AN INTRODUCTION

A COURSE OF LECTURES

EARLY FATHERS,
SOW

IN DELIVERY IN

THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE.

Rev.

J.

0*

BY ?E

jr

BLUNT,

MARGARET PROFESSOR OF

B.D.,

DIVINITY.

CAMBRIDGE:
PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS;

FOR

J.

&

J. J.

DEIGHTON, TRINITY STREET;

AND

JOHN W. PARKER, LONDON.

M.DCCC.XL.

AM induced

ture,

nearly as

Lec-

to publish the following

it

was delivered as the

Intro-

duction to a Course of Lectures on the Early

Fathers

under the impression, that

will

it

stand in the stead of a Syllabus, (which

me
whom

would be inconvenient

to

serve to inform those

to

know

Lectures,

them;

it,

it

may

spirit

the lecture-room;

and

extends,

it

likely

govern

to

me

from

out

of

that, so far as its cir-

may

calling the attention of

have the

Churchmen

which ruled the Reformers

vision of our

concern

misconstruction

or

ciple

may

perhaps protect

misrepresentation

culation

it

and

of the subject and plan of the

and the

that

to prepare,)

it

effect

to

of

a prin-

in their re-

Church, and succeeding Divines

in their defence of her.

LECTURE,

GENTLEMEN,
I

gence whilst

MUST bespeak your indul-

say a few words on the

cumstances under which

am

cir-

about to deliver

before you a course of Lectures

and on the

nature and subject of them.

Until the Margaret Professorship of Divinity

became actually vacant by the death of the

distinguished Prelate

was

called

up

for the chair,

of

the

to

who

last

held

it,

and

Cambridge as a candidate

and looked

endowment,

into the conditions

was

adequately

not

aware of the character or extent of the duties

it

imposes.

On

perusing however the deed

by which the Margaret Professor

I

could

is

bound,

not but see that a state of things

was contemplated by the Foundress very

ferent

from that which now obtains

dif-

residence

in the University, almost throughout the year

studies

nearly unintermitted

the directors of those studies

1

the professors,

hours, at their

6
disposal

attendance at lectures, perhaps com-

pulsory; the age of the pupils, tender; their

moderate

attainments,
costly

accordingly

some work on

books,

and

scarce

the Professor was to read

approved

theology,

by

the

week after week, and

term after term; and if to comment on it at
all, his comment we must suppose to be such
authorities of the time,

as would be consistent with perhaps a fort-

(such

night's preparation,
interval

tween

which

his

lectures,)

rence and

and

his

a duty of

little

the

whole

would sometimes elapse be-

election
for

being

commencement of

almost daily recur-

cessation.

It is clear, therefore, that at a period

the University

for

is

the year deserted;

son,

when

a considerable part of

its

pursuits, for the

sea-

suspended; when again College-lectures

more than co-ordinate with public

are

tures;
age,

when

free

the students are

men

lec-

of mature

from constraint, and of great

ac-

quirements; when books are cheap and abundant, and as accessible to the hearers as to

the lecturer
the

it

is

clear,

say,

when

times are thus changed, there must be

made some corresponding change

tem of the lectures; and that
to

that

adhere

strictly

dation-deed, would

for a Professor

to the letter

be

to

in the sys-

of the foun-

render

his

office

circumstances

cases,

in

other

must modify the

inter-

In this case,

utterly nugatory.

as

become out

pretation of injunctions that are

of date

and the

looked

For though

to.

good maxim

man

of them be

spirit

England,

for

himself

finds

may be

it

very

whenever

that

nothing

with

chiefly

to

he

do,

should plant a tree; the precept would

tually

be

direct

infraction,

followed

best

and

its

a similar

in

there,

if

vir-

Canada by

in

event, he should cut one down.

now be

Certainly the Lectures must

nal; for

ever

it

it

is

read books, (what-

in vain to

might have been of old

scripts,)

origi-

to

which the press affords

read manu-

freely to all

they must be well considered; for the audi-

ence now, are

milk

men

meat, not babes for

for

they must be so timed, as to

with the habits of the University,

fall

the

in

resi-

dence of the members, and the convenience

of

many

frequent,
tite

fellow- workers

they

must

be

s/)

as to minister to the utmost appe-

of the hearers, which the

skill,

zeal

and

learning of the Professor can have the good

fortune to create

and

yet,

(must

not add,

without any desire to spare the labour of the

party interested?)

they

as not to defeat their

must be

own

so limited,

end, and the in-

tentions of the Foundress, either

by drawing

12

8
time and patience

on the

extravagantly

merely voluntary auditors

by

or

of

reducing

the lecturer himself to betray signs of weakness and exhaustion.

With these impressions of the

any case

of the trust, I should in

difficulties

and

duties

have approached the delivery of a course of

much

lectures here, with

misgiving

and have

claimed some allowance for novelty of position

in

and,

might be,

it

my own

trial

of nerve

actual case, a feeble state of health

more

of late, has rendered such allowance the

because

needful,

fered with

the

have made,

to

excuse

provision

on

inter-

might otherwise

me

confident

feel

ensure

to

your part;

all

if

till,

it

fair

that

me

to

more numerous
less imperfect,

duce now
will

and

offer
(if

to
it

shall

please

well,)

and

I shall

pro-

be thought

mean

you
appearance amongst

that in the

my

shall

your notice lectures

than those which

conclude from

forbear-

God, longer time and greater strength

enable

with

This personal allusion you

and

deal

meet the demands on

have said enough

ance

has a good

it

a better grace.
will

but

while,

you as lecturer already, that any disposition

to

flinch

from the resolute and effective

charge of an
undertaken,

office,
is

which

dis-

have deliberately

the last wish of

my

heart.

.9

When
perfect,

however,

am

been written

they

are

in

truth

ample

leisure

have

very

from

and

been

far

afforded,

many

of

results

though,

reading

systematic

years

the

mean

to

to deliver,

about

in heat or haste

im-

less

would not be understood

that those which I

it

said lectures

had

should have

given them perhaps a different shape before

I

ventured to produce them, yet

am

not sure

whether what might thus have been gained

in

and unity

the comprehensiveness

of the

whole, would not have been more than balanced

by what would have been

lost in the

absence

of that which was individual and characteristic in

my
making my

the details; and whether therefore

time will not be better spent in

present plan (the effect of accident and design,)

complete, than in devising any other instead

of

it.

To
more

explain to you, however,

specifically.

It is this

my

purpose

to set before

the substance of the Fathers of the three

you
first

centuries after Christ ; the substance, as I shall

have gathered

it

perusal of them

for

myself by
fact

which

my own
I

actual

do not refer to

as a boast; but as a pledge for the trustwor-

thiness of
spirit

what

offer

and freshness of

and

my

had been communicated

to

for the

greater

matter, than if

you

at

it

second or

10
third hand.

shall take the Fathers succes-

sively in their order; submitting to

and body of each

pith

much

abridged; but

seem

passages as

and

some portions of them

of them, especially such

have a peculiar value

to

and, as

force, literally,

fully translated

you the

faith-

believe,

shall introduce from time

such observations as suggested them-

to time

have occurred

selves whilst I read, or

may

since, or

me

strike

hereafter,

me

to

which bear,

on the canon of Scripture; the text of Scripture

the interpretation of Scripture

the doctrines and

controversy;

Churches

the

evidences

Christianity in general

the like

indeed

the

of

of

truth

infidel objections

and

the plan I had sketched in

mind, and to which

alluded,

had there been time

was,

have

the

points of

discipline

for

my own
to

drawn

to

execute

it,

the

substance of

first

centuries into

out

Fathers of the three

have already

these and similar general- heads, and to have

submitted them to you in that reduced form

instead

of

taking

you

along

with

me,

as

must now do if I can, through each of

them in succession.
At the same time, it
I

is

not

to

be

denied,

that

the

latter

plan,

which necessity rather than choice causes

to adopt,

will

me

have the advantage of convey-

ing to you the more

complete idea of these

11

and probably

writers themselves;

upon

far graft the other

as to conclude

it,

so

shall

my

investigation of each Father in detail, with

summary review of
upon the

as they tell

writings,

his

several questions I

or others akin to them.

have enumerated,

In either case

my

object would be, to give

cover

we can

it

subsisted

three hundred years after Christ

of great interest at every season

moment

dis-

the comparatively few authors which

remain of that age, as

first

my

hearers a notion

of the state of religion, so far as

it iji

of the greatest;

when

for

the

a period

and

at this

some
becom-

to possess

knowledge of the Primitive Church

is

ing more and more imperative; and learning,

strictly ecclesiastical,

slumbering,

necessity

of

is

How

once again.

which has so long been

asserting

curious are the

itself

ways of

may suppose
God fetches his

Providence in bringing what we

its

ends to pass

How

"

The

purposes about

says Souths

are as

as

far

contrivances of heaven,"

much above

beyond our arithmetic."

our politics,

There was need

perhaps of some revival of the Church of England; of some greater and more general know-

kingdom of the principles

on which it was constructed, and of its inestimable worth
a knowledge which when
ledge throughout the

'

Vol.

I.

p. 227.

Oxf. Ed.

12
once dispersed, would prepare the way

for its

adequate extension, and more hearty support.

The admission

of

Roman

the

Catholics

to

greater political power; a measure, on which

this is not the time or place to offer

an opinion,

and indeed the

we cannot

of which

issues

even yet foresee, has at least had this effect;

it

has given occasion to questions of contro-

versy precisely such as

demand an

acquaintance with antiquity to

more

sent divines once

to their

intimate

settle

it

has

books; to the

writings of the Fathers, which had almost been

suffered to perish out of

remembrance

copies

of their works, now so costly, having fallen

more than a waste paper price

to little

it

has

brought us back into something of the same

position our reformers occupied

gulated our Church

SO are

have

lost

one shaft

shoot his fellow of the self-same flight

The

To

self-same way, with

more advised watch.

find the other forth/'

we now guided by passing

ward the resources they drew from

better

to

them

and

re-

and as

When we

We

when they

appreciate the
to

they

are led

made

of

understand once again, as a na-

tion, the definite

of England

use

events to-

ground on which the Church

rests

ground,

defenders must not, like the

from which her

men

of Ai, be

;;

13

tempted

descend,

to

many

against her

But before

adversaries successfully.

proceed further in the deve-

my

lopement of

would contend

they

if

present plan,

must observe,

that I have no notion of good divines being

made by attendance on
whatever those lectures
short road to sound

a course of lectures,

may

be.

There

no

is

knowledge of any kind

and the theologian can only be formed

the silence of his

own

study,

in

and by the per-

severing application, under God's blessing, of

his

own powers
Haud

true of the approach to every thing that

is still

is

facilem esse viam voluit,

valuable

and no Jewel or Sanderson or

Bull will again

fession

arise,

divinity,

is

till

shall

bodily to the mastering of

men whose

up

give themselves
it,

and be content

be ignorant of much besides; *'know

no more"

pro-

to

to

know

urge this with great earnestness

on the students of the University, not with a

view

to interfere with their pursuits here,

to direct

them

hereafter; because nothing is

more common than

cious

to

observe the

many

pre-

away in the
who take orders

years which are thrown

by those
from school and college, with the

outset of their career

when

but

fresh

powers of their minds at the

best, their habits

14
of study not yet impaired, and their knowledge
of the learned languages

still

untarnished by

disuse and the lapse of time, they have

means

the

all

that can be desired for advantageously

following a course of reading

(why not

that of

the Fathers of the Ante-Nicene Church?) at

command; and

their

surely should follow it;

instead of wasting their strength, as they

so often do, on this

which happens
this

to

be the newest of the day

comment upon

spring perhaps of

volume of sermons or

now
that,
;

on

scripture or that, the off-

little

thought and

less

know-

ledge; on this controversial pamphlet or that,

by authors who may or may not be

qualified by temper and attainments for such
written

whilst

investigations;

in

wandering

through

this

limbo of theology they usually spend the

first

eight or ten years of their clerical lives,

(if

not the whole of them;)

till

possibly awa-

by some accident to the

necessity of having some broad principles of
their own to go upon, and some grounds on
kened

which

at

to

length

found them, they are led to approach

those primitive authorities, which they should

have repaired

to

long before

but with

the

disadvantage of their Greek and Latin damaged

by the

interval,

and

powers of steady

their

application greatly decayed.

substitute

for the personal

Lectures are no

exertion

to

which

15
I

thus point; but this they

may

sharpen the appetite

they

may

curiosity

their

may

for

effect; they

such a labour;

the hearers with such an

furnish

acquaintance with an
late

may

may

author as

for

stimu-

one more intimate

them some notion of the treasures accessible to them, which they have
hitherto disregarded
they may satisfy them
they

give

that

a mine of argument on this interesting

and debateable topic and on

and such a quarter unexplored by them

when they

such

that, lies in
;

and

leave the University with the impulse

of such lectures upon them, they

to their curacies or their livings,

lution of losing

no time

intentions in force;
to boast of a clergy,

discretion,

may

retire

with the reso-

to begin to put their

and our Church

will

have

who can defend her with

having been long accustomed to go

round about her,

to tell

her towers and

mark

well her bulwarks.

I

so

consider

much

to

it

then conducive to these ends

be desired, that our young divines

should be directed to turn their attention, next

after the Scriptures, to the Primitive

Fathers;

not with blind allegiance, as authorities to which

they must in
as

is

state

due

all

things bow, but with such respect

to the only witnesses

we

have, of the

and opinions of the Church immediately

after the Apostles' times;

and such as the Church

"

16

England herself encourages.

of

could dispute

this,

who

venerable antiquity

considered

it

indeed

what

of

the substance

is

who compared

ritual;

Who

of her

numerous places

in

with short and incidental fragments of a primitive one, to the

with

it

same

effect,

and often

identical

be gathered by a care-

in expression, to

reader out of these earliest writers^

ful

who

an interesting paper in the " Tracts for the

Times/' (Vol. i. No. 34,) on the hints which the New Testa^

ment

There

is

"a minute
even contemporaneous with the Apostles. In 1 Cor. xi.
2
16, where the wearing of hair, long or short, covered or
uncovered, is touched on, reference is made to the " custom
affords if carefully examined, of the existence of

ritual/'

of the church. Again, the woman was to have her head

covered " because of the angels," whatever this reason might

be

it

was of a

practical nature, intelligible to the congregation

Again, houses of prayer are hinted

at, as perhaps
from mere dwelling-houses, in v. 22, " have ye not
houses to eat and drink in? or despise ye the church of God.'*"
Possibly Acts ii. 46, viii. 3, and xvi. 13, may have a similar
meaning. Mosheim, De Rel. Christian, ante Constant, p. 117;
and Bishop Pearson (On the Creed, Art. ix.) would seem
In 1 Cor. xiv, l6,
to say 1 Cor. xi. 18, and Acts xi. 26.

at Corinth.
distinct

there
after

is

a passing allusion to the use of the word Amen,

In 1 Cor. x. l6, to a con" the cup of blessing which we bless."

the Eucharistical prayer.

secration of the cup,

In Acts

xiii.

to point to

2,

the term XeiTovp'^ovvrtavj ministering, seems

the XeiTovpyla of the primitive Church.

Some
To

other passages are also produced in the

same Tract.

these might have been added the use of the

word "unlearned,"

(1 Cor. xvi. l6, rov idiioTov), the party

i.e.

who was

to say

Amen;

the people or laymen, as distinguished from the ecclesi-

astic

who

offered the prayer.

" St Paul himself," as Hooker

says, (B. v. c. 77^ 2,) in reference to this text, "dividing the

body of the Church of Christ into two moieties, nameth the

one part llmra.^, which

is

as

much

as

to say the order of

looked to the ancient liturgies in which such

fragments are embodied

the laity

and which have so

we

the opposite part whereunto

order of God's clergy."

And

furnished in Acts

same kind

is

contains a

summary of

Tepovvre^

(1) tj/ 3<3ai^r/ twi/ aTroa-ToXwv,

(3)

K\d<Tei

KCLi

omnia

ii.

42,

if,

Mosheim

as

the primitive service

TOV apTov, (4) Kai TttK

fallunt, aut

term the
example of the

in like sort

again, another

thinks,

(2) Ka\ Trj

TTjOoo-eu^a??.

Koivcov'ia,

Aut me

Lucas, distincte omnes partes

S.

divini

Mo-

cultus in caetu Hierosolymitano enumeravit his verbis.

sheim's

comment then

follows,

(De

it

^(ravhi irpoa-Kap^

Rel. Christian, ante

Con-

which should be consulted.

New Testament we advance to
those of the earliest Fathers, we shall have still more glimpses
at such " a minute primitive ritual," though as the Cliurch at
that period used much reserve in speaking of its sacraments and
ordinances amongst catechumens and infidels, only imparting
the nature and method of them to converts about to be bapstant, p. 113,)

If from the writings of the

tized,

there are fewer allusions of this kind perhaps in the

primitive Fathers than might have been expected

and such

as

there are generally bear evidence of being addressed to persons

who were

familiar with the subject,

enough.

Still

and

shall here

authors

The

fullest

of Justin Martyr,
its

we have

account

65, 66,

67

it

is

any very ancient

in

is

says, the

the Epistles

De

i.

Law, the Prophets, the Gospels, and

a Sermon

Praescript. Haeret. 36. p. 215,)

a Litany

to enforce the Scriptures thus read

eveiTo dvifTTaixeQa

Koivrj

7rai/T6?, koi eJ^ct?

the people responding with an

and

Amen

the giving of alms.

in

the

which

Tre'/jiTrojuei/

ment of the Eucharist, where the priest alone

er,

in the Apolog.

too long to insert here

features are, reading the Gospels or the Prophets

(Tertullian

the elements

a word was
amply sufficient

writer of the public service of the Christians,

amongst

whom

I will mention a few

the rather, because
have a popular example of the value of these

for our purpose.

we

for

there are traces of such a ritual

offers

the

up

all join,

sacra-

the pray-

distribution of

This Liturgy was cer-

Form of' Prayer. Clemens Alexandrinus speaks

of the congregation " having one common voice and one mind,"
tainly a settled

TO dBpoKTfAa Tmv ra?? eJ^a?c

dvaKeifxevwv, fxiav (acTrep ey^ov (puvtjv

TVIV

18

many

common

features in

where

(even

the

churches which used them were remote from

Ttjv Koivi]Vy Kai fxlav

Strom.

<yv(afxrjv.

inobsequens servus,

filius

Cyprian con-

VII. 6, 848.

demns the use of any unauthorised form

in public worship,

impius, frater inimicus, contemptis

Dei sacerdotibus derelectis, constituere audet aliud

altare, precem alteram illicitis vocibus facere." DeUnitat. Eccles.
p. 200. He forbids any extempore prayer in the congregation,
"et quando in unum cum fratribus convenimus, et sacrificia
episcopis, et

divina

cum Dei

memores

sacerdote celebramus, verecundiae et disciplinae

debemus, non passim ventilare preces nostras

inconditis vocibus."
De Orat. Dominic, p. 205. Hippolytus
esse

enumerates amongst the catastrophes that will accompany the

consummation of all things,

fjLcohla

this, Xeirovpyta a-fSeadtjtreTat, \f/aX~

iravdricrerai, dvdyvbio-i'i

twv

ypa(p<av ovk

l<raKov<rdtj(r'rat.

De Consumm. Mundi, 34. Some of the subjects of the general

Liturgy may be picked up thanksgivings for our " creation"

" for the means of our preservation " " for the qualities of di^'
for the changes of the seasons"
vers kind of things,"
" for
our restoration to immortality through faith." J ustin Apolog. i.
"
for those in authority
13. Prayers for " the Emperors
ministris
eorum
ac potestatibus,) " for the
under them" (pro
good of the commonwealth" "for quiet Xxmes" "for time to
prepare for the end" TertuUian. Apolog. 39 "for our enemies" Justin Dialog. 35 " for such as do stand, that they

may

be strengthened, for those that fall, that they

up," (pro lapsis ut erigantur

may

be raised

pro stantibus, ut non ad ruinas

usque tententur). Cyprian. Ep. xxxi. p. 44.

The form of the Eucharistic Service was perfectly familiar
to Christians.

Irenaeus refers to

it

manner

in a

to convince

us of this, and at the same time furnishes us with a fragment of

it,

"We

ourselves too, they maintian,

Eucharist ek rou?

aZtoi/a?

rwi/ aiiovonv (in

lorum) signify these ^ons." L.

i. c. 3.

when we say at the

omnia saecula saecu-

miliar way, "

illas

manus quas ad Deum

laudando histrionem fatigare

Tertullian

1. p. 14.

alludes to the same or a similar passage in

it,

and in the

extuleris,

ex ore quo

'

amen

'

in

protuleris, gladiatori testimonium reddere! eU aliova^

alii

omnino

dicere, nisi

Deo

et Christo!"

De

like fa-

postmodum
sanctum
aiwvw

d-n'

Spectac. 25,

bespeak a settled form

one another) as

to

have

from the foundation of the

prevailed
Cyprian

p. 83.

us that the priest prepared the minds of

tells

the people for the service,

hearts

to

by exclaiming, "

" to which they replied,

^'

We

Lift

up your

them up unto the

lift

Lord."

Sacerdos ante orationem praefatione praemissa parat

fratrum

mentes

sursum

dicendo,

cor</a

respondet

plebs,

habemus ad Dominum. De Orat. Dominic, p. 213. Irenaeus

" hanc
refers to a form of giving thanks over the elements
:

oblationem Ecclesia sola puram offert Fabricatori, offerens

cum gratiarum

modo autem

actione ex creatura ejus;"

constabit

corpus esse Domini

c.

eis,

sui, et

eum panem

ei

and again: "quo-

in quo gratice actce sint,

calicem sanguinis ejus," &c.

L.

iv.

In the circular Epistle of the Church of

18. 4. p. 251.

Smyrna, preserved by Eusebius, and which contains an account of the martyrdom of Polycarp, he is represented as
saying, in his last prayer, " For this, and for all things, /
praise thee, I bless thee,

TOVTO

hid

KOI irepi irdvTtav

Euseb. B. H. L.

iv.

c.

glorify thee, through Jesus Christ."

<re alucOf are

15. p. 169.

v\o<yto, <re

ho^d^m. k.t.\.

laud with which the

Eucharistic service of the Church had probably rendered

him

familiar.

There was a stated form of Baptism, to which allusions are

made in a similar manner, i. e., as to a thing perfectly wellknown to Christians and we have here again fragments of
its substance.
Thus reference is made by TertuUian, to a
consecration of the water.
"Igitur omnes aquae de pristina
;

originis praerogativa

invocato Deo.

sacramentum consecrationis consequuntur,

Supervenit enim statim spiritus de

coelis,

et

aquis superest, sanctificans eas de semetipso; et ita sanctificatae

vim

sanctificandi combibunt."

Apart from

this,

aquae viduce,
tet

and

4. p.

De

Baptismo,

4.

p. 225.

by heathens, the waters were

226. Cyprian is still more explicit, " Oporas used

ergo mundari et sanctijicari

aquam

prius a sacerdote, ut

Baptismo suo peccata hominis qui baptizatur, abluere.

Ep. XXX. p. 125, (" Sanctify this water to the mystical washing

possit

away of

sin.")
The forehead of the party was signed with
the sign of the Cross at Baptism, " Leprae varietate in fronte

maculatus

est,

ea parte corporis notatus offenso

Domino

ubi sig-

nantur

20

But if this be not enough, call to

mind what were actually the directions by
Church?

nantur qui

Dominum promerentur"

writes Cyprian.

De

Unitat.

There were promises and vows exacted and responded to in Baptism according to a set form. Cyprian speaks of
interrogations put at Baptism, "sed et ipsa interrogatio quae fit in
Baptismo testis est veritatis. Nam cum dicimus, Credis in vitam
aeternam et remissionem peccatorum per sanctam ecclesiam,"
&c. Ep. Lxx. p. 125; and Tertullian, "vocati sumus ad miliiiam Dei vivi, jam tunc cum in sacramenti verba respondimus*'
Ad Martyr, 3, p. 138, ("manfully to fight under his banner,
and to continue Christ's faithful soldier"). The same author
speaks of these promises and vows, in the case of infants, being
undertaken by the sponsors,
quid enim necesse est, sponEccles. p. 201.

sores etiam periculo ingeri

quia et ipsi per mortalitatem desti-

tuere promissiones suas possunt."

With

renounced the
us,

De

Baptismo,

231.

18, p.

respect to the nature of them, one was, that the party

"ad

devil,

the pomps, and the world.

in lavacro, quae diabolo et

scilicet

Tertullian tells

spectacula pertinere renuntiationis nostrae testimonium

renuntiare ipsi,

pompce

et angelis ejus sint mancipata,

De

Spectac. 4, p. 74, "pactus es

et pompce, et angelis ejus." De Anima, 35,

per idolatriam."

The very word renuntio and pompa, is not accidental,

used again and again when the Fathers touch upon this

p. 291.

but

is

topic.

See Tertullian,

Foeminar.

2. p. 150.

De Idolatr.
De Spectac.

6. p. 88.

13. p. 79-

De Cultu
De Corona.

3. p. 102. Cyprian adds that the "world" was also resceculo renuntiaveramus cum baptizati
nounced at Baptism,
sumus." Ep. VI. p. 12. (" dost thou renounce the devil and
his works, the vain pomp and glory of this world T')
But besides promises and vows to renounce the devil, his
pomps, and the world, the party to be baptized had to make a
all

profession of his belief in the Christian faith, ("

fastly believe").

received at baptism," t6v Kavoua

Tov

ftairr'KrixaTO';

sted-

all this I

Irenaeus speaks of this "fixed canon offaith

elXri(pe.

I.

aquam

ingressi Christianam

mur."

De

Spectac.

4.

rrj^ d\ri6eia^ aKXivrj ...

9, 4.

fidem in

p. 74.

And

01/

Tertullian, "

legis suae

And Clemens

lia

cum

verba profile^
Alexandrinus

talks of a rule of faith or creed, as a form, with

which the

:;

21

Cranmer and his colleagues

be guided when they prepared the

M^hich Archbishop

were to

Church was perfectly familiar, calling it rrjv ofioXoylav rriv it pot

Strom. VII. 15, p. 887*
tlixatj and Tov ]LKK\r]<Tia<TTiK6v xavova.

The

substance of this canon or creed thus professed, Irenaeus

and

gives

stles'

Creed.

it

will be found to differ but little from the Apo" The Church, though dispersed over the whole

world, received from the Apostles and from their disciples a

belief in

one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and

and in one Jesus

seas, and all things in them
Son of God, who was incarnate for our salvation
the Holy Ghost, who spake by the prophets of the dis^

and the

earth,

Christ, the

and

in

pensation, (or perhaps incarnation,) the advents, the birth of a

virgin, the passion, the resurrection

from the dead, and the bodily

ascension into heaven, of the beloved Jesus Christ our Lord, and

coming again from heaven in the glory of the Father, to

all things, and to raise up all flesh of all mankind," &c.

his

restore
rj

fXfv

T7?

yup ExKA^a/a,

779

p.a6riTwu

OeoVf TOU (TapKwQevTa virep

TO

dyioVf

cAeucrti?,

eyeptxiv
Xrjxjytu

Old
Kat

eK

TOV

Twv
Tt]v

rrjv yrju, Kat

vCKpcov,

Irjaovv,

tiJ? rjfXTpa<; ffcoTrjp'iat'

irpocprjTiou

en

Ta\ da\daaat,

ek eua Kpiarov

koi

tt'kttiu'

neKtjpv^ot ra?

tjyaTrrjfxevov

Ttju

euaapKov

ek

tovi

Xpia-Tov Irjaov tov Kvplov

irdvTa

ko.)

tou viov tov

Kai

oiKOvofxla':,

Uapdevov yevvrimv, Kai to

Ka\

irepciTcou

kui riov eKelvoav

ek eua 0eoV, Ylurepa iravroKpaTopa tov

Ttiv

rou ovpauov^ Ka\

auTOK,

ev

olKovfXPr]<: foj?

irapci di Ttav 'Attoo-toXcui/,

irapaXa^uvaa

TreiroirjKora

rd

Ka'nrep Kud' oA;?

Zi<T'jrapijivr],

Tra^o?,

llvevpia

koi
koli

ovpavovt
tjpLwv,

toc
Ttjv

dvd-r

Kat tiju

tK Tiav ovpavtov iv rjy ^o^rj tov TlaTpo<: irapova-'iav avTOv, k.t.A.

The substance of this Regula Fidei, for so he calls

by Tertullian in two different places, and not in the
selfsame words in both, will be found much the same as that
of Irenaeus. The two places are, De Praescript. Haereticor. 13.
p. 206 ; and Adv. Praxeam. 2. p. 501
The former runs thus
" Unum omnino Deum esse, nec alium praeter mundi condiI. c.

it,

10, 1.

as given

torem

qui universa de nihilo produxerit, per verbum

suum

primo omnium demissum Id verbum Filium ejus appellatum,

in nomine Dei varie visum a Patriarchis, in Prophetis semper
auditum, postremo delatum ex Spiritu Patris Dei et virtute in
Virginem Mariam, carnem faptum in utero ejus, et ex ea.
:

natum


22

Book of Common Prayer in the second

year of King Edward the Sixth; and when
First

natum
gem,

Jesum Christum: exinde prsedicasse novam lenovam promissionem regni caelorum ; virtutes fecisse ;

egisse

et

fixum Cruci

tertia die resurrexisse

ad dextram Patris
credentes agat

misisse vicariam

in coelos

vim

ereptum sedisse

Spiritus Sancti, qui

venturum cum claritate, ad sumendos sanctos

promissorum coelestium fructum, et ad pro-

in vitae aeternae et

fanes adjudicandos igni perpetuo, facta utriusque partis resus-

cum carnis restitutione."

Form of Confirmation is also hinted at. TertuUian thus
" Dehinc manus imponitur, per benedictionem
speaks of it
citatione

advocans
p. 227.

et invitans Spiritvm

(" Defend,

Sanctum."

De

Baptismo,

8.

Lord, this thy child, with thy heavenly

he may continue thine for ever, and daily increase

Holy Spirit more and more.")
There is another hint respecting a Marriage Service; of
the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, following this rite ; and of
a benediction forming a part of it ; " Unde sufficiamus ad enarrandam felicitatem ejus matrimonii quod Ecclesia conciliate et

grace, that
in thy

conjirmat oblatio, et obsignat benedictio, et angeli renuntiant.

Tertull. ad Vxor.

Pater rato habet."

And

the

'Tax"

11. c. 8,

p. 171

of the Church, which the sick

man was

so anxious to obtain before death, and to which repeated

allusions are
is

traced,

made

in Cyprian (Ep. xii. p. 22,

Ep. xiv.

p. 24)

in the salutation, ''Peace be unto this house," re-

tained in our service for the Visitation of the Sick.

To

all this

may be added many customs

practised in the

Primitive Church, to be collected from these same authors,

marking an organized
prayer,

^having

ritual

such as turning to the East in

fixed times of prayer,

Wednesdays and Fri-

days appointed as fast-days, and other matters of a like kind,

which the length of this note forbids me from entering upon.

If we were to descend to the Apostolical constitutions, the
extracts by which our services would be shown to coincide in
many particulars with those of early times, would quite exceed the bounds I must prescribe myself. The date of those
documents is doubtful ; unquestionably much of them bears
internal evidence of being of the very

first

antiquity.

They

29

Popery, be

it

remembered, was the great abuse

against which they had to contend

may be

considered as a receptacle in which the ordinances,

rituals, &c.,

of the Primitive Church have, from time to time,

For the sake of those who are not acquainted

been deposited.

who

with this work, and

are not fully alive to the venerable

character of our Prayer-Book,

of many similar
*'

and against

I will set

down

a very few, out

parallels.

Almighty God, unto whom

-navroKpdrwp Ka\

/xoi/o?

all hearts he open, all desires

Kvpto^

known" &C. &C.

fiXeirerai Kaplla,
(piou

Trda-a 'yvfxvo(pavri<t

eudvfxtjfjia

Ka\ irdv Kpv-

diroKaXvyrTeTat.

VII. c. 33.

"And humbly we

beseech

thee, to grant that he,

dead unto

sin,

righteousness^

and

being

living nnto

and being buried

may

with Christ in his death,

crucify the old man,

and

ut-

whole body of
and that as he is made

terly abolish the

sin;

partaker of the death of thy

Son, he may also be partaker

of his resurrection.
" Glory be to God on high

and

in earth peace,

We praise thee,

towards men.

we

thee,

bless

thee,

we

good will

we worship
we give

glorify thee,

thanks to thee for thy great

glory,

0 Lord

king,

God

the

God, heavenly

Father

Al-

mighty.

"O

Lord, the only begot-

ten Son, Jesu Christ

Lord

God, Lamb of God, Son of

the Father, that takest
the

sins

away

of the world, have

22

24

which they had

They

make

to

own cause

their

good.

draw an

were these; that they should

order of divine worship, having respect to the

pure religion of Christ taught in the scripture,

and

Church^

the practice *of the Primitive

to

And accordingly when they had completed their

work, they recommended it to the people in
a preface which

is still

you have an order

retained, saying, "here

for Prayer, as

touching the

reading of Holy Scripture, much agreeable

mind and purpose of

the

Thou

mercy upon us.

takest away the
world,

receive

our

prai/er,

Thou that sittest at the right

hand of God the Father, have
mercy on us.
" For thou

In

the old Fathers.''

that

of the

sins

to

f^^;c

jeuvrjTf}';

<Tr\6wc
Ti/jLtj,

0ufl*ea)9,

ov

^i'

ijfjiav'

tov fSacroi

ho^a,

Ka) (re/Sa^. VII. C. 47

only, art holy

thou only art the Lord ; thou

only,

Christ, with the

Ghost, art most high

glory of

God

Holy

in

have mercy

Lord,

the

the Father.

upon

us," frequently repeated.

(p

irofxev,

Trpoa-cfxaueT,

XeycTO)

eXerjaov.
1

myself with referring

will content

places

in

these

constitutions,

Be tovtodv

eKda-Tto

S/aKoi/o?

to*:

Aaoc,

vpoei-

Kvpif

VIII. C. 6.

my

readers to other

which they may consult

for

10, where they will find many passages

of the Bidding Prayer (55th can.), and of the Litany. viii. c. 12,
where are many more passages of the Litany. and viii. c. 18,
compare with the Ordination Service.

themselves.

viii.

c.

Cardwell's Pref
King Edward VI. p.
^

to the
x.

Two Books

of

Common

Prayer of

25

another preface, that to the

Ordering of Deacons, we are

to all

ture

men

and

service

told, *'it is

diligently reading the

ancient authors, that

the

for

evident

Holy Scrip-

from the Apostles'

time there have been these orders of Ministers in Christ's

Church."

Article the language used

plainly repugnant

In the twenty-fourth
is this,

"

It is

a thing

the word of God,

to

and

the custom of the Primitive Church, to have public

prayer in the Church, or to minister the Sa-

craments

in

a tongue not understanded of the

Again, in her Commination Service,

people."

"Brethren," says she,

there

was a godly

''in the

Primitive Church

discipline, that at the begin-

ning of Lent such persons as stood convicted of

notorious sin, were put to open penance, and

punished

in this world, that their souls

might

be saved in the day of the Lord."

Further

in her

Homilies (these again

still

written very mainly to counteract popery, and

to

confirm the reformed

petually

made

Homily on

speak

both Greeks

to the Primitive

Salvation, "After

justified only

Christ,

faith,)

by
all

this true
the

old

reference

is

Church.

In the

this wise to

and

and

per-

be

lively faith in

ancient authors,

and Latins ^ In the Homily against

peril of Idolatry,

"Contrary

to the

which most

manifest doctrine of the Scriptures, and contrary

to the

usage of the Primitive Church, which was

26
the most pure and uncorrupt, and contrary to
the sentences and judgments of the most ancient, learned,

and godly doctors of the Church,

(as hereafter shall appear,) the

corruption of

these latter days hath brought into the

infinite multitudes of

same, *'Ye

Church

Again, in the

images."

have heard, well-beloved, in the

part of this Homily, the doctrine of the

first

word of God against idols and images, against

idolatry and worshipping of images, taken out
of the Scriptures of the Old Testament and
the

New, and confirmed by the examples

as

well of the Apostles, as of our Saviour Christ

himself.

Now

although

our

Saviour

Christ

taketh not or needeth not any testimony of

men, and that which

is

once confirmed

by

the certainty of this eternal truth hath no more

need of the confirmation of man's doctrine and

writings, than the bright sun at noon-tide hath

need of the light of a

away darkness, and

for

little

candle

to

put

to increase his light: yet

your further contentation,

it

shall in this

second part be declared (as in the beginning of

the

first

part

was promised,) that

this truth

and

doctrine concerning the forbidding of images

and worshipping of them, taken out of the

Holy

Scriptures, as well of the

as the

Old Testament

New, was believed and taught of the

old holy Fathers,

and most ancient learned doc-

27
tors,

and received

in the old Primitive Churchy

which was most uncorrupt and pure."

Homily on

Fasting, "Fasting,

Christ's assent,

and

is

by

then, even

a withholding of meat, drink,

natural food

all

In the

from the body,

And

determined time of fasting.

for the

that

was

it

used in the Primitive Church, appeareth most

evidently

the four

by the Chalcedon Council, one of

In the Hofirst general Councils."

mily concerning the Sacrament,

*'In respect of

which straight knot of charity, the true Christians in the Primitive Church called this supper.

Love
sit

none ought

as if they would say,

down

there that were not of love and charity.

This was their practice." In the same,

all things, this

that this

we must be

commanded
it

Church

"Before

sure of especially,

supper be in such wise done and

ministered, as our

used

to

to

Lord and Saviour did and

be done; as his Holy Apostles

and the good Fathers in the Primitive

frequented

Whitsunday, **The

it."

true

notes or marks, whereby

and sound doctrine

In

the

Homily

for

Church hath three

it

is

known

pure

the Sacraments ministered

according to Christ's holy institution

right use of ecclesiastical discipline.

and the

The

de-

Church is agreeable both to

the Scriptures of God, and also to the doctrine
scription of the

of the ancient Fathers, so that none

may

justly

28

Now

find fault therewith.

this with the

for the

will

compare

Church of Rome, not as

but as

in the beginning,

been

you

if

it is

it

was

presently, or hath

space of nine hundred years and

odd, you shall well perceive the state thereof

to

be so far wide from the nature of the true

Church, that nothing can be more." So clearly

does the Church of England,
to

purge herself of

her own revision,

when she had

popery and to make good
recommend us to search
and the Fathers of the

both the Scriptures

Primitive Church, by the language she adopts

in her Homilies.

Scarcely of less authority than these, as

representing the sentiments of our reformers,

was the Apology of Bishop Jewel

again, from

first

Romish

and here

the Defence of the

to last,

Church of England, a defence

bered, against the

still

be

it

remem-

party, proceeds on a

reference to Scripture and the Primitive Church,

*'Docemus sacrosanctum Dei Evangelium,

et

ve teres Episcopos, atque Ecclesiam Primi-

tivam,

nobiscum facere

causd,

et

discessisse,

tholicos

aut

ab

istis,

et

sed

(sc.

Roman^

ad Apostolos

Patres rediisse

vafre,

nosque non sine just^

bona

Ecclesia)

veteresque Ca-

idque non obscure,

fide,

coram Deo,

ingenu^, dilucid^, et perspicue facimus."

vere,

*'We

undertake to show that the most glorious Gospel

29

and the ancient bishops, and the Primi-

of God,

and that we have

Church
of Rome, and
not withdrawn from the
Church, are on our side

tive

returned

the

to

and

Apostles

Fathers, without a just cause

old

and

Catholic
this

we

shall do, not obscurely, or disingenuously, but

in

good

faith, as in the

presence of God, truly,

clearly, perspicuously."

Again

" Ita

furere videmur, et ab

illis

quasi quibus nihil

ticis,

Christo, nec

cum

quoniam

nos quoque,

traducimur pro

jam

rei

sit

istis

h^ere-

cum

nec

Ecclesia Dei, non alienum aut

inutile fore existimavimus,si aperte et libere pro-

ponamus fidem nostram in qud stamus, et omnem

illam spem, quam habemus in Christo Jesu, ut
omnes videre possint, quid nos de quaque parte
religionis Christianas sentiamus, et statuere se-

cum

ipsi possint,

an ea

fides,

quam videbunt

et

verbis Christi, et Apostolorum scriptis, et Catholicorum

Patrum

testimoniis,

multorum

et

lorum exemplis confirmatam, tantum

quaedam

hominum

hasreticorum."

furentium,

et

rabies

conspiratio

Wherefore, seeing that they

think us mad, and traduce us

who have no

sit

ssecu-

as

heretics,

longer anything to do with Christ,

Church of God, we have considered

not a useless undertaking, frankly and fully

or the

declare the faith in which

all

that hope

we stand

which we have

fast,

in Christ

it

to

and

Jesus


30
in order that all

may

be made aware what our

sentiments are upon every point of the Christian religion,

and so may be able

for themselves,

whether a

to determine

which they find

faith

confirmed by the words of Christ, the writings

of the Apostles, the testimonies of the Catholic
Fathe7's,

and the examples of many generations,

can be a mere delirium of raving men, or a

conspiracy of heretics."
nihil relinquent indictum,
falso et

quod

in nos,

Cumque
quamvis

calumniose dici possit, hoc tamen

non possunt dicere

Apos tolls
civisse.

Again

unum

nos vel a verbo Dei, vel ab

Christi, vel a Primitivd Ecclesid des-

Atqui nos

Christi, et

Apostolorum, et

Sanctorum Patrum Primitivam Ecclesiam, semper

eam dubitamus,
Arcam Noe, Sponsam Christi, columnam et

judicavimus esse CathoUcam ; nec

firmamentum

omnem

veritatis

salutis

appellare,

nostrse rationem

aut

ea

in

collocare."

"And, whereas they leave nothing unsaid which

can be urged against us, however false and
calumnious, this, at any rate, they cannot
assert, that

Word

we have withdrawn

either from the

of God, or from the Apostles of Christ,

or from the Primitive Church,

For we have

ever considered the Primitive Church of Christ

and the Apostles, and the Holy Fathers,

the Catholic Church
that the

Ark

nor do

we

to

be

scruple to call

of Noah, the Spouse of Christ,

31
the pillar and ground of the truth
in

it

the whole scheme of our salvation."

again,

Istorum vero

religio,

ita

si

exemplis Primitives

tarn

et

veteribus

Conciliis

antiqua

ex Antiquis Patri-

non probant?

Cur

causa tamdiu deserta jacet sine

vetus

patrono

Ecclesice,

And

cur earn ab

et vetus est, uti ipsi videri volunt,

bus,

or to place

Ferrum quidem

manum

habuerunt ad

tiquis et Patribus,

de

magnum

flamman semper

et

Conciliis

silentium''

their religion is so ancient as they

us suppose,

why do

they not prove

an-

" But

if

would have
it

examples of the Primitive Church, from

How

Fathers, from the old Councils?

vero

from the
the early
is it

that

a cause of such antiquity should be so long

Sword and

neglected, and without a patron?

faggot

they have always had at hand, but

touching ancient Councils and Fathers they

keep

still

Again

silence."

Postremo ab

Ecclesia ea discessimus quae nunc

est,

olim fuit; atque ita discessimus,

ut Daniel e

cavea leonum

ut tres

nec tam discessimus,

illi

non quce

pueri ex incendio

quam ab

devotionibus, ejecti sumus.

istis,

diris et

Accessimus vero

ad illam Ecclesiam in qua ne

ipsi

quidem,

si

vere atque ex animo loqui volunt, negare possunt,

omnia caste ac

reverenter, et

assequi potuimus, proximo

porum rationem

administrari.

quantum nos

ad priscorum

tern-

Conferant enini

S2
Ecclesias nostras suasque inter se."

we have withdrawn from

is,

not as

from

den

it,

the Church as

it

now

it

the Three

Children from the

we be
withdrawn, but we have
nor,

Finally,

was of old ; and we have withdrawn

as Daniel withdrew from the lions'

or

indeed, can

fire

said to have

strictly

rather been cast out

Then we have

with imprecations and curses.

added ourselves,

to a

must themselves

confess, if they will candidly

speak the

Church, in which, they

truth, that all things are

chastely, reverently,
closely after the

and as

conducted

far as is attainable,

model of primitive

times,

them but compare our Church with

Again
Etsi enim discessimus ab
clesia,

re,

quam

isti

nobis apud

for let

theirs."
ilia

Ec-

appellant Catholicam, et ed

illos

invidiam faciunt,

qui judicare non possunt,

tamen

id

satis

est

nobis,

satisque esse debet homini prudenti et pio, et

de asterna

vita

cogitanti,

nos ab ea Ecclesia

discessisse, quas errare potuerit

quam

Christus

qui errare non potest, tan to ante pra^dixerit er-

raturam

quamque nos

ipsi

oculis perspicu^

videbamus a Sanctis Patribus, ab Apostolis, a

Christo ipso, a Primitivd
discessisse.

et Catholicd

Ecclesia

Accessimus autem, quantum max-

im^ potuimus, ad Ecclesiam Apostolorum, et

veterum CathoUcorum Episcoporum

quam scimus adhuc

fuisse

et

Patrum,

integram,

utque


TertuUianus

For, although

virginem."

incorruptani

ait,

we have withdrawn from

Church which

they

Catholic,

call

that

and thus

upon us the odium of those who are

competent to judge, still it is enough for

in-

fasten

and ought

be enough

to

who has

pious person
that

any prudent and

for

eternal life before him,

we have withdrawn from

could err

err, foretold

that

would err

it

from

Church which

who could
;

the

not

and which, we

own eyes saw

ourselves with our

departed

of which, Christ,

us,

clearly,

had

from

the

holy Fathers,

Apostles, from Christ himself, from the Primi-

and

tive

Catholic

and we have ap-

Church:

proached, as near as

we

could, to the

Church

of the Apostles and old Catholic Bishops and

Fathers; a Church which

we know was then

uncorrupt, and, as TertuUian saith,

undefiled."

And,

observes, that

in

a virgin

another passage. Jewel

when Ezra was about

to restore

the temple, he did not send to Ephesus for a

model, although there was

temple there

renew the

rites

neither,

a very beautiful

when he was about

to

of that temple, did he send to

Rome, although rites enough were there to be

had but contented himself with regarding and
;

copying the old temple which Solomon built

God taught him, and the

God prescribed to Moses.

as

old rites which

34

Such was the language of the champions of

the Church of England whilst they had to defend her against the Romanists ; and to vindicate
against them the position they had taken

And we may

her.

Church

is

as if she

for

assured, that if our

rest

in fact constructed

and we undertake

ciple,

up

upon one prin-

advocate her cause

to

was constructed upon another, we

shall

soon find ourselves involved in more difficulties

we contemplated.
II.
The Puritans and

than

Socinians succeeded

the Romanists in the attack

the churchmen

and

upon her

and

who were accounted her

safest guardians

still

best

now, appealed as their

predecessors had done, to Scripture and the

Primitive Church, for their arguments.

ness the writings

of Hooker,

Hammond, of Sanderson, of
and many more a class of
;

of

Wit-

Taylor,

of

Pearson, of Bull,
divines, to

whom

the works of the most ancient Fathers of

all

were even more familiar, perhaps, than they

were

to the

Reformers themselves.

an example or two from the

troversy
to the
I

have

have named

company the first too of our

churchmen who wrote after the con-

of this noble
great

first I

Let us take

had

shifted

its

ground from the Romish

Puritan question

and we

said, that the principle

shall see, a&

upon which the

defence of the Church of England was main-

S5
tained,

was the same as

assault

was from quite a

though the

before,

quarter

different

namely, that she was, on the whole, the Primitive Church restored.

*'They which hereof make so perilous a

matter,

do seem

we have

imagine, that

to

some new

erected of late a frame of

the furniture whereof

we should

rowed from our enemies,

religion,

not have bor-

they relieving

lest

us,

should afterwards laugh and gibe at our poverty

whereas

in truth, the

ceremonies which

taken from such as were before

us, are

that belong to this or that sect, but

ancient rites

and customs of

the

we have

not things

thei/

are the

Church of Christ

whereof ourselves being a part, we have the

selfsame interest

in

before us had, from

scended unto

us'^."

that having this

them which our

whom
Again

way eased

the

fathers

same are de-

Was

it

amiss,

the Church, as they

thought, of superfluity, they went not on,

till

they had plucked up even those things also

which had taken a great deal stronger and

deeper root; those things which

to abrogate

without constraint of manifest harm thereby

arising,

had been

judgments)

the

to alter unnecessarily (in their

ancient received custom of the

whole Church, the universal practice of the people

of God, and

which were not only set

'

of our fathers,
down hy agreement of

those very decrees

Eccles. Pol. B. rv. ch.

().

1.

36
general Councils^ hut had accordingly been put in
use

till

for I

that very time present^

have

all

along multiplied

And again,

my

quotations at

why

the risk of being thought tedious, (though

should

excuse myself for thus incidentally

bringing the works of such master-minds largely

shew that the view

to be taken of our Church for which I am contending, is not one which escapes from our great
before you

in order to

?)

early divines once or twice, and as

but

is

presented to us

and

steps

fear not to tread

wherein

they have gone,

their followers.

ancienter

is

more

affect,

for

worse

it

tions of
fects

again

and

and

be

to

others

whom we much

better,
it

we had

for

newer and changing

rather follow the perfec-

them whom we
*'

the selfsame

keepeth that which

resemble them

" As

Where Rome

leaving
;

by chance,

the Romanists) follow reason

(i. e,

we

truth,

if

writings through,

permanent impression

as their abiding
far as they

all their

like not, than in de-

whom we

love^"

And

In the rest we observe that custom

wliereunto St Paul alludeth, and whereof the

Fathers of the Church, in their writings,

often mention, to

show

indefinitely

make

what was

done, but not universally to bind for ever

all

prayers unto one only fashion of utterance.^'

'

"

Eccles. Pol. B. IV. ch. 14. 4.

lb, ch, 36. 3.

"

Ibid. B- v. ch. 28.

37
Let these instances out of multitudes suffice

were we

for

Patrum,
Hooker,

to
to

proceed in this Catena

to

names of a later date than

which allusion has been made, we
the

should only find the principle

ing

more apparent

still

to the

the

am

develop-

times of trouble

Church, which had succeeded, having

only served to render the appeal to that principle

on the

part of the champions of the

more cogent and necessary. Indeed the authority of some of the earliest
Church,

still

by

Christian records was

this

time becoming

better understood than in the days of the Re-

formation
instance,

itself.

The

'of

Ignatius, for

documents of the highest value both

for the testimony

the

Epistles

Saviour,

and

they bear to the divinity of

to

the

Church government, were scarcely

pealed to with confidence,

form

episcopal

till

to

of

be ap-

Usher and Isaac

by the discovery of manuscripts

and Pearson afterwards, by most ingenious
Vossius,

first

criticism, established (as is generally admitted)

the genuineness of the

shorter copies

not

to

say that our reformers from early habit as

Romanists,

and from a disposition

their antagonists on their

to

to refer to

of a later date than the three

rise

meet

own ground, appear

have been well disposed

But the

to

first

Fathers

centuries.

and progress of the Puritan and

38

Socinian causes, put the divines of the seventeenth century on looking at the Fathers in

a fresh

so that

and from a new quarter

light,

on the whole, opposite as the point was from

the Church of

which the assault came,

still

England found the

and practice of the

faith

Primitive Church to be a shield and buckler.

And

indeed

should be

Romanist.
ture

which

it

stands

Thus

so.

He

to

reason

to

that

take the case of the

finds in those texts

relate to the Eucharist,

of Scrip-

and

to the

bow

authority of which texts we, of course,

no

less than himself, his great doctrine of tran-

substantiation

We

of the Church of England

understand the expressions

fers,

we

it

in a

more

which he

to

re-

Where can

figurative sense.

turn for further light so well, as to the

Primitive

Church?

of so important

The

interpretation

true

we may supby those who were

a tenet, must,

pose, have been received

the immediate successors of the Apostles

on finding their testimony

I will

make

in

Or again

of the Puritan

if

he discovers

and

our favour, as

bold to affirm we do,

well content.

we may be

we take

the case

in those texts of

Scripture which relate to Church government,

and by which texts we profess

no

less

to

be bound

than he does, that the three orders

of the ministry are not recognized.

How

can

39

we

our respective opinions better than by

test

recourse to the Primitive Church,

which

in

we find
we may be

the three orders clearly prevailing,

Scriptures

is

if

satisfied that our exposition of these

Take

the sounder of the two?

another case, that of the Socinian

involving

a question of the most vital importance of

the divinity and atonement of the Son.
tainly

seems

it

and

clear

to us that nothing

Cer-

can be more

upon these points than the

explicit

Scripture itself

all,

and we may quote with great

one of the most per-

satisfaction the verdict of

masters of Greek which this University

fect

ever produced. Professor Person

New

Testament

is to

that

if

the

determine the question,

and words have any meaning, the Socinians

are wrong^"
selves.

How

they think otherwise them-

still

more

then, once

much

point be determined with so

of justice being done

Church

Primitive

by

creed was in this

who

lived in

as

by

what the

next after the

scarcely have been

ignorance of a matter so momentous?

Indeed, the Socinian himself

value

consulting the

those Christians

article, of

who could

can the

probability

ascertaining

the generations

Apostles, and
left in

it,

I ask,

such

of

testimony

Quarterly Rev. No. lxv.

versy upon

John

is

aware of the

and

p. 99. Art. iii.

accordingly
on the contro-

v. 7.

40

Dr

Priestley

tive

Fathers for his own

tion

which must seem so extravagant

man who
that

challenged the Primi-

bravely

an act of presump-

examined them

has

to

every

himself,

for

can only be accounted for on the sup-

it

own

position of his

slender acquirements on

such subjects (which indeed Bishop Horsley

sufficiently

and the confidence he

exposes,)

must have had that he was writing

when

a time

the early ecclesiastical authors were but

imperfectly
selves,

at

known even

and that he was

churchmen them-

to

at

any

rate monoculus

inter ccecos.

Whether

therefore

we have

to

defend our

Church against the Romanist, the Puritan, or

the Rationalist and the day is come when
;

we have not

to

other, but against

it

behoves us

which

to

defend

them

her against

all

one or

and therefore when

adopt a principle of defence

will avail us

against

say, with the warrior of old,

them all, and

when tempted

to
to

look to one point of the ramparts too exclusively,

^ Kai

we

shall

efjLoi

find a

TAAE DANTA

/ueXei^:

magazine of arms

fitted for

our purpose in the writings of the Primitive

Fathers
it

man

so that a

well versed in these,

being presumed of course that he

liar

with the Scriptures

'

II.

can seldom

441.

is

fami-

be taken

41
at

by

a disadvantage

assailants

whilst

it

seems scarcely possible

one ignorant of them,

for

gument with such

himself

open

to

of these various

either

conduct his ar-

to

not to

as

discretion,

come

which

thrusts

lay

from

quarters so different.

But whilst our own Church,

reason of the thing

as well as the

encourages us to

itself,

give great heed to these Fathers,

it

is

not to

be denied that they are to be read with cau-

Sometimes

tion.

they

that

it

to

is

be borne

contending

are

in

against

mind,

heretical

opinions which have long passed away, but

which

at the

time forced them by their ex-

travagance into positions unfriendly to the calm

investigation of truth.

Sometimes that the

relations of the Christian

community were

those days so far from the

that

much

qualification

same

may be

in

as in these,
fitting

under

Sometimes that the Fathers them-

this head.

selves

civil

may

have been led into a snare, by an

over-anxious desire

to

make

doctrines

their

Somefinding any com-

palatable to the philosophy of that age.

times that the difficulty of

mon ground
them

led
to

push

that

are

to

of argument with their antagonists

adopt questionable principles

such as were

was dangerous.
themselves

safe,

to

Sometimes

tainted with

an

or

extreme

that

heresy.

they

Some-

42

times that they are inconsistent with themselves, or

with one another.

Sometimes that

they speak the voice of the individual, rather

than

the

of

Church.

universal

that practices

which they

to

have been found

innocent,

Sometimes

allude,

liable

and have been discontinued

though

to

abuse,

consequence.

in

Sometimes that they wrote before controversy

had reduced the language of theology

actness,

and may on that account seem rash

These, and the like allow-

and unguarded \

must undoubtedly

ances,

to ex-

when reading

be

made by

the writings of the Fathers

may be made,

us,

and

consistently with a very high

sense of the value of their testimony in general,

and a very wholesome application of

on the whole.

So

in our courts

there

perhaps

them

is it

it

with regard to witnesses

may be

to reserve in the

some abatement

to

found something

evidence of each of

be made,

for incon-

sistency; inadvertency; precipitation; passion;

prejudice; character; opportunity; and the like;

which, nevertheless, does not prevent twelve

all

honest

men who

the truth,

by

are only bent on looking for

sifting

the

and combining that of

conclusion,
'

for

all

Examples of these

evidence of each,

all,

practical

several

from drawing a
purposes

suffi-

caveats will readily suggest

themselves to readers of the early Fathers.

43

herself,

much

Our Church

and trustworthy.

ciently correct

as she defers to the authority of

the Fathers, encourages such exceptions to be

sometimes taken
in

though following them

for

most things, especially as helpers

to the in-

and conservators of

terpretation of Scripture;

Creeds and Rituals; she does not blindly bind

herself to

them

in

all

some points where

doubtful,

but

where they

seem

particularly on

Scriptures

the

altogether

are, or

must be

w^e

things

silent;

to be,

are,

much

opposed

not
less,

Still

careful not to let our estimate of

the worth or worthlessness of the Fathers be

formed at second hand, from a mere perusal

of such authors as Daill^ or Barbeyrac, whose

only object

is

to

single

out

whatever

im-

and place them be-

perfections they present,

fore their readers in continuous succession,

and

nor

yet

without one lucid interval of merit

from observing the value

had their reasons

their head,

as

on them by Pu-

who, with Milton at

ritan writers of our own,

them

set

for

describing

an undigested heap and fry of au-

thors,

which they

that

whatever time, or the heedless hand of

*^

call

antiquity,"

blind chance, hath drawn

to

this

whether

present time,
fish

or

in

sea-weed,

insomuch

down from

of old

her huge drag-net,

shells

or shrubs.


44

unpicked, unchoseri, those are the Fathers^'

There

much

is

distortion of the truth in such

representations as these
for a long

yet churchmen

time been content to

know

have

too little

about the Fathers, except through some such

medium

ingly.

For had not the period arrived when

and the Church has suffered accord-

the broad principle upon which our reformers

went
I

in their restoration of her,

have been endeavouring

in this Lecture,

was

by churchmen,

that

it

began

Edward

to

believe,

prominence

to require

make an

Was

thought to dispute*^?

to

at least,

conceal,

not the time

Of

Prelatical Episcopacy.

As

a proof of the change which has gradually

the spirit of the Church since the times of which

I

will take

some

avowal,

churchmen

would have cared

a venerable

Bishop Hall

sentative, not of the high,

which

the Sixth's time for ge-

nerations afterwards, few

I

to give

to

so far lost sight of, even

boldness, to re-assert it?

which, from

and

name

or

come

come over
here speak,

as a fair repre-

but of the moderate party in the

Church, some hundred years

after the

Reformation

indeed, so

was he from being a high-churchman, that when he entered

upon the bishopric of Exeter, he was actually " had in great

far

jealousy for too

much

favour of Puritanism."

Moreover, I

ways of setting forth his real sentiments ; for I will gather them as they escape from him here
and there incidentally in his Contemplations ; having happened
to note the passages down, without any view of making this

will take the fairest of all

use of them,

then was the

when perusing that delightful work. Bishop Hall

man to use such language as the following
:

45

when

it

began

to search the

to

be almost as much a scandal

Fathers, those witnesses of this

Church, of which our

Primitive

On

Reformers,

the true vierv of the Reformation.

"

What have our pious governors done then in religion ?

Had we gone about to lay a new foundation, the work had
been accursed now we have only scraped off some superfluous
moss, that was grown upon these holy stones ; we have cewe have pointed some crazy
mented some broken pieces
;

corners with wholesome mortar, instead of base clay,

which

it

was disgracefully patched up.

God's altar

it is

not new, not our's

stone in this sacred building, let

out our eyes."

Contempl. B. xx.

**In spiritual things

whereby he

will

On
God

it

if

we have

fly in

laid

it is

one

new

our faces, and beat

hath acquainted us with the means

own

sacred ordinances ; upon

B.

iii. c. 2.

we may

abso-

call

no reason that begN. 1. The Ruler's Son

in all others there

gars should be choosers."

with

old

is

Manasseh.

12.

have his own promise,

lutely for a blessing

altar

Ordinances.

work, even his

these, because they

The

is

cursed.
071 Schism.

" Whatever tumults are abroad,

is

it

fit

there should be

quietness and sweet concord in the Church.

axes of schism, or the

hammers of

be heard within thy sanctuary !"

God!

all

that the

furious contentions, should

B. xvii.

5.

On

the Temjjle.

On Unordained Persons assuming the Ministry.

" Why should Jeroboam send so far to an Ahijah

Cer-

tainly his heart despised those base priests of his high places,

own

neither could he trust to the gods, or the clergy of his

making: his conscience rests upon the fidelity of that man

whose doctrine he had forsaken." B. xviii. 4. Jeroboam's Wife.

On
" They are gross
clean.

If our lives

Baptisin.

flatterers

had no

very infant that lives not to

Adam, and

is

sinful

in

of nature that

tell

her she

is

we bring enough with us the

sin as Adam, yet he sinned in

sin,

himself

But O, the unspeakable

mercy

46

we have

seen, talk so

be ignorant of

once was to

it

And though

no doubt, out of an honest

this jealousy arose,

we provide

as

and of them?

it,

mercy of our God

much

the

sin

he provides the

remedy." Under the Law this was circumcision and sacri" Under the Gospel our Baptism hath the force of both
fice.
it does away our corruption by the water of the Spirit; it

whereby we are

applies to us the sacrifice of Christ's blood,

B.
Again: "His

cleansed."

i.

N. T.

c. 5.

was

Purification.

Baptism gives

was

action, or rather passion,

first

The

virtue

his baptization with water

world from their

Yea,

to

His

our's.

last

his baptizing with blood: his

both of them wash the

only wash the

men, but washeth that very water by which we are
washed from hence is that made both clean and holy, and can
both cleanse and hallow us. And if the very handkerchief,
which touched his Apostles had power of cure, how much
more that water which the sacred body of Christ touched !"
sins.

this latter did not

souls of

B.

II. c. 2.

Again

N. T.

similitude of

hopeless.

those that have not lived to sin after the

Adam,

unless the second

is

Christ's Baptism.

" Even
There

yet are they so tainted with

Adam
is

no

cleanse

less

them by

use of Baptism unto

certainty of the need of Baptism."

On

this,

and when they

stay for a further vocation of

Christ

among

On

that

all,

than there

lb.

the call to the Miriistry.

Let those consider

they can go

Adam,

his Baptism, they are

which

will needs

run as soon as

find ability, think they

God on

them."

B.

need not

ii. c. 1.

N. T.

the Doctors.

the Episcopalian

form of Church Government.

" There can be no being without some kind of order ; there

If we look up unto heaven, there is

can be no order in parity.

the

King of Gods, the Lord of Lords, higher than the

If to the earth,

there are monarchs,

highest.

kings, princes, peers,

If we look down to hell, there is the prince of devils.

They labour for confusion that call for parity. What should

people.

the

Church do with such a form,

as

is

not exemplified in

47
zeal for the glory of

God's word, yet does the

Church of England, which surely shares in such

zeal to the uttermost, nay, of which it is the
any such

very characteristic mark, share in

man who

pre-

sents himself for priest's orders, whether

"he

alarm,

will

the
to

when she asks

of every

be diligent in prayers, and in reading of

Holy
the

Scriptures,

and

in such studies as help

knowledge of the same

? "

expressions

which, I think, few will say have no reference

to

the Fathers.

experience,

And

has

it

been found on

put the matter to

(to

that

that whilst the Fathers were read,

test,)

the

as in

sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, our theo;

and that

to

be read,

logy was unsound and unscriptural

when they comparatively ceased

as in the eighteenth century,
heaven, in earth, in hell."

B.

iii.

3.

it

became pure
The dumb

N. T.

devil

ejected.

On

the Apostolical Succession.

" They knew themselves Jews, but could not derive their
line; these were yet admitted without difficulty: but those
of the priestly tribe, which could not deduce their genealogy
register, are cashiered as unclean: then God would
be served in a blood ; now in a due succession. If we could
not fetch the line of our pedigree from Christ and his Apostles,

from the

we were

not

by nature ;

fit

for the Evangelical altars.

our's

by grace

outward ordination ;
justly abandoned."
I will

if

we

Their calling was

the grace of inward abilities, of

cannot approve both these,

B. xxi.

1.

make no remark on

we

are

Zerubbabel and Ezra.

these passages

except to ask,

whether the man who wrote them would be now thought to

" have too much favour of Puritanism ? "

48

On

and evangelical?

was not

the contrary,

our declension in orthodoxy (properly so termed) coincident with our declension in Church-

man-ship

upon our
was

and did not mere ethics encroach

as

pulpits,

antiquity

ecclesiastical

lost sight of?

there are

If therefore

any who look with

jealousy on the Fathers as abettors of highchurch principles as they are

now

called,

have no delight in the phraseology, but

circumlocution
let

them

it

(I

saves

which they partly may be

;)

them the wrong, when they

forgive

contemplate them as abettors of Gospel prin-

which

ciples too,

and

feel

is

undoubtedly true of them

confident, both from the effect

they have had on

my own

mind, and from

the very nature of things, that these two results

would be found generally

study of the Fathers;

to follow

from a

namely, an increased

reverence, certainly, for ecclesiastical institutions

and ordinances, as having

in

them a

an increased conviction

great mystery

also that the

only sound and apostolical di-

vinity

which

is

that,

but

preach Jesus Christ.

I trust

that in

ceases not to teach

and

'

what

have said

have so

expressed myself as not to lay myself open to

the just animadversion of persons

who have a

competent knowledge of the subject before

us.

49

Nobody can

enter with any thoughtfulness into

and

most delicate

the multitude of

difficult

questions which the Reformation stirred, with-

out learning to Be temperate in

pertaining to

it;

and

he

if

all

things ap-

called

is

upon

to

take part in the intricate controversies which

those questions give rise
to

without striving

to,

he shoot not his arrow

beware, that

The deeper

the house, and hurt his brother."

he dives

into

the writings

Church, with a view

ples

o'er

of the Primitive

to elucidate the princi-

upon which that great

crisis

moved, the

more, I think, will he be inclined to acquiesce

in

the discretion which on

the

whole guided

our Reformers in their handling of antiquity

and the more

he perceive a

will

call for the

exercise of that virtue in himself, whilst he

now calmly

reviews and passes judgment on

And

their wonderful work.

some

particulars

would be glad

if

which

there

may

be

as an individual,

they had adopted from the

Primitive Church, or

had held them

he,

if

fast,

if,

having adopted, they

even at the risk of what-

ever abuse might have followed, and which the

experience of past times had proved

considering

how unspeakable

for a people to

ship

on

real, yet,

a blessing

it

is

have a form of faith and wor-

which they repose, established

for

ages and hallowed by numberless associations;


bearing in mind the caution of

but too

remembered

little

tlie

preacher,

who-

in these days,

so breaketh an hedge a serpent shall bite him,

and whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith^ ;" he will be slow to disturb that which
is

good by any attempt

tion,

even with a view

first;

content

if

at a

second reforma-

improve upon the

to

he can raise the Church again

something nearer

to

the

platform on which

Cranmer and Ridley left it and from which,

be confessed, it has insensibly setit must
;

down;

tled

who,

treading

in

the

steps

of

the old Fathers, w^ere at one and the same

Churchmen,

time, zealous

they have

left us^

witness

the Ritual

and Evangelical Teachers,

witness the Articles and Homilies, the portions

by them for holy-days,

and which days mark the sense in which

of Scripture appointed

they understood those passages; and in short,

whole of our Liturgical Services

witness the

from

the

shall

first

line

any

be

if

tribute

to

this

nor do

to

efforts

sumptuous confidence

in

of

mine

not

it

I feel

last.

Rejoiced
shall

consummation ever so

despair of

because

the

con-

little

from any pre-

my own

powers, but

the vantage ground I here oc-

Ecclesiastes x. 8, 9.

See also "

Catechism.

The

Instruction of the Keys/' in

Cranmer's

T
51

cupy; and that fountains, as our Universities

from w hich the ministers of

are,

God

are dis-

persed over the whole surface of the island,

here,

which
If,

if

any where, can the

shall

flavour the waters.

then, I

had

express in a word

to

am

general effect which I

on ecclesiastical antiquity

duce,

it

would be

this

hearers to say

declaration

of the

Amen
good

tained in his last will

should pro-

may

induce

to that part

of the

that they

Ken,

Bishop

'*As

for

my

die in the

communion

land, as

stands distinguished from

it

of the

of

the Cross

THE END.

con-

religion, I

Church of Eng-

and Puritan innovations, and as

the doctrine

the

anxious these Lec-

tures

my

be cast in

tree

it

all

Papal

adheres

to