WHEN King Salomon, that mirrour of Wisedome, Vnderstanding, Ri­ches, and Honour (so that there was None like him before him, neither after him shall any arise like vnto him, 1.King. 3) had raysed a leuie out of all Israel, 1. King. 3.12. of thirty thousand men to fetch Cedars from Lebanon, threescore and ten thousand to beare burthens, fourescore thousand hewers in the mountaines, and three thousand and three hundred, which ruled ouer the people that wrought in the worke, 1. King. 5.1. King. 5.16.1. 1. Ring. 6. 2. Chr. 3, 1. In the foure hun­dreth & fourescorth yeere after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, hee beganne to build the house of the Lord at Ierusalem in Mount Moriah:Aquila, of [...]oorth, Light: Mo [...], Myrrhe Raah; to see. where the Lord appeared vnto Dauid his Father, a place so called (sayth Aquila) of shining, [Page 2]because there was the Oracle of God: or of the a­boundance of myrrhe, which was there as Oleaster de­riueth it: or more fitly it was so called of seeing, be­cause there the Lord was seene of Abraham, when the Ramme was offered by him in stead of his Son, Gen. 22.13;Gen. 22.13. and the Lord foresaw that there his Temple should bee built. Damast. l. 2. defi [...]e Ortho. l c. 14 Gen. 8.4. Vpon a Mountaine Paradise was situated: the Arke rested vpon the mountains of Ararat, Gen. 8. Lot was commanded to escape to the mountaine, lest he should be consumed, Gen. 10. Vpon a Mount the Law was giuen,Gen. 19.17. Exod. 19 2 [...]. Exod. 19. Christ is described by the Church to come, leaping vpon the mountaines, Chap. 2. He was tempted vpon a mountaine,Chap. 2.8. Math. 4. Preach­ed vpon a mountaine, Math. 5.1. wrought Miracles vpon a mountaine,Mat 4.1. Mat. 15.29. Ordained the twelue vpon a mountaine, Mat. 3.13.14. Departed to a mountaine, when by force they would haue made him a King, Iohn 6.15. Conferde with the woman on a mountaine, Ioh. 4.20. Prayed on a mountaine all night, Luc. 6.12. Celebrated h s last Supper in a large vpper roome, Luc. 22.12, which Ambrose placeth on a mountaine,Amb. l. 10. [...]. Was crucified on mount Caluarie, Luc. 23.3 [...]. Appeared to his Disciples after his resurrection vpon a Mount, Math. 28.16. Ascended into heauen from a mount, Act. 19.12. and therefore appointed his Temple to be built vpon a mount. His Foundation is in the holy mountaines, Psal. 87.1: The first ground of his Temple. Hee will bee worshipped at his holy hill, Psal, 99.9. A hill which hee desireth to dwell in, yea the Lord will dwell in it for euer, Psalm. 68; which Salomon truely acknowledged at the feast of the [Page 3]dedication of the Temple, where were the Elders of Israel, and all the heads of the Tribes, the chiefe of the Fathers of the children of Israel, and all the Congregation, sacrificing sheepe and oxen, that could not be numbred, & the glory of the Lord filled the house in a cloud. He had made a brazen Scaffold, and set it in the midst of the Court, and kneeling downe vpon his knees before all the Congregation, hee spreade forth his hands towards heauen, and sayde; Haue re­spect to the prayer of thy seruant, that thine eyes may be open vpon this house day and night, vpon the place, whereof thou hast sayd, that thou wouldst put thy name there. Arise O Lord God into thy resting place, 2. Chr. 6. For howsoeuer as Prosper speaketh:2. Chr. 6, 13, 20.41. Prosper. ex Aug. Volens in templo orare, in te ora: & ita semper age, vt Dei templum sis: Art thou willing to pray in a Temple, pray within thy selfe, and so still carry thy selfe, that thou mayest bee a Temple. Howsoeuer Heauen, and the Heauen of Heauens cannot containe him, much lesse such a house. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in tem­ples made with hands,2. Ch,. 16.18. Act. 7.48. Act. 7. and that prophecie is fulfilled which Christ deliuered to the woman of Sa­maria, when he was a fruitfull bough by a well. Yee shal neyther in this mountaine,Gen. 49, 22, Ioseph. in Ant. 41. c. 7. nor yet in Hierusalem wor­ship the Father, that is neyther in Gerizim, where the Samaritanes built a Temple out of a proud aemulation of the Iewes; neyther at Hierusalem the glory of the World: For God is a Spirit, and they that worshippe him, must worshippe him in Spirit and Truth, Iohn, 4 Loco non coneluditur, Ioh. 4.24. Hee is not shutte vp in place: When we thinke vpon his dwelling, Theoph. wee must remem­ber [Page 4](sayth Aug: Aug. E [...]. 57.) the congregation of Saints especi­ally in Heauen: where God is sayd to dwell, because there his will is perfectly done,1 Kin. 8 43. where there is perfect obedience: yet his next habitation is his Church vpon earth, a dreadfull place, none other but the house of God,Gen. 28.17. Is. 56.7. and gate of heauen, Gen. 28. A house of Prayer for all people. Is. 56. Whereupon Dauid reasoned: I dwel in an house of Cedar: but the Arke of God dwel­leth within Curtaines, 2 Sam. 7.2. purposing to build an house to the Lord God of Israel, but he was inhibited by Na­than, because he had shedde bloud aboundantly, and made great warres,1 Ch. 22, 8 1. Chr. 22. yet in his trouble hee prepared for the house of the Lord, a hundreth thousand talents of gold, 1 Ch. 22.14. a thousand thousand talents of siluer, and of b [...]asse and yron without weight, timber also and stone, charging Salomon to arise and be doing, and the Lord would be with him. He built this house of Ha­bitation for the Lord, a place for his dwelling for euer: 2. Chr. 6.2. but it was conditionall from God:2. Chr. 6.2. If yee turne away and forsake my statutes and my commandements, this house which I haue sanctified for my name, will l cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a Prouerbe and a by-word among all nations. And this house which is high, shall be an astonishment to e­uery one that passeth by it: 2. Chr. 7. Nabucadnezzar King of Bayblon in the ninth yeare of his raigne,2 Chr. 7.21. besie­ged it: Nebuzardan Captaine of his Guarde, in the nineteenth yeere of his raigne, burnt this house of the Lord, and the Kings house, and all the houses of Ierusa­lem, and euery great mans house, with fire, 2. King. 25.2 Kin. 25.9. So that there was little hope euer to see it restored againe: [Page 5]yet Cyrus proclaimed the reedefying of it, restored the fiue thousand and foure hundreth vessels of golde and siluer, which Nabucadnezzar had put in the house of his gods,Ezra. 1.11. [...].7 and gaue a grant to bring Cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Ioppa. Yet againe it was hin­dered till the second yeare of Darius, who was so reso­lute for the building thereof, that he made this decree: Whosoeuer shall alter this word, let timber be pulled downe from his house, and being set vp, let him be hanged there­on, and let his house be made a dung-hill for this: And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there, destroy all Kings and people, that shal put to their hand to al­ter and to cestroy this house of God, which is at Ierusa­lem. I Darius haue made a decree, let it be done with speed. Ezra. 6. It was finished,Ezra. 6.12 and afterward Iudas Macchabeus purged it from the prophanation of the Gentiles, vpon the fiue and twentieth day of the Mo­neth Casleu answerable to our December; ordayning that the dedication should be kept in its season, from yeere to yeere with mirth and gladnes.1. Macc. 4.59 A Ceremonie continuing til Christ, & honored by his presence in an annuall memoriall mentioned in these wordes. And it was at Ierusalem, &c. Great was the glory of Salomons Temple, the length wherof was 60. cubites, and the bredth 20. cubits, and the height 30 cubits, 1. King. 6.7. years in building, ouerlayd with pure gold, 1 King. 6.38, 21. the altar & tables wheron the Shew-bread was set were of gold, the candlesticks, flowers, lamps, tongs of perfect gold, the snuffers, basons, spoons & censers of pure gold, the entry of the house,2 Chr. 4.22 and the doores of the house of the Temple, were of gold, 2. Chr. 4. insomuch that many of [Page 6]the Priests and Leuites, and chiefe of the Fathers who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of the second was layd before theyr eyes,Ez. 3, 12. Hagg. 2.9. they wept with a loud voyce, Ez. 3. Haggai en­couraged them, The glory of this latter house shal be greater then the former,Ribera in Hag. 2 King 45. Hag. 2. which Ribera thinketh fulfilled in Herods reparations, when the gold ouerua­lued al the rest, & the stones were in length 25. cubits, in bredth 12. in height 8,I sephus l. 15. antiq. c. 14. Mat. 13. 1. Mar. 13, 1. Orig. Chrys. Theoph. which made the Disciples shew Christ the buildings of the Temple, Mat. 24. and say, Master, see what maner of stones, and what buildings are here. Mar. 13. pittying that euer it should, or thin­king it impossible that euer it might, be left desolate as was threatned, Mat. 23.38. but howsoeuer it was Sa­tans policy, saith iuditious Caluin, by Herods imposture to draw away the minds of men from adorning their spirituall Temples,Calu in Agg. 2. by looking vpon the superfluous glory of that outward Temple:Carthus. Abu­lensis: Ios. l. 8 Ant c. 3 sic vocatur in hystoria Ethio­pica, quam cit it Glossa, 1. King. 10.7. Vatablus. Dec. in. Agg. Au. l. 18. ciu. c. 45. I cannot beleeue it came neere to Salomons for state, which the Queene of Saba wondred at, Malceda which came to proue him with hard questions, & concluded seeing his wisdom, and the house that he had built: thy wisdom and prosperi­ty exceedeth the fame which I heard: 1, Kin. 10. In an­other respect this Temple was more illustrious then Salomons, In Christs presence in it, and miracles, as Ie­rom and Austen thinke. Now hee graced the Feast of the Dedication at Ierusalem. And it was at Hierusalem.

A Text well befitting the occasion of this Chri­stian Assembly, met to behold the Consecrating and Dedicating of a little Temple vnto God, warranting the blessing and sanctifying of it, by the Prayers of a Reuerend [Page 7]Father of our Church. I will not follow the words in an Allegorie, that Christ being a new-Law­giuer, bringing a New Testament, 2. Cor. 3. a new Spirit, Ez. 36. A new cōmandement, 2. Cor, 3 6, Ez. 36.26. Ioh. 13.34. Reu. 21, 1. Reu. 21. He would therfore come to a new Temple: to the Porch of Salomon in that Temple, because as in Salomons time Peace was in Israel, 1. Ch 22.9. 1. Chr. 22. so Christ came to make Peace betwixt heauen and earth In Winter because their hearts were frozen, and loue cold, Bulling. no life or spring of goodnes appearing amongst the Iewes. I cannot handle the particulers as they offer themselues, & would be followed if the time out­ran me not:Aug. Bed. Eu­thym. the place Hierusalem, the triumph at Ierusalem in a Feast: the quality of the feast of the Dedication, the season when it was solemnized, Winter, the Honourablest personage of the Feast, though the Iews would haue stoned him, Iesus, his abode there, for he walked: Ver. 31. His publike walking in the Temple: His method in walking in that part, which was most fitte for him. In Salomons Porch,

I obserue onely two circumstances as the body and soule of these words.

1 The lawfulnesse of Churches, their dedicati­on or consecration, the remembrance whereof Christ abhorred not but frequented the annuall commemoration of a Temples Dedication, euen in Winter, And it was at Hierusalem, the Feast of the Dedication, and it was Winter.

2 The honor of Christs presentation of himselfe especially in Temples thē, in Churches now. And Ie­sus [Page 8]walked in the Temple in Salomons Porch.

The 1 is for building, repayring and dedica­ting of a Church,

The second is, for the establishing, continuing, and felicity of a Church.

In the first, we haue Gods house prepared in a place of vnity.

In the second, we haue it frequented by the Author of Grace, and Peace, and Mercy.

In the 1. we haue Salomons temple beautified and re-edefied.

In the 2. we haue a greater then Salomon in it, whereby it is exalted and honoured.

Of which while I shall speake, as my sudden summons shall suffer me, scarse hauing so many houres warning for this burthen, as there are words in my Text: Let me request you all to remember that speech of Sa nt Augustine: Qui in al [...]s habitat, humilibus appropinquat: Aug. He that dwelleth on high, discendeth down to the lowly: Descenae, vt ascen­das: Let vs with meekenesse affoorde our best at­tention, that we may ascend to the true vnderstan­ding of this Text. Let vs cast away all bitter cen­sures and by-thoughts, for the place whereon wee stand is holy ground. Let mee desire you to as­sist me with your prayers, that what I speake may bee to the glory of his name, and winning of soules vnto Christ, who for this cause, at the feast of the Dedication went vnto Hierusalem, as my first part leadeth me in order.

Hierusalem was the holy City,Ia. Mat. 4. the [Page 9] Temple, Mat. 4, 5. a place which the Lord chose that his name might bee there: Hee sanctified it, that his eyes and heart might be there perpetually 2. Chr. 7. Da­uid could not forget Hierusalem Isai badde her put on her beautifull garments:2 Chr. 7.16. Isa. 52.Isai. 52.1. Promised that the so [...]nes of them that afflicted her, should come bending vnto her; all they that despised her, should bowe themselues downe at the soles of her feet, and call her the City of the Lord, Isai. 60.Isa. 60.14. So did Zacharie, that the Lord of hostes would dwell in the midst of Ierusalem, and Ierusalem should be called a City of truth, and the Mountaine of the Lord of hostes: the holy mountaine, Zech. 8.Zech. 8.3. In Hierusalem the Prophets preached, there it was fit that the Apostles should beginne to preach repen­tance and remission of sinnes, Luc. 24.Luc. 24.47. So it was foretold that the Word of the Lord should goe forth from Ierusalem,Isa. 2.3. Isai. 2. Christ was promised to be sent to the Iewes to be borne of Dauid, Psal. 89. ver. [...]32. of Abraham, Psa. 89, 4. Psal. 132.11 Gen. 22, 18. Gal [...].16. Amb. l 1. de A­b [...]ac 18. Gen. 22. as Saint Paul expoundeth that place, Gal. 3.16. Christ was there crucified, dead, buried, and thence he ascended. His vertue was to bee diffused throughout the whole world, and therefore in the midst and nauill of the habitable world, hee shewed himselfe most conspicuously. It was fitte for his humility as to suffer the shamefullest death,In medio terrae [...]e [...]atus est [...]. Psal [...]5▪ [...]2. [...] 3, [...] so not to be ashamed of the most eminent place: He tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant, and therefore as he chose Beth­lehem for his birth, so hee chose Ierusalem for his passion. He that would not suffer a Prophet to pe­rish [Page 10]out of Ierusalem, c. 13.33. would suffer there himselfe, being the Prince of Prophets. He char­ged his Apostles not to depart from Hierusalem, Act 1.4, Chrys. but waite for the promise of the Father, Act. 1. confir­ming them lest they should faint liuing amongst the crucifiers of their Lord, or fastning them there a while, least departing thence suddenly, others might haue thought they had despayred of their Lords resurrection. Oecumen. I [...]st Ant. l. 7. c. [...] Some call it Ierusalem, because Dauid compassed it with a wall. Masius, because the Lord especially looked towards it.Ierch. Salem. Salem: Alta. Salmecon, because it was exceeding high, Eusebius of Salo­mons Temple. Sydonius Apollinaris noteth that when it is read Ierusalem, [...] Others of Raah & Salem. Visio Pacis. it may signifie Heauen: but when Ierosolymae, it must be taken for an earth­ly Citie. Beza reades it heere, Hierosolymis: It was famous for Herods Hall, the Sepulchres of Da­uid, Steuen, Nichodemus, Gamaliel, Zacharie, Mount Syon, Mount Oliuet, the brooke Cedron, Ieremyes caue, the Virgins house: but more famous for Salo­mons Temple, which being repayred was solem­nized with a dedication. Famous for

The many names of it mentioned by Tostatus-Solyma, In Mat. 4, q, 32, Luza, Bethel, Ierosolyma, Iebus, Elia, Vrbs sacra, Ierusalem dicitur, atque Salem.

Famous for the safety of it, which was secure, as Dauid told old Barzillai: Come thou ouer with me, and I will feede thee with mee in Ierusalem: 2. Sam. 19, 33, 2. Sam. 19. yet all these and the aboundance of wealth, siluer being there as stones, and Cedars as the Sycomore trees that are in the vale for aboun­dance. [Page 11]1. King, 10. made it not so famous as the Tem­ple and the Feasts:1. King. 10.27 the Iewes had a Feast of the Sab­bath, the Passeouer, first Fruites, of Pentecost, of Trum­pets, of Attonement, of Tabernacles, Leu. 23.Leu. 23. Salomon had his feast of Dedication of the Temple, and all Isra­el with him, a great Congregation, from the entring in of Hamath, vnto the riuer of Egypt, 1. King. 8.65 seuen daies and seuen dayes, euen foureteene dayes, 1. King. 8. So hath our Church solemne Feastes, in stead of the Passeouer, which was instituted in remembrance of the deliue­rance from Egypts bondage; of pentecost, a remem­brance of the Law giuen at Mount Sinai; of the Feast of Tabernacles, a remembrance of Israels dwelling in Tents, forty yeares in the wildernesse: Wee haue Christmas in honour of Christs Incarnation; which Chrysostome calleth the Metropolis of all other Feasts:Chrys. Easter in honour of Christs Resurrection, which Igna­tius calleth the Kings day, and the eminentst of all o­thers; Leo the Feast of feasts; Nazianzen holds it as farre excelling the rest,Leo. 1. as the Sunne doth other Pla­nets; Whitsontide, Tertul. l: de Corona militis. Orig. l. 8. contra Celsum. Act. 20.16. Question. in honour of Christs confirmati­on of the Gospell, by sending vnto vs the Holy Ghost; a Feast which caused Paul to hasten his iourney towards Hierusalem, Act. 20. So that if any question it,

Why doth one day excell another, when as all the light of euery day in the yeere is of the sunne?

It may be answered:Answere. By the Knowledge of the Lord they were distinguished, and he altered seasons and Feasts: Some of them hath hee made High dayes, Eccl. 33, 8. & hallowed them, and some of them hath he made or­dinary dayes.

[Page 12]Would wee know the Authors of Feasts to Iewes or Christians: By the commandement of God himself in the mouth of Moses those were ordained, Leu. 23. and some others called Regular, Ordinary and vsuall: Or by the Will of the Magistrate, vpon some reasona­ble cause; yet no part of Will-worship, being not con­tra Legem Dei, against the Law of God; but secundum analogiam Legis, according to the analogie of the Law, as this feast of Dedication, that feast of the 14. and 15. of the moneth Adar, Est: 9.21. and some others. The Iewes not onely added to the number of the Feastes instituted by Moses, but augmented the solemnity of those feasts which Moses appointed: For whereas Dies Calendarum, or Neomeniae the first day of the mo­neth, or Feast of New Moones was appointed onelie for sacrifice to God, and not mentioned amongst those solemne festiuities, yet the Iewes appointed for the encrease of the seruice of God, that not onely sa­crifices should bee offered in them, but also men should abstaine from all seruile labour, and so make it an Holy-day, and great solemnity. Thus was it in Dauids time: Blow vp the Trumpet in the new Moone, in the time appointed on our solemn feast day: Ps. 81. It was celebrious for the benefite of gouernment;Psal. 81.3. Nye, de Lyra. for in the New-Moone there appeared the change of time: and therefore was it so vsed in Elishaes time, to whom when the Shunamite woman desired to goe for her dead child; her husband sayd, Wherfore wilt thou go to him to day: It is neyther New-Moone, nor Sabbath, 2. King. 4.2. King. 4.23. Which argueth, that they were freed from labour, because her husband insinuated, that shee [Page 13]should goe vpon a day when hee might bee at leasure from his businesse, making in that respect a similitude betwixt the Calends and the Sabbath: and in S. Aug: Aug. l. de 10 Apocd. 15 c. 3. time, reprouing the Iewish woman, holding that they were better to spinne, or doe any worke then immodestly daunce in theyr New Moons.

For the Feasts of Christians, Christ instituted no Holy-dayes in his life time, he abrogated not the law of Moses, but obserued those Feasts: Neyther did the Apostles till the Law of Moses beeing dead, it might be buried honorably. It was not fit that Christian Reli­gion should haue so many ceremonies or Holy-daies in the Cradle, as it had in the full age of it. Yet in the Apostles time, the Lords day, Apoc. 1, 10. Act. 20, 7. 1. Cor. 16, 2. Mar. 16.2. Oecumen. Anselm. Primas, Apoc. 1. our Sunday was instituted by the Apostles in remembrance of the Resurrection of our Sauiour: For the Sabbath is ceremoniall for the manner, though morall for the matter. The substance of it is de iure diuino, though some ceremonies of it, de iure humano. The Iewes ce­lebrated theyr Sabbath the seuenth day, Wee the eight: They gaue God the last day of the Weeke:Philo. l de opificio Mundi. wee the first: They kept theyr Sabbath in honour of the Worlds creation: but wee ours in memoriall of the worlds Redemption, a worke of greater might and mercie. The Most of our great festiuities, Aug ad Lanuar. Clem: l. 5, c. 20. S. Austen as­cribeth it to the authoritie of the Apostles, or general Councels, as the Feasts of Christs Natiuity, Circumcisi­on, Passion, Resurrection, Ascension, sending of the holy Ghost, and some besides these, kept vpon set dayes eue­ry yeare:Aug: Ne volumine temporum ingrata subrepat obli­uio (sayth hee) lest in successe of time, vnthankefull [Page 14]forgetfulnesse creepe in by little and little, and cause such things to be forgotten which the Righteous haue done, who should bee in euerlasting remembrance a­mongst men.

Hence is it, that the Church keepeth those Holy dayes, which Antiquity hath prescribed, that all things bee done decently and in order, 1. Cor. 14.40. 1. Cor. 14.40. But what order would there be, if euery man should serue God at his owne pleasure, at his owne time, after his owne manner? Wee retaine the Festiuals of Saints, because wee desire to prayse God in his Saints,Psal. 150.1 for his great gifts and vertues bestowed vpon them; being as be­queathed Legacies, and onely true Reliques for vs, that wee may follow their good examples. These dayes are for the seruice of God, and partly, as Socrates spake of olde (Quò se à laborum contentione relaxent) for re­laxation from labour.Socrat. l 5. c. 21 These wee keepe holy as the Lords day, in the same manner, though not in the same degree; not for worship to them, or imploring of them, but to worship the God of Martyrs and Saints; abstay­ning from lawfull labour in them, not for superstition, in conscience to the day, but obedience to the Church: And if it be held contemptuous to spend that day in law­full labour, wherein the Church shall indict a solemne fast, notwithstanding that liberty of the sixe dayes which God hath giuen: why shall that bee lawfull in a case of deiecti­on, which may not in prayse and exultation? If the Church had power to appoint a festiuall for the dedication of the Temple and the like, then it hath power to con­tinue the memoriall of the blessed Apostles. We see the Iewes did keepe the feast of the Dedication, which [Page 15]was threefold as Alcuinus noteth: The first by Salo­mon in the time of Autumne: Aleuinus. The second by Zoroba­bel, in the time of the Spring: The third by Iudas Mac­chabaeus in Winter, the remembrance whereof conti­tinued vntill Christs time.The Grecians call to dedi­cate or initiate, [...], but to consecrate, [...] ▪ To dedicate is one thing, to consecrate is another: Things are sayde to bee consecrated, when of prophane things they are sayde to bee religious and holy: and to bee dedicated, when they are appointed to God. The Hebrewes did not onely dedicate Temples which were newly built, but also those which were repayred and clensed from vn­cleannesse: as Iudas Macchabaeus did the Temple here, when it was polluted by the Ethniques, with the most filthy Idolatry of Antiochus. Which Feasts they called [...], Renoualia, or Renouales dies, dayes of renew­ing; which are not once celebrated, but the solemni­ties of them are done euery yeare once, as now when Christ came to the feast of the Dedication; whence I inferre this doctrine.

That the consecrating of Churches to the right seruice of the true God is a warrantable ceremonie, Doct. allowable by our Sauiours presence.

The Reason of this thing may be drawne from that rule of the Apostle,1. Ioh. 4 4.5. 1. Ioh. 4. Euery creature of God is good, and nothing to bee refused, if it bee receyued with thanksgiuing: Pet. Mart. 4.4. of common place, pag: 66. For it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer: It is meete that wee should giue thankes vnto God, who hath giuen a place vnto his people, wherein they may meete together for the practise of holie things; and that wee should pray for a right and perfect vse of such a place, that God there may bee [Page 16]glorified, sinnes confessed, holy doctrine administred, zealous Prayers frequented, a right discipline exerci­sed, and almes cheerefully distributed. Was it not a Lawe, Deut. 20.5. Deut. 20 that an Officer should speake vnto the people in battell? What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? Let him goe and returne to his house, lest hee dye in the battell and another man dedicate it: and shall not Gods house bee dedicated? Psal. 20, Thus Dauid did dedicate his house, and intitled the thirtieth Psalme, Schic Channucath Beth Le Dauid: A song at the Dedica­tion of the house of Dauid. And Salomon his sonne de­dicated Gods house, At the dedication of the wall of Ierusalem, the Leuites were sought out of their pla­ces to keepe the dedication with gladnes, with thanks­giuing, and with singing, with Cymbals, Psalteries & with Harpes; and the sonnes of the Singers gathered themselues together, both out of the plaine Country round about Ierusalem and from the villages of Ne­tophathi, Neh. 12.28. Euseb. l. 9. c. 10. bist: Eccles. & l. 4. de vita Const Magni. Neh. 12. Thus Constantine when he had re­payred Bizantium, and determined to vse that City for the seat of the Roman Empire, desired to dedicate it to God, and to that end called 318: Fathers which then held the Synode of Nice. This great Emperour went to Hierusalem, and built a Temple, dedicating vnto God the same by Bishoppes, which held a Councell at Tyrus. Gregory Nazianzene giueth a reason, why Churches were dedicated,Greg: [...] de vsu Eccl [...]siae Psal. 51, 10. [...] 4.24. Col. 3.10. to remember the hearers of renuing themselues by a right Spirit, as Psal. 51. To put on the new man, Ep. 4. which is renewed in know­ledge, Col. 3. For there is no holinesse in outwarde [Page 17]things, they are not capable of diuine qualities, but beeing consecrate doe become instruments of the Spirit, whereby our Faith is stirred vp. The Lord by his Word commaundeth the faithfull to vse com­mon Prayers,Calu. Ins [...]: l. 3. c. 20, s. 30. and for this purpose there must bee common Temples, so that men refusing to commu­nicate theyr prayers with the people of God, and en­tring into their chambers, breake the commaunde­ment of God. These common Temples must bee de­dicated by common prayers: For if Saint Paul would not vndertake his iourney without Prayer,Act. 20.36. Act. 20. If Dauid dedicated the morning vnto God by prayer, Psal. 143. and the Euening by Prayer,Psal 143.8. Psal, 77.6. Psal. 71.18. Psal. 141.2. Soz. l. 4, c. 13. Psal. 77. & his olde age by prayer: Psal. 71. and his prayers by a pray­er. Psal. 141. Why should not the house of Prayer bee dedicated vnto God by Prayer? By Prayer Basil de­dicated a Temple which hee had newly built, calling vnto him his Neighbour Bishopps.Clem. Ep. ad Licobum. So Clemens or­dained; Make Churches in fit places and let them be sanctified by Prayer. So Athanasius confessed of the African Churches, that they were thus dedicated.Athan: in Apo, ad Con­stantin. Lau [...]e Su [...]ius to. 1. de vitis Sanctorum. So practised Auxibius a Scholler of Saint Maries, and an Archbishop, if wee beleeue Metaphrastes: He came into a Church newly built, fell downe, wept and prai­ed: Lord God, which madest heauen and earth, the Sea and all that therein is: Strengthen me thy seruant: giue me boldnesse that I may preach thy word freely, and without feare: Illuminate these present with thy grace, that being conuerted from the error of Sathan, they may acknowledge thee to be the true God, and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Mercifull God, [Page 18]let thy holy Spirit dwell in this holy house, which is built in thy holy name; confirme and establish it, keepe it immoueable in thy faith, euen vnto the end of the world. This was the forme of Dedication then; and that Salomons consisted of a Prayer,1. King. 8.22.23. wee finde, 1. King. 8.

Vse 1. Which being so, it may direct vs to auoyd the errors of the Church of Rome in her dedications, holding from the 2. Councell of Braca, Conc: 2. C [...]n: 5. that a Church should not be consecrated till prouision be made for gifts and reuenues, and that there should still be lights in the Church; the first part whereof is conuenient, but the second needlesse: what vse is there of lightes, vnlesse men meete earely in the mornings, as those Christians were constrained to doe in Plinies time;Can. de conscer. Dist: 1. or late in the darke euenings? holding, that Temples should not be built or consecrated,Con. of Wormes, c. 3. & in c. Missarum solennia. Tribis [...]ensis Synod: Ann. 812 but by the will of the Bi­shop of Rome, which is a palpable tyranny and vsurped authority: holding, that seruice must not bee sayd or sung, but in places so dedicated; whereas in case of necessity it may bee otherwise, and deuotions may bee performed somtimes in other places; as Izhak pray­ed in the field, Israel in Egypt, Moses at the Sea, Elias vnder a tree, Ieremie in a dungeon, Ionas in the belly of the Whale, Christ vpon the toppe of a mountain, the Disciples in a shippe: holding that all things must be done now in the dedicating of the Temples of chri­stians, which were done in dedicating the Temples of the Iewes; Gratian, dist. 1. de Consecr. whereas howsoeuer in morall duties we are more bound then they were, yet not in ceremonies, figures, shadowes, seeing the commaundements of [Page 19]that kind were abolished by the death of Christ: Hol­ding that the dedicating of Churches driueth thence Diuels,Cont. Col: Anno [...] 36 [...] 14. whereas Romanists cannot challenge this po­wer to driue away Sathan at their pleasure: For the Spirit diuideth seuerally to euery man, as hee will: 1. Cor. 12. They know not whether any bad Spirits bee there,1. Cor. 12▪ 11. though sometimes it appeareth that in some wicked places euill Spirites haue haunted and inhabi­ted;Pln. 2 l. 7. Epist. as by their effects hath appeared, which hath cau­sed none willingly there to inhabite: they may as well coniure the whole world, seeing Saint Paul calleth the Diuels, the Rulers of the darkenesse of this World, Ep. 6. Yea often it is knowne, that worse Spirits can not frequent those places then themselues. Epi. 6.13. Their other Ce­remonies are ridiculous, of twelue Candles before twelue Images, signifying the twelue Apostles, Hospin: de Orig: dedicat: and that we must walke in light: of three times walking round, signifying Christs triple circuite (more then he made) from heauen to the world; from the world to Limbus; Io: Sleid: l. 21. Commenta [...]. from Limbus to heauen: or the threefold estate of the Church; of married, of widdowes, of Virgins: Dura: in Rati­onali Diu [...]no [...]ū l. 1: c. 6. of three times knocking at the doore, signifying the three-fold right which God hath in our hearts, because he made vs, redeemed vs, and hath giuen himselfe vnto vs: of sprinckling water, signifying Baptisme and Repentance: of making characters in ashes cast vpon the pauement, with lines drawne from the right hand vnto the left, and from the left hand vnto the right, signifying the coniunction of two people: Their ascribing par­dons at such times of Dedication, are as vaine;Anns Dom. 1066. as A­lexander the second gaue vnto any one that came de­uoutly [Page 20]to the dedication at Cassina, 40, dayes remissi­on:G [...]eg. Nicae: Synod▪ 2. Anno 788. their burning of incense in them; their bringing of reliques to such dedications; their inuocating of the Martyrs, to whom they build Churches. Wee stand for a Dedication by prayer of such places, but cast away those gulleries.Aug. de Ciu l. 8. c. 27. The Gentiles (saith Austin) erected tem­ples to their Gods: so did our Brittaines sometimes in Scotland, a Temple to Mars; in Cornewall a Temple to Mercurie, Stow: Ann [...]l. Cambd: Brittan. B. Iewel. Tract: de Sacris Scriptu [...]. pag. 129. in Bangor a temple to Minerua, in Essex a temple to Victoria, in Leycester a temple to Ianus; in Yorke where Peters is now, a temple to Bellona; in Lon­don where Paul is now, a temple to Diana: No more then three and fifty yeares before the Incarnation of Christ (when Iulius Caesar came out of France into England) so absurd were our people to serue these fals­ly supposed Gods and Goddesses: but now the gos­pell being preached, these are banished, & such dark­nesse dispelled. Our Churches and Chappels are de­dicated to the true God; the very name Kirke, or Church, an abbreuiation of ( [...]) the Lords house, sounding so much.D [...]n l. 4 c. 16 Wee say as Damascene, We build Temples vnto God in the names of the Saints; as Aug: Aug. l 8. de Ci­uit. Dei c. vlt. & l. 22. de Ciu. c. 10 We build not temples vnto our Martyrs as vn­to Gods, but memorials as vnto dead men, whose Spirits with God are still liuing. Wee doe not crye at the Altars, O Peter! O Paul! O Cyprian! wee offer vnto thee our oblation; but at theyr Memorials, we offer to God, who made them men and Martyrs, giuing thanks for theyr victories, and encouraging our selues by calling vpon God, to the like Crowns of Martyrdome. If we retaine the names of some, who [Page 21]were not Christians, by calling Churches after theyr names, we doe but as Saint Luke, who vsed the name of Mars hill, where the Areopagites sate, Act.Act. 17.19.22 Act 28.11. 17: and the names of Castor and Pollux false Gods, Act. 28: and Iob and Amos the names of Arcturus, Iob. 9.9.38.31 Amos 5.8. O­rion, Pleiades, Iob. 9, notwithstanding, they had fa­bulous and poeticall fictions. The most of our Chur­ches haue the names of Saints and Martyrs, which we vse, as they doe also in Geneua (that miraculous Sanctua­rie for many distressed Protestants) their chiefe church retayning the name of Saint Peter, another of Saint Magdalen, another of Saint Geruase, whither they vsu­ally resort to holy exercises.

If any of our Churches were erected by the super­stitious, wee must acknowledge how much wee are bound to God, that wee may haue such houses which we builded not; wels which wee digged not; Deut. 6: enioy those Churches which wee prepared not,Deu. 6.11. as Noah had the benefit of that Arke, which was framed by some prophane Ship-wright:Ludolphus. Our Churches haue the pure Gospell, the true Sacraments, and are de­dicated vnto God by prayer; which we defend as fol­lowing our Sauiour, who will haue his house to bee called a house of Prayer, being present at the Feast of the dedication of it in Ierusalem.

VSE. 2. Vse 2. Which may serue for an Instruction to vs, to bee carefull for the dedicating of our Temples vn­to God, both Materiall and Spirituall. A Materiall Temple. Our Materiall Temples are Houses of wood and stone prepared for the assemblies of Christians: yet Few vse them as dedicated vnto God. Popish Recusants are out of [Page 22]loue with our dedicated houses becau [...] [...]erein their Masse-Priests and vnknowne languag [...] is silenced, their Images defaced, their idolatrous inuocations & adorations abandoned; and would haue their refrac­tarie fancie to be called by the name of Conscience: they are inuited here to the Supper of the Lambe, yet will not come; and therefore well by the Magistrate may be compelled to come in,Luc. 14.23. that the house may be full. A blessed compulsion it is for a man to be dri­uen to truth, for a woman to bee forced to heauen. The idle Libertine preferreth his Couch before our dedicated Temples,Amban Psal. 129. Isa [...]. 29.13. herein worse then the Iew, who did yeeld his speech and presence to the word; but he (forsooth) will not come so farre as the Church, though he be very neare it: or if such come, we may say as Chrysostome, of some in his time; We see them stand and trifle while Prayer is sayde;Chrys [...]om. 24 in Acta. yea, not onely when Prayer is sayde, but when the Priest blesseth. Doe you not know that you stand with the Angels, sing and say Hymnes with them, & stand you laughing? It were no maruel, if God should send out a thunderbolt not only vpon them,Hom, 36. in 1. ad Cor. but vpon vs also: for surely these thinges deserue a thunderbolt. The Church is not a Barbars shoppe, or an Apothecaries house, or a common court; but a place of Angels, the Court of Heauen, and Hea­uen it selfe.Chrys. 15, in Heb. Were they to enter into a Princes court, they would order their habite, looke and gate; but entring into the Church, the Court of the heauenly King, they laugh, iangle, walke, and make bargaines. It is Gods house: Aug. Regula. Let nothing bee done heere, but what may be fit for the presence of God; the name [Page 23]of it teacheth vs to pray: It is house of Prayer. Re­uerence is due to the very Cloysters & Churchyards; the bodyes of many Saints lodging there in peace, whose soules rest with God in Heauen. The Ana­baptist or Donatist (an old Rogatian) is so peeuish, that hee abstaineth from the assemblies of all other men whatsoeuer, not of his opinion; and vpon conceit of some spots in our dedicated Churches, singles him­selfe with his schismatical troupe to som odde corner, in a priuate house, wood, or barne in the night and darkenesse▪ louing darkenesse, and therefore walking in darkenesse: or thinking their priuate conuenticle to be the onely true Church, because they conceiue some spots, and spotted men doe remayne amongst vs, not lamenting, praying, labouring for a redresse; but auoyding the land, which is no true valour to run away; especially to places which are common harbours of all opinions and heresies, where they cannot but draw in some stench of these; hauing left the free and cleare aire of the Gospel, swallowing in Camels there, who could not endure Gnats here. Augustine tooke another course, For the chaffes sake wee doe not for­sake the threshing-floore of the Lord; Aug. Ep. 48. nor for the bad fishes doe we breake the net of the Lord; nor for the Goates which are to be seuered in the end, do we leaue the Flocke of the Lord; nor for the vessels made to dishonour, doe wee flit out of the house of the Lord. Let vs resolue so, to pray for any thing that may seem to be amisse, knowing that the Spouse will be blacke, while she is vpon earth, Cant. 1:Can. 1.5. that in the best field where Christ sowed seede, and the best seede, tares [Page 24]spring vp as well as wheate, and both must grow to­gether till the Haruest,M [...] 1 [...].30. Mat. 13. Let vs not flie from these materiall dedicated Temples, but hold it our ioy, that here wee may come to dedicate and deuote our selues vnto God. Wee our selues are spirituall Tem­ples, 1. Cor. 3.17. A [...]pirituall Temple. Our soules are the Temples of God: If any man defile the Temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the Temple of God is holy, which Temple yee are. Our bodies in comparison of our soules, are but as wals of clay, encompassing a treasure; as the woodden boxes of pretious Iewels; a course case to a sweete in­strument, or a maske to a beautifull face: It is holie, we must not prophane it: God created it in infusion, and infused it in creation. It should bee holy as he is holy: without holinesse wee can neyther bee named, nor be Christians. It is the Riches of the Saints, the beauty of Angeis, delight of God. Whosoeuer hath this, is a Temple of God; and he that wanteth it is a dwelling place of Sathan. Let the soule be free from sinne, [...]. and Sathan will bee driuen farre from the soule of the finner, and he shall dedicate this Temple vnto God.A celestiall Temple. There is another Temple, and it is celestiall, which if wee desire to feast in, we must bee dedicated in bodies and soules vnto God; we must glorifie God here, and then wee shall bee glorified by him there: Blessed are al they that dwel in this house, they shall e­uer be praysing of God;Psal. 64.4. there Charitie shall bee per­fect: [...]umb l. 4. l. 49. Euery man shall reioyce as much for anothers good as he doth for his owne: they that looked down­ward here at sorrow not to be repented of, shall there looke vpward at ioy: they that walked here in redde, [Page 25]shall there be cloathed with white. Thinke that thou one day mayest come into this Temple, as thou doest now into a material Temple.Per [...] Ecclesia intra­mus in [...]o [...]ā Paradisi. This is the gate by which we must enter in. Here we must bee polished as cor­ner stones for the heauenly Citie of Ierusalem. Heere we fitte our selues with wedding garments, that wee be not cast out into that place, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Here we are in Gods chamber of Presence, that we may be brought into his presence and chamber of ioy, whence we shall neuer bee shut out. Let vs then while the house of the Lord is esta­blished, encourage one another, saying; Let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord, to the house of the God of Iacob, and he will teach vs of his wayes, and wee will walke in his pathes, Isa. 2.Isa. 2.2.3. The Temple was Christs walke, as we find in these words: And Iesus walked in the Temple, in Salomons Porch.

Amongst the Iewes the Temple was had in much reuerence,Chrys, in Act. 6.14. Ier. 7.4. Act. 4.1. Bar. Ioh. 12.20, Act. 8.27. Ios. 11. Ant. c. vlt. & it was held a great honour to liue neere vnto it; theyr common cry was, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, Ier. 7. The Temple had a captaine, Act. 4. as afterwardes Souldiers called Templarij, dwelling neere to the Temple, Knights of Ierusalem, instituted Anno 1230. The Gentiles came to worship at the Temple, as that Eunuch of great authority vnder Candace Queene of the Ethiopians, Act. 8. and Alexander the Great;2. Mac. 3.3, 35, Seleucus King of Asia, Heliodorus, Ios. Gor. l. 3. c. 1. Antiochus and o­thers mentioned by Gorionides. Famous haue been the temple of Caesar, the temple of Bellona, M. Purch. in Pilg hauing sixe thousand seruants a [...]out it in Cappadocia; the tem­ple [Page 26]of Iupiter, in Morimena with three thousand vo­taries: at Carrhae they had the Temple of the Moone: at Taxilla a temple of the Sunne: at Athens they had a temple of Mercie, [...] causing a decree to bee made, that they which fled thither for succour, might not be pulled away from thence. Such a Sanctuarie was the Temple of Theseus; such an immunity was translated vnto the Temples of Christians, to Abbies, and Monasteries, [...]. when Princes had dedicated their names vnto Christ; prouiding by lawes, that whosoe­uer should violently draw away any from thence, they should incurre the crime of treason; which was the cause, that whē Alaricus the King of the Gothes had sur­prised the City of Rome, so many as fledde vnto the great Church of Saint Peter, were through a won­derfull worke of God preserued: But abuses hauing hence growne, and the Church & Common-wealth iniuried, these are in many places abrogated; when seruants hence tooke occasion to bee disobedient, and vndutifull; vnconscionable debters defrauded their creditors; thieues encreased, and that was vere­fied, Nullos tam saepe ad Ecclesiae asylum sugere, quàm qui nec Deum, nec Ecclesiam curabant; None more vsually and often fledde to the Sanctuary of the Church, then they that cared neyther for God nor the Church. The Temples of our times are for prayer, preaching, ad­ministration of the Sacraments, and so Sanctuaries for troubled soules, who desire to bee fed with the sincere milke of the word; wherein not onely the Lambe may wade, but the Lyon may swimme. Christ honoured the Temple with his walke in Salomons Porch. His [Page 27]passion was neere, and as it were at the dore; therefore he walked in the Porch, in Salomons porch, where sa­crifices were offered: that we might much more fre­quent those places, where there is a remembrance of his offering vp of himselfe once for all. In Salomons Porch, because there often Salomon vsed to pray: or it is called Salomons Porch, because it was made in i­mitation of that; the length whereof was twenty cu­bites, and the bredth thereof ten cubites,1. Kin. 6.3. 1. King. 6. Here he walked, shewing that sometimes a man may retire and rest himselfe, but not so that he rust; for hee tooke occasion by walking,Aret: to offer himselfe to the oppositions of his Aduersaries. Iosephus notes, that the Temple had foure Porches: the first, for all generally, except menstruous women: the second, for the Iewes and their wiues: the third, for the onely Males of the Iewes: the fourth, for those that brought the Priests robes. This Porch of Herods Temple is called Beautiful, where the lame mā was asking almes of them, that entred into the Temple:Act. 3.2. Act. 3. A fitte spectacle, teaching men to bee mercifull to such, who themselues come to craue mercy from God, and to respect these whom God placeth as Porters of his Court; teaching vs to open our wounds vnto God,Chrys. hom. 28. ad Pop. Antioch as they open theirs vnto vs. The beauty of this Porch is described by Iosephus, Salmeron, Baronius, Ribera: Ios. 6. de bel: Iud. c. 6. Gods house is beautifull and amiable, therefore did Dauid long and faint after it; preferring one dayes being here, before a thousand else-where, wishing ra­ther to be a dore-keeper in the house of God, then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse,Psal. 84.10. Psal. 84. And Iesus [Page 20]walked in the Temple, in Salomons Porch. Wisdome wal­ked in the house of the Wise man; whence wee may learne, That it is a fitte thing for Christians often to frequent Gods house, his Church.

Christs action herein may be our instruction.Doctr. 8, daies after his birth, hee was brought into the Temple, Luc. 2, to suffer circumcision according to the Law: When hee grew and waxed strong in Spirite, and was twelue yeeres old,Lu. 2.27. v. 40.41.46. He was in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the Doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions; not to learne of them, but to instruct them: as he was man, he hearkned vnto them; as hee was God,Orig: hee opposed and answered them: Hee so as­ked and answered,Eed: that all that heard him were a­stonished at his vnderstanding and answeres. He taught and preached the Gospell of the Kingdome in the Synagogues, Mat. 4.23. Hee taught dayly in the Temple, v. 47. Luk. 19.47. Earely in the morning he came a­gaine into the Temple, Ioh. 8.2. Hee euer taught in the Synagogue, and in the Temple, Ioh. 18.20. Heere he walked in the Temple. This was the walke of Da­uid; As for me I will come into thy house in the mul­titude of thy mercy, and in thy feare will I worship to­ward thy holy Temple,Psalm: 5.7. Psal. 5. We tooke sweete counsell together, and walked vnto the house of God in company,Psil. 55.14. Psal. 55. I was glad when they sayde vnto me;Psalm. 122.1. Let vs goe into the house of the Lord, Psal. 122. The Apostles continued dayly with one accord in the Temple, Act. 2.46. Act. 2. Peter and Iohn went vp toge­ther into the temple, at the houre of prayer, being the ninth houre,Act 3.1. Act. 3.1. Peter and Iohn together went [Page 29]to prepare the Passeouer,Luc: 22 8. Ioh: 18 16 Luk. 22. Peter and Iohn went together into the Palace of the high Priest, Ioh. 18. Pe­ter and Iohn ranne both together towards Christs Se­pulchcre, Iohn 20.Ioh: 20, 4 Peter and Iohn were sent together to Samaria, when it had receiued the word of God, Act. 8. Peter and Iohn answered the Councell boldly,Act: 8 14 Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken vnto you more then vnto God, iudge yee,Act: 4, 19. Act. 4. Peter and Iohn are yoked together; the old and young, that the young might be instructed and guided by the old. He leadeth his fellow to the Temple. An Angel com­manded the Apostles, Go, stand and speake in the temple to the people all the words of this life; & when they heard that, they entred into the Temple earely in the morning and taught,Act: 5.21 Act. 5. Paul and Barna­bas went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sate downe, Act. 13. Paul prayed in the Temple,Act: 13.14 Act: 22.17 and was in a traunce, Act. 22. The Church is not for se­cular but religious offices. Anna a Prophetesse, the daughter of Phanuel, a widdow of about fourescore & foure yeares, departed not from the temple,Bas: lib. 2. de Bapt: quaest: 8. but ser­ued God with fastings and praiers night and day, Luk. 2. Theodosius went to all the places of praier he could. In these Temples, Luc: 2.37 Ruff: l: 2, ca: 33 and the true professors (which are members hereof) God dwelleth and walketh in them, 1. Cor. 6. And Iesus walked in the Temple. 1. Cor: 6.16

A iust censure this may be then of any, who despise or abuse temples:Vse. 1. we hold not an inherent holinesse in the places; & that priuate praiers are bettered,Wolfius in 2 [...] Re: 12. ex Tertull: when vttered within a consecrated circle: Christ is our ca­tholike temple; and by him wheresoeuer our praiers [Page 30]are made in spirit and truth, they are alike acceptable to God; yet God especially hath chosen these places to himselfe. This Action of our Sauiour warranteth our assemblies in Churches: for, though Abraham made his couenant in the open wildernesse,Gen. 21.21.27. Gen. 24.63. Gen. 21; & Izhak praied in the fields, Gen. 24; and it is vncertaine what places Adam, Abel, Enos, Seth had to worship in: yet God hath now marked out his houses, and they must be frequented. Christ came to this Temple after it had been prophaned,Ios. l. 15. and re-edefied for popular vaine glorie; and he that forbare not to imploy the water pots of the Iewish and superstitious purification, in the worke of his gracious miracle,Ioh. 2.6.7. Ioh. 2, auoyded not the Iewish Temple: Why then doe so many seeke to pull downe the Temples and Churches of Christians? from a swelling they are fallen to a shrinking in the sinews; from ful-fed bodies, to a pining; so that vix faucibus haerent; scarce doe the stones in many of our Chur­ches hang together, they haue sustained a long pen­nance for their excesse. Simoniacall Patrons sell pre­sentations to our Churches; heyres to Iudas, whose La­tine goeth no farther then Quid dabis: They enquire of the purse of a man, not of his vertues; selling oxen, sheepe, doues; all Church-preferments they haue of their owne, or are put in trust with by others, to those who cannot feede the flocke committed to their charge; or if they doe feede them, it is with vn­tempered and often poisonous foode. A sinne now become vulnus cancrosum, Amb. a wound that hath a canker in it, and crept along through many ioyntes, and requireth ignitum ferrum, a hote [Page 31]coulter or sharpe sword; the extremity of ciuill punishment. Lest as before the comming of Christ in the flesh,Aug. de Ciu. Dei. l. 2, c. 19 the Romane Common wealth by little and little being changed, Ex pulcherrima & optima, pessima ac flagitiosissima facta est: So the Common wealth of England, and Christianity, by buing the charge of soules before the second com­ming of Christ, of a most religious and well ordered Common wealth, will become irreligious and pro­phane. The Eagle-clawed Church-robber, seeth a farre off a little portion remayning to the Church, and will so are at this by all politique inuentions, though hee take but a coale to fire his nest. These Locusts nibble at that which the Palmer-worme hath left; worse then Pharaoh, who had their diet with Pharaoh in the dearth, that they might not sell their land, Gen. 47: they must haue to their heapes of ill gotten, Gen. 47.22. and mise­rablie kept goods, an Impropriate Tithe, which is most improper for any but the Church; though the Mi­nister and his family sterue. Are not these snares vn­to them, when hauing cōmitted spirituall theft, they are so followed by Gods hand into their houses, which receiue such stollen goods, that Reuenge shaketh the foundation of them for sinne, and they in themselues and theirs are vsually punished. The scornefull Atheist de­spiseth the calling of the Teachers of our Temples; scorning Priests, whose spirituall sacrifice of praier, God accepteth as well as he did incense in the old law; and like railing Rabshakehs seeke to make them­selues sport in blaspheming the God of Israel, by ren­ding in pieces his Messengers, in their drunken, lasci­uious [Page 32]raging discourses, where they foame out their owne shame; not being terrified by the examples of Ieroboams withered hand; two Captaines and their fif­ties fired from Heauen; forty two chidren torne in pieces by wilde Beares; Corath and his Complices deuoured by the earth; Miriam a woman, strucken with a leprosie for abusing the Lords seruants. The Lord hath and will make good his promise to Leui; Blesse Lord his substance, and accept the worke of his hands; Deut. 33.11. smite through the loines of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not againe, Deut. 33. They that haue honoured the Temple haue been honoured;Eccl. 50. Simon the son of Onias repairing the Temple, how was he honoured in the midst of the people? he was as the Morning-starre in the midst of a cloud, and as the Moone at the full; as the Sunne shining vpon the Temple of the most high; and as the Rainebow giuing light in the bright cloudes; as the flowre of Roses in the spring of the yeare, as Lilies by the riuers of waters, and as the branches of the Fran­kincence tree in the time of Summer, as fire and in­cense in the Censer, and as a vessell of beaten gold, set with all manner of pretious stones; as a faire O­liue tree budding forth, and as a Cypresse tree which groweth vp to the clouds: Simon Magus that thought so basely of the best gifts belonging to Gods Temple, hee, on the other side hath been put to open shame, and his necke broken. Thus they that stand for holy things dedicated to God, haue stood and flourished; but o­thers haue perished for abusing the place of the Tem­ple, or men of the temple,Aq. 2.2. q. 99.2.3. or things dedicated to holy [Page 33]vses in the Temple: Such thinke this to be no sinne now, because Christ is not present with a whip for thē, as hee was in Ierusalem; but they may feare a more terrible whip hereafter, without restitution and con­trition; and learne of Iesus to defend the Temple, & frequent it. Iesus walked in the Temple, in Salomons Porch.

How may this encourage vs,Vse 2. who haue Churches and Chappels for our frequent and religious assem­blies: God is not included in any one place: Hee is euery where by his power and operation, by his know­ledge and vision, by his immensitie and incircumscrip­tion; he is in the humanity of Christ by an hypostati­call vnion; In his Saints by loue, in Heauen by his Maiesty, in the Church by an especiall assistance and direction; hee is euery where, whole filling Heauen and earth; his power being present,Aug. l. 7. de Ciu. Dei. c. 30. Cyp. l. de vanit. Idolorum. his nature not absent. All the world is his Temple; yet must wee not vpon this pretence auoide Churches, as Ieroboam disswaded from set times and places of Gods wor­ship,Ios. Ant. l. 8. c. 3.8. because God heareth euery where; he especially affordeth his presence in those places, which he calleth his houses; and therefore Cain for his murther, not da­ring to come to the place appointed for the seruice of God, is said to go out from the presence of the Lord, Gen. 4: And when Ionas is sayde to flie from the pre­sence of the Lord, Ion. 1, Aben Ezra saith,Gen. 4.16. Ion. 1.3. that hee fled from that place where the Prophets stood, and offered themselues to be sent of God, when he should commaund them: If God bee in the midst of two or three, gathered together in his name, how much more [Page 34]gratiously is hee with the multitudes of godly, whose prayers are as thunderclaps, or the roaring of the sea. Such oratories doe wee enioy, founded by Iewes and Gentiles, Bas: as well as any of Romish Religion: what was it for them in Popery to build Churches, or repayre them.Campians speech at the funerall of Sir T: White. In maxima rerum vilitate, & multorum opibus adiuti, in a time of great cheapnesse of euerie thing, and helped with the riches of many men? It is a slander that our Faith or Credo pulleth downe those Churches, which their Pater Noster founded: Their claime is false, to bee founders of Churches. Constan­tine the great built Churches before Popery was hat­ched: Charles the great,B. Bad: in Exod. Schooles of Diuinity, and Vniuersities in Germany, France, Italy, not for Popery, but for the Bible to bee taught in; and the Britaines ancient Inhabiters of this nation, had their Churches and Temples, and yet no Popery: If they built or repayred our Churches,Bede: we may frequent them, being swept and purged, and reformed. Some zealous pro­fessors the Lord rayseth vp, to adde more vnto these, and to vphold those already built, that they may bee dedicated houses vnto God; especially hauing so Re­ligious a Leader as our Salomon, who daily encoura­geth and commandeth to such charitable works, The Lord his God hauing now giuen him rest on euery side, 1. King. 5: to these we call, as to Fountaines of the water of life, that men would taste, and see that the Lord is good,1. King. 5.4. Psal. 34: We say come hither old men and Fathers,Psal, 34 4. and learne of Simeon to sing a Nunc dimittis; Be not loth to depart in peace: Come hither, young men and brethren, Wee will teach you the feare of the Lord. [Page 35]We here sing: Praise the Lord all yee Nations, Psal. 127.1. praise him all yee people. To this end is this Chappell this day dedicated vnto God; and the lawfulnesse of dedication we haue seene. We may reioice now, and be glad in the Lord; It will become vs wel to be thankfull, and to testifie our thankefulnesse by continuing our care in our seuerall places.

Reuerend and Honourable Father of this Diocesse, Be as hetherto you haue been to this religious towne, a faithfull Patron to Church and Schoole; as Timo­thie to Ephesus, Titus to Crete, Polycarpus to Smyrna, Paulinus to Nola, Primasius to Vtica, Eucherius to Li­ons, Chrysostome to Constantinople, Cyprian to Carthage, Ambrose to Millaine, Austin to Hippo: This towne yet flourisheth in many blessings; and so it wil, if faction and schisme preuayle not against the peace of it.

Worthy and carefull Magistrates, M. Iohn Nichols, M. Richard Winn, then the two Bailiues, both present, and some of the 12 Alder­men, and 24 Counsellours. A Sermon be­fore the elec­tion of new Bailiues. Be you with your Brethren trusty Guardians of the Schooles and Schol­lers; defend their foundation, reuenues, priuiledges: The Magistrate defendeth the scholler with his sword, and the scholler defendeth the Magistrate with his penne. Let Learning be countenanced by you, and the learned shall praise you. I shall hereafter giue you a more ample charge out of another Text of Scripture; where you shall see that you must giue an account of your office to the God of Gods.

Prouident and industrious Masters of this Schoole, so teach your Schollers, that they may haue this testi­mony which Cyprian gaue Christians;Cyp: ad Iubaia­num. Veniunt vt [Page 36]discant, Discunt vt viuant, They come to learne, and learne here the Art of liuing well: All your Art is now reduced into two words, Deus & Rex: Instruct them to Feare God and honour the King; Intus si recte, ne labora. and then the Motto of your Schoole, may be engrauen vpon your consciences; We deserue not iust censures, and passe by vniust: Be content with that you haue, countenance none to challenge that which is the portion of ano­ther: If they pull from the Church that which is due, and pretend to bring it hither; it is like Iudas proiect, that would not haue Christs body annointed, but the poore relieued: It is an hon [...]ring of the members, and vncouering of the head: That little which they take a­way (and but little all is left) eateth, as we see, in­to their wealth, who seeke to robbe Church or Schoole: Let your diligent labours make such, that may defend you from vniust wrongs; and then, as Herod the great, though at home,Ioseph Antiq: l. 16.6. was most vnhappy in his wife and children, yet abroad was most happy for his friends, acquaintance, and other prosperity; so though you may haue some who seeke your hurt, being neere; yet others who are imployed farre from you, may defend you.

Young Plants of this consecrated Vineyard, I say to you, as Salomon to his young man: Remember now your creator in the dayes of your youth, Eccl. 12.1. Eccl. 12.

While strength and yeeres suffer you, Be diligent and constant in preparing your selues to be hereafter or­naments of the Church and common wealth. Now is your Haruest; Let your Schoole be as it is called [Page 37] Ludus literarius, a place wherein you take pleasure to learne, rather then a paine; Redeeme the time, the daies are euill; Life is short, Hippocrates. Art is long.

Let vs all Beloued, heare the end of all: Feare God, and keepe his commandements, for this is the whole duty of man: All of vs must appeare,Eccl. 12 13. where we must giue a reckoning of our Stewardship, as yesterday di­uinely we were admonished. In a Sermon by the reue­rend Bishop, in S. Chaddes Church. Let vs performe all duty to our Temples; Let vs remember that wee were re­deemed to bee Temples of the holy Ghost: Holinesse becommeth Gods Temples: If we labour here truely to bee holy, then hereafter wee shall bee truly happy; and being receiued into the holy Ierusalem, which is aboue, and onely free, and the mother of vs all, wee shall sing Hosanna the song of children; Halleluiah, the song of the Elders; Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Al­mighty, the song of Cherubims & Seraphims; and shall for euer liue in glory with the Father, the Sonne, and the Spirit: To which Frinitie we shall ascribe prayse and power in a vnitie, for euer and euer: So be it, Amen.