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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A VIEW OF THE
NEW DIRECTORIE,
AND
A VINDICATION
OF THE ANCIENT
LITURGIE
OF THE
Church of England. In An&s;wer to the Rea&s;ons pretended in
the Ordinance and Preface, for the abo|li&s;hing
the one, and e&s;tabli&s;hing the other. The Third Edition.</P>
<P><HI>OXFORD,</HI>
Printed by HENRY HALL, Printer to
the UNIVERSITY. 1646.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="proclamation">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>BY THE KING.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Proclamation Commanding the u&s;e of
the Booke of Common-Prayer according to Law, notwith|&s;tanding
the pretended Ordinances for the New Directory.</HEAD>
<P>_WHereas by a Printed Paper, dated the third of Ianua|ry
la&s;t pa&s;t, intituled, An Ordinance of Parliam<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">t
for taking away the Book of Common-Prayer, and for
e&s;tabli&s;hing and putting in execution of the Directory
for the publique wor&s;hip of God; It is &s;aid to be ordain|ed
among other things, That the Book of Common-Prayer &s;hould not
remain, or be from thenceforth u&s;ed in any Church, Chappell or place
of publique Wor&s;hip within the Kingdome of England or Dominion
of Wales; And that the Directory for publique Wor&s;hip in that prin|ted
<PB REF="3">
Paper &s;et forth, &s;hould be from thenceforth u&s;ed, pur&s;ued, and ob|&s;erved
in all exerci&s;es of publique Wor&s;hip of God in every Congre|gation,
Church, Chappell, and place of publique Wor&s;hip. And by
another printed Paper, dated the 23. day of Augu&s;t la&s;t pa&s;t, intituled,
All Ordinance of the Lords and Commons a&s;&s;embled in Parliament,
for the more effectuall putting in execution the Directory for publique
Wor&s;hip, &amp;c. particular directions are &s;et down for the di&s;per&s;ing,
publi&s;hing, and u&s;e of the &s;aid Directory, in all pari&s;hes, Chappelries,
and Donatives, and for the calling in and &s;uppre&s;&s;ing of all Books of
Common-Prayer, under &s;everall forfeitures and penalties to be levyed
and impo&s;ed upon conviction before Iu&s;tices of A&s;&s;ize, or of Over and
Terminer, and of the Peace, as by the &s;aid two printed Papers may
appeare. And taking into Our con&s;ideration, that the Book of Com|mon
Prayer, which is endeavoured thus to be aboli&s;hed, was compiled
in the times of Reformation, by the mo&s;t learned and pious men of that
Age, and defended and confirmed with the Martyrdome of many; and
was fir&s;t e&s;tabli&s;hed by Act of Parliament in the time of King Ed|ward
the &s;ixth, and never repealed or laid a&s;ide, &s;ave only in that &s;hort
time of Queen Maries Reign, upon the returne of Popery and &s;uper|&s;tition;
and in the fir&s;t yeare of Queen Elizabeth, it was again revi|ved
and e&s;tabli&s;hed by Act of Parliament, and the repeale of it then
declared by the whole Parliament, to have b&eacute;en to the great decay of
the due honour of God, and di&s;comfort to the Profe&s;&s;ors of the truth of
Chri&s;ts Religion: and ever &s;ince it hath b&eacute;en u&s;ed and ob&s;erved for a|bove
foure&s;core yeares together, in the be&s;t times of peace and plenty
that ever this Kingdome enjoyed; and that it conteines in it an excel|lent
Forme of Wor&s;hip and Service of God, grounded upon holy
Scriptures, and is a &s;ingular meanes and helpe to devotion in all Con|gregation,
and that, or &s;ome other of the like Forme, &s;imply nece&s;&s;ary
in tho&s;e many Congregations, which cannot be otherwi&s;e &s;upplyed by
learned and able men, and k&eacute;eps up an uniformity in the Church of
England; And that the Directory, which is &s;ought to be introduced, is
a meanes to open the way, and give the liberty to all ignorant Factious
or evill men, to broach their own fancies and conceits, be they never &s;o
wicked and erroneous; and to mi&s;, lead People into &s;in and Rebellion,
and to utter tho&s;e things, even in that which they make for their Pray|er
in their Congregations as in Gods pre&s;ence, which no con&s;cienti|ous
man can a&s;&s;ent or &s;ay Amen to. And be the Mini&s;ter never &s;o pi|ous
and religious, yet it will breake that uniformity which hitherto
<PB REF="3">
hath b&eacute;en held in Gods &s;ervice, and be a meanes to rai&s;e Factions and
divi&s;ions in the Church; And tho&s;e many Congregations in this King|dome,
where able and religious Mini&s;ters cannot be maintained, mu&s;t
be left de&s;titute of all helpe or meanes for their publique wor&s;hip and
&s;ervice of God: And ob&s;erving likewi&s;e, that no rea&s;on is given for
this alteration, but only inconvenience alleadged in the generall (and
whether pride and avarice be not the ground, whether rebellion and
de&s;truction of Monarchy be not the intention of &s;ome, and &s;acriledge
and the Churches po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions the aymes and hopes of others, and the&s;e
new Directories, the meanes to prepare and draw the people in for all,
W&eacute;e leave to him who &s;earches and knowes the hearts of men,) And
taking into Our further con&s;ideration, that this alteration is introdu|ced
by colour of Ordinances of Parliament made without and again&s;t
Our con&s;ent, and again&s;t an expre&s;&s;e Act of Parliament &s;till in force,
and the &s;ame Ordinances made as perpetuall binding Lawes, inflict|ing
penalties and puni&s;hments, which was never, before the&s;e times,
&s;o much as pretended to have been the u&s;e or power of Ordinances of
Parliament, without an expre&s;&s;e Act of Parliament, to which W&eacute;e
are to be parties. Now le&s;t Our &s;ilence &s;hould be interpreted by &s;ome
as a connivance or indifferency in Us, in a matter &s;o highly concern|ing
the Wor&s;hip and Service of God, the Peace and Unity of the
Church and State, and the e&s;tabli&s;h'd Lawes of the Kingdome, W&eacute;e
have therefore thought fit to publi&s;h this Our Proclamation; And
W&eacute;e do hereby require and command all and &s;ingular Mini&s;ters in all
Cathedrall and Pari&s;h-Churches, and other places of publique Wor|&s;hip,
within Our Kingdome of England or Dominion of Wales; and
all other to whom it &s;hall appertaine, that the &s;aid Booke of Common-|Prayer
be kept and u&s;ed in all Churches, Chappels, and places of pub|lique
Wor&s;hip, according to the &s;aid Statute made in that behalfe in
the &s;aid fir&s;t yeare of the &s;aid late Qu&eacute;en Elizabeth; And that the &s;aid
Directory be in no &s;ort admitted, received, or u&s;ed, the &s;aid pretended
Ordinances, or any thing in them conteined to the contrary notwith|&s;tanding.
And Wee do hereby let them know, that when&s;oever it &s;hall
plea&s;e God to re&s;tore Us to Peace, and the Lawes to their due cour&s;e
(wherein W&eacute;e doubt not of his a&s;&s;i&s;tance in his good time) W&eacute;e &s;hall
require a &s;trict account and pro&s;ecution again&s;t the breakers of the &s;aid
Law, according to the force thereof. And in the meane time, in &s;uch
places where W&eacute;e &s;hall come, and find the Booke of Common-Prayer
&s;uppre&s;t and laid a&s;ide, and the Directory introduced, W&eacute;e &s;hall ac|count
<PB REF="4">
all tho&s;e that &s;hall be ayders, actors or contrivers therein, to be
per&s;ons di&s;affected to the Religion and Lawes e&s;tabli&s;hed: and this
they mu&s;t expect, be&s;ides that greater lo&s;&s;e which they &s;hall &s;u&s;tain by
&s;uffering them&s;elves thus to be deprived of the u&s;e and comfort of the
&s;aid Booke. Given at Our Court at Oxford this thirteenth day of No|vember,
in the one and twentieth yeare of Our Raigne. 1645.</P>
<CLOSER>GOD SAUE THE KING.</CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>A PREFACE TO THE
En&s;uing Di&s;cou<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e.</HEAD>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Sect">_THat the Liturgy of the Church of <HI>England,</HI>
which was at fir&s;t as it were written in bloud,
at the lea&s;t &s;ealed, and delivered downe to us
by the Martyrdom of mo&s;t of the compilers of
it, &s;hould ever &s;ince be daily &s;olicited, and call'd
to the &s;ame &s;tage and Theatre, to fill up what
was behinde of the &s;ufferings of tho&s;e Fathers, is no &s;trange or
new piece of oeconomy in the Church of God. <HI>This propo&s;ition
I &s;hall take liberty briefly to prove by way of introduction to the en|&s;uing
di&s;cour&s;e, and &s;hall hope that you will acknowledge it with
me, if you but con&s;ider the&s;e &s;everalls.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Sect"> 1. That there is not a &s;urer evidence and <GAP DESC="foreign">, by which
to di&s;cerne the great excellency of moderation in that booke, and &s;o
the apportionatene&s;&s;e of it, to the end to which it was de&s;igned, then
the experience of tho&s;e &s;o contrary fates, which it hath con&s;tantly
undergone, betwixt the per&s;ecutors on both extreame parts, the a&s;|&s;ertors
of the Papacy on the one &s;ide, and the Con&s;i&s;tory on the other,
the one accu&s;ing it of Schi&s;me, the other of Complyance, the one of
departure from the Church of Rome, the other of remaining with
it, like the <HI>poore Greeke Church,</HI> our fellow Martyr, de|voured
by the Turke for <HI>too much</HI> Chri&s;tian Profe&s;&s;ion; and
damn'd by the Pope for <HI>too little,</HI> it being the dictate of
naturall Rea&s;on in Ari&s;totle, (who&s;e rules have &s;eldome fai|led
in that kinde &s;ince hee ob&s;erved them) that, the <HI>middle
<PB REF="5">
vertue is mo&s;t infallibly knowne by this, that it is accu&s;ed by
either extreame as guilty of the other extreame:</HI> that the true
liberality of mind is by this be&s;t exemplified, that it is defamed by
the prodigall for par&s;imony, and by the niggard for prodigality,
by which (by the way) that great blocke of offence, which hath
&s;candalized &s;o many, will be in part removed, and the <HI>reproa|ches</HI>
&s;o continually heaped upon this booke, will to every di&s;cern|ing
Judge of things, pa&s;&s;e for as weake an unconcluding argument
of <HI>guilt</HI> in it, as the &s;carres of a Military man doth of his cow|ardice,
or the <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the every Topicke of rayling
Rhetorick,</HI> Mal. 5. of the unchri&s;tianne&s;&s;e of the per&s;on on
whom they are powred out.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Sect"> 2. That ever &s;ince the reproaches of men have taken confi|dence
to vent them&s;elves again&s;t this booke, there hath nothing
but aire and vapour been vomited out again&s;t it, objections of
little force to conclude any thing, but onely the re&s;olute contu|macious,
either ignorance, or malice of the objectors, which might
at large be proved, both by the view of all the charges that for|mer
Pamphlets have produced, all gathered together and vindica|ted
by Mr. <HI>Hooker,</HI> and that no one charge of any crime, either
again&s;t the whole, or any part of it, which this Directory hath
offered; which as it might in rea&s;on, make &s;uch an act of malice
more &s;trange, &s;o will it to him that compares this matter with o|ther
practi&s;es of the&s;e times, (who&s;e great engine hath beene the
<HI>calumniari fortiter</HI> the <HI>gaining credit by the violence of the
cry,</HI> when it could not be had by the validity of the proofes, mo&s;t
men being more willing to believe a calumnie, then to examine
it) make it but unrea&s;onable to wonder at it; It being an expe|riment
of daily ob&s;ervation, that tho&s;e which have no crime of
which they are accu&s;able, are therefore not the le&s;&s;e, but the more
vehemently accu&s;ed, pro&s;ecuted, and dragg'd to execution, that
the puni&s;hment may prove them guilty, which nothing el&s;e could,
it being more probable in the judgement of the multitude, (who
e&s;pecially are con&s;idered now adaies, as the in&s;truments to act our
great de&s;ignes) that a nocent per&s;on &s;hould plead not guilty, then
an innocent bee condemned, which prejudice, as it might bee par|don'd
from the charity wherein 'tis grounded, that they who are
<PB REF="5">
appointed to puni&s;h vilene&s;&s;es, will not be &s;o likely to commit them, &s;o
being applyed to u&s;urping judges, (who&s;e very judging is one crime,
and that no way avowable, but by making u&s;e of more inju&s;tices) will
prove but a piece of Turci&s;me, which concludes all things <HI>hone&s;t,</HI> that
prove <HI>&s;ucce&s;&s;efull,</HI> or of the moderne Divinity in the point of Scandall,
which makes it a &s;ufficient exception again&s;t any indifferent u&s;age,
that it is by &s;ome excepted against, a competent cau&s;e of <HI>anger,</HI> that
men are <HI>angry</HI> as it though never &s;o <HI>without a cau&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Sect"> 3. That it hath been con&s;tantly the portion, and prerogative of the
best things (as of the be&s;t men) to be under the <HI>cro&s;&s;e,</HI> to have <HI>their
good things</HI> of this world <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>with per&s;ecutions, Mar.</HI>
10. 30. and &s;o no &s;trange thing that that which is alwaies a dealing
with the Cro&s;&s;e, &s;hould be &s;ometimes a panting, and ga&s;ping under it;
There was never any &s;urer evidence of the cleanne&s;&s;e of a creature a|mong&s;t
the Jewes, then that it was permitted to be &s;acrificed, the
Lamb, and the Turtle emblemes of innocence, and charity, and the
other Chri&s;tian virtues, were daily &s;laughter'd and devoured, while
the Swine, the <GAP DESC="foreign">, and all the uncleaner creatures were de|nied
that favour, placed under a kind of Anathema, or Excommu|nication
&s;entence, <HI>of &s;uch it</HI> was <HI>not lawfull, no not to eate;</HI> and
&s;o it mu&s;t be expected in the anti-type, that all the heat of the Satani|call
impre&s;&s;ion, all the fire of zeale, the &s;entence to be &s;acrificed, and
devoted, &s;hould fall as now it doth, on this <HI>Lambe-like, Dove-like</HI>
creature, of a making not apt to provoke any man to rage, or quar|rell,
or any thing, but love of communion, and thanke&s;giving to
God for &s;uch an ine&s;timable donative.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Sect"> 4. That a Liturgy being found by the experience of all ancient
times, as a nece&s;&s;ary hedge, and mound to pre&s;erve any profe&s;&s;ion of
Religion, and wor&s;hip of God in a <HI>Nationall Church,</HI> it was to be ex|pected
that the <HI>enemy</HI> and his in&s;truments, which can call de&s;truction
mercy, embroyling of our old Church the <HI>founding</HI> of a new (we know
who hath told one of the Hou&s;es of this Parliament &s;o, that <HI>they have
laid a foundation of a Church among us,</HI> which if it &s;ignify any
thing, imports that there was no Church in this Kingdome before that
Se&s;&s;ion) &s;hould al&s;o think the de&s;troying of all Liturgy, the only way
of &s;ecurity to Gods wor&s;hip, the no-forme being as fitly accommoda|ted
to no-Church, as the no-hedge, no-wall to the Common, or de&s;ert,
the no-inclo&s;ure to the no-plantation.</P>
<P><PB REF="6"><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Sect">
5. That the eradication of Epi&s;copacy, fir&s;t Voted, then Acted, by the
Ordination of Pre&s;byters by Pre&s;byters without any Bi&s;hop, which begun
to be practi&s;ed in this Kingdome, about the end of the la&s;t year, was in
any rea&s;on to be accounted prooemiall and preparatory to &s;ome farther
degree of <GAP DESC="foreign">, or di&s;order, and to be attended by the abolition of
the Liturgy in the beginning of this new year, (Epi&s;copacy and Litur|gy
being like the <GAP DESC="foreign">, among the Aegyptians, this Daugh|ter
to attend that Mother, as among the Barbarians when their
Prince dyed, &s;ome of the noblest were con&s;tantly to bear him compa|ny
out of the World, not to mourn for, but to dye with him.) A thing that
the People of this Kingdome could never have been imagined low or
&s;ervile enough to bear or endure (I am &s;ure within few years they that
&s;ate at the &s;terne of action conceived &s;o, and therefore we fain by De|claration,
to di&s;avow all &s;uch intention of violence) till by &s;uch other
a&s;&s;ayes and practi&s;es and experiments, they were found to be, <HI>&s;atis ad
&s;ervitutem parati,</HI> &s;ufficiently prepared for any thing that was &s;er|vile,
almo&s;t uncapable of the benefit or reliefe of a Jubilee, like the
<HI>&s;lave</HI> in <HI>Exodus,</HI> that <HI>would not go out free,</HI> but required to be
<HI>bored thorow the eare</HI> by his Master, to be a &s;lave for e|ver.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="7" UNIT="Sect"> 6. That it is one profe&s;t act of Gods &s;ecret wi&s;edome, to make
&s;uch tryalls as this, of mens fidelity, and &s;en&s;e, and acknowledgment
of his &s;o long indulged favours, to &s;ee who will &s;incerely mourn for the
<HI>departing of the glory from I&s;rael,</HI> whether there be not &s;ome that
(with the Captive Trojan Women in <HI>Homer,</HI> who wept &s;o pa&s;&s;ionatly
at the fall of <HI>Patroclus,</HI> but <HI>made that publike lo&s;&s;e the &s;ea&s;on to
powre out their private griefes</HI>) are &s;en&s;ible of tho&s;e <HI>&s;ufferings</HI> of
the Church only wherein their <HI>intere&s;ts</HI> are involved, and more neer|ly
concerned; whether not &s;ome that count the <HI>inva&s;ion</HI> of the <HI>Reve|nues</HI>
of the Church a Sacriledge, a calamity, and &s;inne unparallell'd,
but think the <HI>abolition of the Liturgy</HI> uncon&s;iderable, a veniall &s;in
and mi&s;ery? whether that wherein Gods glory is joyned with any &s;e|cular
interest of our own, that which makes the &s;eparation betwixt
Christ and Mammon, may he allowed any expre&s;&s;ion of our pa&s;&s;ion or
zeale, <HI>i. e.</HI> in effect? whether we powre out one drop for Chri&s;t in all
this deluge of tears, or whether like uncompounded &s;elfe-lovers,
who&s;e only centre and principle of motion is our &s;elves, we have
pa&s;&s;ion to no &s;pectacle but what the looking-gla&s;&s;e pre&s;ents to us,
<PB REF="6">
with a <GAP DESC="foreign">, making God the <HI>pretence,</HI> and <HI>apolo|gy,</HI>
for that kindne&s;&s;e which is paid and powred out unto another
&s;hrine. For of this there is no doubt, that of all the changes of late
de&s;igned and offered to authority, there is none for which fle&s;h and
bloud, pa&s;&s;ions and interests of men can allow &s;o free a &s;uffrage, &s;o
regretle&s;&s;e a con&s;ent, as this of the abolition of the Liturgy, (The
<HI>&s;luggi&s;hne&s;&s;e of unguifted men,</HI> the only thing that is affirmed to be
concerned in, or to gain by it, is perfectly mi&s;taken as &s;hall anon ap|pear)
and were there not a God in Heaven, the care of who&s;e honour
obliged us to endeavour the pre&s;ervation of it, were not a future
growth of Athei&s;me and Prophanene&s;&s;e the feared con&s;equent of &s;uch
abolition, and notorious experience ready to avow the ju&s;tne&s;&s;e of this
fear, I have rea&s;on to be confident that no Advocate would offer Li|bell,
no Di&s;puter put in exception, again&s;t this pre&s;ent Directory; I
am privy to my own &s;en&s;e, that I &s;hould not, I have rather rea&s;on to
impute it to my &s;elfe, that the want of any &s;uch carnall motive to
&s;tir me up to this defence, might be the cau&s;e that I &s;o long defer'd to
undertake it, and perhaps &s;hould have done &s;o longer, if any man el&s;e
had appear'd in that Argument. And therefore unle&s;&s;e it be &s;trange
for men, when there be &s;o many tempters abroad, to be permitted to
temptations, &s;ure Gods yeelding to this act of the importunity of Sa|tan
(who hath de&s;ir'd in this new way to explore many) will not bee
&s;trange neither.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="8" UNIT="Sect"> La&s;tly, that our &s;o long abu&s;e of this &s;o continued a mercy, our
want of diligence, in <HI>a&s;&s;embling our &s;elves together</HI> (the too ordina|ry
fault of too <HI>many</HI> of the be&s;t of us) our generall, &s;candalous, un|excu&s;able
di&s;obedience to the commands of our Church, which re|quires
that &s;ervice to be u&s;ed con&s;tantly in publike every day, the va|nity
of prurient tongues and itching ears, which are &s;till thir&s;ting
newes and variety, but above all, the want of ardor and fervency in
the performance of this pre&s;cribed &s;ervice, the admitting of all &s;ecular
company (I mean worldly thoughts) into its pre&s;ence, preferring all
&s;ecular bu&s;ine&s;&s;e before it, the generall irreverence and indifference in
the celebrations, may well be thought to have encouraged Satan to
his <HI>expetivit,</HI> to the <HI>preferring his petition to God,</HI> and his importu|nity
at length to have provoked God to deliver up our Liturgy to him
and his Mini&s;ters, to oppo&s;e and maligne, to calumniate and de|fame,
and at la&s;t to gain the countenance of an Ordinance, to con|demne
<PB REF="7">
and execute it as at this day. The Lord be mercifull to them
that have yeelded to be in&s;trumentall to that great <HI>de&s;troyer</HI> in this
bu&s;ine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="9" UNIT="Sect"> I have thus far laboured to pre&s;&s;e home that part of Saint <HI>Peters</HI>
exhortation <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>not to think</HI> the calamity <HI>&s;trange</HI> which
hath befallen this Church in this matter, on no other purpo&s;e, but to
di&s;charge that duty which we owe to Gods &s;ecret providence, of ob&s;er|ving
the vi&s;ible works of it, that di&s;cerning our &s;elves to be under his
afflicting hand, we may, 1. Joyn in the u&s;e of all probable means to
remove &s;o &s;ad a pre&s;&s;ure, by humbling our &s;elves, and reforming tho&s;e
&s;innes which have fitted us for this captivity, then 2. that we may
compa&s;&s;ionate and pardon, and ble&s;&s;e, and pray for tho&s;e who&s;e
hands have been u&s;ed in the execution of this vengeance and reproach
upon the Land: and La&s;tly, That we may endeavour, if it be po&s;&s;i|ble,
to di&s;abu&s;e and rectify tho&s;e, who are capable, by more light,
of &s;afer re&s;olutions; To which purpo&s;e the&s;e following animadver&s;i|ons
being de&s;igned in the bowells of compa&s;&s;ion to my infatuated Coun|try-men,
and out of a &s;incere &s;ingle de&s;ire that our &s;ins may have &s;ome
end or allay, though our mi&s;eries have not, (and therefore framed in
&s;uch a manner, as I conceived, might prove mo&s;t u&s;efull, by being
mo&s;t proportionable to them, who &s;tood mo&s;t in need of them, without
any oblation provided for any other &s;hrine, any civility for the more
curious Reader) are here offered to thee, to be dealt with as thou de|&s;ire&s;t
to be treated at that last dreadfull tribunall, which &s;ure then
will be with acceptation of pardon, and with that <HI>Charity</HI> (the but
ju&s;t return to that which mixt this antidote for thee) <HI>which will co|ver
a multitude of &s;innes.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<PB REF="7">
<HEAD>CHAP. I.</HEAD>
<P>_IN the Ordinance prefixt to the Directory
(being almo&s;t wholly made up of formes
of Repeale) there are only two things wor|thy
of any &s;tay or con&s;ideration.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Sect"> 1. <HI>The motives upon which the Hou&s;es
of Parliament have been inclined to think it</HI>
nece&s;&s;ary <HI>to</HI> aboli&s;h the Book of Common-Pray|er,
and e&s;tabli&s;h the Directory, <HI>and tho&s;e are
&s;pecified to be three. Fir&s;t</HI> the con&s;ideration of the manifold in|conveniencies
that have ri&s;en by the Book in this Kingdome. 2. The
re&s;olution according to their Covenant, to reforme Religion accor|ding
to the Word of God, and the be&s;t reformed Churches. 3. Their
having con&s;ulted with the Learned, and Pious; and Reverend Di|vines
to that purpo&s;e, from whence they conclude it nece&s;&s;ary to aboli&s;h
the Booke.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Sect"> To this conclu&s;ion infer'd upon the&s;e premi&s;es, I &s;hall confi|dently
make this return, 1. That the conclu&s;ion is as illogicall as
any that an A&s;&s;embly of wi&s;e men have ever acknowledged them|&s;elves
to be guilty of, no one of the three Motives being &s;eve|rally
of &s;trength to beare &s;uch a &s;uper&s;tructure, and therefore all
together being as un&s;ufficient; for if the conclu&s;ion were only
of the <HI>prudence,</HI> or <HI>expedience,</HI> of taking it away, &s;omewhat might
be pretended for that inference from the premi&s;es, &s;uppo&s;ing
<PB N="2" REF="8">
them true: But when 'tis of <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> (and that twice repeated
and &s;o not ca&s;ually fallen from them) there mu&s;t then be &s;ome|what
of <HI>precept divine</HI> in the premi&s;es to induce that <HI>nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> or
el&s;e it will never be induced: for I &s;hall &s;uppo&s;e it granted by
them with whom I now di&s;pute, that nothing is <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> in the
wor&s;hip of God, but what God hath pre&s;cribed, the <HI>nece&s;&s;ity
of precept</HI> being the only one that can have place in this matter,
and the <HI>nece&s;&s;itas medii,</HI> being mo&s;t improper to be here pleaded.
But that there is no &s;uch <HI>direct precept,</HI> &s;o much as pretended to
by tho&s;e three motives, it is clear, and as clear, that all together do
not amount to an <HI>interpretative precept.</HI> For that a lawfull thing
though pre&s;t with manifold inconveniences &s;hould be removed,
is no where <HI>commanded the lawfull Magistrate,</HI> but left to his
prudence to judge whether there be not conveniences on the o|ther
&s;ide, which may counterballance tho&s;e inconveniences;
much le&s;&s;e is it commanded the inferiour Courts in de&s;pight of
King and &s;tanding Law. For what ever of expedience, and &s;o of
prudence might be &s;uppo&s;ed to interpo&s;e, that may be &s;ufficient
to incline a <HI>Wi&s;e Magi&s;trate</HI> to make a Law, but not any el&s;e, ei|ther
to u&s;urpe the power of a Law-maker, or to do any thing
contrary to <HI>e&s;tabli&s;h'd</HI> Lawes; there being nothing that can ju&s;ti|fy
the lea&s;t di&s;obedience of Subjects to their <HI>Prince,</HI> or the <HI>Lawes</HI>
of the Kingdom, but that obligation to that one &s;uperiour Law
of that higher Prince, <HI>our Father which is in heaven,</HI> which being
&s;uppo&s;ed, 'tis not all the <HI>re&s;olutions</HI> and <HI>Covenants</HI> in the world
that can make it lawfull for any &s;o to di&s;obey, much le&s;&s;e <HI>nece&s;&s;a|ry,</HI>
any more, then the <HI>&s;aying Corban</HI> in the Go&s;pell, <HI>i. e.</HI> preten|ding
a vow will free the Child from the obligation of <HI>honouring
or relieving his Father,</HI> or then <HI>Herod's</HI> vow made it lawfull to
cut off the head of <HI>John</HI> the Bapti&s;t: and then how far the <HI>con&s;ul|tation
with tho&s;e Divines</HI> may induce that <HI>nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> will upon the
&s;ame ground al&s;o be manife&s;t to any, e&s;pecially that &s;hall remem|ber,
with what caution that A&s;&s;embly was by the Hou&s;es admit|ted
to con&s;ult, and with what re&s;traints on them, and profe&s;&s;ions,
that they were call'd only to be <HI>advi&s;ers,</HI> when they were <HI>requi|red,</HI>
but not to <HI>conclude</HI> any thing, either by a <HI>generall</HI> concurrence,
or by that of a Major part, any farther then the <HI>rea&s;ons</HI> which they
&s;hould offer them might prevaile with them; to which pur|po&s;e
<PB N="3" REF="8">
it was &s;o ordered, that if any one man di&s;&s;ented from the
re&s;t of their Divines, his opinions and rea&s;ons were as much to
be repre&s;ented to the Hou&s;es, as that other of the re&s;t of the
A&s;&s;embly.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Sect"> By this I conceive it appears, that I have not quarrell'd cau&s;e|le&s;ly
with the Logick of this conclu&s;ion, the premi&s;es preten|ding
at mo&s;t but motives of <HI>expedience,</HI> and &s;o as unable to infer
a <HI>nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> as a <HI>Topicall</HI> argument is to <HI>demon&s;trate,</HI> or a <HI>particu|lar</HI>
to induce an <HI>univer&s;all.</HI> That which I would in charity gue&s;&s;e
of this matter, as the cau&s;e of this mi&s;take, is my not groundle&s;&s;e
&s;u&s;pition, that when the Presbyterians had prepared the premi|&s;es,
the Independents framed the conclu&s;ion, the former of
the&s;e joyning at la&s;t with the other in a re&s;olution of taking a|way
the Book, but only on prudentiall con&s;iderations; not
out of con&s;cience of the unlawfulne&s;&s;e, and proportionably
&s;etting down tho&s;e rea&s;ons but prudentiall rea&s;ons; and the lat|ter
though re&s;trained from putting con&s;cience into the premi&s;es,
yet &s;tealing it &s;ecretly into the conclu&s;ion, &s;o each deceiving and
being deceived by each other, I am not &s;ure that my conjecture is
right in this particular, yet have I rea&s;on to in&s;ert it. 1. Becau&s;e I
find in many places of the <HI>Directory</HI> certain foot&s;teps of this kind
of compo&s;ition and compliance, and mixture of tho&s;e &s;o di&s;tant
&s;orts of Reformers. 2. Becau&s;e the Presbyterians which have
&s;formerly appeared both in other and in this Kingdome (who&s;e
copy the&s;e pre&s;ent reformers of that party hath tran&s;cribed) have
con&s;tantly avowed the lawfulne&s;&s;e of Liturgy, and &s;o cannot
affirme any nece&s;&s;ity of aboli&s;hing; witne&s;&s;e <HI>Calvin</HI> him&s;elfe
(whom we &s;hall anon have occa&s;ion to produce) and the pra|cti&s;e
of his Church of <HI>Geneva,</HI> and neerer to our &s;elves, witne&s;&s;e
tho&s;e foure cla&s;&s;es, which in Q. <HI>Elizabeths</HI> daies, had &s;et them|&s;elves
up in this Kingdome. The&s;e had made complaint to the
Lord <HI>Burleigh</HI> again&s;t our Liturgy, and entertained hopes of
obtaining his favour in that bu&s;ine&s;&s;e about the year 1585. he
demanded of them, whether they de&s;ired the taking away of all
Liturgy, they an&s;wered, no, he then required them to make a
better, &s;uch as they would de&s;ire to have &s;ettled in the &s;tead of
this. The fir&s;t Cla&s;&s;is did accordingly frame a new one, &s;ome|what
according to the <HI>Geneva</HI> forme: But this the &s;econd Cla&s;&s;is
<PB N="4" REF="9">
di&s;liked, and altered in 600. particulars; that again had the fate
to be quarrell'd by the third Cla&s;&s;is, and what the third re&s;olved
on, by the fourth; and the di&s;&s;enting of tho&s;e Brethren, as the
Divi&s;ion of tongues at <HI>Babel,</HI> was a faire means to keep that
Tower then from advancing any higher. Nay even for our neigh|bours
of <HI>Scotland</HI> them&s;elves, what ever &s;ome of them of late
have thought fit to do, &s;ince they became Covenanteers, (in a|nimo&s;ity
perhaps and oppo&s;ition to that terrible <HI>mormo,</HI> the Li|turgy,
&s;ent to them from hence) we know that they were Pres|byterians
formerly, without &s;eeing any nece&s;&s;ity of aboli&s;hing
Liturgy.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Sect">'Tis no newes to tell you that M. <HI>Knox</HI> wrote a Liturgy, where|in
there is frequent mention of the daies of Common-Prayer;
and among many other particulars, the&s;e en&s;uing, worthy your
remarke. 1. Plain undi&s;gui&s;ed confe&s;&s;ions of &s;uch faults, which
this age, though as notoriou&s;ly guilty of as they, will not put
into publike formes, or leave upon record again&s;t them&s;elves,
as, That <HI>for the plea&s;ure and defence</HI> of the French <HI>they had viola|ted
their Faith,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 202.</NOTE> <HI>of breaking the leagues of unity and concord, which
their Kings and Governours had contracted with their Neighbours,</HI>
and again,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ib.</NOTE> that <HI>for the maintenance of their friend&s;hip, they have
not feared to break their &s;olemne oathes made unto others.</HI> To which
I might adde,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 163.</NOTE> from another Confe&s;&s;ion, that <HI>Whoredome and A|dultery
are but pa&s;times of the fle&s;h, crafty dealing deceit and op|pre&s;&s;ion
is counted good conque&s;t, &amp;c.</HI> but that it would looke too
like a Satyre again&s;t &s;ome part of that Nation at this time thus
to &s;pecifie. 2. Their great &s;en&s;e and acknowledgment of obli|gations
from this Kingdome of <HI>England,</HI> and not only prayers
for continuance of peace between <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Scotland,</HI> but e|ven
execrations <HI>on all</HI> (and &s;o &s;ure on tho&s;e their &s;ucce&s;&s;ours of
this age) which &s;hould continue or contribute ought toward
the breaking of it, the words are the&s;e. <HI>Seeing when we by our
power were altogether unable,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 106.</NOTE> <HI>&amp;c. thou did&s;t move the hearts of our
neighbours (of whom we had de&s;erved no &s;uch favour) to take upon
them the common burthen with us, and for our deliverance, not only
to &s;pend the lives of many, but al&s;o to hazard the e&s;tate and tranquil|lity
of their Realme, Grant unto us that with &s;uch reverence we may
remember thy benefits received, that after this in our default, we ne|ver
<PB N="5" REF="9">
enter into ho&s;tility again&s;t the Nation of</HI> England, <HI>&s;uffer us ne|ver
to fall into that ingratitude and dete&s;table unthankfulne&s;&s;e, that
we &s;hould &s;eek the de&s;truction nnd death of tho&s;e whom thou ha&s;t
made instruments to deliver us from the tyranny of mercile&s;&s;e &s;tran|gers,</HI>
[the French.] <HI>Di&s;&s;ipate thou the Coun&s;ells of &s;uch as deceitfully
travaile to &s;tirre the hearts of either Realme again&s;t the other, let
their malitious practi&s;es be their own confu&s;ion, and grant thou of
thy mercy, that love, and concord, and tranquillity may continue
and encrea&s;e among the inhabitants of this I&s;land, even to the coming
of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> 3. That &s;ome of their formes of words
are directly all one with ours, others with &s;ome &s;mall additions
retaining our formes, as in the Prayer for the King, and the Ex|hortation
before the Sacrament, and the adjuration of the Par|ties
to be married will appeare. 4. That on their day of Fa&s;t
(though that be with great care provided and ordered to be the
Sunday twice together, quite contrary to the Canons and cu|&s;tome
of the Primitive Church, yet) 'tis then appointed, that <HI>the
Mini&s;ter with the People &s;hall pro&s;trate them&s;elves, &amp;c.</HI> a po&s;ture
of mo&s;t humble bodily adoration, made to reproach tho&s;e who
will not &s;o much as recommend or direct any one kind of cor|porall
wor&s;hip or ge&s;ture of humiliation in all their <HI>Directory.</HI>
The inlarging to this mention of particulars I acknowledge to
be a digre&s;&s;ion. But the pre&s;enting to your knowledge or re|membrance
this <HI>Scotti&s;h</HI> Liturgy is not; By which &s;uperadded to
the former, and by much more which might from other Chur|ches
be added to that, it briefly appears what is or hath been the
uniforme judgment of the Presbyterians in this matter, directly
contrary to the concluded <HI>nece&s;&s;ity of aboli&s;hing.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Sect"> Which nece&s;&s;ity on the other &s;ide the Independents have &s;till
a&s;&s;erted, and for that and other &s;uch differences have avowed
their re&s;olutions to be the like &s;courges to them as they have
been to us, profe&s;&s;ing (and <HI>ad homines,</HI> unan&s;werably proving the
rea&s;onablene&s;&s;e of it) to reforme the <HI>Geneva</HI> reformation (as a
fir&s;t rude and &s;o imperfect draught ju&s;t creeping out of Popery
there, and therefore not &s;uppo&s;eable to be compleat at the fir&s;t
a&s;&s;ay) as the <HI>Pre&s;byterians</HI> upon the &s;ame pretences have de&s;ign'd
and practi&s;ed on our <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Reformation.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Sect"> All this I have &s;aid again&s;t the concluded nece&s;&s;ity in ca&s;e, or
<PB N="6" REF="10">
on &s;uppo&s;ition that the premi&s;es were true, but now I mu&s;t add the
fal&s;ene&s;&s;e of tho&s;e al&s;o, and then if the <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> will &s;till remain,
I mu&s;t pronounce it a piece of Stoicall fatality, an in&s;uperable
unruly <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> indeed, that will acknowledge no Lawes, or
bounds, or limits to confine it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="7" UNIT="Sect"> And fir&s;t for the <HI>manifold inconveniences,</HI> if that phra&s;e denote
tho&s;e &s;everalls which in the Preface to the <HI>Directory</HI> are &s;ugge|&s;ted,
I &s;hall in due place make it appear.</P>
<P>1. That there are no &s;uch inconveniencies.</P>
<P>2. That greater then tho&s;e may ea&s;ily, and hereafter &s;hall be
produced again&s;t their <HI>Directory,</HI> and con&s;equently that, al|though
true inconveniencies were &s;uppo&s;ed &s;ufficient to inferre a
<HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of abolition, yet &s;uch only pretended names of inconve|niency,
&s;uch <HI>Chimaera's</HI> and <HI>Mormo's</HI> (e&s;pecially over-ballanced
with reall ones in the other &s;cale) would be abundantly in&s;uffi|cient
to do it. But if the <HI>manifold inconveniences</HI> have a larger
pro&s;pect to referre to, we &s;hall conclude it very uncharitable not
to mention tho&s;e, which might po&s;&s;ibly have had the &s;ame effect
with us as with them, convinced us al&s;o to be their Pro&s;elytes,
and in the mean time very unju&s;t to put &s;o uncertain an equivo|call
phra&s;e into a law, which we have no Criterion, or nomen|clature
to interpret; but beyond all, very imprudent to mention
and lay weight on &s;uch &s;leight and &s;uch no inconveniencies after|ward
&s;pecified, when others might have been produced better a|ble
to bear the envy of the accu&s;ation.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="8" UNIT="Sect"> As for your <HI>re&s;olution,</HI> if it went no higher then the <HI>Covenant,</HI>
and that but to <HI>reforme Religion, according to the Word of God, and
the example of the be&s;t reformed Churches,</HI> I am &s;ure it cannot ob|lige
or &s;o much as incline you to take away that Book, there be|ing
nothing in it, 1. Contrary to <HI>de&s;igne of Reformation.</HI> 2. Con|trary
to <HI>the word of God, or</HI> 3. Contrary to the <HI>example of the be&s;t
reformed Churches.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="9" UNIT="Sect"> Not 1. to Reformation, for Reformation is as contrary to <HI>a|bolition</HI>
of what &s;hould be <HI>reformed,</HI> as cure to killing; and if it
be replyed, that the <HI>abolition of Liturgy,</HI> as unlawfull may be ne|ce&s;&s;ary
to <HI>the reforming of Religion,</HI> I &s;hall yeeld to that reply on
that &s;uppo&s;ition, but then withall adde, that Liturgy mu&s;t fir&s;t
be proved <HI>unlawfull,</HI> and that te&s;tified from <HI>divine infallible prin|ciples;</HI>
<PB N="7" REF="10">
which becau&s;e it is not thorow this whole Book &s;o much
as pretended, both that and the &s;econd &s;ugge&s;tion from the
Word of God mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily be di&s;claimed, and then the ex|ample
of the be&s;t reformed Churches will &s;oon follow, not only
becau&s;e all other Reformed Churches ordinarily known by that
Title, have &s;ome kind of Liturgy, and that is as contrary to abo|lition,
as the continuing of ours without any change, but be|cau&s;e
no <HI>Reformation</HI> is to be preferr'd before that which cuts off
no more then is <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to be cut off, and <HI>which</HI> produces the
<HI>Scripture rule,</HI> the <HI>&s;word of the Spirit</HI> for all &s;uch amputations;
and therefore the <HI>Church of England,</HI> as it &s;tands <HI>e&s;tabli&s;hed</HI> by
Law is avowable again&s;t all the Calumniators in the world, to
be the <HI>be&s;t</HI> and <HI>mo&s;t exemplary reformed;</HI> &s;o farre, that if I did not
gue&s;&s;e of the &s;en&s;e of the Covenant more by the temper then
words of the Covenanteers, I &s;hould think all men, that have
<HI>Covenanted to reforme after the example of the be&s;t Reformed Chur|ches,</HI>
indi&s;pen&s;ably obliged to conforme to the King-<HI>Edward,</HI> or
Queen <HI>Elizabeth</HI>-Engli&s;h Reformation, the mo&s;t regular per|fect
pattern that <HI>Europe</HI> yeeldeth.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="10" UNIT="Sect"> As for the truth of the la&s;t affirmation that they have <HI>con&s;ul|ted
with the Divines</HI> called together to that purpo&s;e, although I
have no rea&s;on to doubt of it, yet this I know, that very many of
the learned'&s;t there pre&s;ent, were, immediately before their im|barking
in that imployment, otherwi&s;e minded, and that there|fore
&s;o &s;uddain an univer&s;all change of minds &s;avours either of
&s;ome &s;trong <HI>charme,</HI> or <HI>&s;trange incon&s;tancy,</HI> and I &s;hall make bold
to aske this Que&s;tion of that whole number of Divines, whether
I &s;hould do them wrong in affirming, that there yet are not ten
Divines in that number that think all Liturgy unlawfull, and
con&s;equently that it was <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> (not to reforme, but) to <HI>abo|li&s;h</HI>
our Booke, which is the &s;tile of the <HI>Ordinance.</HI> If this chal|lenge
of mine may not be an&s;wer'd with a plain punctuall &s;ub|&s;cription
of &s;o many to the condemnation of all Liturgy as un|lawfull,
I am &s;ure this is an Argument, <HI>ad homines,</HI> unan&s;werable.
And the ground of my challenge, and of my &s;pecifying that
number, is the relation we have oft had of the but &s;even di&s;&s;en|ting
Brethren, <HI>i. e.</HI> the but &s;o many of the Independent Party a|mong
them, which upon my former ground I now &s;uppo&s;e the
<PB N="8" REF="11">
only mortall enemies to all Liturgy. But if I am mi&s;taken, and
this be the common &s;en&s;e of tho&s;e A&s;&s;emblers; then have I rea&s;on
to add to my former complaints this other of their &s;o over-cau|tious
expre&s;&s;ions, which through this whole Book hath not once
intimated either the whole or any part to be <HI>unlawfull,</HI> but only
quarrel'd the <HI>inconveniencies,</HI> which &s;uppo&s;e it otherwi&s;e to be
<HI>lawfull.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="11" UNIT="Sect"> And this much might &s;uffice of the fir&s;t ob&s;ervable in the Or|dinance,
the concluding this abolition to be nece&s;&s;ary. But be|cau&s;e
I would fore&s;ee and prevent all po&s;&s;ible rejoynder, and
becau&s;e I would here interpo&s;e &s;ome con&s;iderations which
would otherwi&s;e take up a larger place, I &s;hall &s;uppo&s;e the Pres|byterians
may have another motion of the word <HI>nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> of a
lower importance then this under which we have hitherto pro|ceeded
again&s;t them (though &s;till the Independents, who&s;e
judgment is not wont to be de&s;pi&s;ed in the framing of <HI>Ordinan|ces,</HI>
cannot be imagined to take it in any other) and that is, that
it &s;hall &s;ignifie only a <HI>Politicall nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> or that which is nece&s;&s;a|ry,
if not to the <HI>being,</HI> yet to the <HI>well being, i. e.</HI> to <HI>the Peace and
pro&s;perity</HI> of this Kingdome. Now becau&s;e there be two parts of
every Chri&s;tian Kingdome, a <HI>State</HI> and a <HI>Church,</HI> and &s;o two
branches of Policy, <HI>Civill</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall,</HI> I &s;hall not under|take
to be &s;o far Ma&s;ter of their &s;en&s;e, as to pitch upon either as
that wherein they affirme this <HI>abolition nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> but &s;ay &s;ome|what
to both, and to &s;hew that it is not <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> in either &s;en&s;e
of <HI>Politicall nece&s;&s;ity.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="11" UNIT="Sect"> And fir&s;t that the abolition of Liturgy cannot have &s;o much as
a benigne influence on the <HI>State,</HI> much le&s;&s;e be <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to the
pro&s;perity of it, I &s;hall inferre only by this vulgar aphori&s;me,
that any notable or grand mutation, if from &s;ome higher prin|ciple
it appear not <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to be made, will be nece&s;&s;ary not to
be made, at lea&s;t not to be made <GAP DESC="foreign">, altogether, but on|ly
by degrees and prudent di&s;pen&s;ings. I &s;hall not any farther
enlarge on &s;o plain a theme, then to mention one proportion
or re&s;emblance of this truth in the naturall body ob&s;erved by the
Phy&s;itians in the cure of an hydropicall patient, who, when the
body lyes covered with &s;uch a deluge of water, that it proves
nece&s;&s;ary to make &s;ome &s;luce to let out the burthenous &s;uperflui|ty,
<PB N="9" REF="11">
do not yet proceed by any loo&s;e way of letting out all at
once, becau&s;e the violent <HI>effluvium,</HI> or powring out of Spirits
con&s;tantly con&s;equent to that, would certainly de&s;troy the Pa|tient,
and endanger him on dry ground, as much, or more, then
in the mid&s;t of tho&s;e waters; but the method is a <GAP DESC="foreign">, the
making &s;o &s;mall a hole in the skin, that &s;hall drain the body by
in&s;en&s;ible degrees by drawing out a little at once, and never a|bove
a pint at a time, though many gallous are de&s;igned to pa&s;&s;e
by this way of evacuation. I &s;hall adde no more to this re&s;em|blance,
but that the totall violent illegall abolition of Liturgy
in a &s;etled Church, is certainly of this nature, and being &s;uper|added
to the change of the Government into a Forme quite con|trary
to that which for 1600 years hath prevailed in the univer|&s;all
Church of Chri&s;t, there &s;etled by the Apo&s;tles, may be allow'd
the &s;tile of <HI>in&s;ignis mutatio;</HI> a mutation of &s;ome con&s;iderable im|portance
to a Chri&s;tian State, which being admitted altogether
without any preparative alleviating &s;teps, will (by the rapid &s;ud|dain
motion at lea&s;t, if there were nothing el&s;e) have a dange|rous
influence upon the whole body, of which the cunninge&s;t di|viner
cannot at this in&s;tance fore&s;ee the effects, or prevent the
emergent mi&s;chiefes which &s;ucceeding times may di&s;cover. If it
be &s;aid, that this abolition is now <HI>nece&s;&s;ary to conclude the pre&s;ent
Warre,</HI> and that be affirmed to be the <HI>Politick nece&s;&s;ity</HI> here meant,
I an&s;wer, that if it were able to do that, I &s;hould acknowledge it
the &s;tronge&s;t argument that could be thought on to prove it <HI>Po|litically
nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> this Warre being &s;o unnece&s;&s;arily de&s;tructive,
and any thing that could rid us of that, &s;o &s;trongly convenient,
that if Con&s;cience would permit the u&s;e of it, I &s;hould allow it
the title of nece&s;&s;ary. But to make &s;hort of this, no man can be|lieve
that the&s;e Armies were rai&s;ed or continued to &s;ubdue the
Common Prayer-Booke, for, be&s;ides that there was a time when
'twas found nece&s;&s;ary for the Hou&s;es to declare, that they had
no de&s;ign to take away that Book, for feare the People &s;hould
be di&s;obliged by it, and another when the Earle of <HI>E&s;&s;ex</HI> his
Army expre&s;t &s;ome kindne&s;&s;e to it; 'Tis now confe&s;t by the
pretenders of both Per&s;wa&s;ions, Presbyterians and Independents,
one that they doe not, the other that they mu&s;t not take up
Armes for Religion, and &s;o that kind of politicall nece&s;&s;ity of
<PB N="10" REF="12">
aboli&s;hing the Book is, and by them&s;elves mu&s;t be di&s;claimed
al&s;o.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="12" UNIT="Sect"> Now for the &s;econd branch of this <HI>nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> that which is in
order to <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall</HI> or Church-policy, we &s;hall take liberty in
this place to con&s;ider this matter at large, becau&s;e it may perhaps
&s;ave us &s;ome pains hereafter, and becau&s;e their pretending of this
<HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of doing what they do, is a tentation, if not a challenge
to us to do &s;o, and then we &s;hall leave it to the Reader to judge
what grounds may hence be fetcht for this pretended <HI>nece&s;&s;ity.</HI>
And this mu&s;t be done by laying together the &s;everall things that
are in our <HI>Liturgy,</HI> and are purpo&s;ely left out in the <HI>Directory,</HI>
and &s;o are as it were the Characteri&s;ticall note, by which the <HI>Di|rectory</HI>
is by the A&s;&s;emblers de&s;igned to differ from our <HI>Liturgy,</HI>
as &s;o much food from poy&s;on, Chri&s;tian from Antichri&s;tian (if
<HI>Nece&s;&s;ity</HI> be properly taken,) or (if improperly for that which is
<HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> only to the well being) as a more perfect and more pro|fitable,
from that which, if it be &s;o at all, is not either (in their
opinion) in &s;o high a degree.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="13" UNIT="Sect"> Now the &s;everalls of our <HI>Liturgy</HI> which are purpo&s;ely avoy|ded
in this <HI>Directory,</HI> I have ob&s;erved to be principally the&s;e; Of
tho&s;e that are more <HI>extrin&s;ecall,</HI> &s;ixe.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The pre&s;cribing of Formes, or Liturgy it &s;elfe.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Outward or bodily wor&s;hip.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Vniformity in performing Gods &s;ervice.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The Peoples bearing &s;ome part in the &s;ervice.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. The dividing the Prayers into &s;everall Collects, and not put|ting
them all into one continued Prayer.</ITEM>
<ITEM>6. The Ceremonies of kneeling in the Communion, of Cro&s;&s;e in
Bapti&s;me, of Ring in Marriage, &amp;c.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Then of tho&s;e that are <HI>intrin&s;ecall,</HI> and parts of the Service.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The Ab&s;olution, in the beginning of the Service next after
the Confe&s;&s;ion, and before the Communion, and in the Vi&s;ita|tion
of the &s;icke.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Hymnes, the Introite, the Te Deum, &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The u&s;e of the Doxology or giving glory to God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The Confe&s;&s;ion of the Faith in the Creeds.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. The frequent repeating of the Lords Prayer, and the Prayers for
the King.</ITEM>
<ITEM><PB N="11" REF="12">
6. The ob&s;ervation of the divers Fea&s;ts commemorative, not only
of Chri&s;t, but of Saints departed, and a&s;&s;igning Services,
Le&s;&s;ons, Epi&s;tles, and Go&s;pels, and Collects to them.</ITEM>
<ITEM>7. The reading the Commandements, and the Prayers belonging
to that Service.</ITEM>
<ITEM>8. The order of the Offertory.</ITEM>
<ITEM>9. Private Bapti&s;me.</ITEM>
<ITEM>10. A pre&s;cript forme of Catechi&s;me.</ITEM>
<ITEM>11. Confirmation.</ITEM>
<ITEM>12. The &s;olemnities of burying the dead.</ITEM>
<ITEM>13. Thanke&s;giving after Child-birth.</ITEM>
<ITEM>14. Communion of the &s;ick.</ITEM>
<ITEM>15. The Service containing the Commination.</ITEM>
<ITEM>16. The ob&s;ervation of Lent, and the Rogation, <HI>and I would add
al&s;o of</HI> the Ember weekes.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>This may &s;eem too loo&s;e a taske, to enlarge on each of the&s;e,
and yet we are in ju&s;tice to this Book, and for an an&s;wer to the
pretended Nece&s;&s;ity of aboli&s;hing it, obliged to do &s;o, as briefly
as it may, only &s;o farre as may &s;erve to give the Reader a view of
the lawfulne&s;&s;e at lea&s;t, and withall of the u&s;efulne&s;&s;e of each of
the&s;e, and con&s;equently of no-appearance of rea&s;on why it &s;hould
be thought nece&s;&s;ary to aboli&s;h any one of them, much le&s;&s;e of
all the re&s;t for that ones &s;ake.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="14," UNIT="Sect"> And fir&s;t for the pre&s;cribing of Formes of Prayer, or Liturgy
it &s;elfe, we &s;hall referre it to judgment whether it be <HI>nece&s;&s;ary in
Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Policy, i. e.</HI> &s;trongly conducing to the benefit and
edification of a Church to interdict or bani&s;h it out of the King|dome,
when we have propo&s;ed the&s;e few things concerning it.
1. The example of God him&s;elfe and holy men in the Old Te&s;ta|ment,
pre&s;cribing &s;et Formes of ble&s;&s;ing the People to be u&s;ed
daily by <HI>Aaron</HI> and his Sonnes, <HI>Numb.</HI> 6. 23. The Lord ble&s;&s;e
thee and keep thee, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> &s;et Formes for the People to u&s;e them|&s;elves,
<HI>Deut.</HI> 26. 3. 5. Thou &s;halt &s;ay before the Lord, A Syrian, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>
as al&s;o at the going out of their Armies, <HI>Deut.</HI> 20. 3. and of
Thanke&s;giving, <HI>Exod.</HI> 15. 1. made by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and it &s;eems learnt
by heart by all the people; and in the &s;ame words u&s;ed again by
<HI>Miriam, v.</HI> 21. and &s;o it appears; <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 38. 20. that <HI>Hezekiah</HI> did
not only forme a &s;et thanke&s;giving, but u&s;ed it all the daies of his
<PB N="12" REF="13">
life, and the &s;ame <HI>Hezekiah, 2. Chron.</HI> 29. 30. in his thanke&s;gi|ving
commanded the <HI>Levites</HI> al&s;o to &s;ing prai&s;es to God with
the words of <HI>David</HI> and <HI>A&s;aph, i. e.</HI> Formes already prepared to
his hand by tho&s;e &s;acred Pen-men.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="15" UNIT="Sect"> 2. The practi&s;e of the Jewes &s;ince <HI>Ezra's</HI> time con&s;tantly u|&s;ing
&s;et Formes of Prayer by way of <HI>Liturgy;</HI> For this I &s;hall pro|duce
no other proofe then the te&s;timony of a learned Member
of their A&s;&s;embly, M. <HI>Selden</HI> in his notes on <HI>Eutychius,</HI> vouching
all his affirmations out of the ancient records of the cu&s;tomes of
the Jewi&s;h Nation, from whom, that they may be of authority
with you, I &s;hall tran&s;cribe the&s;e &s;everalls, <HI>That certain formes
of praying, which were to be u&s;ed by every one daily by Law, or re|ceived
cu&s;tome, were in&s;tituted by</HI> Ezra <HI>and his hou&s;e,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 41.</NOTE> i. e. <HI>his con&s;i|&s;tory.</HI>
That <HI>the Jewes about the end of the Babyloni&s;h Captivity had</HI>
their <HI>ancient manners as well as language &s;o depraved,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 42.</NOTE> <HI>that with|out
a Ma&s;ter they either were not able to pray as they ought, or had
not confidence to do &s;o.</HI> And therefore <HI>that</HI> for the future, <HI>they
might not recede either in the matter of their prayers</HI> (through cor|ruption)
<HI>or expre&s;&s;ion</HI> (through ignorance) <HI>from that forme of pie|ty
commanded them by God, this remedy was applyed by the men of
the great Synagogue,</HI> Ezra <HI>and his 120. Collegues,</HI> (where by the
way is ob&s;erveable one &s;peciall u&s;e and benefit of &s;et Forms, not
only to provide for the ignorance, but to be an hedge to the true
Religion, to keep out all mixtures or corruptions out of a
Church: To which purpo&s;e al&s;o the Councells in the Chri&s;tian
Church have de&s;igned &s;everall parts which we &s;till retain in our
<HI>Liturgy,</HI> a reall and a valuable benefit if it were con&s;idered.) <HI>That
of this kind there were 18. Prayers or Benedictions call'd in the Gemarae
compo&s;ed or appointed Prayers,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 43.</NOTE> That <HI>the three fir&s;t of the&s;e, and the
three la&s;t re&s;pected the glory of God, the twelve other intermediate
were &s;pent on tho&s;e prime things that were nece&s;&s;ary, either to the
whole People or every particular man,</HI> (proportionable to which
perhaps it is, that our Saviour who accommodated mo&s;t in&s;titu|tions
of his Bapti&s;me and his la&s;t Supper, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> to the cu&s;tomes of
the Church, did al&s;o de&s;igne his prayer, as it is &s;et downe in
<HI>Matthew,</HI> though not according to the number of the Jewi&s;h
prayers, yet to the generall matter and forme of them, the three
fir&s;t branches of it, and the conclu&s;ion, which may pa&s;&s;e for three
<PB N="13" REF="13">
branches more, referriug to the glory of God and the other in|termediate
to our private and publike wants.) That <HI>the&s;e Pray|ers
were to be learnt by every man, that the Prayers of the unskill|full
might be as perfect as of the mo&s;t eloquent.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 44.</NOTE> <HI>That every act or
praying was begun with</HI> P&s;al. 51. 15. <HI>O Lord open thou our lips, and
our mouthes &s;hall &s;hew forth thy prai&s;e</HI> (the very forme of words
&s;till retain'd in Saint <HI>James</HI> his Liturgy, and in ours before the
Introite) and <HI>concluded with</HI> P&s;al. 19. the la&s;t ver&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 48.</NOTE> <HI>Into thy
hands, &amp;c.</HI> That <HI>of the&s;e 18. Prayers no one was to be omitted, that
if any other were added, they were counted of, like free-will-offerings,
as the other were an&s;werable to the pre&s;cribed, and were called by
that name.</HI> That <HI>the additions might be made only in tho&s;e Prayers
which concern their own wants, becau&s;e tho&s;e were capable of varia|tion,
but not to tho&s;e that concern'd God.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 49.</NOTE> That <HI>on Sabboth and Fea&s;t-daies
no man might u&s;e a voluntary prayer. That about the time of
the Jewes de&s;truction Gamaliel and his Sanhedrim added a 19. Pray|er,
and after him others,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 50.</NOTE> <HI>&s;o that at length the daily &s;ervice grew to
an 100. Prayers.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 55.</NOTE> That <HI>it is likely that the Pagans came to u&s;e their
&s;et Formes in their Sacrifice al&s;o,</HI> (and perhaps the <HI>Mahumedans</HI>
too) <HI>by the example of the Jewi&s;h Church,</HI> for which he there re|ferres
the Reader to many Books of the Learned. I conceive the
authority of this Gentleman hath not beene de&s;pi&s;ed by the
Hou&s;e of Commons, and the A&s;&s;emblers (when it hath chanced
to agree with their de&s;igns or intere&s;t) and therefore I have thus
farre, as an Argument <HI>ad homines,</HI> in&s;i&s;ted on it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="16" UNIT="Sect"> 3. The not onely practi&s;e, but precept of Chri&s;t in the New
Te&s;tament who did not only u&s;e him&s;elfe a &s;et forme of words
in prayer, three times together u&s;ing the &s;ame words, <HI>Mat.</HI> 26.
44. and upon the cro&s;&s;e in the &s;ame manner, praying in the P&s;al|mi&s;ts
words, only changed into the Syriack dialect, which was
then the vulgar: but al&s;o commanded the u&s;e of tho&s;e very
words of his perfect forme, which it &s;eems he meant not only as
a pattern, but a forme it &s;elfe (as the Standard weight, is not on|ly
the mea&s;ure of all weights, but may it &s;elfe be u&s;ed) <HI>Luk.</HI> 11. 2.
<HI>when you pray, &s;ay, Our Father,</HI> &amp;c. which precept no man can with
a good con&s;cience ever obey, that holds all &s;et formes <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI>
to be ca&s;t out of the Church.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="17" UNIT="Sect"> 4. The practi&s;e, not only of <HI>John the Bapti&s;t,</HI> who <HI>taught his
<PB N="14" REF="14">
Di&s;ciples to pray, Luk.</HI> 11. 1. (which occa&s;ioned Chri&s;ts Di&s;ciples
to demand, and him to give them a forme of Prayer) but e&s;peci|ally
of the Apo&s;tles, of which we find intimations 1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. 26.
<HI>when you come together every one of you hath a P&s;alme,</HI> which &s;ure
referres to &s;ome of the P&s;almes of <HI>David</HI> or <HI>A&s;aph,</HI> u&s;ed then
ordinarily in their devotions, (and that as even now I &s;aid, au|thorized
by the example of Chri&s;t him&s;elfe upon the Cro&s;&s;e, who
it is thought, repeated the whole 22. P&s;alme, it is certaine the
fir&s;t ver&s;e of it, <HI>My God My God why ha&s;t thou for&s;aken me</HI>) and
&s;o certainly a &s;et forme, and that of Prayer too (of which thank&s;|givings
and Pray&s;es are a part.) But becau&s;e every one <HI>had</HI> his &s;e|verall
<HI>P&s;alme,</HI> it is therefore reprehended by the Apo&s;tle, as
tending to <HI>confu&s;ion,</HI> and by that con&s;equence, Saint <HI>Pauls</HI> judg|ment
is thence deducible for the joyning of all in the &s;ame form,
as being the only cour&s;e tending to <HI>edification</HI> in the end of that
ver&s;e, and then &s;ure 'twould be hard, that that which the Apo|&s;tle
conceived the only cour&s;e for <HI>edifying,</HI> &s;hould now be <HI>nece&s;|&s;ary</HI>
to be turn'd out of the Church, as <HI>contrary to edification.</HI> Far|ther
yet, 'tis clear by text, that the Apo&s;tles when they met to|gether,
to holy duties (&s;uch are Fa&s;ting, Prayer, receiving the
Sacrament) continued very long time, &s;ometimes a whole day
together. This being too much to be alwaies continued in the
Church, and un&s;uteable to every mans bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, is &s;aid to have
been the occa&s;ion that S. <HI>James</HI> fir&s;t made choice of &s;ome &s;peciall
Prayers mo&s;t frequently by them u&s;ed, which was after called his
<HI>Liturgy,</HI> which (or &s;ome other in the di&s;gui&s;e of that) the
Greek Church &s;till u&s;e on &s;olemne daies. This al&s;o being of the
longe&s;t for every daies u&s;e, St. <HI>Ba&s;il</HI> is &s;aid to have &s;hortned, and
that again St. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome;</HI> how certain the&s;e reports are, I &s;hall
not take upon me to affirme, but only adde, that the Greek
Church, who are mo&s;t likely to know the truth of it by their re|cords,
do retain all the&s;e three <HI>Liturgies,</HI> and would loudly laugh
at any man that &s;hould make doubt whether St. <HI>James,</HI> S. <HI>Ba&s;il,</HI>
and S. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome,</HI> were not the Authors of them. 2. That the
judgement of that Church (if they are deceived al&s;o, and may
not be thought worthy to be heeded by our A&s;&s;emblers) is yet
an argument of great authority to any prudent man, if not that
the&s;e <HI>Liturgies</HI> were purely the &s;ame with tho&s;e that were writ|ten
<PB N="15" REF="14">
by that Apo&s;tle, and tho&s;e holy men, yet that there were
&s;uch things as <HI>Liturgies</HI> of their penning. The like might be ad|ded
of that &s;hort forme of St. <HI>Peters,</HI> which alone they &s;ay was
u&s;ed in the Roman Church for a great while, till after by &s;ome
Popes it was augmented, and the &s;ame of St. <HI>Marks</HI> Liturgy.
I am &s;ure S. <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> &s;peaking of &s;ome formes retained in the
Church, and &s;till to be found in our <HI>Liturgy,</HI> particularly that of
<HI>Sur&s;um corda,</HI> Lift up your hearts, &amp;c. &s;aith, that they are <HI>verba
ab ip&s;is Apo&s;tolorum temporibus petita,</HI> words fetcht from the
times of the Apo&s;tles, which &s;uppo&s;es that they did u&s;e &s;uch
Formes. And for that particular mention'd by S. <HI>Augu&s;tine,</HI> it is
agreeable to the Con&s;titutions of the Apo&s;tles, <HI>l. 8. c.</HI> 16. (which
collection if it be not &s;o antient as it pretends, doth yet imitate
Apo&s;tolicall antiquity) and &s;o in S. <HI>James's,</HI> and <HI>Ba&s;ils</HI> and
<HI>Chry&s;o&s;tomes</HI> Liturgy in the &s;ame words with our Booke as farre
as to the word [<HI>bounden</HI>] and for many other &s;uch particular
Formes u&s;ed by us, we find them in <HI>Cyril</HI> of <HI>Hieru&s;alems Cate|chi&s;me,</HI>
one of the antiente&s;t Authors we have, and then that it
&s;hould be nece&s;&s;ary for the Church to turne out what the Apo|&s;tles
had thus brought into it, will not ea&s;ily be made good by
our A&s;&s;emblers.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="18" UNIT="Sect"> 5. The practice of the univer&s;all Church from that time to
this, which is &s;o notorious to any that is conver&s;ant in the wri|tings
of the Antient Fathers, and of which &s;o many te&s;timonies
are gathered together for many mens &s;atisfaction by <HI>Ca&s;&s;ander,</HI>
and other writers of the <HI>Liturgica,</HI> that 'twere a reproach to the
Reader to detain or importune him with te&s;timonies of that na|ture.
To omit the practice of<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">The &s;ame <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> in his Palace imi|tating the or|ders of the Church, amo~g other things, <GAP DESC="foreign">, tendred Set Prayers, <HI>Eu&s;eb. de vit. con&s;t. l. 4. c.</HI> 17. And &s;o it is &s;aid of the Nobles a|bout him, that they u&s;ed <GAP DESC="foreign">, Prayers that the Emperour liked, and <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ere all brought by him, <GAP DESC="foreign">, &amp;c. to pray the &s;ame prayers all of them, e|ven in private. <HI>c.</HI> 18.</NOTE> <HI>Con&s;tantine,</HI> who pre&s;cribed a
forme for his Souldiers (a Copy of which we have in <HI>Eu&s;eb. de
vit. Con&s;t. l. 4. c.</HI> 20.) I &s;hall only mention two grand te&s;timo|nies
for &s;et Formes, one in the 23. Canon of the third Councell
of <HI>Carthage, Qua&s;cun&abque; &s;ibi preces aliquis de&s;cribet non iis utatur,
ni&s;i prius eas cum in&s;tructioribus fratribus contulerit, No man may
u&s;e any Prayers which he hath made, unle&s;&s;e he fir&s;t con&s;ult with o|ther
learneder Chri&s;tians about them,</HI> and the other more punctu|all,
<HI>Concil. Milev. c. 12. Placuit ut preces quae probatae fuerint in
Concilio ab omnibus celebrentur. Nec aliae omnin&ograve; dicantur in Ec|cle&s;ia,
ni&s;i quae &agrave; prudentioribus tractantur, vel comprobatae in
<PB N="16" REF="15">
Synodo fuerint, ne fort&egrave; aliquid contra fidem, aut per ignorantiam,
aut per minus &s;tudium &s;it compo&s;itum. It was re&s;olv'd on, that the
Prayers that were approv'd in the Councell &s;hould be u&s;ed by all,
and that no other &s;hould be &s;aid in the Church but tho&s;e that had
been weighed by the more prudent, or approv'd in a Synod, le&s;t any
thing, either through ignorance or negligence &s;hould be done again&s;t the
Faith.</HI> In&s;tead of &s;uch Citations (and becau&s;e what&s;oever argu|ment
is brought from that Topick of Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall tradition, is
now pre&s;ently defamed with the title of Popi&s;h and Antichri&s;ti|an,
becau&s;e for&s;ooth <HI>Antichrist</HI> was a <HI>working</HI> early in the Apo|&s;tles
time, and every thing that we have not a mind to in anti|quity,
mu&s;t needs be one of tho&s;e <HI>works</HI>) I &s;hall rather chu&s;e to
mention another, as a more convincing argument <HI>ad homines,</HI>
and that is,</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="9" UNIT="Sect"> 6. The judgement and practice of the Reformed in other
Kingdomes, even <HI>Calvin</HI> him&s;elfe in &s;everall ample te&s;timonies,
one in his Notes upon <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 20. 1. another in his Epi&s;tle to the
<HI>Protector.</HI> I &s;hall not give my &s;elfe licen&s;e to tran&s;cribe the&s;e, or
multiply more &s;uch Te&s;timonies, only for the honour not only of
Liturgy in generall, but particularly of our Liturgy, 'twill be
worth remembring that <HI>Gilbertus</HI> a <HI>German,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Precum &s;ol. 202. 312.</NOTE> many years &s;ince, in
a book of his, propounds our Book of Prayer for a &s;ample of the
Formes of the ancient Church; And for the purity of it, and
thorough Reformation, that <HI>Cranmer</HI> procured the King <HI>Edwards</HI>
Common-Prayer-Book to be tran&s;lated into Latine, and &s;ent it
to <HI>Bucer,</HI> and required his judgment of it, who an&s;wer'd, that
there was nothing in it, but what was taken out of the Word of
God, or which was not again&s;t it, <HI>commod&egrave; acceptum, being ta|ken
in a good &s;en&s;e,</HI> &s;ome things indeed, &s;aith he, <HI>quae ni&s;i quis,</HI> &amp;c.
<HI>unle&s;&s;e they be interpreted with Candor, may &s;eem not &s;o agreeable to
the Word of God, and which unquiet men may wre&s;t unto matter of
contention.</HI> As may be &s;een at large in <HI>Bucers Scripta Anglicana.</HI>
Upon this occa&s;ion that Book of King <HI>Edwards</HI> was again &s;ur|vey'd,
and in tho&s;e particulars, that were &s;ubject to &s;uch Cavils,
corrected. After which time the quarrells about that Book were
generally with the Papi&s;ts (not &s;o much with the oppo&s;ite ex|treame)
and therefore <HI>John Ould</HI> in Queen <HI>Maries</HI> daies wrote
again&s;t them in defence of it, and of the King <HI>Edwards</HI> Refor|mation.
<PB N="17" REF="15">
And <HI>Cranmer</HI> made a challenge, that if he might be per|mitted
by the Queen to take to him <HI>P. Martyr,</HI> and foure or five
more, they would enter the li&s;ts with any Papi&s;ts living, and de|fend
the Common-Prayer-Book to be perfectly agreeable to the
Word of God, and the &s;ame in effect which had been for 1500.
years in the Church of Chri&s;t. This for the reputation of the
Book. Then for the fruit and benefit that by the u&s;e of it redoun|ded
to Chri&s;tians, take an e&s;&s;ay by M. <HI>John Hullier,</HI> Fellow of
Kings Colledge in <HI>Cambridge,</HI> who was Martyr'd in Queen <HI>Ma|ries</HI>
daies, <HI>Anno</HI> 1557. and being at the &s;take, among many o|ther
Books that were thrown into the fire to him, it happened
that a Common-Prayer-Book fell between his hands, which he
joyfully receiving opened, and read till the flame and &s;moke &s;uf|fered
him not to &s;ee any more, and then he fell to prayer, hol|ding
his hands up to Heaven, and the Book betwixt his armes
next his heart, thanking God for that mercy in &s;ending him it,
the relation is M. <HI>Foxes,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts and Moni pag. 1818.</NOTE> and from thence the plea authentick, that
<HI>the tree that bare whol&s;ome fruit, &s;hould not be cut down by the Law,
Deut.</HI> 10. 20. even when Warre was to be made on a City, and
as <HI>Maimon:</HI> addes <HI>l. de Idol.</HI> though it were wor&s;hipt for an Idol,
and if that which was then of &s;o dear e&s;teem be now &s;o nece&s;&s;ary
to be ca&s;t out, it is an ill indication of the times into which we
are fallen.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="20" UNIT="Sect"> 7. The rea&s;ons on which the very Heathens them&s;elves took
up the &s;ame practice, which was uniuer&s;all (it &s;eems) through
all the World, more Catholick then the Church it &s;elfe. To this
purpo&s;e be&s;ide tho&s;e Authors which M. <HI>Selden</HI> referres to, I &s;hall
only adde the&s;e three te&s;timonies, fir&s;t of <HI>Plato, l. 7. de leg.</HI> where
he commands, That <HI>whatever Prayer or Hymnes the Poets compo|&s;ed
to the Gods, they &s;hould fir&s;t &s;hew them to the Prie&s;ts</HI> (as if they
were in a manner leprous till then) <HI>before they publi&s;ht them, le&s;t
they &s;hould aske evill things instead of good,</HI> (an infirmity th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">t the&s;e
daies are very &s;ubject unto) The &s;econd in <HI>Thucyd. l. 6. p.</HI> 434.
<GAP DESC="foreign">. Set formes for &s;everall occa&s;ions, and a common
joynt &s;ending them up to heaven. The third in <HI>Alexander ab
Alex. l. 4. c.</HI> 17. That <HI>the Gentiles read their Prayers out of a Book
before their Sacrifices, N&egrave; qui&agrave; praepo&s;ter&egrave; dicatur, aliquis ex &s;cripto
<PB N="20" REF="16">
praeire &amp; adverbum referre &s;olitus e&s;t,</HI> That <HI>the work might not be
done prepo&s;terou&s;ly.</HI> Which two rea&s;ons of theirs, the one le&s;t they
&s;hould &s;tray in the matter of their Prayers, the other le&s;t offend
in the manner, may pa&s;&s;e for Chri&s;tian rea&s;ons, as &s;ea&s;onable
with us, as they were among them. And no nece&s;&s;ity that tho&s;e
<HI>rea&s;ons</HI> &s;hould be de&s;pi&s;ed by us neither.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="21" UNIT="Sect"> 8. The irrationall concludings, or &s;hortne&s;&s;e of di&s;cour&s;e of
tho&s;e which are again&s;t &s;et formes, e&s;pecially in two things, the
fir&s;t ob&s;erved by D. <HI>Pre&s;ton</HI> (who&s;e memory is, I hope, not lo&s;t
among the&s;e A&s;&s;emblers) and made u&s;e of in a printed worke of
his to the confuting of them. That while they in oppo&s;ition to
&s;et Formes require the Mini&s;ter to conceive a Prayer for the
Congregation, they ob&s;erve not, that the whole Congregation
is by that means as much &s;tinted, and bound to a &s;et Forme, to
wit of tho&s;e words which the Mini&s;ter conceives, as if he read
them out of a Book. 2. That the per&s;ons with whom we have
now to deale, though they will not pre&s;cribe any Forme of
Prayer, yet venture to pre&s;cribe the matter of it in the&s;e words,
pag. 14. <HI>the Mini&s;ter is to call upon the Lord to this effect:</HI> Now why
the <HI>pre&s;cription</HI> of the <HI>matter</HI> is not the &s;tinting of the Spirit,
as well as the <HI>forme of words</HI> (unle&s;&s;e the Spirit,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">, Act. 14. 12.</NOTE> like the
Heathen Mercury be the God of eloquence, and be thought to
deale in the words only) or why the promi&s;e of <HI>dabitur in ill&acirc;
hor&acirc;,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 10. 19.</NOTE> <HI>it &s;hall be given you in that houre,</HI> &s;hould not be as full a pro|mi&s;e
for <HI>matter,</HI> as for <HI>expre&s;&s;ions;</HI> e&s;pecially when that Text
forbids care or provi&s;ion, <GAP DESC="foreign">, not only <HI>how,</HI> but <HI>what</HI> they
&s;hould <HI>&s;peake,</HI> and the promi&s;e is peculiarly for the <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>it &s;hall be
given you what you &s;hall &s;peak,</HI> and this is it, that is attributed to
the Spirit, <HI>v.</HI> 20. (from whence if I &s;hould conclude, that the
Holy Gho&s;t taught the Di&s;ciples onely the matter of their an|&s;wer;
and they them&s;elves were left to put it in Forme of words,
there is nothing in that Text again&s;t that a&s;&s;ertion; and that it
was &s;o in their penning of the New Te&s;tament, many probable
Arguments might be produced if it were now &s;ea&s;onable,) and
con&s;equently, why the pre&s;cribing of one &s;hould not be unrea|&s;onable
in them, that condemne all pre&s;cribing of the other, I
confe&s;&s;e is one of tho&s;e things, which my charity hath made me
willing to impute to the &s;hortne&s;&s;e of di&s;cour&s;e, becau&s;e I am un|willing
<PB N="19" REF="16">
to lay any heavier charge upon it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="22" UNIT="Sect"> From all which con&s;idered, and a great deale more which
might be added from the u&s;efulne&s;&s;e of known Formes to tho&s;e,
who&s;e under&s;tandings are not quick enough to go along with
unknown, and if they have no other, are fain oft times to return
without performing any part of &s;o nece&s;&s;ary duty of prayer in
the Church, from the experience of the effects of the contrary
doctrine, the many &s;candalous pa&s;&s;ages which have fallen from
Mini&s;ters in their extemporary Prayers (of which meer pity and
humanity, civility and mercy to Enemies, re&s;traines us from in|&s;erting
a large Catalogue) and the no manner of advantage a|bove
that which &s;et Formes may al&s;o afford, but only of &s;atisfa|ction
to the itching eare, exerci&s;e and plea&s;ure to the licentious
tongue, and the vanity of the reputation of being able to per|forme
that office &s;o fluently (which yet is no more then the <HI>Rab|bins</HI>
allow <HI>Achitophel,</HI> that he had every day three new Formes
of Prayer) or of having a plentifull mea&s;ure of the Spirit; which
is beleeved to infu&s;e &s;uch eloquence, I &s;hall now conclude it im|po&s;&s;ible
that any humane eye &s;hould di&s;cern a <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> in re&s;pect
of Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall policy, or edifying the Church, why all Liturgy
&s;hould be de&s;troyed, not wa&s;h't, not purg'd with Sope, &s;uch
any <HI>Reformation</HI> would be, but torne and con&s;umed with nitre,
for &s;uch is <HI>abolition,</HI> why it &s;hould &s;uffer this O&s;traci&s;me,
(unle&s;&s;e as <HI>Ari&s;tides</HI> did for being too vertuous) be thus
vehemently fir&s;t declamed, and then bani&s;h'd out of the
Church.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="23" UNIT="Sect"> Secondly, for <HI>outward bodily wor&s;hip</HI> 'tis particularly prohi|bited
by the <HI>Directory</HI> at one time, <HI>at the taking of our &s;eates or
places when we enter the A&s;&s;embly,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 10</NOTE> (directly contrary to that of
<HI>I&s;idor,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">De div. Off&punc; c. 10.</NOTE> <HI>&s;i quis veniat cum lectio celebratur adoret tant&ugrave;m Deum, if
any come in when the Le&s;&s;on is a reading, let him only performe ado|ration
to God, and hearken to what is read</HI>) and never &s;o much
as recommended at any time, nor one would think, permitted
in any part of their publick &s;ervice, like the <HI>Per&s;ians</HI> in <HI>Strabo l.</HI>
15. that never offer'd any part of the fle&s;h to the Gods in their &s;a|crifices,
kept all that to them&s;elves, <GAP DESC="foreign">,
&s;uppo&s;ing the Gods would be content with the &s;oules, which in
<PB N="20" REF="17">
the blood were powred out and &s;acrificed to their honour, <GAP DESC="foreign">,
they &s;aid that the
Gods wanted and de&s;ired the &s;oules for a <HI>&s;acrifice, but not any
thing el&s;e;</HI> of which People <HI>Herodotus l.</HI> 1. hath ob&s;erved that they
had neither Temples nor Altar, and laugh'd at them which built ei|ther,
but went to the top of &s;ome hill or other, and there &s;a|crificed,
preferring &s;uch naturall Altars before any other. The
former of the&s;e is the avowed Divinity of the&s;e men (and might
perhaps have been attended with the latter too, were it not that
there be &s;o many Churches already built conveniently to their
hands.) In&s;tead of which, our <HI>Liturgy</HI> hath thought fit not on|ly
to recommend but pre&s;cribe bodily wor&s;hip, fir&s;t by directing
in the <HI>Rubrick</HI> what part of &s;ervice &s;hall be performed kneeling,
then by reading the <HI>Venite,</HI> where all encourage and call upon
the others <HI>to wor&s;hip, and fall down, and kneele, &amp;c.</HI> to wor&s;hip, <HI>i. e.</HI>
adore, which peculiarly notes bodily wor&s;hip, and &s;o &s;urely the
<HI>falling down, and kneeling before the Lord.</HI> And of this I &s;hall &s;ay,
that it is 1. An act of obedience to that precept of <HI>glorifying God
in our bodies, as well as &s;ouls.</HI> 2. Atran&s;cribing of Chri&s;ts Copy, who
<HI>kneeled,</HI> and even pro&s;trated him&s;elfe <HI>in Prayer:</HI> of many holy
men in Scripture, who are affirmed to have done &s;o (and that
affirmation <HI>written for our example</HI>) and even of the <HI>Publican,</HI>
who though &s;tanding, yet by <HI>&s;tanding a far off,</HI> by <HI>not looking up,</HI>
by <HI>&s;triking his brea&s;t,</HI> did clearly joyn bodily wor&s;hip to his pray|er,
of [<HI>Lord be mercifull to me a &s;inner</HI>] u&s;ed at his coming into
the Temple,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vide Clav. in Sacr. Bo&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. c. 1.</NOTE> and in that po&s;ture thrived better then the <HI>Phari|&s;ee</HI>
in his loftier garbe, <HI>went away more ju&s;tified,</HI> &s;aith our Savi|our,
as a ve&s;&s;ell at the foot of a hill, will (&s;ay the Arti&s;ts) receive
and contain more water, then the &s;ame or a like ve&s;&s;ell on the top
of it would be able to do (and he that &s;hall do the like, that &s;hall
joyn adoration of God, and nothing but God, to the u&s;e of that
or the like fervent ejaculation at his entrance into Gods hou&s;e,
will &s;ure have Chri&s;ts approbation of the <HI>Publicans</HI> behaviour
to ju&s;tify him from any charge of Super&s;tition in &s;o doing) and
be&s;ides 3. The mo&s;t agreeable humble ge&s;ture, and &s;o be&s;t be|coming,
and<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Cum hi motus corporis fieri ni&s;i motu animi prae|cedente non po&s;|&s;int, ei&s;dem rur|&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> exterius vi|&s;ibiliter factis ille interior in|vi&s;ibilis augetur. Aug. l. de cura pro mor. 5.</NOTE> evidencing and helping the inward performance
of that mo&s;t lowly duty of Prayer, and con&s;equently that it
<PB N="21" REF="17">
may be charg'd with bla&s;phemy; as well and as properly, as with
&s;uper&s;ition, and probably would be &s;o, if the latter were not the
more odious of the two: and indeed why kneeling or bowing
&s;hould be more lyable to that cen&s;ure, then either mentall or o|rall
prayer, there is no rea&s;on imaginable, it being as po&s;&s;ible
that one may be directed to a fal&s;e object (and &s;o become Ido|latrous,
or &s;uper&s;titious in the true notion of tho&s;e words (as
they denote the <HI>wor&s;hip of Idols, or dead men,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, or <HI>&s;uper|&s;tites</HI>)
as the other, and (for the improper notion of <HI>Super&s;titi|on</HI>)
the one again as much capable of being an exce&s;&s;e in Religi|on
(the mind or tongue being as likely to enlarge and exceed as
the body) or of u&s;ing a piece of fal&s;e Religion, as the other, the
bodily wor&s;hip duely performed to God, being the payment of
a debt to God (and no doubt acceptable, when 'tis paid with a
true heart) and no way an argument of want, but a probable
evidence of the pre&s;ence <HI>and cooperation</HI> of inward devotion, as I
remember <HI>Nazianzen</HI> &s;aith of his Father, <HI>Or.</HI> 8. <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>he &s;hewed a great deale in the out&s;ide, but
kept the greater trea&s;ure within in the invi&s;ible part.</HI> And on the o|ther
&s;ide, the &s;tiffene&s;&s;e of the knee, an argument of &s;ome eminent
defect, if not of true piety, yet of &s;omewhat el&s;e, and Chri&s;ts pre|diction,
<HI>Joh.</HI> 4. that <HI>the time &s;hould come that the wor&s;hippers &s;hould
wor&s;hip God in &s;pirit and truth,</HI> (being not &s;et in oppo&s;ition to bo|dily
wor&s;hip, but to the appropriating it to &s;ome &s;ingular pla|ces,
<HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> or <HI>that Mountain</HI>) not producible as any apo|logy
or excu&s;e for &s;uch omi&s;&s;ion. To the&s;e briefe intimations I
&s;hall need adde no more, when the conclu&s;ion that I am to in|ferre
is &s;o moderate, being only this, that it is not <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to
turn all bowing or kneeling, or bodily wor&s;hip out of the
Church, (were there any &s;uper&s;tition in any one or more ge|&s;tures,
this were too great a &s;everity, to mulct the Church of all,
above the proportion of the mo&s;t unlimited arbitrary Court,
who&s;e amercements mu&s;t alwaies be within the compa&s;&s;e of <HI>&s;al|vo
contenemento,</HI> which this will not be, if there be no compe|tency
of bodily <HI>wor&s;hip</HI> left behind) and that the <HI>Liturgy</HI> doth
better to pre&s;cribe it at fit times, then the <HI>Directory</HI> to omit all
mention of it at all times, unle&s;&s;e by way of di&s;like and prohibi|tion.
Which conclu&s;ion will be the more ea&s;ily evinced again&s;t
<PB N="22" REF="18">
them, by asking them whether in their Family-Parlour-Prayers,
or in their private Clo&s;et Prayers, they do not approve and pra|ctice
that ge&s;ture; which as I believe in charity they do, &s;o I
mu&s;t from thence inferre, that by them <HI>the Hou&s;e of God,</HI> is the
only place thought fit to be de&s;pi&s;ed. And if it be replyed, that
the <HI>Directory</HI> forbids not kneeling, but only commands it not,
leaving it free to u&s;e or not to u&s;e, I an&s;wer, 1. That the effect
of this liberty is very remarkeable among them, and equall to
that of a prohibition, no man almo&s;t of their per&s;wa&s;ion ever
kneeling in their Churches. 2. That the never &s;o much as <HI>re|commending</HI>
it, is very near a <HI>forbidding</HI> of it. 3. That <HI>bowing</HI>
or <HI>adoration</HI> is directly forbidden once (which, by the way, is as
much the defining of a Ceremony, <HI>viz.</HI> that of &s;tanding or going
upright, and &s;o as contrary to the Independents per&s;wa&s;ions, and
to the great clamorous complaint for <HI>Liberty</HI> in Ceremonies, as
any pre&s;cription <HI>of kneeling or bowing can</HI> be.) 4. That knee|ling
al&s;o is at the receiving of the Sacrament forbidden, by ne|ce&s;&s;ity
of con&s;equence, &s;itting being pre&s;cribed, and therefore
that that reply or excu&s;e is fal&s;e al&s;o. And &s;o now what <HI>&s;peciall
advantage</HI> this is like to bring in to this Church of ours, to have
the Bodies of negligent, or prophane, or Factions men left
(without any &s;o much as an admonition) to their own inclina|tions,
and &s;o what depth of Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall policy there was
which made this change &s;o <HI>nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> I de&s;ire may now be
judged.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="24" UNIT="Sect"> Thirdly, <HI>For uniformity in that Service;</HI> (which our <HI>Liturgy</HI>
labours to &s;et up, by pre&s;cribing the manner of it, but the <HI>Dire|ctory</HI>
hath taken away by leaving all to the chance of mens wils,
which can no more be thought likely to concurre in one forme,
then <HI>Democritus's Atomes</HI> to have met together into a world of
beautifull Creatures, without any hand of providence to di&s;po&s;e
them) it hath certainly the approbation of all wi&s;e men, and
command of S. <HI>Paul, 1. Cor.</HI> 14. 40. in that grand place, <HI>Let all
things be done decently and in order.</HI> Of which I conceive the clear
importance to be, that all be <HI>done</HI> in the Church <HI>according to cu|&s;tome
and appointment.</HI> The former implyed in <GAP DESC="foreign">, (cu|&s;tome
being the only rule of decency, and therfore the indecency
of wearing long haire, is proved by being again&s;t <HI>nature,</HI> i. e. &s;aith
<PB N="23" REF="18">
<HI>Suidas</HI> in the Scripture phra&s;e, <GAP DESC="foreign">, a cu&s;tome of
&s;ome continuance in that place, and thereupon S. <HI>Paul</HI> thinks
it enough again&s;t au Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall u&s;age, and that which might
&s;uper&s;ede all &s;trife about it, 1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 16. [<HI>we have no &s;uch cu|&s;tomes,
&amp;c.</HI>] and the latter in plain words <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>according
to order or appointment</HI> (for &s;o the words literally import) and then
upon the&s;e two grounds is uniformity built, and nece&s;&s;arily re|&s;ults,
where all that is done in the Church, is ruled by one of
the&s;e, by cu&s;tome or by Law, which being here commanded by
Saint <HI>Paul,</HI> is a proofe of the more then lawfulne&s;&s;e of <GAP DESC="foreign">
<HI>pre&s;cription</HI> of Ceremonies in a Church, <HI>and of uniformity therein.</HI>
And then what nece&s;&s;ity there is or can be that St. <HI>Pauls</HI> com|mand
&s;hall be &s;o neglected, all care of uniformity &s;o di&s;claimed,
all <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>con&s;titution, or ordinance,</HI> for any Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall matter
(unle&s;&s;e their ordinance again&s;t all &s;uch con&s;titutions) &s;o &s;olemn|ly
di&s;avowed, it will be hard to imagine, or gue&s;&s;e, unle&s;&s;e it
be on purpo&s;e to ob&s;erve M. <HI>Prynnes</HI> rule of <HI>Conforming the
Church to the State,</HI> to fill one as full of di&s;order and <GAP DESC="foreign">,
and confu&s;ion as the other. I remember a &s;aying of <HI>Socrates</HI>
which <HI>Plato</HI> and <HI>Cicero</HI> record from him, <HI>Mutat&acirc; Mu&s;ic&acirc; mu|tantur
&amp; mores,</HI> that the change of a kind of Mu&s;icke, had a
great influence on mens minds, and had a generall change of
manners con&s;equent to it, I conceive uniformity in Gods &s;ervice
to be parallell to Mu&s;ick, being it &s;elfe an outward concord or
harmony of the mo&s;t different affections; and that that &s;hould
be not only changed, but lo&s;t, I cannot under&s;tand any <HI>nece&s;&s;ity,</HI>
unle&s;&s;e it be that &s;ome &s;uch like effects may be wrought in Reli|gion
al&s;o.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="25" UNIT="Sect"> For the Fourth, the Peoples bearing &s;ome part in the Ser|vice
(whether by way of re&s;pon&s;e in the Prayers, and hymnes,
or by reading every other ver&s;e in the P&s;alme) mentioned in
<HI>Theodorets</HI> &s;tory <HI>l. 2. c.</HI> 24. where &s;peaking of <HI>Flavianus</HI> and
<HI>Diodorus,</HI> he &s;aith of them <GAP DESC="foreign">,
&amp;c. <HI>they di|vided
the Quire of Singers into two parts, and appointed them to
&s;ing the P&s;alme &s;ucce&s;&s;ively,</HI> which cu&s;tome began by them (who
&s;aith he, were <HI>admirable men, and labour'd extreamly to &s;tirre up
<PB N="24" REF="19">
all men to Piety,</HI> and to that end invented this) <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>prevail'd over the whole world,</HI> or
by way of mutuall charity, returning a Prayer for the Prie&s;t, who
began one peculiarly for them; which <HI>Innocentius</HI> referres
to, in his Letter to <HI>Aurelius</HI> and <HI>Augu&s;tine,</HI> calling them <HI>com|munes
&amp; alternas preces,</HI> to which he there attributes more force,
<HI>qu&agrave;m privatis,</HI> then to <HI>private,</HI> or by way of following the <HI>Pres|byter</HI>
in Confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, both at the beginning of the <HI>Ser|vice,</HI>
and before the <HI>Communion;</HI> or in Profe&s;&s;ion of Faith in
the <HI>Creeds,</HI> wherein every the meane&s;t Chri&s;tian is to have his
part;) it is certainly de&s;igned by the Church, from the example
of pure antiquity, to very gainfull u&s;es, to quicken devotion,
which the length of continued hearing may have leave to dull
and &s;lacken, and to recall tho&s;e thoughts which may, upon the
like temptation, have diverted to other objects; in a word, to
engage every one to be made no idle or unprofitable Spectator
of the Service: and as long as there is &s;till need of that helpe to
the&s;e &s;o <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> ends, and not the lea&s;t &s;hew or pretence of ob|jection
again&s;t it, how nece&s;&s;ary it can be to reject it wholly, and
lay all the taske upon the Prie&s;t, and not require &s;o much as an
<HI>Amen</HI> (which it &s;eems was in fa&s;hion in S. <HI>Pauls</HI> time) of the
<GAP DESC="foreign">, or <HI>Lay Per&s;on,</HI> I leave to the mo&s;t prejudicate Reader
to give &s;entence for me.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="26" UNIT="Sect"> As for the <HI>Letany,</HI> wherein the People are more exerci&s;ed then
in any other part of the <HI>Service,</HI> 'tis certainly de&s;igned to make
it more proportionable to the title be&s;towed on it by the Anti|ents
of <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>earne&s;t or inten&s;e Prayer,</HI> and in <HI>Methodius,</HI>
<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>earnest Petitions,</HI> (and in the Greek <HI>Litur|gies</HI>
&s;imply <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>inten&s;e or earne&s;t</HI>) from <HI>Act. 12. 5. Luk.</HI>
22. 44. This continuall joyning of the people in every pa&s;&s;age
of it, tending very much both to the improving and evidencing
that fervor and inten&s;ion, which can never be more nece&s;&s;ary
then throughout that <HI>Service;</HI> of which I &s;hall in pa&s;&s;ing &s;ay
the&s;e three things, and ju&s;tify them again&s;t any gain-&s;ayer, that
there is not extant any where, 1. a more particular excellent
enumeration of all the Chri&s;tians either private or com|mon
wants, as farre as is likely to come to the cogni&s;ance of a
Congregation: nor 2. a more innocent blamele&s;&s;e Forme, a|gain&s;t
<PB N="25" REF="19">
which there lyes no ju&s;t objection, and mo&s;t of the unju&s;t
ones that have been made, are reproachfull to Scripture it &s;elfe,
from whence the pa&s;&s;ages excepted again&s;t are fetcht, as that
particularly of <HI>Praying for Gods mercy upon all men,</HI> from 1. <HI>Tim.</HI>
2. 1. nor 3. a more artificiall compo&s;ure for the rai&s;ing that
zeale, and keeping it up throughout, then this &s;o defamed part
of our <HI>Liturgy;</HI> for which and other excellencies undoubtedly
it is, (and not for any Conjuring or Swearing in it) that
the Devill hath taken care that it &s;hould drink deepe&s;t of that
bitter cup of Calumny and Reviling, which it can no way
have provoked, but only as Chri&s;t did the reproach of the di|&s;ea&s;ed
man, <HI>What have I to do with thee? &amp;c.</HI> when he came to
exorcize and ca&s;t out the Devill that po&s;&s;e&s;t him. And for this
to be throwne out of the Church, &s;ure there is no other <HI>nece&s;|&s;ity,</HI>
then there was that there &s;hould be <HI>Scandals and Here&s;ies</HI>
in it, onely becau&s;e the Devill and his Factors would have
it &s;o.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="27" UNIT="Sect"> 5. For the <HI>dividing of Prayers into divers Collects or Portions,</HI>
and not putting all our Petitions into one continued Prayer,
the&s;e advantages it hath to give it authority. 1. the practice of
the <HI>Jewes,</HI> who&s;e <HI>Liturgy</HI> was di&s;pen&s;ed into <HI>Le&s;&s;ons, &amp;c.</HI> and 18.
<HI>Collects,</HI> or &s;hort <HI>Prayers.</HI> 2. The example of Chri&s;ts pre&s;cri|bing
a &s;hort Forme, and in that, &s;aith S. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>teaching us the me a&s;ure or length due to each
Prayer of ours, Hom. de Ann&acirc;. f.</HI> 965. and &s;etting a mark of <HI>Hea|theni&s;me,
Mat.</HI> 6. and of <HI>Phari&s;ai&s;me, Mat.</HI> 23. 14. on their
<HI>long Prayers.</HI> 3. The advice of the Antients, who tell us S. <HI>Pe|ters</HI>
Forme, u&s;ed for a great while in the <HI>Roman Church,</HI> was a
&s;hort one, and that Chri&s;t and S. <HI>Paul</HI> commanded us to make
our Prayers,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chry&s;o&s;t lb.</NOTE> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&s;hort and
frequent,</HI> and <HI>with little di&s;tances betweene.</HI> And &s;o <HI>Ephiphanius,</HI>
<GAP DESC="foreign">: <HI>orat. c.</HI> 24. directs to offer our Petitions <GAP DESC="foreign">,
with all frequency; and <HI>Ca&s;&s;ian, de in&s;tit. mon.
l. 2. c.</HI> 10. from the univer&s;all con&s;ent of them, <HI>Vtilius cen&s;ent
breves orationes &s;ed creberrimas fieri, The way that is re&s;olved to be
mo&s;t profitable, is to have &s;hort Prayers, but very thick or frequent.</HI>
And he addes a con&s;ideration which prompted them to this re&s;o|lution,
<HI>Vt Diaboli in&s;idiantis jacula &s;uccinct&agrave; brevitate vitemur,
<PB N="26" REF="20">
That by that means the Divells darts which he is wont to find and
&s;teale his time to &s;hoot into our brea&s;ts, may by the brevity of our
Prayers</HI> be <HI>prevented.</HI> To the&s;e many more might be added, but
that the no-advantage on the other &s;ide above this (&s;ave onely
the reputation of the labour and patience of &s;peaking or hea|ring
&s;o much in a continued cour&s;e, in one breath as it were)
will &s;ave us the paines of u&s;ing more motives to per&s;wade any,
that &s;ure it is not nece&s;&s;ary to exchange this plea&s;ant ea&s;ie cour&s;e
of our <HI>Liturgy,</HI> for the tedious toyl&s;ome le&s;&s;e profitable cour&s;e
in the <HI>Directory.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="28" UNIT="Sect"> 6. For the <HI>Ceremonies u&s;ed in the &s;everall Services,</HI> much might
be &s;aid, as particularly for that of <HI>kneeling</HI> (in oppo&s;ition to &s;it|ting
at the <HI>Lords Supper</HI> de&s;igned in the <HI>Directory:</HI>) 1. That it
is agreeable to the practice of all Antiquity, who though they
<HI>kneeled</HI> not, becau&s;e the Canon of the Councell of <HI>Nice,</HI> obliged
all to <HI>&s;tand in the Church</HI> between <HI>Ea&s;ter</HI> and <HI>Whit&s;untide,</HI> or on
the <HI>Lords day</HI> all the yeare long, (which by the way ab&s;olutely
excludes <HI>&s;itting,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Popului in Ec|cle&s;ia &s;edendi pote&s;tatem non habit. Ideo re|prehendi mere|tur, quia apud Idola celebratur.</NOTE> as al&s;o doth that &s;aying of <HI>Optatus l.</HI> 4. That <HI>the
People may not &s;it in the Church,</HI> and of <HI>Tertullian, l. de Orat. c.</HI> 12.
That <HI>'twas an Heathen cu&s;tome to &s;it in the Church, and therefore
ought to be reprehended;</HI>) yet u&s;ed the Prayer-ge&s;ture at receiving,
<HI>i. e. bowing their bodies and heads,</HI> which the <HI>Fathers</HI> call adorati|on:
<HI>ki&s;&s;ing of the hand,</HI> is the propriety of the <HI>Latine</HI> word, but
but the ordinary denotation of it, <HI>bowing the body,</HI> the <GAP DESC="foreign">,
which is more then the former, the <HI>cultus major,</HI> among the
Learned; For as <HI>Herodotus</HI> ob&s;erves of the Ea&s;tern Nations, that
the manner of <HI>equalls,</HI> was to <HI>ki&s;&s;e one another at meeting,</HI> of <HI>infe|riours</HI>
to <HI>ki&s;&s;e the hand of the Superiour,</HI> but of the <HI>Suppliants or
Petitioners,</HI> that would expre&s;&s;e the greate&s;t humility to <HI>bow
them&s;elves</HI> before him, &s;o was this la&s;t of the three continued a|mong
the primitive Chri&s;tians in their Services of the greate&s;t
piety and humility, <HI>Climacus, p.</HI> 298. <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>when I receive I wor&s;hip, or adore,</HI> agreeable to which the great
men in the French Churches, who receive it pa&s;&s;ing or going (a
meer <HI>Aegyptian Pa&s;&s;e-over</HI> cu&s;tome) do fir&s;t make a lowly <HI>cringe</HI>
or <HI>curte&s;ie</HI> before they take it in their hands. 2. that Chri&s;ts
Table-ge&s;ture at the delivering it, is no Argument for <HI>&s;itting,</HI>
both becau&s;e it is not manife&s;t by the Text that he u&s;ed that, &s;ave
<PB N="27" REF="20">
only at the <HI>Pa&s;&s;e-over,</HI> from which this <HI>Supper of the Lord</HI> was
di&s;tinct, and was celebrated by <HI>ble&s;&s;ing, and breaking, and giving
the bread, &amp;c.</HI> to which &s;ome other ge&s;ture might be more pro|per,
and more commodious, and becau&s;e Chri&s;ts ge&s;ture in that
is no more obligingly exemplary to us, then his doing it <HI>after Sup|per</HI>
was to the Apo&s;tles, who yet did it <HI>Fa&s;ting, Act.</HI> 13. 2. and
generally took it before the <HI>agapae,</HI> and as by <HI>Plinies</HI> Epi&s;tle it ap|pears,
&s;o early in the morning, that the Congregation depar|ted
and met again, <HI>ad capiendum cibum promi&s;cuum, to take their
meales together.</HI> As al&s;o 3. that the contrary ge&s;ture of <HI>&s;itting,</HI>
as it was, not many years &s;ince, by a full Synod of Prote&s;tants in
<HI>Poland</HI> forbidden, if not condemned, becau&s;e they found it u&s;ed
by the <HI>Arrians,</HI> as complying with their opinion, who hold our
Saviour to be a meer Creature, &s;o is it now profe&s;t by &s;ome of
our late <HI>Reformers</HI> writings to be a badge and cogni&s;ance of
their beleeving in the infallibility of Chri&s;ts promi&s;e of coming
to raign on this Earth again, and take them into a familiar and
(a kind of) equall conver&s;ation with him, the Doctrine of the
<HI>Millenaries,</HI> once in &s;ome credit, but after condemn'd by the
Church, and though favoured by &s;ome Learned men, both anti|ently
and of late, is not yet &s;ure cleare enough to come into our
<HI>Creed</HI> or <HI>Liturgy:</HI> or to be profe&s;t and proclaimed by that ge|&s;ture,
when ever we receive the Sacrament. The evidence or
proofe of it being primarily that in the <HI>Revelation,</HI> which by the
re&s;t of that Book I am very apt to &s;u&s;pect may &s;ignifie any thing
rather then what the letter of the words imports to us at the
fir&s;t view of them. But I &s;hall not enlarge on this, nor the other
Ceremonies mention'd, but referre the Reader to the Learned
Satisfactory unan&s;wer'd labour of M. <HI>Hooker,</HI> on the&s;e Subjects,
and then aske him when he hath read him, 1. whether he re|pent
him of that paines, 2. whether in his Con&s;cience he can
thinke it <HI>nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> or tending to edification to ca&s;t all the&s;e
cau&s;ele&s;ly out of this Church, or the whole <HI>Liturgy</HI> for their
&s;akes.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="29" UNIT="Sect"> Now for tho&s;e things that are more intrin&s;ecall to the <HI>Litur|gy,</HI>
and parts of the <HI>Service;</HI> as</P>
<P>1. For the <HI>pronouncing of Ab&s;olution,</HI> which Chri&s;t &s;o &s;olemn|ly
in&s;tated on the <HI>Prie&s;t</HI> in his Di&s;ciples (by three &s;everall acts,
<PB N="28" REF="21">
1. unto <HI>Peter</HI> as the mouth of the Apo&s;tles, <HI>Mat.</HI> 16. 19. then by
way of promi&s;e to them all together, <HI>Cap.</HI> 18. 18. then by way of
actuall in&s;tating it on them <HI>breathing</HI> that power and the <HI>Holy
Gho&s;t on</HI> them together, <HI>John</HI> 20. 23.) and which is &s;o di&s;tinctly
named by S. <HI>James, c.</HI> 5. 15. in the ca&s;e of &s;ickne&s;&s;e, <GAP DESC="foreign">
(not as we render <HI>they &s;hall be forgiven him,</HI> as if it were <GAP DESC="foreign">,
and belonged only to Gods act of pardoning, but) imper&s;onal|ly
<HI>Ab&s;olution &s;hall be given him;</HI> and &s;o con&s;tantly pre&s;erved
and exerci&s;ed in the univer&s;all Church in publike and private, and
approv'd (as farre as our <HI>Liturgy</HI> u&s;es it) even by tho&s;e who affirm
that <HI>power</HI> in the Mini&s;ter to be <HI>onely declarative,</HI> that any man
conver&s;ant either in the <HI>Go&s;pell,</HI> or writings of the <HI>Fathers,</HI> or mo|dern
<HI>Authors,</HI> or that hath but &s;een <HI>Knox'es Scotch Liturgy,</HI> and
ob&s;erv'd that part of it, about the <HI>receiving of Penitents,</HI> would
be amazed to &s;ee a <HI>Directory for the publike wor&s;hip of God</HI> (which
is a large phra&s;e and containes the whole Office of the Prie&s;t) and
in it a Title <HI>for the vi&s;itation of the &s;icke,</HI> and yet find never a word
about <HI>Ab&s;olution,</HI> no not in <HI>ca&s;e of &s;cruple, doubt, or temptation,
pag.</HI> 67. or the death bed it &s;elfe. This exerci&s;e of tho&s;e <HI>Keyes of
of the Kingdome of Heaven, i. e.</HI> of the Church, this pronouncing
of Gods pardon, and actuall giving the Pardon and Peace of the
Church to all her penitent Children, e&s;pecially that more parti|cular
act before the Communion, and on the Bed of &s;ickne&s;&s;e; is,
be&s;ide the obedience to Chri&s;t, &s;o nece&s;&s;ary an expre&s;&s;ion of Chri|&s;tian
charity in every Church to its poore members, and the de|nying
of it, where it is due, &s;o barbarous an inhumanity (which
yet I hope no man &s;hall be the wor&s;e for, but tho&s;e that do deny
it) that as the turning of <HI>Publike Cen&s;ures</HI> out of this Church, is a
rare example of de&s;pight unto Chri&s;ts command, (there being no
<HI>Nationall Church</HI> from Chri&s;ts time to this to be found without
it, till this of ours for the&s;e la&s;t three years) &s;o the &s;ending of <HI>Ab|&s;olution</HI>
after it, and the affirming it to be nece&s;&s;ary to be done,
and appointing all foot-&s;teps of it to be turn'd out of the <HI>Ser|vice,</HI>
is a piece of <HI>di&s;order,</HI> as contrary to <HI>Charity</HI> as to <HI>Piety,</HI> to
<HI>Rea&s;on</HI> as <HI>Religion,</HI> this being &s;o far from the blame of an exube|rancy
in our <HI>Service,</HI> that there is more rea&s;on to wi&s;h that there
were more of this nature, then that that, which we have already,
were omitted.</P>
<P><PB N="29" REF="21">
2. For the <HI>Hymnes of the Church,</HI> it will not be ami&s;&s;e perhaps
to give you fir&s;t the true notion of the word; there being among
the <HI>Hebrewes</HI> three &s;orts of Songs, 1. <HI>Mizmor,</HI> a <HI>conci&s;e or &s;hort
ver&s;e, 2. Tehillah, Prai&s;e,</HI> celebrating or depredicating of God,
and 3. <HI>Schir,</HI> a <HI>Canticle,</HI> as the word is u&s;ed in the title of that <HI>Song
of Songs.</HI> And an&s;werable to the&s;e three, we have <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 17. <GAP DESC="foreign">,
and <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>P&s;almes</HI> and <HI>Hymnes,</HI> and <HI>Songs,</HI> where the
word <HI>Hymne</HI> is an&s;werable to the &s;econd of the&s;e, a prai&s;ing and
magnifying of God in and for &s;ome of his mo&s;t remarkeable acts
of mercy and power. Thus was it the dictate even of nature it
&s;elfe among the Heathens, to imploy a great part of their Poetry,
<HI>i. e.</HI> their Piety (for &s;o <HI>Orpheus</HI> the fir&s;t and mo&s;t famous Writer
of <HI>Hymnes,</HI> was called <HI>Theologus Poeta,</HI> a Poet that was a Divine
al&s;o) in framing of <HI>Hymnes</HI> to their Gods; though tho&s;e of <HI>Mu|&s;aeus</HI>
and <HI>Linus,</HI> the other two <HI>Theologi Poetae,</HI> are not now to be
met with. The like we have &s;till of <HI>Homer</HI> al&s;o, and I remember
<HI>Galen</HI> the famous Phy&s;itian, in one of his Books <HI>De u&s;u partium,</HI>
de&s;cribing the compo&s;ure of the Foot, breakes out of a &s;uddaine
into an excellent acknowledgement, which hee calls <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>a true Hymne</HI> in laud <HI>of that</HI> God
<HI>which made the&s;e</HI> curious <HI>bodies</HI> of men. This duty of naturall Pie|ty,
Chri&s;tianity certainly hath not ob&s;tructed, but elevated it to
a far higher pitch by &s;uperadding that greate&s;t obligation taken
from the <HI>Redemption of Mankind,</HI> to that old one of the <HI>Creation.</HI>
And thus in all Ages of the Church &s;ome <HI>Hymnes</HI> have been con|&s;tantly
retained to be &s;aid or &s;ung in the <HI>Churches,</HI> I mean not on|ly
the daily lections of the <HI>P&s;almes of David</HI> (which yet this <HI>Di|rectory</HI>
doth not mention, but only commands a more frequent
reading of that Book, then of &s;ome other parts of <HI>Scripture</HI>) nor
the &s;inging of &s;ome of tho&s;e <HI>P&s;almes in Metre,</HI> (which yet this
<HI>Directory</HI> doth not pre&s;cribe neither, &s;ave onely on daies of
<HI>Thanke&s;giving,</HI> or after the Sermon, <HI>if with convenience it may be
done,</HI> making it very indifferent, it &s;eems, whether it be kept at
all in the Church or no, unle&s;&s;e on tho&s;e &s;peciall occa&s;ions.) But
the <HI>alternate</HI> reading of the <HI>P&s;almes</HI> both by Prie&s;t and people,
(<HI>P&s;almi ab omnibus celebrentur, Let the P&s;almes be &s;aid by all,</HI> in
the <HI>Milevit. Counc. Can.</HI> 12.) the con&s;tant u&s;e of &s;ome &s;peciall
<HI>P&s;almes,</HI> as the <HI>Introite,</HI> and of other more purely Chri&s;tian
<PB N="30" REF="22">
<HI>Hymnes,</HI> either framed by holy men in the Scripture in reference
to Chri&s;ts <HI>Incarnation,</HI> or by the Church &s;ince on purpo&s;e to
ble&s;&s;e and prai&s;e God for his mercies in Chri&s;t, which &s;ure de&s;erve
a daily celebration from every Chri&s;tian, as well and as richly as
any Victory over Enemies, though it be one of theirs over the
King him&s;elfe, can de&s;erve of them upon any &s;uch day of <HI>Thank&s;|giving.</HI>
Of this kind is the <HI>Te Deum,</HI> a mo&s;t Divine and admira|ble
Forme,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Telman in Ba|&s;il. T. 1. p. 195.</NOTE> called antiently, <GAP DESC="foreign">, a triumphant Song, gene|rally
thought to be compo&s;ed by Saint <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> and S. <HI>Ambro&s;e,</HI>
on the day that S. <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> baptized S. <HI>Augu&s;tine,</HI> and fitted
to that purpo&s;e with an acknowledgment of the <HI>Trinity,</HI> in re|ference
to S. <HI>Augu&s;tines</HI> conver&s;ion from <HI>Manichai&s;me.</HI> If this
be true, then &s;ure is it one of tho&s;e, the repeating of which mo|ved
S. <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> to &s;o much pa&s;&s;ion, that he faith in his <HI>Confe&s;|&s;ions,
l. 9. Quantum flevi in hymnis &amp; Canticis Eccle&s;iae tuae,</HI> that
and the like <HI>Hymnes of the Church fetcht many tears from him.</HI> Of
which I &s;hall only &s;ay, that to any man that hath but an humble,
faithfull, thankfull fervent heart to go along with it, it is as Chri|&s;tian
a piece of prai&s;e and prayer, as any humane pen could con|tribute
toward the publike wor&s;hip of God, which he that hath
had the u&s;e of in the Church, and now thinkes fit to bani&s;h out
of it, &s;hewes his own former coldne&s;&s;e and non-proficiency un|der
that means of grace, and that he never joyned in it with any
zeale or earne&s;tne&s;&s;e, or el&s;e his retchle&s;&s;e ingratitude to the
Church which hath allow'd him the benefit of it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="31" UNIT="Sect"> The like might be added of tho&s;e two other in the admini&s;tra|tion
of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, the former before
the Sacrament beginning with <HI>Lift up your hearts,</HI> and ending
with the <HI>Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Ho&s;ts, &amp;c.</HI> a forme to be found
with little variation, both in S. <HI>Jame&s;es,</HI> S. <HI>Ba&s;ils,</HI> and S. <HI>Chry&s;o|&s;tomes</HI>
Liturgy, the other, after the Sacrament, <HI>Glory be to God
on high,</HI> &amp;c. called antiently <HI>hymaus Angelicus, the Angelicall
hymne,</HI> from the fir&s;t part of it which was &s;ung by <HI>Angels,</HI> and
both the&s;e &s;uch ancient, pure, excellent compo&s;ures in them|&s;elves,
and &s;o fitly accommodated to the pre&s;ent bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, and
all that I have named, &s;o farre from any appearance of evill,
&s;o free from any the lea&s;t objection of any the mo&s;t petulant
malicious calumniator (as far as I yet ever heard) &s;o well-be|coming
<PB N="31" REF="22">
a Congregation of Saints, who by prai&s;ing God in the
Church, &s;hould practice before hand, and fit them&s;elves for the
&s;inging of <HI>Hallelujahs</HI> perpetually in heaven, and in the meane
time beare the Angels company here (who Saint <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI>
tells us, &s;ing all the hymnes with us:) that 'tis little better then
fury,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. l. 4. p. 753. l. 40. edit. Savil.</NOTE> (&s;avouring much of the temper of that <HI>evill &s;pirit on
Saul,</HI> that was exorcized with <HI>Davids Mu&s;icke,</HI> and there|fore
may be allowed to have malice to that and the like ever
&s;ince) to think it <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to throw this piece of <HI>heaven</HI> out of
the Church.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="32" UNIT="Sect"> 3. For the Doxology &s;o con&s;tantly annexed to many parts
of our &s;ervice, in the&s;e words, (wherein the people either are
to begin or an&s;wer) <HI>Glory be to the Father, &amp;c.</HI> It is an ancient
piece of very great con&s;ideration, the former ver&s;icle of it be|ing,
at 'tis affirmed by good authorities, compo&s;ed by the fir&s;t
Councell of <HI>Nice,</HI> and appointed by them to be u&s;ed in the
Church, as a <HI>le&s;&s;er Creed, or confe&s;&s;ion of the Trinity,</HI> and <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>Con&s;ub&s;tantiality</HI> of the Sonne and Holy Gho&s;t, with the Father
(at which it hath therefore antiently been the cu&s;tome to &s;tand
up; <HI>confe&s;&s;ion</HI> of God, being a prai&s;ing of him (as the word in
other languages imports) to which therefore that po&s;ture is mo&s;t
due) which may well pa&s;&s;e for no fable, becau&s;e 'tis cleare, that
&s;oon after that time, <HI>Flavianus &s;ang it aloud in the Church of An|tioch,</HI> as appears by<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">l. 3. c. 19.</NOTE> <HI>Zozomen,</HI> and<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">l. 2. c. 24.</NOTE> <HI>Theodoret,</HI> (and if we may
believe<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">l. 18. c. 51.</NOTE> <HI>Nicephorus,</HI> St. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome joyn'd with him in it;</HI>) Of
this <HI>Philo&s;torgius</HI> the <HI>Arrian Hi&s;toriographer</HI> tells us, <HI>An.</HI> 348.
<HI>Flavianus having gotten a Congregation of Monkes together,</HI>
<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>was the fir&s;t that began that forme of Doxology,</HI>
others u&s;ing that other Forme of <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>Glory to the Father, by the Sonne, in the Holy Ghost,</HI> making the Son
inferiour to the Father, and the Holy Gho&s;t to the Sonne, as
<HI>Eunomius</HI> and <HI>Eudoxius</HI> did, which it &s;eems <HI>Philo&s;torgius him|&s;elf
mo&s;t approv'd of,</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;aith his
<HI>Epitomator</HI> of him) others (not as <HI>Gotofred</HI> mends his Copy, and
reads it, <GAP DESC="foreign">, but as the <HI>Oxford Manu|&s;cript</HI>)
<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Glory to the Father, and the
Son in the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> The&s;e two &s;everall Forms, and &s;ome &s;ay a
third [<HI>in the Sonne and the Holy Gho&s;t</HI>] were it &s;eemes propo&s;ed
<PB N="32" REF="23">
again&s;t <HI>Athana&s;ius</HI> in the Councell of <HI>Antioch, An. Dom.</HI> 341.
and by men of &s;everall per&s;wa&s;ions u&s;ed in the Church of <HI>An|tioch,</HI>
as a Character, by which <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>they
expre&s;t their &s;everall opinions,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Zozomen, l. 3. c. 19. and l.</HI> 4.
27. &amp; by &s;o doing, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>every
one applyed the P&s;alme or Hymne</HI> (to the end of which, as now
with us, it was, it &s;eems, then annext) <HI>to his opinion.</HI> In which nar|ration
of <HI>Philo&s;torgius,</HI> we have no rea&s;on to &s;u&s;pect any-thing,
but the <GAP DESC="foreign">, that <HI>Flavianus</HI> was the <HI>fir&s;t that &s;ang it,</HI>
wherein his favour to the <HI>Arians</HI> might make him partiall, or the
truth might be, he was the fir&s;t that &s;ang it at <HI>Antioch,</HI> for there
<HI>Athana&s;ius</HI> was in a Councell condemn'd, and &s;o &s;till the Forme
might in other places be u&s;ed more antiently. This fir&s;t ver&s;e be|ing
on this occa&s;ion brought into the Church as a te&s;timony, and
Pillar of the Catholick verity again&s;t the <HI>Arians,</HI> and annext by
ancient cu&s;tome to the end of the <HI>P&s;almes</HI> in the <HI>Liturgy,</HI> St.
<HI>Jerome</HI> or &s;ome body before him, being moved by the noi&s;e of the
<HI>Macedonians</HI> (who accepted again&s;t that part of it concerning
the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> affirming that that Doctrine of the Divinity of
the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t</HI> was novell) is &s;aid to have beene the Author of
adding the other ver&s;e or line to the former, in oppo&s;ition to
them, <HI>As it was in the beginning, &amp;c.</HI> to &s;ignifie this to be the an|cient
Catholick, no new private doctrine or opinion; and yet
that it was very near, if not as ancient as the former, may be gue&s;t
by what <HI>Theodoret, l. 2. c.</HI> 24. &s;aith of <HI>Leontius Bi&s;hop of Antioch,</HI>
that he <HI>was wont to &s;ay to him&s;elfe the</HI> Arrian <HI>Doxology &s;o &s;oftly, that
no word could be heard by him that &s;tood next, but</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">
<HI>for ever and ever,</HI> (the clo&s;e of the &s;econd line) and this
&s;aith he, while <HI>Flavianus,</HI> who oppo&s;ed him, was a Lay-man.
And if this be a time wherein &s;uch Formes as the&s;e, (which be&s;ides
<HI>giving glory to God,</HI> do &s;ecure and defend the Catholick Doctrine
of the <HI>Trinity,</HI> again&s;t all antient or moderne <HI>Arrians,</HI> and <HI>Ma|cedonians</HI>)
are nece&s;&s;arily to be ca&s;t out, as hinderances to growth
and edification, &s;ure the de&s;ign is only to plant Here&s;ies in the
Church (to which alone that may prove impediment) but no|thing
el&s;e.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="33" UNIT="Sect"> Having &s;aid this, 'twill not be needfull to adde concerning
the fourth head, more then only the acknowledgement of my
<PB N="33" REF="23">
wonder and a&s;toni&s;hment, why the &s;ame calamity and tempe&s;t
that carried away this <HI>le&s;&s;er Creed,</HI> &s;hould al&s;o be able to rai&s;e &s;o
fierce a Torrent, as to drive and hurry with it the <HI>three larger
Creeds al&s;o,</HI> e&s;pecially that not only of the <HI>Nicene Fathers,</HI> but of
the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> them&s;elves; Again&s;t the matter of which I have not
heard, that the <HI>Pre&s;byterians</HI> have any objection, and &s;ure the
<HI>Bead&s;-mans</HI> Divinity, that turnes the <HI>Creed</HI> into a <HI>Prayer,</HI> hath
not only concluded the u&s;e of it to be a &s;tinting of the <HI>Spirit.</HI>
What the effect of this part of Reformation is likely to be, will
not be hard to divine, even <HI>Barbari&s;me</HI> and <HI>Athei&s;me</HI> within a
while, the turning <HI>God</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and all the <HI>Articles of the
Creed</HI> out of mens braines al&s;o, and not (as yet it is) only out of
their hearts; what is the nece&s;&s;ity of doing it, will not &s;o ea&s;ily
be re&s;olved even by him that hath imbibed the A&s;&s;emblers princi|ples,
unle&s;&s;e it be to gratify the <HI>Separati&s;ts,</HI> who are profe&s;t de|nyers
of one Article, that of the <HI>Holy Catholick Church,</HI> re&s;olving
the end and the effect of the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t's</HI> de&s;cent to have been on|ly
to <HI>con&s;titute particular Congregations,</HI> and none el&s;e. As for the
great patterne of the <HI>Pre&s;byterians,</HI> the practi&s;e of <HI>Geneva</HI> or
<HI>Scotland,</HI> that appears by <HI>Knox's Common Prayer-Book,</HI> to have
allowed a &s;et Forme of <HI>Confe&s;&s;ion of Faith,</HI> and de&s;igned it, for
the publick u&s;e as the fir&s;t thing in that <HI>Book of Prayers,</HI> though
the truth is, the <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> or other ancient <HI>Creeds</HI> being &s;et a&s;ide,
one of the <HI>Geneva</HI> forming is fain to &s;upply the place of them,
which yet by the &s;etting the &s;everall parts of the <HI>Apo&s;tles Creed</HI>
in the margent, both there and in the order of <HI>Bapti&s;me,</HI> ap|peares
rather to be an interpretation of it, and &s;o &s;till the <HI>Se|parati&s;ts</HI>
mu&s;t be the onely men in the Church fit to be con&s;ide|red,
or el&s;e apparently there is no &s;uch <HI>Politicall nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of
this neither.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="34" UNIT="Sect"> For the fifth thing, the &s;o frequent repetition of the <HI>Lords
Prayer,</HI> and <HI>Prayers for the King in our Service,</HI> this account may
be briefly given of it. For the former, that in our <HI>Common Pray|er-Book,</HI>
there be &s;everall Services for &s;everall occa&s;ions, of the
<HI>Sacraments, &amp;c.</HI> for &s;everall dayes, as the <HI>Letany;</HI> for &s;everall
times in the day, not only <HI>Morning</HI> and <HI>Euening,</HI> but one part
to be &s;aid earlier in the morning, and then toward noone a re|turne
to another part, (as the antient <HI>Primitives</HI> had three Ser|vices
<PB N="32" REF="24">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="33" REF="24">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="34" REF="25">
in a forenoone. 1. That for the <HI>Catechumeni,</HI> con&s;i&s;ting
of <HI>Prayers, P&s;almes,</HI> and <HI>Readings;</HI> then a 2. For the <HI>Penitents,</HI>
&s;uch as our <HI>Letany;</HI> and a 3. For the <HI>Fideles,</HI> the Faithfull, our
<HI>Communion</HI> Service,) and even that which is a&s;&s;igned to one time
&s;o di&s;continued by <HI>P&s;almes,</HI> and <HI>Hymnes,</HI> and <HI>Le&s;&s;ons,</HI> that it be|comes
in a manner two <HI>Services,</HI> clearly two <HI>times of Prayer.</HI> Now
our Saviour commanding, <HI>when you pray, &s;ay our Father;</HI> we
have accordingly &s;o a&s;&s;igned it, to be once repeated in every &s;uch
part of Service, and I remember to have heard one of the grave&s;t
and mo&s;t reverend men of the A&s;&s;embly, being asked his opini|on
about the u&s;e of the <HI>Lords Prayer,</HI> to have an&s;wer'd to this
purpo&s;e, <HI>God forbid that I &s;hould ever be upon my knees in Prayer, and
ri&s;e up without adding Chri&s;ts forme to my imperfect petitions.</HI> And
whereas this <HI>Directory</HI> is &s;o bountifull, as to recommend this Pray|er
to be u&s;ed in the Prayers of the Church, and yet &s;o wary as but
to recommend it, it is thereby confe&s;t that it is lawfull to retain
a &s;et Forme, (for that is &s;urely &s;o, and then the often u&s;ing of a
lawfull thing will not make it unlawfull) but withall that Chri&s;ts
command in points of his Service &s;hall no more oblige to obedi|ence,
then the commands of men, for if it did, this would be
more then recommended. And now why that which may, &s;ay
they, <HI>commendably</HI> (mu&s;t, &s;ay we, <HI>nece&s;&s;arily</HI> in obedience to
Chri&s;t) be u&s;ed in the Prayers of the Church, and being repea|ted
oftner then once, &s;hall be u&s;efull to him who was not come
at the fir&s;t &s;aying, or may be &s;aid more attentively by him who
had before been too <HI>negligent,</HI> &s;hould be <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to be u&s;ed but
once, when all mens zeale or under&s;tanding of &s;o divine a Forme
or perhaps <HI>pre&s;ence</HI> at that part of the Service, &s;hall not <HI>nece&s;&s;a|rily</HI>
go along with it, I leave to more &s;ubtile Divines to in&s;truct
us. This I am &s;ure of, that God hath made a peculiar promi&s;e to
<HI>importunity in Prayer,</HI> to a coming often to him on the &s;ame er|rand,
and <HI>Luk.</HI> 18. 5. by a phra&s;e in the Parable &s;eems to &s;ay, that
he that comes oft to God in this manner, will at length force
him to &s;hame, if he do not grant his Petition, for that is the mea|ning
of <GAP DESC="foreign">. And from thence the Fathers u&s;e a bold
phra&s;e in their <HI>Liturgies,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>I put thee to
&s;hame, i. e.</HI> importune thee, <HI>Ba&s;il. in Liturg.</HI> and in the <HI>P&s;al|tery
of the Greek Church,</HI> which hath many Prayers mixt with
<PB N="35" REF="25">
it, <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>unle&s;&s;e thy owne
goodne&s;&s;e put thee to &s;hame, &amp;c.</HI> Now that this will not be &s;ubject
to the cen&s;ure of <HI>vain repetitions, Mat.</HI> 6. 7. which is the onely
exception made again&s;t it, (if the example of <HI>David, P&s;al.</HI> 136.
be not &s;ufficient to authorize the <HI>repeating</HI> any Forme often,
which is as faultle&s;&s;e as that was) might largely be evidenced,
1. By the nature of the word <GAP DESC="foreign">, there u&s;ed, which
both <HI>He&s;ychius</HI> and <HI>Suidas</HI> apply to an other matter, and
explain it by <GAP DESC="foreign">, and <GAP DESC="foreign">, and <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>long,
idle, un&s;ea&s;onable formes, &s;uch as Battus u&s;ed in his</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>his long-winded Hymnes &s;o full of
Tautologies,</HI> which <HI>Mun&s;ter</HI> therefore rendreth <GAP DESC="foreign">
<HI>do not multiply words,</HI> unprofitably or un&s;ea&s;onably, 2. By
the cu&s;tomes of the Heathens which Chri&s;t there referres to [<GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>u&s;e not, &amp;c. as the Heathens</HI>] and which
are evident in their writers, e&s;pecially their <HI>Tragedians;</HI> where
'tis plain, that their manner was to &s;ound, or chant, for many
houres together, &s;ome few empty words to the honour of their
Gods, &s;uch the <GAP DESC="foreign">, in their <HI>Bacchannals,</HI> from the noi&s;e
of which they were call'd <HI>Evantes;</HI> &s;uch in <HI>Sophocles,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI> and e&s;pecially in the <HI>Virgins Chorus
of AE&s;chylus's Tragedy,</HI> called <GAP DESC="foreign">. Where there are
near an hundred Ver&s;es, made up of meer <HI>Tautologies,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">,
and an enumeration of the &s;everall names of the
Gods with un&s;ignificant noy&s;es added to them, <GAP DESC="foreign">,
and within two ver&s;es the &s;ame again,
and much more of the &s;ame &s;tile. Two notable examples of this
<HI>Heatheni&s;h</HI> cu&s;tome; the Scripture affords us one, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 18. 26.
where the <HI>Prophets of Baal from morning till noon, cry O Baal, hear
us,</HI> and it followes, <HI>they cryed with a loud voyce, and cut them&s;elves,</HI>
<GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>according to their cu&s;tome or rites</HI> (that <HI>loud crying</HI>
the &s;ame words &s;o long together, was as much a <HI>Heatheni&s;h rite,</HI>
as the <HI>cutting of them&s;elves.</HI>) The other of the <HI>Ephe&s;ians, Act.</HI> 19.
34. who are affirm'd to have <HI>cryed with one voice for two houres
&s;pace,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Great is Diana of the Ephe&s;ians,</HI> and
3. by the de&s;igned end that Chri&s;t ob&s;erves of that <HI>Heathen</HI> cu|&s;tome,
1. <HI>That they may be heard</HI> by that long noy&s;e, for
which <HI>Elius</HI> &s;coffes them, 1 <HI>King. 18, 27. Cry aloud,</HI> perhaps your
<PB N="36" REF="26">
<HI>God is a talking, or a pur&s;uing, &amp;c.</HI> 2. That their <HI>Petitions</HI> may
be more intelligible to their Gods, to which Chri&s;t oppo&s;es,
<HI>your Heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of,</HI> and &s;o needs
not your <HI>Tautologies</HI> to explain them to him. Much more might
be &s;aid for the explaining of that mi&s;taken place, but that it
would &s;eem unnece&s;&s;ary to this matter, the exception being &s;o
cau&s;ele&s;&s;e, that the Vindication would pa&s;&s;e for an extrava|gance.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="35" UNIT="Sect"> Of the Prayers for the King, the account will not bee
much unlike, St. <HI>Paul</HI> commands that <HI>prayers, and &s;upplicati|ons,
and interce&s;&s;ions, and thanksgivings be made for Kings, &amp;c.</HI>
1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 1, 2. where though the mention of tho&s;e &s;everall &s;orts
of Prayers, &s;ignified by tho&s;e foure words, might be matter
of apology, for the making &s;everall addre&s;&s;es to God for Kings
in one &s;ervice, &s;uppo&s;ing them proportion'd to tho&s;e &s;orts in
that text, yet have we di&s;tributed the frequent prayers for him
into the &s;everall &s;ervices, one &s;olemne prayer for him, in the or|dinary
daily &s;ervice, (and only a ver&s;icle before as it were prooe|miall
to it) another in the Letany, another after the commande|ments
(of which though our book hath two formes together,
yet both the Rubrick and Cu&s;tome, gives us authority to inter|pret,
it was not meant that both &s;hould be &s;aid at once, but ei|ther
of the two cho&s;en by the Mini&s;ter,) another before the
Communion, where the nece&s;&s;ity of the matter, being de|&s;igned
for the <HI>Church militant,</HI> makes it more then &s;ea&s;o|nable
to de&s;cend to our particular Church, and the King the
&s;upreame of it; ju&s;t as <HI>Herodotus</HI> relates the cu&s;tome of the
Per&s;ians, <HI>l. 1. p.</HI> 52. <GAP DESC="foreign">
<HI>they pray for all the Per&s;ians, peculiarly for the King.</HI> To this
practice of ours &s;o grounded in the Apo&s;tle, we &s;hall adde,
1. The reward promi&s;ed (by the Apo&s;tles intimation) to &s;uch
Prayers (if not, as I conceive, by tho&s;e words, <HI>that we may
live a peaceable and quiet life, &amp;c.</HI> that <HI>peaceable and quiet life,</HI>
of all ble&s;&s;ings the greate&s;t, &s;eeming to be a benefit or donative
promi&s;ed to the faithfull di&s;charge of that duty, of <HI>praying, and
&s;upplicating,</HI> and <HI>interceding</HI> and <HI>giving thankes for Kings,</HI>
yet certainly &s;omewhat el&s;e) in that high Declaration made
concerning it in the next words, <HI>for this is good and acceptable be|fore
<PB N="37" REF="26">
Good our Saviour,</HI> who&s;e <HI>acceptation</HI> is reward &s;ufficient to a|ny
action, and yet who never <HI>accepts</HI> but <HI>rewards</HI> al&s;o. 2. The
practice of the antient Chri&s;tians, &s;et down by <HI>Tertull.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Al Scap. c. 2.</NOTE> <HI>Sacrifi|camus
pro &s;alute Imperatoris pura prece, our prayers are &s;ent up a
pure &s;acrifice for the pro&s;perity of the Emperor,</HI> and that <HI>quoties con|veniebant,</HI>
in another place, <HI>at every meeting or &s;ervice of the
Church, &amp; precantes &s;emper pro omnibus Imperatoribus, vitam pro|lixam,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Apol. c. 30.</NOTE>
<HI>Imperium &s;ecurum, domum tutam, exercitus fortes, Senatum
fidelem, populum probum, Orbem quietum, quaecun&abque; hominis &amp; Ca|&s;aris
vota &s;unt,</HI> praying alwaies for the Emperours, and begging
of God for them, <HI>long life, &s;ecure reigne, the &s;afety of his hou&s;e,
couragious Armies, a faithfull Senate, a good people, a quiet world,</HI>
all tho&s;e &s;everalls, (which would make up more prayers then
our book hath a&s;&s;igned) <HI>all that either as Man or King they can
&s;tand in need of;</HI> and &s;o <HI>Athenagoras</HI> and others to the &s;ame pur|po&s;e,
e&s;pecially when they have occa&s;ion to ju&s;tifie the fidelity
of Chri&s;tians to their unchri&s;tian Emperours, having no &s;urer e|vidence
to give of that, then the frequency of their prayers for
them, which they which thinke nece&s;&s;ary to abbridge, or &s;uper|cede,
mu&s;t give us leave by that indication to judge of &s;omewhat
el&s;e, by occa&s;ion of that to pick to ob&s;erve their other demon&s;tra|tions
of di&s;loyalty to tho&s;e that are &s;et over them by God; And
to any that are not guilty of that crime, nor yet of another, of
thinking all length of the publike &s;ervice un&s;upportable, I &s;hall
refer it to be judged, whether it be nece&s;&s;ary, that the King be
prayed for in the Church, no oftner then there is a Sermon
there.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="36" UNIT="Sect"> 6. The Communion of Saints (which if it were no Article
in our Creed, ought yet to be laid up, as one of the Chri&s;tians
tasks or duties) con&s;i&s;ts in that mutuall exchange of charity and
all &s;ea&s;onable effects of it, between all parts of the Church, that
triumphant in heaven, Chri&s;t and the Saints there, and this on
earth <HI>militant;</HI> which he that di&s;claimes, by that one act of in&s;o|lence,
ca&s;ts off one of the noble&s;t priviledges, of which this
earth is capable, to be a fellow-citizen with the Saints, and a
<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">llow-member with Chri&s;t him&s;elfe. The effects of this charity
on their parts is, in Chri&s;t interce&s;&s;ion, and in the Saints &s;uffrages,
and daily prayers to God for us, but on our part thanke&s;givings
<PB N="38" REF="27">
and commemorations, which 'tis apparent the Primitive Chri|&s;tians
u&s;ed, very early &s;olemnizing the day of Chri&s;ts re&s;urrecti|on,
&amp;c. and rehear&s;ing the names of the Saints out of their Dip|ticks,
in time of the offertory before the Sacrament; be&s;ides this
&s;o &s;olemne a Chri&s;tian duty, another act of charity there is, which
the Church owes to her living &s;onnes, the educating them in the
pre&s;ence of good <HI>examples,</HI> and &s;etting a remarke of honour on
all which have lived Chri&s;tianly, e&s;pecially have <HI>died in te&s;timony</HI>
of the truth of that profe&s;&s;ion; and again, a great part of the
New Te&s;tament, being &s;tory of the lives of Chri&s;t and his Apo|&s;tles,
(and the re&s;t but doctrine agreeable to what tho&s;e lives
expre&s;&s;ed) it mu&s;t needs be an excellent compendium of that
book, and a mo&s;t u&s;efull way of infu&s;ing it into the under&s;tan|ding,
and pre&s;erving it in the memory of the people, to a&s;&s;igne
proper portions of Scripture in <HI>Le&s;&s;ons, Epi&s;tles,</HI> and <HI>Go&s;pells</HI> to
every day, every Sunday, every Fe&s;tivall in the year (which are
none in our Church, but for the remembrance of Chri&s;t, and the
Scripture-Saints) to infu&s;e by tho&s;e degrees all <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> Chri&s;ti|an
knowledge, and duties into us, the u&s;e of which to the igno|rant
is &s;o great, that it may well be feared, that when the Fe&s;ti|valls,
and &s;olemnities for the birth of Chri&s;t, and his other fa|mous
pa&s;&s;ages of life and death, and re&s;urrection and a&s;cen&s;ion,
and mi&s;&s;ion of the Holy Gho&s;t, and the <HI>Le&s;&s;ons, Go&s;pells</HI> (and <HI>Col|lects</HI>)
and <HI>Sermons</HI> upon them, be turn'd out of the Church,
together with the <HI>Creeds</HI> al&s;o, 'twill not be in the power of
weekly Sermons on <HI>&s;ome head of Religion,</HI> to keep up the know|ledge
of Chri&s;t in mens hearts, a thing it &s;eems ob&s;erv'd by the
<HI>Ca&s;ui&s;ts,</HI> who u&s;e to make the number of tho&s;e things that are
<HI>nece&s;&s;ari&ograve; credenda, nece&s;&s;ary to be beleeved, no more, then the Fe|&s;tivalls
of Chri&s;t make known to men,</HI> and &s;ure by antient Fathers
who&s;e Preaching was generally on the Go&s;pells for the day; as
appears by their <HI>Sermons de tempore,</HI> and their Po&s;tils. To all the&s;e
ends are all the&s;e Fe&s;tivals, and the&s;e Services de&s;igned by the
Church, (and to no other that is capable of any the lea&s;t brand
of <HI>novell</HI> or <HI>&s;uper&s;titious</HI>) and till all this <HI>antidote</HI> &s;hall be demon|&s;trated
to be turn'd <HI>poy&s;on,</HI> all the&s;e <HI>whole&s;ome</HI> de&s;ignes, to be per|fectly
<HI>noxious,</HI> till ill or no examples, uncharitablene&s;&s;e, &s;chi&s;ma|ticall
cutting our&s;elves off from being fellow-members with the
<PB N="39" REF="27">
Saints, and even with Chri&s;t our head, till ingratitude, ignorance,
and Athei&s;me it &s;elfe, be canonized for Chri&s;tian and Saint-like,
and the onely things tending to edification in a Church, there
will hardly appeare any &s;o much as <HI>politick nece&s;&s;ity</HI> to turn the&s;e
out of it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="37" UNIT="Sect"> 7. For the reading of the <HI>Commandements,</HI> and prayer before,
and the re&s;pon&s;es after each of them, though it be not antiently
found in the Church, as a part of the Service, (but only retain'd
in the <HI>Catechi&s;me</HI>) till <HI>King Edwards</HI> &s;econd Liturgy, (and there|fore
&s;ure no charge of Popery to be affixt on it) yet &s;eemeth it to
me a very profitable part of devotion, being made u&s;e of as it
ought. The Prie&s;t after a premi&s;ed prayer for <HI>grace</HI> to <HI>love and
keep Gods Commandements,</HI> is appointed to &s;tand and read every
of the Commandements di&s;tinctly to the people, as a kind of
<HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> bringing them from God to them; The&s;e are they to
receive in the humble&s;t affection of heart, and po&s;ture of body,
as means to try and examine them&s;elves, and to humble them|&s;elves
in a &s;en&s;e of their &s;everall failings, and thereupon implore
(every one for him&s;elfe, and for others, even for the whole King|dome)
fir&s;t Gods mercy for pardon for all that hath been com|mitted
again&s;t the letter of each commandement, or what ever
Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pell hath &s;et down under any, or reducible to
any of tho&s;e heads. 2. <HI>Grace</HI> to performe for the time to come,
what ever may be acceptable to Chri&s;t in that particular. This
being thus di&s;tinctly and lea&s;urely done to each particular pre|cept,
the heart enlarging to every particular under that, proves
an excellent forme of confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, and of re&s;olution (and
prayer for &s;trength) to for&s;ake them. And let me tell you, were
Gods pardon thus fervently and often called for by each hum|ble
&s;oule in a Kingdome, for every mans <HI>per&s;onall,</HI> and the whole
Kingdomes <HI>Nationall</HI> &s;ins, <HI>the Athei&s;me &s;peculative</HI> and <HI>practicall,</HI>
the <HI>impiety, infidelity, want of love</HI> and <HI>fear,</HI> and <HI>wor&s;hip of God. &amp;c.</HI>
in the fir&s;t Commandement, and &s;o throughout all the re&s;t, and
<HI>the grace of God,</HI> to worke all the contrary graces in every heart,
in the heart of the whole <HI>Kingdome;</HI> as humbly and heartily in|voked,
the benefit would certainly be &s;o great, and &s;o illu&s;tri|ous,
that none but <HI>Satan,</HI> who is to be dethroned, and part with
his Kingdome by that meanes, would ever deem it <HI>nece&s;&s;ary to</HI>
<PB N="40" REF="28">
ca&s;t out this part of Service, and have nothing at all in exchange
for it.</P>
<P>8. For the <HI>order of the Offertory,</HI> it mu&s;t fir&s;t be ob&s;erved, that
in the Primitive Apo&s;tolick Church, the <HI>Offertory</HI> was a con&s;ide|rable
part of the action, in the admini&s;tring and receiving the
Sacrament; the manner of it was thus. At their meetings for di|vine
&s;ervice, every man as he was able brought &s;omething along
with him, bread, or wine, the fruits of the Sea&s;on, &amp;c. of this,
part was u&s;ed for the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> the re&s;t kept to furni&s;h a com|mon
table for all the brethren (and therefore in <HI>Ignatius,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>to celebrate</HI> the <HI>Feast,</HI> is to admini&s;ter that Sacrament,
being joyn'd there with the mention of Bapti&s;me) rich and poor
to eate together,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ep. ad Smyrn.</NOTE> no one taking precedence of other, or chal|lenging
a greater part to him&s;elfe, by rea&s;on of his bringing
more; this is di&s;cernible in Saint <HI>Pauls</HI> words, chiding the <HI>Co|rinthians</HI>
for their defaults in this matter, 1 <HI>Cor. 11. 21. every
man,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>takes and eats before another his owne &s;upper, (i. e.)</HI>
the rich that brought more, eats that which he brought, <GAP DESC="foreign">,
as <HI>if he were at home eating his own private meale,</HI> with|out
re&s;pect to the nature of tho&s;e <GAP DESC="foreign">, which were a com|mon
meale for all, and &s;o while one is filled to the full, &s;ome
others have little or nothing to eat, which is the meaning of that
which followes, <HI>one is hungry, and another is drunken;</HI> after the
<GAP DESC="foreign"> cea&s;ed, and the bringing of the fruits of the &s;ea&s;on,
which were as a kind of fir&s;t-fruit offering, was out-dated, whe|ther
by Canon of the Church, or by contrary cu&s;tome, this man|ner
was &s;till continued, that every receiver brought &s;omewhat
with him to offer, particularly bread, and wine mixt with water.
<HI>Justin. Mart. Apol. 2. p.</HI> 97. &s;ets down the manner of it clearly
in his time, <GAP DESC="foreign">, &amp;c. <HI>the bread
and the wine of the brethren, i. e.</HI> Communicants, <HI>is brought to the
Priest or Prefect,</HI> (not as the Latine interpreter reads <HI>Praefecto
fratrum</HI>) as if <GAP DESC="foreign"> were to be joyn'd with <GAP DESC="foreign">, which
belongs to <GAP DESC="foreign">) <HI>and he receiving it, gives laud and prai&s;e un|to
God, in the name of the Sonne and the Holy Ghost, and all the peo|ple
joyne in the Amen,</HI> then do the Deacons di&s;tribute that <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>the bread, over which he hath thus given thankes,</HI>
and then, &s;aith he, over and above, <HI>the richer &s;ort, and every one
<PB N="41" REF="28">
as he &s;hall think good contributes, and that which is &s;o rai&s;ed, is left
with the Priest, who out of that &s;tock &s;uccours the Orphan and Wi|dow,
and becomes a common provider for all that are in want.</HI> This
clearly di&s;tingui&s;heth two parts of the Offertory, one de&s;igned
for the u&s;e of all the <HI>Faithfull</HI> in the Sacrament, another re&s;erved
for the u&s;e of the poore; the former called <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Oblations,</HI>
in the Councell of <HI>Laodicea,</HI> the other <GAP DESC="foreign">, in that of
<HI>Gangra,</HI> and proportionably, the repo&s;itory for the fir&s;t called
<HI>Sacrarium</HI> in the <HI>fourth Councell of Carthage, Can.</HI> 93. (and by
<HI>Pa&s;sidonius</HI> in the life of St. <HI>Augustine, Sacritarium unde altari
nece&s;saria in&s;eruntur,</HI> where <HI>tho&s;e things</HI> are laid, and from <HI>whence
fetcht which are nece&s;sary to the Altar</HI>) the other <HI>Gazophylacium</HI>
or <HI>trea&s;ury,</HI> the fir&s;t St. <HI>Cyprian</HI> calls <HI>Sacrificia, &s;acrifices,</HI> the &s;e|cond
<HI>Eleemo&s;ynae, Almes, l. de op. &amp; Eleem.</HI> parallell to tho&s;e
which we find both together mentioned, <HI>Act. 24. 17. I came to
bring almes to my Nation and offerings.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Dial. cum Tryph. p. 260.</NOTE> This, &s;aith <HI>Justin Martyr,</HI>
is our <HI>Chrestian Sacrifice,</HI> which will more appeare to him that
con&s;iders that the fea&s;ting of the People, their <HI>partaking</HI> of the
<HI>Sacrifice,</HI> having their <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <GAP DESC="foreign">, was alwaies annexed
to &s;acrifices, both among Jewes and Heathens, which the Apo&s;tle
calls <HI>partaking of the Altar,</HI> and con&s;equently that the <HI>Sacrifice,</HI>
and the <HI>feast</HI> together, the <HI>&s;acrifice</HI> in the <HI>offertory,</HI> the <HI>feast</HI> in the
<HI>eating and drinking</HI> there, do compleate and make up the whole
bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of this Sacrament, as farre as the People are concerned
in it; and all this ble&s;t by the Prie&s;t, and God <HI>blest</HI> and prai&s;ed
by Prie&s;t and People, and &s;o the title of <HI>Eucharist</HI> belongs to it.
Thus, after <HI>Ju&s;tin Irenaeus. The Offertory of the Chri&s;tians is accoun|ted
a pure &s;acrifice with God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">l. 4. c. 34.</NOTE> <HI>as when St. Paul,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>mentions
the acts of the Philippians liberality, he calls them</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>an
acceptable &s;acrifice</HI> (and &s;o <HI>Heb. 3. 16. to doe good and to commu|nicate
forget not,</HI> &s;uch acts of liberality to tho&s;e that want, <HI>for
with &s;uch Sacrifices God is well plea&s;ed</HI>) and pre&s;ently defines what
this Sacrifice was, <HI>primitiaecarum quae &s;unt ejus creaturarum, the
fir&s;t fruits of Gods creatures.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Apol. c. 39.</NOTE> So <HI>Tertullian, modicam unu&s;qui&s;que
&s;tipem menstru&acirc; die adponit, every one brings &s;omewhat every Month,</HI>
ju&s;t parallell to our <HI>Offertory at</HI> Monthly <HI>Communions;</HI> Much
more might be &s;aid of this out of ancient <HI>Constitutions and Ca|nons,</HI>
<PB N="42" REF="29">
if 'twere not for my de&s;ire of brevity. Effectually St. <HI>Cy|prian,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">De op &amp; Elec mo&s;. p. 180.</NOTE>
<HI>Locuples &amp; dives es, &amp; dominicam celebrare te credis, &amp;
corbonam non re&s;picis, qui in dominicum &s;ine &s;acrificio venis, qui par|tem
de &s;acrificio quod pauper obtulit, &s;umis? Art thou rich, and
thinke&s;t thou receive&s;t as thou oughte&s;t, and re&s;pecte&s;t not the Cor|ban,
feede&s;t on the poore mens Sacrifice, and bringe&s;t none thy &s;elfe?</HI>
and Saint <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> to the &s;ame purpo&s;e;<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Serm.</HI> de temp. 215.</NOTE> And 'tis worth ob|&s;erving
that many authorities, which the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> produce for
the externall Sacrifice of the body of Chri&s;t in the <HI>Ma&s;&s;e,</HI> are
but the detortion and di&s;gui&s;ing of tho&s;e places which belong to
the <HI>Offertory</HI> of the <HI>People,</HI> and in the <HI>Canon</HI> of the <HI>Ma&s;&s;e</HI> that
prayer which is u&s;ed for the offering up of Chri&s;t, (larded with
&s;o many cro&s;&s;es) plainly betrayes it &s;elfe to have been fir&s;t in&s;ti|tuted
by relation to the&s;e <HI>guifts</HI> and <HI>oblations,</HI> as appears by the
mention of <HI>Abels Sacrifice,</HI> and <HI>Melchizedecks offering</HI> (that of
<HI>Abels</HI> the fruit of the Earth, <HI>Mechizedecks</HI> a <HI>pre&s;ent</HI> onely of
<HI>Bread</HI> and <HI>Wine</HI> to <HI>Abraham</HI>) and the <HI>per quem haec omnia &s;emper
bona creas (by whom thou create&s;t all the&s;e good things)</HI> which be|longs
evidently to the fruits of the Earth, but is by them now
mo&s;t ridiculou&s;ly applyed to the body of Chri&s;t. I have beene
thus large in &s;hewing the originall of the <HI>Offertory,</HI> becau&s;e it
hath in all ages been counted a &s;peciall part of divine wor&s;hip,
the <HI>third part of the Chri&s;tian Holocau&s;t,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Aquinas, 2a. 2ae.
q. 85. art. 3. ad.</HI> 2. the ob&s;ervation of which is yet alive in our
<HI>Liturgy</HI> (I would it had a more chearfull univer&s;all reception in
our practice) e&s;pecially if that be true which <HI>Honorius</HI> &s;aith, that
in&s;tead of the ancient <HI>oblation of Bread and Wine,</HI> the offering of
money was by con&s;ent receiv'd into the Church in memory of
the pence in <HI>Judas's</HI> &s;ayle. Now that this offering of Chri&s;tians
to God for pious and charitable u&s;es, de&s;igned to them who are
his Proxyes and Deputy-receivers, may be the more liberally
and withall more &s;olemnly performed, many portions of Scri|pture
are by the <HI>Liturgy</HI> de&s;igned to be read to &s;tirre up and
quicken this bounty, and tho&s;e of three &s;orts, &s;ome belonging
to <HI>good works</HI> in generall, others to <HI>almes-deeds,</HI> others to <HI>obla|tious,</HI>
and when it is received and brought to the <HI>Prie&s;t,</HI> he
humbly prayes God to <HI>accept tho&s;e almes,</HI> and this is it which I
call the &s;ervice of the <HI>Offertory,</HI> &s;o valued and e&s;teemed among
<PB N="43" REF="29">
all Antients, but wholly omitted in this <HI>Directory</HI> (only a ca&s;u|all
naming of a <HI>Collection for the poore</HI> by way of &s;age caution,
that it <HI>be &s;o order'd, that no part of the publike wor&s;hip be thereby
hindred</HI>) upon what grounds of policy or pretence of nece&s;&s;ity,
I know not, unle&s;&s;e out of that great fear, le&s;t <HI>works of charity</HI>
(which the Apo&s;tle calls an <HI>acceptable &s;acrifice,</HI> and <HI>with which
God is well plea&s;ed</HI>) &s;hould pa&s;&s;e for any part of the <HI>&s;ervice</HI> or
<HI>wor&s;hip of God,</HI> which after <HI>Praying</HI> to him is an act that hath
the greate&s;t remark, and highe&s;t character &s;et upon it, and when
it is thus in the <HI>Offertory,</HI> is accounted as <HI>pars cult&ucirc;s, a part of wor|&s;hip,</HI>
&s;ay the Schoole-men. And be&s;ide, where it is u&s;ed, as it
ought, proves of excellent benefit (when prudent faithfull Of|ficers
have the di&s;pen&s;ing of it) toward the &s;upplying and preven|ting
the wants of all, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the Mini&s;ter
is thereby enabled to be the guardian of all that are in want,</HI> &s;aith
<HI>Ju&s;tin. M. Apol.</HI> 2. and &s;ure <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> hath little or no <HI>law</HI> or <HI>rea|&s;on</HI>
in it, when the rejecting of &s;uch cu&s;tomes as the&s;e proves the
only <HI>nece&s;&s;ary.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="39" UNIT="Sect"> 9. For <HI>private Bapti&s;me,</HI> that which our <HI>Liturgy</HI> pre&s;cribes
<HI>is, that all po&s;&s;ible care be taken, that all Children that are to be
Baptized, be brought to Church, and not without great cau&s;e and ne|ce&s;&s;ity
Baptized at home in their hou&s;es.</HI> And yet when great need
&s;hall compell them &s;o to do, then an order of admini&s;tring it is
pre&s;cribed, &s;uch as in ca&s;e the Child <HI>dye,</HI> it may not be <HI>deprived</HI>
of the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> and in ca&s;e it <HI>live,</HI> it may as <HI>publikely</HI> be <HI>pre|&s;ented,</HI>
and with <HI>Prayer</HI> received into the <HI>Church,</HI> and pronoun|ced
to be <HI>baptized</HI> already, which is equivalent, as if it had been
<HI>baptized in the publick.</HI> The clear confe&s;t ground of this practice
is the de&s;ire of the <HI>Church</HI> not to be wanting to any the meane&s;t
creature, in allowing it that which Chri&s;t hath given it <HI>right</HI> to,
and to encourage and &s;atisfie the charitable de&s;ires of Parents,
which in danger of in&s;tant death require it for them. This
ground &s;eems clearly to be acknowledg'd by the Compilers of
this <HI>Directory,</HI> pag. 41. <HI>where 'tis affirmed, that the po&s;terity of the
Faithfull borne within the Church, have by their birth</HI> (not by their
living to the next Lords day, or till they can be brought to
Church) <HI>intere&s;t in the Covenant and right to the &s;eale of it,</HI> (which
&s;ure is <HI>Bapti&s;me</HI>) and then what nece&s;&s;ity there is, that they that
<PB N="44" REF="30">
are acknowledg'd to have <HI>right to that &s;eale,</HI> &s;hould yet not be
permitted to have it, (as in ca&s;e <HI>private Bapti&s;me</HI> be excluded,
&s;ome of them infallibly &s;hall not) I profe&s;&s;e my under&s;tanding
too &s;hort to reach; And as ignorant I mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e to be al&s;o,
why, when they come to the Congregation, it &s;hould be utter|ly
unlawfull for them to be <HI>Baptized in the place where Fonts have
hitherto been placed, i. e.</HI> near the door of the <HI>Church,</HI> as the <HI>Di|rectory</HI>
appoints; A new <HI>&s;candalous</HI> piece it &s;eems of <HI>Popery,</HI> and
<HI>Super&s;tition,</HI> (which is as dangerous as <HI>private Bapti&s;me,</HI> and
therefore with it together forbidden) and yet very ancient, and
farre from any &s;uper&s;titious intent; <HI>Bapti&s;me</HI> being at fir&s;t in a|ny
convenient pond or river, as the Go&s;pell, and after that <HI>Ju&s;t.
Martyr</HI> tells us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Apol. 2. in fine.</NOTE> and is noted by the word <GAP DESC="foreign">, which is
literally, <HI>to dope over head in the water,</HI> and by the word <GAP DESC="foreign">
a <HI>&s;wimming or diving place,</HI> by which the Fathers expre&s;&s;e the
<HI>Font.</HI> But when Churches were built, then there was an erecti|on
al&s;o of <HI>Bapti&s;teria,</HI> at fir&s;t without, but after within the
<HI>Churches,</HI> and tho&s;e placed neare the <GAP DESC="foreign">, or <HI>Porch of the
Church,</HI> on no other de&s;ign undoubtedly, then to &s;ignifie the
<HI>Sacrament</HI> there celebrated to be a rite of <HI>initiation,</HI> or <HI>entrance</HI>
into the Church, (as the <HI>Chancell</HI> or upper part of the Church
was a&s;&s;igned unto the other <HI>Sacrament</HI> to &s;ignifie it to belong
to tho&s;e only that were come to &s;ome <HI>perfection</HI>) again&s;t which
'tis not po&s;&s;ible any thing &s;hould be objected of <HI>unfitne&s;&s;e,</HI> but
that the Mini&s;ters voyce will not in &s;ome Churches &s;o ea&s;ily be
heard by the whole <HI>Congregation,</HI> which if it may not be helpt,
by rai&s;ing his voyce at that time, will not yet infu&s;e any <HI>Popery
or Super&s;tition into it</HI> the charge that is here &s;o heavily laid on it,
(as well as that of <HI>unfitne&s;&s;e</HI>) of which if it be guilty, <HI>Super&s;ti|tion</HI>
is become a &s;trange <HI>ubiquitary,</HI> ready to fly and affixe it &s;elfe
to any thing they will have it, and &s;hall as ju&s;tly be fa&s;t'ned by
me on their <HI>negative,</HI> or <HI>prohibition of Bapti&s;me</HI> in that place [<HI>it
is not to be admini&s;tred in the places where Fonts, &amp;c.</HI>] as upon our
<HI>po&s;itive appointing</HI> it. For &s;ure if a <HI>&s;ignificant rite,</HI> or <HI>de&s;ignation</HI>
of place, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> without any other guilt, then that it is &s;o, be <HI>&s;u|per&s;titious,</HI>
an <HI>un&s;ignificant interdiction</HI> of it will be as much; and
if the <HI>po&s;itive &s;uper&s;tition</HI> be to be condemned, the <HI>negative</HI> mu&s;t
be &s;o al&s;o.</P>
<P><PB N="45" REF="30"><MILESTONE N="40" UNIT="Sect">
10. For the <HI>pre&s;cript Forme of Catechi&s;me,</HI> it is placed by our
Church in our <HI>Liturgy,</HI> and as fit to be placed there as any <HI>dire|ctions
for Preaching</HI> can be in theirs, (which takes up &s;o great a
part in their <HI>Religion,</HI> and con&s;equently in their <HI>Directory</HI>) the
previous in&s;truction of youth being &s;o much more <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> then
that, as a <HI>foundation</HI> is then any part of the &s;uper&s;tructure, that
being <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to the end only, but this over and above <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI>
to make capable of the other <HI>nece&s;&s;ary.</HI> Of this particular <HI>Cate|chi&s;me</HI>
I might &s;ay &s;omewhat, which would be worthy to be ob|&s;erved
in the&s;e times, how much Chri&s;tian <HI>prudence</HI> the <HI>Church</HI>
hath &s;hewed in it, in &s;etting down for all to learn, only tho&s;e
few things which are nece&s;&s;ary to the plaine&s;t and meane&s;t for
the direction of Chri&s;tian faith and practice; and if we would
all keep our &s;elves within that moderation, and propo&s;e no lar|ger
<HI>Catalogue</HI> of <HI>credenda</HI> to be believ'd by all then the <HI>Apo&s;tles
Creed,</HI> as 'tis explain'd in our <HI>Catechi&s;me,</HI> doth propo&s;e, and lay
the greater weight upon con&s;ideration and performance of the
<HI>vow of Bapti&s;me,</HI> and all the commands of God as they are ex|plained
(and &s;o the obligation, to obedience enlarged) by
Chri&s;t, and then only adde the explication of the nature and u&s;e
of the <HI>Sacraments</HI> in tho&s;e mo&s;t commodious and intelligible
expre&s;&s;ions (and none other) which are there &s;et down, I &s;hould
be confident there would be le&s;&s;e hating and damning one ano|ther
(which is mo&s;t ordinarily for opinions) more <HI>piety</HI> and <HI>cha|rity,</HI>
and &s;o true <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> among Chri&s;tians and Prote&s;tants,
then hitherto hath been met with. But &s;eeing, though this be
fit to be &s;aid, yet 'tis unnece&s;&s;ary in this place, this <HI>Catechi&s;me</HI> be|ing
not put in ballance with any other way of in&s;tructing youth
in the <HI>Directory,</HI> but only <HI>&s;old</HI> or ca&s;t away for <HI>nought,</HI> and <HI>no mo|ney,</HI>
nothing <HI>taken</HI> or offered in exchange for it, I am &s;uper&s;eded
from this, and only left to wonder why <HI>Ca<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">echizing</HI> of Children
in the faith and knowledge of their <HI>vowed duty,</HI> (which I hope is
no <HI>&s;tinting of their Spirits</HI>) &s;hould be one of tho&s;e burthens which
'tis &s;o <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> &s;hould be thrown off, and not &s;o much as con&s;i|der'd
in this <HI>Directory.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="41" UNIT="Sect"> 11. For <HI>Confirmation,</HI> which (being a thing wherein the <HI>Bi|&s;hop</HI>
is a party, will, I mu&s;t expect, be matter of &s;ome envy and
<HI>odium</HI> but to name it, and) being &s;o long and &s;o &s;candalou&s;ly
<PB N="46" REF="31">
<HI>neglected</HI> in this Kingdome (though the rule have al&s;o been &s;evere
and carefull in <HI>requiring</HI> it) will now not &s;o ea&s;ily be dige&s;ted,
having tho&s;e <HI>vulgar prejudices</HI> again&s;t it, yet mu&s;t I mo&s;t &s;olemn|ly
profe&s;&s;e my opinion of it, That it is a mo&s;t <HI>antient Chri&s;tian
cu&s;tome, tending very much to edification.</HI> Which I &s;hall make good
by giving you this view of the manner of it. It is this, that every
<HI>Rector</HI> of any Pari&s;h, or <HI>Curate</HI> of charge, &s;hould by a familiar
way of <HI>Catechizing</HI> in&s;truct the youth of both &s;exes within his
Cure in the principles of Religion, &s;o farre, that every one of
them before the u&s;uall time of coming to the <HI>Lords Supper,</HI>
&s;hould be able to under&s;tand the particulars of the <HI>vow</HI> made in
<HI>Bapti&s;me</HI> for the <HI>credenda</HI> and <HI>facienda,</HI> yea and <HI>fugienda</HI> al&s;o,
what mu&s;t be <HI>believed,</HI> what <HI>done,</HI> and what <HI>for&s;aken;</HI> and be a|ble
to give an intelligent account of every one of the&s;e, which
being done, every &s;uch Child &s;o prepared, ought to be brought
to the <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> for <HI>Confirmation.</HI> Wherein the intent is, that eve|ry
&s;uch Child attain'd to years of under&s;tanding &s;hall <HI>&s;ingly</HI> and
<HI>&s;olemnly</HI> before <HI>God,</HI> the <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> and the whole <HI>Congregation,</HI> with
his own mouth, and his own con&s;ent, take upon him&s;elfe the ob|ligation
to that, which his Godfathers and Godmothers in <HI>Bap|ti&s;me</HI>
promi&s;ed in his name, and before all tho&s;e reverend wit|ne&s;&s;es,
make a firme publick <HI>renew'd promi&s;e,</HI> that by Gods helpe
he will faithfully endeavour to di&s;charge that <HI>obligation</HI> in every
point of it, and per&s;evere in it <HI>all the daies of his life.</HI> Which re|&s;olution
and promi&s;e &s;o heightned with all tho&s;e <HI>&s;olemnities,</HI> will
in any rea&s;on have a mighty impre&s;&s;ion on the Child, and an in|fluence
on his actions for ever after. And this being thus perfor|med
by him, the <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> &s;hall &s;everally <HI>impo&s;e his hands</HI> upon eve|ry
&s;uch child (a Ceremony u&s;ed to this purpo&s;e by Chri&s;t him|&s;elfe)
and <HI>ble&s;&s;e, and pray for him,</HI> that now that the temptations
of &s;inne, begin more &s;trongly, in re&s;pect of his age to a&s;&s;ault
him, he may <HI>receive grace and &s;trength</HI> again&s;t all &s;uch temptati|ons
or a&s;&s;aults, by way of <HI>prevention</HI> and &s;peciall <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;tance,</HI> with|out
which obtained by prayer from God, he will never be able
to do it. This is the &s;umme of <HI>Confirmation,</HI> and were it rightly
ob&s;erved (and no man admitted to the <HI>Lords Supper,</HI> that had not
thus taken the <HI>Bapti&s;me-bond</HI> from the <HI>&s;ureties</HI> into his owne
name, and no man after that &s;uffered to continue in the <HI>Church,</HI>
which brake it wilfully, but turn'd out of tho&s;e &s;acred coutts, by
<PB N="47" REF="31">
the <HI>power of the keyes</HI> in <HI>excommunication</HI>) it would certainely
prove, by <HI>the ble&s;&s;ing</HI> of God there begged, a mo&s;t effectuall
means to keep men, at lea&s;t within &s;ome tearmes of <HI>Chri&s;tian ci|vility,</HI>
from falling into <HI>open enormous</HI> &s;ins; and that the defa|ming
and ca&s;ting out of this &s;o blamele&s;&s;e gainfull Order &s;hould
be <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> or <HI>u&s;efull</HI> to any policy, &s;ave only to defend the <HI>De|vill</HI>
from &s;o great a blow, and to &s;u&s;teine and uphold his <HI>King|dome,</HI>
I never had yet any temptation or motive to &s;u&s;pect or
imagine. In&s;tead of con&s;idering any objections of the <HI>adver&s;ary,</HI>
again&s;t this piece, whether of <HI>Apo&s;tolicall</HI> or <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall di&s;ci|pline</HI>
(which I never heard with any colour produced) I &s;hall ra|ther
expre&s;&s;e my mo&s;t pa&s;&s;ionate wi&s;h unto my <HI>Friends,</HI> tho&s;e
who &s;incerely wi&s;h the good of this <HI>Nationall Church,</HI> that they
will endeavour their utmo&s;t to revive the&s;e meanes of regaining
the purity and exemplary lives of all its members, when God by
<HI>re&s;toring our Peace</HI> &s;hall <HI>open a doore</HI> for it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="42" UNIT="Sect"> 12. For the <HI>Solemnities of Buriall,</HI> as they are certainly u&s;e|le&s;&s;e
to them who are <HI>dead,</HI> &s;o are they not de&s;igned by us but
to the benefit of the <HI>living</HI> in <HI>Le&s;&s;ons</HI> and <HI>Prayers</HI> upon tho&s;e oc|ca&s;ions,
as al&s;o for the freeing us from the imputation of <HI>rude|ne&s;&s;e</HI>
and <HI>uncivility</HI> (which Chri&s;tianity teaches no body) to tho&s;e
bodies which &s;hall have their parts in the re&s;urrection, and to
their <HI>memories,</HI> which the obligation of <HI>Kindred, friend&s;hip,</HI> at
lea&s;t the common band of <HI>Chri&s;tianity,</HI> make <HI>pretious</HI> to us; and
that it &s;hould be <HI>nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> and tend to <HI>edification,</HI> not to pray
&s;uch &s;ea&s;onable <HI>Prayers,</HI> heare, and impre&s;&s;e upon our hearts &s;uch
&s;ea&s;onable <HI>Le&s;&s;ons,</HI> (at a time when they are exemplified before
our eyes, and our hearts being &s;oftned with mourning, are be|come
more <HI>malleable</HI>) to performe &s;uch laudable Chri&s;tian <HI>Civi|lities,</HI>
only for fear we &s;hould (not pray but) be thought to pray
<HI>to</HI> or <HI>for</HI> them, <HI>over</HI> whom, or near who&s;e hear&s;e, or <HI>by</HI> or <HI>toward</HI>
whom we thus pray, (which that we do not, our <HI>Prayers</HI> that then
we u&s;e, are ready to te&s;tify) is another unrea&s;onable, able to e|vidence
the power of prejudice and faction to any that is not
&s;ufficiently convinced of it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="43" UNIT="Sect"> 13. For that of <HI>thanke&s;giving after Childbirth,</HI> as it may be ac|knowledged,
to be taken up in proportion to, or imitation of
<HI>Purification</HI> among the Jewes, &s;o is it not thereby <HI>lyable</HI> to any
<HI>charge</HI> of evill; For herein is a merveilous mi&s;take among men,
<PB N="48" REF="32">
to think that becau&s;e the continuing of <HI>circumci&s;ion</HI> was &s;o for|bidden
by St. <HI>Paul Gal.</HI> 5. 2. therefore it &s;hould be <HI>unlawfull</HI> for
any <HI>Chri&s;tian Church,</HI> to in&s;titute any u&s;age which had ever been
<HI>commanded the Jewes.</HI> For the rea&s;ons which made the retaining
of <HI>circumci&s;ion</HI> &s;o dangerous, will not be of any force again&s;t o|ther
<HI>cu&s;tomes</HI> of the <HI>Jewes,</HI> as 1. That it was pre&s;t by the <HI>Judai|zing
Chri&s;tians,</HI> as <HI>nece&s;&s;ary to ju&s;tification, Gal.</HI> 5. 4. which is in
effect the <HI>di&s;claiming of Chri&s;t</HI> or of <HI>any profit v.</HI> 2. or <HI>effect v.</HI> 4. by
him, a <HI>falling from grace,</HI> and renouncing the <HI>Go&s;pell,</HI> 2. That
it was contrary to that <HI>liberty</HI> or manumi&s;&s;ion from the <HI>Judaicall</HI>
Law which Chri&s;t had <HI>purcha&s;ed, v.</HI> 13. to have <HI>circumci&s;ion</HI> impo|&s;ed
<HI>as a Law of Gods</HI> &s;till obligatory, when Chri&s;t by his death
hath cancelled it. 3. That &s;ome carnall profe&s;&s;ors, which
thought by this meanes to e&s;cape the oppo&s;ition, and <HI>per&s;ecution;</HI>
which then followed the doctrine of Chri&s;t, and profe&s;&s;ion of
Chri&s;tianity, did much <HI>boa&s;t</HI> that they put them&s;elves and their
Di&s;ciples in a cour&s;e to void the <HI>cro&s;&s;e, c.</HI> 6. 12. which is the mea|ning
of that, <HI>v.</HI> 13. that they may <HI>glory in your fle&s;h, i. e.</HI> in your
being circumci&s;ed, as that is by Saint <HI>Paul</HI> oppo&s;ed to <HI>glorying
in the Cro&s;&s;e, v. 14. i. e.</HI> the per&s;ecution that followed profe&s;&s;ion
of the Go&s;pell, as <HI>c.</HI> 5. 11. he mentions it as the only rea&s;on of
his being <HI>per&s;ecuted,</HI> that he would not <HI>Preach Circumci&s;ion:</HI> a|greeable
to which is that of <HI>Ignatius</HI> in <HI>Ep. ad Magne&s;.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">,
&amp;c. <HI>If we till now live according to the Law
of the Jewes and circumci&s;ion of the fle&s;h, we deny that we have re|ceived
grace, for the divine&s;t Prophets lived according to Je&s;us
Chri&s;t, and</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>for doing &s;o were per&s;ecuted:</HI> which they that
de&s;ired to avoid, and therefore would be <HI>circumci&s;ed,</HI> or <HI>Preach
Circumci&s;ion,</HI> tho&s;e are the men Saint <HI>Paul</HI> &s;o quarrels with, as
tho&s;e that would not <HI>&s;uffer</HI> for Chri&s;ts &s;ake, that were not much
in love with that <HI>Cro&s;&s;e of his.</HI> To which a fourth rea&s;on may al&s;o
be added, that many of the Ceremonies of the Law did pre&s;igni|fie
the <HI>future Me&s;&s;ias,</HI> and the teaching the <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of &s;uch
ob&s;ervances as not yet <HI>aboli&s;ht,</HI> is the profe&s;&s;ing Chri&s;t not
to be the <HI>Me&s;sias.</HI> All which notwith&s;tanding, it &s;till re|maines
very po&s;&s;ible, that a <HI>rite</HI> formerly commanded the <HI>Jewes,</HI>
not as <HI>&s;ignificative of the future Me&s;&s;ias,</HI> but as decent in the wor|&s;hip
of God, without <HI>any depending on it for ju&s;tification,</HI> without
<HI>any opinion that the Jewi&s;h Law obliges us,</HI> and without any feare
<PB N="49" REF="32">
of being per&s;ecuted by the <HI>Jewes,</HI> or con&s;equent compliance with
them, may now be pre&s;cribed by the <HI>Chri&s;tian Church,</HI> meerely
as a <HI>humane</HI> in&s;titution, judging that <HI>decent</HI> or u&s;efull <HI>now</HI> which
was &s;o <HI>then,</HI> and in this ca&s;e, if nothing el&s;e can be objected again&s;t
it, &s;ave only that <HI>God once</HI> thought fit to pre&s;cribe it to his <HI>owne
People,</HI> there will be little fear of danger in, or fault to be found
with any &s;uch u&s;age. For it is an ordinary ob&s;ervation which <HI>Pau|lus
Fagius</HI> in his Notes on the <HI>Targum</HI> (a mo&s;t learned <HI>Prote&s;tant</HI>)
fir&s;t &s;ugge&s;ted to me, that many of the <HI>Jewi&s;h Ceremonies</HI> were
imitated by <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elfe under the <HI>Go&s;pell.</HI> I might &s;hew it
you in the <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> who were an&s;werable to the <GAP DESC="foreign">
the <HI>mi&s;&s;i</HI> or <HI>me&s;&s;engers</HI> among the <HI>Jewes,</HI> and were by <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> our
<HI>High-Prie&s;t</HI> &s;ent abroad to all Nations to bring in (that <HI>peculi|um,</HI>
which of all others he counted mo&s;t his <HI>due,</HI> having paid &s;o
deare for it) &s;inners to their Saviour, as they were among the
<HI>Jewes,</HI> &s;ent by the <HI>High-Prie&s;t</HI> to fetch in the <HI>dues</HI> to the <HI>Temple.</HI>
So al&s;o the <HI>impo&s;ition of hands,</HI> a forme of <HI>benediction</HI> among the
<HI>Jewes,</HI> as antient as <HI>Jacob</HI> him&s;elfe, <HI>Gen. 48. 14. In ble&s;&s;ing Jo&s;ephs
Sonnes,</HI> and is often u&s;ed by <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> to that &s;ame purpo&s;e. And e|ven
the <HI>two Sacraments</HI> are of this nature, <HI>Bapti&s;me</HI> related to
the <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>wa&s;hings</HI> u&s;ed by them at the <HI>initiating</HI> or <HI>admit|ting</HI>
of <HI>Pro&s;elytes,</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;ts taking bread,</HI> and <HI>giving Thanks,</HI> &amp;c.
<HI>after Supper</HI> (wherein the other Sacrament was fir&s;t in&s;tituted)
was directly the <HI>Po&s;tcoenium</HI> among the <HI>Jewes,</HI> not a peculiar part
of the <HI>Pa&s;&s;eover Fea&s;t,</HI> but a <HI>Ceremony</HI> after all Fea&s;ts, very u&s;u|all
among them. So the word <GAP DESC="foreign">, from the <HI>A&s;semblies</HI>
civill or &s;acred among the <HI>Jewes,</HI> is made u&s;e of to &s;ignifie the
<HI>Chri&s;tian Church,</HI> which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was to gather together. So the
<HI>Lords day,</HI> one day in &s;even, proportionable to their <HI>Sabbath.</HI> So
<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Elders</HI> among the <HI>Jewes,</HI> are brought by the <HI>Apo|&s;tles</HI>
to &s;ignifie an <HI>Order</HI> in the Church, and <GAP DESC="foreign">, colleges
of many of them together, called by <HI>Ignatius,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&s;a|cred
Societies,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Coun&s;ellors and A&s;|&s;i&s;tants
of the Bi&s;hops,</HI> and his <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>in Ep. ad Trall:</HI> are pa|rallell
to the <HI>Sanhedrim,</HI> or <HI>Councell</HI> of <HI>Elders</HI> that were joyned
to <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> in his government, to facilitate the burthen to him.
The &s;ame may be &s;aid of the <HI>Deacons</HI> which were an imitation of
the <GAP DESC="foreign"> the <HI>Trea&s;urer</HI> or <HI>Steward</HI> among them, and con&s;e|quently
<PB N="50" REF="33">
the place, where the goods which they were to di&s;tri|bute
were kept, is parallell to their <GAP DESC="foreign">, the
<HI>trea&s;ury,</HI> and &s;o the <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> al&s;o, &s;aith <HI>Grotius,</HI> is a tran&s;cript of the
<GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>the head of the Congregation.</HI> And the <HI>Patriarchs</HI>
among <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> are taken from the <HI>heads of the Tribes</HI> among
them, called ordinarily by the 72 <GAP DESC="foreign">, and in the
New Te&s;tament <GAP DESC="foreign">. Adde unto the&s;e the Chri&s;tian Cen|&s;ure
of <HI>Excommunication</HI> an&s;werable to their <GAP DESC="foreign"> (whe|ther
it were from <HI>&s;acred</HI> or onely from <HI>civill</HI> A&s;&s;emblies among
them, it matters little, for the <HI>civill</HI> among <HI>them</HI> may be accom|modated
to <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall</HI> among <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> as in &s;ome of the
fore-mentioned is acknowledged, and as the word <GAP DESC="foreign">,
which &s;ignifies primarily any kind of <HI>A&s;&s;embly,</HI> and is &s;o taken,
<HI>Matth.</HI> 6. 5. is appropriated to a <HI>place</HI> of divine wor&s;hip in o|ther
places) and the &s;everall degrees of it in the Chri&s;tian Church,
an&s;werable to their <HI>Niddui, Cherem, and Schammatha;</HI> And &s;o
for <HI>Ab&s;olution</HI> al&s;o. All this I have &s;aid, and might adde much
more to make the demand appear no unrea&s;onable one, that it
may be lawfull for the <HI>Church</HI> to u&s;e a <HI>cu&s;tome,</HI> which hath &s;ome
<HI>re&s;emblance</HI> of &s;ome <HI>Ceremony</HI> in force antiently among the <HI>Jewes,
viz.</HI> that of the <HI>Purification of Women in our Churching.</HI> Which
objection being removed there will remain no other, and then
that it &s;hould be &s;imply <HI>unlawfull</HI> or <HI>unedifying,</HI> to take notice
of the <HI>deliverance</HI> of each Woman, or to pay acknowledgement
to God for it, and <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to &s;et up &s;uch Schooles of <HI>ingrati|tude</HI>
in the Church, is more then <HI>ingenuous nature</HI> will &s;uffer a|ny
Chri&s;tian to believe, upon the bare authority of the&s;e <HI>A&s;|&s;emblers.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="44" UNIT="Sect"> 14. The <HI>Communion of the &s;ick,</HI> if it be <HI>&s;uper&s;tition</HI> and Popery
al&s;o, (as &s;ure is implyed by the no mention of it at the <HI>vi&s;itati|on
of the &s;ick</HI> in the <HI>Directory</HI>) 'tis &s;ure of a very long &s;tanding in
the Church; the Canons of the Councells about the <HI>Lap&s;i</HI> and
Excommunicate, that generally take care that they &s;hould have
the Peace of the Church <HI>in extremis</HI> (an&s;werable to our <HI>Ab&s;olu|tion</HI>
at that time) and if with expre&s;&s;ions of penitent hearts they
de&s;ire it, the <HI>Sacrament</HI> al&s;o, are evidences &s;o clear of this cu|&s;tome,
that I &s;hall not need produce any te&s;timonies; tho&s;e that
are moved with the practice of <HI>Antiquity</HI> being &s;ufficiently fur|ni&s;ht
<PB N="51" REF="33">
with them; If any man be un&s;atisfied in this, let him read
the <HI>famous &s;tory of the dying Serapion</HI> in <HI>Eu&s;ebius, l. 6. c.</HI> 36. And
that it &s;hould be <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to the edification of that Church, that
this <HI>viaticum,</HI> (as the Fathers call'd it) &s;hould be denyed every
<HI>hungring and thir&s;ting</HI> traveller at that time, when it might yeeld
him mo&s;t <HI>comfort,</HI> and our <HI>charity</HI> mo&s;t inclines us to allow it
him, nay that the <HI>Church</HI> &s;hould be thought to &s;uffer by that in
any eminent manner (if it were ill) which is done <HI>privately</HI> only
to &s;ome particular, (and order taken that all <HI>publikely</HI> &s;hould be
warned to receive the <HI>Communion</HI> frequently in the Church, and
&s;o not want it on the bed, or trouble the Mini&s;ter then for it) and
con&s;equently the Church perhaps never hear of it, this is againe
a new kind of <HI>nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> to be fetcht from &s;ome under-ground
<HI>Fundamentall Lawes</HI> of I know not who&s;e laying, that the <HI>Chri|&s;tian
Church</HI> never heard of till the&s;e times.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="45" UNIT="Sect"> 15. As for the <HI>Service of the Commination,</HI> fitted for the <HI>fir&s;t
day of Lent,</HI> which by denuntiations again&s;t particular &s;ins under
the Law, (appointed to be read to, and atte&s;ted by the people,
with an <HI>Amen</HI> of <HI>acknowledgement,</HI> that every &s;uch offendor <HI>is</HI> by
the <HI>Law cur&s;ed,</HI> not of <HI>Prayer</HI> that he <HI>may</HI> be &s;o dealt with in
Gods ju&s;tice) is de&s;igned to bring men to humiliation and con|trition
for &s;inne, the &s;peciall duty of that day and the <HI>en&s;uing &s;ea|&s;on,</HI>
and clo&s;eth with mo&s;t affectionate <HI>prayers</HI> for &s;uch <HI>penitents;</HI>
it is matter of &s;ome <HI>panick</HI> &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e <HI>feares</HI> to &s;ome <HI>ignorant</HI> men
(which are very tender and pa&s;&s;ionate friends to their <HI>beloved</HI>
&s;innes, and dare not &s;ub&s;cribe to the condemnation of them)
but very u&s;efull to awake even tho&s;e and all others out of this
<HI>&s;ecurity,</HI> as a <HI>Feaver</HI> to cure the <HI>Lethargick</HI> to kindle a fire about
mens eares, that they may &s;ee their danger, and make out to the
u&s;e of all Chri&s;tian means of <HI>repentance</HI> and <HI>devotion,</HI> and laying
hold on Chri&s;t to avert it; and if &s;uch a bug-beare as that of be|ing
thought to <HI>cur&s;e our &s;elves</HI> and friends in the &s;aying <HI>Amen</HI> to
the threatnings (which will be true to all impenitents whether
we &s;ay <HI>Amen</HI> or no) be &s;ufficient to <HI>exorcize</HI> &s;uch an <HI>exorci&s;t,</HI> to
ca&s;t out of the Church &s;uch a powerfull means of bringing &s;inners
to repentance, or if bare prejudice of the A&s;&s;emblers without ei|ther
hearing or objecting again&s;t it, be enough to make it nece&s;|&s;ary
to be left out of our &s;ervice, the Divell will never be in dan|ger
<PB N="52" REF="34">
from his enemies, as long as he may have but the &s;pell of the
<HI>Directory</HI> to put them thus to flight for him.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, for the <HI>ob&s;ervation of Lent, &amp;c.</HI> if they be con&s;ider'd in
generall as <HI>Fa&s;ts,</HI> there will &s;ure be no <HI>nece&s;sity</HI> to renounce them;
the <HI>Jewes</HI> had their Fa&s;ts as well as Fea&s;ts (and tho&s;e &s;et <HI>publick,</HI>
not only voluntary <HI>private Fa&s;ts</HI>) and not only that <HI>great day of
Expiation</HI> appointed by <HI>God</HI> him&s;elfe, but <HI>occa&s;ionall</HI> ones ap|pointed
by <HI>men,</HI> and yet, when appointed, as con&s;tantly ob&s;er|ved
as that other, the <HI>Fa&s;t of tbe fourth month, of the fifth, of the
&s;eventh,</HI> and <HI>of the tenth month, Zach.</HI> 8. 19. and under Chri&s;tiani|ty,
though in the time of Chri&s;ts pre&s;ence with the Di&s;ciples, they
<HI>fa&s;ted not,</HI> yet the <HI>fa&s;ting of John's Di&s;ciples,</HI> nay the <HI>twice a week
of the Phari&s;ees</HI> them&s;elves, is not (though mention'd yet) repre|hended,
but implicitly approved by Chri&s;t, and of his own, &s;aith
he, they &s;hould not have that immunity long, <HI>the dayes &s;hould
come when the Bridegroome &s;hould be taken away</HI> (and that is ever
&s;ince Chri&s;ts a&s;cen&s;ion) <HI>and then &s;hall they fa&s;t in tho&s;e dayes.</HI>
'Twere ea&s;ie to ju&s;tifie this through the writings, and by the pra|ctice
of the whole Church of God, till the&s;e dayes of <GAP DESC="foreign"> and
<GAP DESC="foreign"> let loo&s;e, till the&s;e dayes of <HI>animo&s;ities</HI> and <HI>Epicuri&s;me,</HI>
have made the u&s;age of <HI>Fa&s;ts</HI> by <HI>Papi&s;ts,</HI> a command to us not
to u&s;e them, and concluded the abating any thing of our <HI>glutto|ny</HI>
to be an intrenchment on our <HI>Chri&s;tian Liberty,</HI> and both tho&s;e
deceits together quarrell'd all Chri&s;tian times of <HI>fa&s;ting</HI> out of
our <HI>practice</HI> fir&s;t, then out of our <HI>Kalender.</HI> This being &s;aid in ge|nerall
of <HI>fa&s;ting,</HI> the application of this to the&s;e <HI>fa&s;ts of the Church,</HI>
will be indi&s;putably &s;atisfactory to any, that &s;hall but con&s;ider
the occa&s;ions of each of them, of the <HI>Lenten-fa&s;t,</HI> the knowne
<HI>forty daies example of ab&s;tinence in Chri&s;t,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Epi&s;t. 54. ad Marcellam.</NOTE> whereupon &s;aith St. <HI>Je|rome,
Vnam quadrage&s;imam &s;ec: traditionem Apostolorum, &amp;c.
jejunamus, We fa&s;t the Lent according to the tradition of the Apo|&s;tles,</HI>
and <HI>Epiphanius</HI> joynes with him to make the <HI>Lent fast</HI> an
<HI>Apostolicall tradition,</HI> and others of the Antients concurring for
the <HI>practice</HI> of it, if not &s;o punctuall for the <HI>tradition;</HI> Saint <HI>Ba&s;il</HI>
may &s;peake for all <HI>in hom.</HI> 2. of Fa&s;ting, that <HI>there was no age nor
place, but knew it, and ob&s;erved it.</HI> And then I know no <HI>nece&s;sity</HI>
of de&s;pi&s;ing <HI>Chri&s;ts patterne,</HI> and <HI>Apostolicall practice,</HI> unle&s;&s;e it
be the &s;ame which obliges to the de&s;troying of <HI>Epi&s;copacy</HI> (which
<PB N="53" REF="34">
as it is an <HI>imparity</HI> oppo&s;ite to the <HI>equalitie of Pre&s;byters,</HI> is clear|ly
deducible from <HI>both</HI> tho&s;e Authorities, to which it &s;eems <HI>this
yeare</HI> is re&s;olv'd to prove <HI>fatall;</HI>) that &s;o there may be at length
as little <HI>imitation of Chri&s;t among us,</HI> as <HI>reverence to Apostles.</HI> Then
for <HI>Rogation week,</HI> though the originall or occa&s;ion of that can|not
be deduced &s;o high, but is by <HI>Historians</HI> referred to <HI>Claud:
Mamertus Bi&s;hop of Vienne in France,</HI> for the averting of &s;ome
Judgements, which on the ob&s;ervation of many inau&s;picious ac|cidents
and prodigies were &s;adly feared to be approaching, yet
will it not be <HI>Nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to turne the <HI>Fa&s;ts,</HI> or the <HI>Letanies,</HI> or the
<HI>Services</HI> a&s;&s;igned to it out of the Church, as long as dangers are
either <HI>pre&s;ent, impendent,</HI> or <HI>po&s;&s;ible,</HI> or indeed as long as there be
<HI>&s;innes</HI> enough among us to abode us ill, or provoke any wrath of
Heaven, any judgments on us; And when all tho&s;e <HI>occa&s;ions</HI>
cea&s;e, I am content tho&s;e <HI>Services</HI> may be laid a&s;ide al&s;o, <HI>i. e.</HI>
when we meet all together in heaven. Next, the <HI>Ember weeks</HI> are
of great Antiquity in the <HI>Church called</HI> the <HI>quatuor tempora</HI> in
the <HI>Latine Fathers,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> (from whence I conceive is the
<HI>Engli&s;h Ember</HI>) in the <HI>Greek,</HI> and (be&s;ide the fir&s;t in&s;titution of
them for quarterly &s;ea&s;ons of devotion, proportion'd to each
part of the yeare, as the fir&s;t fruits of every &s;ea&s;on, that the whole,
and each divi&s;ion of it might be ble&s;t by it, and again be&s;ide their
an&s;werablene&s;&s;e to tho&s;e foure times of <HI>&s;olemne Fa&s;t</HI> mention'd
among the <HI>Jewes,</HI> that we <HI>Christians</HI> may not be inferiour unto
<HI>them</HI> in that duty) an admirable u&s;e is a&s;&s;ign'd to them in the
Church, in imitation of the Apo&s;tles, <HI>Act.</HI> 13. 3. by <HI>Fasting and
Prayer, to prepare for the ordination of Ministers,</HI> immediately con|&s;equent
to every &s;uch week, that God would &s;end, and furni&s;h
worthy In&s;truments of his glory to &s;erve him in that glorious
Office, and till Mini&s;ters are acknowledg'd to be generally &s;o
good, that either they cannot or need not be better, till tho&s;e
are al&s;o grown <HI>immortall</HI> (as the framers of this <HI>Ordinance</HI>) and
&s;o no u&s;e of care for &s;ucce&s;&s;ion, I &s;hall &s;uppo&s;e it not <HI>over-ne|ce&s;&s;ary</HI>
to precipitate the&s;e out of the Church of Chri&s;t, but ra|ther
wi&s;h that there were in our <HI>Liturgy</HI> &s;ome <HI>Service</HI> ap|pointed
of <HI>Le&s;&s;ons</HI> and <HI>Prayers</HI> for this purpo&s;e, to be u&s;ed
con&s;tantly on the dayes of <HI>Fa&s;t</HI> through tho&s;e <HI>weekes.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="54" REF="35"><MILESTONE N="47" UNIT="Sect">
Thus have I, as briefly as I could, examined all the pretended
<HI>exuberances</HI> of our <HI>Liturgy,</HI> which have required it thus to be
more then <HI>lanced</HI> even to a <HI>deliquium animae,</HI> to many <HI>fainting
fits</HI> a long while, and at la&s;t to it's fatall period, if our A&s;&s;em|blers
may be allowed of the <HI>Jury,</HI> and this Ordinance have leave
to be the <HI>executioner;</HI> And as yet to the utmo&s;t of our impartiall
thoughts can we not di&s;cerne the lea&s;t degree of <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> of a|ny
the mo&s;t moderate &s;ignification of the word, to own &s;o <HI>tra|gicall</HI>
an <HI>Exit.</HI> The leafes which have been &s;pent in this &s;earch,
as it may &s;eem <HI>unnece&s;&s;arily,</HI> might perhaps have been better em|ployed;
Yet will it not be unrea&s;onable to expect a favourable
reception of them, when 'tis con&s;idered, that by this meanes a
farther labour is &s;pared, there needing no farther <HI>an&s;wer</HI> to the
whole <HI>body</HI> of the <HI>Directory,</HI> or any part of it, when it &s;hall thus
appeare, that there was no <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> for the change, nay (which
I conceive hath all along been concluded) that the continuance
of the <HI>Liturgy,</HI> unle&s;&s;e &s;ome better offer or bargain were propo|&s;ed
to us, is &s;till in all policy, in all &s;ecular or Chri&s;tian prudence
mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary. And therefore when we have con&s;idered the &s;e|cond
particular in the Ordinance, and to that annext a view of
&s;ome &s;everalls in the <HI>Preface,</HI> the Readers taske will be at an
end, and his <HI>patience</HI> freed from the tentation of our <HI>importu|nity.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="48" UNIT="Sect"> The &s;econd thing then in the <HI>Ordinance</HI> is, that all the &s;everals
which this <HI>Ordinance</HI> is &s;et to confront, are Statutes of <HI>Edward
the &s;ixth,</HI> and of <HI>Queen Elizabeth,</HI> all which are without more
adoe <HI>repealed by this Ordinance;</HI> which I mention not as new acts
of boldne&s;&s;e, which now we can be at lea&s;ure to declame or
wonder at, but to ju&s;tifie the calumniated Sons of this Church,
who were for a long time offered up maliciou&s;ly to the Peoples
hatred and fury, fir&s;t as <HI>illegall u&s;urpers,</HI> and adders to Law, then
as <HI>Popi&s;hly affected,</HI> and the patterne of <HI>Queen Elizabeths</HI> time
vouched to the confirming of this their Charge, and the Erecti|on
of her very Picture in &s;ome Churches, and &s;olemnization of a
day for her <HI>annuall remembrance,</HI> (by tho&s;e who will not now al|low
any <HI>Saint,</HI> or even <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elfe the like <HI>favour</HI>) de&s;ign'd
to <HI>upbraid tho&s;e wayes and reprove tho&s;e thoughts.</HI> It &s;eemeth now
<PB N="55" REF="35">
'tis a &s;ea&s;on for the&s;e men to <HI>traver&s;e the &s;cene,</HI> to put off di&s;gui|&s;es,
and <HI>profe&s;&s;e</HI> openly and confidently, what 'till now they
have been carefull to conceale, that their <HI>garni&s;hing the Sepulchre</HI>
of <HI>Queen Elizabeth</HI> was no argument that they were cordially
of her <HI>Religion,</HI> or meant kindne&s;&s;e &s;incerely to the <HI>Queen Eliza|beths
Reformation.</HI> Some &s;eeds we know there were of the pre|&s;ent
practi&s;es tran&s;mitted hither from our Neighbour <HI>Di&s;cipli|narians</HI>
in the dayes of <HI>Q. Elizabeth,</HI> and &s;ome high attempts in
private zeale in <HI>Hacket,</HI> and <HI>Coppinger,</HI> and <HI>Arthington,</HI> at one
time, which when God &s;uffered not to pro&s;per, it was the wi&s;e|dome
of others to call <HI>phren&s;ie</HI> and <HI>madne&s;&s;e</HI> in tho&s;e undertakers.
And generally that is the difference of <HI>fate</HI> between wickedne&s;&s;e
<HI>pro&s;pering</HI> and <HI>mi&s;carrying,</HI> the one pa&s;&s;eth for <HI>Piety,</HI> the other
for <HI>Fury.</HI> I &s;hall now not <HI>affirme,</HI> (or judge my Brethren) but
meekly aske this <HI>que&s;tion,</HI> and leave every mans own Con&s;cience
to an&s;wer (not me, but) him&s;elfe in it &s;incerely, and without
partiality, whether if he had lived in the dayes of <HI>Q. Elizabeth,</HI>
and had had his pre&s;ent per&s;wa&s;ions about him, and the &s;ame en|couragements
and grounds of hope, that he might pro&s;per and
go thorough with his de&s;igns, he would not <HI>then</HI> in the matter
of <HI>Religion</HI> have done ju&s;t the &s;ame; which now he hath given
his <HI>Vote,</HI> and taken up <HI>Armes</HI> to doe. If he &s;ay, out of the up|rightne&s;&s;e
of his heart, he would not, I &s;hall then only aske why
it is done <HI>now,</HI> what ill planet hath made that <HI>poy&s;on now,</HI> which
was <HI>then whole&s;ome food,</HI> why <HI>Q. Elizabeths Statutes</HI> &s;hould be
now <HI>repealed,</HI> which were then &s;o <HI>laudable?</HI> If any intervenient
provocation, or any thing el&s;e <HI>extrin&s;ecall</HI> to the matter it &s;elfe
have made this change now <HI>nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> this will be great inju&s;tice
in the Actors. Or if the <HI>examples of &s;everity</HI> in her dayes, (the
hanging of <HI>Coppin</HI> and <HI>Thacker, An.</HI> 1583. at S. <HI>Edmundsbury,</HI>
for publi&s;hing <HI>Brownes</HI> book, (&s;aith <HI>Cambden</HI>) which (&s;aith <HI>Stow
p.</HI> 1174.) was written again&s;t the <HI>Common-Prayer-Book</HI>) might
then re&s;train tho&s;e that were contrary-minded, I know no rea|&s;on
why the Lawes by which that was done, &s;hould not &s;till con|tinue
to re&s;train; or at lea&s;t why <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> &s;hould not be as
powerfull, as <HI>Feare.</HI> From all this I &s;hall now take confidence
to conclude, that were there not many earlier te&s;timonies to
<PB N="56" REF="36">
confirme it, this one <HI>Ordinance</HI> would convince the mo&s;t &s;educible
mi&s;taker of the&s;e <HI>two &s;ad truths.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="49" UNIT="Sect"> 1. That the pre&s;ervation of <HI>Lawes,</HI> &s;o long and &s;o &s;peciou&s;ly
in&s;i&s;ted on was but an artifice of de&s;igne to gaine &s;o much either
of <HI>authority</HI> to their <HI>Per&s;ons,</HI> or of <HI>power</HI> and <HI>forte</HI> into their <HI>hands,</HI>
as might enable them to &s;ubvert and aboli&s;h the mo&s;t whole&s;ome
Lawes of the Kingdome, and in the mean time to accu&s;e others
fal&s;ly of that, which it was not their <HI>innocence,</HI> but their <HI>di&s;cre|tion,</HI>
not their want of <HI>will,</HI> but of <HI>opportunity,</HI> that they were
not <HI>really,</HI> and <HI>truly,</HI> and <HI>perfectly</HI> guilty of them&s;elves, that &s;o
they mo&s;t compleatly own and ob&s;erve the <HI>principles</HI> by which
they move, and tran&s;cribe that practice, which hath been con|&s;tantly
u&s;ed by the <HI>Pre&s;byterians,</HI> (where&s;oever they have ap|pear'd)
to pretend their <HI>care</HI> &amp; <HI>zeale</HI> to <HI>liberty,</HI> that by that means
they may get into <HI>power</HI> (like <HI>Ab&s;alom</HI> a pa&s;&s;ionate <HI>friend to ju|&s;tice,</HI>
when he had <HI>an itch to be King;</HI> or like <HI>Deioces</HI> in <HI>Herodotus,</HI>
<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>his ambition of Magi&s;tracy made
him content to be ju&s;t)</HI> which as &s;oon as they <HI>attain,</HI> they <HI>inclo&s;e,</HI>
and tyrannically make u&s;e of to the <HI>enthralling</HI> and <HI>en&s;laving</HI> all
others; Even <HI>Lawes</HI> them&s;elves, the only <HI>Bounds</HI> and <HI>Bulwarks</HI>
of <HI>Liberty,</HI> which alone can &s;ecure it from <HI>&s;ervitude</HI> on one &s;ide,
and <HI>licentiou&s;ne&s;&s;e</HI> on the other (which very <HI>licentiou&s;ne&s;se</HI> is the
&s;ure&s;t way to <HI>&s;ervitude,</HI> the <HI>licentiou&s;ne&s;&s;e</HI> of one implying the <HI>op|pre&s;&s;ion</HI>
and <HI>captivity</HI> of &s;ome other, and being it &s;elfe in a ju&s;t
weighing of things the greate&s;t<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Epi&s;t. ad Polycarp. Igna|tio ad &s;cripta.</NOTE> <HI>&s;lavery</HI> as much as the mans
own unruly <HI>pa&s;&s;ions</HI> are greater <HI>Tyrants</HI> then <HI>Lawes,</HI> or lawfull
<HI>Princes</HI>) are to be levell'd in their <HI>Jehu-march,</HI> to be accu&s;ed and
found to be at la&s;t the only guilty things, and the &s;ame calamity
de&s;igned to involve the pretended <HI>Enemies</HI> of Lawes and the
<HI>Lawes</HI> them&s;elves.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="50" UNIT="Sect"> The &s;econd truth that this unhappy <HI>Ordinance</HI> hath taught us,
is that which a while ago had been a <HI>Revelation</HI> of a <HI>My&s;tery</HI> in|deed,
which would without any other auxiliary have infallibly
quencht this flame (which now like another <HI>Aetna</HI> and <HI>Ve&s;uvius</HI>
is gotten into the bowells of this Kingdome, and is there likely
to <HI>rage</HI> for ever, if it be not a&s;&s;waged from Heaven, or determin'd
through want of matter, by having devoured all that is combu|&s;tible)
<PB N="57" REF="36">
but now is a petty vulgar <HI>ob&s;ervation,</HI> that hath no influence
or impre&s;&s;ion on any man, and therfore I &s;carce now think it wor|thy
the repeating; and yet to conclude this period fairly, I &s;hall;
'tis only this, That the framers of this <HI>Ordinance,</HI> that have &s;o
long fought <HI>for the defence of the e&s;tabli&s;ht Prote&s;tant Religion,</HI> will
not now have <HI>Peace,</HI> unle&s;&s;e they may be allowed liberty to ca&s;t
off and repeale every of tho&s;e <HI>Statutes, that of the &s;econd and
third of Edward the &s;ixth, that of the fifth and &s;ixth of the &s;ame King,
that of the fir&s;t of Qu. Elizabeth, that of the fifth, that of the eighth
of the &s;ame Queen,</HI> (though not all at once, yet as farre as con|cernes
the matter in hand, by which you may be a&s;&s;ured, that the
<HI>fragments</HI> of tho&s;e <HI>Statutes</HI> which remain yet unaboli&s;hed, are but
re&s;erved for &s;ome other opportunity, as ready for a &s;econd and
third <HI>&s;acrifice,</HI> as thus much of them was for this) by which the
<HI>Prote&s;tant Religion</HI> &s;tands e&s;tabli&s;hed in this <HI>Kingdome,</HI> and in
which the whole worke of <HI>Reformation</HI> is con&s;ummate. And all
this upon no higher pretence of <HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> then only a <HI>Re&s;olution</HI> to
do &s;o, a not being advi&s;ed by their <HI>Divines</HI> to the contrary, and
(to countenance the weakne&s;&s;e of tho&s;e two <HI>motives</HI>) a <HI>proofele&s;&s;e
&s;candalous</HI> mention, or bare naming of <HI>manifold inconveniencies,</HI>
which might as rea&s;onably be made the Excu&s;e of <HI>Robbing,</HI> and
<HI>Murthering</HI> and <HI>Damning</HI> (as farre as an <HI>Ordinance</HI> would reach)
all men but them&s;elves, as of <HI>aboli&s;hing</HI> this <HI>Liturgie. Lord lay
not this &s;inne to their Charge.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="58" REF="37">
<HEAD>CHAP. II.</HEAD>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Sect"> THe Preface to the Directory, being the Oratour to per|&s;wade
all men to be content with this grand and &s;ud|dain
change, to lay down with patience and aequanimi|ty,
all their right which they had in the <HI>venerable Litur|gy</HI>
of the Church of <HI>England,</HI> and account them&s;elves richly re|warded,
for doing &s;o, by this new framed <HI>Directory,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 1.</NOTE>begins &s;pe|ciou&s;ly
enough, by &s;eeming to lay down the only <HI>rea&s;ons,</HI> why
our <HI>Ance&s;tors</HI> a hundred <HI>yeares agoe,</HI> at the fir&s;t <HI>Reformation of
Religion,</HI> were not only content, but <HI>rejoyced al&s;o in the Booke of
Common Prayer, at that time &s;et forth;</HI> But the&s;e rea&s;ons are &s;et
down with &s;ome partiality, there being &s;ome other more weigh|ty
grounds of the <HI>Reformers framing,</HI> and <HI>others rejoycing</HI> in that
<HI>Booke,</HI> then tho&s;e <HI>negative</HI> ones which that <HI>preface</HI> mentions, <HI>viz.</HI>
the perfect <HI>Reformation</HI> wrought upon the former <HI>Liturgy,</HI> the
perfect <HI>conformity</HI> of it with, and compo&s;ure out of the <HI>Word of
God,</HI> the excellent orders pre&s;cribed, and <HI>benefit</HI> to be reaped
from the u&s;e of that <HI>Booke,</HI> and the <HI>no</HI> manner of <HI>reall objection,</HI>
or exception of any weight again&s;t it; All which if they had
been mentioned, as in all ju&s;tice they ought, (e&s;pecially when
you report not your own judgements of it, but the judgements
of tho&s;e <HI>rejoycers</HI> of that age, who have left upon record tho&s;e
rea&s;ons of their <HI>rejoycing</HI>) this Preface had &s;oon been ended, or
el&s;e proved in that fir&s;t part, an an&s;wer or confutation of all
that followes. But 'tis the manner of men now adaies, to con|ceale
all that may not tend to their advantage to be taken notice
of, (a practice reproached by <HI>hone&s;t Cicero,</HI> in his bookes of offi|ces
of life, in the &s;tory of the <HI>Alexandrian</HI> &s;hip-man, that went
to relieve <HI>Rhodes,</HI> and out-going the re&s;t of his fellowes, &s;old
his Corne at &s;o much the more gain, by that infamous artifice,
though not of <HI>lying,</HI> yet of <HI>concealing</HI> the mention of the Fleet
that was coming after) and to cut off the locks of that <HI>Samp&s;on</HI>
<PB N="59" REF="37">
whom they mean to bind, pare and circumci&s;e the clawes of
that creature they are to combate with; I mean to &s;et out that
<HI>cau&s;e,</HI> and tho&s;e <HI>arguments</HI> at the <HI>weake&s;t,</HI> to which they are to
give &s;atisfaction. And yet by the way, I mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e, that e|ven
the&s;e weake arguments which they have named, are to me
of &s;ome moment, as fir&s;t, The <HI>redre&s;&s;e of many things which were
vaine, erroneous, &s;uper&s;titious and Idolatrous,</HI> which argues that
all is not now involv'd under any of tho&s;e titles, nor con&s;equent|ly
to be <HI>aboli&s;ht,</HI> but further <HI>reform'd</HI> only. 2. That they which
did this, were <HI>wi&s;e and pious,</HI> which they that were, would ne|ver
take pains to purge that which was all dro&s;&s;e, their <HI>wi&s;edome</HI>
would have helpt them to di&s;cern that it was &s;o, and their <HI>piety
oblige</HI> them to reject it altogether, and not to &s;ave one <HI>hoofe,</HI>
when all was due to the common &s;laughter. 3. That <HI>many god|ly
and learned men rejoyced much in the Liturgy,</HI> which argues that
all was not to be dete&s;ted; unle&s;&s;e either the&s;e men now be &s;ome|what
higher then <HI>Godly or Learned,</HI> of that middle &s;ort of ratio|nalls,
that <HI>Iamblichus</HI> out of <HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> &s;peaks of, betwixt God
and Man, the <GAP DESC="foreign">, or unle&s;&s;e it be confe&s;t that <HI>many
Godly and Learned men</HI> may be mi&s;taken in a matter of this mo|ment,
and then the&s;e may be al&s;o mi&s;taken at this time.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Sect"> Having therefore made u&s;e of that artifice, mention'd &s;ome
generall &s;light grounds of mens <HI>approving</HI> and <HI>rejoycing</HI> in the
new-formed Liturgy, the Compo&s;ers of that Preface, I mean
&s;peedily to weigh them down, with a heape of contrary &s;ad mat|ter,
and then to leave it to the Readers judgement, whether they
are not his friends, thus to di&s;abu&s;e him, and his &s;illy good-na|tur'd
ance&s;tors, that were thus &s;lightly flatter'd into a good opi|nion
of an inconvenient, if not mi&s;chievous <HI>Liturgy.</HI> Great ha&s;t
is therefore made, and &s;ome arts and preparations u&s;ed, to work
upon the <HI>affection</HI> more then <HI>judgement</HI> of the Reader, and this
is done by that Rhetoricall pathetick &s;troke <NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 2.</NOTE><HI>[Howbeit, long and
&s;ad experience hath made it manife&s;t]</HI> Words of &s;ome con&s;iderati|on
and efficacy, but that they have one weak part in them, an
<HI>infirmity</HI> that this age is very &s;ubject to, and to murmurers,
and <HI>pa&s;&s;ionate</HI> lovers of <HI>newes</HI> and <HI>change,</HI> how irk&s;ome and tedi|ous
&s;oever the experience of this <HI>Liturgy</HI> hath been, 'tis noto|riou&s;ly
certain that it hath not been &s;aid, &s;ave only againe to
<PB N="60" REF="38">
tho&s;e <HI>evill eyes;</HI> but on the other &s;ide, a continuall <HI>flote</HI> and <HI>tide</HI>
of <HI>joy</HI> to all true <HI>Engli&s;h-men,</HI> to &s;ee and ob&s;erve the pro&s;perity
and flouri&s;hing of this Church, in a perpetuall &s;welling and
growth, ever &s;ince the e&s;tabli&s;hing of that <HI>Prote&s;tant Liturgy and
Religion</HI> together among us, till at la&s;t (about the time when this
va&s;t calamity brake in upon us) it was grown to &s;uch an height,
as was certainly never heard of (or by Enemies them&s;elves affir|med
at any other time to have been) in this Kingdome, or (were
it not a little like boa&s;ting, to which yet <HI>you have con&s;trein'd us,</HI>
I &s;hould adde) in any other part of <HI>Europe</HI> al&s;o for the&s;e many
hundred yeares.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Sect"><HI>But what is it that this &s;o fal&s;ely &s;uppo&s;ed</HI> &s;ad experience hath
made manife&s;t? <HI>Why, that the</HI> Liturgy u&s;ed in the Church of En|gland
(notwith&s;tanding the paines and Religious intentions of the
Compilers of it) hath prov'd an offence, not only to many of the God|ly
at home, but al&s;o to the Reformed Churches abroad.</P>
<P>In which words we &s;hall not take advantage of the Confe&s;&s;i|on
of the <HI>Religious intentions</HI> of the Compilers of our <HI>Liturgy,</HI>
which &s;ignifies the <HI>offence</HI> here &s;poken of in their notion of it to
be <HI>acceptum, non datum, taken</HI> when it was not <HI>given;</HI> nor 2. Op|po&s;e
tho&s;e <HI>religious intentions</HI> to the irreligious mi&s;takes of o|thers,
and accu&s;ations of tho&s;e things which were &s;o <HI>religiou&s;ly
intended;</HI> nor 3. Compare the reputations of tho&s;e Per&s;ons
which compiled that <HI>Liturgy,</HI> whether in King <HI>Edwards (Cran|mer,
Ridley, P. Martyr)</HI> or in Queene <HI>Elizabeths</HI> dayes
<HI>(Parker, Grindall, Horne, Whitehead, &amp;c.)</HI> with the <HI>Members of
this A&s;&s;embly,</HI> much le&s;&s;e the <HI>intentions</HI> of them, which in the
mouth of Enemies is acknowledged <HI>religious,</HI> with the intenti|ons
of the&s;e, which if we may mea&s;ure by their more vi&s;ible en|terprizes,
and the <HI>Covenant,</HI> in which they have <HI>a&s;&s;ociated</HI> contra|ry
to all Lawes of God and men, we &s;hall have temptation to
&s;u&s;pect not guilty of over-much <HI>Religion,</HI> or good purpo&s;e to the
government of this Kingdome; nor 4. Confront the number
of tho&s;e that are here confe&s;t to be <HI>plea&s;ed and benefited,</HI> again&s;t
tho&s;e others that are &s;aid to be <HI>offended,</HI> which were argument
enough for that which is <HI>e&s;tabli&s;hed,</HI> that con&s;idering the danger
of change, it ought in all rea&s;on rather to &s;tand to plea&s;e one
&s;ort, and benefit them &s;till, then to be pull'd down to comply
<PB N="61" REF="38">
with the other. But we &s;hall confine our &s;elves to that which
the objectors principally de&s;igned as a <HI>fir&s;t rea&s;on</HI> for which
our <HI>Liturgy</HI> mu&s;t be de&s;troyed, <HI>becau&s;e,</HI> for&s;ooth, &s;ay they, <HI>it hath
prov'd an offence, &amp;c.</HI> For the thorough examining of which rea|&s;on,
it will be nece&s;&s;ary to inquire into the&s;e three things. 1.
What they mean by <HI>offence.</HI> 2. What truth there is in the a&s;&s;er|tion,
that <HI>the Liturgy hath prov'd &s;o to the Godly at home, and to
the Reformed Churches abroad.</HI> 3. How farre that might be a
rea&s;on of <HI>de&s;troying</HI> that which proves an <HI>offence.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Sect"> For the fir&s;t, the word <HI>Offence</HI> is an <HI>equivocall</HI> mi&s;taken word,
and by that means is many times a title of a <HI>charge</HI> or <HI>accu&s;ation,</HI>
when there is no reall <HI>crime</HI> under it; For &s;ometimes, in our
<HI>Engli&s;h</HI> language e&s;pecially, it is taken for that which anybody
is <HI>di&s;plea&s;ed</HI> or <HI>angry</HI> at, and then if the thing be not ill in it &s;elf,
that anger is a <HI>cau&s;ele&s;&s;e anger,</HI> which he that is guilty of, mu&s;t
know to be a <HI>&s;inne,</HI> and humble him&s;elfe before God for it, and
fall into it no more, and then there need no more be &s;aid of
&s;uch <HI>offences,</HI> but that he that is or hath been <HI>angry</HI> at the <HI>Litur|gy,</HI>
mu&s;t prove the <HI>Liturgy</HI> to be <HI>really ill,</HI> (which if it could be
done here, the matter of <HI>Offence</HI> would never have been char|ged
on it, for that is &s;et to &s;upply the place of a greater <HI>accu&s;a|tion</HI>)
or el&s;e confe&s;&s;e him&s;elfe, or tho&s;e others &s;o <HI>offended,</HI> to
have <HI>&s;inned</HI> by &s;uch <HI>anger.</HI> But then 2. If we may gue&s;&s;e of the
meaning of the word by the rea&s;on which is brought to prove
the charge <HI>[For not to &s;peak, &amp;c.]</HI> it is &s;et here to &s;ignifie. 1.
The burthen <HI>of reading all the Prayers.</HI> 2. The many <HI>unprofita|ble
burthen&s;ome Ceremonies,</HI> which hath <HI>occa&s;ion'd mi&s;chiefe by di&s;|quieting
the Con&s;ciences of tho&s;e that could not yeeld to them, and
by depriving them of the ordinances of God, which they might not en|joy
without conforming or &s;ub&s;cribing to tho&s;e Ceremonies.</HI> To pro|ceed
then to the &s;econd thing, what truth there in this A&s;&s;erti|on,
and view it in the &s;everalls of the proofe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Sect"> For the fir&s;t of the&s;e, the <HI>burthen of reading the Prayers;</HI> if they
were enough to prove the <HI>Liturgy offen&s;ive,</HI> all Chri&s;tian vertues
would be involv'd in that charge, becau&s;e they have all &s;ome
burthen and difficulty in them, and for this particular, &s;eeing we
&s;peak to <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> we might hope that the <HI>Service</HI> would not
pa&s;&s;e for a <HI>burthen</HI> to the <HI>Godly</HI> (who are here named) <HI>i. e.</HI> to
<PB N="62" REF="39">
minds truly devout, as if it were longer then it is; and that it
may not do &s;o, I am &s;ure it is very prudently framed with as
much variety, and as moderate length of each part, as could be
imagined, and &s;ure he that &s;hall compare the practices, will find
the <HI>burthen</HI> and <HI>length</HI> both to <HI>Mini&s;ter</HI> and <HI>People</HI> to be as great,
by ob&s;erving the pre&s;criptions in the <HI>Directory,</HI> in the &s;horte&s;t
manner, as this that our <HI>Liturgy</HI> hath de&s;igned. 3. For the <HI>ma|ny
unprofitable burthen&s;ome Ceremonies.</HI> Every of tho&s;e Epithets
is a <HI>calumny;</HI> for 1. They are not many, To the People I am
&s;ure, For <HI>kneeling</HI> and <HI>&s;tanding,</HI> which are the only <HI>Ceremonies</HI>
in the daily <HI>Service,</HI> will not make up that number (and for the
re&s;t, there is but a &s;uperaddition of &s;ome one in each <HI>Service.</HI>)
As for <HI>&s;itting bare,</HI> if rea&s;on it &s;elfe will not pre&s;cribe that civi|lity
to be paid to God in the <HI>Hou&s;e of God,</HI> (where without any
po&s;itive precept, <HI>Jacob put off his &s;hooes from his &s;eet</HI>) neither
doth our <HI>Liturgy</HI> pre&s;cribe it. 2. They are not <HI>unprofitable,</HI>
but each of them tending to advance the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e to which they
are annext, <HI>kneeling</HI> to increa&s;e our <HI>humility,</HI> and joyn the <HI>body</HI>
with the <HI>&s;oule</HI> in that duty of <HI>adoration, &s;tanding</HI> to elevate, and
again to joyn with the <HI>&s;oule</HI> in <HI>Confe&s;&s;ion</HI> of God and <HI>Thanke&s;|giving,</HI>
and the re&s;t proportion'd to the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e in hand; and
3. If not <HI>many,</HI> nor <HI>unprofitable,</HI> then not burthen&s;ome al&s;o.
As for the <HI>di&s;quieting the Con&s;ciences of many godly Mini&s;ters and
People,</HI> who could not yeeld to the <HI>Ceremonies;</HI> I an&s;wer, that
by what hath formerly been &s;aid, and the no-objection in this
<HI>Directory</HI> again&s;t any &s;uch, it appears that there is no <HI>Ceremony</HI>
appointed in our <HI>Liturgy</HI> which is <HI>improper</HI> or <HI>impertinent</HI> to the
action, to which it is annext, much le&s;&s;e in it &s;elf <HI>unlawfull.</HI> And
then <HI>for mens Con&s;ciences to be di&s;quieted,</HI> it argues that they have
not, in that manner, as they ought, de&s;ired <HI>information;</HI> as for
<HI>Mini&s;ters,</HI> we know that all that have been received into that
Order, have voluntarily <HI>&s;ub&s;cribed</HI> to them, and con&s;equently
have <HI>receded</HI> from their own &s;ub&s;cription, if they have refu&s;ed to
<HI>conforme.</HI> And we de&s;ire to know what tender re&s;pect will be
had to the Con&s;ciences of tho&s;e, who will &s;ubmit to your <HI>Di|rectory,</HI>
and afterward refu&s;e to conforme unto it. I am &s;ure
the denuntiations which we have heard of again&s;t the <HI>di&s;&s;enting
Brethren,</HI> about the matter of <HI>Juri&s;diction and Cen&s;ures</HI> (and
<PB N="63" REF="39">
now lately concerning the <HI>depravers</HI> of your <HI>Directory</HI>) have
been none of the milde&s;t, although tho&s;e are your own fellow-Members,
that have a&s;&s;i&s;ted you as affectionately in the grand
Cau&s;e as any, and never made them&s;elves liable to your &s;everi|ty,
by having once conformed to you in tho&s;e particulars. And
&s;o 3. For <HI>depriving them of the Ordinances of God, &amp;c.</HI> if that
were the <HI>puni&s;hment</HI> appointed for the <HI>ob&s;tinate</HI> and <HI>refractory,</HI>
'tis no more then the <HI>Lawes</HI> of the Land appointed for their <HI>Por|tion,</HI>
and in that &s;ure not without any example in <HI>Scripture</HI> and
<HI>Apo&s;tolicall</HI> practice, who appointed &s;uch <HI>perver&s;e Per&s;ons to be
avoided,</HI> which is a <HI>cen&s;ure</HI> as high as any hath been here on &s;uch
inflicted. What <HI>Ordinances</HI> they were of which &s;uch men were
deprived, I conceive is &s;pecified by the next words, that <HI>&s;undry
good Chri&s;tians have been by means thereof kept from the Lords
Table,</HI> which mu&s;t needs referre to tho&s;e that would not <HI>kneele</HI>
there, and why that &s;hould be &s;o unrea&s;onable, when the very
<HI>Directory</HI> layes the matter &s;o, that none &s;hall receive with them
who do not <HI>&s;it,</HI> there will be little ground, unle&s;&s;e it be that no
po&s;ture in the <HI>Service</HI> of God can be <HI>offen&s;ive,</HI> but only that of
<HI>kneeling,</HI> which indeed hath had the very ill luck by <HI>Socinus,</HI> in
his Tract <HI>Coen&acirc; Domini,</HI> to be turn'd out of the Church as Ido|lolatricall
(with whom to affirme the &s;ame will be as great a
<HI>complyance,</HI> as <HI>kneeling</HI> can be with the <HI>Papi&s;ts.</HI>) And by the&s;e as
<HI>&s;uper&s;tition</HI> at lea&s;t, I know not for what guilt, except that of
too much humility, as being in M. <HI>Archer</HI> his Divinity, as before
I intimated, a betraying of one of the <HI>greate&s;t comforts</HI> in the Sa|crament,
the <HI>&s;itting fellow-Kings with Chri&s;t in his earthly King|dome,</HI>
confe&s;&s;ing thereby that &s;ome mens hearts are &s;o &s;et on
that <HI>earthly Kingdome,</HI> that the hope of an <HI>Heavenly Kingdome</HI>
will not yeeld them comfort, unle&s;&s;e they may have that other
in the way to it; and withall telling us, that he and his Com|peeres
are tho&s;e men.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Sect"> Having &s;urvey'd the&s;e &s;tveralls, and &s;hewed how unju&s;tly
the charge of <HI>Offence</HI> is laid on the <HI>Liturgy,</HI> and how little 'tis
prov'd by the&s;e <HI>rea&s;ons,</HI> I &s;hall only adde, that the propo&s;ition
pretended to be thus proved by the&s;e particulars, is much larger
then the proofe can be imagined to extend. For part of the
propo&s;ition was, that the <HI>Liturgy was offence to the Reformed
<PB N="64" REF="40">
Churches abroad;</HI> To which the <HI>[For]</HI> is immediately annext,
as if it introduced &s;ome <HI>proofe</HI> of that al&s;o. But 'tis apparent,
that the proofes &s;pecified inferre not that, for neither <HI>the bur|then
of reading</HI> is <HI>Offence</HI> to them, nor are <HI>their Con&s;ciences di&s;|quieted,</HI>
nor <HI>they deprived of Gods Ordinances by that means.</HI> In
which re&s;pect 'tis nece&s;&s;ary for us to conclude, that the word
<HI>Offence,</HI> as applyed to them, is taken in that other notion, that
they are <HI>di&s;plea&s;ed</HI> and <HI>angry</HI> at it. To which we then mu&s;t an|&s;wer,
that although there is no guilt inferred from the under|going
this fate of being <HI>di&s;liked</HI> by &s;ome, but rather that it is to
be deemed an ill indication to be <HI>&s;poken well of by all,</HI> yet have
we never heard of any Forraigne Church which hath expre&s;t a|ny
&s;uch offence; the utmo&s;t that can be &s;aid, is (and yet not
&s;o much as that is here &s;ugge&s;ted) that &s;ome particular men
have expre&s;t &s;uch di&s;like; to whom we could ea&s;ily oppo&s;e the
judgment of others more eminent among them who have large|ly
expre&s;t their approbation of it.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vid. troubl. of Frank. p. 30. &amp;c.</NOTE> And 'tis ob&s;erveable, that <HI>Cal|vin</HI>
him&s;elfe, when from <HI>Franckfort</HI> he had received an <HI>odious
malitious</HI> account of many particulars in our <HI>Liturgy</HI> (as any
will acknowledge that &s;hall compare the report then made,
with what he finds) though he were &s;o farre tran&s;ported as to
call them <HI>ineptias,</HI> follies, yet addes the Epithet of <HI>tolerabiles,</HI>
that though &s;uch, they were yet tolerable. And therefore</P>
<P>In the third place, I may now conclude, that if all that is
thus affirm'd to prove the <HI>Offence</HI> in the <HI>Liturgy,</HI> u&s;ed in the
Church of <HI>England,</HI> were (after all this evidence of the con|trary)
&s;uppo&s;ed true, yet is it no argument to inferre the ju&s;tice
of the pre&s;ent de&s;igne which is not <HI>reforming,</HI> but <HI>aboli&s;hing</HI> both
of that and all other <HI>Liturgy.</HI> Were there <HI>Offence</HI> in <HI>the length of
the Service,</HI> that <HI>length</HI> might be reform'd, and yet <HI>Liturgy</HI> re|main;
were there <HI>offence</HI> in the <HI>Ceremonies,</HI> or <HI>mi&s;chiefe in the
puni&s;hing</HI> them that have not <HI>conformed,</HI> tho&s;e <HI>Ceremonies</HI> might
be left free, that <HI>Conformity</HI> be not thus pre&s;t, and &s;till <HI>Liturgy</HI>
be pre&s;erved inviolate. As for the Forreigne Churches, 1. I
&s;hall demand, whether only <HI>&s;ome</HI> are thus offended, or <HI>all.</HI> Not
all, for &s;ome of the wi&s;e&s;t in the&s;e Churches have commended
it; and if <HI>&s;ome only,</HI> then it &s;eems others are not <HI>offended,</HI> and
why mu&s;t we be &s;o partiall, as to <HI>offend</HI> &amp; <HI>di&s;plea&s;e</HI> &s;ome, that we
<PB N="65" REF="40">
may e&s;cape the offending others? not &s;ure becau&s;e we more e&s;teem
the judgments of the latter, for by the Apo&s;tles rule the <HI>wea|ker</HI>
men are, the more care mu&s;t be taken, that they be not <HI>offen|ded.</HI>
2. I &s;hall &s;uppo&s;e that their <HI>Liturgy,</HI> or their having none
at all, may po&s;&s;ibly offend us, and then demand why they &s;hall
not be as much obliged to change for the &s;atisfying of us, as we
of them? I am a&s;hamed to pre&s;&s;e this illogicall di&s;cour&s;e too
farre, which &s;ure never fore&s;aw &s;uch examination, being meant
only to give the people a formall &s;pecious &s;hew for what is
done, a heap of <HI>popular Arguments,</HI> which have of late gotten
away all the cu&s;tome from <HI>Demon&s;trations,</HI> and then, <HI>Si populus
vult decipi, decipiatur,</HI> if the <HI>tame Creature will thus be taken, any
fallacy,</HI> or <HI>Topicke</HI> doth as well for the turn, as if <HI>Euclid</HI> had <HI>de|mon&s;trated</HI>
it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="8" UNIT="Sect"> In pur&s;uit of this popular Argument it followes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> that <HI>by this
means, i. e.</HI> of the <HI>Liturgy, divers able and faithfull Mini&s;ters
were debarred from the exerci&s;e of their Mini&s;try, and &s;poyled of
their livelyhood, to the undoing of them and their Families.</HI> To
which I <HI>an&s;wer,</HI> 1. That if this be true, it is very &s;trange that
&s;o few of this pre&s;ent A&s;&s;embly were of that number. For of
them I may &s;urely &s;ay <HI>many,</HI> very many in proportion, were not
<HI>debarred</HI> of the <HI>exerci&s;e of their Mini&s;try,</HI> were not <HI>di&s;poyled of
their livelyhood, &amp;c.</HI> And if any one was, which I profe&s;&s;e I know
not, I believe it will be found, that the <HI>&s;tanding of Liturgy</HI>
brought not tho&s;e inflictions upon him. The conclu&s;ion from
hence will be, that either the&s;e pre&s;ent A&s;&s;emblers concurred
not in judgment with tho&s;e <HI>many able and faithfull Mini&s;ters</HI>
(and then why do they now bring their Arguments from them,
who&s;e judgement they did not approve and follow?) or el&s;e
that they were not &s;o <HI>valiant,</HI> as to appear when &s;ufferings ex|pected
them, or el&s;e that they had a very happy <HI>Rainbow</HI> hang|ing
over their heads to avert from them that <HI>common &s;torme.</HI>
But then 2. It might be con&s;idered, whether tho&s;e mentioned
penalties have not been <HI>legally,</HI> and by act of Parliament, infli|cted
on tho&s;e who &s;uffer'd under them, and then whether that
will be ground &s;ufficient to <HI>aboli&s;h a Law,</HI> becau&s;e by force there|of
&s;ome men that offended again&s;t it have beene <HI>puni&s;hed.</HI> 3.
Whether &s;ome men did not <HI>choo&s;e non-conformity</HI> as the more in|&s;trumentall
<PB N="66" REF="41">
to the exerci&s;e of their <HI>Mini&s;try,</HI> changing one <HI>Pa|ri&s;h</HI>
for the whole <HI>Dioce&s;&s;e,</HI> and preaching oftner in private <HI>Fa|milies,</HI>
then any other did in the <HI>Church,</HI> and withall, wheter
this had not the encouragement of being the more <HI>gainfull</HI>
trade, of bringing in larger <HI>Pen&s;ions,</HI> then formerly they had
receiv'd <HI>Tythes.</HI> 4. Whether the <HI>puni&s;hments</HI> inflicted on &s;uch,
have not generally been inferiour to the <HI>rigour</HI> of the <HI>Statute,</HI>
and not executed on any who have not been <HI>very unpeaceable,</HI>
and then whether unpeaceable per&s;ons would not go neare to
fall under &s;ome mulcts, what ever the <HI>Forme</HI> of <HI>Government,</HI>
what ever the <HI>Church Service</HI> were, none having the promi&s;e
of <HI>inheriting</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, the Land of <HI>Canaan,</HI> an happy pro&s;perous
life in this world, but they who&s;e <HI>meekne&s;&s;e and obedience to
Lawes</HI> have given them aclaime to that priviledge. 5. Whe|ther
the number of tho&s;e, who by <HI>Ordinances</HI> have lately been &s;o
<HI>debarred of the exerci&s;e of their Mini&s;try,</HI> and <HI>&s;poyled of their live|lyhood,</HI>
have not been farre greater then all tho&s;e together; that
ever the <HI>Liturgy</HI> thus <HI>offended</HI> &s;ince the <HI>Reformation.</HI> 6. Whe|ther
this <HI>Directory,</HI> &s;hould it be e&s;tabli&s;ht, would not be &s;o <HI>im|po&s;ed,</HI>
that they which obey it not, &s;hall be &s;ubject to the&s;e or
the like <HI>penalties.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="9" UNIT="Sect">'Tis added in the next place, to rai&s;e the cry, and encrea&s;e the
<HI>Odium,</HI> and to involve the <HI>Prelates</HI> and the <HI>Liturgy</HI> in the &s;ame
calamity, (for otherwi&s;e what hath the <HI>Prelates labouring, &amp;c.</HI>
to do with the <HI>Liturgy?</HI>) That the <HI>Prelates and their Faction
have laboured to rai&s;e the e&s;timation of the Liturgy to &s;uch an height,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 2.</NOTE>
<HI>as if there were no other wor&s;hip, or way of wor&s;hip of God among us,
but only the Service-book, to the great hindrance of the Preaching
the Word.</HI> To which I <HI>an&s;wer,</HI> 1. That this or any other action
of the <HI>Prelates,</HI> if &s;uppo&s;ed never &s;o <HI>true,</HI> and never &s;o <HI>extrava|gant,</HI>
is wholly <HI>extrin&s;ecall</HI> and impertinent to the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of
the <HI>Liturgy,</HI> and the more impertinent, by how much the more
<HI>extravagant,</HI> &s;uch actions being ea&s;ily coerced, and reduced by
and according to the <HI>rule,</HI> and &s;uch unrea&s;onable enhaun&s;ments
&s;eparable, without any wound or violence to the Liturgy. Give
the <HI>Liturgy</HI> its <HI>due,</HI> not its <HI>u&s;urped</HI> e&s;timation, and we are all a|greed.
2. 'Tis here acknowledged that this was but <HI>laboured,</HI>
not affirmed that it was <HI>effected,</HI> and then this &s;ure is too heavy
<PB N="67" REF="41">
a doom on the <HI>Liturgy,</HI> for that their <HI>labouring;</HI> we do not
find that Saint <HI>Paul</HI> was &s;troke dead, like <HI>Herod,</HI> becau&s;e the <HI>Ly|caonians</HI>
meant and <HI>laboured to do &s;acrifice unto him, Act.</HI> 14. 16.
But then 3. He that &s;hall con&s;ider who they are which make
this <HI>objection,</HI> will &s;ure never be moved by it. For certainly they
that have formerly &s;et the prime of their wits and
endeavours to vilify and defame the Liturgy; and now that
they think they have power, have ab&s;olutely <HI>aboli&s;ht</HI> it, will go
neer to be <HI>partiall</HI> when they are to judge of the <HI>due e&s;timation
of it;</HI> they that declaime at <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> for advancing it, will they
be ju&s;t and take notice of their own contempts, which enforced
the Bi&s;hops thus to re&s;cue and vindicate it? I &s;hall not expect it
from them, nor till then, that they will deliver any more then
<HI>popular &s;hewes</HI> of truth in this matter. For 4. The Prelates have
not rai&s;ed the book to an <HI>higher e&s;timation</HI> then the Law hath
rai&s;ed, that is, that it may be <HI>ob&s;erved</HI> &s;o as may tend to <HI>edifica|tion,</HI>
nor do we now de&s;ire any greater height of value for it,
then you for the <HI>Directory,</HI> I &s;hall adde, nor &s;o great neither, for
we do not exclude all others as <HI>unlawfull,</HI> as you have done, and
then I am confident God will not lay that charge on us, which
you do on the <HI>Prelates,</HI> nor any man that &s;hall con&s;ider how
different our <HI>Titles</HI> are, though our <HI>claimes</HI> not proportion'd
to them. A piece of <HI>mode&s;ty</HI> and <HI>moderation</HI> which we challenge
you to tran&s;cribe from us. 5. All this all this while is a meere
<HI>Calumny,</HI> if by the <HI>Service Book</HI> is meant the <HI>u&s;e of the Prayers</HI>
in the <HI>Liturgy,</HI> for no <HI>Prelate</HI> ever affirm'd, or is known to
have thought, that there is <HI>no other way of wor&s;hip of God,</HI> but
that among us. But then 6. We adde that this way of <HI>publicke
Prayer by &s;et Forme,</HI> the only one e&s;tabli&s;ht by Law; (and &s;o &s;ure
to be e&s;teem'd by us before any other) is al&s;o in many re&s;pects
the mo&s;t convenient for <HI>Publick wor&s;hip,</HI> of which affirmation
we &s;hall offer you no other proof or te&s;timony, then what Mr.
<HI>Calvin,</HI> whom before we named, hath given us in <HI>his Epi&s;tle to
the Protector,</HI> in the&s;e words, <HI>Quod ad formulam,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>As for
Forme of Prayers, and Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Rites, I very much approve,
that it be &s;et or certain. From which it may not be lawfull for the
Pa&s;tors in their Function to depart, that &s;o there may be provi&s;ion
made for the &s;implicity and unskillfullne&s;&s;e of &s;ome, and that the
<PB N="68" REF="42">
con&s;ent of all the Churches among them&s;elves may more certainly
appear: and la&s;tly al&s;o, that the extravagant levity of &s;ome, who
affect novelties, may be prevented.</HI> So probable was my conje|cture,
that at fir&s;t I interpo&s;ed, that the men that had here im|po&s;ed
upon their fellowes &s;o farre, as to conclude the <HI>abolition</HI>
of <HI>Liturgy nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> were tho&s;e that undertook to reforme <HI>Ge|neva</HI>
as well as <HI>England,</HI> to cha&s;ti&s;e&punc; <HI>Calvins</HI> e&s;timation of it, as
well as that of our <HI>Prelates.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="10" UNIT="Sect"> As for that pompous clo&s;e, that <HI>this hath been to the great
hindrance of the Preaching of the Word,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 3.</NOTE> <HI>and to the ju&s;tling it out
as unnece&s;&s;ary, or at be&s;t inferiour to the reading of Common-Pray|er,</HI>
I an&s;wer, 1. That the <HI>Liturgy,</HI> or the <HI>ju&s;t e&s;timation</HI> of it,
is perfectly uncapable of this charge, it being &s;o farre from <HI>hin|dring,</HI>
that it <HI>requires the Preaching of the Word,</HI> a&s;&s;ignes the place
where the <HI>Sermon</HI> &s;hall come in, hath Prayers for a ble&s;&s;ing up|on
it. 2. That if any where Sermons have been neglected, it
hath not been through any default either of the <HI>length</HI> or <HI>e&s;ti|mation</HI>
of the <HI>Liturgy:</HI> for the&s;e two, if <HI>Faction</HI> and <HI>Schi&s;me</HI> did
not &s;et them at <HI>oddes,</HI> would very friendly and peaceably dwell
together, and each tend much to the proficiency and gain which
might ari&s;e from either. Prayers would prepare us to <HI>heare</HI> as
we ought, <HI>i. e.</HI> to practice al&s;o; and <HI>Sermons</HI> might incite and
&s;tirre up the langui&s;hing <HI>devotion,</HI> and enliven and animate it
with <HI>zeale</HI> and <HI>fervency</HI> in Prayer. And con&s;tantly the more we
e&s;teemed the <HI>Ordinance,</HI> and &s;et our &s;elves to the di&s;charge of
<HI>the duty of Prayer,</HI> the more &s;hould we profit by <HI>Sermons</HI> which
were thus received into an <HI>hone&s;t heart</HI> thus fitted, and made
capable of impre&s;&s;ion by Prayer. The&s;e two may therefore live
like <HI>Abraham</HI> and <HI>Lot,</HI> and <HI>why &s;hould there be any wrangling or
controver&s;ie betwixt thy Heards-men and my Heards-men?</HI> But
&s;eeing it is made a &s;ea&s;on of complaining, I an&s;wer. 3. That
it is on the other &s;ide mo&s;t notorious, that in many places the
Sermon hath ju&s;tled out the <HI>Common Prayers,</HI> and upon &s;uch a
provocation, (and only to prevent the like partiality or op|pre&s;&s;ion)
it may be ju&s;t &s;o farre now to adde, that as long as the
<HI>Liturgy</HI> continues in its legall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion in this <HI>Church,</HI> there is
no other legall way (as that &s;ignifies, <HI>commanded by Law) of
the publicke wor&s;hip of God among us,</HI> and although that volunta|ry
<PB N="69" REF="42">
<HI>Prayer</HI> of the <HI>Mini&s;ter</HI> before <HI>Sermon,</HI> when it is u&s;ed, is a
part of the <HI>wor&s;hip of God,</HI> (as all <HI>Prayer</HI> is) yet is it not pre|&s;cribed
by the Law, nor con&s;equently can it without u&s;urpation
cut &s;hort or take away any part of that time which is by that a&s;|&s;igned
to the Liturgy; <HI>the free-will offerings,</HI> though permitted,
mu&s;t not &s;upplant the daily <HI>pre&s;cribed oblations,</HI> the <HI>Corban</HI> mu&s;t
not excu&s;e the not honouring of <HI>Parents,</HI> the <HI>cu&s;tomes</HI> which are
<HI>tolerated,</HI> mu&s;t not evacuate or &s;upercede the <HI>precepts</HI> of the
Church. As for <HI>Sermons,</HI> which in this period &s;eem the onely
thing that is here oppo&s;ed to <HI>Liturgy;</HI> I hope they do not un|dertake
to be as eminent a part of <HI>the wor&s;hip of God</HI> among us
as <HI>Prayer.</HI> If they do, I mu&s;t le&s;&s;e blame the poor ignorant peo|ple,
that when they have heard a Sermon or two think they
have &s;erved God for all that day or week, nor the generality of
tho&s;e &s;educed ones, who place &s;o great a part of <HI>Piety</HI> in <HI>hea|ring,</HI>
and think &s;o much the more comfortably of them&s;elves
from the number of the houres &s;pent in that <HI>Exerci&s;e,</HI> which
hath of late been the only bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of the <HI>Church,</HI> (which was
by God in&s;til'd the <HI>Hou&s;e of Prayer</HI>) and the <HI>Liturgy</HI> at mo&s;t u|&s;ed
but as <HI>Mu&s;ick</HI> to entertain the Auditors till the Actors be
attired, and the Seates be full, and it be time for the <HI>Scene</HI> to en|ter.
This if it were true, would avow and ju&s;tifie that plea in
the Go&s;pell, [<HI>Lord open unto us, for thou ha&s;t taught in our &s;treets]
i. e.</HI> we have heard thee <HI>Preach</HI> among us. Which &s;ure Chri&s;t
would not &s;o have defamed with an [<HI>I will &s;ay unto them, go you
Cur&s;ed, &amp;c.</HI>] if it had been the prime part of his <HI>wor&s;hip</HI> to be
&s;uch <HI>hearers;</HI> the con&s;ideration of that place will give us a right
notion of this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, and 'tis this, that <HI>hearing</HI> of <HI>Sermons,</HI> or
what el&s;e appointed by the Church for our <HI>in&s;truction,</HI> is a duty
of every Chri&s;tian pre&s;cribed in order to <HI>practice</HI> or good life, to
which <HI>knowledge</HI> is nece&s;&s;arily preparative, and &s;o, like many o|thers,
<HI>actus imperatus, an act commanded</HI> by Religion, but &s;o far
from being it &s;elfe an immediate or <HI>elicite act</HI> of wor&s;hip pre|ci&s;ely
or ab&s;tractly, as it is <HI>hearing,</HI> that unle&s;&s;e that proportio|nable
<HI>practice</HI> attend it, 'tis but an aggravation and accumula|tion
of our guilts, the <HI>ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e</HI> not belonging to the <HI>hearing,</HI>
but the [and <HI>keeping the Word of God</HI>] and the <HI>go you Cur&s;ed,</HI> to
none more then to tho&s;e that <HI>heare</HI> and <HI>&s;ay,</HI> but <HI>doe not:</HI> and
<PB N="70" REF="43">
for the title of <HI>wor&s;hip of God,</HI> whether <HI>outward</HI> or <HI>inward,</HI> out|wardly
expre&s;t, <HI>or all Prayer</HI> certainly and <HI>adoration of God</HI> is
the thing to which that mo&s;t &s;pecially belongs, as may appeare,
<HI>P&s;al.</HI> 95. 6. where that of <HI>wor&s;hipping</HI> is attended, with <HI>falling
down and kneeling before the Lord our maker.</HI> And even your <HI>Di|rectory,</HI>
though it &s;peak extream high of <HI>Preaching the Word,</HI> yet
doth not it &s;tile it <HI>any part</HI> of <HI>Gods wor&s;hip,</HI> as it doth <HI>the reading
the Word of God in the Congregation,</HI> p. 12. becau&s;e indeed our
manner of <HI>Preaching</HI> is but an humane thing, and the word of
man. This I &s;hould not here have &s;aid, becau&s;e I would be &s;ure
not to di&s;courage any in the attending any <HI>Chri&s;tian duty</HI> (and
&s;uch I acknowledge <HI>hearing</HI> to be, and heartily exhort all my
<HI>Fellow Labourers</HI> in their &s;everall Charges, <HI>to take heed to Do|ctrine,
to Reproofe, to Exhortation,</HI> to be as frequent and diligent
in it, as the wants of their Charges require of them; and my
<HI>fellow Chri&s;tians</HI> al&s;o, that they <HI>give heed to &s;ound Doctrine,</HI> that
they <HI>require the Law at the Prie&s;ts mouth,</HI> as of <HI>a me&s;&s;enger of the
Lord of Ho&s;ts,</HI> and againe to <HI>take heed how they hear</HI>) but the
<GAP DESC="foreign">, or <HI>impropriety of &s;peech,</HI> that I &s;ay no more, that is
in this matter di&s;cernible in the words of the <HI>Directory,</HI> and the
con&s;equent dangers which experience hath forced us to ob&s;erve
in them, who place the <HI>wor&s;hip of God</HI> e&s;pecially in <HI>hearing,</HI> have
extorted thus much from us, which may be u&s;efull to give us a
due valuation of <HI>Sermon</HI> and <HI>Prayer,</HI> the former as a <HI>duty</HI> of a
Chri&s;tian, the latter a <HI>duty</HI> too, and an <HI>elicite act,</HI> a prime &s;pe|ciall
part of <HI>wor&s;hip</HI> al&s;o.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="11" UNIT="Sect"> And whereas 'tis added, that the <HI>Liturgy by man is made no
better then an Idol.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 4.</NOTE> 1. That is a &s;peech of great <HI>cunning,</HI> but
withall of great <HI>uncharitablene&s;&s;e: cunning,</HI> in &s;etting the words
&s;o cautiou&s;ly thus, not an <HI>Idoll,</HI> but [<HI>no better</HI> then] (as they,
that will <HI>rayle,</HI> but would not <HI>pay</HI> for it, who&s;e feare doth mo|derate
the petulancy of their <HI>&s;pleen,</HI> and <HI>coveteou&s;ne&s;&s;e</HI> keep them
from letting any thing fall that the <HI>Law</HI> may take hold of, are
wont to do) and yet withall &s;ignifying as odiou&s;ly as if it had
been made an <HI>Idoll</HI> indeed. Whereas the plain literall &s;en&s;e of
the words if it be taken, will be this, that an <HI>Idoll</HI> is not wor&s;e
then our <HI>Common-Prayer-Book</HI> is to many, or that it is u&s;ed by
many as ill as an <HI>Idoll</HI> is wont to be u&s;ed, which is then the mo&s;t
<PB N="71" REF="43">
bitter piece of <HI>uncharitablene&s;&s;e,</HI> if not grounded on certaine
knowledge, and that impo&s;&s;ible to be had by others, as could
be imagined. The truth is, this <HI>Directory</HI> hath now proved that
there is a true &s;en&s;e of the&s;e words, the <HI>Compilers</HI> of which have
demon&s;trated them&s;elves to be tho&s;e many that have made our
Liturgy <HI>no better then an Idoll,</HI> have dealt with it as the <HI>good
Kings</HI> did with the abominations of the Heathens, <HI>brake it in
pieces, ground it to powder,</HI> and <HI>thrown the du&s;t of it into the Brook;</HI>
for <HI>abolition</HI> is the plain &s;ence for which that is the metaphore.
But then 2. 'Tis po&s;&s;ible, the <HI>calme</HI> meaning of tho&s;e <HI>odious</HI>
words is no more then this, that many have given this an <HI>e&s;ti|mation</HI>
higher then it de&s;erves. If any &s;uch there be, I de&s;ire <HI>not</HI>
to be their advocate, having to my task only the vindication of
its <HI>ju&s;t e&s;teem;</HI> but yet cannot re&s;i&s;t the temptation which
prompts me to return to you, that &s;ome men as neare the <HI>gol|den
meane</HI> as the <HI>A&s;&s;emblers,</HI> have &s;aid the like of <HI>Preaching,</HI>
though not expre&s;t in it &s;o large a Declamatory figure; and I
&s;hall ask, whether you have not po&s;&s;ibly given them <HI>&s;ome occa|&s;ion</HI>
to do &s;o (as great perhaps as hath been given you to pa&s;&s;e
this &s;entence on them) at lea&s;t now confirmed them in &s;o do|ing,
by applying or appropriating to the <HI>Preaching of the word</HI>
(in the Modern notion of it, and as in your <HI>Directory</HI> it is di|&s;tingui&s;ht
from <HI>reading of the Scriptures</HI>) the title which S. <HI>Paul</HI>
gives to the <HI>Go&s;pell of Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;aying, <HI>that it is the Power of God
unto Salvation, and one of the greate&s;t and mo&s;t excellent works of
the Mini&s;try of the Go&s;pell,</HI> p. 27. which former clau&s;e of <HI>power
of God, &amp;c.</HI> though it be mo&s;t truly affirmed by S. <HI>Paul</HI> of their
<HI>Preaching the Go&s;pell,</HI> and al&s;o truly applyed or accommo|dated
to that <HI>Preaching</HI> or interpreting of Scripture, which is
the <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the due application</HI> of the Scripture-rule to <HI>par|ticular</HI>
ca&s;es, yet it is not true in <HI>univer&s;um,</HI> of all that is now
adayes call'd <HI>Preaching,</HI> much of that kind being <GAP DESC="foreign">, of
a mortiferous poy&s;onous &s;avour, not to them <HI>that peri&s;h,</HI> but
to the mo&s;t Chri&s;tian auditory it meets with; And that the rai|ling
of every Pulpit-<HI>Rab&s;hakeh,</HI> the <HI>&s;peaking evill of Dignities,</HI> &amp;c.
&s;hould be &s;tiled <HI>the power of God to Salvation,</HI> I have little temp|tation
to believe. And whether the latter clau&s;e be true al&s;o, I
referre you to S. <HI>Aug. Ep. 180. ad Honorat.</HI> where &s;peaking of
<PB N="72" REF="44">
<HI>damages that come to the People by the ab&s;ence of the Mini&s;ter,</HI> and
con&s;equently of <HI>nece&s;&s;aria Ministeria,</HI> the <HI>&s;peciall, u&s;efull ne|ce&s;&s;ary
acts of the Mini&s;tery,</HI> he names the <HI>Sacraments, and recei|ving
of Penitents, and giving of comfort to them,</HI> but mentions nei|ther
<HI>Praying</HI> nor <HI>Preaching</HI> in that place. I &s;hall adde no more,
but that &s;ome have on the&s;e, and the like grounds, been temp|ted
to &s;ay, that you Idolize Preaching, becau&s;e you attribute
&s;o much to any the wor&s;t kind of that, above what others have
conceived to be its due proportion. And yet we hope you think
not fit to <HI>aboli&s;h Preaching</HI> on that &s;ugge&s;tion, and con&s;equent|ly,
that it will be as unju&s;t to <HI>aboli&s;h Liturgy</HI> on the like, though
it &s;hould be prov'd a true one, this being clearly the fault of
<HI>Men,</HI> and not of <HI>Liturgy,</HI> as that even now of the <HI>Lycaonians</HI> and
not of <HI>Paul,</HI> e&s;pecially when the many, which are affirmed to
have thus offended, by Idolizing the <HI>Liturgy,</HI> are &s;aid to be <HI>ig|norant
and &s;uper&s;titious,</HI> who&s;e faults, and errors, and impruden|cies,
if they may prove matter &s;ufficient for &s;uch a &s;entence, may
al&s;o rob us of all the <HI>trea&s;ures</HI> we have, of our <HI>Bibles</HI> and <HI>Soules</HI>
al&s;o. For thus hath the <HI>Go&s;pell</HI> been u&s;ed as a <GAP DESC="foreign">, or charme,
and that is but little better then an <HI>Idoll,</HI> and &s;o have &s;ome <HI>per|&s;ons</HI>
been <HI>had in admiration,</HI> and <HI>believed</HI> as if they were <HI>infalli|ble,</HI>
and &s;o in a manner <HI>Idoliz'd</HI> al&s;o, and that this &s;hould be a
capitall crime in them, that were thus admired, would be a
new piece of &s;everity, that few of <HI>Draco's</HI> Lawes could pa|rallel.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="12" UNIT="Sect"><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 4.</NOTE>The next charge (which is an appendent proofe of this) is
that <HI>the People plea&s;ing them&s;elves in their pre&s;ence at that Service,</HI>
<HI>and their Lip-labour, in bearing a part in it, have thereby hardned
them&s;elves in their ignorance, and carele&s;ne&s;&s;e of &s;aving knowledge
and true piety.</HI> To this I an&s;wer. 1. That 'tis no fault to be &s;o
<HI>plea&s;ed</HI> with <HI>pre&s;ence at that &s;ervice</HI> (the congregation of many
Saints is to any a <HI>plea&s;ing</HI> company) and therefore if it were <HI>im|mediate</HI>
to, and <HI>in&s;eparable</HI> from the Liturgy, would not be a
charge again&s;t it, nor in any probability <HI>hinder,</HI> but <HI>advance</HI> the
de&s;ire, and acqui&s;ition of <HI>&s;aving knowledge and true piety,</HI> which
is there propo&s;ed, to all that are <HI>pre&s;ent</HI> at the Liturgy. But if
the phra&s;e &s;ignifie being <HI>plea&s;ed</HI> with the <HI>bare pre&s;ence,</HI> or the
being <HI>pre&s;ent,</HI> and doing nothing of that they come for, as the
<PB N="73" REF="44">
<HI>Lip-labour</HI> &s;eems to denote the hard <HI>labour of the lip,</HI> and not
joyning any zeale or intention of the <HI>heart,</HI> it is then but an <HI>un|charitable
cen&s;ure</HI> again, if it be not upon <HI>certain knowledge;</HI> and
if it be, 'tis as incident to that order of the <HI>Directories</HI> propo|&s;ing,
as to our <HI>Liturgy.</HI> One may plea&s;e him&s;elf with a bare <HI>pre|&s;ence
at Sermon,</HI> and either &s;leep it out, or think on &s;ome world|ly
matter; one may &s;ay all or mo&s;t of the <HI>Mini&s;ters Prayer</HI> af|ter
him, and &s;igh and groan at every period, and &s;atisfy him&s;elf
that this is a gallant work of piety, but truly I would be unwil|ling
to be he that &s;hould pa&s;&s;e this cen&s;ure on any, who&s;e heart
I did not know (for &s;ure it is not <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> that any man &s;hould
leave his <HI>heart</HI> at home, when his <HI>body</HI> is <HI>pre&s;ent,</HI> or employ it on
&s;ome thing el&s;e, when his <HI>lips</HI> are bu&s;ied either in our <HI>Liturgy</HI> or
that <HI>Directory Prayer,</HI>) nor, if I did &s;o, &s;hould I think that the
<HI>Directories</HI> order for <HI>wor&s;hip</HI> &s;hould be rejected for this fault of
<HI>others,</HI> if there were nothing el&s;e to be &s;aid again&s;t it. As for
the <HI>Peoples bearing a part in the Service,</HI> which &s;eems to referre
to the <HI>re&s;pon&s;es,</HI> this hath had an account given of it already.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="13" UNIT="Sect"> Only in the whole period put together, this &s;eems to be in|&s;inuated,
that the <HI>&s;aving knowledge,</HI> and <HI>true piety,</HI> is no where
to be had, but in <HI>tho&s;e Sermons,</HI> which are not u&s;hered in with
the Liturgy; which we &s;hall not wonder at them for affirming,
who have a long time thus per&s;waded the people, that all <HI>&s;aving
knowledge</HI> is to be had from them, and their compliees, and bla|&s;ted
all others for <HI>carnall</HI> men, of which many <HI>di&s;criminative
Characters</HI> were formerly given, as <HI>kneeling</HI> or <HI>praying</HI> at the
time of <HI>entrance</HI> into <HI>pue</HI> or <HI>pulpit;</HI> but now it &s;eems the <HI>u&s;e</HI> of
the <HI>Liturgy</HI> &s;upplies the place of all, as being incompatible with
<HI>&s;aving knowledge and true piety.</HI> If this be true, that will be a ve|ry
popular plau&s;ible argument I confe&s;&s;e, and therefore I &s;hall
oppo&s;e unto it, that which I hope will not pa&s;&s;e for boa&s;t ei|ther
with <HI>God</HI> or <HI>Angels,</HI> that of the <HI>Sermons</HI> which have been
<HI>Preacht</HI> &s;ince the <HI>Reformation</HI> in this <HI>Kingdome,</HI> and commended
to the Pre&s;&s;e and publick view, very few were Preacht by tho&s;e
that excluded the Liturgy out of the <HI>Churches,</HI> and that &s;ince
this <HI>Directory</HI> came into u&s;e, and &s;o made a vi&s;ible di&s;criminati|on
among men, there hath been as much <HI>&s;aving knowledge,</HI> i. e.
<HI>Orthodox doctrine,</HI> and <HI>exhortation to repentance, Prayer, Faith,
<PB N="74" REF="45">
Hope,</HI> and <HI>Love</HI> of <HI>God, Selfe-deniall,</HI> and <HI>readine&s;&s;e</HI> to take up
the <HI>cro&s;&s;e,</HI> (duties toward God) and to <HI>Allegiance, Ju&s;tice, Mer|cy,
Peaceablene&s;&s;e, Meekne&s;&s;e, Charity</HI> even to <HI>Enemies,</HI> (and the
re&s;t of the duties toward man) to be heard in the <HI>Sermons</HI> of
tho&s;e that retain the <HI>Liturgy,</HI> and as much <HI>obedience</HI> to tho&s;e ob|&s;ervable
in the lives of tho&s;e that frequent it, as is to be met with
in the e&s;pou&s;ers of the <HI>Directory.</HI> If it be not thus, I confe&s;&s;e I
&s;hall have little hope, that God will &s;uffer &s;uch a jewell as the
<HI>Liturgy</HI> is, to continue any longer among us &s;o <HI>unprofitably,</HI> and
yet if men were guilty of this fault al&s;o, &amp; the <HI>Liturgy</HI> of the un|happine&s;&s;e
of having none but &s;uch Clients, yet would not this
be &s;ufficient authority for any men to <HI>aboli&s;h it,</HI> any more then
it will be ju&s;t to <HI>hang</HI> him who hath been <HI>unfortunate,</HI> or to make
any mans <HI>infelicity</HI> his <HI>guilt. I be&s;eech God to inflame all our hearts
with that zeale, attention, fervency, which is due to that action of
Prayer in our Liturgy, and that cheerfull obedience to all that is
taught us out of his Word,</HI> and then I am &s;ure this argument or
objection again&s;t our <HI>Liturgy</HI> will be an&s;wered, if as yet it be
not.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="14" UNIT="Sect"> The next objection is the Papi&s;ts boa&s;t, <HI>that our Book is a
compliance with them in a great part of their Service,</HI> and &s;o that
they were not <HI>a little confirm'd in their Super&s;tition and Idolatry,
&amp;c.</HI> Where I &s;hall 1. demand, is there any <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> or <HI>Ido|latry</HI>
in that part of the <HI>Service</HI> wherein we thus comply with
them? if &s;o, 'tis more then a <HI>complyance with Papi&s;ts,</HI> 'tis in it
&s;elfe a down-right damning &s;in; and if there be not, but all that
is <HI>Idolatrous</HI> or <HI>&s;uper&s;titious</HI> in their <HI>Service</HI> is <HI>reform'd</HI> in ours,
then &s;ure this will be farre from confirming them in either of
tho&s;e, if they depend any thing upon our <HI>judgments,</HI> or our <HI>com|pliance.</HI>
2. 'Tis a little unrea&s;onable, that they who will not
believe the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> in any thing el&s;e, &s;hould believe their <HI>boa&s;t</HI>
again&s;t us, and think it an accu&s;ation &s;ufficiently proved, be|cau&s;e
they &s;ay it; whereas this affirmation of the <HI>Papi&s;ts,</HI> if it
be theirs, (and not the <HI>A&s;&s;emblers</HI> rather impo&s;ed upon them)
is as <HI>gro&s;&s;e,</HI> though perhaps not as <HI>dangerous</HI> a fal&s;ity, as any one
which the <HI>A&s;&s;emblers</HI> have condemn'd in them. For 3. The
truth is notorious, that our <HI>Reformers</HI> retain'd not any part of
<HI>Popi&s;h Service, reformed</HI> their <HI>Breviary</HI> and <HI>Proce&s;&s;ionall,</HI> and
<PB N="75" REF="45">
<HI>Ma&s;&s;e-book,</HI> as they did their <HI>Doctrine,</HI> retained nothing but
what the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> had received from purer <HI>Antiquity,</HI> and was
as clear from the true charge of <HI>Popery,</HI> as any period in either
<HI>Prayer</HI> or <HI>Sermon</HI> in the <HI>Directory;</HI> which argues our <HI>comply|ance</HI>
with the <HI>ancient Church,</HI> and not with them; the very
thing that <HI>I&s;aac Ca&s;aubon</HI> &s;o admired in this Church of ours, the
<HI>care of antiquity and purity,</HI> proclaiming every where in his Epi|&s;tles
to all his friends, that there <HI>was not any where el&s;e in the
world the like to be found, nor ever hoped he to &s;ee it till he came in|to
this Kingdome.</HI> And &s;ure there is no Soloeci&s;me in this, that
we being a <HI>Reformed Church,</HI> &s;hould de&s;ire to have a <HI>Reformed
Liturgy,</HI> which hath alwaies had &s;uch a con&s;ent and &s;ympathy
with the <HI>Church,</HI> that it will not be a cau&s;ele&s;&s;e fear, le&s;t the <HI>a|bolition
of Liturgy</HI> as farre as God in judgment permits it to ex|tend,
(the ju&s;t puni&s;hment of them that have rejected it) be at|tended
with the <HI>abolition of the Church</HI> in time, and even of <HI>Chri|&s;tianity</HI>
al&s;o.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="15" UNIT="Sect"> As for the <HI>confirming of Papi&s;ts in their Super&s;tition by this
means.</HI> I de&s;ire it be con&s;idered whether it be a probable accu&s;a|tion,
<HI>viz.</HI> 1. Whether the <HI>rejecting</HI> that which the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> have
from <HI>antiquity,</HI> as well as what they have <HI>obtruded</HI> on, or <HI>&s;uper|added</HI>
to it, be a more likely means to winne them to heare us
or reforme them&s;elves, then our <HI>retaining</HI> with them what they
<HI>retain</HI> from <HI>Antiquity, i. e.</HI> whether a <HI>Servant</HI> (much more whe|ther
a <HI>Brother</HI>) that is reprehended as much for his <HI>diligence,</HI> as
for his <HI>neglects,</HI> for his <HI>good</HI> and <HI>faithfull,</HI> as for his <HI>ill</HI> and <HI>fal&s;e</HI>
&s;ervices, be more likely thereby to be enclined to mend his
faults, then he that is <HI>&s;ea&s;onably</HI> and <HI>meekly</HI> reprov'd for his <HI>mi&s;|carriages</HI>
only? It was good advice in that <HI>ancient Epi&s;tle</HI> to <HI>Po|lycarpus,</HI>
a&s;cribed to S. <HI>Ignatius,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>meekne&s;&s;e is the be&s;t means to bring down the mo&s;t pe&s;tilent adver&s;a|ry,</HI>
and the re&s;emblance by which he expre&s;&s;es it as &s;ea&s;onable,
<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Fomentations are mo&s;t proper to allay
any exa&s;peration of humors.</HI> And 'tis <HI>Hippocrates's</HI> advice, that the
<HI>Phy&s;itian &s;hould never go abroad without &s;ome</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>leni|tives
or mollifying applications about him;</HI> It &s;eems there was no|thing
of &s;o daily <HI>approved</HI> u&s;e as tho&s;e. And that will avow this
method of complying with adver&s;aries, as farre as we may, to
<PB N="76" REF="46">
be a <HI>probable</HI> and a <HI>wi&s;e,</HI> as wel as a <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> cour&s;e, to <HI>bring</HI> them
<HI>from</HI> their Super&s;tition, and not to confirme them in it. And
another <HI>u&s;e</HI> there is wherein the <HI>Papi<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">s</HI> them&s;elves confe&s;&s;e this
<HI>complyance</HI> was <HI>Politick, to take all &s;cruple out of the heads and
hearts of the People of England,</HI> concerning the <HI>lawfulne&s;&s;e</HI> of this
<HI>Reformation,</HI> (This is the opinion of the Papi&s;ts, expre&s;t in a
Book call'd <HI>Babel and Jeru&s;alem,</HI> or <HI>Monarcho-machia Prote|&s;tantium,</HI>
&s;ub&s;cribed by <HI>P.D.M.</HI> but conceived to be <HI>Pati&s;ons</HI>
p. 314.) <HI>that they might conceive, that the Service and Religion
&s;till continued the &s;ame, but was tran&s;lated into Engli&s;h only, for
their better edification, and &s;o,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>it was indeed very politick|ly
handled.</HI> 2. Whether that which drives away <HI>all Papi&s;ts</HI> from
<HI>all</HI> kind of <HI>communion</HI> or <HI>conver&s;ation</HI> with us, from <HI>all hearing</HI>
of our Preaching or Doctrine, be more likely to work them
over to our &s;ide, then that which <HI>permits</HI> them to come to our
<HI>Churches</HI> with us. For this is notoriou&s;ly known, that as our
<HI>Liturgy</HI> now is, and was framed in <HI>Qu. Elizabeths</HI> dayes, the
<HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> did for ten years together, at the beginning of her Reign,
come to <HI>Church</HI> with us, and &s;o continued, till the <HI>Popes excom|municating
the Queen</HI> and <HI>our Nation,</HI> made it &s;o appear <HI>unlaw|full</HI>
for them. And perhaps but appear too, for an accoun<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> might
be given of this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, that it is no way unlawfull (by his
own principles) to a <HI>Papi&s;t,</HI> remaining thus, to come to our
<HI>Churches,</HI> and be pre&s;ent at our <HI>Liturgy,</HI> and (if that be thought
an <HI>objection</HI> or <HI>reproach</HI> again&s;t us, I &s;hall then adde) not only to
ours, but to that <HI>Service</HI> which is performed according to the
<HI>Directory</HI> al&s;o, the only difference being, that if both by them
were conceived <HI>lawfull,</HI> (as by mi&s;take, I beleeve, in them nei|ther
now is) our <HI>Liturgy</HI> would bee more likely to attract
them, then the <HI>Directory;</HI> And this we conceive not &s;uch a
fault as to offer any excu&s;e for it, (for if S. <HI>Paul</HI> by being <HI>a Jew</HI>
to the <HI>Jew,</HI> could hope <HI>to gain the Jew,</HI> why &s;hould not we
(without being <HI>Papi&s;t</HI> to the <HI>Papi&s;ts,</HI> but onely Chri&s;tians in
tho&s;e things wherein they are &s;o too) expect to gain the Papi&s;t
al&s;o? For &s;uppo&s;ing this to be, as you call it, <HI>a complyance</HI> with
them, &s;ure 'twere a more <HI>probable gaining way,</HI> then to denounce
enmity to all, whom they ever conver&s;t with; I meane to the
<HI>primitive Liturgies</HI> for no other crime, but becau&s;e they made
<PB N="77" REF="46">
u&s;e of them. Who are be&s;t Diviners in this matter, they, or we,
<HI>experience</HI> may perhaps hereafter prove. In the mean, I cannot
imagine, but <HI>Liturgy</HI> and <HI>moderation,</HI> and <HI>charity,</HI> may be able
to bring in as faire a &s;hole of <HI>Pro&s;elytes,</HI> to <HI>convert</HI> as many Pa|pi&s;ts
to us, or at lea&s;t to <HI>confirme Prote&s;tants,</HI> as an <HI>Ordinance for
Seque&s;tration</HI> of all their goods, and <HI>Halter,</HI> and a <HI>Directory</HI> will
be able to doe, yea with <HI>an Ordinance for the Ordination of Mi|ni&s;ters</HI>
by meer Presbyters too, call'd in to a&s;&s;i&s;t them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="16" UNIT="Sect"><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 4.</NOTE>And whereas 'tis added in that &s;ame Section, that the <HI>Papi&s;ts
were very much encouraged in that expectation, when upon the pre|tended
warrantablene&s;&s;e of impo&s;ing of the former Ceremonies, new
ones were daily obtruded upon the Church.</HI> 1. I demand an oc|ca&s;ion
of that phra&s;e [<HI>pretended warrantablene&s;&s;e of impo&s;ing of
Ceremonies.</HI>] May any <HI>Ceremonies be impo&s;ed</HI> or no? if they may,
then an act of Parliament may certainly do it, and &s;uch was that
which confirm'd our <HI>Liturgy,</HI> and &s;o the <HI>warrantablene&s;&s;e</HI> not
<HI>pretended;</HI> if not, why then do you impo&s;e <HI>entring the A&s;&s;embly
not irreverently,</HI> p. 10. <HI>and taking their places without bowing?</HI>
For that <HI>generall,</HI> and that <HI>negative</HI> is notation of &s;ome <HI>Ceremo|ny,</HI>
if it have any &s;ence in it. The phra&s;e [<HI>not irreverently</HI>] pre|&s;cribes
&s;ome <HI>reverence,</HI> there being no middle betweene tho&s;e
two, and con&s;equently the <HI>forbidding</HI> of the one being a <HI>pre|&s;cription</HI>
of the other. For I &s;hall aske. Is keeping on the hat <HI>ir|reverence</HI>
at that time? If it be, <HI>then pulling it off,</HI> or <HI>not keeping
of it on</HI> is a <HI>Reverence</HI> then required; And if this be avoyded by
&s;aying, that this is only there <HI>directed,</HI> not <HI>commanded.</HI> I reply,
that an <HI>Ordinance</HI> prefixt for the e&s;tabli&s;hing that <HI>direction,</HI> requi|ring
that what is there <HI>directed, &s;hall be u&s;ed,</HI> amounts to a pre|&s;cription.
The &s;ame may be &s;aid of <HI>cau&s;ing the Man to take the
Woman by the right hand in Marriage,</HI> in the <HI>Directory,</HI> which is
the pre&s;cribing of a Ceremony, as much as if the <HI>Ring</HI> had been
appointed to be u&s;ed there al&s;o. 2. I an&s;wer, that we know
not of any Ceremonies which have been obtruded or forced on
any which the Law hath not commanded, (or if there had, this
had been nothing to the Liturgy, nor con&s;equently to be fetcht
in as a part of a charge again&s;t it;) That of <HI>bowing at the entrance
into the Church,</HI> is the mo&s;t likely to be the Ceremony here &s;po|ken
of, and yet that is neither a <HI>new one</HI> (never by any <HI>Law</HI> or
<PB N="78" REF="47">
<HI>Canen</HI> turn'd out at the <HI>Reformation,</HI> but only not then <HI>impo&s;ed</HI>
under any command, and &s;ince <HI>di&s;u&s;ed</HI> in &s;ome places) nor yet
was it lately <HI>impo&s;ed</HI> or <HI>obtruded on the Church,</HI> but on the other
&s;ide in the <HI>Canon</HI> of the la&s;t &s;o hated <HI>Convocation,</HI> (which alone
could be &s;aid to deale with the <HI>Church</HI> in this matter) it was on|ly
<HI>recommended,</HI> and <HI>explained,</HI> and <HI>vindicated</HI> from all mi&s;take,
and then the practice of u&s;ing of it left to every mans <HI>liberty,</HI>
with the caution of the <HI>Apo&s;tle,</HI> that they <HI>that u&s;e it &s;hould not
condemne them that u&s;e it not, nor they that u&s;e it not, judge them
that u&s;e it.</HI> 3. That the warrantablene&s;&s;e of <HI>impo&s;ing</HI> the for|mer
<HI>Ceremonies</HI> was no means or occa&s;ion of <HI>obtruding new dai|ly,</HI>
but rather an <HI>hedge</HI> to keep off &s;uch <HI>obtru&s;ion;</HI> for when it is
re&s;olved by Law, that &s;uch <HI>Ceremonies</HI> &s;hall be u&s;ed, 'tis the im|plicite
<HI>intimation</HI> of that Law, that all other <HI>uncommanded</HI> are
left free, and that, without authority, (as the word [<HI>daily</HI>] &s;up|po&s;es
the di&s;cour&s;e here to mean) no other can be <HI>obtruded.</HI> For
&s;ure 'tis not the quality of <HI>Law</HI> to &s;teale in <HI>illegall</HI> pre&s;&s;ures, but
to keep them out rather, to <HI>define</HI> and <HI>limit</HI> our <HI>Liberty,</HI> not to
<HI>enthrall</HI> us, to <HI>&s;et</HI> us <HI>bounds</HI> and <HI>rules</HI> of life, not to remove all
&s;uch. But then 4. That it may appeare of how many truths
this period is compo&s;ed (every one of them with the helpe of
one &s;yllable a [<HI>not</HI>] &s;et before the principall verbe, able to be|come
&s;uch) I &s;hall adde that the very <HI>obtru&s;ion</HI> of &s;uch <HI>Ceremo|nies,</HI>
if they had been <HI>obtruded,</HI> would never have encouraged a
rational <HI>Papi&s;t</HI> to expect our return to them, but only have &s;igni|fied
that we meant by complying with them, as far as it was law|full,
to leave them without excu&s;e, if they did not do &s;o too,
comply with us in what they might, and re&s;tore the Peace and
Union of Chri&s;tendome by that means. This with any moderate
<HI>Papi&s;t</HI> would mo&s;t probably work &s;ome good, and for the more
fiery <HI>Je&s;uited,</HI> I am confident none were ever more mortally ha|ted
by them, then tho&s;e who were <HI>favourers</HI> of the Ceremonies
now mentioned, and for the truth of what I &s;ay, you are obli|ged
to believe that pa&s;&s;age in <HI>Romes Ma&s;ter-piece,</HI> which you ap|pointed
to be &s;et out, <HI>wherein the King, and the late Archbi&s;hop
of Canterbury, were by the Popi&s;h contrivers de&s;igned to &s;laughter as
Per&s;ons whom they de&s;paired to gain to them:</HI> but that any of the
now <HI>A&s;&s;emblers</HI> were &s;o hated, or &s;o feared, or thought &s;o ne|ce&s;&s;ary
<PB N="79" REF="47">
to be taken out of the way, we have not yet heard, but
are rather confident that if a <HI>pention of Rome,</HI> or a <HI>Cardinalls cap,</HI>
will keep them long together to do more &s;uch work as this, &s;o
reproachfull to the <HI>Prote&s;tant Religion,</HI> they &s;hould be &s;o hired,
rather then di&s;&s;olve too &s;peedily.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="17" UNIT="Sect"><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 5.</NOTE>In the next place, 'tis <HI>found out by experience, that the Liturgy
hath been a great means to make and encrea&s;e an idle and unedify|ing
Mini&s;try, which contented it &s;elfe with &s;et formes made to their
hands by others without putting forth them&s;elves to exerci&s;e the gift
of Prayer.</HI> To this I an&s;wer, that tho&s;e Mini&s;ters are not pre&s;ently
proved to be <HI>idle and unedifying</HI> which have been content to u&s;e
the Liturgy. I hope there may be other waies of <HI>labour,</HI> be&s;ide
that of <HI>extemporary Prayer</HI> (which can be no longer a <HI>labour</HI>
then while it is a &s;peaking.) For 1. I had thought that the&s;e
men might have acknowledged Preaching and Catechizing, the
former at lea&s;t, to have been the <HI>work</HI> of a Mini&s;ter, and that an
<HI>edifying work,</HI> and that &s;ure tho&s;e men have been <HI>exerci&s;ed</HI> in,
who have retain'd the <HI>Liturgy</HI> al&s;o. 2. <HI>Study</HI> of all kind of <HI>Di|vine
learning,</HI> of which the haters of <HI>Liturgy</HI> have not gotten
the inclo&s;ure, may pa&s;&s;e with fober men for a <HI>labour</HI> al&s;o, and
that which may tend to edification, if it hath <HI>charity</HI> joyned
with it, and that may be had too, without hating the <HI>Liturgy.</HI>
But then 3. I conceive that this <HI>Directory</HI> is no nece&s;&s;ary provi|&s;ion
again&s;t this reproached idlene&s;&s;e, or unedifyingne&s;&s;e in any
that were formerly guilty of them in the daies of <HI>Liturgy.</HI> For
&s;ure the labour will not be much increa&s;ed to the Mini&s;ter, that
&s;hall ob&s;erve the <HI>Directory,</HI> becau&s;e either he may pray <HI>ex tempore,</HI>
which will be no <HI>paines,</HI> but of his <HI>lungs</HI> and <HI>&s;ides</HI> in the <HI>delivery,</HI>
or el&s;e a forme being compo&s;ed by any, according to the <HI>Di|rectory</HI>
(which is in effect a <HI>Forme</HI> it &s;elfe,) he may thenceforth
continue as <HI>idle</HI> as he who u&s;eth our <HI>forme of Liturgy,</HI> and hee
which hath a mind to be <HI>idle,</HI> may make that u&s;e of it, and that
you acknowledge, when you interpo&s;e that caution P. 8. [that
<HI>the Mini&s;ters become not hereby &s;lothfull and negligent</HI>] which
were wholly an unnece&s;&s;ary caution, if this <HI>Directory</HI> made <HI>idle|ne&s;&s;e</HI>
impo&s;&s;ible; and if a <HI>caution</HI> will &s;erve turne, the like may
be added to our <HI>Liturgy</HI> al&s;o, without abrogating of it. And
for the edifying, I de&s;ire it may be con&s;idered, whether the <HI>ex|travagancies</HI>
<PB N="80" REF="48">
and <HI>impertinences,</HI> which our experience (as well
grounded as that which taught the&s;e men this my&s;tery of the
<HI>idle unedifying Mini&s;try</HI>) bids us expect from tho&s;e who neglect
<HI>&s;et formes,</HI> do more tend to the edifying of any then the u&s;e of
tho&s;e Prayers which are by the piety and judgment of our <HI>Re|formers</HI>
compo&s;ed, and with which the <HI>Auditory</HI> being acquain|ted,
may with uninterrupted devotion goe along and &s;ay,
<HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="18" UNIT="Sect"><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 5.</NOTE>And whereas 'tis added in this place, that our <HI>Lord Chri&s;t
plea&s;eth to furni&s;h all his &s;ervants whom he calls to that Office with
the gift of Prayer.</HI> I de&s;ire 1. That it may be &s;hewed what evi|dence
we have from any promi&s;e of Chri&s;t in his word, that a|ny
&s;uch <HI>guift</HI> &s;hall be perpetually annext by him to the <HI>Mini|&s;try;</HI>
I beleeve the places which will be brought to enforce it,
will conclude for <HI>gifts of healing, making of P&s;almes,</HI> and other
the like al&s;o, which Mini&s;ters do not now adaies pretend to.
2. I would know al&s;o why Chri&s;t, if he do &s;o <HI>furni&s;h</HI> them, may
not al&s;o be thought to help them to the <HI>matter</HI> of their Prayers
(in which yet here the <HI>Directory</HI> is fain to <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;t</HI> them, and <HI>pag.</HI> 8.
&s;uppo&s;es the Mini&s;ter may have <HI>need of &s;uch help and furniture,</HI>)
as well as the <HI>forme of words,</HI> in which the Liturgy makes the <HI>&s;up|ply.</HI>
3. I &s;hall not doubt to affirme, that if the <HI>gift of Prayer</HI>
&s;ignifie an <HI>ability of Praying in publick without any premeditation,
di&s;creetly and reverently,</HI> and &s;o as never to offend again&s;t either
of tho&s;e <HI>nece&s;&s;aries,</HI> every Mini&s;ter is not furni&s;ht with <HI>this gift,</HI>
&s;ome men of very excellent abilities wanting that &s;uddaine
<HI>promptne&s;&s;e</HI> of <HI>elocution,</HI> and choice of words for all their con|ceptions
others being naturally <HI>mode&s;t</HI> and <HI>ba&s;hfull,</HI> and not en|dued
with this <HI>chari&s;ma</HI> of <HI>boldne&s;&s;e,</HI> which is a great part, a &s;pe|ciall
ingredient of that which is here called the <HI>gift of prayer.</HI> And
even for tho&s;e which have the former of the&s;e, and are not &s;o
<HI>happy as</HI> to want the latter, that yet they are not &s;ufficiently <HI>gif|ted
for Prayer</HI> in <HI>Publick,</HI> experience hath taught us by the very
creditable relations of &s;ome, who have falne into &s;o many <HI>in|di&s;cretions,</HI>
that we &s;ay no wor&s;e in that performance. 'Tis true
that God enableth men &s;ufficiently in private to expre&s;&s;e their
nece&s;&s;ities to him, being able to under&s;tand <HI>&s;ighs and groanes,</HI>
when words are wanting, and as well content with &s;uch Rheto|rick
<PB N="81" REF="48">
in the Clo&s;et as any, but this is not peculiar to Mini&s;ters, and
for any &s;uch ability in publick, there will not be the like &s;ecuri|ty,
unle&s;&s;e the language of <HI>&s;ighs and groanes,</HI> without other ex|pre&s;&s;ions
be there <HI>current</HI> al&s;o, which appears by &s;ome, who
are forced to pay that <HI>debt</HI> to <HI>God</HI> in <HI>that coyne,</HI> having through
unthriftine&s;&s;e <HI>provided</HI> no other; and yet 'twere well al&s;o if that
were the wor&s;t of it, but the truth is, <HI>bla&s;phemy</HI> is &s;omewhat
wor&s;e then <HI>&s;aying nothing.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="19" UNIT="Sect"><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 5.</NOTE>The la&s;t objection is, That the <HI>continuance of the Liturgy would
be a matter of endle&s;&s;e &s;trife and contention in the Church, and a
&s;nare to many godly Mini&s;ters, &amp;c.</HI> to the end of that page. Where
1. Is ob&s;erveable the <HI>temper</HI> and <HI>re&s;olution</HI> of the&s;e men, of whom
&s;uch &s;peciall care is taken, which makes it &s;o <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> for them,
not only to <HI>&s;trive and contend, 1. again&s;t e&s;tabli&s;ht Law. 2. a|bout
formes of Prayer,</HI> (which &s;ure is none of the prime <HI>Articles</HI>
of the <HI>Creed</HI>) but al&s;o to <HI>&s;trive for ever,</HI> which being ob&s;erved,
it &s;eems 2. That they have a very charitable opinion of all us
who are <HI>a&s;&s;ertors of Liturgy,</HI> that we will never <HI>&s;trive</HI> or <HI>contend</HI>
for it, for otherwi&s;e the <HI>&s;trife</HI> may be as endle&s;&s;e upon its taking
away. And &s;ure in ordinary judging (if they be not &s;ure that
none are <HI>contentious,</HI> but their <HI>favourites</HI>) we &s;ee no rea&s;on, why
the introduction of a <HI>new way of wor&s;hip,</HI> &s;hould not be more
<HI>matter of &s;trife,</HI> and &s;o al&s;o a <HI>&s;nare</HI> to more (if any can be <HI>en&s;na|red</HI>
or <HI>&s;candalized,</HI> but they) then the <HI>continuance</HI> of the <HI>old e&s;ta|bli&s;ht
Liturgy.</HI> Where, by the way, the <HI>&s;nare</HI> they &s;peak of &s;eems
to &s;ignifie that which <HI>catches</HI> and <HI>entraps</HI> their <HI>E&s;tates</HI> and not
their <HI>Soules,</HI> cau&s;eth them to be <HI>per&s;ecuted, &amp;c.</HI> which is a nota|ble
<HI>paralogi&s;me</HI> and <HI>fallacy</HI> put upon the Scripture <HI>u&s;e</HI> of that
phra&s;e, if we took plea&s;ure in making &s;uch di&s;coveries. But then
3. We de&s;ire experience may be judge, and upon the &s;entence
which that &s;hall give, that it may be con&s;idered, whether upon
the ballancing of the Kingdome, it will not be found that a far
greater number are now at this time <HI>offended</HI> at the <HI>Directory,</HI>
and thereby en&s;nared in their E&s;tates, if they lye within your
power, then formerly at any time (I &s;hall adde in <HI>all times</HI> &s;ince
the <HI>Reformation,</HI> put together) ever were by the <HI>Liturgy.</HI></P>
<P>As for that pa&s;&s;ge which is added in the clo&s;e of this Secti|on,
that <HI>in the&s;e latter times God vouch&s;afeth to his People more
<PB N="82" REF="49">
and better meanes for the di&s;covery of errour and Super&s;tition.</HI>]
Though this &s;ounds &s;omewhat like his Divinity who makes the
<HI>power of re&s;i&s;ting Kings,</HI> to be a truth which God pleas'd <HI>to re|veale
in the&s;e latter times, for the turning Antichri&s;t out of the
World, but hid in the primitive times, that Antichri&s;t might come
in,</HI> yet I &s;hall not now quarrell with it (becau&s;e 'tis po&s;&s;ible it
may have another &s;ence, and I would not deny any thing but
what is apparently and inexcu&s;ably fal&s;e) but from thence a&s;|&s;ume,
1. That I hope God vouch&s;afeth the&s;e means to them,
that u&s;e the <HI>Liturgy</HI> al&s;o; For if it mu&s;t be &s;uppo&s;ed a <HI>&s;inne,</HI> to
continue the u&s;e of it, 'tis not, I hope, &s;uch a <HI>wa&s;ting &s;inne,</HI> as
to deprive men of all grace, even of the <HI>Chari&s;mata,</HI> which un|&s;anctified
men may be capable of, and of <HI>means of knowledge,</HI>
which is but a <HI>common grace,</HI> and therefore I mu&s;t hope that the
phra&s;e [<HI>his people</HI>] is not here meant in a <HI>di&s;criminative</HI> &s;ence
(like the <HI>Montani&s;ts</HI> forme of <HI>nos &s;pirituales,</HI> in oppo&s;ition to
all others, as <HI>animales &amp; p&s;ychici</HI>) to &s;ignifie only tho&s;e that are
for the <HI>Directory,</HI> for then let them be a&s;&s;ured, <HI>Gods gifts</HI> are
not &s;o inclo&s;ed, but that <HI>Oxford</HI> is vouch&s;afed as plentifull <HI>means</HI>
for the di&s;covery of errour and &s;uper&s;tition, as <HI>London,</HI> and
have, among other acts of <HI>knowledge,</HI> di&s;covered this one by
Gods ble&s;&s;ing, (which again I &s;hall mention) that there may be
as much <HI>errour</HI> and <HI>&s;uper&s;tition</HI> in rejecting of all <HI>Liturgy,</HI> as in
retaining of <HI>any,</HI> in <HI>oppo&s;ing Ceremonies,</HI> as in <HI>a&s;&s;erting</HI> them, a
<HI>negative</HI> (as I &s;aid) <HI>touch not, ta&s;t not, kneele not, bow not,</HI> as well
and <HI>po&s;itive Super&s;tition;</HI> as al&s;o that there be errors in <HI>practice,</HI> as
well as <HI>doctrine,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>infidelities</HI> again&s;t the Commandements,
and Sermon of Chri&s;t in the <HI>Mount,</HI> as well as again&s;t the <HI>Creed</HI>
it &s;elfe, and that impo&s;ing of <HI>Lawes</HI> on the King and Kingdome
by the <HI>Sword,</HI> aboli&s;hing <HI>Liturgy,</HI> &s;etting up <HI>Directories</HI> by that
<HI>&s;terne</HI> way of arguments, tho&s;e <HI>carnall weapons</HI> of <HI>militia</HI> or
warfare, when they are not only <HI>practi&s;ed,</HI> but <HI>a&s;&s;erted</HI> for <HI>law|full,</HI>
are <HI>errours, damnable errours</HI> al&s;o, and &s;uch as are very near
the ordinary notion of <HI>Super&s;tition, the teaching for doctrines the
Commandements of men,</HI> I would I might not &s;ay of&mdash;al|&s;o.
But then 2. All this being &s;uppo&s;ed of Gods <HI>granting better
means of knowledge now, then formerly,</HI> I &s;hall yet interpo&s;e, that
&s;ure this is not a truth of an <HI>unlimited</HI> extent, for there have
been <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> which had better <HI>means</HI> then <HI>we,</HI> and they that
<PB N="83" REF="49">
were <HI>neare&s;t</HI> them, (and knew their doctrines, and practices,
better then it is po&s;&s;ible we &s;hould) had &s;o al&s;o, nay <HI>Vniver&s;all
Councells</HI> meeting in the Holy Gho&s;t, and piou&s;ly and judici|ou&s;ly
debating, had by the priviledge of Prayer, more right to
that promi&s;e of Chri&s;ts <HI>being in the mid&s;t of them,</HI> and <HI>leading
them into all truth,</HI> then an <HI>illegally</HI> congregated <HI>A&s;&s;embly;</HI> and
all the&s;e have been greater favourers of <HI>Liturgy</HI> then any of e|quall
authority with them have been of your <HI>Directory;</HI> And
3. If all were &s;uppo&s;ed and granted which you claime, yet &s;till
the means of knowledge now vouch&s;afed do not make you <HI>in|fallible,</HI>
lay not any morall or phy&s;icall nece&s;&s;ity on you to be
<HI>faultle&s;&s;e</HI> or <HI>errorle&s;&s;e,</HI> and therefore &s;till this may be errour in
you as probably, as <HI>Liturgy</HI> &s;hould be <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> in us. And
for <HI>gifts of Preaching and Prayer,</HI> I an&s;wer, if they are and have
been truly <HI>gifts,</HI> others of former times may by the <HI>Spirit</HI> have
had as liberall a portion of them, as we. For &s;ure tho&s;e dayes
wherein the &s;pirit was promi&s;ed to be <HI>powred out on all fle&s;h,</HI> are
not the&s;e dayes of ours, or of this age, exclu&s;ively to all others;
Of this I am confident, that &s;ome other ages have had them in
&s;uch a mea&s;ure, as was mo&s;t agreeable to the propagating of the
Go&s;pell, and if that were then by <HI>forming</HI> or <HI>u&s;ing</HI> of <HI>Liturgies,</HI>
why may it not be &s;o at this time al&s;o?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="21" UNIT="Sect"> Having given you my opinion of the&s;e pa&s;&s;age, and yeelded
to them for quietne&s;&s;e &s;ake, a <HI>limited truth,</HI> I mu&s;t now adde,
that if they be <HI>argumentative,</HI> and &s;o meant as a proofe that
the&s;e <HI>A&s;semblers</HI> are likely to be in the right, while they <HI>de&s;troy
Liturgy,</HI> although all the Chri&s;tian world before them have a&s;|&s;erted
it, this will be a gro&s;&s;e piece of in&s;olency and untruth to|gether;
a taking upon them to be the only <HI>People of God,</HI> of the&s;e
latter times, nay to have greater <HI>judgment, knowledge, gifts,</HI> then
all the whole <HI>Chri&s;tian World,</HI> for all Ages together, including
the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t him&s;elfe,</HI> have had. For all the&s;e have
been produced together with the &s;affrage of <HI>Jewes, Heathens,
Mahometans</HI> al&s;o, to maintain <HI>&s;et Pormes;</HI> and though it be true,
that &s;ome of  late have found out many <HI>Super&s;tition<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> that never
were di&s;cover'd before, one or other almo&s;t in every <HI>po&s;ture</HI> or
<HI>motion</HI> in Gods <HI>Service,</HI> yet this &s;ure is by the helpe of an inju|&s;tice
in applying without all rea&s;on that title to tho&s;e actions,
<PB N="84" REF="50">
and not by a greater <HI>&s;agacity</HI> in di&s;cerning, making many acts
of <HI>indifferent</HI> performance, nay of <HI>Piety</HI> it &s;elfe, go defamed and
mourning under the reproach of <HI>Super&s;tition,</HI> and not bringing
any <HI>true light</HI> into the World, that before was wanting. This
one <HI>Odium</HI> fa&s;tned on all <HI>Orthodox Mini&s;ters</HI> in this Kingdome
at this time, of <HI>being &s;uper&s;titious,</HI> and the mi&s;take of the true no|tion
of the word which hath to that end been infu&s;ed into ma|ny,
(but is by a <HI>Tract lately printed</HI> &s;omewhat di&s;cover'd) hath
brought in a &s;hole of <HI>Seque&s;trations of Livings,</HI> which have been
very nece&s;&s;ary and in&s;trumentall, to the maintaining of the&s;e
pre&s;ent di&s;tempers. And now at length it proves in more re&s;pects
then one, that what ever un&s;atiate hydropicall appetites are
tempted to take away, is pre&s;ently involved under that title,
a name that hath an univer&s;all <HI>malignity</HI> in it, makes aay thing
<HI>lawfull prize</HI> that is in the company. God will in time di&s;play
this deceit al&s;o.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="22" UNIT="Sect"> Having mentioned the&s;e &s;o many rea&s;ons of their <HI>aboli&s;hing
our Liturgy, i. e.</HI> their &s;o many <HI>&s;landers</HI> again&s;t our <HI>Church</HI> and
<HI>Church-men,</HI> all which if they were true, hang &s;o <HI>loo&s;e</HI> and &s;o <HI>&s;e|parable</HI>
from <HI>Liturgy,</HI> that they cannot ju&s;tifie the <HI>abolition</HI> of
it;<NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 6.</NOTE> At length they &s;hut up their &s;ugge&s;tions with [<HI>Vpon the&s;e
and many the like weighty con&s;iderations, and becau&s;e of divers par|ticulars
contained in the Book,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 7.</NOTE> <HI>they have re&s;olved to lay a&s;ide the
Book</HI>] where if the <HI>many con&s;iderations</HI> unmentioned be of no
more <HI>truth</HI> or validity then the&s;e, and &s;o be <HI>like weighty con&s;ide|rations,</HI>
I acknowledge their <HI>prudence</HI> in not naming them, and
think that no part of the World is like to prove the wor&s;e for
this their re&s;ervedne&s;&s;e, only by the way a generall charge is no|thing
in Law, and <HI>in generalibus latet dolus,</HI> is a legall exception
again&s;t any thing of this nature. But if they have any other
which they conceive to be of any weight, they are very unju&s;t
and very uncharitable to us, thus to <HI>en&s;nare</HI> our <HI>E&s;tates</HI> (the
fault even now laid upon the <HI>Prelates</HI>) by requiring our <HI>appro|bation</HI>
of their <HI>Directory,</HI> and conformity of our practice to it;
and yet not vouch&s;afe us that conviction, which they are able, to
&s;atisfie us of the <HI>rea&s;ons</HI> of their proceedings. But the truth is,
we &s;hall not charge this on them neither, being made confident
by the <HI>weakne&s;&s;e</HI> of the motives produced, that they have not a|ny
<PB N="85" REF="50">
more <HI>effectuall</HI> in &s;tore. And for the particulars contained in
the Book, if there were any infirme parts in it, any thing unju|&s;tifiable,
(which we conceive their <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> tells them there is
not, having not in this whole Book produced <HI>one,</HI> and yet their
<HI>charity</HI> to it not &s;o great, as to <HI>cover or conceale any &s;tore of &s;ins</HI>)
yet would not this inferre any more then only farther <HI>Reforma|tion</HI>
of the Book, which is not the de&s;ign again&s;t which we now
argue.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="23" UNIT="Sect"> And having proceeded to &s;o bloudy a &s;entence upon &s;uch
(<GAP DESC="foreign">, in the Go&s;pell phra&s;e) <HI>te&s;timonies</HI> and accu|&s;ations
&s;o <HI>un&s;ufficient</HI> and <HI>unproportionable</HI> to &s;uch a <HI>condemnati|on,</HI>
they could not but fore&s;ee the opinion that would be had
of the action, and the ill and odious con&s;equents that would at|tend
it, which therefore to keep off, is the next endeavour, by
profe&s;&s;ing that what is done, <HI>is not from any love of Novelty.</HI> And
truly 'tis well you tell us &s;o, for otherwi&s;e the &s;emblance of that
<HI>love</HI> and other actions, might have per&s;waded us mortalls, who
&s;ee but the out&s;ides, &s;o to judge. And &s;till notwith&s;tanding the
affirmation (which is not of much value in your own cau&s;e, unle&s;&s;e
we had more <HI>te&s;timonies</HI> of the Authors <HI>infallibility,</HI> then this
<HI>Preface</HI> hath afforded us) the con&s;ideration of the <HI>matter</HI> and
<HI>termes</HI> of the <HI>change</HI> from what and to what, of the no manner
of advantage or acqui&s;ition by it to recompence all the <HI>di&s;ad|vantages,</HI>
the great temerity, if not impiety to boot, in &s;epara|ting
from this <HI>nationall,</HI> and in &s;corning and defying the pra|ctice
of the <HI>Vniver&s;all Church,</HI> and the great <HI>illegality,</HI> that I &s;ay
no wor&s;e, of your action and the preparatory &s;teps of motion
to it, may tempt us to affirme, that it mu&s;t needs be a <HI>love of
novelty,</HI> even a <HI>Platonick love,</HI> as the phra&s;e is now a dayes, a <HI>love
of novelty,</HI> as <HI>novelty,</HI> without any other hoped for reward, with|out
any other avowed de&s;ign in &s;eeking it; for if there be any
other which may be own'd, I am confident it hath already ap|peared
by what hath been &s;aid, that this is not the way to it.
But then 2. Such a profe&s;&s;ion as this will not &s;ure &s;ignifie much,
to <HI>innovate,</HI> and yet to &s;ay we <HI>love nor innovation,</HI> to act with a
proud high hand in de&s;pight of &s;o much at lea&s;t of God, as is
imprinted in the <HI>Lawes</HI> of man, and our lawfull <HI>Superiours,</HI> and
then to excu&s;e it by &s;aying <HI>we love not to do &s;o,</HI> will <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> little al|leviate
<PB N="86" REF="51">
the matter before any equall Judge. 'Tis certain there is
&s;omething unlovely in the reproachfull <HI>name of &s;inne,</HI> how glib|ly
&s;oever the <HI>plea&s;ures</HI> of it go down, yea and even in the <HI>&s;inne</HI> it
&s;elfe, it hath the <GAP DESC="foreign">, the two <HI>Cups</HI> in <HI>Homer,</HI> more tru|ly
then that to which he applyes it, its <HI>bitter</HI> and <HI>hatefull,</HI> as well
as its <HI>&s;weeter</HI> lovelier parts, <HI>extemplo quodcun&abque; malum commit|titur,
ip&s;i Di&s;plicet,</HI> and if men may leave and excu&s;e to commit
adultery &s;o long, till they fall in love not only with the plea&s;ure
of it, but the very <HI>&s;infulne&s;&s;e</HI> of it, and the <HI>name</HI> and <HI>reproach</HI> al|&s;o,
we &s;hall give them a good large &s;pace of <HI>Repentance:</HI> the
&s;hort is, the mention of <HI>Novelty</HI> is an evidence that the Compo|&s;ers
Con&s;cience tells them, that what they now do is &s;uch, and
'tis not their not <HI>loving</HI> it (perhaps <HI>onely thinking,</HI> perhaps <HI>only
&s;aying</HI> they do not love it) which will much le&s;&s;en the fault, but
rather define it to be an act again&s;t <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> to be and conti|nue
guilty of &s;o huge a <HI>novelty,</HI> when they profe&s;&s;e they <HI>love it
not.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="24" UNIT="Sect"> The next <HI>envy</HI> that they labour to avoyd, is the having an <HI>in|tention
to di&s;parage the Reformers, of whom they are per&s;waded, that
were they now alive they would joyn with them in this worke.</HI> This
is another <GAP DESC="foreign">, to blanch your <HI>actions</HI> with contra|ry
<HI>intentions,</HI> to do that which is mo&s;t reproachfull to the <HI>Re|formers,</HI>
to obliterate, or which is wor&s;e, to defame their me|mory
(whom yet at the beginning you called <HI>wi&s;e</HI> and <HI>pious</HI>)
and then &s;ay you <HI>intended</HI> them no <HI>di&s;paragement,</HI> nay to make
them repent and retract after their death (<HI>i. e.</HI> to put them in
a kind of Purgatory) to undertake for them that they have
<HI>changed</HI> their minds, and not only that they are now content
to part with that <HI>finally</HI> out of the Church, the &s;hort <HI>temporary</HI>
lo&s;&s;e of which, one of them (<HI>Arch-Bi&s;hop Cranmer</HI> in one of
his letters publi&s;ht by <HI>Miles Coverdale</HI>) laments as the &s;evere&s;t
part of the Per&s;ecuters tyranny toward him, <HI>viz.</HI> that they
would not <HI>permit him the u&s;e of the Common-Prayer-Book in the
Pri&s;on;</HI> but withall that they are grown zealots too, are con|tent
to act mo&s;t <HI>illegally</HI> and &s;editiou&s;ly to <HI>ca&s;t it out.</HI> The judg|ment
of this matter we leave to any arbitration. 1. Whether
it be likely that they would joyn, <HI>again&s;t Law to take that away,</HI>
which they compiled, or make all <HI>pre&s;cribed</HI> Formes unlawfull,
<PB N="87" REF="51">
who did not think any <HI>fit</HI> in <HI>publick,</HI> but tho&s;e which were <HI>pre|&s;cribed.</HI>
2. Whether any man can have ground of &s;uch per|&s;wa&s;ion,
when they dyed in the con&s;tant exerci&s;e of it, and
have &s;ent them no me&s;&s;age from the <HI>dead</HI> of their <HI>change</HI> of
<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> 3. Whether it be not &s;trongly improbable, that they of
the fir&s;t <HI>Reformation,</HI> who in <HI>Qu. Maries</HI> dayes flying and living
in <HI>Franckfort,</HI> and there meeting with the objections that have
been produced by our new Reformers, <HI>maintained</HI> the <HI>Booke</HI> a|gain&s;t
them all, would now if they were return'd to us from a
longer <HI>exile,</HI> di&s;claime all that they had thus <HI>maintain'd.</HI> 4.
Whether it be not an argument of a &s;trong <HI>confidence</HI> and <HI>a&s;&s;u|rance,</HI>
(which is the mo&s;t dangerous mother or Schi&s;me and He|re&s;ie
imaginable) of <HI>&s;trong pa&s;&s;ions</HI> and <HI>weak judgment,</HI> to think
that all men would be of their <HI>&s;ide</HI> (as <HI>Hacket</HI> thought verily
that all <HI>London</HI> would ri&s;e with him, as &s;oon as he appear'd in
<HI>Cheap-&s;ide</HI>) upon no other ground of that per&s;wa&s;ion men|tion'd,
but only that they are of it, which is but in effect as the
&s;ame <HI>Hacket</HI> did, &s;hewing no evidence of his being a Prophet,
but only his <HI>confidence,</HI> which produced all kind of direfull
<HI>Oathes</HI> that he was, and hideous <HI>imprecations</HI> on him&s;elfe, if he
were not &s;o. That which is added by way of honour to tho&s;e
Martyrs, that they were <HI>excellent in&s;truments to begin the purging
and building of his hou&s;e,</HI> may be but an artifice of rai&s;ing their
own reputation, who have perfected tho&s;e rude beginnings, or
if it be meant in earne&s;t, as kindne&s;&s;e to them, 'tis but an un&s;ig|nificant
<HI>civility,</HI> to aboli&s;h all the <HI>records</HI> of their <HI>Reformation,</HI>
and then pay them a little <HI>pray&s;e</HI> in exchange for them, Martyr
their a&s;hes (as the Papi&s;ts did <HI>Fagius</HI> and <HI>Bucer</HI>) and then lay
them down into the earth again, with a <HI>dirge</HI> or <HI>anthem, defame</HI>
the <HI>Reformation,</HI> and <HI>Commend</HI> the <HI>Reformers,</HI> but &s;till to inti|mate
how much <HI>wi&s;er</HI> and <HI>Godlier</HI> you are, then all tho&s;e Mar|tyrs
were.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="25" UNIT="Sect"> Thus far they have proceeded <HI>ad amoliendam invidiam;</HI> Now
to the <HI>po&s;itive motives,</HI> of &s;etting up this great work of <HI>innova|tion,</HI>
and tho&s;e are 1. To <HI>an&s;wer in &s;ome mea&s;iure the gracious
providence of God which at this time calleth upon them for farther
Reforma<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="4 letters">:</HI> What they &s;hould mean by the <HI>gratious provi|dence
of God</HI> in this place, I confe&s;&s;e I cannot gue&s;&s;e, (if it be not
<PB N="88" REF="52">
a meer <HI>name</HI> to adde &s;ome credit to the cau&s;e) unle&s;&s;e it be the
<HI>pro&s;perity</HI> and good &s;ucce&s;&s;e of their <HI>Armes;</HI> which if throughout
this Warre they had rea&s;on to brag or take notice of (as &s;ure
they have not, but of Gods hand many times vi&s;ibly &s;hewed a|gain&s;t
them, in rai&s;ing the low e&s;tate of the King, <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span">
means, and bringing down their mighty &s;trengths, as the
<HI>Septuagint</HI> makes God promi&s;e to fight again&s;t <HI>Amalek</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<HI>by &s;ecret hand,</HI> by invi&s;ible,) yet &s;ure would not
that <HI>ju&s;tify</HI> the taking up of tho&s;e Armes, much le&s;&s;e be able to
<HI>con&s;ecrate</HI> all other &s;ins, that tho&s;e <HI>Armes</HI> may enable any to be
guilty of. 'Tis the <HI>Turks</HI> Divinity, as before I intimated, to pa&s;&s;e
&s;entence on the action by the prosperity of the man, <HI>to make one
killing of a Father villany and &s;acriledge, becau&s;e the de&s;ign it aim'd
at mi&s;carrie<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Busbequi. Epi&s;t.</NOTE> <HI>and another of the &s;ame making an heroick act, that
God was plea&s;ed with, becau&s;e it brought the de&s;igner to the King|dome:</HI>
And therefore, I be&s;eech you, look no longer on the cau&s;e
through the deceiveable and deceitfull gla&s;&s;es of your conceited
<HI>victories,</HI> but through that one true gla&s;&s;e the word of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in
the New Te&s;tament; and if that <HI>call</HI> you to this <HI>farther Refor|mation,</HI>
go on in Gods name; But if it be any el&s;e that calleth
you, (as &s;ure &s;omewhat el&s;e it is you mean, for if it were <HI>Gods
word</HI> you would ere now have &s;hew'd it us, and here have call'd
it <HI>Gods word,</HI> which is plain and intelligible, not <HI>Gods providence,</HI>
which is of an ambiguous &s;ignification) if any <HI>extraordinary reve|lation</HI>
however convey'd to you; this you will never be able to
approve to any that &s;hould doubt your <HI>call,</HI> and therefore I
&s;hall meekly de&s;ire you, and in the <HI>bowells of Chri&s;tian compa&s;&s;i|on</HI>
to your &s;elves, if not to your <HI>bleeding Country,</HI> once more to
examine &s;eriou&s;ly, what ground you have in Gods Word, to
<HI>&s;atisfie con&s;cience</HI> of the lawfullne&s;&s;e of &s;uch <HI>attempts,</HI> which you
have u&s;ed, to gain &s;trength to work your <HI>Reformation;</HI> and this
we the rather de&s;ire to be &s;hewed by you, becau&s;e you adde, that
<HI>having con&s;ulted with Gods holy word, you re&s;olve to lay a&s;ide the
former Liturgy,</HI> which cannot &s;ignify that upon command of
<HI>Gods word</HI> particularly &s;peaking to this matter, you have done
it, for then all this while, you would &s;ure have &s;hewed us that
word, but that the word of God, hath led you to the whole
work in generall, which you have taken in hand, and therefore
<PB N="89" REF="52">
that is it, which as <HI>a light &s;hining in &s;o dark a place,</HI> we require
you in the name of God to hold out to us.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="26" UNIT="Sect"> After this there is a &s;econd motive, the <HI>&s;atisfaction of your own
con&s;ciences.</HI> This I cannot &s;peak to, becau&s;e neither I <HI>know</HI> them,
nor the <HI>grounds</HI> of them, &s;ave only by what is here mentioned,
which I am &s;ure is not &s;ufficient to <HI>&s;atisfie con&s;cience,</HI> (phancy
perhaps it may) only this I &s;hall interpo&s;e, that it is po&s;&s;ible your
own <HI>con&s;ciences</HI> may be <HI>erroneous,</HI> and we are confident they are
&s;o, and then you are not bound to <HI>&s;atisfie</HI> them, &s;ave only by
&s;eeking better information, which one would think might be as
fea&s;eable a task as <HI>aboli&s;hing of Liturgy.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="27" UNIT="Sect"> Next a third motive is mentioned, that <HI>you m<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">y &s;atisfie the ex|pectation
of other Reformed Churches;</HI> &s;o this fir&s;t I &s;ay, that this is
not the rule for the  <HI>reforming</HI> of a <HI>Nationall Church</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">,
and <HI>independent.</HI> And &s;uch I conceive, the <HI>la&s;t Canon of the Coun|cell
of Ephe&s;us,</HI> will by con&s;equence conclude this of <HI>England</HI> to
be; and its <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">ing &s;o is a &s;ufficient plea. 1. To clear us from all
&s;hew of <HI>Schi&s;ime</HI> in <HI>Separating</HI> from the <HI>Roman Church</HI>) to which
we were not, according to the <HI>Ephe&s;ine rule, &s;ubjected</HI> as a <HI>part</HI>)
though we reformed our &s;elves, when the <HI>Pope</HI> vehemently re|quired
the contrary, and would not him&s;elfe be reformed; and
from the <HI>Church univer&s;all,</HI> of which we &s;till remain a <HI>member
undivided.</HI> 2. To an&s;wer this motive of our <HI>A&s;&s;emblers,</HI> by
telling them that in the <HI>reforming</HI> &s;uch a <HI>Church</HI> (as this of ours,
if not by <HI>others,</HI> yet by <HI>them</HI> is acknowledged to be) the care mu&s;t
be, to do what the <HI>head</HI> and <HI>members</HI> of the <HI>Church,</HI> &s;hall in the
fear of God re&s;olve to be fitte&s;t, and not what <HI>other Churches ex|pect;</HI>
for if that were the rule, it would be a very <HI>fallacious</HI> and
very <HI>puzling</HI> one, the <HI>expectations of &s;everall Churches</HI> being as <HI>&s;e|verall,</HI>
and the choice of &s;ome difficulty, which of them was fit|te&s;t
to be an&s;wer'd. But then &s;econdly, what the <HI>expectation of
other Churches</HI> have been in this point, or what the <HI>rea&s;ons of
them,</HI> we do not punctually know, only this we do, that after
your <HI>&s;olliciting</HI> of many (which is another thing, &s;omewhat di|&s;tant
from their <HI>expecting</HI>) we hear not of any, that have decla|red
their concurrence in opinion with you in this: But on the
contrary, that in an&s;wer to your Letter directed to the <HI>Church</HI>
of <HI>Zeland,</HI> the <HI>Wallachrian Cla&s;&s;is</HI> made this return to you, that
<PB N="90" REF="53">
they did <HI>approve &s;et and pre&s;cribed formes of publique Prayer, as
profitable and tending to edification,</HI> quite contrary to what you
before objected of the <HI>Offence to the Prote&s;tant Churches abroad,</HI>
and now of <HI>their expectation, &amp;c.</HI>) and give rea&s;ons for that <HI>ap|probation,</HI>
both from Texts of <HI>Scriptures,</HI> and the generall <HI>pra|ctice</HI>
of the <HI>Reformed Church,</HI> avouching particularly the fore|mentioned
place of <HI>Calvin,</HI> and conclude it to be a <HI>preci&s;e &s;ingu|lari<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">y</HI>
in tho&s;e men who do reject them. And now, I be&s;eech
you, &s;peak your knowledge, and in&s;tance in the particular, if a|ny
Church have in any <HI>addre&s;&s;e</HI> made to you, or <HI>an&s;wer</HI> to your
invitation, &s;ignified their <HI>expectation</HI> that you &s;hould <HI>aboli&s;h Li|turgy,</HI>
or their approbation of your fact, able to counterballance
this cen&s;ure from the pen of tho&s;e your friends thus unexpe|ctedly
falne upon you. Some <HI>ingenuity</HI> either of making good
your a&s;&s;ertion of the <HI>Churches</HI> or el&s;e of <HI>Confe&s;&s;ion</HI> that you can|not,
will be in common equity <HI>expected</HI> from you.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="28" UNIT="Sect"> The <HI>de&s;ires of many of the Godly among your &s;elves</HI> (which you
mention as a fourth <HI>motive</HI> for <HI>abolition</HI>) wil &s;ignify little, becau&s;e
how many <HI>&s;uffrages</HI> &s;oever might be brought for the upholding
of <HI>Liturgy,</HI> tho&s;e who are again&s;t it &s;hall by you be called, <HI>the
godly,</HI> and that number what ever it is, go for a multitude. But
then again, <HI>Godly</HI> they may be, but not <HI>wi&s;e, (piety</HI> gives no <HI>in|fallibility</HI>
of doctrine to the po&s;&s;e&s;or) at lea&s;t in this point, un|le&s;&s;e
you can fir&s;t prove the <HI>Liturgy</HI> to be <HI>ungodly&punc;</HI> nay they that
<HI>rejoyced</HI> in it, were, as you &s;ay, <HI>godly and learned,</HI> and they that
made it <HI>wi&s;e</HI> and <HI>pious,</HI> &amp; therefore &s;ure &s;ome re&s;pect was due to
the <HI>wi&s;e,</HI> as well as <HI>godly</HI> in the abrogation. And yet it may be
added farther, that the way of the expre&s;&s;ing of the <HI>de&s;ires of
tho&s;e</HI> whom you mean by the <HI>Godly,</HI> hath been ordinarily be way
of <HI>Petitions,</HI> and tho&s;e it cannot be di&s;&s;embled have been oft
framed and put into their hands (I &s;ay not by whom) even in
&s;et <HI>pre&s;cribed Formes,</HI> not thinking it enough to give them a <HI>Di|rectory
for matter,</HI> without <HI>&s;tinting their Spirits,</HI> by appointing
the words <HI>al&s;o.</HI> This &s;hewes that the <HI>de&s;ires of tho&s;e many of the
Godly,</HI> are not of any huge con&s;ideration in this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, and
yet I have not heard to my remembrance of any <HI>Petition,</HI> yet e|ver
&s;o in&s;olent, as to demand what you have done (in an&s;wer
<PB N="91" REF="53">
it &s;eems to &s;ome inarticulate groans or &s;ighes) the <HI>abolition of all
Liturgy.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="29" UNIT="Sect"> The la&s;t motive is, That <HI>you may give &s;ome publique te&s;timo|ny
of your endeavours for uniformity in divine wor&s;hip promi&s;ed in
your Solemne League and Covenant.</HI> To this the an&s;wer will be
&s;hort, becau&s;e it hath for the main already been con&s;idered.
1. That the <HI>Covenant</HI> it &s;elfe is <HI>unlawfull,</HI> which therefore ob|liges
to nothing but <HI>Repentance,</HI> and re&s;titution of a &s;tray Sub|ject
to his Allegiance to <HI>God</HI> and the <HI>King</HI> again. 2. That there
is one &s;peciall thing con&s;iderable of this <HI>Covenant,</HI> which will
keep it either from obliging or from being any kind of <HI>excu&s;e</HI>
or <HI>extenuation</HI> of the crimes that this action is guilty of, and that
is the <HI>voluntary taking</HI> of that Covenant <HI>on purpo&s;e,</HI> thus to <HI>en|&s;nare</HI>
your &s;elves in this <HI>obligation,</HI> to do what &s;hould not other|wi&s;e
be done; We before told you, that <HI>Herods oath</HI> would
not ju&s;tifie the <HI>beheading of John,</HI> and &s;hall now adde, that if
&s;ome precedaneous hatred to <HI>John,</HI> made <HI>Herod</HI> lay this <HI>de&s;igne</HI>
before hand, that <HI>Herodias's Daughter</HI> &s;hould <HI>dance,</HI> that upon
her <HI>dancing</HI> he would be vehemently <HI>pleas'd,</HI> that upon her
<HI>plea&s;ing</HI> of him he would <HI>&s;weare to give her any thing &s;he &s;hould
aske, even to halfe his Kingdome,</HI> and the &s;ame <HI>compact</HI> appoint
her to <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> Petition, to take <HI>John Bapti&s;t's head</HI> for her re|ward,
(as <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> not unlikely, but that as <HI>Herodias</HI> was of coun|&s;ell
with her Daughter, &s;o <HI>Herod</HI> might be with <HI>Herodias</HI>) if
the <HI>train</HI> I &s;ay, lay thus, &s;ure <HI>Herods oath</HI> would take off but little
from the crim&s;on dye of his <HI>murther,</HI> but rather &s;uperadde that
&s;in of deep <HI>Hypocri&s;ie,</HI> of making <HI>piety,</HI> and the <HI>Religion of oaths,</HI>
a &s;ervant and in&s;trument to his <HI>ince&s;t</HI> and <HI>murthering</HI> of a <HI>Pro|phet.</HI>
And then I &s;hall no farther apply, then by asking this
que&s;tion, did you not take this <HI>Covenant</HI> on <HI>purpo&s;e</HI> to lay this
obligation upon you, and now pretend that for your <HI>Covenants
&s;ake,</HI> you mu&s;t needs do it? If you cannot deny this, O then
remember <HI>Herod.</HI> But if you took the <HI>Covenant</HI> without any
&s;uch <HI>de&s;igne,</HI> but now find your &s;elves thus en&s;nared by it, then
rather remember the times to get out of that <HI>&s;nare,</HI> and not to
to engage your &s;elves fa&s;ter in it. 3. I an&s;wer, that if by <HI>uni|formity</HI>
be meant that among our &s;elves in this Kingdome, the
taking away our <HI>Liturgy</HI> by <HI>Ordinance,</HI> while it remaines e&s;ta|bli&s;ht
<PB N="92" REF="54">
by valid Law, is no over-fit <HI>means</HI> to that end, nothing
but a new <HI>Act,</HI> and an <HI>a&s;&s;urance</HI> that all would be obedient to
that <HI>Act,</HI> can be proper for that purpo&s;e; and I am &s;ure there
are &s;ome men in the World, whom if &s;uch an <HI>Act</HI> di&s;plea&s;ed,
the <HI>obedience</HI> would not be very <HI>uniforme;</HI> what ever it may &s;eem
to be when better <HI>Subjects</HI> are &s;upp<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ed to be concluded by it.
But if it be <HI>uniformity with the be&s;t reformed Churches</HI> (as your
<HI>Covenant</HI> mentions) then 1. That <HI>uniformity</HI> in matters of <HI>Form</HI>
or <HI>Ceremony</HI> is no way nece&s;&s;ary, (<HI>Communion</HI> betwixt <HI>Churches</HI>
may be pre&s;erv'd without it) nor near &s;o u&s;efull, as that other
among <HI>our &s;elves,</HI> and therefore the bargain will be none of the
mo&s;t thriving, when that acqui&s;ition is paid &s;o dear for, <HI>unifor|mity
with &s;trangers</HI> purcha&s;ed with <HI>confu&s;ion at home,</HI> as bad a
market, as unequall a barter, as if we &s;hould enter upon a <HI>Ci|vill
Warre,</HI> for no other gain, then to make up a <HI>Peace</HI> with &s;ome
<HI>Neighbour Prince;</HI> which none but a mad State&s;man would ever
coun&s;ell. But then 4. The <HI>Covenant for &s;uch uniformity,</HI> obli|ges
not to make this <HI>Directory,</HI> which I &s;hall prove. 1. By the
verdict of tho&s;e them&s;elves which have taken the <HI>Covenant,</HI> of
whom many, I am confident, never conceived them&s;elves there|by
obliged to <HI>aboli&s;h Liturgy,</HI> there being no &s;uch <HI>intelligible
&s;ence</HI> contained in any bran<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">h of the <HI>Covenant,</HI> any &s;uch <HI>inten|tion</HI>
of the <HI>impo&s;ers</HI> avowed at the giving of it. 2. Becau&s;e
we conceive we have made it manife&s;t, that that part of the <HI>Co|venant</HI>
which mentions <HI>uniformity with other Be&s;t Reformed
Churches,</HI> doth not oblige to <HI>aboli&s;h Liturgy,</HI> not only becau&s;e
the generall matter of the <HI>Covenant</HI> referres unto the <HI>Govern|ment,</HI>
and not to the <HI>Liturgy,</HI> but becau&s;e this of <HI>England,</HI> as it
now &s;tands e&s;tabli&s;ht by <HI>Law,</HI> is the <HI>be&s;t Reformed,</HI> both accor|ding
to that rule of <HI>Scripture,</HI> and &s;tandard of the <HI>pure&s;t Anci|ent
Church;</HI> For which we have <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> the te&s;timony of <HI>Learned
Prote&s;tants</HI> of other Countries, preferring it before their <HI>owne,</HI>
and &s;hall be ready to ju&s;tify the <HI>boa&s;t</HI> by any <HI>te&s;t</HI> or <GAP DESC="foreign">, that
&s;hall be re&s;olved on fit to decide this doubt or competition be|tween
this of ours, and any that you &s;hall <HI>Vote</HI> or <HI>name</HI> to be
the be&s;t.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="30" UNIT="Sect"> The like challenge we &s;hall al&s;o make in return to a <HI>tacit</HI> in|timation
of yours more then once falne from you in this <HI>Preface,</HI>
<PB N="93" REF="54">
and in the body of the <HI>Directory,</HI> p. 40. and 73. <HI>viz.</HI> that the
<HI>Church of England hath hitherto been guilty of Super&s;tition in her
Liturgy.</HI> To which we fir&s;t reply by de&s;iring, that you mention
any one particular wherein that accu&s;ation may appeare to be
true, (and we hereby undertake to maintain the contrary again&s;t
all the learned&s;t in that <HI>A&s;&s;embly</HI>) which if you will not under|take
to <HI>&s;pecifie and prove,</HI> you mu&s;t acknowledge to be guilty of
great <HI>uncharitablene&s;&s;e</HI> in <HI>affirming.</HI> I &s;hall not be &s;o uncharita|ble
as to wi&s;h that the judgment of the <HI>Civill Law</HI> may be your
doome, and the &s;entence that belongs to <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> be the re|ward
of your defamation, I &s;hall not &s;ay &s;o much as the <HI>Lord
reprove,</HI> by way of imprecation, but once more repeat, <HI>Lord lay
it not to your charge.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="31" UNIT="Sect"> Upon the&s;e grounds you proceed, that [<HI>having not con&s;ul|ted
with fle&s;h and blood, &amp;c.</HI>] This &s;ure in St. <HI>Pauls</HI> phra&s;e, <HI>Gal.</HI>
1. 16. &s;ignifies not <HI>con&s;ulting</HI> with men, though <HI>Apo&s;tolicall;</HI> as
<HI>con&s;ulting</HI> with them is oppo&s;ed to immediate <HI>revelation from
Heaven,</HI> and then &s;ure your <HI>A&s;&s;embly</HI> was very <HI>&s;pirituall,</HI> and ve|ry
<HI>heavenly,</HI> for with them you confe&s;&s;e to have <HI>con&s;ulted,</HI> but if
you mean by the phra&s;e, in a larger &s;en&s;e, <HI>earthly or humane in|tere&s;ts,</HI>
I &s;hall only ask, whether all the actions which have pro|ceeded
from you are &s;o vi&s;ibly divine and unmixt with earth, &s;o
apparently unintere&s;ted, that your own te&s;timony &s;hould be
&s;ufficient to give credit to this affirmation?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="32" UNIT="Sect"> Having &s;aid this, you proceed to the conclu&s;ion, that you re|&s;olved
<HI>to &s;et up the Directory,</HI> and in it to <HI>hold forth &s;uch things as
are of divine In&s;titution in every Ordinance, and other things be &s;et
forth according to the rules of Chri&s;tian Prudence; agreeable to the
generall rules of the word of God.</HI> And now 'tis a little &s;trange,
(but yet that which my temper obliges me to de&s;ire may &s;till be
my fate, when I fall upon a Controver&s;ie with any) that we
which have been at &s;uch <HI>di&s;tance</HI> all this while, &s;hould ju&s;t now
<HI>meet</HI> at <HI>parting,</HI> that &s;uch <HI>contradictory premi&s;es,</HI> &s;hould beget the
<HI>&s;ame conclu&s;ion;</HI> For there is not a better Rule in the World, nor
any which I would rather chu&s;e to be judged by in this matter,
then that which is here propo&s;ed by you; Only I de&s;ire a little
importunately to be adverti&s;ed, where it is that the <HI>Compilers
of our Liturgy</HI> have &s;werved from it. Where you have &s;werved,
<PB N="94" REF="55">
we have in&s;tanced in many particulars in our <HI>An&s;wer to the Or|dinance,</HI>
and &s;hall now once for all demand, what <HI>rules of pru|dence</HI>
oblige you to turne tho&s;e many &s;everals there mentioned
out of the <HI>Service</HI> of the <HI>Church,</HI> every one of them tending to
<HI>edification directly,</HI> over and above the agreeablene&s;&s;e of each to
the generall rules of <HI>Scripture,</HI> in particular, whether it be agree|able
to <HI>Chri&s;tian Prudence</HI> to aboli&s;h a <HI>Liturgy,</HI> which hath been
&s;o <HI>piou&s;ly</HI> and <HI>di&s;creetly</HI> framed, by tho&s;e who have &s;eal'd our <HI>Re|formation</HI>
with their <HI>bloud,</HI> and in&s;tead of it to bring in a <HI>volun|tary</HI>
way of &s;erving God in a <HI>Nationall Church,</HI> where there be
many thou&s;and <HI>Pari&s;hes,</HI> and no &s;uch promi&s;e of divine <HI>in&s;piration</HI>
or <HI>enthu&s;ia&s;me,</HI> but that there may be &s;till &s;ome number of tho&s;e
<HI>Mini&s;ters,</HI> who will not be able to &s;peak con&s;tantly in the Con|gregation,
&s;o as in the <HI>pre&s;ence</HI> of <HI>Angels</HI> they ought to &s;peak.
The experiments that have given us rea&s;on thus to fear, and de|&s;ire
prevention of the like, we are again tempted to adde unto
this paper, but we delight not to demon&s;trate them guilty of
<HI>Bla&s;phemies,</HI> who have accu&s;ed us of <HI>Super&s;tition.</HI> We de&s;ire this
fault may be cured by &s;ome milder <HI>recipe.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="33" UNIT="Sect"> As for that which in pa&s;&s;ing you &s;ay, that by your <HI>Directory
Mini&s;ters may be directed to keep like &s;oundne&s;&s;e of Doctrine,</HI> this
indeed is a prerogative of the <HI>Liturgy,</HI> (which hath alwayes been
u&s;ed as an <HI>hedge</HI> to keep out <HI>errours,</HI> and to retain a <HI>common pro|fe&s;&s;ion
of Catholick verities</HI>) but cannot belong to your <HI>Directo|ry,</HI>
which hath neither <HI>Creed</HI> nor <HI>Catechi&s;me,</HI> nor one <HI>Article of
Religion,</HI> or <HI>Doctrine</HI> a&s;&s;erted in it, but leaves that wholly to the
Preacher who&s;e doctrine that it &s;hould be &s;ound at all, or agree
with the doctrine of all other Preachers, and &s;o be like &s;ound,
here is no <HI>provi&s;ion made.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="34" UNIT="Sect"> We have thus call'd your Preface al&s;o to &s;ome tryall, and found
it of &s;uch a compo&s;ure and temper, 1. So many variations from
truth (which one that de&s;ires to be civill, mu&s;t be unju&s;t if he do
not call them &s;o) that we cannot with any plea&s;ure give an ac|compt
of our judgement of them. 2. So many unconcluding
prem<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;es, Affirmations, which if they were all &s;uppo&s;ed true,
would never come home to abolition, and among all the heap,
&s;o no one truth which is of <HI>importance</HI> or weight toward that
conclu&s;ion, that now we conceive we have di&s;charged the task,
<PB N="95" REF="55">
given the Reader &s;uch a view of the inward parts of this &s;paci|ous
fabrick, that he will not wonder, that we are not &s;o pa&s;&s;io|nately
taken with the beauty, as to receive at a venture what|&s;oever
is contain'd in it; For &s;uppo&s;ing there were never an un|&s;ea&s;onable
<HI>Direction</HI> in all the Book following, yet the recepti|on
of that, being founded in the <HI>abolition</HI> both of <HI>ours,</HI> and of <HI>all</HI>
Liturgy, the <HI>Chri&s;tian prudence agreeable to the Word of God,</HI>
which is here commended to us, obliges us to &s;top our ears to
&s;uch &s;light temptations, and never to yeeld con&s;ent, to the but
laying a&s;ide that <HI>forme of Service,</HI> which we have by <HI>e&s;tabli&s;ht
Law</HI> &s;o long enjoyed, to the great content and benefit of this
<HI>Nation;</HI> though God knowes &s;ome have not made &s;o <HI>holy,</HI> o|thers
&s;o <HI>thankful</HI> an u&s;e of it, as it de&s;erved of us, &s;ome <HI>neglecting</HI>
it, others <HI>&s;landring,</HI> and &s;o many bringing <HI>worldly hearts</HI> along
with them, which though they are great evils, under which this
divine Liturgy hath &s;uffered, yet being the <HI>infelicities,</HI> not the
<HI>crimes,</HI> the <HI>cro&s;&s;e,</HI> which hath made it like unto our Saviour, in
being <HI>&s;pit on, revil'd,</HI> and <HI>crown'd</HI> with <HI>thornes</HI> (for &s;uch he cals the
<HI>cares of this world,</HI> the mo&s;t <HI>contumelious</HI> part of the <HI>&s;uffering</HI>) and
not at all the <HI>guilt</HI> (being wholly <HI>accidentall</HI> and <HI>extrin&s;ecal</HI> to it)
mu&s;t never be exchanged, for the <HI>certain evils, naturall</HI> and <HI>in|trin&s;ecall</HI>
to the no-Liturgy, and withall the greater mi&s;chiefes
which may probably follow this alteration; for all which pati|ence
and &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion, we have not the lea&s;t kind of invitation,
&s;ave only that of the noy&s;e, and importunity of &s;ome enemies,
which &s;hould it be yeelded to, would, I doubt not, be re&s;i&s;ted
and pre&s;t again, with the <HI>Petitions</HI> of many thou&s;ands more, im|portuning
the return and re&s;titution of the Liturgy again; un|le&s;&s;e
by this means the Devill &s;hould gain an ab&s;olute and totall
manumi&s;&s;ion, ca&s;t off all his tra&s;hes, and pre&s;ently get rid of both
his enemies, <HI>Religion,</HI> and <HI>Liturgy</HI> together.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="appendix">
<PB N="96" REF="56">
<HEAD>A Po&s;t&s;cript by way of Appendix to
the two former Chapters.</HEAD>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Sect"> THe truth of all which we have hitherto &s;poken, if we
have not &s;ufficiently evidenced it already, will abun|dantly
appear by one farther te&s;timony, which is <HI>au|thentick</HI>
and undeniable to them, again&s;t whom we
&s;peak. And it is, (what the providence of God, and the power
of truth hath extorted from them) their <HI>own confe&s;&s;ion,</HI> in a book
ju&s;t now come to my hands, called, a <HI>Supply of Prayer for the
Ships that want Mini&s;ters to pray with them, agreeable to the Di|rectory
e&s;tabli&s;hed by Parliament, publi&s;hed by authority.</HI> From
which the&s;e things will be worth ob&s;erving, 1. That the ve|ry
body of it is a &s;et forme of Prayer, and &s;o no <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> in
<HI>&s;et formes.</HI> 2. That their <HI>publi&s;hing</HI> it by <HI>authority,</HI> is the pre|&s;cribing
of that forme, and &s;o 'tis lawfull to pre&s;cribe &s;uch
formes. 3. That the title, [of <HI>Supply</HI> of <HI>Prayer</HI>] proveth that
&s;ome there are, to whom &s;uch <HI>&s;upplies</HI> are <HI>nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> and &s;o a <HI>Di|rectory</HI>
not &s;ufficient for all. And 4. That [its <HI>being agreeable
to the Directory.</HI>] Or as it is, word for word form'd out of it, (the
Directory turn'd into a Prayer) &s;heweth, that out of the Dire|ctory
a Prayer may ea&s;ily fir&s;t be made, and then con&s;tantly u&s;ed,
and &s;o the Mini&s;ter ever after continue as <HI>idle</HI> without exerci&s;ing
that gift, as under our Liturgy is pretended, and &s;o here under
pretence of <HI>&s;upplying the &s;hips,</HI> all &s;uch idle <HI>Mariners</HI> in the
&s;hip of the Church are &s;upplyed al&s;o, which it &s;eems was fore|&s;een
at the writing that preface, to the <HI>Directory,</HI> where they
&s;ay, the <HI>Mini&s;ter may if need be, have from <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">hem &s;ome helpe and
furniture.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P. 8.</NOTE> 5. That the Preface to this new Work entitled, <HI>A
rea&s;on of this work,</HI> containeth many other things, which tend as
much to the retracting their former work, as <HI>Judas's throwing
back the mony</HI> did to his <HI>repentance.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Sect"> As 1. <HI>That there are thou&s;ands of Ships belonging to this King|dome,
which have not Mini&s;ters with them, to guide them in Pray|er,
<PB N="97" REF="56">
and therefore either u&s;e the Common Prayer, or no Pray|er
at all.</HI> This &s;hewes the nature of that fact of tho&s;e which
without any objection mentioned again&s;t any Prayer in that
book, which was the only help for the <HI>devotion of many thou|&s;ands,</HI>
left them for &s;ome Months, to perfect <HI>irreligion</HI> and <HI>A|thei&s;me,
and not Praying at all.</HI> And be&s;ides the&s;e &s;hips which
they here confe&s;&s;e, how many <HI>Land-companies</HI> be there in the
&s;ame condition? how many thou&s;and families which have no
<HI>Mini&s;ter</HI> in them? of which number the <HI>Hou&s;e of Commons</HI> was
alwaies wont to be one, and the <HI>Hou&s;e of Lords,</HI> &s;ince the <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI>
were removed from thence, and to deale plainly, how many Mi|ni&s;ters
will there alwaies be, in England and Wales, for &s;ure your
care for the <HI>Vniver&s;ities</HI> is not &s;o great as to be likely to worke
<HI>Miracles,</HI> which will not have <HI>skill,</HI> or <HI>power,</HI> or <HI>gift,</HI> (which you
plea&s;e) of <HI>conceiving Prayers</HI> as they ought to do? and there|fore
let me impart to you the thoughts of many prudent men
(&s;ince the newes of your <HI>Directory,</HI> and abolition of our <HI>Litur|gy</HI>)
that it would prove a mo&s;t expedite way to bring in <HI>Athei&s;me;</HI>
and this it &s;eems, you do already di&s;cern and confe&s;&s;e in the next
words, that the no prayer at all, which &s;ucceeded the <HI>aboli&s;hing
of the Liturgy, is likely to make them rather Heathens then Chri|&s;tians,
and hath left the Lords day without any marke of piety or de|votion:</HI>
a &s;ad and mo&s;t con&s;iderable truth, which &s;ome per&s;ons
ought to lament with a wounded bleeding con&s;cience, the lon|ge&s;t
day of their life, and therefore we are apt to beleeve your
charity to be more <HI>exten&s;ive,</HI> then the title of that book enlar|ges
it, and that it hath de&s;igned this <HI>&s;upply,</HI> not only to tho&s;e
<HI>&s;hips,</HI> but to all other in the like want of our <HI>Liturgy.</HI> Your on|ly
blame in this particular hath been, that you would not be &s;o
<HI>ingenuous,</HI> as <HI>Judas</HI> and &s;ome others, that have &s;oon <HI>retracted</HI> their
precipicous action, and <HI>confe&s;t</HI> they did &s;o, and made <HI>re&s;titution</HI>
pre&s;ently, while you, rather then you will (to re&s;cue men from
heatheni&s;me cau&s;ed by your abolition) re&s;tore the Book again,
and confe&s;&s;e you have &s;inned in condemning an <HI>innocent Liturgy,</HI>
will appoint &s;ome A&s;&s;embler, to compile a poor, &s;orry, piteous
forme of his own, of which I will appeale to your greate&s;t flat|terer,
if it be not &s;o low that it cannot come into any tearmes
of compari&s;on, or competition, with tho&s;e formes already pre|&s;cribed
<PB N="98" REF="57">
in our book; and &s;o &s;till you ju&s;tify your errour, even
while you confe&s;&s;e it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Sect"> 2. That 'tis <HI>now hoped that 'twill be no griefe of heart to full
Chri&s;tians; if the thir&s;ty drink out of ci&s;terns, when them&s;elves drink
out of fountaines, &amp;c.</HI> which is the &s;peciall part of that ground, on
which we have fir&s;t formed, &amp; now labour'd to pre&s;erve our <HI>Li|turgy,</HI>
on purpo&s;e that weaker Chri&s;tians may have this <HI>con&s;tant
&s;upply</HI> for their infirmities, that <HI>weake</HI> Mini&s;ters may not be for|ced
to betray their weakne&s;&s;e, that they that have not the gift
of Prayer (as even in the Apo&s;tles times there were <HI>divers gifts,</HI>
and all Mini&s;ters, had not promi&s;e to &s;ucceed in all, but one in
one, another in <HI>another gift by the &s;ame &s;pirit</HI>) may have the helpe
of the&s;e common <HI>gifts,</HI> and &s;tanding <HI>trea&s;ures</HI> of Prayer in the
<HI>Church,</HI> and (becau&s;e there be &s;o many of the&s;e kinds to be lookt
for in a Church) that tho&s;e which are able to pray as they ought,
without a forme, may yet in publick &s;ubmit to be thus re&s;train'd,
to the u&s;e of &s;o excellent a forme thus &s;et before them, rather
then others &s;hould be thus adventur'd to their own temerity, or
incurre the reproach of being thought not able; and then this
providing for the weak, both Mini&s;ter and People, will not now,
I hope, be charged on the Liturgy, by tho&s;e, who <HI>hope</HI> their <HI>&s;up|ply</HI>
of <HI>Prayer</HI> will be <HI>no griefe to others.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Sect"> 3. <HI>That the&s;e Prayers being enlivened, and &s;ent up by the &s;pirit
in him that prayeth, may be lively prayers, and acceptable to him,
who is a &s;pirit, and accepts of &s;ervice in &s;pirit and truth.</HI> Where
1. It appears by that confe&s;&s;ion, that as the place that &s;peaks of
<HI>wor&s;hipping in &s;pirit and truth,</HI> is not of any force again&s;t &s;et pray|ers,
&s;o neither is that either of the <HI>Spirits helping our infirmities,</HI>
belonging, as it is here confe&s;t mo&s;t truly, to the <HI>zeale,</HI> and <HI>fer|vor,</HI>
and <HI>inten&s;ene&s;&s;e</HI> of devotion infu&s;ed by the <HI>Spirit,</HI> and not
to the words wherein the addre&s;&s;e is made, which if the Spirit
may not infu&s;e al&s;o, in the u&s;e of our <HI>Liturgy,</HI> and a&s;&s;i&s;t a Mini|&s;ter
and Cnngregation in the <HI>Church,</HI> as well and as effectually
as a <HI>company of Mariners</HI> in a <HI>&s;hip,</HI> I &s;hall then confe&s;&s;e that the
<HI>Directory</HI> fir&s;t, and then this <HI>Supply,</HI> may be allow'd to turne it
out of the Church.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Sect"> La&s;tly, <HI>That in truth though Prayers come never &s;o new, even from
the Spirit, in one that is a guide in Prayer, if the Spirit do not quicken
<PB N="99" REF="57">
and enliven that prayer in the hearer that followes him, it is to him
but a dead forme, and a very carca&s;e of Prayer,</HI> which words be|ing
really what they &s;ay, a <HI>truth,</HI> a perfect <HI>truth,</HI> and more &s;ober|ly
&s;poken, then all or any period in the Preface to the <HI>Directory,</HI>
I &s;hall oppo&s;e again&s;t that whole <HI>Act of abolition,</HI> as a ground of
confutation of the principall part of it, and &s;hall only adde my
de&s;ire, that it be con&s;idered <HI>what Prayers</HI> are mo&s;t likely to be
thus <HI>quickned</HI> and <HI>enlivened by the &s;pirit</HI> in the hearer, tho&s;e that
he is ma&s;ter of, and under&s;tands and knowes he may joyn in, or
tho&s;e which depend wholy on the <HI>will</HI> of the Speaker, which per|haps
he <HI>under&s;tandeth not,</HI> and never <HI>knowes</HI> what they are, till
they are delivered, nor whether they be fit for him to joyne in;
or in plainer words, whether a man be likely to pray, and aske
mo&s;t fervently he <HI>knowes not what,</HI> or that which he knowes, and
comes on purpo&s;e to pray. For &s;ure the <HI>quicking</HI> and <HI>enlivening
of the Spirit,</HI> is not &s;o perfectly <HI>miracle,</HI> as to exclude all u&s;e of
<HI>rea&s;on</HI> or under&s;tanding, to prepare for a <HI>capacity</HI> of it, for then
there had been no need to have turn'd the <HI>Latine Service</HI> out of
the Church, the <HI>&s;pirit</HI> would have <HI>quickned</HI> tho&s;e <HI>Prayers</HI> al&s;o.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="100" REF="58">
<HEAD>CHAP. III.</HEAD>
<P>HAving thus pa&s;t through the <HI>Ordinance</HI> and the <HI>Preface,</HI>
and in the view of the <HI>Ordinance</HI> &s;tated and &s;etled a|right
the compari&s;on betwixt the <HI>Liturgy</HI> and the <HI>Di|rectory,</HI>
and demon&s;trated the <HI>no-nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> but plain
unrea&s;onablene&s;&s;e of the <HI>change,</HI> and &s;o by the way in&s;i&s;ted on
mo&s;t of the <HI>defects</HI> of the <HI>Directory,</HI> which are the &s;peciall mat|ter
of accu&s;ation we profe&s;&s;e to find in it, I &s;hall account it a
<HI>Superfluous Importunity</HI> to proceed to a review of the whole bo|dy
of it, which makes up the bulk of that Book, but in&s;tead of
in&s;i&s;ting on the faults and infirme parts of it (&s;uch are, the pro|hibition
of <HI>adoration toward any place,</HI> p. 10. that is of <HI>all adora|tion,</HI>
while we have bodies about us, for that mu&s;t be <HI>toward &s;ome
place;</HI> the <HI>interdicting of all parts of the Apochryphall Books,</HI> p.
12. which yet the ancient Church avowed to be read for the <HI>di|recting
of manners,</HI> though not as <HI>rule of Faith;</HI> the &s;o frequent
mention of the <HI>Covenant</HI> in the directions for <HI>Prayer,</HI> once as a
<HI>&s;peciall mercy</HI> of God, p.17. which is the greate&s;t <HI>cur&s;e</HI> could be|fall
this <HI>Kingdome,</HI> and a great occa&s;ion, if not Author of all the
re&s;t, which are now upon it, then as a means <HI>of a &s;trict and reli|gious
Vnion,</HI> p. 21. which is rather an engagement of an <HI>irreli|gious
Warre;</HI> then as a pretious <HI>band that men mu&s;t pray that it
never be broken,</HI> p. 21. which is in effect to pray, that they may
never repent, but continue in <HI>Rebellion</HI> for ever. Then as a <HI>mer|cy</HI>
again, p. 37. as if this <HI>Covenant</HI> were the greate&s;t <HI>trea&s;ure</HI> we
ever enjoyed. Then the praying for the <HI>Armies by Land</HI> and <HI>Sea,</HI>
p. 38. with that addition [for <HI>the defence of King, and Parlia|ment
and Kingdome</HI>] as re&s;olving now to put that cheat upon
God him&s;elfe, which they have u&s;ed to their Fellow-Subjects,
that of <HI>fighting again&s;t the King for the defence of him, (Beloved
be not deceived, God is not mocked.)</HI> Then affirming that the <HI>Fonts
were &s;uper&s;titiou&s;ly placed in time of Popery,</HI> and therefore the Child
<PB N="101" REF="58">
mu&s;t now be <HI>baptized in &s;ome other place,</HI> p. 40. while yet they
&s;hew not any ground of that accu&s;ation, nor never will be able
to do. Then that the <HI>cu&s;tomes of kneeling and praying by, and to|wards
the dead, is &s;uper&s;titious,</HI> p. 73. which literally it were, (<HI>Su|per&s;titum
cultus</HI>) if it were praying to them, but now is farre e|nough
from that guilt. And la&s;tly, that the <HI>Lords day is comman|ded
in the Scripture to be kept holy,</HI> p. 85. the <HI>&s;anctification</HI> of which
we acknowledge to be <HI>grounded</HI> in the <HI>Scripture,</HI> and <HI>in&s;tituted</HI>
by the <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> but not <HI>commanded in the Scripture</HI> by any re|vealed
precept. (The fir&s;t that we meet with to this purpo&s;e, is
that of <HI>Ignatius Epi&s;t. ad Magne&s;.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">.
<HI>Let us therefore Sabbatize no
longer: Let every Chri&s;tian celebrate the Lords day,</HI> which &s;aying
of an <HI>Apo&s;tolick</HI> writer being added to the mention of the <HI>Lords
day</HI> in the New Te&s;tament is a great argument of the <HI>Apo&s;tolicke
in&s;titution</HI> of that day, which the univer&s;all practice of the
Church ever &s;ince doth &s;ufficiently confirme unto us, and we are
content and &s;atisfied with that authority, although it doth not
offer to &s;hew us any <HI>command in the Scripture for it.</HI> And then
you may plea&s;e to ob&s;erve, that the &s;ame <HI>Ignatius,</HI> within a page
before that place forecited, for the <HI>ob&s;erving of the Lords day,</HI>
hath a <HI>command for Common-Prayer,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Strom. l. 7.</NOTE> and I conceive for <HI>&s;ome &s;et
Forme,</HI> I &s;hall give you the words, <GAP DESC="foreign">.
<HI>Let all meet to|gether
to the &s;ame, whether action or place in Prayer, Let there be
one Common-Prayer, one mind, &amp;c.</HI> and <HI>Clem. Alex.</HI> to the &s;ame
purpo&s;e, the Altar which we have here on Earth, is the compa|ny
of tho&s;e that dedicate them&s;elves to <HI>Prayers,</HI> as having <GAP DESC="foreign">,
a <HI>common voice, and one mind,</HI> which
cannot well be, unle&s;&s;e there be &s;ome <HI>common Forme</HI> by all a|greed
on.) In&s;tead I &s;ay of pre&s;&s;ing the&s;e or the like frailties up|on
this work, which will argue the Compo&s;ers of it to be men
and fallible, I &s;hall rather de&s;ire to expre&s;&s;e and evidence my
<HI>charity</HI> (&amp; my endeavor to read it without any prejudice) by ad|ding
my opinion, that there be &s;ome things &s;aid in it (by way of
direction for the matter of <HI>Prayer,</HI> and cour&s;e of <HI>Preaching</HI>) which
agree with <HI>whol&s;ome doctrine,</HI> and may tend to <HI>edification,</HI> and I
&s;hall not rob tho&s;e of that approbation which is due to them,
<PB N="102" REF="59">
nor conceive our Cau&s;e to need &s;uch <HI>peevi&s;h</HI> meanes to <HI>&s;u&s;taine</HI>
it; Being not thereby <HI>obliged</HI> to quarrell at the <HI>Directory ab&s;o|lutely</HI>
as a <HI>Booke,</HI> but onely as it <HI>&s;upplants</HI> the <HI>Liturgy</HI> (which
if it had a thou&s;and more <HI>excellencies</HI> in it then it hath, it would
not be <HI>fit</HI> to do.) And being willing to give others an <HI>example</HI>
of <HI>peaceablene&s;&s;e,</HI> and of a re&s;olution to <HI>make</HI> no more <HI>quarrells</HI>
then are nece&s;&s;ary, and therefore <HI>contributing</HI> my part of the en|deavour
to conclude this one a&s;&s;oon as is po&s;&s;ible: And the ra|ther
becau&s;e it is in a matter, which (if without detriment to the
<HI>Church,</HI> and the Soules of men, the Book might be univer&s;ally
received, and &s;o the <HI>experiment</HI> could be made) would, I am con|fident,
within very few years, a&s;&s;oon as the plea&s;ure of the <HI>change</HI>
and the <HI>novelty</HI> were over, prove its owne large&s;t confutation,
confe&s;&s;e its own <HI>wants</HI> and <HI>faults;</HI> and &s;o all but <HI>mad men</HI> &s;ee
the errour, and require the <HI>re&s;titution</HI> of Liturgy a|gaine.
This I &s;peak upon a &s;erious ob&s;ervation and pondering
of the tempers of men, and the &s;o <HI>mutable</HI> habits of their <HI>minds,</HI>
which as they are <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>ea&s;ily changed from good to evill,</HI>
&s;o are they (which is the difference of <HI>men</HI> from <HI>laps'd Angels</HI>)
<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>ea&s;ily reduced al&s;o</HI> to their former &s;tate again, when
<HI>rea&s;on</HI> comes to <HI>them in the coole of the day,</HI> when the <HI>heat</HI> of the
<HI>kindne&s;&s;e</HI> is pa&s;t, and a <HI>&s;atiety</HI> ha&s;tning in its &s;tead, or if it prove
not &s;o well, yet falling <HI>from one change to another, and never
coming to &s;tability.</HI> How po&s;&s;ible this may prove in this particu|lar,
I &s;hall now evidence no farther, then by the parallel <HI>vehe|ment
di&s;likes,</HI> that the <HI>Pre&s;byteriall</HI> Government hath already met
with among other of our <HI>reforming Spirits,</HI> very liberally expre&s;t
in many Pamphlets which we have lately received from <HI>London,</HI>
but in none more fully then in the <HI>Epi&s;tle</HI> to the <HI>Book</HI> entituled,
<HI>John Bapti&s;t,</HI> fir&s;t charging the <HI>Pre&s;byterians</HI> (who formerly ex|claimed
again&s;t <HI>Epi&s;copacy for &s;tinting the &s;pirit) that they began
to take upon them to e&s;tabli&s;h a Dagon in his throne, in &s;tinting the
whole wor&s;hip of the God of Heaven, &amp;c.</HI> and in plain words with|out
mincing or <HI>di&s;&s;embling, that they had rather the French King,
nay the great Turk &s;hould rule over them, then the&s;e.</HI> The only u&s;e
which I would now make of the&s;e experiments is this, to <HI>admire</HI>
that <HI>ble&s;&s;ed excellent Chri&s;tian grace</HI> of <HI>obedience</HI> (and <HI>contentment
with our pre&s;ent lot,</HI> what&s;oever it be, that brings not any nece&s;|&s;ity
of &s;inning on us.) I mean, to commend to all, in matters of
<PB N="103" REF="59">
<HI>indifference,</HI> (or where <HI>Scripture</HI> hath not given any <HI>immediate
rule,</HI> but left us to obey tho&s;e who are &s;et over us) that happy
choice of &s;ubmitting, rather then <HI>letting loo&s;e</HI> our appetites, of
obeying, then pre&s;cribing; A <HI>duty,</HI> which be&s;ides the very great
<HI>ea&s;e</HI> it brings with it, hath much of <HI>vertue</HI> in it, and will be abun|dant
reward to it &s;elfe here on earth, and yet have a mighty <HI>ar|reare</HI>
remaining to be paid to it in Heaven hereafter; which
when it is heartily con&s;idered, it will be a thing of &s;ome difficul|ty
to <HI>invent</HI> or <HI>feigne</HI> a heavier <HI>affliction</HI> to the <HI>meek and quiet &s;pi|rit,</HI>
a more <HI>en&s;naring</HI> piece of <HI>treachery</HI> to the Chri&s;tian Soule, (I
am &s;ure to his <HI>E&s;tate</HI> and temporall pro&s;perity) then that of <HI>con|trary
irreconcileable commands,</HI> which is now the ca&s;e, and mu&s;t
alwaies be when <HI>Ordinances</HI> undertake to &s;uper&s;ede <HI>Lawes,</HI> when
the inferiour, but ore-&s;waying power, adventures to <HI>check</HI> the
<HI>Superiour.</HI> Of which &s;ubject I have <HI>temptation</HI> to annex a full
tyde of thoughts, would it not prove too much a <GAP DESC="foreign">, and
be mo&s;t &s;ure to be &s;o e&s;teemed by them to whom this addre&s;&s;e
is now tendred. The good <HI>Lord of Heaven and Earth encline our
hearts to keep that Law</HI> of his, <GAP DESC="foreign">
Eph. 6. 2. <HI>which is a prime Commandement,</HI> and that with a <HI>pro|mi&s;e</HI>
of &s;ecular Peace and aboundance <HI>annext</HI> (if not confined)
to it.</P>
<P>To conclude therefore,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The conclu|&s;ion.</NOTE> and &s;umme up all in a word, we have
di&s;cover'd by this briefe &s;urvey, the <HI>rea&s;onablene&s;&s;e</HI> of this act of
<HI>Gods providence,</HI> in permitting our <HI>Liturgy</HI> to be thus <HI>defamed,</HI>
though in all rea&s;on the <HI>Liturgy</HI> it &s;elfe <HI>de&s;erve</HI> not that fate, the
<HI>no-inconveniencies</HI> &s;o much as pretended to ari&s;e from our <HI>Li|turgy,</HI>
to which the <HI>Directory</HI> is not much more liable, the <HI>no|objection</HI>
from the word of God again&s;t the whole or any part
of it produced, or offered by you, the no-manner of the lea&s;t or
loo&s;e&s;t kind of <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> to aboli&s;h it, the perfect <HI>ju&s;tifiablene&s;&s;e,</HI>
and with all <HI>u&s;efullne&s;&s;e of &s;et forms</HI> above extemporary effu&s;ions,
the very many particulars of eminent <HI>benefit</HI> to the Church, and
of <HI>authority</HI> in it, pre&s;erved in our <HI>Liturgy,</HI> but in the <HI>Directory</HI>
totally omitted, and that in de&s;pight of all <HI>Statutes</HI> both of
<HI>King Edward,</HI> and <HI>Queen Elizabeth,</HI> by which the <HI>Reformation</HI>
of this Church is <HI>e&s;tabli&s;ht</HI> among us, and I tru&s;t &s;hall &s;till con|tinue,
notwith&s;tanding the oppo&s;ition of tho&s;e who pretended
<PB N="104" REF="60">
<HI>kindne&s;&s;e,</HI> but now runne riot again&s;t this <HI>reformation,</HI> we have
&s;hew'd you al&s;o the true grounds of our <HI>ance&s;tors rejoycing</HI> in
our Liturgy, in&s;tead of the partiall imperfect account given of
that bu&s;ine&s;&s;e by your <HI>Preface,</HI> the wonderfull <HI>pro&s;perity</HI> of this
Church under it, contrary to the pretended <HI>&s;ad experience,</HI> &amp;c.
and withall we have made it clear, that all the exceptions here
propo&s;ed again&s;t the Liturgy, are perfectly vain and cau&s;ele&s;&s;e;
as <HI>that it hath prov'd an offence, &amp;c.</HI> the ordinary crime <HI>charg'd</HI>
on tho&s;e actions that are lyable to no other, and &s;o that <HI>offence
without a cau&s;e; that this offence hath been by the length of the &s;er|vice,</HI>
which will only offend the prophane, and withall, is as ob|&s;erveable
in your Service; <HI>by the many unprofitable burthen&s;ome
Ceremonies,</HI> which have been &s;hewed, neither to be <HI>many,</HI> nor
<HI>unprofitable,</HI> nor burthen&s;ome, <HI>by the di&s;quieting of Con&s;ciences,
i.e.</HI> only of the <HI>unquiet, by depriving them of the Ordinance, i.e.</HI>
tho&s;e who would rather loo&s;e the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> then receive it
<HI>kneeling,</HI> or reverently; <HI>that the offence was extended to the refor|med
Churches abroad al&s;o,</HI> and yet for that no one proof offered,
nor Church named, that was &s;o <HI>offended:</HI> and if there were, yet
&s;till this &s;uppo&s;ed <HI>offen&s;ivene&s;&s;e,</HI> no ju&s;t plea for any thing but
<HI>Reformation.</HI> So al&s;o <HI>that by means of the Liturgy, many were di|barred
of the exerci&s;e of their Mini&s;try,</HI> the &s;ugge&s;tion for the
mo&s;t part a meer calumny, and that which was true in it, ready
to be retorted upon the&s;e Reformers; <HI>that the Prelates have la|bour'd
to rai&s;e the e&s;timation of the Liturgy too high,</HI> yet that no
higher then you would the value of your <HI>Directory,</HI> to have it the
rule for the manner of publick wor&s;hip, or if they did, this is the
fault of tho&s;e <HI>Prelates,</HI> not of the Liturgy: who yet were &s;aid
but to have <HI>labour'd</HI> it neither, not to have <HI>effected</HI> it, and even
that labour or de&s;ire of theirs, to have amounted no higher, then
<HI>Calvins</HI> Letter to the <HI>Protector</HI> would avow; <HI>that this hath been
to the ju&s;tling out of Preaching,</HI> which is rather a &s;peciall help to
it, and pre&s;cribes it, and allowes it its proper place, but hath
oft the ill luck to be turn'd out by Preaching; <HI>that it hath been
made no better then an Idoll,</HI> which if it be a fault in the Liturgy,
is farre more chargeable on the hearing of Sermons, <HI>that the peo|ple
plea&s;e them&s;elves in their pre&s;ence, and lip-labour in that &s;ervice;</HI>
an uncharitable judging of mens hearts, and a crime to which
<PB N="105" REF="60">
your <HI>Directory</HI> makes men as lyable as the <HI>Liturgy, that our Li|turgy
is a compliance with Papi&s;ts, and &s;o a means to confirme them
in their Idolatry, &amp;c.</HI> whereas it complies with them in nothing
that is <HI>Idolatrous,</HI> &amp;c. and by complying with them, where they
do with antiquity and truth, it is more apt to convince them of
their errours, and by <HI>charity</HI> to invite, then by <HI>defiance, that it
makes an idle Mini&s;try;</HI> which &s;ure the <HI>Directory</HI> will not un|make,
being as fit for that turne, either by forming and conning
the Prayer there delineated, or by depending on pre&s;ent con|ceptions,
as the Liturgy can be, <HI>that it hinders the gift of Pray|er,</HI>
which if it &s;ignify the elocution, or conception of words in
Prayer, is not peculiar to the Mini&s;ter, and for any thing el&s;e,
hindring it no more then the <HI>Directory</HI> doth; <HI>that the continu|ance
of it would be matter of endle&s;&s;e &s;trife, &amp;c.</HI> which &s;ure 'tis more
rea&s;onable to think of an introduction of a <HI>new</HI> way of Service,
then the retaining of the <HI>old; that there be many other weighty
con&s;iderations, and many particulars in the book, on which this
condemnation is grounded,</HI> and yet not one of the&s;e mention'd, but
kept to <HI>boil</HI> in their own brea&s;ts, if there be any, or which is more
likely, fal&s;ely here pretended to <HI>inflame</HI> the reckoning; <HI>that they
are not mov'd to this by any love of novelty,</HI> and yet do that which
is mo&s;t <HI>novell; that they intend not to di&s;parage the Reformers,</HI> and
yet do that which is mo&s;t to their <HI>di&s;paragement, that they do this
to an&s;wer Gods providence,</HI> which never call'd them to this work;
<HI>to &s;atisfie their own Con&s;cience,</HI> which if Erroneous, mu&s;t not thus
be &s;atisfied; <HI>to &s;atisfie the expectation of other Churches,</HI> which ex|pect
it not, or if they did, might rather conforme to us and <HI>&s;a|tisfy</HI>
us, <HI>and the de&s;ires of many of the Godly at home,</HI> who&s;e pie|ty
is no a&s;&s;urance that their de&s;ires are rea&s;onable, and yet are
not known to have expre&s;t any &s;uch de&s;ires; <HI>that they may give
te&s;timony of their endeavours for uniformity,</HI> whereas with other
Churches, there is no &s;uch nece&s;&s;ity of <HI>conforming</HI> in &s;uch matters,
and within our &s;elves, nothing is &s;o contrary to uniformity, as
this <HI>endeavour.</HI> And La&s;tly, we have learnt from them, a rule
by which they pretend to forme their <HI>Directory,</HI> the agreeable|ne&s;&s;e
to <HI>the word of God and Chri&s;tian prudence,</HI> and are mo&s;t con|fident
to ju&s;tify our <HI>Liturgy</HI> by that rule, again&s;t all di&s;puters in
the World; And having now over and above all this, a plaine
<PB N="106" REF="61">
confe&s;&s;ion under their own hands, in their <HI>Supply of Prayer,</HI> of
ju&s;tify all that we pretend to, and &s;o being &s;aved the pains of
any farther &s;uperfluous confutation, we &s;hall now leave it to the
judgement of any rationall Lay-man in the <HI>New A&s;&s;embly,</HI> to
judge betwixt us and his fellow-Members, who&s;e preten&s;ions are
mo&s;t moderate in this matter, who&s;e mo&s;t like Chri&s;tian, tho&s;e
that are to re&s;cue and pre&s;erve, or tho&s;e which to de&s;troy. Thus
in the <HI>Councell</HI> of <HI>Nice,</HI> holden before <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> and <HI>Helena,</HI>
in a controver&s;ie of great importance, <HI>Craton</HI> and <HI>Zeno&s;imus,</HI> not
only <HI>Lay-men</HI> but <HI>Heathens</HI> were appointed judges or arbitrators
only on this ground, becau&s;e <HI>Craton</HI> a Philo&s;opher would not
po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e any worldly goods, and <HI>Zeno&s;imus</HI> in time of his Con|&s;ul&s;hip,
never received pre&s;ent from any, &s;aith <HI>Jacobotius:</HI> thus
al&s;o <HI>Eutropius</HI> a <HI>Pagan Philo&s;opher,</HI> was cho&s;en umpire between
<HI>Origen</HI> and the <HI>Marcionites,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">De concil, l. 2. c. 6.</NOTE> it being &s;uppo&s;ed, that &s;uch an one
was as fit to under&s;tand their &s;everal claims, and judge according
to Allegations and proofes as any; And if we fall or mi&s;carry be|fore
&s;uch an <HI>Ari&s;tarchus,</HI> I &s;hall then re&s;olve, that a <HI>Covenant</HI> may
wa&s;t a &s;oule, (even drive the man into the <HI>field</HI> with <HI>Nebuchad|nezar</HI>)
deprive it of tho&s;e <GAP DESC="foreign"> common principles of di&s;|cour&s;e,
(by which, till it be debauched, it is <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>able</HI>
in &s;ome mea&s;ure,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Al. Aphrod. in Top.</NOTE> <HI>to judge of truth,</HI> propo&s;ed and debated before
it) and then I &s;hall hope for more candor in the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e from an
<HI>intelligent heathen,</HI> then for him. My only appeale in that ca&s;e
&s;hall be, to Heaven, that the ho&s;t of Angels, may by the Lord of
that ho&s;t be appointed, to guard and a&s;&s;i&s;t that cau&s;e, and tho&s;e
Armies who&s;e pretentions in this, and all other particulars, are
mo&s;t righteous, and mo&s;t acceptable in his &s;ight.</P>
<P><HI>Doe not erre, my beloved Brethren.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Now the Lord of all mercies, and God of love and Peace,
grant us to be like minded in all things, that we may joyne
with one heart, and tongue, to prai&s;e him, and wor&s;hip him, to
ble&s;&s;e him, and to magnifie him for ever.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="61">
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