Judge Phillimore continues:
Bishop Jeremy Taylor in his “Rule of Conscience” lays down as Rule XII, All those Rituals which were taught to the Church by the Apostles concerning Ministries, which were of Divine institution, do oblige all Christendom to their observation.
And on this rule he observes:
[1] I instance in the Holy Sacrament first of all; concerning which the Apostles delivered to the Churches the essential manner of celebration, that is, the way of doing it according to Christ’s commandment, for the words themselves, being large and indefinite, were spoken indeed only to the Apostles, but yet they were representatives of all the whole ecclesiastical order in some things, and of the whole Christian Church in other; and therefore, what parts of duty, and power, and office did belong to each, the Apostles must teach the Church, or she could have no way of knowing without particular revelation.
[2] Thus the Apostles taught the Bishops and Priests to consecrate the symbols of bread and wine before they did communicate; not only because by Christ’s example we were taught to give thanks before we eat, but because the Apostles knew that the symbols were consecrated to a mystery. And this was done from the beginning, and in all Churches, and in all ages of the Church; by which we can conclude firmly in this rule, that the Apostles did give a canon or rule to the Churches to be observed always, and that the Church did never believe she had authority or reason to recede from it. For in those rites which are ministries of grace, no man must interpose anything that can alter any part of the institution, or make a change or variety in that which is of Divine appointment. For the effect in these things depends wholly upon the will of God, and we have nothing to discourse or argue; for we know nothing but the institution, nothing of the reason of the thing, and therefore we must in these cases, with simplicity and obedience, apply ourselves to practice as we have received, for we have nothing else to guide us. Memory and obedience, not discourse and argument, are here in season.
