with them for the Name or Jefus. Then I ask them again, If they would have fung the Doxology, if they had been going to the Stake to die in Defence of the Honour of Chrift, againft the curfed Arrian-, Then have they not asgoodReafon and Caufe, to fing Glo- ry to the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, for his mer- ciful Providence to them, who, knowing their Weak- flefs better than themfelves, hath preferved them from fuch an Hour of Temptation, Trial, noc
ng them to be tempted above that they are able. But furthermore, I give you this Warning, that if ye affirm with the three Children, you would fing in your Trial, but refufe to fing now when ye are pre- \ from it : Look to your felves that ye be noc God to caufe you fuffer Anion Perfecution, ;that then ye may praife the glorious Trinity better, which now ye retliie, becaufe the Lord frees you from ■Avian Perfecution. This fore Trial the Lord avert* In the kft Part of this Chapter, wre (hall obferve i eftiniony given by God and his Church, in this fourth Ccs i.fiv againft the ^m/;i Fvfi. As
C 2
( *o )
for the true Church, they were sot deficient to beat Witnels to the Truth, but as Opportunity ferved, they conveened Orthodox Councils > and among o- thers, oneatSWvfoz, of 3 70 Orthodox Bifhops, where the Arrians Accufations againft Atbanafius, and other Orthodox Bifhops, were examined, and all found falfe and forged. Another Council at Jerufa'em, Anno Dom. 351. A third at Milan, of 300 Bifhops, in which Councils they ratified the Orthodox Truth, and tfken Creed , and Anno Dom, 363. a Council of about 200 Bifhops, at Arminium, ratified the fame Orthodox Nicen Creed.
As the Orthodox Church, during the Time of the 'Arrian Perfecution, notwithftahding of all the Cruel- ty ufed againft them, the Church-men gave Teftimo- ny againft the Arrian, by Preaching, Writing, and Difputes, and both the Church-men and their Hocks* by valiant fuffering of Martyrdom, and fealing the Truth with their Blood : So the Lord himielf from Heaven, divers Ways did bear Teftimony againft the Arrian, and for his Truth > Brjt. In granting Signs and Wonders to be done by the Orthodox Church, in this fourth Century, and in the Arrians hotteft Perfecution s when, in the mean Time, the Arrians fcad no Miracles amongft them, nor did they pretend to any; and although they had pretended to work Miracles, yet the Arrians Miracles had been nothing but Satan's lying Wonders: But God honoured e- ven the perfecute Orthodox to work glorious Mira- cles ; for inftance, the Arrians having baniftied fome Orthodox Chriftians to a remote Ifland in the Sea, where the Pagans worshipped the Devil, feated in a Grove, thefe baaifhed Orthodox Chriftians firft call cut the Devil out of the Pagan Prieft's Daughter, then converted her and her Parents, and at laft the whole Pagans of that Ifland, to the Chriftian Faith. So the Devil could not ftand before thefe Orthodox Chri- ftians.
A fecond Inftance. Mofes an Orthodox Chriftiapj Sw famous for vorjai^ of Miracles, who coming to
( Si )
'Alexandria, fefufed to revive Confecration to a Bi* fhoprick, from Lucius Bilhop of Alexandria, becauf* he was an Arrian, but, reproved him fharply, proving him to be altogether void of the true Principles o£ Chriftian Religion ; but that fame Worker o£ Mira- cles received Confecration from the Orthodox Clergyt to the faid Bifhoprick.
As the Lord did bear Teftimony to the Orthodot Chriftians, and their Faith, by giving them the Gift of Miracles, and not to the Anion j fo did that Lord* as Judge of the World, declare and manifeft his Wrath againft the chief Arrian Perfecuters in thia Century. Firft Inftance. Confiantius the firft Ai-riam perfecuting Emperor, who, as he was falfe to GodA in turning Arrian -, fo his Kinfman Julian ( whom h# choofed to be General of his Army ) turned falfe to him, who having rebelled, Confiantius leads an Army againft him, but died by the Way, in Silicia, for* lamenting and repenting of his Arrian Herefy. Se* cond Inftance. The other Arrian Emperor Valence* was Satan's evil Inftrument, perverting the Gqtbs rx> Arrianifm, ( of which Poifon they were not cured fome Hundreds of Years thereafter ) and for the Em- peror's Reward, theGo^ rebelling, beat him and hit Army in Battle, and he flying to a little Towerm they burnt the Tower and him with Fire. Third In* ftance. The Wrath of God was remarkable in the Death of George the Arrian Biihop of Alexandria, ( whofe Cruelty is mentioned in this fame Chapter before, in the fixth Inftance of the Arrian Cruelty, where this Adrian George was Ringleader ) for not many Yeari after the forefaid Inftance of Perfecution, the Pagans in Alexandria raifed a feditious Tumult againft the fai d George, pulled him out of the Church by the Ean?# tied him to a Camel, then did tear him ia Pieces «&d burnt him and the Camel to Aites,
chap;
2%
CHAP. IV.
The unanimous Vra&ice and Appointment of the tmfoer* Jul Church , for Jinging of the Poxology.
THe glorious Trinity of Perfons in the God-head, being the great fundamental Auicle of our Chri- ftian Faith, arid that Chrift is the Son of God, the fecond Perfon of the buffed Trinity ; upon which Rock the Chiftian Church is built, Matth. 16. 18.. By which name they are faved, AcJs 4. 12. Even the great Myftery or Godlineis, God manifefted in the Flefh 5 -yhich Myftery cannot be known, nor believed aright to Salvation, unlefswe firft know and believe, that the Son fent by, and from the Father^ was in- carnate, and not the Father, John 17. $• To this Point we have fpoken in the firft Chapter > therefore Satan, in the three firit Centuries, ftirred up moft He«* Xeticks againil the facred Trinity 5 and the Incarnati- on of the Son of God, to which we have fpoken in the fecond Chapter. . Thirdly. The Arrians, who rofe in the fourth Century, being more adtive and fubtile, falfe, bloody and prevalent,, than any Hereticks which yere before them, perfected the true Church of God, in an hellifh Manner $ for this Caufe, the then Ortho- dox Church, as they ufed many good Means, for (lengthening the Chriftians in the Faith, and confu- ting, confounding of Hereticks, as Preaching, Dif- puces, Writings, Coiyicils, and Church Cenfure, by Excommunication : All which Means the God of Heaven countenanced, and blefled with good Succefs: So in that fourth Century, the true Church, in their fublick Worftiip, did appoint, that at the Clofe of iingbg *&e Pfatoi they ihould fing this Doxology,
( If )
Chn td the Father, to the Son, ant tfi the tloIyGhofii in which Deed they have imitate the Lord's own Ex- ample, commanding Mojes, Now therej ore write ye thit Song for you y and t tad) it the Children of If'rajl, put it hi their Mouths, that this Song may be a Wttneji for tney againji the Children of lirael, Deut. jr. 19. So the primitive Church perceiving, by lad Exp Hence, Satan's inceffant Malice, in ihrring up Hcrericks a- gainft the facred Trinity, and Man's natural Wtak- nefs and Pronnefs to liften to Error, and believe Lies, . efpecially againft the blefTed Trinity, moft prudently and pioufly agreed, unanimoufiy to. ling the Doxo- logy to the blefled Trinity^ in the publick Worfhip of God, to be a Witnefs againft the Arriatiy and ether Blafphemers of the Trinity, and for Confirmation of the Orthodox, and found Believers, in the true Faith j for finging Glory to God, Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, being, in it felf, a lawful and holy unq onable Duty of- Chiiftians, aibeit th^re were nether Heretick to oppofc and blafpheme the Trinity, n6t Devil to tempt them to that wicked Deeds then finding both wicked Men and Devils, by Experience, Enemies to that found and laving Truth, makes the finging of the Doxology, befides its Lawfiilnefs and Expediency, to be molt ufeful and edifying for the People of God, and a ftrong Preurvative againft An- I fitrinitarian Herefies.
Here we are not to think, that the Doxology, or I praiflng of the Holy Trinity, was not ufed by the 1 Dodtors of the Church, tnefe burning and fhining * Lights, before and befirie the publick hnging in the: ; Church j for the facred Trinity being the great Fun- jrdamental of the Chriftian Faith, andOb;e&of dwine Worfhip, thefe Doctors ordinari! heir.Pray-
crs or Sermons, or other Writings, with the Doxo- logy. jhim Dom. i6<>. Poficarpxs Bifbop of Smirna% ( who had been the Difciple or the beloved Difcipl > St. John ) dying a glorious Martyr, in Prefence of itnany thoufand Jews, Pcgxns and Chriflutm, ready to &p in;o the Fire, doftd his heavenly Prayei' w&i
( 5? >
t glorify thee through the everlaftmg High Prkft, Jefii* Chrift, thy well-beloved Son, to whom, with thee, and the Holy Ghoft, he all Glory, World without End. A- men. Here this bleffed Martyr not only fealed the Do&rine of the blsffed Trinity with his Death, buc alfo the bleffed glorious Trinity 5 Father, Son and Ho- ly Ghoft, fealed that fame Faith of this faithful Mar- tyr, with many Miracles at his Death -, of which we wrote in the licond Chapter. About the Year of Chrift 190. Clemens AJexandrinus writeth thus, Letuf pratfe Father , Son and Holy Ghoft, who one, is all, and in whom are all, altogether good, beautiful, wife and juft, to whom be Glory, now and for ever. In the Year of Chrift 325. the famous Council of Nice having con- demned Arrius, and his blafpheming AfTociates, foi denying the Co-eternity of the Son and Holy Ghoffc with the Father, they write a Synodical Letter to the Churches of Alexandria, SEgypt, Lybia, and Pentapo- {is > which they clofe with a Doxology to the facred Trinity, thus, By the Help of God, the Father Almigh- ty, and our Lord Jefus thrift, with the Grace of the tioly Ghofl, to whom be Glory for ever. Amen.
The Synodic.?] Epiftle of the Council of Illyricum, clofeth thus, Thefe Ihings are enacled to the Glory of the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, for ever.
Sozomen clofeth the Preface to his Church Hiftory, To Chrift, with God the Father, and Holy Ghoft, be Glo- ry for ever. Amen.
Macarius a Church-man in JEgypt, who lived in die Reign of Conftantine and Conftantius, clofeth his 12th, 16th and 17th Homilies, with the Doxology* About the Year of Chrift 360. in the Church of An* tioch, being a patriarchal See, at publick Worfhip, were conyeenea moft Part Orthodox, but fome Arri- mns mixed with them, when they came to that Part of the Worfhip, which a Chronologer writes, was imme- diately after their fingingthePfalms then the Ortho- dox did fing the Doxology, Glory to tie Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, according to the Do&rine
<rf sk Nktv Couocili but the 4rriw who were with
thffl
( *y ) %
them in the Church, differing from the Orthodox, fang , to the Father ', by the Son, thereby purpofing that the Pathcrjwas greater than the Son : Which Difference in the Singing, being perceived by Leontius then Bifhop of Antioch, and inclining to Arrianijin, putting his Hand to his Gray Hairs, faid, When this Snow is melted, there will be much Mire ; by Age and Expe- rience, and humane Prudence, he did forefee the Storm of the Arrian PerJecution, of which I have fpokea lomewhat in the third Chapter of this Treatife, for the Orthodox didfing theDoxology, according to the Words of our Saviour in the Gofpel, in the Words of his divine Inftitutionof Baptiiin, Matth. zS. 19. all three in one Manner, to the bather, and the Son, and the Holy Ghojl ; but the Arrian did fing Glory to the Father, by the Son, in the Holy Ghofi', where obferve, that the Arrian as yet, did not altogether refufe to fing the Doxology, upon any pretended Reafon, or Scruple of Conference, as fome Men do now 5 but it is like the Singing of the Doxology was then per- formed by the Orthodox with fuch Zeal and Unani- mity, that the Arrian was as yet afraid, or afhamed, altogether to refufe the fmging of it, as fome now do.
Bafil the Great, who lived in the Year of Chrift 369. in his Book concerning the Holy Ghoft, Cap. 27. writes, J hat the mojl ancient Fathers did fing God's Praije, to Father, Son and Holy Ghofi, according
I to the Word in Baptifm : And theie two great Do- ctors, Bafil and Chryjojlom, who were contemporary Biihops in the Greek Church, each of them wrote a Greek Liturgy, being their Mother-Tongue, which both are ufed at this Day, in all the Chriftian Chur- ches of the World, that are within the Greek Com- munion 5 the one Liturgy on the Sabbath Days, the other Liturgy on all other folemnDaysj and in both thefe Liturgies, the Doxology was, and. ftill is ufed, thefe 1350 Years, without Scruple or Alteration. Gregory Nazianzen in hisfixth Oration concerning the
\ Holy Ghoft, We worjhip the Father, Sou and Ch'j
D Cod"
< ( 5* )
Cod-head and Power to him, be all Glory, Honour and Power for ever and ever. Amen.
In the Year of Chrift 370- St. Jerome wrote to Damajus Biihop of Rome, That in aU the Churches of Rome, Glory to the Father, Son and Holy Qhoft, as it was in the Beginning, is now, and for ever, be Jung al- ways at the End of the Pfalm.
About the Year of our Lord 444- in the Council of Vafon, an Aft is made, becauie of the Unbelief of Arrian Hereticks.
Becaufe not only in the Apoftolick See, but alfb throughout all the Eaft, and in all Africk and Italy y to guard againft the Deceit of Hereticks blafpheming, That the Son of God was not ever with the Father^ but bsgan to, be in Times therefore, in all their Clo- sings of Singings in the publick Worftrip, after thefe, Words, Glory to the Father, Son and Holy Ghofi, in all thefe other Churches is added, As it wa? in the Be- ginning; fo we appoint that the fame Words ( As it was in the Beginning ) be mentioned in the Doxology in all our Churches alfo.
Hence we may obferve, That this Addition (As it was in the Beginning) was not fitft appointed at Vafon, for their Aft bears the Contrary, that it was ufed in Churches far and near, before that Time, which Jeromt\ Defire to Damafus proves : But this Aft at Vafon gives the clear Reafon of the Addition, viz. to guard the Flock of Chrift the better againft Arrian Hereticks, whereof fome faid there was a Time when the Son of God was not.
Alexander Patriarch of Alexandria, one of the chief Fathers in the Nicen Council, to refute the Arrian, brings that Text among many others, John 1. 1. Jfcr the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, by him all Things were tnade, and if he made all Things then he- was before the World, and alfo before that Beginning, and con- fequently Eternal, as that Father reafoneth well, and St. Bafil after him ; for it were Nonfenfe to fay, ^That there were Priority of Time in Eternity: For
Arrms
( 27 )
'Arias faid, there was a Time when God was not a Father : Therefore the infallible '1 hcologue St. Jolm* began his Evangel with thefe Words, intending in his Gofpel, to afTert Chrift's God-head againft two abo- minable Hereticks in his Time, Ebion and Cerinthusy at whom Atrius had learned- his Blafphemiesj and from this fame Text;, Cah'm refutes both the old^^r- rian, and Scrvctus a vile Blafphemer, his own Con- temporary, who was burnt at Geneva, for a moft blafphemous Heretick. In the Year of Chrirt 627. in the third Council of Toledo, confuting of the Church-men of Spain and Galatia, they enact, Whojoever fays not Glory to the father, and tht Son, and the Holy Gho/i, let him be accurfed; by faying they mean find- ing -, for then Four hundred Years before that, the Doxology was fung in all the Temples of th: ur.iver- fal Church. And fo in this Council, all of them, in the Clofe of the fame, in the Praifes of God, they cried, Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, as the Learned may read in the Tomes of Councils. By this Curfing mentioned in this Coun- cil, it appears they judged, that no Orthodox Chri- ftian would refufe to fing the Doxology, they did noc imagine any would refufe, except a Heretick.
In the. Year of Chrift 633. in the fourth Council of Toledo, there are fome accufed for rejecting the fa- cred Hymns compofed by Hilary and Ambrofe, two famous Saints, and being received and ufed in the Churches; yet thefe Men i/efufed to fing them, becaafe they were not in the Holy Scripture, for which Re- fufal they were excommunicate 5 yet thefe fame very Men dia not fcruple nor refufe to fing the Doxology, which was then conftantly fung in the Church, at the Clofe of every Pfalm : Hence it is probable, that thefe Men wno refiifed to fing the Church's holy Hymns, and were willing to fing the Doxology, did cftimate it of a higher Rank, and counted it in with divine and fpiritual Songs.
The Learned have obferved, That the Arrian P«>
Ifcuaon which wa§ in this fourth Century, was more
1) 2, bitt<£
bitter to the Souls of the Saints, and true Chriftians, than the Suffering during the ten Perfections, in the firft 300 Years, from Pagan Emperors 5 for then the Chriftian Martyrs received their Crown of Martyr- dom from their Lord in Heaven, with Acclamations of Praifefrom all their contemporary Chriftians, with- out all malignant Murmure or Obloquy jj which was & fharp Spur to haften Chriftians to run that Race ; , for ingenuous Spirits know what humane Applaufe will do, even to the Godly, to encourage them to a good Aclion, and roufe them up to their Duty, even allowed by God, Phil. 4. 8. Wiiatfocver Things are of good Report, if there he any Virtue, and if there he any Praije, think on thefe Things. But in this fourth Cen- tury, the Chriftian fuffering Perfecution and Death, it Was not from Pagans, but from thefe that called them- felves Chriftians, even the Arrian, who being preva- lent, and putting to Death the Orthodox Chriftians > yet thcArrian cries out, Thefe are not true Chriftians, but we; they are juftly fuffering Death for Errors in Chriftianity 5 therefore writes the Learned, that the Martyrs in the. fourth Perfecution, their Reward will be greateft in Heaven.
And becaufe this Perfecution was fo much the fadder to the Orthodox Chriftian, and in this Century the King of Saints, who promifed his Prefence to his Church on Earth, feemed to be afleepy like that, Matth. 8. 24. while the Ship is filled with Waves 5 yet in the mean Time, though thus he had decreed, to let his brittle Veffel, and his Difciples, fuffer a Storm; yet therefore he provided two exceHent Pilots in this Century, and endued them with fo great a Mea- fure of Piety, Learning, undaunted Courage and Pru- dence, that the one fucceeding to the other, in the Eaftern Church, where the Arrian Storm did moft rage, by Difpute and Writing, and coura^ious Sufferings, they faced the Enemy, and., kept the h lock of Chrift together. Athanafius Patriarch of Alexandria, and af- ter him, Bajil Arch-bifhop of Cafarea, both which keep the Stile of Great until this Day* for they got
it
( *p )
it becaufe of their Worth $ Atbanafiut even from the Anion Emperor ConJlantiusy and Baft I from the Apo- ftate Hmperor Julian, as is to be ken in both their Letters of Record, with St. BafiPs Letters of fliarp Rebuke, which did become a pious Bifhop to Julian an Apoftate.
As for the Arrian, as ye read in this Chapter be- fore, in finging of the Doxology, they fhunned to fing it according to the Scriptures, Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghojl, but, by the Son> in the Holy Ghojl, which was a deceitful Invention 3 and the Church Hiftory tells us the Thing k felf, but does not unfold the Intrigue and Myftery of it, which St. Bafil hath done at full Length 5 for that their finging in that their new devifed Way, was a fubtil Trick of the Devil, for under it they couched their Error and Blafphemy s only giving Glory to God the Father ; and for the Son, confidering hi:n only as the Father's Inftrument, but not equal with him in Glory, and far lefs the Holy Ghoft : Which Depths of Satan are found out by St. Bafil, to the Shame of the Arriun> of which he writes at large, which the Learned do read : And that they were fo obftinate in their Er- rors, that nothing could prevail to gain them to fing the Doxology according to the Scriptures, that they would as foon quite their Tongue, as quite that Form of Doxology whicn they ufed : Where St. Bafil grams, that their Way of finging the Doxology might beex- ponei in an Orthodox Senfe, according to the Scrip- tures 3 but was not to be iuffered in thefe Hereticks, becaufe it was well known they fang them in an he- retical and blafphemous Senfe, againft the Son and Holy Ghoft.
Yet reflecting upon the, Arrian Practice, obferve, That theyjdid choofe it as a lefs Evil and Scandal, to fing the Doxology with fome Change of the fho it Syl- lables of Interjections or Conjunctions, than not to fing it at all : For, to have refufed the finging of it, hacl been a fhorter Cutt^ But the Reafon was, pu- jbjick Shame would not Yuffer them altogether to fe-
pautc
;. ( 3° )
parate from tk£ Orthodox Church, in that fo unqus- itionable a Duty, and fo well known a Part of the Chriitians publick Worfhip. Then ktthefe in Scotland, who call themjelves Orthodox , and refufe altogether to fmg the Do xo logy , either cm Way or other, Jee to it : And I befeech them, to commune with their own Hearts, and fmite upon their own Breaft, and a- mend.
They who arespleafed to read the Hiftory of the Arrian Pcrfecution, in this fourth Century, will per- ceive the true Church of Chrift at a very low Ebb, and under one of the greateft Ecclipfes that ever it fuf- fered, fince the two Difciples faid, We trujled that it had been he, Luke 24. 21. and the eleven Apoftles were weeping in Secret, Mark 16. 10. yet the Lord who brought David out of his Depths, and Daniel out of the JLions Den, and the three Children out of the {even Times hotter Furnace, Jonah out of the Whale's Bel- ly, and Lazarus out of the Grave, and commanded the dry fcattered Bones to (land up a ftrong Army, Ezek. 37. 10. and in tfye Beginning, commanded Light to fhine out of Darknefs, and bringeth Good out of Evil, out of the Church's Perfecution and low Condition, brought the niore Glofvto his own Name, and more Strength of Faith to his Church s where, by the Arrims ungodly Way of proceeding when they got the Power in their Hand, they declared to the World what they were, even not the true Church o£ Chrift, but the Seed of the Serpent, promoting their Religion by Injuftice and Perjury, the Children of A- haddon and Apollyon, that Liar and Murderer from the Beginning, John 8. 44. promoting their hellifh Religion by cruel tormenting and murdering of the Orthodox, they being the firft that ufurped the Name of Chriftian, withal, intending to propagate their Re- ligion with Fire and Sword, which is not Chrift's Way, nor of his true Chriftians, bbt of Antichrifti- ans; and therefore, in perfecuting of the true Church, as they had learned it at the Pagans who lived before them> fo they were ghi ts tak the Help of the Pa-
( 3* )
S\ns who lived with them s therefore the Lord at ft brought the Arrian to Confufion, and put their lying Lips to Silence, fo that ever thereafter, they were hated and abhorred, and del paired ever to pre- vail any more as they had don.'.
The f.cond Good which the Lord brought out of this Evil, was the perfect fading of die Chrnlian Faith, the Lord beftowing on the Orthocfex, fuch Courage to fufler, fuch Faith and Conftanqt and heavenly Joy, that the Arrian was confoundeB thereby ; yea, and while the Orthodox were fufiiring for the Glory of God, and his Truth, the Lord from Heaven did approve and feal his Truth which they believed and proferTed, even making them his inftruments to work glorious Miracles ; but in the mean Time the Avian wrought no Miracle, nor fo much as pretended to work any lying Miracle, as J amies and Jambres did againft Mojes, to the hardening of Pharaoh ; wherein I obferve the Lord's wonderful Providence fo over- ruling the Arrian, that they did not fo much as mint to a Miracle, whereas the Miracles of the Orthodox Church were undeniable : And thus the Lord from Heaven did decide the Controversy betwixt the Arrian and the Orthodox, in Favours or his Church -y and this the Lord's Doing did fo confirm them in the true Faith of jthe bleffed f rnity, that the Gates of Hell, ever fince, was not able fo to brangle it > and alio his Church which had ufed the Doxology to the blef- fed Trinity, in their publick Worfhip, before that Time, was now more confirmed in their Practice, •nd refolute to make Ufe of it without fail, ever thereafter, efpecially in the publick Worfhip.
In this Chapter, at Page 26. we fpoke anent the Addition put to the Doxology, mentioned in the Coun- cil of Vafbtt. ( A it was in the Beginning ) If fome obje&, that that Addition isobfeure, and cfoes not clearly af- fert the Eternity of the Trinity before the World be- gan, as [for ever ) in the Clofe of the Doxology, af- ferts the, Eternity of the Trinity for ever after ths World 3 I aniwer, we have proven indeniably from
the
( 3* )
the Church Hiftory, that trjefe Words ( As it was in the Beginning ) in the Doxology, are taken from the firft Chapter and firft Verfe of St. John's Gofpel, which Words the Holy Ghoft there made Ufeof, to aflerc the Co-eternity of the Son with the Father ; and therefore that fame Text was ufed by the Fathers of the Nicen Council* againft Arrius, who denied the preceeding EterriMp of the Son with the Father ; and the Fathers of tip Council of Syrmium againft the Ar- rians write, That Ebion and Cerinthus, wnowereblaf- phemous Hereticks in the Days of the Apoftle St. John, denied the God-head of the Son, and confe- quently his Co-eternity with the Father : And there- fore, as the Scope of St. John's Gofpel, is chiefly to prove Chrift's Godhead againft thefip two Hereticks > fo, albeit that firft Proportion, In the Beginning was the Wordy taken alone, by Way of Separation from the following Words, will not prove any Eternity, or Co-eternity with the Father , yet joyn it in Coherence with the following Words, and that will clear the right Senfe of this Beginning in the firft of John, and the Beginning mentioned in the Doxology, and ye will find it the fame in Senfe with the firft Words in holy Writ, Genef. I. I. In the Beginning God made Heaven md Earth; and the fame Work of Creation is here attribute to the Son, in the third following Verfe, AH 'Things are made by him, &c. fo that the Senfe of thefe Words, In the Beginning, both in the Beginning of Ge- ne/is, and Beginning of John's Gofpel, is clearly this, as from the Beginning was the Word, ana that Word was God, fo is now, and ay fhall laft : And as in the Beginning all Things were made by him, and fo he was eternal before the World that he made in the Beginning of Times as in the Beginning of Ge- nefis, God was eternal before the making of the World ;* For, to take any fingle Propofition inScripture, and admit no Senfe to it, but that which that one fingle feparate Propofition will afford, and fo admit no fur- ther clearing of its Senfe from antecedent and confe- quent Scriptures, die Fathers and Dodtors of the
Church
V 1} /
Church have ever made thac Pra&ice the Mark of a Heretick, or at beft, of a heretical and contentions Spirit^ fo that the Meaning of the Words, As it wa$ in the Beginning, compared with the reft of the Verfe, In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was God% is as much in Senfc, as if the Doxology had faid, As it was from Eternity, is now, and ay (hall laft. I John i; i, 2. and Prev. S. 22, 23. and dowa- wards.
CHAP. V.
The Coup of the Continuance of the Doxology in after Ages.
IN this fifth Chapter, I intend to give a brief Ac- count of the Moleftation and Perfection that the Church of Chrift fuffered from the Remnant of At- rians, and other Antitrinitarian Blaiphemers, beginning at the fifth Century, and continuing to this prefenc Times therefore I divide it in two Parts, the firffc containing the Antitrinitarians for 1000 Years, even to the fixteenth Century -, the fecond Part containing a Lift of the chief Socinians, Quakers, and others" who deny the facred Trinity. In the Beginning of the fifth Century, the great Tempeft of the Arrian Power and Perfection was much abated in the Mercy of God, who will not fuffer tbt Rod of the Wicked to lye al- ways on the Lot of the Righteous, left the Righteous put forth their Hand to Iniquity, Pfal. 12$. 3. And a- toons the many other Means ufed by the Church, a- jjainft thefe blafphemous Herefies, the Lord blefled that Mean, efpecially oft haj|Jfeurch;s Councils, parti- cularly thefe general Coun<S?*of Niie, Ephcfus, Con- stantinople and Chalcedon, which wire ( as Beza well :haratterizeth them) the holieft Meetings the Sun fa w Unce the Days of the Apoftles, who proved ( againft tkfe Blafphejaers) terrible as an Army with Banners, £ ana
C 34 )
and like a Rock on the Sea-fliore, that breaks all the Waves that violently beat upon it, but it felf remains whole and immoveable ; for why, the Chriftian Faith of thefe general Councils was built upon the Rock, againit which the Gates of Hell (hall never prevail, Matth. i<5. 1 8.
In this fifth Century, and fome following, not on- ly the Anions were not altogether extinft, but ftill remained a Prick in the Side of the true Church, e- fpecially thefe barbarous Nations, who were not un- der the Command of the Chriltian Emperors, to wir, Goths and Vandals, who were turned Arrians, and per- fected the true Church fo far as they had Power or Opportunity.
Secondly. \a the Midft of this Century arofe ano- ther Sort of Tiereticks, called Euticbians, Blafphe- mers againft Chrift, who vexed the true Church about 300 Years, and fometimes were cruel Perfecuters.
Before the Arrian and Eutichian Hereticks were cruihed, Satan itirred up the Mahometans, who arc profeffed Blafphemers or the facred Trinity.
In the Year of Chrift .441. the Vandals in Afnck being Anions, put to Death the Orthodox Chriftians by cruel Torments.
Anno Chrijii 447. arofe a mad Monk, who falfly taught the mixing together of Chrift's two Natures, and fo deftroying them both. He was condemned by a general Council at Chalcedmi, of 630 Bi/hops, Anno Domini 451. I his Herefy continued the longer, and prevailed the more, becaufe of two Emperors, Ana- fiafius and Heraclhis, Favourers of the fame*
Anno 4S9. Many Orthodox Bifhops in Africa were baniihed by the Arrians, who were prevalent there.
Htnoricus King of thmgkdals, Arrians in Africk, ba- l>*fcod
ttifticd more than '490 Ofi|Bdox Biihops, fome he burnt to Alhes, and fbiiie of them their Ipngueswere pul- led out, who flying to ConftantinopU, fpoke miracu- loufly, as if they had had Tongues.
Anno 443. The Eutichians in Alexandria flew the Orthodox Biihup Prourws in the Church, har- kd
( fs )
led his Body through the S erects,, and gnaflied his Bow- els with their Teeth.
Anno 496. IUanv Manicheans, who alfo were blaf- phemers ofthebleffed Trinity, were dete&ed at Rome, and their Books burnt.
Honoricus King of the Vandals in Africk, being Ar~ rian, baniftied at once 5000 Orthodox Chrii ians.
Anajlafius the Emperor, Anno Dam, 520. com- manded, not a Trinity, but aQuaternity to be wor- shipped s he was imittcn with a Thunder-bolt, and fo died •> in his wicked Reign jco Orthodox wero killed, and ibme Orthodox Bifhopsbanifhed.
iheodornus, Arrian King of the Goths in Italy, per- fecured the Orthodox there ; and the King of the Arrian Goths in Spain, flew his own natural Son for turning Orthodox.
The Goths in Spain, who had long perfecute the Orthodox Christians, were at laft converted to the true Faith, Amotfl*
In the feventh Century, the Monotholites, who were a Branch of the Eutichian Herefy, troubled the true Church, for the Emperor Conjlanct '"was a Mwiotho- bte, and alfo Heraclius Arjovaldus King of Lombards was an Arrian, Anno Horn. 640.
Rotharms another of their Kings, was Arrian alfo in the feventh Century ; befide the Trouble that the Church endured from the Eutichian and Monotholitt . Hereticks, which were chiefly in the Eallcrn Church at Conjiantinople and Alexandria, fo by the Arrians in Italy.
In this Century arofe Mahomet, and compofed his Alcoran, Anno'Dom. 6x2. in which blafphemoufljr they deny the blefied Trinity. Thefe not onlyfpread and prevailed mightily in AJia and A/rick, but alfo eroded the Helle/podt, and moteftcd Greece, both with the Sword and blafphemiess yea, alfo they crofted the. Mediterranean, over againft Spain and Italy ; at lait, AntwDom. 829. came over with a Navy, from the Coaft of Uarbary, and fpoiled Rontfy and retur- »ed 10 Africk with the Prey : And a£ain, A/00 Donu
( 3* )
14%. came over and fpoiled Rome the fecond Time ; Wkd Anno Dom. 933. came over the third Time, and fpoitedGenoa.
In thefeventh Century, the Orthodox Church gave Teftimony againft Hereticks, in a'-Council held at Rome, Anno Dom. 6%o. of 100 Bifhops, and upward, where the Monotholites and the Antitrinitarians were condemned; and another there of 1 2<> Bifhops; and a third ntCoHjlantitmple, Anno Dom. 6S1. of 150 Bi- fliQps.
And as the true Church gave Teftimony agafhft the Ajmtrinitarian Hereticks s fo the Lord from Heaven, by his fignal Judgments s For, Firft. Honor km King or Vandals in Africk, an Arrian, and cruel Perfecucer of the Orthodox, was long tormented with venemous Boils j at laft was confumed with Worms, and fo eijded his wretched Life.
Secondly. In this fame Century, TheodoHcus King of the Goths in Italy -, a vile Arrian, having murdered an Orthodox Nobleman Senator, named Symachus, there- after fliortly fitting at Table, the Head of a great Fifli dreffed in a Difh was fet before him, whicn he imagined to be the Head of Symachus, and was fo ftu- pified, that he died with Fear.
Abaliardus, a ProfefTor in Pans, about the Year J 143. wrote blafphemoufly againft the bleffed Trini- ty, whom Bernard refuted, dnd then there conveened a Council of Church-men in France, where he was con- futed, convinced and converted.
In the Year 1215. in the Council of Lateran, Joa- thim Ahhas, his erroneous Book againft the Trinity, was condemned, to which he fubmitted.
If it be objected, that feeing, in the Church Hifto« ry and Councils, fmm the feventh Century to the fifteenth, there is only Mention of two Antitrinitariart Hereticks, and confequently thefe blafphemous Here- dies being now banifhed and buried 5 and feeing it is granted, that the Doxology was firft appointed to be Jung in the ^Church, by Occafion ot Antitrinitarian Hc;eticks, fo; confomitag iq the Faith, the Lord'* p~ People,
( 37 )
People, agamft their Blafphemies ; why then was i{ any longer continued after the Caufe was removed > I anfwer, Becauie the Church then perceived, by com- fortable Experience, that the conftant finging of the Doxology in the publick Worfnip of God, had pro- ved an excellent Mean to confirm Chrillians in the Do&rine and Faith of the Trinity, # and to guard then* againft the Temptations of Satan, * and his Supports, and their own Corruption, who were ^11 yet lying in wait, to blow at the Allies of the little Spunks ofthe faid old Blafphemies, that feemed to be buried many hundred Years before. This is Calvin's Metaphore^ and accordingly it came to pafs s for, in the Year .of Chrift 15 3 1. Satan did fill the Heart, and furnifh cd the Pen of a Spaniard Servetus, with the Blafphe- mies and Venome of that old Serpent. And now wq intend to begin the fecond Part of this Chapter, and to manifeft to every Chriftian Reader, That if the univerfal Church had good Caufe to appoint the ring- ing of the Doxology, because of the Blafphemies of the Arrians againft the facred Trinity : So now in this old and doting Age of the World, the Church Jiave much Caufe to continue that ancient Practice * for the new and late Qppofers of this bleffed Trini-t ty in this Age, are more blafphemous than ever th^ old Arriau was, of which, the Rife and Growth ijj Europe, we intend to give you a fummar Account.
birjl. That Spaniard Servctus being a Phyfician by Profeffion, travelled 30 Years in Pole, Hungary and Tranftlvania, praftifing Medicine, but infe&ing Souls with his Blafphemies, ( a worfe Difeafe than all hi$ bodily Cures ) for which he was firft apprehended and imprifoned at Lions in France, but cleaned Pri- fon there ; afterwards having written fome Books a- gainft the lacred Trinity, he was apprehended at Ge- neva for his Blafphemies, and Obftinacy in them, and was condemned by the Magiftrate, and burnt quick, Amw Dom. 1^53,
Geneva's juft punilfang of him, is approven by the Cmtom pf Jj/ffWi Swffrpm* Nklanfion and JEco*
hwpadias,
( 3* )
fampadips, refute him > and Calvin alfo, in his InJRr tutiones &• opufcula, and MelanBon in his fourth Vo- lume, who, in the Year 1656. writes to the VefatF arts, vulgo the Veifle, that if any maintained Servetus'S Errors, he (hould be expelled out of their Town : And Cardinal Hofius, one of the three that prefided in the Council of irent, in his Works, Folio 3^2. writes, That Servetus juftly deferved fo to die for his Blaf- phemies, and Beza gives a juft, but black Teftimony of him.
Servetus having flxongly fermented four Difciples ; to wit, Valmt'mus 'Gentilis, Alciat o£ Milan, Gilbraldus and Blandrata-, FirJL Vakntims fpread his Errors fe~ cretly in Geneva -, for which, being taxed, he renounced them under his own Hand, under Pain of Perjury, not- withftanding he began to fpread them the fecond Time 5 for which he was imprifoned, and to be liberate from Prifon, wrote a fecond Recantation of his Blafphe- mies j and at the Command of the Magiftrate, burnt them publickly with his own Hands; thereafter fpread his Errors in France and Italy. Arrius was but once perjured, but he twice 5 then he went to Pole, frhere he did meet with Blandrata and Alciat ^ his old Companions; which two had alfo fled out of Geneva ; and thefe three fpread their Errqrs in Pole two Years, until the King of Pole baniihed them out of his Do- minions; then Gentilis wandred through Auftria, Mo* ravia and Savoy, at laft wa* apprehended within the Confines of theRepublick of Bern; and for his doubled Perjury, and Obftinacy iri his Blafphemies againfl: the bleffea Trinity, was judicially condemned at Bern by a Magiftrate and burnt, in the Year of Chrift 1556. The Hiftory whereof is written at Length, by Aritius Profeflbr at Bern,
, Third, Blandrata a Phyfician, difputed often againfl: Calvin at Geneva, thereafter in Germany, Helvetia and Pole, vented his Errors, at laft turned Arrian, Anno Dom. I5(5p. and wrote againfl: the Trinity. Fajtflus Socinui, in his Book of Epiltles, Pag. 6S7. calls Blan- dr0ta his great Patron, tf> be eyer in Honour with
v, 39 ;
him ; but at laft Blandrata was fuffocate in his Beef, by his own Brother's Son, and died miferably.
The Fourth. Alciat turned Mahometan, and fled t% Turku.
Gtlbraldus died of the Peftilence. Beza writes of other two, whereof the one drowned himfelf in a Well.
The other, Ochinus, how miferably he died, ail Vole knew, as writes Beza and Cardinal Hofius.
Staucarus in Pole wrote againft the facred Trinity, which the Orthodox Synod in Pole condemned, and the Divines of Hidelbag and Jigurie refuted, and G?/- vin alfo, AmioDom. 1563. and Beza i<>68. AntioDom, 1567. a Book written at Alba Julio by the Hereticks in Sarmatia and Jranfihania is refutea at large, by Xanchius de tribus Elohim^ and Georgius Paulus, Superin- tendent of the heretical Churches in the Diocefe of Croco, of whom writes Beza, Epift. 81.
St a tonus, againft whom Beza writes, Epift. 1^. and 16.
Andrew Duditbins, fometime a Bifliop in Hungary^ and a confpicuous Member of the Trent Council, left the Roman Church 5 to him Beza writes his firft Epift. Anno Dow. 1570. both large and loving, yet at laft he fell in the Snare of the Tranftlvanian Here- ticks.
Sylvavus Paftor in Hidelberg, turns Annan and Trai- tor againft his Prince Palatine \ for thefc two Crimes he was beheaded, Anno Dom. 1522. His Colleguc Menzerus efcaping out of Prilbrj, went firft to Pole, then to Tranfilvania, at laft to Conjlantinople, and there turned acircumcifed2#r/r; he died crying and roaring moft terribly, that the Turks faid, they never faw fuch a fearful Death, and that he was a Child of Sa- tan ; and the Reader mav think no Wonder of his defpemte Death, feeing he had renounced his Saviour and Baptifm.
Sadelius in Pole denied Chrift's Divine Nature, and the New Teftainent.
^ 40 ;
talks Socinus an Italian, forefakirig the Errors of the Romaq Church, Calvin wrote an Epiftle to him, Anno Dom. 1*555. of him Beza writes, Epift. 81.
Faufius Socinus his Nephew, leaving Italy, came to Tyguri with his Uncle's Papers, where he fpent three Years in private Studies : He was of a quick Wit, but too proud and bold > he confefleth in his Writs, that he had little Logick, Greek or Hebrew : He went to. Tranfilvania, and there fpread his Errors -, he was in fuch Repute with thefe * Hereticks, that even at this Day they are defigned Socinians.
Francifbus Davidus, about the Year 1 5 80. Superin- tendent in Tranfilvania to that Se& of Hereticks, de- nied thatChrift was God or theMeffias, or fhouldbc worshipped s for which the Prince of Tranfilvania caft him in r rifon, where he turning mad, died in Defpair, affirming he faw the Devils came to take him away with them.
v Poleologus, a Dominican at Rome, fled to Poland, turned Arrian, but was brought back to Rome and burnt.
Smakius, Socinian Preacher at Ra$ovia, wrote a large Socinian Catechifm, printed Anno Dom. 1608. as Socinus had written another ; and ftill the Socinians are bufy fcribling their Blafphemies, and printing them, as Gojlayius, Anno Dom. 1613. and Nicolaides Anno Dom. 1614,
An Advocate at Paris, Anno Dom. 16160 caufed print Abailardus his Blafphemies, which had been con- demned and accurfed, by a Church Council, above 500 Years before.
Anno Dom. 1620. Servetus^s Books were turned into Dutch, and printed in Belgia, in which he blafphemes the moft blefled Trinity. _'
DoGtox Forbes, Anno Dom. 163 1. refutes a Differ- tation of a certain Socinian, then newly written.
Anno Dom. 1641. Crellius, Socinian Preacher at/? a~ edvia, hath printed a Book againft the Trinity 5 and after him Stycbmanus.
The
wH nc
The Soclmmi not only increafed In Vole and Trmil Jilvania, but alfo came to Belgia, where they con-* forted with the Arminian; for, Anno Do\n. 1611. thd Orthodox Synod in Pole writes to Partus, regreting that the Socinians in Pomade much of Armtnius -, and now the later Arminians are poifonei with SorinianiJm% as is clear from the Writings of Epifcopias their Chif- rain. It was granted indeed, that the Socinianfyzvz banifhed Belgia, by publick Proclamation of the States of the Nether lauds ; yet notwithstanding, many Soci- mans lurk there, under the Notion of Rcmonftranu and Anabaptifts, both which Sefts are tolerate there, and who all three joyn, and agree in many of their O-
£inions, as writes Hoorn Becky Divinity ProfefTor ac rtrecht, Anno Dom. 16^0. Anno Dom. 1638. Sartorias a Socinian at Amfler-* dam, wrote a Letter to Adam Frank, Socinian Prea- cher at Clandiopolis, which the Prince of Tranfilvania intercepted and caufed print, where is written, That in Holland there is a great Harveft of Socinians.
The Socinians do not only lurk and multiply in Belgian but which is lamentable, are crept over to England. Mr. Edward '^Gangrene, pprte prima, printed at London, Anno Dom. 1646. writes, That here thd Do&nne of the Trinity, by too too many, is called a Popijb Tradition. And Part 3. Pag. 5S. thus he writes, All Men may fee, That many in England 'are Arrians and Antitrtnitarians. He writes alfo, Pag. 136. a Letter from Holland to London, dated 1646. Here we burn the Books of the Socinian Errors, and they dare not be fold in thefe Parts 5 but at London is taught Blafphemy againft God and his Chrift„ ( and as much now as ever ; yea, rather mor« ) and is even come the Length of 'Scotland, to a great Pitch. And a Minifter in Holland wrote a Letter, dated 0- tlober 18. 1646. to fome Minifters in London, thac divers Englijh Merchants were feeking to buy Soci- fius's Works, and CreBktt, &c. from a Stationer in Holland-, and when the Stationer anfwered, That thefe Books were prohibit by the States General j the F Mer-
( 4* ) %
Merchant replied, Neverthelefs you may^ranfport them from other Nations, and we ihaJi give you for them what I the General Affembly in Scot/and, An- }om. J.64S. Self. 4j. writes thus, Socinianijni is dow fpread in England. As for our Sentiment, upon the Sochmny There was in the ancienc Church, two Heajjfljes that were moft dangerous and prevalent, jSrlt the ArriaAy then the Pelagian > both winch the Orthodox Church zealoufly oppofed, and juitly con- demned s but the late Socman hath drunk in dll the Poifon, both of the Arrian and Pelagian^ and much more.
Secondly. That as the ancient Church did condemn Arrius ana Pehgius, in their Councils, ana being ob- ftinate, excommunicate them y fo the ancient b athers denied the Arrian to deferve the Name of Chriftian ; yea, the Moderns, both Papijis and Lutheriansy that wrote again!! the Sociniansy deny them aiib to be Chriftiansj; the fame dothGomamsy andDottor JPbr- hes in his Theological Inftrudlions, Lib. 10. Cap. 13. § 14. denies the Socman Baptifm to b* valid.
The ProfeflbtfS <pf Ley dm. Anno Dow. 1598. gave their Judgment of OJierodius the Socmian^ his Writs, That they led Men very near to Turcifm. And Gro- Uus writing of the Piety of the States dE Hollana*, faith, Seeing Herejy is the Venom of the Churchy and that ftiddenly working; yet there are Degrees in Here- jiesy whereof fame are more hurtful than others y hat a Tvorfe Herejy than Socinianifrri, is not to be found. At the very mentioning of which all the Godly Ihould fhrink.
Againft thh Hereiy, not only the civil Magiftrate
and Churchy but alio the God of Heaven, byhisim-
iate Hand of Providence, hath given Teftimony ;
Irate hath put them to Death, not only in
v -formed Church, brt alfo the Roman Church :
Tims the Parliament of Pole being informed, Anno
Dow. 1658. That the Socinians in Racovia had begun
to print a Book of Bkfphemies againft the facred
Trinity, they did take from diem their Bibliotheclc,
Pria-
(•43 )
Printing-houfi|Attd Prefs, and ixing many, bani/hcd
the immediate Hand of n the Socwian, it is rem; >th in tem-
poral and fpiritua! Judgment*, tlut them
Were their own Murderers, and otnej 1 1 died
in Dcfpair, others renounced Chrift, and turned Ma- hometan, '
lhus having fpoken of the Socinkm, remains 2 Word of the Analaptifi and Quaker, " who alio are IJIaf •>!: .iru rs of the Trinity : That the Anabapuflt are fuch, the'Profefibrs ofleyden are fufficient Wit- neTes. As for the Quakers, who not only are in England and Ireland^ but even fome of them fcattered in Scotland: 'lis well known by many of their own printed Pamphlets, and by the Books oi: others, their mad Pranks, and Blafphen.ics, and .JJifputes againft the facred I unity s for Initance, The Phanatick Hi- Jtory printed at London, Anno Dom. 1 660. Pag. 54, In a publick Difpute at Cambridge, they denied tfife a Trinity, with Blafpjiemies that i abhor to Write, And Anno Dovj. 165 7. a Book printed at Lon- don, by John Stalham, called, The Reviler rebuked, Wherein h 1 refutes Quaker Richard Fairmvortb, who printed and fpread a Pamphlet about that Time, Wherein he denied the Holy Ghoil to be a Peribn in the Trinity. Therefore, as the univerfal Church of
5)ld did pioufly and wifely appoint and pva&ife the inging of the Doxology, %o confirm the Flock of Chrift againit the dangerous Blafphcmies of Arrius3 and other Anutrimtarinn Hereticks 3 lb to this Day, the univerfal Church do ftill continue that Practice to guard their Flocks againft the Blaiphen nalaptifts nd Quakers, but efpecially Socmiaas, who, 5n ho- nd hellifh Blafphemies^ *>utdo the old A*-'
CHAP,
< 44 ) ,
C H A P. VI.
Itbe Lawfulnefs of [inging the Doxology, proven by theft Arguments. 1. Becaufe all Chriftians are baptized fa the Name of. Father, Son and Holy Ghojl. z. They telteve or profefs their Faith in Father, Son and Ho- ly Ghqfi. 3. They believe Father, Sonjmd Holy Ghojl to be their Creator, Redeemer and Sanclifier. 4. Their Faith, and Hope of eternal Glory, is from Father , Son and Holy Ghojl. 5. God, Father, Son and Holy Ghojl, made all Things, and Man more efpecially, for
\ . §)is Glory. 6. This Lord of Glory often calls Man's *Jongue his Glory. 7. From the PraBiCe of the Saint $ find Angels. $. From God's Command. 9. The Ap- pointment and PracJice of the univerfal Church. 10.
| "The Indivijibility of the Worjhip we give to God, one in EJfence, and three Perfons^ illuftrate by Fathers an$ Councils.
IN the former Chapters, I having defcribed the Occafion upon which the univerfal Church did appoint the fingmg of the Doxology, to wit, The a- founding of Blafpheiriers againft the Trinity, proven* in the firft three Chapters. Secondly. The unanimous .Agreement of the Church, for finging the Doxology, in the fourth Chapter -, and the Realon of its Conti- nuance in the Church to this Day, even becaufe the Church, ever fince, hath never altogether wanted fome fclafphemous Hereticks within the Church, befidesthe Turk and Jew, both Deniers of the Trinity without the Church. Follows the fecond Part of this Trea- tife, which is fubefivided thus, Firjl. I prove by ma- ny Arguments, the Lawfulnefs of the finging of the Doxology, in the fixth, feventh, eighth, ninth ancf tenth Chapters. Secondly. I anfwer fome Objections in the eleventh and twelfth Chapters. Thirdly. I fhow
ihfi
( 45 )
the many Evils from the refilling to fing the Doxe- ]
rliis and fome following Chapters I have accu-
te Arguments, becaufe 1 fupponed I di'd write to
; Chriftians weak in Knowledge ; I fay, weak in
Knowledge, becaufe I am loath to judge, that any
:ian"itrong in Knowledge will deny its Lawfal-
unleis th:lr Judgment be ftrangely overclouded
by prevalent Prejudice s and if any fuch there be, wc
alio brought Arguments for their Perufing : Wc
begin with Arguments for the Weak.
AH who are baptized in the Name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, to them it is lawful to fing Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghofl ', but all Chriftians are bap- tized in the Name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, therefore, to all Chriftians it is lawful to frngGloryto Fa'her, Son,, and Holy Gboft.
Second Reafon, All who believe and profefc their Faith in b ather, Son, and Holy Ghoft, to them it is lawful to fing Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghofl ; but all Chriftians throughout the World believe and profefs Faith in Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, there- Fore it is lawful to all Chriftians throughout the World to fing Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Gh$fl.
Third Reafon, All who believe and profefs, That God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, is their Crea- tor, Redeemer, and Sandlificr, to them it is lawful to fing Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghofl ; but all Chriftians believe and profefs, that God, Father, Son, Holy Ghoft, is their Creator, Redeemer, and San&i- fier, therefore, &c.
Fourth Reafon, All who believe, hope, and pro- fefs to enjoy eternal Glory in Heaven, from and with Father, Son and Holy Gnoft, to them it is lawful to fmgGlory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghofl; but all Chri- ftians believe, hope, and profefs to enjoy eternal Glo- ry in Heaven from and with Fatner, Son, and Holy Ghoft, therefore, &c.
Fifth Reafon, God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft flwfc aUTbi?%s for kismtiGfaji an4 Man's Chief End
is
( 4* )
is to glorifie Gody the firft Words of the Leffer Cats- chiffn of the Weftmirifter Synods Therefore it is law- fill to glorifie God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft in a Song. •
Sixth Reafon, God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghofl hath given to Man his Tongue aiv that there-
with he may glorifie God Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft; Therefore, often in the Book of Pfafms, Man's Tongue is called his Glory, Pfal. 57. 8. Awake up my Glory. Pfal. 10S. I, I will fing Praife with my Glory. Pfal. 16. 9. My Heart hghdy my Glory rejoycetb > which Glory ^ the Maker of the Tongue {Mis z. z6.) expones to be the Tongue in thefe Words, My Heart dotb re- joy ce> and my Tongue was glad \ Pfal. 30. iz. That my Glory may fing Praife unto thee, and not be filent, 0 Lord my God: Shall then Man's Tongue, his Glory, be com- manded Silence by Man, and not to im* Glory to God the Father, Son> and Holy Ghofl y when his Maker gave him his Tongue to fing Glory to his Maker.
Seventh Reafon, That which is the Practice of An- gels, and of all the Saints in Heaven and Earth, is lawful s but to fing Glory to God, Father ,Son, and Holy Ghoft, is the Pra&ice of the Angels, Luke z. 14- £be Heavenly Hofi ftr^Glwy to God; and Rev. f. 13. All V} Heaven and in Tiartb did fing Glory to G$d.
Eighth Reafon, That which is commanded of God is lawful s but to fing Glory to God is commanded by God : I prove the Afliimption, Pfal. p<5. I, Z> Tbefe commanded, Sing unto the Lord-, and Ver. 3. Declare bis Glory ; and Ver. 73 S. Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name, &c.
Ninth Reafon, That which hath been the Confti- tution and conftant Pra&ice of the univerfal Church thefe 1300 Years, without Scruple or Refufal, and ftilj retained in the Reformed Churches, after their Purga- tion from Idolatry and Superftition, that is lawful : The fame Argument is ufea by St. Paul, I Cor. 1 j, 26. To ftop the Mouth of the Contentious, to wic^ Wis have tioficbCuflom* mitber tbeCbmcbes of God.
Tenth
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tli Reafon, 1 hat which is commanded by God is Son, mid Holy Ghojl is God; I herefore, &c. 1 prove the Minor > v.i lory commanded by God and given to God, is in* mddue to all the three Perfons eaually -, fofays the Lefler Catecbifm, l bey are equal hi Power and ry s and whensoever a Chnftian lings Glory to God, then it is not only lawful, but alio neceffary, that in the Thought that Chriitian at that larrie Time (hall a- fcribe that Glory to all the Three Perfons, which if he do not, he is worfhipping an Idol, and not the true <5od 5 then whatever Thought of a Chnftian is law* ful and commanded, it is lawful for . him to exprefs that Thought with his Tongue ; then when he is ring- ing Glory ro God, and lawfully and equally in his Mind is giving that Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Chart, then it is lawfiil for him at that fame Time to give tbar Glory exprefly with his Tongue to Father, and HolyGhoit; for all theWormip and Ado- ration that the Chnftian gives to God, ihould, and is rightly given to God, One in Eflence, and Three in Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, who all Three one almighty Power, one Will, one external Action, in hearing our Prayers, and granting our Ke- s, and therefore the YVbrfhip given to them is in- divisibles therefore Pcrhm faith well, writing on Mat* 6- 9. We jbould worjhip the whole Trinity conjunclly, and mt one Per/on alone, and when we name God alone, we jbould in our Mind worjhip tfje three Perfons aljo 5 then uron the found and infallible Dodbrine of Chriftianity, as no Chriitian dare deny the Lawfulnefs of finging Glory to God, fo upon the fame Ground, and as infal- no Chriftiari dare deny the Lawfulness of ring- ing Glory to God, Father, Son, and Holy GhojK
The ISIinth Reafon iri this Chapter being taken from the Cuftom of the Church, and that in imitation of theApolile St. Paul, \Cot\ 11. 16. For in this pre- fent Cafe, the Duty being proven lawful, according to the Word of God, which we have done in the for- mer Eight Reafons, the Pra&ice of the Church, if the
Apoftle's
( 4§ )
Apoftle's Argument hold good, is fufficient Warrant to clear the Conference of any particular ChjafKaii,, for doing of the Duty > therefore, albeit we haveland- led before fomewhat of the Antiquity and Univerfality of this Practice, in Ringing the Doxo/ogy, and uimg it in our Devotion, yet for further clearing of that Truth, I and Satisfaction to the Scrupulous, we (hall clear it yet more from Antiquity : St. Baftl> who was mighty 1 in the Scriptures, and a Son of Thundei: againft the I Arrian in his Time, and fo took Occafion to Write of the Doxology, being the great Badge and Standard of I Chriftianky againit the Arrian^ writes thus, That he received the' Cu/iom of finging Glory to the Father , as an • Heirjhip from his Fathers , learned it at him that baptized I him ; and. cites many of the ancient Fathers, even to I the Days of the Apoftles, that ufed the Doxo/ogy, and I that the Fathers before him did appoint it to befungf in their Churches > and as this iliewsits Antiquity , fohe 1 Writes accordingly of its Univerfality, That from the I Eaft and the Weft, Nlefopotamia and Capadocia, Nati-» ons and Cities long before his Time, and the Memo- I xy of all Men, ufed the Doxo/ogy.
But if it be objedted, That yet 'tis uncertain when the Church firft began to fing the.Doxology in the I publick Worfhip of God, and therefore it is to be re- I je&ed; I anfwer, Pirft3 The Duty being lawful, and I infallibly grounded on the Word of God, fo it cannot be denied, but the ufing of it is very ancient in the Church of Chrift. zd Anfwer, By the Light of Na- I ture, and Law of Natiofts, a conftapt good Cuftom being pra&ifed many hundred Years without Con- I troul, or any apparent Evil in the Pra&ice thereof^ turns into a Law; for univerfal Pra&ice anfwers tofc univerfal Vows, that all who pradtife it, are content* that it be a Law ; and ask isfo in the State by Ana- logy, it is fo in the Church, therefore St. Paul does not reafon from a Church Canon s he fays not, We E have made an AcJ *in the Church for fuch a Thing to be done, but only this, The Church hath no fuch Cuftom9 therefore would he fay, This is as Jirong as a Church
A&,
( 49 ) A&, I Cor. it. 1 6. I am glad that the Synod of Di- vines did not reject the Apoiiolick Creed,' but has re- tained it at the End of their Shorter Catechfw, albeit: they cannot tell, no more than Calvin, when n was hrft written, or made uie of in the Church, but cenfefs ic Orthodox, lawful, and confonant to the Scriptures, and very ancient s and in all theie it agrees with the Doxology * then, if you retain your Creed, albeit none can tell who firft wrote it, or when it was firft made uie of, fo I plead for the Doxology that famj Privilege, That albeit it cannot be proven from Scrip- ture, when it began to be ufed, yet it having all the good Properties of the Creed, ftiould be retained in the Church as 4ong as the Creed. . Yea, feeing the Creed retains the Stile Apoftotick, be- (taufe of its great Antiquity, fo fome of the Learned incline to think, that the Doxology is alfo of Apofto- lick Antiquity ', for that it was ufed in the Church long before the Nicene Creed, It was proven by Btfil's Words, and Atbanafius, who was a young Presbyter at the Councilof Nice, and there a great Refuter of Arrir.s, yet long before he died, Bafil writes divers Let- ters to him, EpiJL 47.- and divers following, reveren- cing his gray Hairs, but fo as they were Bifhops Con- temporary y and Bafd writes, That the Doxology was ufed in Europe and Afia long before the Council ofc Nice, even pad the Memory ot Man ; and feeing in the Primitive Church, many Catechumen Men and Wo- men were folemnly baptized in their publick Worfhip, who had chiefly learned in their Catechiitn die Dodhine of the Trinity, and gave a Confeffioj of it at their Baptifm themfelves, and in that their publick Wor- lhip were always fung holy Hymns to God ( as the Learned know) what more probable than that thefe, especially the Catcchumeni, who were now Chriftians of Understanding, as they were baptized grefently in the Name of Father, Son, and Holy Gho.^' and gave a Confeffion of their Faith, in Father, Son and Holy Ghoftj that they alfo in their publick Worihip did G * fiqg
( l« )
fittg Glory to that Father, Son, and HolyGhoft, !& whofeName they were newly baptized.
Some ask the Queftion, Upon what Text of Scrip- ture the Doxology. is chiefly founded ? For Anfwer, It hath two Parts, to wit, ..The three Perfons of the Trinity, which are the Objcft of that Worfhip. idly. The Glory given to them, which is the A6t of Wor- fhip in the Doxology y accordingly the giving Glory to God is founded on man)r Scriptures, but there is one full and exprefs, Rom. 1 1, the laft Verfe, Of ' him* end through him, and to %hn are all Things , to whom le Glory for ever, Amen. But feeing the Obje&of the Worfhip, in three diftindt Perfons of the Trinity, is moft clear in the Words of the Baptifmal'Inftitutioii, Matth. z3. Ij>v Baptizing them in the Name of the Fa- ther, and the Son, and the Holy Ghofl ; therefore with Athanafius, Bafil, and the reft of the Greek Fathe&, we think that the Doxology is chiefly grounded upon that Text in Matthew ,x It is true, fome of the Learn- ed would build it on that Text, Rom. it. and that be- eaufe they alledge the three Perfons of the Trinity in- finuatehere, which, tho5 it were granted, that, the three Perfons are there infinuate, yet the other Text being' full and exprefs, and the ftrongeft Bulwark againft the Arrian ; therefore that Text in Matthew is the chief Ground for the Doxology -, for to glorifie God accord- ing to that Text in the Romans is fo general, that the Arrian could eafily fubferibe to fuch a Doxology.
C H A P. VII.
The Lawfulncfs of finging the Doxology proven ly the Induction of aU its Parts, 12. from the three Holies, Ifa. 6. 3.
IN this Chanter we prove by Indu&ion, That all the Parts oJF the Doxology are in the holy Scrip- tures ', from whence we deduce thisReafon, That di- vine
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vine Glory which in \ioly Scripture is given to Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, that fame divine Glory is law- ful to fing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. We prove the Affumption, Suppofing that Glory is given to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, Rom. II. lad Vqfej To God be Glory for ever. I Tim. I. 17. To God be Honour and Glory for ever and ever •, Amen. 2 Tim. 4. t$. To God be Glory for ever and ever, I Tim. 6. 1(5. To Goti be Honour and Power ever la/ting for ever. Jude -Ver. laft. To God be Glory now and for ever, Amen. Galat. 14. 5. Lo God and our Father be Glory for ever and ever, Amen. And the fame Words, PA/7. 4. 20. idly, Glory to God through Chrijl ', thefe Words yon fiiall find, Rom. 16. Verf. laft. Eph. 3. 21. Heb. 13. ZO, 21. idly, To Chrijl be G lory now and for ever, A- men. 2 Pet. 3. Ver. laft. Rev. 16. Rev. 5. 12. He is the Lord of Glory. I Cor. 2. S. James 2. 1. He is crowned with Glory. Heb. 2. 9. T/je Lord's glorious Branch. Ha. II. 10.
The Holy Ghoft; if it. 4. 14- The Spirit of Glory is glorified.
' Thus we have proven from. Scripture thefe Parts of the Doxology, Glory to the Father, and to the Son, ami to the Holy bbojl, for now and ever : There remains one nee to be cleared in theDoxology, to wit, As it was in the Beginning ; for clearing of which, we wrote in the End of the 4th Chapter, 1 hat thefe Words were added to the Doxology becaufe of the Anion Hereticks, and that in the '4th Century, when Arrins denied, that the Son was with the Father from all Eternity ,but affirmed, that there was a Time when the Son was not 5 and thefe ancient Doctors of the Church, knowing that rhefirft Words in St.y^v/'sGofpel^in thefe three firft Verfes, j were indited by the Holy Ghoft, and written by the Apoftle St. John his Pen-man, to aflert the Co-eternity of the Son with the Father, and that againft ancienc Hereticks, who lived in the Apoftle St. John's Time, and were Blafphemers of Chrift 3 the Church there- tore hath made Choice of that fame Text, as fitteft againft the Arriaus, Thus have we cleared^ that all G 2 ifaa
the Words in theDoxoIogy are exprefs Scripture, and according thereunto : And if any object, That it fol- lows not to hi lawfully lung in the Church., except i: w re in Scipture all contiguous together, as one of the Plalms of David; To thefe in this Place I only give this Anfwer, That the Reformed Church of France, •in their publick Worihip, fing the Apditolick Creed turned into Metre, and is therefore printed, and bound in with their Pfalm Books, and yet that Creed is far lefs continued Scripture than theDoxoIogy. * Ana the Learned know, that the Church of France is famous, not only of old Time, for many glorious Martyrs be- fore the Council of Nice, but alfp in the Beginning of Reformation from Popery.
The Second Part of the Chapter, containing the 1 2th Reafon, it is taken from Ifaiab 6. I, % g* The Pro- phet Ifaiah in a Vifion faw the Lord fitting en a Throne, and the Heavenly Seraphims crying one to another, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hojts, the whole Earth is full of his Glory. Here the Learned prove, that this Song is fung to the Sacred Trinity, as if thefe Sera- phims had laid, Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Ghojl ; for that fame Lord of Hofts in the 8th Verfe, fpeaks in the plural Number, Who will go for us ; juit fo, Gen. I. 2(5. And God f aid, Let us make Man after our Like- fiefs ; which Speech the Learned agree to be fpoken by the Sacred Trinity. Secondly, We fhall prove that Glory to the three diftindl Perfons of the Trinity is meant here, Firft, That Glory to the Father is meant none will deny, no not the Arrian, nor Socinian. Se~ condly. We prove, that Glory to the Son is alfo meant here, for God the Son was alfo here, for the Pro- phet Ifaiah faw his Glory' here, which is proven, John 12. 41. K" The Prophet Ifaiah faw Chrift's Glory, and fpake of him even then, when the Lord blindeci their Eyes, and hardened their Hearts, Ver. 4°- Which jCornmiflion Ifaiah received, Ifa. <5, 10. after he had feen Chrift's Glory , theij, if God the Son was here, the *d Holy is to him. Thirdly, The Holy Ghofl was here^ which I prove it was the Holy Ghofthere
which
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*vhich fpake to the Prophet Ifaiah> 6. 9. Toe Lord (aid, Go tell this People; but Acts 2$. z^. That fame Lord is the Holy Ghoft h Well Jpake the Holy Gboji by li'aiah the Prophet, unto our bathers, faymg, Go unto this People, and jay, Hearing ye j) all hear, and jh all not underjland, &c. Then iecing toe Scriptures prove the three Perfons exprefly were here, it cannot be denied I bur the three Holies were to the three Peribns s therefore the Doctors of the ancient Church, and univerfal Coun- cils, and approven Orthodox Divines, unanimoufly teach, That here the Seraphims in their Choir arc finging a Doxology to the bleiTed Trinity, and confe- auently this Doxology is a Scripture Song, therefore the Divines of Weftminfter Synod, in their Notes u- pon Rev. 4. at the Sth'Verfe, finging the like three ' lies with them, in the 6th of fjaiah, 3d Verfe, which they alfo quote and comment thus, They con- tin;: ally praije God, and fet out the Trinity of the Per- Jens in the Godhead.
Did not the Angels in this 6th of Ifaiah, fing the Doxology to the glorious Trinity ? The univerfal Church, in their general Council, have taught lb, and alfo pra&ifed accordingly ; The Fathers, both before and after that Council, with Calyi/i, and the reft of the reformed Churches teach fo 5 and the Synod pf Divines, in their Notes on the Revelation,* teached fo. Will ye noc then go along with the univerfal and re- formed Church ? Or will ye go along with the Sy- nod of Divines on the Revelation -, t6 that Synod you gave the Credit to draw up your Creed, or Confefli- on of Faith and Catechifms s and will ye not give them Credit in the Matter of the Doxology, that the heavenly Seraphims fang Glory to the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft ? Shall the Angels come from Heaven to Earth, toeiveyou a good Example to fing the Doxo- logy ? Will neither the Iniverfal Church on Earth, nor Angels in Heaven, move you to follow their ho- ly Example ? I anlwer, It will move all thefe on vhom that Judgment hath not fallen, pronounced tfa. 6. 9, 10. Hear linked, but underjtaiid not2 make
tl»
C H )
the Heart of this People fat. As ye love your Souls, beware of that Judgment, which is my Prayer for you at the Throne of Grace.
CHAP. VIII.
Thirteenth Reafon, from that Song, Rev. ?. p. 14. From God *s Command, I Chr. 16. 20. itiuftrate by Councils and Fathers.
THe thirteenth Reafon is taken from the fifth Chap* ter of the Book of Revelations, thus collected ; St. John the Divine faw a Vifion in Heaven, and heard them fog a new Song, Ver. p. continuing to the End of the Chapters and Ver. 13. Every Creature which is in Heaven, and on the Earth, and under the Earth, and fueh as are in the Sea, and all that are in thein heard I faying, Blejfjig, Honour, Glory and Power be unto him that fitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Here the Univerfality offing- ing is fo great, that it comprehends the univerfal Church of all Chriftians; yea, of all the Angels in Heaven, and all Saints, both in Heaven and Earth, both the Church militant and triumphant. 2. What are they finging ? Bleffing, Honour, Glory and Power, 3. To whom do they fing this Doxology ? I anfwer, To him that fits upon the Throne, and to the Lamb. And that the Weak may better underftand that there are two Perfons of the Godhead diftin&ly expreft here, for them more clearly diftinguiftied in the 6 Ver. In the Midfl of the Throne food a Lamb, who came and took the Book out of the right Hand of him that fat upon the Throne, Ver. 7. And that both the Father and the Son fat upon the fame^hrone, Rev. 3. 21. I ant Jit down with my Father on his Throne. And Rev. 22. 3, 4. Both the Throne of God, and of the Lamb> and not Thrones. But the Weak may fay, That the Holy Ghoft is not named in this Song ? To whom I
anfwer,
C S3 )
afifwer, That it is the Doctrine and Faith of thcunt- ; verfal Church, containing all Chnftians from the Rifing of the Sun, to its going down, Father, Son, Holy Ghoft, one and that fame glorious God, fit and reign conjunctly, upon one and that fame glo- rious Throne in Heaven, according tortheLjilcr Ca- techifm, There are three Perfons m the Godhead, equal in Power and Glory, So that here* while they fing Glory to him that fits upon the Throne, the Holy Gholt is alfoneceflarily tobemeaned: as from Mattb. I. 20. later Part of trie Verfe, Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghoft. And Ch. J. Ver.- 16. and law- fully is to be expreffed, according to the Orthodox < Doctrine in the former JReafons s feeing then all the Saints and Angels in Heaven, and in Earth, joyn in this Song with a loud Voice, what a Pity is it, that ( fome Cnriftians mould refuie tu joyn in finging this Doxology ; yea, abhor it as a finful Action, and by ftiunning it, think they abftain from Evil. I befeech you in the Fear of the Almighty, confider that Word, ,IJa. 5. 20. Wo onto them that call Evil good, and Good I evil.
The General Affembly of the Church, Anno 1647* ; at Edinburgh, Augnft 28. Self. 25. did ordain Mr. ! Zachary Boyd, to turn the fcriptural Songs ( befide the Pfalms ) in the Old and New Teftament, in Metre, for the Ufe of tHe Church, as Mr. Zachary himfelf profefles, in the Preface to the faid Songs, printed at iGlaJgow, Anno Dom. 164S. But this Song in the 'Rev. ?. .9. I find not among the fcriptural Songs > 1 why he omitted it, I know not, but this I know, the 1 Holy Ghoft calls it a Song, as exprefly as any in the I Bible* 2. The Singers are all Chriftians. 3. The Subject is folemn, and the Duty undeniable, to all that call themfelves Chriftians.'* Mr. Zachary Boyd, in his 'Letter to the MimRevs of Scotland, of the Date, Glafi gow 27th of February, 164S. ( which Letter he pre- fixes to his fcriptural Songs which he turned into •Metre) fays, That the Church having theUfeihere-
( 5* )
•f, miy, in Obedience to the Apoftle's Precept* Eph* ?. 1 8. in Pfalms and Hymns, and fpiritual Songsy make Melody in their Heart to the Lord.
The 14th Reafon that we bring, is from I Ch\ 16. 29. Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name^ and Rev. 7. 9', 10, n, 12. whence, with a little Ex- plication, the Lawfulnefs of finging the Doxology may be proven 5 . and Fir/L From Chrift's Words in his divine Inftitution of Baptifm, Matth. 2S. 19. Bap~ tize all Nations in the Name of the Father, and the Son} mid the Holy Ghojl > fo, according to Chrift's Words* Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, is the Name of God: Then, feeing we are commanded to give Glory to God's Name, we are alio ro give Glory to God the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft. And if any would fbolifhly cavil5 here are three Names, let this fuifice to flop their Mouth, That God who is Truth it felfy hath calle*! it, In the Name, in the fingular Number, and not' Names in the Plurals therefore, theDo&ors, both of the Greek and Latin Church, have pioufly and learnedly dived into the myfterious Caufe of this one Name, and with one Confent they agree, That it is to teach the Unity of the Effence, together with the Trinity of the Perfons. Then, for our Purpofe, if Father, Son and Holy Ghoft be the Name of God, and three diftindt Perfons in the Godh:ad, are to \>z known and believed neceflarily to Salvation, by all Chriftians who are baptized in that Names and fee* ing God in his M^rcy and Gooffs, hath made Bap-^ rifm a Seal, applying to Chriftians, Benefits of un* fpeakable Valu?, given by Father, Son and Holy Ghoft j (hall it not then be God's Due from Man, and Man's Duty to God, to give God ,the Glory due unto his Name, even to this fiis Namg, Father, Son and Holy Ghoft ; yea, and to fing it ? For Proof of which, amongft many Texts, take the 23 Verfe of the forefaid Cnapter, 1 Ghron. 16. Sing unto the Lord all the Earth. So that, from thefe three Texts, I Chron. 16. 23, 29. with Matth. 28. 19. I colleft this Conclufion, All baptized in the Name of the r Fa^
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father, Son and Holy Ghojt, fliould fing Glory to tba lather Son and Holy Gbofi; And if any objedt, That I Cbron. 16. 29. by God's Name is meant himfelf, I anfwer, Be ic To, but God himfelf is Father, Sort and Holy Ghoit ; and confidef the 20th Ver. in the lit bfMaPtb. and the itfth Ver. of the }d of Mattb.
Now, Chrif Han, when you have read thefe Reafons, I intreat you to lay them to Heart, especially the firit Nine, being molt plain, and ponder in each Rea- fon, the firft. two Sentences, whicn no Chriftian will Or dare denv, albeit he know no more but the commoti Grounds of Reafott and Chriitianity : And if yon grant both tfie firft Sentences, and yet deny the third Sentence following en that Realbn, then know that Truth hath got the Vidtory, and you are convinced * and if you aflent not to ling- the l)oxology, ye detail the 'irntb hi Unrighteoujhejs, Rom. I. 1 8/ and rebel ueainjl the Light, and hate the Light, John. J; 20. And they who Wilfully harden themfelves, would not em- brace the Truth, albeit Chrift the Wifdom of the Fa- ther, were preaching it unto them, unlefs he did apply his Almighty gracious Power,- as he did to Saul in his Converfion, AcJs p. 5, 6. which he does not or- dinarily on thofe that harden themfelves, and cloie their Eyes againft the Light darting m upon their Under- ftanding, fox berefijis the Proud, but gheth Grace to th* Humble and Lowly, The Apoitle fp^aks of unreafofi- able Men, iThejf. 3. 2. by which are meant the Un- believer arid Unregenerate 5 for the true Believer, his i faving Faith, clears up and fortifies hk Reafon 5 there- fore, ^ if thou be a furnifhed and true Believer, and grant the Truth of the firft two Sentences of aityofie, or all the Reafons, then thou wilt affent to the third Sentence, which is, To fing Glory to the Fathr, Son sndHofo GboJI : And if thou find thy Heart inclining fo content, then blow at that Spunk that is kindled in thy Soul by the Holy Ghoft, and go to thy Knees in all Humility, Sincerity and Self-denial, and beg of him to lead thee in all Truth, and to (hew thee the good awl the right Way, an4 Whether it will rend H mow
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more to the Glory of God, to CmgGlory to the Father, Sou and Holy Ghojt, or to be dumb and filent, and fay in your Heart, I will not fing Glory to God, even when my fellow Chriftians are finging it.
Do you believe with all your Soul, That God fent his Son from Heaven to Earth, to bring you from Earth to Heaven * That Chrift fuflfered the Sorrows of Death and Hell, to fave thee from endlefs Tor- ments, and will ye refufe to fing Glory to him for fo doing and' fuffering for you'? If a poor Brother of Jefus were asking an Alms from you, and you would not give him one Mite, andyetwduldfay, at the fame Time, to Standers by, If that. poor Man were going toPrifon, I would give him a great Siim of Money to relieve him ; would they believe you, or rather laugh you to Scorn ? So, when you aredefired to fing G1cm iy to the bleffed Trinity, and ye refiife to do it, who would believe you, that you would fuffer tormenting Flames, for the Glory of that bleffed Trinity ? I know you will fay, That ye have fome Reafons, why you refufe to fing the Doxology, but you would have no Reafon to refufe Marty raonv I anfwer, Your Corruption that prompts you with Excufcs to refufe to fing the Doxology, which is the eafier Duty, would furnifh you with more Excufes to fhun Burning; fo that ye who will not give God his due Honour, to fing Glory to him, it is too like, would never fuffer Mar- tyrdom for him j and fo the true Ground of your re- fusing, is want of true Faith, Phil. I. 2,9. To you it if given , in We Behalf of Chrift, not only to believe wM him, Jbm ' tilfo to fuffer for his Sake,
As for your Pretences and Excufes you bring foe not finging the Doxology, lav it to Heart, that your Excufes which your prejudged Confcience ( it may be I accepts of, fo as to give you a feeming and deceitftil Peace for a Time; yet trull: not, that he who is grea- ter than your Confcience, will accept of thefe Excu- fes, which, in this Life, Men who are blind, and par- tial Judges in their own Caufe, think to be good and relevant. Ow Saviour in tbs Gofpel; gives a.Liftot
Excufcrs
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Excufers of thcmfclves s but the Judge of Quick and Dead tells the trueReafon, which the Excufers would not have told, Matth. 22. 5, They made light of it. Byt f intreat you, make it not a light Thing, to re- fqfe to fing Glory to father, Son and Holy Gbojl > for thefe Reafons I have let before you, are founded on the •Word of God, by which we (hall be judged ; and your Pretences and EJxcufcs, in that Day, will be burnt with the Hay and Stubble, 1 Cor. 3. l%.
CHAP. IX.
Fifteenth Reafon, from the necejftry difference of the Chrijtians Worjbip ', As in reading the Word, Prtyer and Sacraments, tlx Jews exceedingly differ from Chriftiansy jhall not there alfo he a Difference betwixt the Chrijlians finging of Pfalms and the J ews, by finging the Doxolo- gy. 16. As the Jews in their Pfalms of David, cloft many of them with a T)oxology, anfwering to the Mea- fare of their Light dijpenfed to them in the OldTefta- ment ; Jo it becomes the Ch'ijiian to have a Doxology anjwerable to their greater Meafure of Light of the Trinity in the New Tejtament, 1 7. Reafon, founded upon the Signification of Jehovah. Elohim, whicb is often in the Doxology of the O/dTeJlament.
TAke three Reafons more to be pondered by the judicious and unbyafled Chrillian. The Fir/I is thus grounded, The Worftiip of God confifts in two Parts, either God fpeaks to us, or we fpeak to God; God fpeaks to us in the Word read, or exponcd by preaching ; we fpeak to God by Prayer, fuiting Things rieedful to Soul and Body, or by rraifes of his infi- nite Excellencies, and for his Benefits. Thcfe two laft, to wit, Petitions or Praifes, are either done with- out Song, or in a Song -, but fo it is, that God in his ipfinite \Vifdom and Goodnefs, hath made the Chri- ftian Worfhip in the New Teftament, to differ from H z ' the
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the Jews Worftup in the Old Teftament, in Fulnefs, Clearnefs and Cjonifbrtablenefs , they had only the Old Teftament, we have the New Teftament added to it s they had the Old Teftament read and exponed by the Church-men and Prophets, we have Old and New Teftament, both read, exponed and preached, more fully and plainly, to our greater faving Knowledge and Comfort, For the leaft in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than johnBzptiii, Matth. 11". n. Sccondiy. Our Prayers and Praiies of God, in the New Tefta- ment:, are proportional to the Word read and preach- ed, even more full, clear and comfortable, >f nan the Jews had in the Old Teftament : But fo it is, that the obftinate and impenitent Jews refuted to joyn with us Chriftians, in any of thefe three Parts of the Wor- ship of God » they will not hear the Gofpel read, be- caufe it is the Gofpel of Chrift, whom they rejeft and blafphcmes they will not hear the Word preach- ed, becaufe we preach Qorijl crucified, which is to tht Jews it Stumbling-block, I Cor. I. "'2 J, Thirdly. They will not jpyn with u§ in Prayer, for they refufe to pray to Father, Son and Holy Ghpft, and they will ieek nothing from God in the Name of Chrift. Fourth- ly. They rejeft our Sacraments, for they refiife to be baptizea in the Name of Father, Son and Holy Ghoft -? nor yet will they communicate with us, be- caufe it is the Communion of the Body and Blood of Chrift: Seeing then the All- wife Lord hath made the, Chriftiap to differ from, and excel the Jew, in the Word and Sacraments, in Preaching and Praying, is it not convenient and fuitable to the -other Parts of our Chriftian Worfhip, that we differ from them in our finging alfd, which is not a diverfe Part of Wor- fhip, djftinft from Prayer and Praifes, without Song, but a diverfe Way of pronouncing it ? For Example, all that is in the Pfalms, that is fung to God with a Tune, it is lawful fpr a Chriftian to worfliip God with thefe fame Words, without a Tune or Song, in Prayer and Thanfgiving s fo they differ not upon the Matter, but in the Manner of pronouncing them* but
the
( 6i )
the adding of the Chriftian Doxology to the Clofe ot our finging of the Pfalm, makes a luitable Difference betwixt the Chriftian? finging of the Pfalm with the Doxology, and the Jew ip their Worihfp, finging the lame Pialm without the finging of the Christian Do- xology. Moreover, is it convenient or decent, That a Jet* who blafphemes the Son of God, and denies the blcfled Trinity, who are without the Communi- on of Saints, that they (hall have it to fay or brag, Altho' I abhor to joyn with the Sow, ( for fo they call the Chriftian ) nor will I hear their Gofoel read or preached; nor will I joyn with them in Prayer; ( for they abhor the Name of Chrift ) yet fays the Jew, I will not abhor to joyn with them in finging the Pfalm, for they fing nothing but the Pfalms of Dtf- vidy juft as we do ; they fing in their Mother-tongue0 as we do in the Hebrew * Would no. the Chriftian think himfelf affronted at the Jews Offers and if any in the Church refufed to fine the Doxology, he could fay, I am free to refufe the Doxology, asfomeofyour Chriftians refufe.
2. Many of the Pfalms clofe with a Doxology or Praife to God, fome one way and, fome another, and jjhis Doxology is moft often in the laft Verfe 3 but. fometimes in the penult Verfe, and then in the laft Verfe is fome particular Reafon and Ground given for that particular Doxology. Thofe who f>leafe to fearch the Pfalms more diligently will find it fo, to wit, IPfaL 18. and 75. in their laft and penult Verfesj and in all thefe Pfalms following you may obferve a par- ticular Doxology in the laft Verfe of every one of them, to wit, Pfalm 7, 8, 13, 21, 24, 26, 30, 35, 41, 45, 5*> 57> 59> 61, <5<S, 68, 71, 72>,*9>97> 99> loo, 103, in, 11S, 124, 136, 140, 145. and befides, zherc are other Pfelms that all clofe with one and the fame Doxology, to wit, Praife ye the Lord. Pfalm 104, 105, 106, 115, 116, 117, 135, 146, 147, 148* I4$>3 I5°5 Hallelujah, and in the Book of the Reve- lations, Chap. 19. three Companies end their Praifes to God with that fame Halkltgah, retaining the Hebrew
( 61 ) in the Greek Text. The firft Company, much Peo- ple Verfe I, 2, 3. clofe their Praifes with Hallelujah. Sewndly> The twenty four Elders, and fQtjr living Creatures, in j:he fecond Choir, clofe, 4men, Hallelu± jab. thirdly, Another great Multitude, Verfe 6. be- ing commanded, give their Hallelujah.
And as many of the Pfalms clofe with a Doxolo- gy, fo fome of the Scriptural Songs, as Exodus 1^. i$f Ijhiah iz. 6. Ifaiah 3$. 20. Habakkuk 3. IS, and 19. iCbrou. i<5. 36. Now, as in the Old Teftament the Lord hath taught the Jews to clofe their Songs and Pfalms with a Doxology, (for in them I find a Doxo- logy about forty eight times,) fo in the 'New Tefta- ment, feeing it hath pleafed Qod to reveal himfelf more fully than he was pleafed to do in the Old Teftament to. the Jews, and make the Do&rine of the Trinity the Badge of Chriftian Baptifm, and that Do6trine be- ing fo much opoofed and blafphemed by Jews, lurks and Hereticks, itiall it not then be lawful and expedi- ent for the Chriftian, now the only Church of God, to clofe their Pfalms with fuch a Doxology, as may not only be a Confeffion of their Faith in that great Fundamental of the Trinity, and Foundation of Chri- ftianity, but alfo to difcern the true Chriftian Church from the Jews Synagogue, who are now Lo-ammi and Lo-ruhamah, Hof. 1.6,9. and fo diftinguifh them from all other Meetings who pretend to worfhip the true God, and are but Antichriftian Synagogues of Satan, and Blafphemers of the glorious Trinity >
The laft Reafon may be thus grounded, Amongft she ten feveral Names whereby God (in the Old Tefta- ment) hath been pleafed to defign himfelf, Jehqvah Elohim are the two chief: Firft, Jehovah is God's moft proper Name, moft often ufed in the Old Teftament 5 it comes from an Hebrew Word that fignifies To be, and fo Jehovah fignifies God's Effence and Being of himfelf, and the giving of Being to all his Creatures j therefore, Exod. 6. 3. the Lord prefers his Name Je- hovah to his other Name God Almighty, for this Name implies God's Almighty Power^ to wit> Elfiaddai,
but
K 63 ;
but Jehovah importeth God's infinite Perfections f therefore, PfaL 83. IS. God alone, hisNameisJt/x*- vah, and Ija. 42. S. I am Jehovah, that is my Name, and Exod. 15. 3. Jehovah is his Name ; therefore, Numb. 6. 24, 25, 26. when God endites the Words of the Bleffing to Mofes, how the Prieft fhould pray over his People, it is all in the Name of Jehovah, ani fo the Lord puts his Name Jehovah upon his People. The lecond Name of God moil freauent in the Old Teftament, is Eiohim -, it is the Plural Number, and is fometimes indeed uled in the Old Teftament in the Singular Number, but not fo often by far as 'tis 11a the Plural Number : It is a Difpute among Divines, what can be the Reafons why the Lord ihould take to himfelf fo often a Name fignifying moe, to wit, a Plurality, and to join that to another of his Names, to wit, Jehovah, which is of the Singular Number, for albeit often in the Old Teftament God defigns himfelf by other more Names, as God Almighty, Lord of Hojls, God of IJrael, &c. yet moll often he defigns himfelf Jehovah Eiohim, which is ordinarily rendered in theBible> Lord God? For Anfwer to theQueftion proponed, generally it is this, That albeit from thefe. two Words there cannot be demonftrate the Unity of the Godhead, and Trinity of the Perfons, by a con- vincing Argument againft obftinate Jews and Ainitri- nitarian Heteticks, yet from it may be brought a pro- bable Argument to moderate and fober fpirited Chri- ftians, to prove that Mofes, and other Pen-men of the Old Teftament, who themielves undoubtedly did know the Myftery of the Trinity, as Mvjes, David, Ifaiab% &c. and therefore when tney did fo often write thefe two Names of God together, Jehovah ElolAm, the firft being the Singular Number, the fecond the Plural, did thereby intimate the Unity of the Eflence in the Godhead with the Trinity of Perfons -, therefore Pa- rausonGevefts, Pag. 23. naving difputed theQueftion, at length concludes, No Godly tylan will deny the Pro- bability of this Reajon drawn frem Eiohim, joined with mtotker Word of the Singular Numfor: as it is here with
Jehovah;
( J4 )
Jehovah ; aftd fo think the Wejlminfler Synod Notev, on the firft two Words of Genefis, Elobhn Bara, the irft Elohim being in the Plural Number joined with Bara in the Singular Number, He did create , and that Mofes, and the reft of the Pen-men of the Holy-Scrip- tures in the Old Teftament did ktiow this Myftery, is out of Queilion to thcDoitors, bodi of the Reform- ed and Roman Church, all which, with the Fathers and Councils, bring many fhofig and clear Arguments from the Old Teftament to prove the Myftery of the Sacred Trinity : Therefore Lremelltus, a Jen fortf, in his Notes npon Gen. 1. 26. Let us make Man aftefi our own Image, faith God , Note this here, God, Fa- ther, Son, and Holy Ghoft, one God in three diftinft Perfonsfo appoint , Let us, here, &\i\iTreineilius, is a Teftimony or the facred Trinity, and that not an ob- fcure one : And therefore the Wejlminfler Notes prove . from the Scriptures, that Mofes was not ignorant of the Do&rine of the Trinity , and it is obfervable, that in the firft three Chapters of Genefis, Mofes nineteen Times calls God Jehovah Elohim, and who will deny that Abraham fawChrift's Day, John S. $<5. and did not David call him Lord, when in the Spirit of Pro- phecy he fpake of him, Mttth. 22. 44. and Ifaiah faw his Glory, John 12. 41. and I Cor. 10. V.4. The jews believed in Chrijl ; and Verfe 5. The wicked Jews then tempted Chrifl. And if fome objeft, If there be fo many clear Teftimonies in the Old Teftament of the Do&rine of the Trinity, how came it to pafs that now the Jew's who have and read the Old Teftament, deny the Sacred Trinity ? The Scriptures will anfwer you, Our Saviour in the Gofpel pronounces them blind, Matth. 15.14. The Blind lead the Blind, and often elfe- where , and fo the Apoftle calls them, Rom. 11. 7. Were they not broken off for their Unbelief? Rom. It. 20. till the Fulnefs of the Gentiles come in ? And fince their Reje&ion and Breaking off, the Vail is on their Eyes until this Day, while they read the Old Teftament, 2 Cor. J. 13. yet it will not follow, but that the Myft^y of the Trinity was known to the
Saints*
( 6s )
Saints, and Saved in the Old Teftament, who be- lieved the Covenant of Grace made with Adrnn \x\ Paradife, The Seed of the Woman jhall tread down the Head of the Serpent, which our Melted Saviour was to the Saints in the Old Teftament, as well as to us the Way, the Truth, and the Life, John 14. 6. And, the. fame to Day, Yejlerday, and for ever, Heb. 1 3. 8. So that as the believing Jews and Church of God in the Old Teftament, did believe the Doctrine of the Tri- nity (albeit we grant that the Myftery of the Trinity was not fo- clearly revealed to thefe Saints in the Ola Teftament, as it is to us Chriftians under the New Teftament) afferted to them in many Teftimonies of Scripture s fo they, reading and hearing the Hebrew Text, which was their Mother Language, and there- in two Names of God fo often joined together, Jeho- vah Elohim, the one in the^Singular, the other in the Plural Number, the Holy Ghoft and his Pen-mert did thereby infinuate to them the Dodtrine of the Sa- cred Trinity 5 and according to this, in many of the ' Hebrew Pfalms, and fome Spiritual Songs, there is 4 Doxology to Jehovah Elohim, clofing the Pfalm, to wit, thefe Pfalms following, 76, So, S4, 90, 92, ^g3 I44, 146. and 1 Cbron. 16. 36. and Cbsp. 2,9. K20. and Pjal. 70, iS, 19. If then the Jew doled many- Pialms with the Doxology to the blefled Trinity* (hall not the Cliriftian, to whom the Myftery is more clearly revealed, and in which he is baptized, and without which he cannot be faved ? (for no Salvation without Chriit, Acls 4. iz.J and he who denieth the Son hath not the Father, ljchn z. 23, and as the Holy Ghoft proceeds from the Father and the Son> John is. z6r i'o he who hath not the Spirit of the Father and the Son dwelling in him is noneofChrift's, Rot/i. tf. 9. therefore the Jew, lurk, and Antitrinita- riao Hereticks, who are alhamed or the Name of I 11? this Life, Chrift will be afiamed of them when he comes in his Glorv with his holy A» hlark 3. 38. But for us Chriftians, letfus notoe aiham* cd to believe and CQnfefs to our Salvation, and
I Story
A 66 )
Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, and with that 'Doxology to clofe the Pfalms with it all our Life, yea, alio clofe our Days with it on Death-bed, following the Example of that fweet Singer of Ifrael> Pfal. 71. wkich he fang at the Clofe of his Days, a. Prayer for his Son Solomon, a Prayer full of Comfort and Faith in the Son of God ; this Pfalm he clofes with a Doxology to Jehovah Elohim, Verfe 18. Blef- fed be Jehovah hlohim, the God of Ifrael, and blefjed he his go nous Name for ever and eve):, and let the whole Earth \?e filled with his Glory, Amen, and Amen. So as the Jews had their Doxology, Glory to Jehovah Eicbim for ever, and we have Elohim more clearly manifefted, Father, Son, .and Holy Ghoft, then fhall it not be lawful for Chriftians to ling Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghofl fir ever ?
For further clearing Jefj^ah Elohim, its intimating the po&rine of the Trinity, as I have obferved in the Hebrew Text of the Old Teftament, that thefe two Names of God, when put together|vdpecially in the Prophets, are mod ordinarily ufe4j (although not al- ways) upon one of thefe two Occasions"; Firjl, When the Lord is to difference and contradiftinguiih himfelf from all falfe and Pagan Gods, and then ordinarily it is render'd in the Englijh Bible, the Lord my God, or thy God, or the Lord our God, or your God. Secondly, It is ufed when the Lord is giving to his Church fome notiblePromife bf a great DelivelSunce, either TBodily, or Spiritual in thz Memah, and fo an Evangelick Pro- mife$ and both theieW 'ays Jehovah Elohim intimates a irinity, for the Pagans all conreiTed a Deity, but ncn - of them Trinity in Lenity. As for affixing Je- Elohhn to Evangelick Promifes in the Old Te- I ight be' the mod proper Name to infi-
• a Trinity, which was to be yet more clearly ffaamftfted in the Gofpel : Were it not that I intend Brevity, I could inftance both th?&, and clear them from many Scriptures ifl the Old Teftament.
C H A P.
CHAP. X.
A Reafon given for finging the Doxology, fatisfaflory jor every jirong Chrifttany and that born in alfo upou the xvcqk Cbrijtian, by Scriptural Rcajon.
ISupponed in the Preface, That the ftrong Chriftian and ^earned was (o clear in their Judgment, of
finging the Doxology., that all the former Arguments I brought, were only for fatisfying of the Wrak ; and all thefe Reafons are well known to the Learned s but b^caufe I know the Learned do not any thing, efpecially in the Matters of God, but that for which their Conference is clear, and the Warrant of their Conference is the holy Word of God -, and therefore the Learned in finging the Doxology, are perfectly af- fured, that the fame is grounded upon the infallible Word of God, or deduced from it by clear and good Confequence, and they know that the Doxology is cf this Nature 3 which Reafon of the Strong is thus fra- med 5 Whatfoever is clearly lawful from the Light of Nature, and the Word of God, that to the- Religious Chriftian is lawful to do ■■> but to fing Glory to God is clear from the Light of Nature, and from the holy Scriptures, therefore it is lawful for the Religious Chri- ftian to do it. Ftrfij It is clear from th ; Light of Nature, becaufc many learned Pagans, who had no more but the Light of Nature, did fing holy Hymns of Praife to their Gods ; this is abundantly clear in Hiftory, and undeniable. Secondly, The Ro- utes are full of it, efpecially the Book of the commanding us to fing Praifes to God ; now this proves infallibly the General, that ir is lawful to fing Glory to God: which Conclufion being proven, I make upafecond Reafon, and takes the proven Con- don for tii ; and I reafon thus, Itisunoue- y lawful to fing Glory to God; I aflumej GcJ
1 i is
lsraincr, oun, aim xxuiy vjiiuu, men u is unqueitlO- nably lawful to fing Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Cboft: And if any think themfelves ftrong, and being under Prejudice, are not fatisfied with this Reafon, I \yould ask them, If their Infant-Baptifm was not an A& of lawful Worlhip, and dene in Faith of theMi- flifter that baptized, and of their Parent that re- quired and received that Sacrament for their Ufe$ in both which I judge the Minifter confecrate and admi- iriftrate the Sacrament lawfully, and their Parents law- fully received them from the Laver of Regeneration j and yet I would gladlf know from thefe that are not content with finging die Doxology, becaufe it is not exprefs in Scripture, that the Chriftian fing Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghojl, why then do they not rejedt their Infant-Baptifm, becaufe it is not exprefs in Scripture, Baptize Infants, but well proven to be lawful by neceflary Confequence from Scripture, which with the univerfal Church we think a fufficient Ground for Infant-Baptifm > And what is the Caufe that An- tipedobaptifts have fallen in that Error, and feparate from the true Church ? Even becaufe they were too «3eep in that Opinion, That neceffary Confequence from Scripture is not fufficient Warrant for an A£t of: Religious Worfliip, or which Error ye would be a- ware, left it draw you into greater Errors than you are aware of.
2 V/hat exprefs Scripture had Rahab to receive the Spies, conceal them, and feqd them away fofely, Jofo* 2.9, &c. Heb. II. 31. Jam. 2. z% ? Ail which that flic did in Faith, is proven clearly from thefe quoted Scriptures \ then her Faith was good, and acceptable to God, albeit only built on good Confequtnces from Scripture.
3. I ask of you, John, who comes to Church, and
communicates^ taking th$ Lord's Supper, whether your
' Worfhip be in Faith, which I in Charity fappone it is ;
hut where feybiir exprefs Warrant in your Bible, You
, (iich a ti/tiin, come and worfhip, arid take the Lord's
r as iht VUdge of your Salvation ? Thefe Words are
not
:
^m
not to be round in tne wnoie scripture, wnv tncn dare ye come to worfhip, and take the holy Sacra- ments ? I think ye will or fhould aniwer, Becaufe in the exprefs Word of God, there is a general Invitati- on, Come to me all ye that labour, and m* h:avy la- den, and I will give you Reft, Matth. n. 18. From which gracious general Invitation, Ifuppone yenfiume in fincere and good Confcience, I John am heavy la- den, and labours to be freed of my Burden by all 'the good Means appointed by God preparatory to that holy 5, ment; which if you can truly affirm in the Sight of God, then I dare affure yoiijin the Name of ]eius, that your Worshipping and Communicating is in Faith, al- beit you have not exprefs Warrant in your Bible for you, fuch an one by Name, to communicate.
4. You John believes to be faved, but no exprefs Warrant have you in your Bible, that you John fuch a one (hall be laved, yet I fuppone with you in Chari- ty, your Aft of Faith to be allowed, and accepted of God, and to be comfortable to your Soul, for I fuppone h well grounded on the Word of God, his Promife, and Command, JVhrJbcvcr believes in drift frail be Jkved, John 3. 16. and John 6.4a. But /John fuch a <me, believe in J ejus Chrift, therefore I John Jucb a one, (hall be faved 3 the general Promife is exprefs in the Word, but not your two following Afts of bairh builded thereon, and yet you will afllime they are Acts of true Faith ; and for the firft of the two, its Truth is beft known to your felvcs, who are alone privv to that Heart Secret of yours, 1 Cor. 2. it. For all with- in the vifible Church fay, J believe in CbriJL sceord-l ing to the Apoftles I reived bv the Urrverfal
h, for an Aft of true I and yet a great
Part ipeak not truly ; tl but fure Truth,
but as truly as thou believes in CI vl- it is afluredly as true thou fnalt b. if I grant that your
Aft whereby you b is true Faith,
and rightly beh is nor exprefs in
your Bible, then-why ail Aft of Faith,
wben a Chrifuan belie\ gs it is lawful to frg Glcry to the
FutUr>
waiver) oofjy cmanuiyyjrjujfy «hucil tiicic wuiusuciiuc cxprefs in the Bible altogether* but deduced from the Scripture by infallible Confequsnce. I could proceed farther in this Point, but becaufe the Babes are not able to bear it, and the Learned are fully clear in this Truth, I (hall not infill,, and thefe who will not af- fent to the Truth, the Defect is in themfelves, and not , in the Truth -y for Children, fo long as they are fuch, will think, fpeak and underftand as Children, for which the ftrong Chriftian ihould not defpife the Babes, but confider they were once Babes themfelves j and on the other Hand^ the Children fhould not prefumc, nor overwean themfelves, nor judge uncharitably of the Strong, but that they fing the Doxology in Faith, grounded on a ftrong Scriptural Confequence, as when the weak Chriftian takes his Sacrament, and I requeft the weak Chriftian to think foberly of himfelf : When David, 2, Man according to God's own Heart, faidin Sincerity, Pfil. 1 3 1 . 2. / have quieted my felf as a Child that is weaned from his Mother s and if ye will ask where- in he fo behaved, he tells you himfelf, he did not a- fpire in Things too high for him. If every Chriftian would do fo, there would be more Peace in the Church.
C H A P. XL ,
The Retffbns why the General Affenihly was not in Power tolfty afide the Doxology, proving their great Re- luclcncy to their o.vn Deed, with fever al other Circum- flances alleviating the jame.
IN this Chapter, we are to anfwer the grand Ob- jection, to wit , That the finging of the Doxology in the publick Wprfiip of God, was laid afide by the Ge- neral Affembly of this Church, Anno Dom. 1 649. To this my firft Anfwer is, That Affembly hath Forty two Sdfions mentioned in the Index of the imprinted
Ails
m—
( 7* )
Adls thereof, but the laying afidc of the Doxology f*. ntft mentioned in the printed A&s of that Affembly, nor yet in the Index oi the imprinted Adtss therefore, feeing there is no Mention in the Regifter of the Church, to prove to Pofterity, that the Doxology was laid afide, it may put fome to demure in that Affair, fee- ing there is no legal Proof 6f it extant, idly, I an- fwer, Though the laying afide of the Doxology was res gejta, yet feeing there is not a Word of it in the Regiiter of the Church, the laying of it afide, will come under the Notion of an unwritten Tradition to Poiterity. idly, I anfwer, That it is to be confidered, wftether or not the General Aflefribly was in potejlatc* ^nd had lawful Power to lay afide tne Doxology 3 for in their National Covenant, they grant their Religion as Reformed, at the firft Expelling of Idolatry, and was ratified in Parliament, in Anno Do?n. 1560. and its Confejfmiof faith #to be Chrift's true and perfect Religion, that they (hall adhere to it all their Days ; to which they bind themfelves with folemn and fear- ful Curfes s But fo it is, that at the faid Reformation, in the Liturgy then appointed, and printed at the Be- - ginning of the Pfalm Book, Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghoft, as it xvas in the Be- ginning, is now, and ay fball laft, is extant in Print; yea, in that Pfalm Book of the Church ot Scotland of the old Edition, there is great Variety of the Metre Poefies -, and left any of them having their divers Tune, ftiould want the Doxology fung at the Ode of it, each of thefe divers Poefies have a divers Doxo- logy, one in Subftance with the ordinary Doxology, but differing in fome Words, being framed to be fung according to the particular Mufical Tunes ; all which Doxologies were in Ufe in the Church of Scotland af- ter the Reformation 5 which Bock is yet extant, prin- ted at Aberdeen, cum Privilegio, in Anno Dam. 163S. So that the National Covenant, compared with our firil Reformation, engageth us in all $ cot land, not to quit the Doxology-, under the Pain of Perjury. As for that forcfaid Liturgy of Scctlwd, which w« printed,
( 7* )
and bound in with the Pfa/m Boole, it was drawn up by the General Affembly^ Anno Dom. 1560, and 1565, cyid 1567.
The Fourth Anfwer. The General Affembly 1639, Auguft 30., which Day, that Affembly hath enadted thus, The General Affembly conjidtring, that the intended Reformation being recovered, way be eftablijbed ; Ordains j that no Innovation, which may difiurb the Peace of the Church ', and make Divifion, It fuddenly proponed, oren- afted, but Jo as the Motion be firfi communicate to the JiveraJ Synods, Presbyteries, and Churches, that the Mat- ter may be approven by all at Home, and Commijfioners may come well prepared, unanimoufly to conclude with fettled Deliberation upon thefe Points, in the General Af- fembly : Which Afl; of AHembly, as it was prudently made, fo accordingly pradtifed thereafter -, for in the General Affembly/ Anno Dom. 1642, Augul 6. there are four Overtures printed with the Ads of that Af- fembly, to be ad vifed. by Presbyteries againft the next Affembly : So ch&t this laudable Aft was carefully obeyed in other Things, but not lo in laying afide the Doxology ; for it was done abruptly, without the Knowledge, or Advertifement of particular Chur- ches, Presbyteries or Synods, who mould have been acquainted before, and canvaffed the Matter, before any Thing had been determined in the General Af- fembly anent the. Doxology, and the laying of it.a- fide, which was an Innovation fuddenly proponed, and inftantly paffed, to the difconforming Divifion of themfelves from all Tranfmarine Proteftants, yea, and from the Univerfal Church.
Fifthly, In the Solemn Le/tgtte and Covenant of Scot- Idnd and England, approven by the General Affembly of Scotland. Anno Dom. 1643, Augujl 17. In thefaid League and Covenant, with Hands lifted up tothemeft High God, they fwcar, f ncerely, and constantly, to endeavour the Prefervation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scdtland in Worfhip ( but then the Church of Scotland in their Worfhip did fing the Do- xoiogy) to endeavour the Reformation of Religion
\ 73 )
in England and Ireland in Worfhip, <£><% according t# the Example of the beft Reformed Churches i but then, and to this Day, thj bzit K. formed Churches did ufe, and ftill ufe the Doxology in the Worihip of God, as is to be fecn in the particular Pfalm Books, in Helvetia, Geneva, France and Holland^ 8cc. Here, in the Solemn League and Covenant , are Two Ties on the Covenanters in borh Nations, to ufe the Doxo- Jogy.
Sixthly The fame General Aflembly-) Anno Dom, 1643, afcer r^r Approbation of the League and Co- ve?iant, in their Aniv/er to the Synod of Divines ini England, Augujl :o. write thus, 'lbat yen may be more clojely united to the bejt Reformed Churches in Worfcifi &c. But fo it was, that Scotland, and the beft Refor- med Churches, did then, and to this Day ufe the Do- xology s and in another Letter of the laid Aflembly to the Parliament of England, they write thus, Ibafi tbePurpofe, arid End of the League and Covenant, is9 for fettling, and holding f aft cf Unity and Uniformity be- twixt the Churches of this If] and, and the bejt Refor- med Churches beyond Sea ; hue a!l theft Churches be- yond. Seas, did then, and ftili do to this Day Zing the Doxology , Then furely che Church of Scotland, e- ven after their faking the League and Covenant, as it did tye them to keep the Doxology, to thc\ (mccrefy purpofed to ke.jp it, and their Pra&ice was conforn\ oevettthly, The General Aflembly, /vmoDwk. 1645, Feb. J. poft meridiem, Self. 10. by their Atf., cheyefUr bhfti the putting in Execution the Directory, noLwith- ftandin^, in the Clofe of that Act, they diflcnt tiotfi England exprefly iti two Particulars, aneiu :n-
«er of giving the Lord's Supper. As alio, Se/fl I , of that Aflembly, they freely ardent frem the Weft- wmfter Synod, in other two Particulars ; asilio^th f provide, That this jbail be no Prejudice to the Order and rraclice of this Church, in fucb Particul rs as are ap- pointed by the Books of Difip/Jne, and Aas of General AffemklieS; and are not otberwije ordered and appointed m the Directory ; Araj this Aft IS cot only to be found K, prin-
( 74 )
printed in the General Affembly, Anno 1645, but al- io the faid Directory was printed at Edinburgh, in the faid Year, by Order both of Church and State, and the forefaid Aft of the General Affembly of Scotland printed, and prefixed to it.
Now among thefe Particulars, in which the Church of Scotland preferveth her Right, and protefls time- oufly, notwithftanding the Directory, and wherein the Directory hath not appointed otherwife, the Singing ot the Doxology, and rhe ordinary Manner of Bleiling the Lord's People, at the Clofe of the Publick Wor- (hip, are Two ', for neither of which are particularly ordered in the Directory -, contrarily, as for the Doxo- logy, no Mention to ling it, or not to fing it. idly, For theBlefling of the Congregation, thefe are their Words, Let the Minifler difmifs the Congregation with afolemn B/e/Itr/g, but no particular Word of a Dire- &ory, mentioning either the Blefling in the Old Te- 1 ftament, Numb. 6. 24, 25. or in the New Teft amen t, 2 Cor. 13. 14. As they are both mentioned in their exprefs Words, in our Scots Liturgy, at our Refor- mation, Pag. 29. as alfo, the faid Scots Liturgy hath the Doxology printed in the Pfalm Book -, fo that both from the National Covenant, and Solemn League and Covenant, from many A<Ss of General Affcmblies, and Letters of the faid AfTembly, it is without Doubt, and notour,* th&t the Churcn of Scotland, when they laid afide the Doxology, were no ways in Power to do it -, but on the contrary, by both Covenants, and inany other previous Oaths of their own, obliged ftill to retain it, and not by quitting of ic, fo far as to have made a Schifm from the Reformed Churches, with which they had folemnly fworn to keep Union in Worfhipi bui befide all thefe Ties of their own Vows and Promifes, willingly tak^n by themfelves, which does denude them of all Liberty and Power to lay afide the Doxology,
I bring this Reafon, to wit, As the General AfleiUf bly of this Church did bind up their own Hands froru laying afide the Doxology, by both Covenants, and
many
many s\lv> ui vj.-iieim ruiemunes oenae, 10 mere are Reafons brought from the Subftance of their Deed to invalidate the fame; as Firfl, There is a Rule in the Word of God, Whether ye eat, or ye drink, do all to the Glory of God, fhen every Church Ad fliould be done to the Ulory of God, then the Tenor of this
Church Ad mud come to this, For the Glory of Gody e lay afide Singing Glory to God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghojt: This is a hard Saying, and like a Paradox; for, He that ojjereth Praije, glorifietb me, Pfalms
tdly, Confider, thit the Almighty can, and does make Laws to his Creatures, and his Will and infi- nite Goodnefs is a fufficient Reafcn to him; flat pro ratiom voluntas; but Men, both in Church and State, they and their Laws both are fubjed to Cenfure, and Controul of the Supreme Lawgiver 5 and therefore, Mens Laws ordinarily have a rational Narrative on which they are founded ; ibr ail good Laws are foun- ded upon good Reafons, and reafonable Men mould be led by reafonable Laws, efpecially when they are invalidating one former Law or Decree, not out of Ufe, or forgotten $ butufed for many Years with Ap- probation, yea, even to that very Hour : Then this Law required a very grave and weighty Narrative, but the Ad for laying ande the Doxology, had no fuch rational Narrative, and in fo far, it is invalidate from having the EfTenrial of an Ad ; for it is like, they could not have a rational* Narrative for it, therefore it was the Prudence of the General Affembly, to bury in Silence both the Ad, and its Narrative. This (hews their Unwillingnefs to the Thing, and therefore I hope there may the rather an Ad of Oblivion, or Refciflory, pais upon their unprintedAd.
idly, We challenge the Reman Church, chat they 'ran too much to unwritten Traditions, but I fear chey' may retort the Argument upen us, That fome of the Reformed Church adhere too much to unwritten Tra- dition -, for the laying afide of the Singing of the Doxo- logy, is not in the Word of God, nor 'in anv Ad of K z ' th;
( 7* )
fhe Church s and therefore, if there be any unwritteh Tradition, owned by the Reformed Church, this muft be its for why, fome People make as much Din, and Reludtancy, to fing the Doxoiogy, as fome of the Ro- man Church does, for keeping their unwritten Tradi- tions.
4^6/y, No particular Church, in this or that King- dom, hath Power to change any Thing in thePublick Worfhip of God, without the Confent of the Supreme Civil Magiftrate : Stumble not at this, for it is the Doctrine of the Church oi Geneva, who alfo require the Confent of. the Flock., as needful, which was gran- ted by the General Affembly oiScotlamu 1639; and yet in laying afide the Doxoiogy, without the Fore- knowledge or Confent of t heir blocks, they went con- trary to their own Aft and alfo contrary to the Cancn of the Church of Geneva, for the Church of Geneva ve- ry orderly requires the Qonlent of the Magifirap, and his Authority to any fuch Innovation s but fo it was, that the Confent of the Magiftrate9 fo far as we can learn, was not at all required to the laying afide of the Doxoiogy , and far lefs \^as it obtained. And if that Ail of the General AiTembly, 1639, Augujt 30. had • been obeyed, to wit, That the laying afide xhzDuxo- . fogy* had firft been debated in Synods and Presbyte- ries, before it had been prefcnted to the General Af- fembly i<549j (coniidei .incite m^nj Reafons which I have brought, which judicious Presbyters would havs made Ufe of } it is very probable to me, that the General Affembly forefaid, had retained the Doxoto- gy, notwithstanding of fome in England who defired to lay it afide, and fo thev had dilfented in the Mat- ter of the Doxoiogy, from thofe in Engi&id, as well as they di [fenced from them in other Particulars of far lets Moment, nocwithftanding they fo much wiih- ed Union.
Stfrfyit Having proved by many Reafons the ISvar lidity of laying afide the Doxoiogy, yet becauie fome weak Chriftians have be?n ready to think, that the General Affenply in tbs ¥c£ tfgpj did* lay afide
the
( 77 )
the Dixology in the publick Worftiip of God, ber^ife they thought it unlawful to ufe it : For Anfw r, k
very uncharitable Thought, to judge or' any Mi- nister of the Gofpel, and fuch as were Members of the General Afietnbly,vor thefe Divines in tug/and, that they were fo grotty ignorant, as to think the finging of the Doxohgy unlawful. 2. That the Ge- neral AflemWynot only thought it nor unlawful, (for then they would have laid it afide willingly, and regi- ftrate their Deed in the Book of rh-vir General Aflcm- blies, to deter all others from finging the Doxokgy ) but feeing they left rib Wo ii of it in their Regifter." it was, becaufe, in their Prudence, they would not black Paper with it, far lefs print it to be read byPciieri- tv, bein<? a Deed in wlddi they did not glory ; biit BO the which, if I may &v% they wtre compelled, .:$ St. Paul fpeaks or himfelf in another Cafe, % Ccr. 12, ii. by the Importunity /ofthd'e in England, and tint they might, upon Aft^r-confidemticms, re-aflumc ih.<: Doxo'cgy the more eafily, that there was nothing in the Regifter againft ir.
6tbly, That the General Aflembly, Anno Dan. 1640, did notrejedl the Doxo/cgy, as unlawful, is thus pro- ven. Some leading Minifterswho were upon the Se- crets of that AfTemblv, did thereafter, without Scruple, f»ng tbcDoxofogy in Family Worftiip, acknowledging that the AfTembly did onlv lay it afide in publick Worftiip, topleafefome Brethreps Defire in England
: lie laying of it afide in Families, wa^ not intended ; le Synod.
ftbly, When the King's Ma .1 Home,
Church Affairs \ :j fettled, and tl : Doxol his Majefty's cxprefs CbtSent, re-; r^nd
. Pra&ice agein"; then thefe Mini! owvn
;■ rcfent iii that AflembJy 1640, and the refl ol the
iflers \nScotltm<?* who had all fubmhted forkty-
it afide for q Time, kft they (hotrid feerii 1 I I *&, djd more vil c/ ; re afltttop*^ than they kid it afide.
( 7* )
tthly, Thefe aged Minifters who are yet alive, ( for it is now J j Years paft) cantcftify, that that General Aflembly, 1649, were far from any Scruple, or Thoughts of judging that the Doxology was unlawful.
gthly, In the General AflemWy 164s- &£ i<)- they ena<5l, That the Minifters bov/ing in the Pulpit, (although a lawful Cuftom in this C hutch) b: here- after laid afide, for Satisfaction of the Defires of the Reverend Divines of the Synod of England, and for Uniformity with that Church, fo much endeared to us. That then the General Aftembly declare their bowing in the Pulpit a lawful Cuftom, then much more did they think fo of the Doxology, for the Zing- ing of the Doxology is of much Moment, it being oc- casioned upon a moil weighty Confederation, to wit, the ftrengthening of Chriftians againft the damnable. Herefy of the Avian ; which Hterefy was not only damning, but alfo thefe Hereticks Activity, and bloo- dy Cruelty ( when they got Power in tneir Hands ) did threaten the utter Subversion of the true Faith of the Church of Chrift -, therefore, 'the uniyerfal Church, fpread to the Ends of the Earth, have ever fince una- nimoiifly kept the Pra&ice of the Doxo/ogy.
lothly, Their" laying, afide of the Doxo/ogy would appear not to have been done cordially, but becaufe Or the Importunity of thefe in England-, for, albtit they had received the Directory, Anno 1645, at which Time thefe in England left the Doxology, who had embraced the Directory ', yet, for all that Importuni- ty from Englan/t, the General, AfTembly of Scotland did not lay afide the Doxology until Auguft 1649 5 and wh.n it was mentioned by the Moderator of tne Gene- ral ArVerribly, to be laid afide, Mr, David Ca/derwood, an ag>d -Man, a Minifter of great Experience, and of
iunqueftionable Integrity, as to thefe Times, fpoke to the hearing of the whole Synod, Moderator, I intreat that the Doxology he not laid a fide j for J hope to fin g it I in Heaven -, To which Speech he received no fatisfadto- f ry Anfwrr : And I doubt not, but many in that Sy- nod, by their Silence, did approve his Saying, as a
found
C 19 )
found and feafonable Teftimony in Favours of the Doxolcgy i and I do not remeniDer that the Doxology was laid afide by a formal Suffrage, of the whoL by- nod, by calling of the Roll, only feme next the Mo- ri :rator gave their Content i and howfoever, the not regiftrating of this Deed cannot be imputed to the Sioth of their Clerk ; for thefe who were acquaint with thefe Times, know well, that they were not flo:hful in Bufinefs, but fervent in Spirit ; But it iecins ftrange to me, that fome in the General Afiemblyof Scot/ant, in that \ear 1649, could have fo (hong Hopes of a comfortable Union with England, in Mat- ters* of Religion, and upon that Account, to lay afide the Doxology, to pleafe them, when the General Af- tembly, Amw 1643. Seff. 21. complains at Length, of the Perfidy of many Sectaries in England, v/ho had once, with Scotland, taken the League and Covenant, and now had broken it in all its fix Articles, and were Hinderers of the Work of Reformation in England', and the General AflTembly, Anno 1649. Self. zf. write. That now the Se&aries in England were the prevailing Par- ty, who had fubverted the Government, and appoin- ted a vaft Toleration in England.
As for thefe Brethren in England, who requefted the General Aflcmbly in Scotland, to lay afide the \finging of the Doxology, no Doubt they hacj ta- ken the League and Covenant, and en this Account they are called Brethren : But in that Covenant, they did folannly vow andfwear to Almighty God, tore- form Religion according to the beft reformed Chin- ches; but all the reformed Churches have itill retain- ed the Doxology, why then did not thefe Brethren in England fear that Oath, the Mark of 'the truly Godly t EccL 9. 2. And if any would thus excuie tiicm, That they were perl waded by fuch ftrong Reafons as they thought liberate them from their Oath, in regard of finging the Doxology, I anfwer, Granting that it is poflible they had fuch Thoughts, as mav be in Cha- rity fupponed ; To which I reply, If they, had, as they thougUr, fuch ftrong Reafons convincing thcmic!vest
( Ho )
then they were bound to impart that new arid fare? Light, rmknown to the univcrfal Church, for more -than 13 0 Years. .They lhouid have imparted that Spiritual Gift^ and not hid that Talent of Knowledge in their Napkin, nor fet their Candle under a Bu- fhel, but on a Candleftick, to give Light to all the Houfe, net only of the reformed, but even of the u- nivenai Church.
2. It may be thought, Thaj they were obliged to clear themfelves of giving Offence, mfeparatingfrom the reformed Churches, contrary to their Covenant., and quitting the Doxohgyy without fo much as ren- dering one Keafon, for their making a Breach from the reformed Churches, in their Uniformity in Wor- ship, which they -did fwear in their Covenant.
I am alfo forry, that with their quitting of the Doxology, thefe in England did alfo quit both the fo- lemnBleffingsinthe Old and New Tettameftt, which the reformed Church ufeth in the cloiing of the publick Worihip: That they would neither give God his Due, nor hi* People * not him his fokmn Glory, northern their folemn Eleding j and fo they have not left a Blef- ling behind them, and it is like their Way hath not been the more bleiTed in their Deed; for, as their lay- ing afide of the Apofcoiick Bleffing, 2 Cor. 13. I4« ( which Text the imiverfal Church taketh for one 01 the chiefTextsinthe Word of God, for proving the great fundamental Point of Faith of the Sacred Tri- nity ) So the univerfal Church had made Ufc of the Doxology thefe many hundred Years bygone, as a ftrong Prefervative againit fedacing of People to Error, anent the Trinity. : 4
As for the General Aflembly of Scotland, as they pioufly and prudently, in thefe unfettled and reeling Timfes, retained both the Bleffings of the Old and New Teftament, in their publick Worihip, with the reft of the reformed Churches : So it was a good Pre- lage, that in che Lord's good Time, they would re- tfflTume, aru^foig Glory to the blefled Trinity, wittr The re£ of the rkfermed aad univerfal Churchy as now
they
they do at this Day, for which we give Glory to the bldfcd Trinity.
chap: xii.
That invalid Scruple anfvoered, becaufe the Doxblcgy it not to be found all together in one Place of Scripture* and the Convenience of finging it proven.
THE Apoftle St. Paul, as a good Paftor, profef- feth he became all Things to all Men , that by all Means he might favc fome> lCor. p. 22. 6b I am in- formed, that fome Chriftians weak in Knowledge, be- caufe the General Affembly, for a Time, did lay a- fide the Doxology, therefore they, in ail ignorant Mi- flake, thought it unlawful to be fung -, and they are promoved in that Error, upon this weak Rea ion, Be- caufe the Doxology is not exprefs in continued Scrip- tures, as the Pfalms of David are. I anfwer, Firfl^ If a Preacher whom they like well, preach or pray, or praife God in Profe, or without a Song, altho* neither of thefe three, their Sermon, Prayer or Ptaife, be exprefs Scripture, but only according to Scripture, ( and I heartily wifh it be always fo ) then without all Scruple, they joyn in thefe as Parts of God's Wor- ship, when neither that Sermon, Prayer or Praife, is the exprefs Word of God > but if We praife God with a Tone or Song, it muft either be in the Pfalms qf David, or elfe it is an Abomination to them ; But, d©th not the Apoftle command to praife God in Pfalms, Hymns snd fpiritual Songs} Eph. 5. 19. iri which Place the Learned dare not exclude any Hymn or fpiritual Song in Scripture ; and we have proven already, the Doxology tobe of this Nature.
2. I anfwer, whereas they fay nothing fliould be fung in publick Worftiip, but exprefs Scripture, then let them be«pleafed to learn this Trurh, That ths Pfalms which they fag in Metre Or Verfe, arc but
< 82 )
a Paraphrafe, or fhort Commentary upon the Scrip- ture s for no Church nor Divine rejedts the expAfs \V ord of God 5 but for Paraphrafe, it is ordinary to rejedt one, and authorize another, as the Church rinds exp'dijnt i and thus the General Affcmbly of Scot- iand rejeited the old Paraphrafe of the Pfalms, as not fo fit as Need were, in fome Things, and cauied make a aew Paraphrafe in Metre, and authorized it to be ufed in Churches 5 therefore no Paraphrafe is the exprefs and pure Word of God , fo they are in a Mi- ftake, finging an imperteft Commentary oi Man's making, when they think they are finging the pure Word of God, ana yet you fing it without Scruple of < onfeience : Then I reafon, That any judicious Chri- ftian, unierftanding that all the Parts of the Doxolo- gy are either expreft Scripture, or fo infallible, divine, fundamental and faving Truth, that they have been received without Scruple or Contradiction, thefe 1 300 Years, by the univerfal Church 5 fo that all that Time, not one Chriftian did carp at any one Word of the. Doxoiogy ; but as for the Paraphrafe in Metre, upon the Pfalms, as the old is reje&ed for its Faults, fo fome do object and carp at fome Words and Lines in the Paraphrafe, which ye fing without Scruples fo that by Confe-quence, a learned and judicious Chri- ftian will fing the Doxology with more Clearnefs and Contentment, than fome Lines of thenew Paraphrafe, altho' I think that laft Paraphrafe, any Defect in it, is compatible to the peaceable and moderate Chri- ftian ; for this I write not, that they fhould rejed the late Paraphrafe, but that they who accept of the Pa- raphrafe, do notdefpifeor rejeft the Doxology.
3. I anfwer, In our Pfalm-Books in Scotland, prin- ted fhortly after the Reformation from Popery, we alfo printed with the Pfalms, fottte fpiritual Son^s and Hymns, with Liberty to fing them in the Church j fo the Church of Geneva, reformed Church of France y and the Church oFBefgia, have printed, together with their Pfalms 'of David, many fpiritual Songs, and holy Hymns/ and have authorized tkra to be tag
IP
( 83 )
in the publick Worfhip of God, with the Lord's Pray* er, Ten Commandments, and the Apoftolick Creed, all turned into Metre, and fung in the ChurcU; And dare any itiBritain, whoowntheNameofPr&teftant, condemn this Practice of the reformed Churches be- yond Seas, without the defervrd Reproof of ignorance, Pride and Perverfenefs ? therefore Mr. Vaxter, in his Method of Peace of Cwjlience, Page 41 J. writes thus, If Hymns and Pfalms of Praii'e were n;w invented ( in my weak Judgment ) as fit for the State of the Gofpel Church and worihip, to laud the Redeemed come in theHefti, as cxprefly as the Work of Grace is now exprefs 5 As Davids Plalms were fitted to the former State and infancy of the Church, and more obfeure Revelations of the Mediator, and his Grace, it would be no finful human Invention or Audition, nor any more want Warrant, than our inventing the Form and Words of every Sermon we preach, or e- very Prayer that we make, or anv Catechifm or Con- feifion of Faith 5 nay, it feems of fo great Ufefulnefs, as is next, to a Ncceffity s and if there be any conve- nient Parcels of the ancient Church that arc fitted: to this U ie, they fliould defervedly be preferred j for, doubclefs, if God's ufual folemn WTor(hip on the Lord's Day, were fitted and directed to a plcafant delight- ful praifing Way, it would do very much to frame the Spirits of Chriftians to Jovfulnefs Thankfulnefs and Delight in God, than which there is no greater Cure for the doubtful, penfive, and felf-tormenting Frame of fome Chriftians 3 O try this, Chriftians, at the Recjueft of one who is moved by God, to importune you to its Ija* 5$. 14. Thoujhah delight thy Jelf in the Lord* compare this with Zepb. J. 17. 7 he Lord will rejoice over thee with Joy, he will rejl on his Love, he will rejoice over thee with fingii.'g.
It it be obje&ed, That the Doxology is defective, be- caufe it exprefTeth not the Unity of theEflence in the God-head, with the Trinity of the Perfons, to wit> that we do not exprefs Glory to God, Father, Son and Holy Ghoil. To which I anfwer, F irft> That it is be- L 2 yond
yond all Queftion, that thefe three Perfons, Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, are one glorious God, and fo all true Chriitians, from the riling of the Sun, to its going down, do firmly believe, and unanimoufly pro- lefss therefore, to fing it after that Manner, no Doubt were Orthodox. Then ye will urge, why was it not fo appointed at firft, to be fung in Churches? For Aniwer to which Queftion, I perceive, That the IVeJlmmjter Synod, in their Directory, Anno Dom. 164s . for Baptifm, have appointed the Sacrament of Bap- tifm to be adminiftrate in the Name of the Father, ^nd of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, without ad- ding one Word more, albeit they did well know and believe, that thefe Three are one Gods which,no Doubt they had done, following clofe to the Example of that greaj Cloud of Witneffes, to wit, the universal, and particularly the reformed Churches, left otherwise they had prefumed to teach our Saviour, who is the Wifdom of the Father, to fpeak better, and more full Divinity, And this leads us to the chief Anfwer, to wit, Why the Doxology does not cxprefs the Unity of the divine Effencc, with the Trinity of Perfons s even becaufe thefe ancient Doctors of the Church, and \poftolick Men, in their holy and due Reverence given to our Saviour's Words, when he appointed Chriftian Bap- tifm, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and pf the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, fo in the Doxo- logy they would neither add nor alter from that di- vine Pattern : And accordingly Bafil the Great, writes Epift. 78, We muft, as we have received, even fo baptize, and as we baptize, even fo believe, and as we believe, evenfo give Glory. As for the Avian, a- bout the Year of Chrift j6o, in the Cathedral Church of Antioch, the Arims finging the Doxology, were oh- ferved to change the Words appointed by our Savi- our in Chriftian Baptifm -, and inftead of finging Glo- ry to the father- and the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, did fing, Glory to the Father, by the Son, in the Ho- JyGhoit a wlrick prefumpruous Change, the Orthodox Churcji did condemn, as flowing from in Antichrifti-
( s5 )
an Heart, infpired from Hell, yet pretending fomc- what of an Angel of Light, for their heretical Spirit was feen through their Mask, in that they did not keep fafl the Form of found Words, llim. i. 13.
Others object, To oblige Chriftians to fing the Doxo- logy, is to take away their Chriftian Liberty, who fhouldhave it ftill in their Option, to fing it or not fing it, wThen they pkale. I anfwer, God never ap-
{>ointed Chriftian Liberty to warrant diforderly Con- ufion, which God difowrneth -, for, according to this Objection, in a Church Meeting, there is one Half at fuch a Dit, that will not fing the Doxo/ogy, becaufe of their Chriftian Liberty s and the other Half will fing it at that fame Time, becaufe of Chriftian Li- berty, and then, wTho will deny this to be horrid and fcandalous Confufion, very dishonourable to the God of all Glory, who is not the Author of Confufion, 1 Cor.
4. 33. ana 'hath commanded all Things to be done de- cently and in Order , and therefore, hath given Power to his Churehj to appoint fuch and fuch Things to be done
*nny, and in Order, as is clear in Calvin's Words. If it be objedted to the Chriftians, To fing the Do- xology fo often, to wit, once at leaft ea^ Diet of "pu- blick Worftiip, is to make an Idol of it. I anfwer, They who lay any Weight on this Obje&ion, it is from DefecT: of Knowledge, to wit, that the frequent praclifing of any lawful Duty, in Obedience to law- ful Authority, is tomakeanidol of its Dcut. 6. 7, $, 9. the Lord commands Parents to tench his Word diligently to the Children, when thou fttteft in thine Houfe, and when thou walkcji by the Way, when thou lye (I down, and when thou rifejl up , &c. and inculcates, beut. 11. 1 S, 19, 20. Does here the Lord command to make an Idol of the Word ? Pfal. 1. 12. BitfYedts the Man that meditates in the Law of the Lord D: . I Night. Is that to make an Idoi of God's Law ? I Ibtfl
5. 17. Pray without ceafing -, Is that to make an Idol of Prayer? Then, to fing the Doxofogyraz the Clofe ©f the Pfalm, doe< not make an Idol of it, it being 4one to the Glory of God, and in Obedience to lawful
Autho-
( 85 )
Authority, and fofor Confcience Sake. z. Anfwer. It is not the Frequence of the Action, that makes it idolatrous, but trailing in the Adion, altho' never fo lawful, and albeit bur once done. If a covetous World- ling End a rich Trekiure, he makes it his Idol the firft Moments ib he that would give the half of his Goods to the Poor, at one Alms, and truft in it, as a diffid- ent Price to buy therewith the Glory of Heaven, hath, in fo doing, committed Idolatry. 3. Anfwer. A Chriftian may abufe any lawful Duty, by trufting in it, and fo idolize it 5 but it will not follow, that therefore fuch a Duty is unlawful in itfelf, as to give Alms to the Poor, &c. and therefore fliould not be commanded, becaule it may be abuf.d. 4. Anfwer. Trufting in any Duty is a Sin of the Heart, which Man cannot lee in his. Neighbour, and fo hath nei- ther Ability to judge, nor yet Authority. 5. Anfwer. Beware thai thou who pretends Chrjjliaa Liberty, and therefore refuf:s to fi ng the Doxology, or elle under Pretence of Fear to idolize it, fee thou make not an Idol of thy Chriftian Liberty, or of thy pannick Fear of idolizing thy Duty j for, in this Condition, the P rovei b is made true, [he I ear of Man caufeth a Snare, Prov. 29. 25. And that thou makes an Idol of thy pretended Liberty of Confcience, or pretended Fears of idolizing the commanded Duty, is thus proven, That whatfoever a Man prefers to his Obedience to God, that he idolizeth ; but the diforderly Chriftian, pufers the maintaining of his Chriftian Liberty, or p* Jtended Fear of idolizing, to the Duty of his Obe- dience to God s therefore he idolizeth his Chriftian Li- berty, and pretended Fear of idolizing s for God com- mands him to obey fuperior Powers in Things law- ful, and therefore in particular to fing the Doxology ; and all his Anfwer is, his Chriftian Liberty, or Fear of idolizing, forbid him to fing it, and lo he may ftiake off* all Obedience to God and Man, under Pre- tence of idolizing the Duty.
Som^ fay, Thty will not fing the Doxology > be- caufe the Biftiops brought it in. tir(i Avjwcr, This
Kea-
( *7 ;
Re%fon is invalid s for the finging of the Doxology be- ing proven to be a good ana lawful Deed, wni yc abitain from a good Duty, becaufe he whom j ou iup- poie to be your Enemy, adviirs you to uo it ? ihis Conceit involves you in a Snare of your own making: If your Enemy, to eninare you, bid you tear ood, will you no-: do it ? I hope you will fay you will ao it s notwiihuanding then, abitain not horn a gooa Du- t;, in Contempt or any Man.
zdfyi Do the lawfrui Duty, left your Schifm and re- futing give Qtfaices 1 will ask you, Are you leiso- bliged to iing the Doxology, than our Saviour was o- bliged to pay Tribute ? but he paid Tribute, kil he fhould oh nd, Mattb. 17. Ver. laft.
idly, rhe Word of God commands, If thy Enemy bmtger, give him Meat; and "does not the fame Lord, by infallible Conference, command tfiee to take his Meat, where ha offers it, thou itanding in great Need of it: Then, let it be fupponed, That Providence put you in fiich Extremity, that you are at the Point of Death for riunger, and the Biftiop, in Charity, at the Lord's Command, offers you Meat s altho' you ac- count him your Enemy, you are bound in Confidence, before God, to take his Advice, and Meat both ; be- ware to fay you would refufe it 5 for that would not help, but weaken your Caufe 5 for, if you in Pride refufe his Meat offered, ye are your own Murderer, and being a Self-murderer, you kill both your Soul and your Bodv, therefore I hope having pondered your twofold Danger of Soul and Body, you will grant to take the Bifhop's Meat, for your own Good, and look on Him as one fentof God, for your Good in that Strait, then ye will grant 'tis lawful for you to o- bey the Bifhop's Advice.
4th/y. If the Bifhop fhall recommend it to your Pa- rilh Paftor, who hath the Charge of your Soul', tot recommend it to each Family, to have Family \Vorfhip, would you ceafe from the Da:y, becaufe it cam* of the Biihop > 1 think you would not ; an J (hat Ucaufe you had a higher Wairant shan the fci-
(hop,,
( 88 )
fliop, that made you to obey, even the God of Hea* ven : Then although ye look not to the Bifhop's de- fire, to fing the Doxology, obey the Command of God, to glorifie him with all the Powers of the Soul, and Members of the Body, which he gave you to glorifie him with them 5 and if the Bifhop exhort you to walk in the Way to Heaven, will you refiife to doit? and I will allure you, in the Name of Jefus Chrift the great Bifliop of our Souls, before whofe Judgment Seat we muft all appear, that notwithftand- lng your finful Contempt of Bifhops, in that Day you (hall fee many Bifhops who had been Martyrs, ConfeiTors, burning and Ihining Lights, Sons of Thun- der, and Confolation, Handing in that Day on the right Hand of Jefus Chrift, with their flocks, their Crown and Joy , will you ref ufe to ftand on Chrifts right Hand, becaufe many Bifliops will be there ? or racher, will ye not be glad to back the Bifliop in his Way to Glory ? Ah i then your old new Light will be buried in Eternal Oblivion, and the Father, of Lights will give you a new and Eternal Light, to wit, that Biflbop's, which in your Error you misjudg- ed, as going to Hell, then ye will know afluredly they were going to Heaven on better grounded Faith than you y your Scruples with which you troubled your felves, and the Place in the World wherein you lived, will be all cleared, then your ha^d Thoughts that you entertained of Bifhops, and many other Chriftians better than your felves, will be blotted out ot your Judgment, to all Eternity, and if Mr. CaUerwoods Hopes do not fail him, you will fing the Doxology in Heaven, with the Bifliops : But I charge you, who are not the Lambs of Chrift, and truly regene- rate, that ye prefume not to claim to this Word, for it is none of yours, but the Childrens Bread.
%thly. Why do ye pretend your Difguft of the Biihops, to be the Caufe of your refilling to fing the Doxology, did you not refiife to fing it before they were Re-eftabL'iried, and that becaufe the General Afleinbly laid it afide, whom ye obeyed* then ye re- futed
( 8* )
fufed to fing it before they returned, and if they had not returned, would you have rcaffumed it ? I think you will not fay'it: Then if the Bifhops had not re- turned ftill to this Day, you would have refufed to ling it.
6tbfy. I will give you better Information ; Ye with the rdr. of all this Kirk, are defired to reafTume the Doxology, by Authority of the King's Majefty, for now it is the Will of God in his Word, to invert the King with a Power to reftorc the Decays of Re- ligion, when they happen, and fo aid the good Kings or Judahy AJab, Jehofaphat, Mdjofiab', and accor- dingly our King's Majefty, beim*, by the King of Kings wonderfully and mercifully reflored to his Crowns and Sceptres, according to n,is Duty of Thank- fulnefs, and Authority from, the Lord given to him, He perceiving that the Doxology was laid afide, in a Time of Confufion, when there was bo King in Ifrael, even that part or the Kirk's publkk Worihip, wherein we not only agree with the univerfal, buc more efpecially, with the reformed Kirks , There- fore feeing all the reformed Churches with the univer- fal, retained the Doxology, and the General Aflembly of Scotland laid itafide, when they were not in Power to do it, therefore the King's Majefty, by his Autho- rity, wifely and pioufly recommended the reafium- ing of the Doxology j therefore in refuting to fing the Doxology, ye difobey the King in that which is law- ful and right : Therefore my Requeft is to you to fear God and honour the King, by finging the Doxology, and thereby you (hall firft honour God, Father, Son, and Holy Gnoft, and then your King ; for albeit, at the calling off the Yoke of the Popes ufurped Power, fome of the reformed Kirks dia quit the Govern- ment of the Kirk by Epifcopacy, yet none of thefc Kirks did ever affirm, that Monarchy, or Kingly Go- vernment was unlawful, no, nor yet Epifcopacy, for albeit fome of them quit Epifcopal Government, be- caufe they had not Rents to fuftain them, yet they granted uis Government to be lawful. I have more
( 90 )
to write upon this Pointy but it is not for the Babe$, who have need of Milk and nor of ftrqng Meat.
There remains one Doubt to be aniwered : Becaufe the Apoftb St. Paul, i Cor. 6. 12. hath aDiftindti- OXiy All Things are lawful for me, but all Things are not Expedient ? therefore fome rpay fay, according to this DiitinCiion, albeit the fingingofthe Doxoiogy b^ lawRil for a Chriilian, yet it will not' follow, that it is expedient to'fingit. jForanfwer, as we have pro- ven by many Arguments the Lawfulnefs to fing it, 10 we lhall clear the Expediency, which can be beft cleared from the Holy Scriptures, therefore, 1 Cor. 10. 2%. The Apoftle fays. All Things are lawful for tney hut all Things edife not. The Greek Word, which is rendered expedient, may be rendered profitable, or conducing, that is, for the Chriftians fpiritual good and edification ; but fo it is, that the finging of the Doxoiogy to the blefied Trinity is moft conducing. Fh'fi, To the Glory of God, zdly. To the Edification of xhe Chiiiuan, in the moft Fundamental point of all Divinity, and this was the true caufe, why the~ univerfal Church hath agreed to unanimouily thefe xnzny hundred Years5 to retain the Doxoiogy in the publick \Vorfhip, and for guarding of the Lords Flock againU A^itrinhai tan blafpheftidfos Hereticks j fo that it cannot bz objected, It might be expedient then, but not now, for to the old Arians are now added Sort- ni/ms, A'lcbsiptiflsy and (hakers, which Errors are come to our Doors, ■:/;>. if any will nten-
s3 10 dmy zh: expesiaicy of it, weanfwer, That the molt competent judge on Earth to prove its Ex- pediency, is not this, or that private. Man, nor yet ! ware Church, but the univerfal Church, :i to this Day retain ir, and ufe it, and there- Pfa&ice they declare to all particular ftians, that they judge it not only lawful, but 'xpedjeht, which is a" facisfaftory anfwer to all rational Chriftians.
I ' \ CHAP..
i ^ ;
CHAP. XIIL
7he many Evils that flow from the refufng to f<7ig the Doxology.
HAving proven the Lawfulness, and Expcdiencvof fingingthj Doxology, and anfweredthe Doubts, and Scruples to the Contrary, we mall haften to a Cloie. Having mentioned the Evils that flow from the rcfufing to ling the Doxology, the ApoftleSt. 1 2 Cor. 11. 20. mentions the Jb.vils that flowed from their. Divifons at the Kirk of Corinth, to wit, Delates, Envxmgs, Wraths , Strifes, Back-bttings, Wbtjperi Swellings, Tumults, and all thefe are the fad Effects of thjir DivifTons, I Cor. 3. 3. That fame Apoflle writing to the Galatians, hath yet fa dder Evils, Gal at. 5. 15. If 'yon bite and devour tine another, take heed that ye be not confumed one of another, which Judgment I pray God in his Mercy to avert from this Land, ^hat bodily Evils of Efood-fhed, fpoiling of C> Defolation of^amilics, many Widows, and Father- lefs Children, rhefe are the fad' and fore Evils, that arc very dull and fenfelefs, who take not this to Heart, but the fpiritual Evils of Sin and Se is far more provoking in the Eyes 'of the Lord, and Firfl, The Sin of Sedition againiu rjie lawful Magi- ftrates, which not only brings down the wrath of God upon a Land, but, if not repented of, cr. Damnation to Soul and Body, as app r. 13.
From the Beginning. Another Evil, the great Scandal given to the grieving of the ftrong and iturnbiir.g or. the weak, when they fee the Commands of ful M igillrate, commanding a thing fo lawful, as to fing the Doxology, yet to b ned and fl
ted. The Apoflle St. Pau/,iti that lame Plac: -Says, Wefhould cb;y the JViagiKrate, not Fear of Goa's Wrath, and the Kagiftrares \\ . - M 2
I 92 ;
alfo/tfr Conference fake. Is it not then ftrange Religion, when the Lord bids obey the Magiftrate in all 'things lawful^ and that for Cofcicrice fake, that in the mean Time, they who call themfelves Chi iftians, and cenfeientious, willanfwer,. For Confcience fak^, We . will fehife to obey the Magiftrate? can it here be fup- poned that their Confcience that will not obey, is a good Confcience, when the Confcience in the Word named, Rom. 13. is certainlyfmeaned £0fl</ Confcience? except ye^will make it fuch Divinity as this s It is good Confcience, fays the Lord in his Word, to obey the Magiftrate in Things lawful, and alfo accord- ing to your Refuial, it is good Confcience to difobey the Magiftrate, therefore be pleafed to confider, that there is a twofold Superitition ; Firft. pofitive, which is moft ordinar, to which the old Pharijies were much addicted -> There is alfo a negative Superftition, of which we have example, Co/of. 2. 19. Touch noty tafie not, handle not \ there is another example of the fame, Rom. 14. 3. Where ye will find a fuperftitious ( eat not ) upon confideration of which two Texts, fee that your refilling to ling the Doxology come not in, in that Category ( fing not ) in which Place yc may find a Controverfy betwixt two forts of Chrifti- ans, thej ftrong in Knowledge, and the weak 5 the ftrong Chriftian believes that nc may eat any Thing, and not ask Queftions, or fcruple for Confcience lake* arid him the Apoftle approveth, and alloweth, for him the Apoftle defends againft the weak Chriftian, in the end of the 3. Verfe, God hath received himy to wit, the ftrong Chriftian > and albeit the weak Chrifti- an, who is ftiff through his Ignorance to (eat not) yet the Apoftle condemns him, becaufe he proudly and ig- norantly thought thefe. Things unclean, whereas the Apoftle fays ,they were not unclean 5 and therefore, the Strong made no Scruple, but ate, and is appro- ven of God. So in the 14th Verfe of this 14th Chap- ter, the Weak thought that unclean, which was not uncle; n, and therefore refufed to eat its then apply this to yo-jr own ConfcienceSj whoiay ( Jingnot)be-
caufe
V 93 J
caufe your Confcience thinks it unlawful to fing, when we have proven already, that it is both lawful and ex- pedients fee then that ye are net as wrong with your (fing not) as thefe weak Chriftian #07;//3w were with their {eat not. ) The ftrong Chriftian thinks it clean to fing, and dutiful, and is appro ven of Gods ye think it unclean, and unlawful, and are not approven of God, becaufe ye obey not the Magiftrate in that which is lawful s and I pray you coniider in the 14th Verfc of rhat Chapter, the Apoftle's vehement and emphatick Exprcffion, / know and am perjwaded by the Lord J e- JuiChrifty that there is nothing unclean of it jc!f: So I know and am perfwaded with the univerfal Church, that the Doxology is not unclean, nor the fihging of it an unclean Adtion 5 and though ye judge him that fingeth,. God hath received him, Rom. 14. 3.
In thefe two Ranks of Christians, ftrong in Know- ledge, and weak, I perceive a Fault in each of them mutually toward the other, Verfe 3. The weak judged or condemned the Strong, for the Greek Word xpivtip fignifies both, as if they had been finning in their eating, and as People that made no Confcience of their Doings ; So, beware it be not your Sin, proudly and ignorantly to condemn them that fing, as it were a £m. There is a Sin alfo on the other Hand, in the Strong that defpifed the Weak, for their refufing to eat, becaufe of their fcrupulous and igno- rant Confcience s therefore it is my humble Requeft to all that fing the Doxology, that none of them de- fpife or fet at nought him that fingeth not, upon mere Ignorance, his Confcience being finccre, for Defpifing is a Sin againft Chriftian Love ; therefore, even thefe who in great Weaknefs fing not, yet beftow Chrifti- an Love on them, and ftiil the more, if ye fee any Sign of Chrift in them, and be willing to inftrudt them in the Spirit of Mceknefs 5 for which Caufe I have written thefe Lines for your Information.
And if any object. That there is fome Diverfity and Difference betwixt particular Churches, whicn violates not Chriftian Union, as, in fome Churches
they
( 94 ) ,
they kneel at receiving the Lord's Supper, in another * Church they fin, in a third they ft^nd j I anfwer. Albeit divers Churches in divers Kingdom^ have di- vers Ways, yet no Church in one and the fame King- dom, allows fuchaJLatitudeasthis, Receive the Com- munion ftanding or not Handing 3s you pleafe, but - every Church have their fettled Way and Uniformi- ty, otherways it >would violate the Apoftle's Rule, Let all Things be done in Order and Decency , 1 Cor. 14. Verfe laft, and make Confufion, of which God is not the Author, as it is Verfe 3$. of that fame Chapter ; •• and accordingly Calvin writes judicioufly, That there cannot be Order and Decency, unlefs there b^ one certain ftated F6rm 5 fo that this Difference in fome v Churches one from another, will not allow in the fame Church, fome to fing theDoxology, fome not: For, as Calvin did fing it to the Day of his Death, fo neither at that Time, nor ever before it, wasthefing- ing of the Doxology called in Queliion. 2. An/wer, Albeit the univerfal Church hath judged fome Things ofjefs Moment, than that the univerfal Church mould be tied to an Uniformity in them, becaufe Church Communion might be kept firm amongft divers Chur- ches, notwithfianding that they differed in fome fmal- ler Particulars ; of which Socrates, in his Church Hi- ftory, Lib. <J. Cap. 21. writes at Length, which the Learned know s yet there are fome Things belonging to the Church, of fo weighty and important Concern- ment, that the univerfal Church judged it noways ex- pedient that particular Churches mould be left to their own Choice, but that the univerfal Church mould agree upon one certain Way, wherein all particular Chur- cnes might keep Uniformity according to the Rule of God's Word, for Order, and Decency, and Peace ; and therefore the Learned know what Contentious fell out in the fecond Century, betwixt the Churches jn the Weft, and the Churches in leffer Afia ; for thefe VblefitrAfia kept their Feaft ofEafter, the fame Day that the Jews kept their Paffaven but the Chriftiarjs in the Weft, kept thir Feaft oiEafter, upon the firft
Sab-
( 95 )
Sabbath Day thereafter : And albeit in this mean Time, the rorefaid Weft and Eait Churches, their Judgment and Practice was diverie upon that Matter; yet on both Sides, they who were ftrong in Know- ledge, ft ill kept Churcn Communion one with ano- ther, as Socrates proves learnedly in the fbrefaid Book and Chapters lb that Polycarpus Bhhop of Smyrna , afteryards a glorious Martyr of Jefus Chriit, albeit he did celebrate Eafter in that lame Day with the Jews Paflbver, as ordinarily did all his neighbour Bifhops in lefler Afia -y yet coming to Rome, he com- municate with their Bifhop upon their Chriftian&*£- bath Day, which differed from his Day of giving the Communion at Home s but becaufe there is Infirmi- ty and Weaknef^in many Christians, therefore, after tnat, this diverie Day of keeping of Eafter \ raifed fuch Broils aud Contentions betwixt the Eaft and Weft Church, that there was no vifible nor fe^fible Way for preventing a fearful Kent and Schifmin the uni- verfal Church, until the General Council of Nice did appoint all to keep one Day, which the univerfal Church hath kept ever fince; therefore Beza> in hk 24th Epift. and 14th § thereof, diftinguifheth well be- twixt Ecclefiallick Conftitutions s iome are univerfal, fome particular s and without all Controverfy, the finging- of the Doxology is of univerf a! Confritution ; for, as we have proven from Antiquity of Fathers and Councils, the finging of the Doxology was the Pra&ioe and Judgment of the univerfal Church > there- 1 fore, as the univerfal Church reiolved to keep Eafter on a different Day from the Je*>> who crucified the Lord of Glory, and trill blaf phem*s him, as Ccn- Jlantim the Great infinuates in his pious Letters after that Council of Nice; fo that fame univerfal Church rtfolved to keep the Doxology, as a Teftimony againft the Arians, and all fuch blafphemous Antitrwitaria?* Hereticks.
Then to apply, The finging of the Doxology is like the keeping ofEafier on the Chriftian Sabbath Day, and not with the Jew on thtir Day* w which both
the
.. ( 96 )
the Civil Magistrate by their Authority, and the Church by their fpirkual Authority, did agree atv the Council of Nice. As for that Text which we cited, 'Rom. 14. of Chriftians in two contrary Opinions a- bout Meat and Days -, the Civil Magiftrate nor Church had not as yet interponed their Authority ; but it was ftiil arbitrary for the Magiftrates external Power, they being then all Pagans, to them both the Jewijh ana Christian Religion were accounted Superftition a- bout Words and Names, as faid the Pagan Magiftrate, Atts 2<>. 19. and they thought it below them to take Notice of thefe Things . As for the Church Au- ■ thority, which was then Apoftolick, the Learned * know the Reafon why they did not determine thefe Queftions of Meats and Days, b^caufe there was a Time allotted of interim, betwixt the Death and ho- nourable Burial of the Jews Ceremonies, which Time of their honourable Burial was not yet expired , and the Epiftie to the Romans was written in this interim, during which Time the Jewijh Ceremonies of Meats and Days, &c. were mortui to the ftrong Chriftian Jew, and they were freed of their Yoke, by taking on Chrift's eafy Yoke; and to the weak Chriftian Jew who was not clear to quit thefe Ceremonies as yet, during this interim they were indifferent, and not mor- tiferi : So that Place forefaid, Rom. 14. I fear be mis- applied by thefe thatrefufeto fing the Doxology; for the Cafe alters in this, The Doxology is determined <to be ufed, both by the univerfal Church, and all Civil Chriftian Powers \ -but thefe Meats and Days, when St. Paul wrote to the Romans, were yet left arbitra- ry, therefore St. Paul reproved thefe weak Chriftians for their Ignorance, for not eating : But how much more bitterly had he reproved and condemned them, if their not eating had been a Breach of the Com- mand of Church and State, as now it is in refilling to fing the Doxology ? Yet, as the finging of the Doxo- logy agreed upon by the univerfal Church, differs from the keeping of Eafter on the Chriftian Sabbatby and not OD the Japijh Sabkthz in WQ Particulars ;
h The
\ 97 ) 7. The umverfal Church did, more than 200 Years, ChrUKari Eafiers but all that not on: lota of Obje&ion or Scruple againft
wiring of the Do\ology. z. The Scandalizing \ct or Dil ping E after, was bur once
in the Year, but the refuting ro fing the Doxology
Scandal c kly Sabbath.
Thus your rtfufing to fing the Doxology, which the univerfal Church, judgeth to be lawful and expe- dient, is offensive and evil, both to thefe within, and
without the Church ; for thefe within the Church I make this Hypothefis, that there being many thou- fand Proteftlnts beyond Seas, who hear that fome in Scotland have made a Separation from their Mother Church, and yet thefe fame beyond Seas do not ftu- dy the particular Grounds, or pretended Caufes of that Separation 3 yet thefe fame Perfons being cer- tainly informed that thefe of the Scots Separation, among other Differences, refufe to fing the Doxolo- gy j which Refufal of theirs is fo notorious in their piblick Worihip, that it is like the Oyntment upon the right Hand, which cannot be hid -, Then what will proteftaiit Strangers over Seas conclude ? Even this, rhat feeing there is in Scotland fome who with- out juft Caufe have abandoned the Doxofogy, con- trary to the Judgment and Practice of the' univer- fal Church, then it is very like that their other Pre- tences for their Separation are asxunwarrantable. This refilling to fing the Doxology, is alfo an Evil to thefe without the Church 3 which I thus illuftrats* A Turk, Jew, or Pagan, being in the Way of Con- version to Chriftianity, and having learned that there is one God, and three Perfons, rather, Son, and Holy Ghoft, for in this Name. he is to be bapti.
waiter informed that thefe fame Men who are to baptize him, refufe to fing Glory tt Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, in their publick Wor- ship ;' in what a Demur and doubtful Perplexity would that Trtrk be? Or would he receive Bap. from thefe who were to baptize him in the Nam N ft
of Father, Son, and Holy Ghofi, and yet would nor themfelves fing Glory to rather, Son, and Holy Ghofi, and alfo forbid him to ling it -, would not that Doubt debar him from Chriftian Baptifm, and Salvation ? or elfe upon better Information, that thefe who refufed to fing the Doxolog,y were but a Handful, who did fepa- rate themfelves from the many Thoufand Thoufands of Chriftians, who did gladly fing the Doxology , Would not that Turk joyn himfelf gladly to that Church, whofe Word, and Works, Sacraments of God, aud his other Worfhip, was harmonious, where they did baptize in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghofi, did alfo in their publick Worfhip fing Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghofi ?
This bygone Information, as I diredted, is only to the weak and gracious Lambs of Chrift , yetbecaufe I know there are other SortofChriftians, to whom, though I owe notfo great Refpeft, as to the Lambs, yet I will tender them this Word ; Ye who refufe to fing the Doxology, pretending Confcience for your refufing, ye are either painted Tombs, and cunning Hypocrites, or openly propbane ones, who pro- claim your Sin like Sodom. Firft I fpeak to the hypocrite, thou gravely affeveres, that you dare not fing the Doxology, left you mould wrong or grieve ^our Confcience -, but how comes it to pafs, that, a- gainft thy Knowledge and Confcience, thou lives m lecret hainous Sins ? J^ilt thou in that Day when thou gives Account of thy felf to the all-feeing God the Searcher of Hearts, and the Eye-witnefs of thy fe- cret Sins, pretend Confcience as thy Defence, for thy Schifm now in refufing to, fing the Doxology, when he who is greater than thy Confcience knows thy f alfe and feigned Words ? Ah ! thou wift rather be fpeechlefsthen, Mat. zi.*J2. as now thou art when thou fhouldft fing the Doxology. Therefore to pre- vent that Difafter, I intreat you be not filent now, but fing the Doxology, feft in that Day, the Judge of the Quick and Dead declare, to thy Conrufion, thap thyr^ufing to fing die Doxology was not Con-
fcieuce^
, ( 99 )
fcience, nor Religion, but vain Glory, Intereft, Self- iccking, and Faction.
As tor you who live in open fcandalous Sins, as Drunkennefs, Whoredom, &c. and yet dare fay, we cannot fing the Doxology, becaufe of Confciencc towards God, To you, hear the Lord's Anfwer, P/alm 50. 16. Unto the wicked, God faith, what haft thou to do to declare my Statutes ? Seeing thou hatejt In/lrucJion, being Partaker with the Thief, Adulte- rer, and Sclanderer. zdly. Doth not thy own Heait fmite thee, as a Mocker of God, and all Religion, when thou pretends Confcience, and when it is fear- ed long ago, as with a hot Iron, I Tim. 4. 2. idly. Tou may indeed increafethe Number of your Party, but you diminifti their Credit -, then let all who pre- tend Confcience, depart from Iniquity, and fing the Doxology.
When was it that the General Aflembly laid a- fide the Doxology ? Even when the Army of the Englijh Rebels, ( who had proved falfe to God, in the matter of Religion ; falfe to the King, in mat- ter of Loyally ; falfe and perfidious to Scotland, in J Head of Thankfulnefs to them, for their Atfiftance, <#me in againft them with the Sword, having efta- | bliflied a vaft Toleration, fo that, that Army was I made up of the Drofs, and Dregs, and Scum ofEng- land, and even then, when Religion in Scotland, and ; England, was in greateft Danger, then to lay afidc the Doxology, was like that Inference; The Enemy is approaching, therefore put out your Matches; then coafider the Evils that immediately, and inevitably came upon Scotland, after they laid afide the Doxology; what Glory we loft, Firft, the purity of Religion, by their vaft Toleration, which, with their Sectari- an and blafphemous Army, they brought into Scot- land. Secondly, We loft our Liberties ; for no Man durft wear a Sword or Weapon for his own defence, but this was a juft Judgment, to take a Sword from s Man, when he had Rilled his Father.
And laft of all, St. Baftl looks upon it, as
A- fenrfnl T*rcinnn(lirir frr»i-n t\if* Trnrh YirVipn he
perceived the Arian, not to quite the Doxology al- together, but to change it from the right 'Words, he greatly feared a failing from the Faith to follow 5 fo as long as ye refufe to fing the Doxology, ye coh- tinue in the begun Separation, which is a fearful Evil, It keeps a Door open to more Sin and Sorrow tp follow, for by that Separation, ye keep in your Heart a Difguft at your Mother Church, as faulty , and affure your felves, though ye had no more Errors at prefent, but that one, that ye refufe to fing the Doxo- logy, yet that Error will not be alorie, for Error begets ^n the Soul, a finful Inclination to more Er- ror, as the Apoftle fpeaks of erronicus Spirits, they , grew worfe and worfe 5 are not now too many turned Quakers, and fome fweet Singers, whofe Beginning in Error was but fmall.
- And to put a Clpfe to the Roll of the Evils that follow the refufing to fing the Doxology ; Is it not both Sin and Shame to offer to God a lame Sacri- fice of Worlhip ? for they who refufe to fing the Do- /
xology, offer to God a lame Sacrifice of Praife, ai;cf they are curled by God, who offer to him the Sa- crifice that hath Blemifh, when they have better and will not offer it- As for thefe who refufe to fing the Doxology, and think it needlefs, or evil, thefe in their Heart, and by their Deed, condemn their Neigh- bour Chriitians, for offering to God a monftruous Sa- crifice, as having a Leg more than enough, in the 2, Chron. 5. 13. when was it, that the Qlory of ihe Lord filled the Houfe of the Lord} even when the fing- ers, Verfe. 13. were as one s to make a Sound to be heard in praifing and thanking the Lord ; but this is far from the Pra&ice of thefe, who will not joyn in the Praifes, which Difcord in the Lord's Song, can- not-be but ciipleafing to him: So thatfuch Praftice of finging, and not nnging at one Time, yea worfe, iinging and grieving at one Time, for no doubt, he that Sags not, grieves at him that fings, and looks very like the Confufion, that was after the Return of the Captivity, at the laying of the Foundation of
ths
( ioi )
the Temple of Jcnifalcm, when one Part was Prai- and rejoycing, another Part weeping and howl- ing, and the laft continued Evil, is a continued Heart-burning, and difcontent in the Hearts of thefe who refufe to fing, and keeping a door open ftill for more Separation.
To clofc this Chapter, as Mr. Caldenvood (aid, m great Zeal, inftatforefaid General' Aftembly, That he hoped to fing the Doxology in Heaven ; So let no. Chriftian think k a Paradox, for the learned do know, that it may be proven by found Divinity ; for, if- in Heaven., our* Praifes to God fnall be perfed ( which k mod furely trus ) then we fhall praife him in all his Attributes, in all his mighty Atts, efpeci- * ally in his Word, and everlafting Gofpel, then we fhall eternally glorify the infinitely glorious Effence, in the myfterious Trinity of the. PerfonS 5 for feeing in Heaven" there will be neither Petition, nor Prayer, nor Preaching, which make up a great Part ot our Worfliip on Earth, fo all our Worihip in Hea- ven fhall be Praifes, and that to all Eternity ', and
ng our Knowledge of God in Heaven fhall be far more perfect than it was on Earth, ' and then we fhall fee God Face to Face, and know him in Efience, and Perfons, more perfectly than we do now on Earth, and confeqnently, our Love to Father, Son, and Ho- ly Ghoft much more perfect ; fo the Perfection of our Praifes and Incefiantnefs, without wearying, ftiall an- ' fwer to our greateft Perfection in Knowledge and Love to God 5 therefore it may b<f Chriftianly fup-
1 d, that we ftall joyn in Heaven, with thefe four living Creatures^ Revel. 4. S. v;ho rcflrnot Day nor Might fingipg, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almigh- ty, who was, and is, and is to come ; where wa<> this Trij'agium uttered? The firft two Vcrfes of this Chap- ter affirm, that it was in Heaven. Who were the liv-> ing Creatures that kept this Choir of lans perenms* The Aflembly Not:s upon it, fay, It was the Mi- nifters of the new Teftament. idly. What was the Subject of their Praifes ? the Aflembly Notes fay,
They
( IP* )
hey continually praife God, and fet out the Trinity of the Perfons in the God-head.
If any pleafe to objedt, the Church appointed the Doxology to be lung, to guard the Flocks of Chrift, againft Antitrinitarinn Hercticks, but in Heaven there is no Danger^ for no Devil, vox Antitr'mitarian will be there to tempt, and the glorified Saints will be made
?erfe<ft in Holinefs. I anfwer, when Ifaiab 6. 2, 3. "he Seraphims cryed one to another, by way of An- them, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hefts, the whole Earth is full of his Glory, Here I hope was neither Arian nor Antitrinitarian, yea, I affirm, according to the Seraphims ringing a Doxology to the Trinity, that although there had never been Antitrinitarian Here- tick) nor Danger of Devils to tempt them to that Hef*efy, feeing the Angels in Heaven did ling a Do- xology to the bleffed Trinity, which is granted by the univerfal Church, then mall it not be lawful, ex- pedient, and comely for Chriftians to fing Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, whofe Motto in Bap- tifm, is to be baptized, in Name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft ?
Therefore, to conclude this Chapter, theie whg have Scruple, or Doubts to ling the Doxology for want of knowledge, my Prayer is to God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, who is the Father of Lights, to reveal even this unto them, that we may with one Mind, and with one Mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, Rom. 15. 6. Now to God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft be Glory in the Church, by Chrift Jefus, throughout all Ages, World Avkhout End, 4men. Ephef$. Chap, atthelaft V#fe.
103
EJACVLJTIONS
Fit for Toung and Old.
O Sacred, dreadful and myfterious Trinity, though I cannot conceive thee, yet let me daily experi- ment thv Goodnefs: Let thy Grace, O Lord J E- S U S, Let thy Love, OGod the Father, Let thy Communications, O Holy Snirit, be ever with me'; That I mav with primitive Affection and Fervour^ for ever praife and love thee, O facred Trinity. «
O Lord God helo me, to lore and to praife thee, with Godlike Affections and fuitable Devotion, and daily increafe mv Faith, make it aftive and fruitful ; That I may, believe and love thee, as entirely as one devouted to thee. .
O Lord God, T do for ever renounce the Devil that Arch-rebel a ^ainft thee, with all his A novate An^elsj from henceforth make me a living Member of thy Church, themvftical Body of thv Sons thereby uniting me infeparablv toChrift mv Head, and from thence let his gracious Influences be ever ftreaming into my Soul.
O hcaver.lv Father, accept mv irr.-vrfafr. Re^n- tance, com pa (Fiona re mv Infirmities, forgive nmr^Ki:. kednefs, puri*v mv Unclcannefs. ftr my Weak-
■tfs, fix mv Unftablencfs, and let thv Lo*e ever rul ••. in mv Heart, through the Merits and Sufferings and Lnve of the Son of thv Love, in whom thou art always infinitely well pLafed.
Q Lord, Ond the Spirit of Adoption into mv Heart.
I HI true filial A fte&ion into me. chat I mav apain
beov/nedbytbee for ;hv Child, and call eke Father,
'O and
io4 EJACULATIONS,^.
and {hare in the Bleffings of thy Children, ancl.at'laft Income an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven.
O my Soul , feek thou the Lord, and he will be fouqd of" thee, but if thou forfakehim, he will forfake thee: For the Eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole Earth, to fhew himfelf ftrong, in Behalf of them whofe Heart is perfed towards him.
Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my Soul, O my God T truft in thee, ihew me thy Ways, O Lord, ami teach me thy Paths ; and fo dired my Goings, that my Footfteps may not Hide. Remember not the Sins of my Vouch, nor my Tranfgreflions > but according to rhy mercy remember thou me for thy Goodnefs Sake,
0 Lord. And i befeech thee grant me Grace to with- stand the Temptations of the World, the Flefh, and *h; Devil, and with a pure Heart and Mind to follow rh-, the only true God, thrpugh jES US CHRIST our Lord.
O my God, be thou my Guide, for I will wholly and foiely depend upon thee; and for thine own Name's Sake, for thy Son's Sake, and for thy gracious Pro- mi fes Sake, do thou both make me to know what thou wovildit have me to do, and then help me to do what thou wouldft have me to know; teach me firftwhat to i v.fblve upon, and then enable me to perform thole R . ■•iblutions, that 1 may walk with th:e in the Ways of Hojihefs here, and reft with thee in the Joys of Happi- K:ish;rea[ter.
O my God, keep me ftedfaft in the Faith andBe-
1 fef of a future Happinefs, and give me Grace to fit arid prepare my felf to appear before thee, in the white Robes of Purity and riolinsfs; at the Appearing of our Lord ] E S U S C H R I S T, in that Day when God ihail juri^e the World by his Son JESUS CHRIST; that whenever my Difiblution comes, I may chearfully refign my Spitit into the Hands of my Creator and Redeemer, and, from this cra^y Houfe of Clay, take my Flight into the Manfions of Glory -,
where
EJACULATIONS, «Cc. 105
where Chrift fits at the right Hand oFGod, and with the joyful Chore of Saints and Angels, and theblefled Spirirs of jult Men made perfeft, chant forth thy Prai- \ fes to all Eternity.
TURN, O Lord, the whole Stream of my AfFec- . tions, from feniual Lqve, {tp the Love of thee ; And lee thy heavenly Love be the conftant Byafs of my Soul : O may it be the natural Spring and Weight of my Heart, that it may always move towards thee.
GRANT, OLord God, that the general Inclina- tion and Tendency of my whole Man, of all my Heart, and Soul, and Strength, of all my Powers and Affecti- ons, and the utmoifc Strength of them all, may be directed to God as my Chief, and only perfect and' in- finite Good.
O my God, Q my Love, let thy powerful Love a- bound in my Heart ; and fo cleanfe me from all Fil- th inefs of Fkfh and Spirit, that I may perfed Holinefs in thy Fear. Give me Grace to poffefs my Body in Sane- tification aud Honour, making it an holy Temple to thee, that thy Spirit of Love may always there inhabit.
O Heavenly Father, ns thou reigneft in Heaven, fo dQ thou alio reign in my Heart by thy holy Spirit of Grace, enabling me to fubdue every Luit ana inordinate Ap- petite, that Chrift may reign in my Soul, Submitting my Will to all the Difpenfations of Providence, thac as the Angels in Heavfcn, fb I on Earth may obey thy Will, quitting all my ' Affe&ions, that Thou being all Things to me, I may be fubjeft to and Servant of thy Divine Will for ever.
O my God, O mv Love, create in me a fincere Obe- dience co all chy Commands, a lubmiffive Patience un- der all thy Chaftifemenrs, with an abfolutc Refignation to all rheDifpofals of thee; and let thy all powerful Grace abound in my Heart, that in allthefe, and in all other poflible Iniiancesofthy Love, my Soul may be continually employed topraifc and love thee.
* o 6 BJJC UL JTIO NS, &c.
..OmyGod, O my Love, Grant, when ever I fre- quent the publick Prayers, and approach thin: Altar, diat it may be with fervent and Heavenly Affe&ions, recolle&ed Thoughts, compofed Behaviours becoming Reverence, and with an holy Impatience for the Blef- jingsof thy Love.
O m y God, O my Love, fill me with a religious Awe of O at hs, in which the Honour of thy beloved Name is (o high ly concerned s That it may be far from me ever tofwear, and in fwearing, to invoke thee, unlefs upon Inducements lawful and important, the vifible Good of my Neighbour, or my own Innocence obliges me toit
O Lord, my Heart is empty and difengaged, and longs for thee, my Heart is entirely devote<f to thee. E nter, O my God, poffefs it with thy gracious Prefence, and fill it with thy Love.
O my God, may all thy Creatures blefs thee, which are in all Things fubjeft to thee, and made for the Ser- vice of Mankind. For at thy Command, the Heaven gives Rain at convenient Sea Ions, and the Earth brings Forth abundance or Fruits. The Sun and the Moon (hine clearly upon the Earth : And the Stars in their Courfes, revolve regularly by Night. The Fountains flow, the Rivers runs and Fillies of fundry Kinds fwim in the Waters. The Birds of the Air do fty and jing. Upon the Mountains the Goats, the voung Roes and the Harts do skips the Sheep and aril Catdera- joyce at finding of fertile Pafture. And -Animals of divers Sorts traverfe throw the Woods. The Mea- dows are green, the Fields do flourish ; and all the Trees of the Foreft fhoot forth Branches and Fruit. Thofe are thy Works, O God, who only doft wondrous Things.
AWAKE to Righteoufnefs, O my Soul, andfi" not, and fan&ify the Lord God of Holts himfelf, and let him be your 'Fear and your Dread, and he {hall be yopr San&uary. * FINIS.