A Plain and Rational VINDICATION and EXPLANATION OF THE LITURGY OF THE Church of England Collected out of the Discourses of some of the Reverend Bishops and Doctors of the same CHURCH by Way of QUESTION and ANSWER By J. CLVTTERBVCK Gent. The Second Edition with Improvements LONDON Printed for William Keblewhite at the Swan in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1699. To my Beloved Daughters SARAH LILLINGSTON AND MARY LEACH THE Church's aim in all her Services was to make them reasonable and therefore she hath not only put them in a known Tongue but also instructs us in the Nature of them making her prayer-Prayer-Book a Sum of Divinity but because we are fallen into an Age that many who call themselves Saints do actually mock and ridicule her sacred Offices It 's surely a Duty incumbent on all her Obedient Children to vindicate the Honour of their Holy Mother the Church I thought it therefore Time not ill spent having retired my self to a Private Life to collect such Reasons out of the Writings of the Reverend Bishops and Doctors of the Church of England as may justifie not only her Commands but enforce our Obedience to her Pious Edicts and to the Observance of her lawful Ceremonies And that my Affection may last longer than my Life I present ye with these my First-Fruits hoping that not only the Example and constant Practice of your Ancient Father but his Advice and Counsel may prevail with you to persevere to the End in the Doctrine and Discipline of that Church in which ye have been Baptized Educated and Instructed and let not Men deceive you with vain Words I only at First designed these Collections for my own private Satisfaction but I was prevailed upon by some Friends to make them Publick for this Reason because they assured me they would be of Use and Advantage to those of the meaner Understanding and not despised by others that knew them already which I chuse to say that I may prevent the Censure of those that may think this Publication proceeds from an itching Desire of Applause or at least from Vain-Glory Let not the Meanness of my Performances lessen your Reverence to the Holy Offices of our Church but live in the constant Use and Practice of them and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will bless you both in Soul and Body guiding ye by his Counsel here and bringing ye at last to his Glory which is the hearty Prayer of Your Affectionate Father J. CLUTTERBUCK April 16. 1694. To the READER IT is observed by a Reverend and Judicious Author Dr. Jo. Cockburn That Early Buds are wont to please the curious who are generally a little impatient But the Trees flourish best and are most fruitful which do not over-hastily put forth before their proper Season This Observation had I duly considered I should not to satisfie the importunity of some Friends so hastily have Published my First Thoughts However it appears that my Intentions to do good have been kindly received the First Edition being Sold off and being hereby encouraged to a Second Impression of this Book and desirous to have it more Correct and Useful I have made some Additions and Enlargements in giving a short Explication of the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments that all may understand what they Pray for and Read This I am sensible is very excellently perform'd by several Eminent Hands but I submit to the Judgment of some worthy Friends That I ought to consult the Reader 's Ease and Conveniency and not to referr him altogether to what Others have writ Several Remarks and Observations you will meet with in this Edition which escaped my first Consideration And lastly I have given some brief Hints of the Argument and Design of each Book of Holy Writ which may in some measure assist in Reading those Sacred Pages The Compilers of the English COMMON-PRAYER-BOOK were Dr. Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Mart. Dr. Goodrick Bishop of Ely Dr. Skip Bishop of Hereford Dr. Thirlby Bishop of Westminster Dr. Day Bishop of Chichester Dr. Holbeck Bishop of Lincoln Dr. Ridley Bishop of Rochester after Bishop of London Mart. Dr. Cox King Edward 's Almoner Dr. Taylor Dean of Lincoln Mart. Dr. Heynes Dean of Exeter Dr. Redman Dean of Westminster Mr. Robinson Archdeacon of Leicester May 1549. Anno Reg. Edw. 6. Tertio The English Reformation is the most compleat and perfect in its Kind as retaining the most ancient Doctrine and soundest Confession of Faith founded upon the Holy Scriptures and agreeable to the first General Councils the most Primitive Church Government and a Liturgy the best accommodated to reconcile and unite Mens Devotions Such a Liturgy as Mr. Fox the Author of the Martyrology is not afraid to say was indited by the Holy Ghost but certainly had a great Testimony in the unspeakable Joy and Contentment holy Men took in it in K. Edward the Sixth's days their Zeal for the Maintenance of it longing for the Restitution of it and Sealed it with their Blood in Q. Maries days and the Universal Triumphs and Acclamations at the Restoring of it in Queen Elizabeth's Reign Dr. Goodman Comp. Inquiry OF THE CALENDAR AND THE Special USE thereof IN THE CHURCH of GOD. THE Calendar of the Church is as full of Benefit as Delight unto such as are given to the serious Study and due Contemplation thereof for besides the admirable Order and Disposition of Times which are necessary for the better transacting of all Ecclesiastical and Secular Affairs it hath in it a very Beautiful Distinction of the Days and Seasons whereof some are chosen out and sanctified and others are put among the Days of the Week to number But the chief Use of it in the Church of God is to preserve a solemn Memory and to continue in their due Season sometimes a weekly and sometimes an Annual Commemoration of those excellent and high Benefits which God hath bestowed upon Mankind for the Founding and Propagating of that Christian Religion which we now profess together with a Direction how to find the Lessons which the Church orders to be read every Day in the Week at Morning and Evening Prayer And because the Multitude of Holy Men and Women became so exceeding numerous that all the Days of the Year would not have been sufficient for a several Commemoration of them it was the great Wisdom and Moderation of those Religious Grave Prelates who did reform such things as were many ways amiss among us to chuse One Solemn Day alone wherein to magnifie God for the Generality of all his Saints together and to retain some few selected Days in every Month for the Special Memory of some Holy Persons and Actions hereby avoiding only the Burthen and the unnecessary Number of Festival Days Of the Golden Number and Dominical Letter THE Golden Number was anciently devised to find out the Ecclesiastical beginning of the Year which always happen'd between March the 7th and April the 6th And is
Family is call'd Levitical The Law relating to the discharge of the Priests Office is called the Levitical Law and upon that account That Book of Moses which more especially treats of the Holy Rites and Services in which these Priests were by their Office imployed is very fitly from the Subject Matter of it call'd Leviticus Numbers This Book is call'd Numbers from the Subject Matter which it begins withal viz. An Account of the Number of the People of Israel Deuteronomy This Book is very fitly called Deuteronomy which in the Greek Tongue imports a Repetition of the Law There being in this Divine Book a Repetition not only of many Facts which had passed before but of many Laws also which were mentioned before Joshua This Book is so called because it containeth the History of His Acts in his Government Conquests dividing the Land and setling of the State and Commonwealth of Israel and because as it is most probable it was Penned by Joshua following here in the Example of Moses his Predecessor Howsoever some Passages could not be Penned by himself as containing some thinks which were done after his Death but were afterward inserted by some Holy Men of God inspired by the Spirit Judges This Book which seemeth to have been gathered by some Prophet out of the Publick Records containeth the History of the chief things which happened to the People of God after the Death of Joshua until the days of Eli the High Priest Ruth This Book is an Addition to the Book of Judges and is call'd the Book of Ruth because she is the chief Subject of this Story the main Scope is to continue and declare the Genealogy of our Saviour Christ descended of Boaz a Jew and of Ruth a Moabitish Gentile to shew that He should bring Salvation to all of every Nation I. Samuel This Book was entituled with the Name of Samuel not that he was the Author of it but because the first Eight Chapters chiefly respect him and the things done under his Government and was written by one of his Disciples a Son of the Prophets who in honour of his Master call'd it by his Name And it is called The First Book of the Kings because it containeth a Relation of such things as happened under the first King's Government II. Samuel This Book is a Continuation of the History of God's People from Saul's Death to the End of David's Reign and is the History of 40 Years I. Kings This Book was made by one or more Prophets and continueth the Sacred History of Kings from the End of David's Reign to the End of Jehosaphat's Reign The Division of the Twelve Tribes into Two Kingdoms The Reign of the first Four Kings of Judah and Eight of Israel after the Division II. Kings This Book continueth the History of the Kings of Israel and Judah to the Captivity of them both These Two Books of the Kings are distinguished not as if they contained Histories of different Matters but because if all the History of both Books had been Compiled in one Book it would have seemed too great a Volume I. Chronicles This word Chronicle is a Register of Acts done time after time These Two Books were of old Compiled in One and contain an History of 3457 Years at least from Adam to the Return of the Israelites from the Babylonish Captivity 2 Chr. 36. 22. And the Genealogy of David's Posterity 1 Chr. 2. 19. The Penman of these Two Books the same with that of Ezra by which it appears they were Penned after the Captivity The Greek Title is Remainders which has relation to the Book of Kings as if These had gathered up what They had left out In the Book of Kings there are References to the Book of Chronicles But These Sacred Books of Chronicles cannot be there meant because They were not then Penned and many things referred to the Books of Chronicles are not found in these Books Ezra This Book is called Ezra either because a great part of it contains Memorable Acts of His or as is supposed Ezra the Priest was the Penman after the Babylonish Captivity Nehemiah This Book is called Nehemiah because He and his Acts are the chief Subject of the Book and as is supposed Penned by Ezra Esther This Title of Esther is given to this Book in Memory of that Prudent and Pious Queen who was an Instrument of great good to the Church of God yet throughout the whole Book not one Tittle of God is once set down Job In the time of the Ancient Patriarchs before the giving of the Law of Moses there lived in Arabia a Person of great Eminence whose Name was Job The Scope of the Book is to establish the great Article of Providence and thereby to preserve us from Errour in thinking that God's Knowledge or his Intention Providence and Government is like ours which Foundation being laid nothing will seem hard to a Man whatsoever happens Psalms The Book of Psalms or Praises so call'd from the Major part and they are called David's Psalms because he made most of them for there were several other Authors by whom some of them were composed Proverbs King Solomon was the Author of this Book The word Proverbs in the Hebrew denotes only any acute and excellent Saying which is as worthy to be known by all and to be in every ones Mouth as common Proverbs are And in Holy Scripture the word is used for an eloquent Speech or a pithy Sentence in a few words expressing much Sense A Profitable Instruction Ecclesiastes The word Ecclesiastes signifies the Preacher and this Book which bears this Name was written by King Solomon in his declining Age to signifie his Repentance The Song of Songs This Book is called the Canticles which signifies a Song and was composed by King Solomon in the beginning of his Reign Of the Prophets These Holy Men inspired by God are so termed because they did foretel future Events by Divine Revelation and These whose Monuments we have severally booked in Holy Scripture are Sixteen whereof the Four former are called the Greater in regard of the largeness of their Prophecies The latter Twelve are called the Lesser in regard of the shortness of their Prophecies Isaiah This name Isaiah is taken from the Hebrew but our Ancient Versions speaking in English forms to English ears following the Greek do not amiss render it Esay the word signifies God's Salvation no unfit Title for him who so clearly and largely prophesied of Christ This Prophet as in Place and Rank so in order of time is without question the First of the four Larger or great Prophets He is by the Ancients not undeservedly term'd An Evangelical Prophet Jeremiah Jeremiah was a Priest which some of the other Prophets were not before his entrance upon this extraordinary Employment of Prophecy Lamentations This Book was composed by Jeremiah in the time of the Babylonian Captivity Ezekiel Ezekiel of the Priestly Race composed this Prophecy in
who come to the House of Prayer Q. Why is the Time generally in the Night A. The first Christians were forced so to Bury and later Ages imitated them only adding divers Lights to shew their Hope of the Party 's being gone to Light everlasting Q. Why do Friends follow the Corps to the Grave A. To mind them that they must shortly follow the deceased in the same Path of Death Q. Why doth the Priest meet at the Church gate in his Surplice A. To allay the Sorrow which naturally seizeth on us when we follow a dear Friend to the Grave the Priest meets us in white the Colour of Joy in imitation of the Angels who go out in white Garments to receive the Soul so doth he to receive the body of the faithful A. 2. This is the Attire which is appointed for the Minister in the Performance of all his Publick offices Q. Why are those Sentences said in the Way A. To excite the Company to Faith Patience and Thankfulness Q. Why is the Body brought into the Church A. To shew the Party died in the Communion thereof Q. What is the meaning of those words in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to Eternal Life A. This is not spoken of the Party deceased but of the belief of the Standers by of this Article themselves and therefore we say afterward who shall change our vile body and not of the Party deceased Q. Why are Prayers said at the Grave A. Since the sight of that Place and of the Corps now ready to be put into it is wont to make great Impressions on us the Church takes this occasion to fit us with Devotions at the Grave 2. To shew the peculiar hope of the Church of the Resurrection of the Dead In the manner of dumb Funerals what one thing is there whereby the World may perceive we are Christians there being in those dumb Shows nothing but what Heathens and Pagans do Of the Churching of Women Quest WHY is the Woman ordered to come to Church and offer up her publick Praises Answ The Birth of Man is little less than a Miracle and lest the Frequency should diminish our Sense of it the Woman who hath received this wonderful Mercy is ordered to come to Church and offer up her publick Praises Q. What Reason for this Command of the Church A. The Original is from the Law of Moses Levit. 12. which commands all Women after they had born a Child to come to the House of God within a certain number of days and with a Sacrifice to praise God for this great Mercy and although the Ceremonial Reason be ceased yet the Obligation to make a publick Acknowledgment of so eminent a Favour remains still and in all Ages Christian Mothers have observed this holy Rite Q. Why is the Church the Place appointed to do this in A. It must be done thus publickly 1. For God's Honour 2. To satisfy the Womans Duty who is bound to let God's Goodness be shewed forth that others may learn to trust in him 3. By this means many are brought to join in God's Praises for so publick a Mercy and therefore to do this in a private House is absurd and contrary to the main end of the Office Of the Commination Quest WHAT was the Reason and Occasion of composing this Office A. To supply the want of Primitive Discipline that every Man may judge himself since the Church now judgeth so few Offenders Q. Why are those Sentences of God's Cursing against impenitent Sinners read A. In Imitation of the Jews who were appointed by God yearly to observe this Office Q. Doth not he that says Amen wish a Curse to himself A. It is no Adverb of Wishing it signifies no more than an Assent to the truth of that to which it is added Q. What Vse may we make of this Office A. It may be useful to make us flee such Vices and repent of them which here are mentioned since we acknowledge the Curse and Vengeance of God doth deservedly follow such Sins and Sinners Q. What Days in the Week are set apart for Publick Worship throughout the World A. Sunday or the Lord's Day is observ'd by Christians Monday by the Grecians Tuesday by the Persians Wednesday by the Assyrians Thursday by the Egyptians Friday by the Turks Saturday by the Jews An Account of the Titles of all the Books of the Old and New Testament and why they are stil'd Canonical and the meaning of the Word Apocryphal which Title is given to those Books which are not Received into the Canon Of the Old Testament or Covenant THE Books in Holy Scripture are call'd Canonical because according to Rule and Order they have been received into the Canon that is into the Number of those Writings which are unquestionably acknowledged to be the Writings of the Prophets and Holy Men inspired in the Old Testament or Covenant And of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ in the New Testament or Covenant The Word in Greek which is translated Testament signifies both a Covenant and a Testament Both the Words in the Title of the Holy Bible may be used 1. That of Covenant as being most agreeable to the use of the Word in the Sacred Dialect and most agreeable to the Nature of the Gospel which is the Law of Faith 2. That Word of a Testament also wherein the Christian's Inheritance is sealed to him as to a Son and Heir of God's and wherein the Death of Christ as of a Testator is set down at large by way of Story and as it is applicable to our Benefit Of the Pentateuch THE Five first Books in the beginning of the Holy Bible viz. Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy were Penned by Moses and called the Pentateuch which word signifies a Volume of Five Books Of Genesis This First Book of Moses contains the History of the Creation of the World particularly of the Making of Man with which it begins and the Genealogy of the Patriarchs down to the Death of Joseph where it ends with relation whereunto it is very fitly called Genesis that Greek word very properly expressing the Original or first Formation of these things It comprehends an History of 2369 Years or thereabout in the Judgment of many Learned Writers Exodus This Book hath its Name from the Principal Subject of it viz. The Departure of the Children of Israel out of Egypt For so the Greek word signifies Going out or Departing from one place to another It contains an History of about 145 Years from the Death of Joseph to the Building of the Tabernacle for it treats of several things which went before their departure and which followed after it but they all Relate to that and depend upon it Leviticus Levi was the Third Son of Jacob from him his Posterity had the Name of Levites Aaron who with his Sons was called to the Priesthood was from him called a Levite and the Priesthood that was setled in that