The Holy State, Book 3 · Chapter 24
CHAP. 24. Of the Antiquity of Churches and Necessity of them.
WE will consider their Antiquity amongst the Jews, Heathen, and Christians. Now Temples amongst the Jews were more or lesse ancient as the acception of the word is straiter or larger.
Take Temple for a covered standing structure, Maxime 1and the Iews had none till the time of Solomon, which was from the beginning of the *V…d. Chron. H…l…i.world about two thousand nine hundred thirty two years: till then they had neither leave nor libertie to build a Temple. For the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, lived in Pilgrimage; their posterity in Egypt in persecution; their children in the Wildernesse in constant travelling; their Successours in Canaan in continuall warrefare, till the dayes of Solomon.
Take Templum for tectum *Isidori…s lib. 15. cap 14.amplum,2 a large place covered to serve God therein, and the Tabernacle was a moveable Temple, built by Moses in the wildernesse about the yeare of the world two thousand foure hundred fiftie five. Yea we find Gods Spirit styling this Tabernacle a Temple, 1. Sam. 1.9. Ely the Priest sate upon a seat by a pillar of the Temple. 1. Sam. 3.3. Before the lamp of the Lord went out in the Temple. Such a portable Church Constantine *Socrates lib. 1. cap. 14. & S…zomen. lib. 1. cap. 8.had carried about with him when he went to warre.
Gods children had places with Altars to serve God in before they had any Temples. 3Such Altars seem as ancient as Sacrifices, both which are twins; and in Relatives find one and find both. Indeed the first Altar we reade of in Scripture is that which Noah built after the Flood: But heare what a *…. in G… nes. pag. 2….Learned man saith thereof, Non tamen existimandum toto illo tempore, quo ante diluvium pii homines Deo sacrificarunt Altarium usum fuisse incognitum. Potius id credendum, Noachum sequutum fuisse exemplum eorum, qui eum praecesserant, imo morem inolitum.
4The Iews besides the Temple had many other Synagogues, serving instead of Chappells of ease to the mother Church at Jerusalem. In the new Testament (the Temple yet standing) 'tis plain that Christ often graced such Synagogues with his presence and preaching; and 'tis *H…spinian de orig. Temp c. 4.probable they were in use ever since Josuahs time, when the land was first inhabited with Israelites, and that the Levites dispersed all over the land did teach the people therein: Otherwise Palestine was a great Parish, and some therein had an hundred miles to Church; besides, peoples souls were poorely fed having but three meals in a yeare, being but thrice to appear at Jerusalem.
5Many Heathen Temples were ancienter then that of Solomons. Amongst which Pagan Temples there is much justling for precedency, though some think that of Apis in Egypt shews the best evidence for her seniority, wherein was worshipped an Oxe, of whose herd (not to say breed) was the Calf which the Israelites worshipped in the wildernesse, being made in imitation thereof. But the Heathen had this grosse conceit that their Gods were affixt to their Statues, as their Statues were confin'd in their Temples: So that in effect they did not so much build Temples for their Gods, as thereby lay Nets to catch them in, inviting them thither as into a Pallace, and then keeping them there as in a Prison.
6Most civilized Heathen Nations had Temples for their Gods. I say, Most, for the Persians are said to have none at all. Perchance it was because they chiefly worshipped the Sunne, and then according to the generall opinion of fixing Deities to their Temples, it was in vain to erect any structure therein to restrain and keep his Ubiquitary beams. And yet that the Persians were wholly Temple-lesse will hardly be believed, seeing the Assyrians on this side (*2 Kings 19.37. Senacherib was killed worshipping in the house of Nisroch his God) and the Indians on the other side of them had their Temples erected, as some will have it, by Bacchus their Dionysius: yea we find a Temple in Persia dedicated to *2. Maccabees 1.13. vide …tiam. 1. Maccab. 6.2.Nanea in the time of Antiochus, and though it may be pretended that the influence of the Grecian Empire on the Persians had then spiced them with a smack of Grecisme, yet Nanea will scarce be proved any Grecian Deity: not to say any thing of the Temple of Bell. Civilized: for as for the Scythian wandring Nomades, Temples sorted not with their condition, as wanting both civility and settlednesse: and who can expect Churches from them, who had no houses for themselves? Lastly I say, Nation: for the Stoicks onelyonly, a conceited sect, forbad any building of Temples, either out of derision of the common conceit that Deities were kept in durance in their Temples; or else out of humour, because they counted the generall practice of other men a just ground for their contrary opinion. And now we come to the Antiquity of Christian Churches, and crave leave of the Reader, that we may for a while dissolve our continued discourse into a dialogue.
A.
I am much perplexed to find the beginning of Christian Churches in the Scripture. There I find the Saints meeting in the house of Marie the mother of Mark; in the School of Tyrannus; in an upper Chamber; but can see no foundation of a Church, I mean of a place and structure separated and set apart solely for Divine Service.
B.
That the Saints had afterwards Churches in your sense is plain: 1. Cor. 11.22. Have ye not Houses to eat and drink in, or despise ye the Church of God, and shame them that have not? Here the opposition is a good exposition of the Apostles meaning, and the Antithesis betwixt Houses and Church speaks them both to be locall; so that S. Paul thought their materiall Church despised, that is abused and unreverenc'd, by their lay-meetings of Love-feasts therein.
A.
By your favour, Sr, the Apostle by Church meaneth there the assembly or society of Gods servants, as appears by what followeth, or despise ye the Church of God, and shame them that have not? Them, and not that, not speaking of the Place but Persons: The latter words of the Apostle comment on the former, shewing how to shame those who had not (that is, to neglect and upbraid the poore) is to despise the Church of God.
B.
Pardon me Sr: for the Apostle therein accuseth the Corinthians of a second fault. Imprimis he chargeth them for despising Gods materiall Church; Item, for shaming their poore brethren in their Love-feasts. The particle And sheweth the addition of a new charge, but no expounding or amplifying of the former. But, Sr, suspending our judgements herein, let us descend to the Primitive times before Constantine, we shall there find Churches without any contradiction.
A.
Not so neither: Herein also the trumpet of Antiquity giveth a very uncertain sound: Indeed we have but little left of the story of those times wherein Christian books were as much persecuted as men, and but a few Counfessour-records escaping martyrdome are come to our hands. Yea God may seem to have permitted the suppression of primitive History, lest men should be too studious in reading, and observant in practising the customes of that age, even to the neglecting and undervaluing of his written Word.
B.
Yet how slenderly soever those Primitive times are storied, there is enough in them to prove the Antiquity of Churches. I will not instance on the decrees of Evaristus, Hyginus, and other Popes in the first three hundred years about the consecrating of Churches, because their authority is suspected as antedated; and none are bound to believe that the Gibeonites came from so far a Countrey as their mouldy bread & clouted shoes did pretend. Churches are plainly to be found in Tertullian, two hundred years after Christ; and Eusebius *Hist. Eccles. lib. 8. c. 1, & 2.witnesseth that before the time of Dioclesian the Christians had Churches, which the Tyrant caused to be destroyed.
A.
But *Origen. lib. 4. contra …e…um, Objicit nobis Cel…us quod non habea…us Imagines aut Aras au… Templa. Idem lib. 8. contra Celsum, Celsus & Aras & Simulac…a & Delubra a…t …os diffugere quo minùs fundentur. Arnobius lib. 4 Contra Gen. Accusatis nos quòd nec Templa habeamus, nec I…agines nec Aras. Minut. …elix pag. 73. Putatis autem nos occultate quod …olamus si Delubra et Aras non habemus. Lactantius, Quid sibi Templa, quid Arae volunt, quid denique ipsa Simulacra, &c.Origen, Minutius Felix, Arnobius, and Lactantius, being press'd by the Heathen that Christians had no Churches, answered by way of confession, yielding that they had none. This is the difficulty perplexeth me. It was a bloody speech of Abner, Let the young men rise up and play before us: But worse is their cruelty who make sport at the falling out of the old men, when the reverend brows of Antiquity knock one against another, and Fathers thus extremely differ in matters of fact.
B.
Why, Sr? A charitable distinction may reconcile them: if by Churches, stately magnificent Fabricks be meant, in that acception the Christians had no Churches; but small Oratories and Prayer-places they then had, though little, low and dark, being so fearfull of persecution they were jealous the Sunne-beams should behold them: and indeed stately Churches had but given a fairer aim to their Enemies malice to hit them. Such an homely place learned Sr Henrie Spelman *De Conciliis Brittan. pag. 11.presents us with, which was first founded at Glastenbury, thatched and wattled: And let not our Churches now grown men look with a scornfull eye on their own picture, when babes in their swadling clothes. And no wonder if Gods House
Erubuit domino cultior esse suo,
The Church did blush more glory for to have
Then had her Lord. He begg'd, should she be brave? Christ himself being then cold, and hungry, and naked in his afflicted members. Such a mean Oratory Tertullian calls *Adversus Gentes, cap. 3.9.Triclimum Christianorum, the Parlour or Three-bed-room of the Christians.
A.
But it seems not to consist with Christian ingenuity for the fore-named Fathers absolutely to deny their having of Churches, because they had onelyonly poore ones.
B.
Take then another Answer, namely in denying they had no Temples, they meant it in the same notion wherein they were interrogated, to wit, they had no Temples like the Pagans for Heathen Gods, no claustra Numinum, wherein the Deity they served was imprisoned. Or may we not say that in that age the Christians had no Churches generally, though they might have them in some places? the elevation of their happinesse being varied according to severall climates: And Christendome then being of so large an extent, it might be stormy with persecution in one countrey, and fair weather in another. We come now to the Necessity.
7There is no absolute necessity that Christians should have Churches. No necessity at all in respect of God, no absolute necessity in respect of men, when persecution hinders the erecting of them: In such a case any place is made a Church for the time being, as any private house where the King and his Retinue meet is presently made the Court.
Christians have no direct precept to build Churches under the Gospel. 8I say direct: For the Law of God, which commands a publick Sanctification of a Sabbath, must needs, by *Ut … fid…l…us pr… D…s verbo …uo … sic & Te…pla publica ipsis p…agendis destinata este opor…, Cal…in. instit. lib. 3. cap. 20. num. 30.way of necessary consequence, imply a set, known, and publick Place. Besides, Gods command to Moses and Solomon to build a Temple in a manner obligeth us to build Churches. In which command observe the body and the soul thereof. The body thereof was Ceremoniall and mortall, yea dyed, and is buried in our Saviours grave: The soul thereof is Morall and eternall, as founded in Nature, and is alwayes to endure. Thus S. Paul finds a constant bank for Ministers Maintenance lockt up in a Ceremoniall Law, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn. The Apostle on the Morality couched therein founded the Charter of endowment for Ministers in the Gospel. Besides, God hath left a warrant dormant with his Church, Let all things be done decently and in order. And this ties Christians to the building of Churches for their publick Assemblies, whereby not onelyonly Decency but Piety is so much advanced, especially in these three respects:
1 Hereby the same meat serves to feed many guests, one Pastour instructing many people in the same place.
2 Devotion is increased with company. Their praises are the louder; and musick is sweetest in a full consort: their prayers are the stronger, besetting God as it were in a round, and not suffering him to depart till he hath blessed them.*Tertull. Apol. Haec vis grata deo.
3 The very Place it self, being dedicated to Gods service, is a Monitour to them Hoc agere, & stirres up pious thoughts in them. Say not, it is but lame Devotion that cannot mount without the help of such a wooden stock; rather 'tis lame indeed which is not rais'd though having the advantage thereof.
9Those that may, must frequent the publick Churches. Such as nowadayes are ambitious of conventicles are deeply guilty: for as it had been desperate madnesse in time of persecution publickly to resort to Divine Service, so it is no lesse unthankfulnesse to God now to serve him in woods and holes, not taking notice of the liberty of the Gospel, which he gratiously hath vouchsafed; yea such people in effect deny the King to be Defender of the Faith, but make him a Persecuter rather, in that they dare not avouch the truth in the face of his Authority. If it be good they do (thanks be to God) it may be done any where; if bad, it must be done no where. Besides, by their voluntary private meetings, they give occasions to many to supect their actions there: And grant them unjustly traduced for their behaviour therein, yet can they not justly be excused, because they invite slaunderous tongues to censure them, in not providing for honest things in the sight of men, and clearing Gods service as well from the suspicion as from the guilt of any dishonesty.
We should now come to speak of the Holinesse, Reverence, Decency, and Magnificencie of Churches: But herein I had rather heare the judgements of other men. Let it serve instead of a conclusion to observe that Solomons Temple was the statelyest structure that ever was or shall be in the world; built by the wealthyest, contrived by the wisest King in seven years (now counted the life of a man) by an army of Workmen, no fewer then *1. Kings 5.15, 16.one hundred fourtie three thousand three hundred, of the soundest timber, most pretious stones, most proper metall, as the nature of the things required; either the strongest, Brasse; or the richest, Gold: In a word, Earth gave it most costly matter, and Heaven it self most curious workmanship, God directing them. And though Solomon had no mines of Gold and Silver in his own land, yet had he the spoils and gifts of the neighbouring nations, and once in three years the golden land of Ophir came swimming to Hierusalem. God being the Landlord of the earth, Solomon was then his Receiver, to whom the World payed in her rent, to build his Temple. And was not he a most wealthy King, in whose dayes silver was nothing accounted of; seeing in our dayes the commander of both Indyes hath so much brasse coin currant in his Court? As for Josephus his conceit, that the second edition of the Temple by Zorobabel, as it was new forrelled and filleted with gold by Herod, was a statelier volume then that first of Solomon, it is too weak a surmise to have a confutation fastned to it.
And yet we will not deny but the world hath seen greater buildings for the Piles and Fabricks, as may appear by this parrallel.
1 Gods Temple, built at Hierusalem by Solomon.
Long 60 cubits.a2. Chron. 3.3.
Broad 20 cubits.
High 30 cubits.
2 Diana's Temple, built at Ephesus by the Kings of Asia.
Long 425 foot.bPlin. nat. Hist. lib. 36. cap. 14.
Broad 220 foot.
High 60 foot.
3 Sepulcher Church, built on Mount Calvary by Constantine.
Long cEusebius lib. 3 de vit. Constantini, c. 24. foreign.We find no set dimension but hyperbolicall expressions of it.
Broad We find no set dimension but hyperbolicall expressions of it.
High We find no set dimension but hyperbolicall expressions of it.
4 S. Sophia's Church, built at Constantinople by Iustinian.
Long 260 foot.dEv…grius lib. 4. cap. 30.
Broad 75 foot.
High 180 foot.
5 S. Pauls Church, built at London by King Ethelbert.
Long 690 foot.eNamely in the body of the Church besides the steeple, Cambd. Britt. in Middlesex.
Broad 130 foot.
High 102 foot.
6 Turkish Mosque, built at Fez.
Long 150 Florentine Cubits.fThe height we find not, but it is a mile and half in compasse, Leo Africanus, lib. 3. pag. 126.
Broad 80 Florentine Cubits.
High Florentine Cubits.
But when the Reader hath with his eyes surveyed these Temples, and findeth them to exceed Solomons, yet let him remember, first, that there is nothing more uncertain then the measures used in severall countreys; one countreys span may be another countreys cubit, … them. Not to relieve them, were not Christianity, and to relieve them, were worse then Infidelity, because therein they wrong their providing for their own family. Thus sometimes are they forced to be Nabals against their will; yet it greiveth them to send away the people empty. But what shall they do, seeing they cannot multiply their loaves and their fishes? Besides, Clergie-men are deeply rated to all payments. Oh that their profession were but as highly prized, as their estate is valued.
4Because they are to provide for their Posterity, that after the death of their parents they may live, though not in an high, yet in an honest fashion, neither leaving them to the wide world, nor to a narrow cottage.
5Because the Levites in the Old Testament had plentifull provision. Oh 'tis good to be Gods Pensioner, for he giveth his large allowance. They had Cities and Suburbs (houses and glebeland) Tithes, Freewill-offerings, and their parts in First-fruits, and Sacrifices. Do the Ministers of the Gospel deserve worse wages for bringing better tidings? Besides, the Levites places were hereditary, and the Sonne sure of his Fathers house and land without a Faculty ad succedendum patri.
6Because the Papists in time of Popery gave their Priests plentifull means. Whose Benefactours, so bountifull to them, may serve to condemne the covetousnesse of our age towards Gods Ministers, in such who have more knowledge, and should have more religion.
Ob. But the great means of the Clergie in time of Popery was rather wrested then given. The Priests melted mens hearts into charity with the Scarefire of Purgatory: And for justice now to give back what holy fraud had gotten away, is not Sacriledge but Restitution. And when those grand and vast Donations were given to the Church, there was (as some say) a voyce of Angels heard from heaven, saying, Hodie venenum in Ecclesiam Christi cecidit.
Answ. If poyson then fell into the Church, since hath there a strong antidote been given to expell it, especially in Impropriations. Distinguish we betwixt such Donations given to uses in themselves merely unlawfull and superstitious, as Praying for the dead, and the like; and those which in Genere were given to Gods Service, though in Specie some superstitious end were annexed thereto. And grant the former of these to be void in their very granting, yet the latter ought to be rectified and reduced to the true use, and in no case to be alienated from God. Plato saith that in his time it was a Proverb amongst Children, foreign, Things that are truly given must not be taken away again. Sure, as our Saviour set a child in the midst of his Disciples to teach them humility, so nowadayes a child need be set in the midst of some men to teach them justice. Excellently *In his Comment on the 47. of Genes. pag. 631.Luther, Nisi superesset spolium Aegypti, quod rapuimus Papae, omnibus Ministris Verbi fame pereundum esset; quod si sustentandi essent de contributione populi, misere profecto ac duriter viverent. Alimur ergo de spoliis Aegypti collectis sub Papatu, & hoc ipsum tamen quod reliquum est diripitur à Magistratu: spoliantur Parochiae & Scholae, non aliter ac si fame necare nos velint.
Ob. But in the pure Primitive times the Means were least, and Ministers the best: And nowadayes, does not wealth make them lazy, and poverty keep them painfull? like Hawks they flie best when sharp. The best way to keep the stream of the Clergie sweet and clear is to fence out the tide of wealth from coming unto them.
Answ. Is this our thankfulnesse to the God of heaven, for turning persecution into peace, in pinching his poore Ministers? When the Commonwealth now makes a feast, shall neither Zadok the Priest, nor Nathan the Prophet, be invited to it? that so the footsteps of Primitive persecution may still remain in these peaceable times, amongst the Papists, in their needlesse burning of candles; and amongst the Protestants, in the poore means of their Ministers. And what if some turn the spurres unto Virtue into the stirrups of Pride, grow idle, and insolent? let them soundly suffer for it themselves on Gods blessing; but let not the bees be sterved that the drones may be punished.
7Ministers Maintenance ought to be certain; lest some of them meet with Labans for their Patrons and parishioners; changing their wages ten times; and at last, if the fear of God doth not fright thē, send them away empty.
8It is unequall that there should be an equality betwixt all Ministers Maintenance. Except that first there were made an equality betwixt all their Parts, Pains, and Piety. Parity in means will quickly bring a levell and flat in Learning; and few will strive to be such spirituall Musicians, to whom David directeth many Psalms, To him that excelleth, but will even content themselves with a Canonicall sufficiency, and desiring no more then what the Law requires: More learning would be of more pains, and the same profit, seeing the mediocriter goeth abreast with optime.
Ob. But neither the best, nor the most painfull and learned get the best preferment. Sometimes men of the least, get Livings of the best worth; yea such as are not worthy to be the curates to their curates, and crassa Ingenia go away with opima Sacerdotia.
Answ. Thus it ever was, and will be. But is this dust onelyonly to be found in Churches, and not in Civill Courts? Is merit everywhere else made the exact square of preferment? or did ever any urge, that all Offices should be made champian for their profits, none higher then other? such corruption will ever be in the Church, except there were a Law (ridiculous to be made, and impossible to be kept) that men should be no men, but that all Patrons or people in their Election or Presentations of Ministers should wholly devest themselves of by-respects of kinred, friendship, profit, affection, and merely chuse for desert: and then should we have all things so well ordered, such Pastours and such people, the Church in a manner would be Triumphant, whilest Militant. Till then, though the best livings light not alwayes on the ablest men, yet as long as there be such preferments in the Church, there are still encouragements for men to endeavour to excell, all hoping, and some hapning on advancement.
Ob. But Ministers ought to serve God merely for love of himself; and pity but his eyes were out that squints at his own ends in doing Gods work.
Answ. Then should Gods best Saints be blind; for Moses himself had an eye to the recompence of reward. Yea Ministers may look not onelyonly on their eternall but on their temporall reward, as motives to quicken their endeavours. And though it be true, that grave and pious men do study for learning sake, and embrace virtue for it self, yet it is as true that youth (which is the season when learning is gotten) is not without ambition, nor will ever take pains to excell in any thing, when there is not some hope of excelling others in reward and dignity. And what reason is it that whilest Law and Physick bring great portions to such as marry them, Divinity their elder sister should onelyonly be put off with her own beauty? In after-ages men will rather bind their sonnes to one gainfull, then to seven liberall Sciences: onelyonly the lowest of the people would be made Ministers, which cannot otherwise subsist; and it will be bad when Gods Church is made a Sanctuary onelyonly for men of desperate estates to take refuge in it.
However, let every Minister take up this resolution, To preach the word, to be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. If thou hast competent means comfortably to subsist on, be the more thankfull to God the fountain, to man the channell; painfull in thy place, pitifull to the poore, cheerfull in spending some, carefull in keeping the rest. If not, yet tire not for want of a spurre: do something for love, and not all for money; for love of God, of goodnesse, of the godly, of a good conscience. Know 't is better to want means, then to detain them; the one onelyonly suffers, the other deeply sinnes: and it is as dangerous a persecution to religion, to draw the fewell from it, as to cast water on it. Comfort thy self that another world will pay this worlds debts, and great is thy reward with God in heaven. A reward, in respect of his promise; a gift, in respect of thy worthlesnesse: And yet the lesse thou lookest at it, the surer thou shalt find it, if labouring with thy self to serve God for himself, in respect of whom even heaven it self is but a sinister end.
To the Reader.
THese Generall Rules we have placed in the middle, that the Books on both sides may equally reach to them; because all Persons therein are indifferently concerned.