Canterburys Doom, Branch 1 · Evidence 2 · Floating text 2 · Popish error 21 – Popish error 22
21. That Churches, Altars, Chalices, Church-yards, &c. ought to bee Conſecrated by the Biſhop, and that his Conſecration puts an inherent holineſſe into them That one part of the Church or Chappell, is holier then another: That the place within the new Railes where the Altar ſtands is Sanctum Sanctorum, into which none but Prieſts ought to enter, yea, Chriſts Throne and Mercy ſeat.
DOctor Pocklingtons, Altare Christianum, page 51. Dedication and Conſecration of Churches uſed by Godly Biſhops, and taxed by the Centuriſts for the myſtery of Iniquity: I will paſſe from the placing of the Biſhops Chaire to the dedication of his Church where it was ſet. The dedication of Churches within two hundred yeares after Chriſt ſhewes cleerely … were Churches: Saint Clemens his Command both for building and Conſecrating of Churches makes it apparent, page 80. At the upper end of the Chancell, was a place incloſed and Railed in from the reſt of the Chancell, whereunto none, neither Prieſts that were Penitents nor Deacons were permitted to enter, and there to communicate and officiat in the Conſecration of the Euchariſt, or in the adminiſtration thereof unto Prieſts, but they themſelves: This place was called Sacrarium, here ſtood the Altar or Lords Table, and hitherto none might approach but the Prieſts themſelves. The Canon is cleare for it, no Lay-man may come within the Altar. Page 83. Prayer for Kings, for Biſhops, for the whole Church, and the Lords Prayer was then only ſaid at the Altar by the Prieſt in the holy of holies: Hee deſerves not to be named in the Prieſts, prayer at the Altar that is an occaſion to withdraw Prieſts from the Altar. page 108. They had ſhut up the Doore of the holy of holies whereunto he was entred to doe his reverence to the holy Altar, Page 141. A man may as lawfully and Chriſtianly adminiſter the bleſſed Sacrament in a Barne or Towne-hall, as in any place that is not Conſecrated to ſuch holy uſes. And when the Church was Conſecrated, was not the Altar the chiefeſt place which with moſt Ceremony and devotion was hallowed? when it was hallowed, was it not kept more carefully from Prophanation then any other part of the Church? was there not a Feaſt annually kept in a joyfull remembrance of the Dedication of every Church and did not the conſecration of the Altar carry the name of the Feaſt, page 142. Was not the Altar ſet in Sacrario or ſancto ſanctorum in the higheſt place of all, whereunto the Prieſt aſcended by ſteppes and degrees, and when they ſo aſſended, were there not ſaid Pſalmes of degrees? This holy Altar is in his owne nature, but a ſtone, but being conſecrated and dedicated benedictionem accipit.
Shelfords five Treatiſes page 2. From hence appeareth that the Altar is the principall part of Gods Houſe, as being the cauſe and Originall of all the reſt, &c.
Doctor Ridley his view of the Civill Law reprinted at Oxford 1634. in the marginall Annotations newly added to it, page 52. The Biſhop of the place ſhall come & lift up his hands to Heaven and conſecrate the place to God: P. 191. For that which concernes foundation and erection: All that the Patron had free to himſelfe was but the thought, hee might thinke where he would deſigne the ground, &c. but this was nothing without execution, and to this the Dioceſan vvas to be required as the moſt principall and moſt effectuall agent. If the Patron built a Church upon his ovvne ground vvithout the Biſhops conſent the Biſhop might pull it dovvne vvithout the A notable Paſſage to advance the Iuriſdiction of Biſhops, and deprive Patrons of their Rights.Patrons conſent: page 192. When he makes the conſecration, the Croſſe muſt bee ſet up behinde the holy Altar: word being brought to the Patriarch concerning the Church that is to be built, letters are directed either to the Exarch or to ſome of the Biſhops, to requeſt that the Church may be founded Conſecrated and entituled to the Patriarchs foreign &c. Conſecrated in the Name of ſuch a Saint, page 193. Things for the moſt part were altogether diſpoſed by, but nothing at all without the Biſhops Juriſdiction. That the Patriarch or Biſhop ſhould challenge this Jurisdiction over the new Church &c. it ſeemes moſt reaſonable, For what did the lay Patron more do, then a man of Iſraell who brought a Lambe but the Prieſt made it an Offering and an Attonement? The Patron parhaps might chuſe the place, but till the Prelate came and ſanctified the Ground, it might be as well a Denne of Theeves as a Houſe of Prayer: The Patron might bring the Stones, the Biſhop made it a Church, till then nothing was but the breathleſſe body of a Temple, the ſoule being yet to come from a Diviner influence of the Dioceſan: therefore the priviledge of a new Church followed not the building but the conſecration of it, &c.
Richard Tedder in his Viſitation Sermon: Licenſed by Doctor Samuell Baker, Feb. 6. 1636. Printed at London 1637. It is the Conſecration that makes Churches holy, and makes God eſteeme them ſo, which though they be not capable of Grace yet they receive by their Conſecration a ſpirituall power, whereby they are made fit for Divine Service, and being conſecrated, there is no danger in aſeribing a holineſie unto them.
21. Totall and finall Apoſtacy from Grace. Predeſtination a deſperate Doctrine Reſiſting of Grace.
BIſhop Mountague in his Appeale, pag. 29. 30, 31. Ex Artic. 16. After that wee have received the Holy Ghoſt we may depart away from Grace. Till the Church expound otherwiſe, it is as free for me to take it according to the Letter, as for you to deviſe a figure. The Article inſiſteth on men juſtified, after Grace received; challenged it was in this ſenſe as unſound at the Conference at Hampton Court, but defended, maintained avowed, averred for true, ancient, juſtifiable, good and Catholike by the greateſt Biſhops and Learnedſt Divines then living in this Church againſt that abſolute irreſpective neceſſitating and fatall decree of your new Predeſtination; ſtiled then and there by Biſhop Bancroft in publike audience with much vehemency without any Checke, diſlike, diſtaſt, diſſent (for we reade of none) a deſperate doctrine of Predeſtination. At what time alſo that Reverend Prelate and moſt accompliſht Divine Dr. Overall Biſh. of Norwich, &c. ſaid, That a juſtified man might fall away from Grace, and ſo ipſo facto incurre Gods wrath; and was in ſtate of wrath and damnation untill he did recover againe, Pag. 33. Can your Learning and underſtanding make any other Conſtruction of theſe words then, That a man may fall away from Grace, and become no Child of God at all. This is ſpoken, and meant. Not only of totall lapſe for a time, but alſo of finall ſeparation, and for ever.
Pag. 37. I ſee no reaſon why I might not have beene as confident in maintaining falling away from Grace, as you and your Divines are upon weaker grounds in defending the contrary.
Pag. 60. I muſt confeſſe my diſſent through and ſincere from the faction of Novelizing. Puritans, but in no one point more than in this their deſperate Doctrine of Predeſtination, Vide pag. 50. and 70. 71. &c. to like purpoſe. Pag. 72. Id. It is not in reaſon probable, that you ſhould have the doctrin of the Church on your ſide againſt Maſter Mountague—For the Church holdeth and teacheth punctually, and that againſt the Opinion and with the diſlike of the Learnedeſt of your ſide that Faith, true juſtifying Faith once had may be loſt and recovered againe: that a man endued with Gods holy Spirit and enlightened with the heavenly light may looſe that holy Spirit, have that light put out, become like unto Saul and Iudas.
Pag. 89. If a man juſtified may fall away from Grace, which is the Doctrine of the Church of England, then without queſtion hee may reſiſt the grace of God offered.
Pag. 214. It is an foreign of your other ſingularity, That Faith once had cannot be loſt totally and for ever.
Edmond Reeve, pag. 13. Mar. The Church ſignifyeth, that it is poſſible for ſuch as are made the Members of Chriſt to become the members of the Devill, if they take not due care.
Pag. 64. Seeing then that ſome have periſhed which have beene pronounced to have beene in the number of Gods Elect.
Shelfords five Treatiſes. pag. 187. Such as ſhall fall double, from leſſe and from greater grace and never riſe, for ſuch Juſtice hath a double due, a naturall and a ſupernaturall death; ſeated not only in paenâ damni, but in paenâ ſenſus, which the torments of hell fire afford.
22. That there is univerſall Grace and Redemption, and no abſolute Reprobation.
THis having beene formerly touched, in the Evidence concerning Arminianiſme, wee ſhall bee the briefer in it here. Edmond Reeve writes thus; page 19. 20. Whereby doth God the Father draw all mankind unto Chriſt?
Anſ. Holy Church doth ſignifie it unto us, where it ſaith, that Almighty God doth ſhew unto all that be in error the light of his truth, to the intent they may returne into the way of Righteouſneſſe. St. Iohn ſaith, Chriſt is the light that lighteth every man which commeth into the world. Many Scriptures more declare that God is mercifull to univerſall mankinde, not willing the death of a ſinner, &c. as the Divine ſervice teacheth, and informeth us. The which Doctrine of hers as ſundry more, though we in our youngneſſe of Chriſtian knowledge do not underſtand; yet are we to believe alſo & to know, that the Fathers which ſet forth the divine ſervice did perfectly underſtand, like as alſo we are to beleive, that the Fathers of the Church now and alwayes doe in the great Myſtery of Godlineſſe comprehend many things which the Common people doe not; yea alſo ſome things which Miniſters of the inferrior Order, as Prieſts, Paſtors, and Teachers do not apprehend, who are therefore to bee guided in Divinity by thoſe moſt reverend and right reverend Fathers in God, and not to ſay that ſuch and ſuch ſayings in the Communion Booke are untrue, becauſe they underſtand them not.
Page 60. Saint Paul ſaith, That he gave himſelfe a ranſome for all; hee died for univerſall mankind: Againe the death of Chriſt is available for the redemption of all the world.
Page 61. Whereas it is ſaid by ſome, that Chriſt died not for Vniverſall mankind efficiently or effectually, namely for ſuch as periſh, they conſider not what the Scripture ſignifieth Chriſt to have done, yet hee did it not in phantaſy, but in reality, in every deed.
Page 66. 67. How could the Church ordaine and require for to be ſaid unto every particular member of hers in the Communion. The Body of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt which was given for thee, &c. if any one of them were abſolutely reprobated, 1. c. from all eternity unconditionally decreed to bee damned in Hell fire everlaſtingly.
The Booke intituled, Gods love to mankind; and Doctor Jack ſons Divine Eſſence and Attributes, part. 1. are profeſſedly written, to juſtifie univerſall Grace and Redemption.