A80635:130
Some treasure fetched out of rubbish
Some treasure fetched out of rubbish: or, Three short but seasonable treatises (found in an heap of scattered papers), which Providence hath reserved for their service who desire to be instructed, from the Word of God, concerning the imposition and use of significant ceremonies in the worship of God. viz. I. A discourse upon 1 Cor. 14.40. Let all things be done decently and in order. Tending to search out the truth in this question, viz. Whether it be lawful for church-governors to command indifferent decent things in the administration of God's worship? II. An enquiry, whether the church may not, in the celebration of the Sacrament, use other rites significative than those expressed in the Scripture, or add to them of her own authority? III. Three arguments, syllogistically propounded and prosecuted against the surplice: the Cross in Baptism: and kneeling in the act of receiving the Lord's Supper.Some treasure fetched out of rubbish: or, Three short but seasonable treatises (found in an heap of scattered papers), which Providence hath reserved for their service who desire to be instructed, from the Word of God, concerning the imposition and use of significant ceremonies in the worship of God. viz. I. A discourse upon 1 Cor. 14.40. Let all things be done decently and in order. Tending to search out the truth in this question, viz. Whether it be lawful for church-governours to command indifferent decent things in the administration of God's worship? II. An enquiry, whether the church may not, in the celebration of the Sacrament, use other rites significative than those expressed in the Scripture, or add to them of her own authority? III. Three arguments, syllogistically propounded and prosecuted against the surplice: the Cross in Baptism: and kneeling in the act of receiving the Lord's Supper.
London : s.n., printed in the year, 1660
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
These figurative Ordinances then were Signs of the Covenant, teaching what duty man owed to God, and assuring back again what favour they had with God: And when the Apostle, speaking of Levitical Service,1 which stood only in Meats, and Drinks, and diverse washings, and carnal Ordinances, imposed on them until the time of Reformation,2 calleth them figures for the time then present; doth he not in effect say they were Sacraments? The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, is called a Sacrament, or a Sacramental Precept,3 by many excellent and worthy Divines, as it did signify to Man, that he should have experience of good, so long as he continued in Obedience, and of evil or misery if he did disobey; and as it was a Sign whereby he was admonished of his mutability, and tried in his Obedience: But if forbearance of the Tree of Knowledge was an Act Sacramental, much more Abstinence from such Me•ts as by the Law were forbidden unto the Israelites. Nor shall we need to fear the force of the Jesuit, insulting over Protestants by this Objection; viz. If Sacraments be only Signs, then the Crucifix is a better Sign to signify the death of Christ than the Sacraments. For we acknowledge our Sacraments not bare Signs of God's Promise, or significations of Man's Duty; but holy Seals of what he promiseth to us, and we by stipulation promise back again unto him. And this the Jesuit himself doth and cannot but acknowledge, howsoever impudently against Conscience he imputes unto us his own device for our Doctrine: But we may further tell this Romish Proctor, that a Crucifix made to teach by proportion or resemblance, that Christ dyed for our sins, or that God gave his Son to suffer death for our Redemption, is a Sacrament, or a sacramental Sign, signifying by special Representation, though false and erroneous, because it is devised by man, not ordained by God: The greatest Defenders of mystical Signs, distinguish them into moral and sacramental; which differ (say they) from the former, both as the Sacramental are significant by special Representation, and as they are obsignant by ratifying and applying of God's Covenant ⟨p. 49⟩