be the better for it or else they would not do it nay they think it to be no Church till it be done for till then there is in it no preaching at least no administring of Sacraments yet both they administer in private Houses Other things there are as churching of Women after the Jewish Way of Purification as we keep a Day about it for the blessed Virgin which God never required at our Hands nor she ever desired but all is our Fancy after the Pattern of Popery there are also the private Communion private Baptism Burial of the Dead at Sea there was also a Form about healing or touching for the King 's Evil a Popish Foppery too but now quite out all which we omit speaking to having things enough besides to discourse upon so we must proceed to a second general Head namely the Discipline of the Church Of Church-Government THUS having spoken of Ceremonies we must now say something of the Government of the Church which is much after that of Rome Triplicat art whitak cap. 9. Hierarch Anachrys lib. 2. pag. 45. in the manner of Hierarcy by Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons Deans and Chapters then Chancellours Commissaries Officials c. These have been the Steps for Popes to ascend upon that Throne of Iniquity which they now sit upon these are of Man's Invention whether or not the Design was good I shall not dispute but certainly it hath proved fatal Staplet and Scalting Two of the great Champions of Rome both highly commend and in it do much approve of our Constitution and Practice Those Offices in the Church which are of God's Institution we have them named in Scripture Eph. 4.11 and 1 Cor. 12.28 God gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers The Apostles were universal Preachers of the Gospel immediately called by Christ who wrought Miracles and were infallible in Doctrine The Prophets did interpret and expound Scriptures by a Divine Light having the Gift of Tongues and of things to come The Evangelists were the Writers of the History of the Gospel inspired of God or else Preachers of the Gospel called by the Apostles and attended on them in their Journeys Pastors also called Bishops that is Overseers were Ministers settled in certain Churches to teach and govern them The Doctors or Teachers were Successors of Prophets whose Office it was to explain Scriptures and vindicate them from the Errours of Hereticks The Apostles instituted Elders or Presbyters for that 's the true Signification of the Word who also are called Bishops though not always some being only to rule the Church others also to preach Men chosen by the Church endued with Gifts and Authority above others who with the Pastors took care of the publick Doctrine administred Ecclesiastical Discipline and in the Churches Name were taken up with the Vocation of Ministers Acts 6. There were also Deacons to take care of the poor to visit the sick to maintain Hospitality and sometimes to preach the Word These are all the Offices in the Church we have in the Word of God for all are reduced under these Heads No Lord Pastour and Ministerial Pastour no Bishop of Bishop or Arch-bishop that is Prince Bishop no Deacon of Deacon or Archdeacon This is contrary to the Rule of Christ so expresly forbidding his Disciples to affect any thing of Dominion or Superiority of one over another and indeed those Offices named in that to the Ephesians are sufficient for the Church as 't is said in the 12th Verse for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ All besides this is of a Humane Superstructure Rectors Curates Vicars c. are Names Things and Limbs of the Roman Church most of the hyerarchical Officers are not for these good Ends. Now Bishops which answer to Watchmen Pastors Ezech. 23.27 and Elders in God's Word are but for one and the same Office We see it clearly out of that place of Scripture where 't is written how St. Paul sent for the Elders of the Church of Ephesus to come to him to Miletus in the Charge he giveth them he saith Act. 20.17 82. Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God In this Text we have the three Names given to the same Persons those he sent for and speaks to are called Elders God made them Overseers v. 17. for that 's the Sgnification of the Word in the Original and what in other places of Scripture is translated Bishops is here rendered by the Word Overseers though in the Greek the Word be the very same and amongst the Translators was debated whether or not in this Place it should be Englished by the Word Bishop but upon Consideration that it might prejudice the Difference they make between Bishop and Pastor or Elder they made use of the Word Overseer which could not be taken notice of by those that understand no Greek this by the by then these Elders of the Church of Ephesus the Holy Ghost had made Bishops them he charged to seed the Church and do the Office of Pastors so that in the 28th Verse Pastors and Bishops are but one and the same and here by the way I shall make this general Observation how in the Exposition of a Text three things are chiefly to be taken notice of first The true Signification of the Word in the Original secondly The Scope of the Author in the Place Thirdly The Analogy of Faith and Relation to other Places of Scripture The first I have spoken of the second here is a Charge of St. Paul for those Elders to perform their Duty of overseeing and feeding their Flock 1 Pet. 5.1 2. which St. Peter asserts also to be the Duty of Elders whereof he owns himself to be one The third is the Analogy of this Place with others as that which Paul writes to Titus For this cause I lest thee in Greet that thou shouldest ordain Elders in every City Tit. 1.5 6 7. If any be blameless c. for a Bishop must be blameless In the 5 Verse he calls Elders and in the 7. Bishops the same Persons This is the divine Bishop of a divine Institution for as to the Diocesian Bishop 't is but an Humane and Prudential Institution and there is no such thing known in Scripture as it appears out of that Place to the Philippians St. Paul directs the Epistle to all the Saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi Chap. 1.1 with the Bishops and Deacons out of which Place after Jerome we may say that Philippi is one Town in Macedonia and as now Bishops are reckoned there is but one not many of one Town or City but here are Bishops of the plural Number of Philippi therefore the Pastors and Elders of the Place are meaned which also
without naming of Wheat Rye c. or French Spanish or Rhenish Wines c. but Kneeling at the Sacrament Bowing towards the Altar Cross and Surplice are not so in general appointed Moses and the Lord Jesus were compared in Faithfulness in all God's House Heb. 3.2 their Faithfulness equal because they both did that which was Commanded them of God however if it were God's revealed Will that more immediate means of Worship had been instituted in the Christian Church more then Christ hath instituted who was appointed to ordain the means of Worship under the New Testament as Moses was under the Old and Moses gave all such Rules of Worship under the Old Testament which God would have it followeth that the Faithfulness of Christ was not so extended to all the necessities of the Church as Moses's was which is meer Blasphemy Wherefore we must agree that the Lord Jesus appointed all necessary things for the being and well-being of his Church so there is nothing left for Men to add unto it and let those who pretend to an Authority to make Additions have a care what they do for this is to bring strange fire into the House of God and let them remember the Crime and Punishment of Nadab and Abihu Now God will suffer unpunished Inventions of Men in his Worship no more then he would allow them of strange Fire and the reason of this terrible Judgment given in the Text is which he commanded them not Levit. 10.1 So that in this case what is not commanded is forbidden and to do any thing without a Precept is an heinous sin Thus we need no other reason against all these Ceremonies Additions and Humane Inventions then this God hath not commanded them The words of one of our Doctors upon the place are observable Bishop Babington We may hence learn and settle in our hearts with what severity the Lord challengeth and defendeth his Authority in laying down the manner and way of his Worship not leaving it to any Creature to meddle with but according to Prescription and Appointment from him content he is that Men shall make Laws for Humane Matters c. But for his Divine Worship he only will prescribe it himself and what he appointed that must be done and that only or else Nadab and Abihu their Punishment must be expected that is God's Wrath in such a manner as he shall please These Words are full when God threatned Judah for building the high places of Tophet he saith Jer. 7.31 which I commanded them not He makes a high Aggravation to the Sin because in matter of Worship nothing is to be done without his express Commandment so that which is without and besides the Word is against it Of this Nature are their double and significant Rites which no meer Order and Decency doth necessarily require but only the meer Will of Men but we mean it not of every particular Rite belonging to Order and Decency which are besides the particular Determination of Scripture Concerning the Altar to be made unto the Lord Exod. 20.24 25. he prescribed the matter of Earth or of Stone and the manner too not to have the Stone hewen Deut. 27.5 6. 1 Jos 8.31 or to have Steps to go up to it What may some say if we may not conveniently make it with Earth or Stone we will make it of something else as Bricks it will still be an Altar to offer Sacrifices only to the Lord and shall be wholly dedicated to his Service Thus man's corrupt Reason is apt to speak and is pleased with its Notion but to know how heinously God takes it let us hear God himself Isa 65.3 a People that provoketh me to Anger continually to my Face That burneth Incense upon Altars of Brick There is an End when Men will pretend to be wiser than God It is strange but true how the Foolishness of man would be wiser than the Wisdom of God as if we would take upon us to outwit him God thinks such and such ways are best but men know of better some had as good as to say we like not what God prescribed we our selves know better than so even in those things that belong to his Worship Did the most notorious Idolaters ever proceed to a higher Degree of Presumption than this is They that go so far would go farther if they could they who take upon them to make Additions or Alterations in his Service would prescribe the whole too and may be at last order his actings and perhaps meddle with his own Nature for indeed by the same reason they meddle with one they might do so with the other yet when God speaks the whole Earth should be silent and hold their peace Yet some will not but as it were would be prescribing and make in his house new Laws contrary to or at least different from those he hath enacted To shew how pragmatical and peremptory our Nature is in such things let the Case of Naaman the Syrian 2 Kings 5. a great Man with his Master honorable and a mighty Man in Valour be observed he comes to the Prophet Elisha to be cured of his Leprosie one would think that coming so far to a Doctor he should take the Doctor 's Advice who bids him go to and wash in Jordan seven times but thereupon that great man is very angry and goes away what saith he I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the Name of the Lord his God and strike his Hand over the Place and recover the Leper All this very plausible to Human Sense and Reason for a man who looks upon Abana and Pharphar Rivers of Damascus better than all the Waters of Israel and may be he had never been cured if God had not put it into the Hearts of his Servants to speak to him If the Prophet had bid thee to do some great thing wouldest thou not have done it He despised the Plainness and Simplicity of the Remedy yet it proved a true one So though the plain Worship free from Ceremonies instituted of God be the right one yet some look for things of a great Pomp and Shew but they are worse than Naaman was for he upon the Voice of his Servants obeyed the Word of the Prophet but these will not hearken to the Word of God let him speak never so plainly by the Mouth of his Servants they will take no Warnings but rather follow their own ways It were well if that People who have so great a mind to be meddling with a legislative and institutive Power in the Church would consider this there is no such thing no such Ceremony either done or instituted by Christ therefore let us not think our selves wiser than he or his Apostles De Sacram. Commonpeople saith Dr. Whitaker are not to be taught with Ceremonies God hath given the Scriptures that out of them they might receive necessary Instruction
Baptism is as decently administred without as with the Sign of the Cross and publick Prayers as decently read without a Surplice as with it but if they be added to cloth Religion 't is to accuse her of Nakedness but Christ hath made a sufficient Provision for it without such things which they ought not to maintain except they can prove God is better served with them than without Now the Apostle's Scope in the place is to charge the Corinthians in their meetings to avoid Confusion and what is unbecoming as to speak in unknown Tongues or to prophecy all together which would be very undecent as in ordinary Company to hear all talking together and breed Confusion and this is the reason Vers 33. for God is not the Author of Confusion Therefore the Church which is his House must be a House of Order he doth not give them leave to bring any new thing of their own into the Church but only to observe a Decency and not to speak in unknown Tongues whereby they would be Barbarians one to another and others would think they are mad And also in not prophecying all at once V. 11. V. 23. Vers 37. but one after another to observe an Order in performing the things he writes to them which he calls the Commandment of the Lord and no doubt this was to reform Abuses about these things crept into their Church So this Text doth not in the least favour our Ceremony-mongers and 't is no Warrant for them to usurp a Power of instituting unnecessary significant Ceremonies with such circumstantial Appertenances as I named a little before they may direct about God's Worship but not to bring Innovations into it I say Appertenances but not Parts which yet they confound though there be a Difference so a Rochet Laund Sleeves c. are Appertenaces but no parts of a Bishop a Surplice an Appertenance but no Part of a Reader Hair Appertetenance but no Part of the Body A thing which prevailes much upon some of them is this these Ceremonies say they in themselves are indifferent but being commanded by Authority they become necessary and we ought to obey them this Principle they go upon is false upon these two Accounts First The things are not indifferent Secondly They who institute and impose them may not do it as to the first that such things are not indifferent that is they may not lawfully be used or not be used I made it appear when I proved them to be unlawful and superstitious which I think to have sufficiently performed for any thing introduced into the Worship of God to signifie something in it and then the Practise thereof imposed upon People without a Warrant from the Word of God is unlawful and consequently far from being indifferent and suppose in their Nature they were not unlawful as they are yet upon the acccount of the Abuse committed about them they become sinful in their use the Rule of indifferent things and not necessary is if they be polluted with Idolatry and Superstition ought to be abolished Respons ad Versipellem It is most right and sound saith Calvin to say that the Institutions of God may not be abolished for any Abuse but Human Institutions being defiled and so proving hurtful and offensive to our Brethren are to be abstained from the Superstition against which true Worshippers of God do fight came for the most part from unknown Puddles and all are soiled with ungodly Errour which can never be removed but by utter abolishing of their Use Why then do we not simply acknowledge that which is true namely that this Remedy of abolishing their Use is Necessary for taking off Dross from the Church Disput Gen. 66. And Beza saith the Trifles which had proceeded unto manifest Superstition we have abolished as Will-Worship We also affirm that they which retain the Relicks of unprofitable Ceremonies and out of preposterous Judgment do correct rather than abolish them deserve ill of the Churches yet some there are who would have Pastors to put on Garments which if not by their first bringing in yet by their Abuses are Baal's Garments you Papists have so abused these Ceremonies that without violating of Religion we cannot retain them We see how those first Instruments of Reformation used the same Arguments against Papists as we do against our Ceremony-Mongers and Papists used the same against them as our Ceremonists do against us so that Cause is the same only there is more or less in the case and there is no Pretence to say such things are indifferent which maketh Beza say in another place how that Text of 1 Cor. 7.23 is to be understood of Superstitions which some do foolishly call indifferent things Now I come to shew how they who institute and impose such Ceremonies have no right and may not do it and so ought not to be obeyed It had been well if they had never given just Cause to question this pretended Power of theirs which is a meer Usurpation they go beyond their Commission and cannot answer it 'T is to be wished there was no ground to suspect there is in many of them too much of self-Interest In the Church of Rome their great Prelates and Cardinals though sometimes for the present they feel Inconveniencies under the exorbitant Power of Popes yet all submit to it and cry it up because none of them hath cast away Hopes of raising to that Dignity and then they will exact from others that uncontroulable Obedience and Respect which once they yielded their Superiour so may be some amongst us as being fed with Hopes at one time or other it will be their turn to have an upper hand in the Government of the Church are against their Knowledge content to stoop and submit to things which in their Judgment they do not approve because when they come to it they will use others as once they were used if so 't is a Ministery of Iniquity and I appeal to the Consciences of some of them All these Practises are subservient to such Usurpations but can never justifie them and in such a case Scripture gives both Precept and Example and with the Apostles we ought to say Acts. 5.29 and 4.19 We ought to obey God rather than Men Nay with the same we may boldly refer to the Judgment of such Rulers of Synagogues and say Whether it be right in the Sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye Let them not say that what the Apostles did and what we do say is upon a different account we know there are several sorts of Truths yea some more important than others however every Divine Truth is a Truth to be owned and maintained and every Divine Truth is of a high Concernment That which we stand for in our present Questions concerns no less than two of the three Offices of our blessed Lord and Mediator the first his Prophetical Office whether in the
Will or a Deed and knows nothing of the Contents thereof Indeed there is such a Lordly Carriage amongst some of them as doth not become Ministers of the Gospel who would not so much as say Grace at their own Table but have their Chaplains to do it nor to give a Visit to the sick to comfort the afflicted they have Worldy Businesses to mind besides that some use as Servants their Fellow-ministers despising or otherwise abusing them in the same Degree as they neglect their Flocks Ezech. 34. whereby they become liable to the Judgments of God pronounced against the Shepherds But we leave that Point to come to the Abuse of their Power in Convocation about Ecclesiastical Affairs as to the making of Canons and Constitutions which if they please may happen to be such as will endanger or bring the Nation under Bondage and wrong Men in their Free-holds Some of that kind have formerly been made and others have encroached upon thelegislative Power of the Nation They who will take the Pains to peruse the Records of that worthy Parliament in 1610 may find they took notice of such Courses as were contrary to the Authority of Parliaments condemned urging of Subscriptions above that appointed by the Statute of 13 Elizabeth only concerning Confession of the true Christian Faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments Farther Prelates kept their Courts in their own Names silenced deprived excommunicated which is to encroach upon the Crown 's Prerogative and so thereby fall into the Penalty of Premunire by the Statute of 25 of Henry VIII except they can shew some special Warrant by Statute for so doing which they cannot because in King Edward the VIth's days they were ordered to keep their Courts in the King's Name Canonical Oaths and Subscriptions are Tyrannical Things so are their more severely punishing the breach of their Laws than of God's and to teach a necessity where Christ hath left a Liberty is an effect of Arbitrariness It cannot be denied but that several good and faithful Servants of Christ for refusing to submit to Ceremonies which God never Commanded but hath forbid 'em have through merciless and unjust Persecution been reduced to Want and Misery to pay Fines be put in Prison where some dyed good learned and laborious Ministers turned out for Nonconformity and others scandalous and unfit put in their place only because they Conformed a sign that they minded Conformity more than the main Duties of God's Service for rather than to put in Nonconformists they left Parishes unprovided wear the Surplice or Preach not Cross or Baptise not Kneel or no Sacrament for you and the Minister Administring to such by the Canon to be suspended By their 6th Canon Nonconformists are accounted to be Schismaticks Puritans and Excommunicated ipso facto without Appeal This is to make as great a difference between Protestants and between Men and Men as between Men and Beasts however let us give praise to whom it is due Bishop Grindal was commanded to suppress an exercise called Prophecying which he constantly refused to do There hath been but few Grindal's in that point for commonly they turn'd out Preaching under pretence of Praying or rather reading of Prayers We look somewhat back but certainly upon account of Nonconformity here strange things have been acted not only of old but also under some of the late Reigns and the continued succession of such hard usages have preserved the memory of them so that the smart thereof doth last to this very day and cannot easily be forgotten And though now thanks be to God Men live under the favour of an Act of Indulgence and amongst some Church-men who have more Moderation than others had yet still there are too many remaining that act by a Spirit of that kind and if it was in their power would be as virulent as formerly others were The Church was barbarously dealt with when persecuted by cruel tyrants and Strangers as by Egyptians Assyrians Caldeans but never more than when she turned to persecute her self in her own Members Heb. 11. two Instances we have one amongst the Jews when the Prophets and other good Men were put to Death then when our Saviour his Disciples and other Primitive Christians were cruelly butchered so always since when one part persecuted another then Popery out-did all that had been done before And lastly here amongst us though not so cruelly yet ill enough as contrary to greater Lights and against the Rules of Christian Meekness and Charity a sign of a bad cause which makes use of such means to promote it In the mean time the most important Concern hath been and is still neglected in some parts of the Nation At this very time I write People have hardly a Sermon once a Month no Minister in the place upon occasion to visit and comfort the Sick Livings are sometimes bestowed upon those who live many Miles off who come not near the place and a poor Reader or vicar or Curate kept who hath hardly Bread to put in his Mouth the People are deprived of the Right of Electing or Approving one fit or unfit is imposed upon them which is quite as unreasonable if not worse than if a Husband was pressed upon a Woman whether she will or not Are not Bishops concerned to look to and endeavour within their Diocess to remedy these Abuses When a Parish is worth 80 or 100 l. a year and yet cannot have a Minister to live among them In a word for I am tired to think upon this subject what shall we say of Chancellors Commissaries Officials Parators Pursuivants and so many more Blood-suckers of the Church's income of calling Ministers without express consent of the Congregations of Ministers going to Law for their places of Plurality Non-residency dumb Ministers Simony prophane Contemners of Religion Carnal proceedings in Spiritual Courts taking Money for Ordination Citations change of Penances into Money c. are not these abominable Abuses This point I shall almost conclude with the Lordly and Pompous Prelate whom we have seen usurping the sole Authority of Jurisdiction Ordination and Excommunication But now we must speak few words of his assuming wholly to himself the power of Confirmation though some good may come by it yet the thing in it that is good might be done under another Name which we would not borrow from Papists through whose hands this is passed into ours when they so superstitiously abuse and make a Sacrament of it but I will not insist upon some things I might say to the Purpose only I must make an Observation how strange it is that a Minister that hath a lawful Calling to preach the everlasting Gospel to administer the Sacraments and hath a Right to do every thing else that belongs to the Office of Ministery yet may not perform this Part of it which in Substance is to examin and Catechise Children but this is reserved for the Bishop Those are sad Times when Will and
Thus whilest with one Hand we are hugging and imbracing Papists and as it were courting them to own a Relation of our Bishops being by means of Ordination descended from theirs on the other Endeavours were used here to crush and destroy poor Brethren Some though Christians and Country men proved Wolves and Tygers against others Nonconformists as were and are submissive and obedient to Authority who are for Order and Ministry by way of Office in the Church not guilty in the least of any blasphemous Doctrine against the Person Offices or Grace of Christ nor of any Fundamental Errors yet meerly for Consciencce sake for nothing but Non-conformity was laid to their Charge they were vexed fined cast into Prison where some of them died and otherwise cruelly persecuted which ought to make those that have any thing of the Spirit of Christianity to blush and be ashamed Such Practices ought to be left for the Children of him who is a Murderer from the Beginning For cruel Tyrants and Heathen Emperors and for the Romish Anti-Christ who by any means goes about to compel Men to believe their Opinions to believe as they say as they and do as they do a thing never practised by the Lord Jesus nor by his Apostles nor by true Christians when they had the Power of the Sword For Christian Religion and the true Doctrines of the Gospel must not by Men be forced but perswaded nor promoted by any violent ways One Man may have a Power over the Body of another but no Right or Authority over the Souls one of another that 's God's own Right and Property and they are all Usurpers that do encroach upon it Reformation began first in Saxony under Luther but there they neither kept nor did set up any Bishops nor have any such Diocesian to this very Day but they have a Lay-man residing at the Elector's Court commonly a privy-Counsellor called the President of the Presbytery and in those Parts of Germany they have secularized several Bishopricks as Bremen Minden Halberstad c. Now to the third and last general Part about the Liturgy Of the Common-prayer-book ONE thing more I must speak of though already this Discourse be longer than at first I thought it would be and that is the Liturgy which I shall do as briefly as possibly I can In order to it 't will not be amiss to take notice how much that Space of Time namely Queen Mary's Reign between King Edward's and Queen Elizabeth's had altered that Spirit which appeared in the Reformation under that pious young Prince the Josiah of his time That bloody Persecution had destroyed the Lives of several of those Godly and Learned Instruments of Reformation under the former Reign who in that great and good Work proposed unto themselves no Humane By-Ends but only the Glory of God according to his Word and though in the Beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Days there were several worthy Instruments yet the Spirit they were acted by was somewhat altered if not in the whole yet in part as it will appear if we compare the Articles as they were set forth in King Edward's Days in the Year 1552 with the Edition which the Convocation under Queen Elizabeth in 1571 hath left us There are some considerable Alterations in the Articles as also in the Common-prayer-book what they are for Brevity sake I shall not set down yet I shall say they are about the Articles of Grace of Justification of Sacraments of the Lord's Supper and of Traditions The Expressions left out of them hath proved some Detriment to the Truth for they were strong against some Errors that appeared since and to confirm the Truths therein contained But this in general may be observed about the Prayer-Book how the Common-prayers are taken out of the Breviary the Administration of Sacraments Burial Marriage Visitation of the Sick out of the Ritual the Consecration of the Lord's Supper Collects Gospels and Epistles out of the Missal and for the Book of Ordination of Archbishops Bishops Ministers c. out of the Romish Pontifical Two Popes Pius 4th and Gregory 13th would have approved of it if Queen Elizabeth had been content to have taken it from their Hands and as to matter and manner they are such as that when the Devonshire Papists understood it was no other but the Mass-book in English they were pacified about it A ranck Papist Dr. Carrier said the Common-prayer-book and the Catechism contained in it hold no Point of Doctrine expresly contrary to Antiquity that is the Romish Service only it hath not enough in it Considerat pag. 45. sect 8 9. It is observable how Secretary Walsingham hearing there was a Bull of Excommunication to come out against Queen Elizabeth used a politick Trick to prevent it He caused two of the Pope's Intelligencers at the Pope's own Choice to be as it were in secret brought over and to them he appointed a Guide to shew them in Canterbury and London Service solemnly sung and said with all its Pomp which Order the Popish Intelligencers seeing and admiring they wondered their Master would be so unadvised as to interdict a Prince or State whose Service and Ceremonies did so well agree with his own so returning to the Pope they shewed him his Oversight affirming how they saw no Service or Ceremonies in England but what might very well have been performed in Rome whereupon the Bull was presently called in The Prayer-book is the Beads of our high Church-People for as Papists think all is well with them if they do but tell their Beads so many times a Day hence it is that they look upon it as their great Work when they go to their Churches where they mutter so many Pater Nosters or so many times the Lord's Prayer and Avemarias or the Angel's Salutation to the Virgin So we have amongst us those who think to have performed the whole Christian Duty if they do but go to the Service as they call it and hear the Prayer-book read Out of the Common-prayer-book in that Part of the Litany where it is said from Sedition and privy Conspiracy the following Words are left out From the Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and from his detestable Enormities I think after the bloody Tragedy acted under Queen Mary we had no more reason to leave out that important Truth than they had before to have it in But to speak something more in general upon this Subject though within as narrow a Compass as I can because by others much hath been said to the Purpose We declare we are not against Liturgies other Reformed Churches have them and we own they are Help upon Occasion wherefore we be wronged when traduced for Enemies to Liturgies we love them full comprehensive and to the purpose but not clogged with superfluous Repetitions 'T is good to have a Form for Administration of Baptism of the Lord's Supper and blessing of Marriages but they must not be too long nor too many