Altars Altar, Table of contents
The principall Points delivered in this ſhort Apologeticall Treatiſe.
1 Concerning the Communion-Table, falſly termed an Altar, what manner of furniture is forbidden, as being ſuperſtitious, where it muſt be placed, and how covered. pag. 1.
2 D. Hall againſt innovations and bravery in Gods worſhip, contrary to the doctrine of Durhamers, B. Neale and his Chaplains, Coſin, Lindſell, &c. p. 2.
3 Bernard againſt the vanity of ſuch which preferre the glory of materiall Temples before poore-Chriſtians, the Temples of the Holy Ghoſt, as Durhamers doe. p. 2.
4 B. Motton out of Hierome and Malachy againſt ſumptuous ornaments. p. 3.
5 The Homilies, and Hemingius, concerning true and falſe ornaments of Churches. p. 3.
6 Bernard, Auguſtin, &c. againſt the ſtatelines of Temples, & gawdy ornaments, eſpecially at the Sacraments, which hinder devotion. p. 4.
7 Hierome of the riches; brave furniture, and muſicke in Solomons Temple, not in ſynagogues nor to be imitated in Chriſtian Churches, into which Pope Vitalian was the firſt that brought Organs. p. 5.
8 Athanaſius, Conſtantine the great, Baſil of Church-muſicke, and Pſalmes. Vitalian hindred preaching with his piping and chancing, as ſome of our Prelates do now. p. 6.
9 Juſtine Martyr and the whole Primitive Church retained the ſinging of Pſalmes, but they abandoned Pipers and Chanters: and though David ordained inſtruments of muſicke for the Temple, yet we may not imitate them no more then we can Aaronicall Veſtments. p. 7.
10 Our Church ordaineth, that all things be done to edification: but by immoderate muſicke, both Service and Sacraments are worſae underſtood, and turned to theatricall ſtage-playes. p. 8.
11 Durhamers would not ſuffer the Sacrament of Baptiſme to be miniſtred without an hideous noiſe of Organs and ſingers, with the ſight alſo of many brave images on the Font. But our Homilies teach that we muſt praiſe God that our Churches are quit of images and organs. p. 9.
12 The Church of England termeth Images, Organs, Altars, profanations and heatheniſh abominations, yet Durhamers retaine and maintain them ſtoutly. p. 10.
13 They bow down often and profoundly before their Alter … toward the Bible, or the body and bloud of Chriſt in the conſecrated Elements, as if the Altar were holler then Chriſts body, and the Bible, yet they ſay they worſhip God, not the Altar: the ſecond Commandement and B. Buckeridge: each otherwiſe. p. 10.
14 B. Neals Chaplains, Coſin, Linſell, James, Duncan, &c. call bowing to the Altar a comely geſture, and they practiſe it very often, and profoundly, eſpecially at their coming in and going out, is if they would ſalute God, making a low leg before they kneel down to pray: and when they have done prayer, going out of the Church, turn back to look on the Altar, towards which they make another profound leg, taking as it were their leave of God, and departing from God, whom they leave at the Altar. A moſt abſurd foolery. p. 12.
15 There was never in the world a more abominable idoll then Durham Altar. p. 14.
16 Chriſt upon earth was never ſo worſhipped by bowing down of bodies as Durham Altar hath been. When it was a table ſtanding in the midſt it was as holy as now, yet then it was never bowed unto. p. 15
17 D. Coſin & his fellows which obtruded to the Church ſuch fanatical and idolatrous ornaments, are they not ſeditious innovators? p. 16.
18 May not the people of Durham be exhorted to communicate in their own Pariſh Churches, as the Law commands them: and forbeare to communicate in the Cathedrall Church, where it is not rightly adminiſtred? yet this is a principall objection against me in their Durham and Yorke Articles and Cenſure. p. 16.
19 The repreſentation of the death and paſſion of Chriſt is an action of humiliation, of ſorrow and weeping. Why then ſhould our Cathedrall Prieſts of Durham, pompouſly and gloriouſly attired in ſumptuous Copes imbroidered with images, come to a brave painted Altar with Pipers and Singers, making delicate melody, in ſuch a time of humiliation? p. 18.
20 Such objects of vanities allure the peoples eyes, eares, …and minds from ſorrowfull meditations of our Saviour Chriſt his death on the croſſe, and our ſinnes which cauſed the ſame: for which we can never ſufficiently teſtifie our thankefulneſſe, by afflicting our ſelves with mourning and teares. p. 19.
…2 God is angry with us for our ſinnes, which deſerve eternall condemnation, if he ſhould enter into judgment with us. Therefore we muſt not turne our mourning into merriment, when we would pacific our angry Iudge. p. 20.